Thousands of bikers, bicyclers, that is, are coming to the New River Valley. From June 24 to June 29, about 2,000 bike lovers from all over are going to be camped out and enjoying the area’s natural beauty. They are part of a bike tour, Bike Virginia, that travels to different locations throughout the state, camps and bikes their routes.

Deborah Cooney, Radford’s Director of Tourism, is excited about the pick. She said this is not Bike Virginia’s first trip to the New River Valley. They came once before in 2002. “The economic impact is great … People see the beauty, the scenery, and hopefully come back,” said Cooney.

The courses are of varying difficulty, with 1 being the easiest and 10 being the hardest. Along with being rated numerically, the different routes are color coded. The “Pink” course is the regular course that is used daily. The “Red” trails are shorter, while the “Orange” trails are longer. There is a “Green” alternative route as well.

The natural beauty and potential of the area is not a secret to those who live here. “I think both the biking enthusiast and the casual biker will be impressed with the variety of terrain and trails we have in our area,” Mayor Dr. Bruce Brown said. “From the Radford Bikeway/Walkway to the Huckleberry Trail to the New River trail- we are blessed to have the resources in our area.”

The guests are either staying in local hotels, which are filled to capacity, according to Cooney, or in Tent Cities. These are designated areas (Pulaski County High School and Radford High School) where bikers can bring tents and camp.

Radford is hosting several events to complement the event. There will be live music on main street, creek walk, bird tours, paddle board lessons, and much more. Nesslerod on the River, Radford’s Bed and Breakfast is hosting a Garden Party for the Bike Virginia participants. The party will include catered food, fly fishing demonstrations and a free beer and wine tasting.

The average day for a Bike Virginia biker starts at about 6 a.m., when breakfast is served. The route opens at 7 a.m, while lunch is served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Throughout the day, a sports massage is available, as well as a bike repair service. The route closes at 5 p.m., proceeded by dinner from 5-8 p.m. The biker’s day ends with quiet hours, starting at 10 p.m.

Bike Virginia was started in 1988 by Dr. Kim Perry, an avid biker. While it started out with just a handful of bikers, it grew to 2,000. They then capped the participation number in order to keep things going smoothly. In the past three years, they have covered about 7,000 miles in Virginia, with stops in Chesapeake and the Shenandoah Valley.