I've always been fascinated by long-distance trails, roads, routes and races.

As a kid, when my neighborhood alone seemed impossiblylarge, the idea that you could get in your car outside New York City and end up in San Francisco without ever leaving Interstate 80 seemed nothing less than miraculous. The same was true of the Appalachian Trail. How truly incredible that you could walk from Maine to Georgia on a single path. And people actually did it!

So, I was intrigued a couple of months ago when I saw municipal workers putting up signs for U.S. Bicycle Route 1 on Riverside Drive just south of the James River. I had read about the long-distance bike route years before: I remembered it supposedly stretched from Maine to Florida. Now, here it was meandering past my house.

I went online to learn more about the route and maybe find a description of what course it traced through the area. It turned out that while there was plenty of information on U.S. Bike Route 1, there was no definitive map telling me where it went through here.

I learned the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials came up with the route (as well as U.S. Bike Route 76, which runs east to west across Virginia) in 1982 for the purpose of facilitating "travel between the states over routes which have been identified as being more suitable than others for cycling."

I also found a map put out by the state of Virginia, "The Official State Bicycling Map," which highlights a number of different routes and trails for people to explore. It includes rides in every corner of the commonwealth - the Heart of Appalachia Route in southwestern Virginia, the New River Trail and Northern Virginia Trail Network, to name a few.

The map included Bike Route 1, but I couldn't find anything that actually outlined its path through Richmond. I was curious. That left one option: Ride the thing and see.

Despite my love of the concept of long-distance journeys, I've never actually completed anything - no hike, no bike, no race of any kind - that could be considered epic. I had no plans to go from Maine to Florida or even Chesterfield to Henrico. I just wanted to follow the signs, within city limits, and see where they'd take me.

So I set off one day this past week with my trusty Schwinn in search of a new experience - Richmond via Bike Route 1.

The ride turned out to be a perfect tour of the city. The local tourism board should put it on its Webs site. There's a scenic half, with river views and virtual isolation on the roads and an urban half that shows off Richmond's downtown.

South of the James, where I started, the route stays on roads that follow the river: Riverside Drive near Reedy Creek, then Riverside again along Pony Pasture Rapids. It eventually connects to Cherokee Road and passes under Chippenham Parkway before hitting the Chesterfield County line. I rode alone for many of the miles west of Huguenot Bridge, then turned around when my map told me I was in Chesterfield (there was no sign marking the city limits there).

The signage was perfect: U.S. Bike Route 1 signs were placed everywhere the road turned or changed. And there were ample opportunities to stop and enjoy the scenery.

I rode at a leisurely pace, knowing the bustle of the city still was to come. That realization - the knowledge that a different kind of riding was ahead - arrived when Riverside Drive dumped me onto the Lee Bridge. It was a cool day, and the view of downtown was spectacular. I exited the bridge onto 2nd street, heading into north Richmond's urban center.

This is where things got interesting. Where south of the river the route was intuitive - following the bends of the James - downtown you really had to watch for signs. From 2nd Street left on Grace, left on Lombardy, right on Monument, then right on Meadow. The route went near the main library, past Richmond Police headquarters, then through the heart of VCU before offering a short stint on Monument Avenue, a blessedly wider thoroughfare.

Soon, however, I was turning north onto Meadow and then Hermitage, the last road I'd need. The final few miles of the journey took me past the forlorn Diamond, under I-95, and eventually into the Northside neighborhoods of Ginter Park and Bellevue. When I crossed back over I-95 next to Bryan Park, I knew my journey was at an end. This time, Richmond announced its limits with a sign.

The final tally? There are about 17 miles of Bike Route 1 within Richmond. I rode twice that, because I started in the middle and went out to each end.

It's not an overly impressive or taxing distance for a seasoned road biker, but that's OK. For me, the fascination of U.S. Bike Route 1 is not the temptation to ride from Maine to Florida. It's the idea that when I look out my front window, I might see someone else in the middle of that ride. If that's the case, they'll get a great tour of Richmond.