US Bicycle Route 76 connects Christiansburg and Radford along Mud Pike Road (Route 666). Fifty years ago, when this route was mapped as the Bikecentennial, local residents objected because they regarded the road as too dangerous for cycling. Despite a resolution from the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors and apparent agreement from the Virginia Department of Transportation, the route established in 1976 took cyclists on Mud Pike Road — and that route has remained in place for the fifty years that followed.
The Bikecentennial route was mapped in 1974 and 1975 by organizers and volunteers, many of whom rode their bicycles to test various routes. The purpose of the ride was to bring cyclists into contact with rural and small-town America. The route avoided the largest cities in Virginia, but did bring cyclists through some cities and towns, including Christiansburg, Radford, Troutville, and Buchanan in the Roanoke and New River regions. The planning intensified in 1976 with the final determination of routes, printing of maps, training of group leaders, and posting of signs.
The controversy over Mud Pike Road began on April 19, 1976, when the State Highway Department completed the installation of 73 signs on routes 785, 723, and 666 across Montgomery County.
It was only after the signs were posted that local residents voiced concerns about safety.
Charles A. Kemp, a resident in the Viewland subdivision, offered this warning: “It’s not even a safe place to drive twice a day in a car. It is a very dangerous road to even consider as a bicycle route.” Rita Rapp, also resident in Viewland, said that the narrow road, only nine feet in some sections, “would make anybody easy” when considered for bicycles, especially given the projection that several thousand riders planned to cross the country on the Bikecentennial.
Marlin Dickerson, assistant resident highway engineer for Montgomery County, also stated that the road was too heavily trafficked to be safe for cyclists: “I wouldn’t get out there on a bicycle. No way.” According to the Roanoke Times, the route was mapped by a bike shop owner and president of a regional cycling club who belived Mud Pike Road was the safest alternative for entering and leaving Christiansburg.
Responding to community protests, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution calling for the state to abandon the route on Mud Pike Road and instead direct cyclists to Route 11, “as the safest means to transiting Montgomery County on a bicycle as opposed to their previously designated route.” The Virginia highway department, however, refused to take down the signs, indicating that the Bikecentennial organization was responsible for the route.
In early May, the Roanoke Times published several letters strongly opposed to placing the bicycle route on Mud Pike Road. Bennie Wood of Christiansburg was adamant: “No. Blind curves and blind hills with only room enough for two cars to squeeze by is no place for a bike trail.” Earnest P. Wirt, also of Christiansburg, wrote: “The Mud Pike is not safe for cars, how can it be safe for bicycles?” Margaret Henry, of Christiansburg, echoed these fears: “I am against the Bikecentennial bicycle trail. The road is unsafe for motor vehicles; bicycles are, in my opinion, in as unsafe and dangerous situation as cars and trucks. The residents who live on 666 know better about the hazards than those who selected the route. We are for protecting lives of others as well as our own loved ones.” Only one letter, by David Abraham of Radford, supported the chosen route: “I ride on Mud Pike frequently. It is much safer than U.S. 11 which I bicycle on only if I’m in an extreme hurry. The car drivers are ‘crazier’ and drive faster on 11.”
On April 26, 1976, the Montgomery Board of Supervisors heard from Bikecentennial organizers and local residents about the proposed route. As reported in the News Messenger, the architect of the local route still believed it was safer than Route 11, where cars drove faster and thus posed a greater threat to cyclists: “The danger to the cyclist is the speeder…The same thing that makes a road safe for an automobile is the thing that makes it unsafe for a bicycle.” Residents Rita Rapp and Louise Baker, by contrast, argued that the narrow, crowded, and busy conditions of Mud Pike Road created safety concerns. Board chairman Joe Colvin echoed these concerns: “There’s no place on that road for (two) cars to hit the shoulder to avoid hitting somebody.” The Board re-affirmed its resolution requesting that Route 11 be used for Bikecentennial riders.
On May 6, the News Messenger reported that the “Bicentennial Route is Resolved” with a brief statement that a letter from the highway department to the board of supervisors indicated that Route 11 would be the approved route: “All ‘Bikecentennial’ signs along Mudpike will be removed.”
Despite this assurance, however, Mud Pike Road remained the route identified in the official Bikecentennial guidebooks. An expanded map for Christiansburg shows the westbound route following College Street, turning right on Mud Pike Road, and taking cyclists toward Radford.
A photograph published in the New Messenger on June 10, 1976 shows wet cyclists riding in the rain through Christiansburg, with a caption stating: “The transcontinental Bikecentennial trail runs through Christiansburg and Montgomery County.”
In 1982, the Bikecentennial Route was recognized as US Bicycle Route 76, following the same itinerary across Virginia, including Christiansburg. Signs posted on Ellett Road and Mud Pike Road state: “Welcome cyclists. Christiansburg, VA welcomes TransAmerica and USBR 76 cyclists…We hope you enjoy Christiansburg as much as we do.”
The safety of cyclists remains a concern, especially at a time when trucks and sport utility vehicles are larger, drivers are easily distracted, and accident rates in the United States are persistently high. Cyclists and drivers can both contribute to enhanced safety along rural roads. Drivers can contribute by keeping speed low, watching for cyclists, and passing at a moderate speed and with the required three-foot clearance. Cyclists can contribute by riding with awareness of other traffic, using lights on front and back, and observing posted traffic signs. These commonsense measures will encourage cyclists and drivers to share the road in ways that are safer for visitors and residents.
Tom Ewing
Professor, VT Department of History
Associate Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
Director, Bike 76 VA project
