I’m gonna catch some heat for this, but, road riding in Morgantown is not that great. It’s a shame because the town has such great mountain biking and gravel riding, it almost scored the trifecta! The issue is poor pavement quality, non-existent shoulders, high speed limits, and winding roads. If you could just take the traffic out of the equation or add in a wide shoulder and it would be fantastic, ask any moto rider and they’ll tell you WV roads are the best. However, getting buzzed by a coal truck at 55 mph is no fun and the tight, steep terrain means you shouldn’t hold your breath for getting a decent shoulder to ride on in most places. To be fair, there are some sections of road that are truly world class, beautiful, country roads. However, linking these sections together into a full ride requires either nerves of steel on dangerous roads or a gravel bike.
Greene County Riding to the Rescue
Fortunately, you do not have to go far to find all the good of WV road biking with a fraction of the fear. Many locals recommend Greene County, PA as the road riding goods near Morgantown. The best part? You can ride a rail trail along the Monongahela River to get there in less than 10 miles! The only catch is that the Mon River Rail Trail turns to crushed limestone as soon as you get out of town. The surface is firm and smooth enough for a road bike but you’ll want a wider tire and perhaps some flat protection. Something like 700×25 Gatorskin tires from Continental would be a minimum but you will be much more confident if you can fit a 700×28 or bigger on your bike. 700×25 will fit on almost any modern road bike but if you decide to go bigger than that make sure you have the frame clearance to fit them. If you’re not sure, check with your local bike shop and remember to leave enough space for when the wheel flexes during cornering, otherwise you risk ruining your frame! You can also make a short drive to Mt. Morris, PA and start from there if you want to avoid the rail trail. By car, it will only take you 15 minutes or so.
Organized Rides
While you will find many more group mountain bike and gravel rides in Morgantown there are occasionally group road rides to be had. Notably, the Hammer Ride occurs every Wednesday evening during the warmer months. This ride is an informal, loosely- organized, public ride that meets at the amphitheater in downtown Morgantown at 5:30 pm and departs at 5:40 pm SHARP! This is a fast-paced training ride that is intended to simulate racing and give riders practice riding in an agressive paceline. This ride will drop you but there are a few regroup point along the route.
I can already hear the furious responses in defense of road riding around Morgantown. Let me hear about any good routes you have found in the comments. I’d love to be proven wrong and have to update this post!