Ride Director Comments

Ride Description

DESCRIPTION:The Blue Ridge Escarpment of the Southern Appalachian Mountains is a drastic and sudden 3,000-foot shift in elevation from flat piedmont to steep mountains forming an abrupt blue wall. 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, you climb over Caesar’s Head Mountain where you get your first real look at 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. The second night “Fall for Greenville” you have the option to dine at the downtown street food festival. On our ride up to Saluda, NC we climb the Greenville watershed (decent surfaces and little traffic). We stay on the outskirts of town, at a quirky motel with a tremendous view of the 'gorge'. From Saluda we ride to Hendersonville where we stay for 3 days in a B&B close to downtown. Our lay-over days offer loop rides to Jump Off Rock where you can see many of the Blue Ridge Mountains from one vantage point or you can ride out through the apple orchards for more gentle grades.. On the final day of the ride, we are once again on the Blue Ridge Parkway as we make our way back to Asheville. Fourth time this tour is offered by leader Julie Leever and mentoring Bob Becker.

RIDE RATING:  This trip is rated a 3B! and 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. 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 2,700 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. 

ROUTES, CUE SHEETS & RENTAL: Routes will be posted in Ride Leader Docs with a link to the Ride with GPS routes.  From there you can download the appropriate file for your device.  I recommend that you print the maps and cue sheets for use during route wrap and as a back-up on the route.  Bike boxes can be shipped to Youngblood Bikes.  Details on the Welcome Letter. You may rent mountain bikes directly from Youngblood Bikes, however, their inventory is small so contact them directly for details. Tandems and e-bikes will be accepted on a case-by-case basis.  Talk with the leaders about this.

LOGISTICS: Meet Sunday, October 6, 2024 at 5:30 PM at the hotel. First cycling day, Monday, Oct. 7. Last cycling day, Thursday, Oct. 17. Departure day is Friday, Oct 18, 2024. Ten cycling days (plus one scheduled rest day). Two night stays for all but the last 3-night stop. Start/end hotel is the Four Points by Sheraton Asheville; 22 Woodfin Street, Asheville, NC 288011-3022 PH: 828-253-1851 marriott.com. Parking (at this time) at no charge in the hotel lot. 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 will cost approximately $40. When you are accepted 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. Bike boxes will be stored at the hotel. Tandems and e-bikes will be accepted on a case-by-case basis. Talk with the leaders about this.

COSTS: Your $1,000 deposit (plus $50 nonrefundable BAC fee) and final payment of $1,245, due April 15, 2024 will cover the costs of 12 hotel nights, 5 dinners, 10 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: We encourage single riders to sign up who are willing to share a room. On this tour we only have 2 rooms with 2 beds available. 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 $1,335.  Solo supplement payment is due April 15, 2024 when the final payment is due. You can pay using Zelle or by check. Checks should be mailed to BAC, PO Box 23998, San Diego, CA 92193, and 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.

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 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. 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 solo supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour. BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.

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

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 of $1,000 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