Twelve O'Clock Knob Loop

This is a pretty significant ride. The main feature is two devastating back-to-back climbs, Twelve O’Clock Knob and Bent Mountain, that will waste your muscles, joints and morale. And when those are over, you still have 60 difficult miles to go before you can collapse in bed. Take all the liquid and food you can pack and take money to buy more on along the way. You will pass a store before turning onto the Parkway and another in Floyd on Hwy 221. Interesting fact: Twelve O'Clock Knob was used in the Tour DuPont in 1994 and ’95 as part of a 20 mile time trial.

Distance: 112.5 mi.
Climbing Elevation: 12,461 ft.

Salem Detail Map (519KB)

Elevation Profile

Cue Sheet
Distances referenced from the Chapel
----		Head down Ellet Rd.
5.4 mi		Bear Left then Turn Right on Den Hill Rd.
6.4 mi		Turn Left on North Fork Rd. (641)
13.5 mi		Turn Left on Bradshaw Rd. (629, changes to 622 later)
30.8 mi		Turn Right on Rt. 311
35.5 mi		Downtown Salem - Turn Right on U.S. 11
36.0 mi		Turn Left on Union St.
37.0 mi		Turn Right on Piedmont Ave.
37.3 mi		Turn Left on Twelve O'Clock Knob Rd.
45.7 mi		Turn Right on U.S. 221
53.8 mi		Exit Left at the big blue sign for Blue Ridge Parkway
----		Go to the right once you get to the Parkway
78.7 mi		Turn Right on Barbary Rd. (615)
82.3 mi		Turn Right on U.S. 221
82.8 mi		Turn Left on Christiansburg Tnpk. (615)
94.2 mi		Turn Left on Pilot Rd. (615)
102.5 mi		Turn Right on Depot St.
103.3 mi		Turn Left on Cambria St. and cross RR tracks.
103.8 mi		Turn Right on Ellet Rd. and follow back to town.