If I had to pick Skyline or Blue Ridge ...
#26
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: northern Deep South
Posts: 8,904
Bikes: Fuji Touring, Novara Randonee
Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2604 Post(s)
Liked 1,933 Times
in
1,213 Posts
BTW, at the risk of getting political, when did "conservative" stop meaning "conserve what you've got," and change to meaning "cheap"?
#27
Full Member
Interesting thread. I've like to visit BRP this spring/summer & do a little riding too. Not too far into planning yet, but I'd probably need to find a nearby campground and base my riding on what's from there. I'll probably just bring my gravel bike, with a 2nd set of road wheels too, as to get in several different kinds of rides if that's possible. I'm not the climber I maybe once though I was, but the super-low CX gearing will probably get me up anything - eventually.
#28
Let's do a Century
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 8,316
Bikes: Cervelo R3 Disc, Pinarello Prince/Campy SR; Cervelo R3/Sram Red; Trek 5900/Duraace, Lynskey GR260 Ultegra
Mentioned: 59 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 651 Post(s)
Liked 879 Times
in
408 Posts
Interesting thread. I've like to visit BRP this spring/summer & do a little riding too. Not too far into planning yet, but I'd probably need to find a nearby campground and base my riding on what's from there. I'll probably just bring my gravel bike, with a 2nd set of road wheels too, as to get in several different kinds of rides if that's possible. I'm not the climber I maybe once though I was, but the super-low CX gearing will probably get me up anything - eventually.
Here is a link to the Park campgrounds on the BRP. We have camped the majority of them over the years. Unfortunately only two of them have showers. Julian Price is close to Blowing Rock and Boone and there is some very nice riding out of there. Pisgah is nice and not too far from Asheville. My favorite BRP sections are around Pisgah but there is more climbing. But there isn’t anything terribly steep if you stick to riding the BRP.
If you you venture off the BRP onto connecting roads you can get into some longer and steeper climbing. There is a nice campground off Hwy 70 in Marion but beware of the climb from there to the BRP. It’s fairly steep for the last 5 miles on Hwy 80 up to the Parkway. That campground is probably tailored more towards RVs as I recall.
We we have also stayed at Springmaid Mountain which is a little bit off the BRP east of Spruce Pine. You can ride from the campgrounds over to the BRP. I used to ride to Mitchell and back from there.
https://www.nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/camping.htm
https://www.springmaidmountain.com/
One of our favorite campgrounds off the BRP is the Davidson River Campground outside of Brevard. There is a really nice scenic road from there up to the BRP. It’s a lengthy climb but it’s very doable. Brevard has some nice spots to visit as well (see previous poster).
https://www.pisgahhospitalitypartner...er-campground/
Anyway, there are lots of opportunities. If I can help you with any details just let me know.
__________________
Ride your Ride!!
Ride your Ride!!
#29
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Just my 2 cents here.
My money is on the BRP and summit Mt Mitchell. If you don't do Mitchell you are missing one hell of a climb if that is your thing. Not to mention the views from the top are amazing in all directions. Two of the 3 highest peaks in the east are there. Mt Mitchell of course being the highest peak in the east.
john
My money is on the BRP and summit Mt Mitchell. If you don't do Mitchell you are missing one hell of a climb if that is your thing. Not to mention the views from the top are amazing in all directions. Two of the 3 highest peaks in the east are there. Mt Mitchell of course being the highest peak in the east.
john
But what an amazing one day ride. Rode from Swananowa (East Asheville) to the top of Mt. Mitchell and down the top 4 miles where my wife waited with lunch and a ride back down. 43 miles and 6500 ft of climbing. A bit of a stretch for me given how little I've been riding, but the amazing views and sunshine were motivating.
The other two days, one before and one after Mt. Mitchell were 25 mph winds gusting to 40 mph the day prior and rain all day the following day.
I'm exceedingly happy with the one day.
Again, many thanks to everyone for their input.
Paul
Likes For h2oxtc:
#30
Let's do a Century
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 8,316
Bikes: Cervelo R3 Disc, Pinarello Prince/Campy SR; Cervelo R3/Sram Red; Trek 5900/Duraace, Lynskey GR260 Ultegra
Mentioned: 59 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 651 Post(s)
Liked 879 Times
in
408 Posts
Reviving my thread from last winter. The suggestions of all were duly noted. I rejigged travel plans to allow 3 days riding on the Blue Ridge Parkway, but as life goes or in this case the weather, it worked out to just one.
But what an amazing one day ride. Rode from Swananowa (East Asheville) to the top of Mt. Mitchell and down the top 4 miles where my wife waited with lunch and a ride back down. 43 miles and 6500 ft of climbing. A bit of a stretch for me given how little I've been riding, but the amazing views and sunshine were motivating.
The other two days, one before and one after Mt. Mitchell were 25 mph winds gusting to 40 mph the day prior and rain all day the following day.
I'm exceedingly happy with the one day.
Again, many thanks to everyone for their input.
Paul
But what an amazing one day ride. Rode from Swananowa (East Asheville) to the top of Mt. Mitchell and down the top 4 miles where my wife waited with lunch and a ride back down. 43 miles and 6500 ft of climbing. A bit of a stretch for me given how little I've been riding, but the amazing views and sunshine were motivating.
The other two days, one before and one after Mt. Mitchell were 25 mph winds gusting to 40 mph the day prior and rain all day the following day.
I'm exceedingly happy with the one day.
Again, many thanks to everyone for their input.
Paul
#31
Senior Member
Great you got in a ride up Mt. Mitchell! Impressive ride for someone who hasn't been riding much; nice job making the most of the good weather day. I was on the lower portion of that ride on the BRP what I believe was the afternoon before your ride after the wind backed off a bit.
#32
Full Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 218
Bikes: Felt ZR3, Specialized Sectur
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 100 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 52 Times
in
37 Posts
Reviving my thread from last winter. The suggestions of all were duly noted. I rejigged travel plans to allow 3 days riding on the Blue Ridge Parkway, but as life goes or in this case the weather, it worked out to just one.
But what an amazing one day ride. Rode from Swananowa (East Asheville) to the top of Mt. Mitchell and down the top 4 miles where my wife waited with lunch and a ride back down. 43 miles and 6500 ft of climbing. A bit of a stretch for me given how little I've been riding, but the amazing views and sunshine were motivating.
The other two days, one before and one after Mt. Mitchell were 25 mph winds gusting to 40 mph the day prior and rain all day the following day.
I'm exceedingly happy with the one day.
Again, many thanks to everyone for their input.
Paul
But what an amazing one day ride. Rode from Swananowa (East Asheville) to the top of Mt. Mitchell and down the top 4 miles where my wife waited with lunch and a ride back down. 43 miles and 6500 ft of climbing. A bit of a stretch for me given how little I've been riding, but the amazing views and sunshine were motivating.
The other two days, one before and one after Mt. Mitchell were 25 mph winds gusting to 40 mph the day prior and rain all day the following day.
I'm exceedingly happy with the one day.
Again, many thanks to everyone for their input.
Paul
My last summit was a few years ago at the end of the Assault on Mt Mitchell. The summit is the end of that ride! 25 miles from Marion to the top and almost 6,000 feet of climbing at the end of a century ride. That was and is it for me. That was enough suffering to last me the rest of my life.
Glad you got to experience it. It is a bucket list type of thing. Trust me, you won't forget it anytime soon. I still remember the pain. Funny on my first summit back in 2013, there were a bunch of Model T's trying to make it up to the ranger station. I got up there and they were all parked and many came over to me and asked me about riding my bike up to that point (still 1 mile to the top). They told me that many of their cars could not handle the grade and they had to park them down at the entrance to the access road. That made an old man feel pretty good that I could do a climb that a car could not albeit a Model T.
For sure though for me, the ride down is worth it. I have passed cars on the way down. That is one amazing descent. In the spring though it can be a bit chilly.
Congrats....now you are ready for the Assault on Mt Mitchell!
Likes For rutan74: