Blue Wall of the Carolinas 2017

† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $85 and $100 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

OVERVIEW:  Meet Sunday, October 8, 2017. First cycling day, Monday, Oct. 9; last cycling day, Thursday, Oct. 19. Departure day is Friday, Oct 20. Ride starts and ends in Asheville, NC. Ten cycling days (plus one scheduled rest day). Two night stays for all but the last two. Included in the tour cost of $1,750 are 12 nights of lodging, 4 dinners; 12 breakfasts, maps, cue sheets, luggage van and driver.  We encourage single riders to sign up who are willing to share a room. We will assist with finding a roommate. Single supplement, if available, is $ 1,040. Our start/end hotel is the Four Points by Sheraton Asheville where it is a short walk to downtown restaurants, museums and shops.

RIDE RATING:  This trip averages 39 Mi/Day and 2,900 Ft/Day of climbing if choosing the short options or 44 miles and 3,350 Ft on the long options. It is rated a 3B. The more difficult days are the rides to Brevard at 47 miles and 4,310 Ft of climbing and from Brevard.  Departing from Brevard has 55 miles and 3,925 Ft of climbing but the last 10 miles are on the Swamp Rabbit Trail approaching Greenville, which is flat and traffic free. The grades for the overall tour are moderate at less than 6%, with a single spot topping out at 10%. There are frequent short tunnels along the Blue Ridge Parkway sections on the first day of the tour. Cyclists are required by law (and common sense) to have head lights and tail lights.

WEATHER: The weather is usually cool to warm. Average temps are from the mid 60s to the mid 70s. However, temperatures can vary into the 40s, particularly with rain. Be prepared with cold weather rain gear.

OVERVIEW: The Blue Ridge Escarpment of the Southern Appalachians is a drastic and sudden 3,000-foot shift in elevation from flat piedmont to steep mountains that forms an abrupt blue wall. The tour rides down the escarpment to Greenville, SC on day four and part way back up it on day six. We start with a loop ride from Asheville. Then we ride the Blue Ridge Parkway over to Brevard for a two night stay, with options for waterfall viewing along the way. Heading to Greenville, SC, we take you over Caesar’s Head Mountain where you get your first real look the Blue Wall. On our rest day in Greenville we’re downtown where you can walk to beautiful parks, interesting shops, galleries and many restaurants. Next we ride up to Saluda, NC climbing the Greenville watershed (decent surfaces and little traffic). In Saluda we take a scenic route to get further up the Wall to visit Hendersonville and see some of the rides Tom and Julie get to do every day.  We stay 2 nights at the Saluda Mountain Lodge with sweeping views of the Green River Gorge.  After Saluda we ride to Hendersonville where we stay for 2 days in a B&B close to downtown. Our lay-over day offers a loop to Jump Off Rock where you can see many of the Blue Ridge mountains from one vantage point. Day 10 has us riding up to Old Fort and over the old highway (closed to traffic) to Black Mountain. We toast the group’s tour with a final dinner on the veranda of the Red Rocker Inn.  Our final ride is along a reservoir and back onto the Parkway to make our way back to Asheville.

LOGISTICS: Fly in and out of Asheville/Hendersonville Airport. A cab ride to the hotel will cost approximately $40. Bike boxes will be stored in a cube on the hotel parking lot. The front desk will have a day to access the cube.  Second year tour is offered by leaders Tom and Julie Leever.  BAC members may contact the ride leaders by "clicking" the name at the top of this Ride Description. A deposit of $ 500 assures your place on the tour.

CANCELLATION POLICY: The BAC ride registration fee is not refundable unless the entire tour is cancelled.  Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped.  The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost as a result of cancellations.  If the canceling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time.  If the canceling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report are completed.  Note that most hotels on the tour require a final count for the reservation 30 days in advance.) If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the cancelling roommate may also be liable for the single supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour.  BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.

RIDE PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITY: Please remember that BAC Ride Leaders are volunteers, and that successful tours depend on participants providing much of their own support, including changing their own flat tires.  Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles.  All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour.  We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from Ride Leader.  While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and cleanup.  Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour.  Please keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you may have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

SIGN-UP: To register for this ride, use the sign-up links just above the Ride Description. After preliminary acceptance, you will be moved to the pending list and receive an email requesting you to go back to the BAC site to digitally accept the Release of Liability (ROL), and pay the non-refundable BAC fee ($50) and tour deposit ($500) by credit card. As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List. BAC members with questions may contact the Ride Director by "clicking" the name at the top of this Ride Description.