Bike Carson

With all the new trail options in Ash Canyon, it can be easy to forget about the V&T trail, the old Virginia and Truckee Railroad bed. Half of this trail is now paved, the bike path behind the college, but the dirt begins at Combs Canyon road heading north.

View of Carson City

We didn’t feel like any big climbs the other day, so we opted for an out and back on the V&T Trail. It’s obvious that this route is less popular than it used to be, as there are few mountain bike tracks in the dirt. Still, somebody has been busy up here, as there are a few new “bonus areas”. The V&T trail is a mixture of doubletrack and singletrack, and if you look closely, there are many bonus areas along the side of the trail. These little side trails give you an alternate route or extra challenges should you choose to get off the main route. All rejoin the main trail.

Bonus Area

In addition to this trail being a good one if you’re looking for less climbing, it’s also a great trail for beginners. The gentle grade helps you build your stamina, and there are plenty of little challenges along the way to build your skill. Not only are there fun rocks and singletrack alternate routes, but there are some short but steep hill climbs. These give you the practice of charging hills and quickly finding the right gear combination. This trail is also great for someone wanting to try single speed mountain biking for the first time. I should also mention that the views of Carson City from the trail are outstanding!

Fun Obstacles

If you’re looking for a bit more climbing, another option is to climb Combs Canyon Road to Lakeview, make a right on Lakeview Road, and then another right on Buckskin Road. Riding around the gate will get you on a dirt road that will take you over the top of the hill. From the top it’s a wild descent down a sandy road to the top of the V&T trail.

Alternate Route

Tags: Carson City, v&t railroad grade, V&T Trail

This entry was posted by Jeff Moser on Thursday, November 6th, 2008 at 6:50 am and is filed under Trails. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.