Ride Director Comments

It is possible to make this tour a 3B if you want to shuttle on the last day, from Little Switzerland into Asheville, and ride from the top of the climb at the Mt. Mitchell Visitor's Center.

Ride Description

DESCRIPTION:   The tour makes a clockwise loop from Asheville, into Tennessee briefly, then back into North Carolina, with the last five days riding on or around the Blue Ridge Parkway. On our first day, we head west from Asheville on a 44-mile climb to Hot Springs, a small town on the Appalachian Trail. We are staying in the town's original train station hotel and dining at their restaurant. Day two and three we ride to Erwin, Tennessee and on to Banner Elk, NC, passing Roan Mountain on the way (or climbing up it if you wish). Note that there are 10 miles of busy roads on this day.  Day four and five are in W. Jefferson, NC where rolling pastures and interesting wooden barns are sprinkled among the many Christmas tree farms.  On day six we cycle along a winding river road before entering the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Photo ops are frequent with scenic views of the expansive hills and valleys.  On the Parkway, vehicle speeds are reduced and commercial traffic is prohibited.  Day six brings us to Blowing Rock, NC for two nights. Here you can take an optional loop ride to Boone, NC or hike up Grandfather Mountain. Blowing Rock is named for the 1,500 ft jutting rock formation over the Johns River gorge.  Wind currents from the gorge can defy gravity and blow light objects vertically up the gorge.  Day eight we again ride the Parkway all the way to Little Switzerland, NC and the Switzerland Inn. The town was founded because it commands panoramic views reminiscent of the foothills of the Swiss Alps.  There’s hiking or the possibility to relax and enjoy the panoramic view from your room. From there we proceed on the Parkway to arrive back in Asheville. Fouth time this tour is offered by leader Julie Leever with Bob Becker as co-director.    YouTube 3 min preview:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veC9Yitjea8 

RIDE RATING:  This trip averages 47 Mi/Day and 3,785 Ft/Day of climbing.  It is rated a 4B. The most difficult day is the last day with 50 miles and 4,870 ft of climbing. The grades are moderate at less than 6%, with a couple of spots topping out at 10%. There are frequent short tunnels along the Blue Ridge Parkway section on the last day of the tour. Cyclists are required by law (and common sense) to have HEAD LIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS. Day three includes a 10 mile stretch of busy roads.

LOGISTICS: Meet Monday, September 23, 2024 at 5:30 PM at the hotel. First cycling day, is Tuesday, Sept 24; last cycling day, Wednesday, Oct 2. Departure day is Thursday, Oct 3, 2024. Start/end hotel is the Four Points by Sheraton Asheville; 22 Woodfin Street, Asheville, NC 288011-3022 PH: 828-253-1851 marriott.com. At this time there is no charge for parking in the hotel lot however that could change. It is a short walk to downtown restaurants, museums and shops. Fly in and out of Asheville/Hendersonville Airport. A cab ride to the hotel is approximately $40. 

When you are accepted on the tour, you can access the "Ride Leader Docs" posted on the tour page.  There you will find the “Welcome letter” for specific details about the tour.  Routes are posted there in GPX, TCX and RidewithGPS (for phones) files for you to download.  Bike boxes will be stored at the hotel.  You may rent mountain bikes directly from Youngblood Bikes (details in the Welcome Letter). No guarantees on road bikes. You need to call the Youngblood Bikes for details. Tandems and e-bikes will be accepted on a case-by-case basis.  Talk with the leaders about this.

COSTS: Your initial payment of $ 755 plus the $50 nonrefundable BAC fee is required to be accepted on the tour  Final payment of $800 is due April 15, 2024. This covers the cost for all lodging, 10 Happy Hours, 6 dinners, 9  breakfasts, happy hour refreshments, luggage van and driver.   After the tour we will provide a report of all expenses and return any money that remains after expenses have been paid.

Singles sharing a room: We encourage single riders to sign up who are willing to share a room. We will assist with the singles search for a suitable room mate. Singles who are accepted but waiting to find a room mate will have a limited time-frame to do so if there are more BAC members registered on the wait list.

Solo Supplement: Solo supplement, if available, is $ 880.  We have not reserved solo rooms and will only offer a solo option if the tour does not fill within a few months. Any solo supplement payments is due when the final payment is due. You can pay with Zelle or by check.  Mail a check to BAC, PO Box 23998, San Diego, CA 92193. Checks should be made out to “BAC” with a notation of the tour name included on the check.  Note: ONLY solo supplement payments may be paid via Zelle. All other payments must be paid by credit card through the BAC website.

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, long-fingered gloves, pants, shoe covers and helmet cover

Health & Safety: We will invite participants to a Zoom meeting about 6 weeks prior to the tour start date to discuss health and safety rules. Vaccinations for COVID are required and boosters are recommended. Participants are expected to come to the tour in good health and ready to ride. In short, if you are ill on the tour, be it a cold or test positive for COVID but you can ride your bike, then you can stay on the tour with precautions in place. In this case, protocols for isolation, masking, and social distancing are required. If you test positive and cannot ride your bike, then you must isolate in place. That may mean departing the tour or arranging your own transport to subsequent hotels on the tour. Protocols for isolation will be required. We will all need to be flexible as safety comes first.

CANCELLATION POLICY: The BAC Ride Registration Fee and Payment Processing Fees are not refundable unless the entire tour is canceled because the number of participants registered is less than the minimum established for the tour  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 costs 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 canceling 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.

INSURANCE: Before participating in any BAC tour, you should assess whether your medical and travel insurance coverage is sufficient. BAC maintains insurance that covers expenses related to accidents. This coverage applies when touring inside the US, regardless of your nationality. It’s assumed that members’ personal insurance will cover medical emergencies such as sudden and unexpected sickness, so these have not been included in the BAC policy. Coverage is subject to a $1000 deductible. You may want to consider personal coverage for emergency evacuation, as this is not included. The costs of treatment or quarantine for Covid and other unexpected illnesses are not covered. You should ensure that your vaccinations are up to date

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 of $755 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