I don't think it's officially a race anymore.

I rented a cabin near Bryson City for a week a few years ago and drove over to Asheville one day to ride up Mt. Mitchell. It's a nice climb.

I have done it 3 times already. This year is going to be 12 miles longer, with a revised route after the town of Marion. It is supposed to go through Ashville and approach Mt. Mitchell from the opposite side. The extra 12 miles is on the Mitchell half. The extra distance doesnt sound like much, but it is. My plan is to accomplish this ride with PC's. Just think of the bike workout. 3 weeks before Eagleman. It isnt billed as a race anymore for insurance reasons. Ride as hard as you want. There is a timing clock at the end. Some race, some Tour, either way it is tough.

They seem to be making it out to be one. Although they are just calling it a "ride" not a "race."

So it sounds like you are qualified to answer the lingering question here....Can somebody do the Mt. Mitchell ride/race without having previously done the Marion ride/race? Or is Marion the qualifier?

I have heard this is a great ride but somewhat of a suffer-fest as it is almost all climb. A few of my buddies have done it several times. It isnt a formal race. You dont have to qualify. I did the Hilly Hellacious Hundred last year and it was a great ride. It starts just outside Asheville.

I dont want to hijack the post, but I figured some of you could also answer my question as all these rides are in the same area. I'm coming back to NC this year for the Hilly Hellacious again, but I'm thinking about using the Blood, Sweat & Gears metric century as a warm up. Can anyone comment on this ride or any other good ones in the Blue Ridge Mtns area?? Thanks in advance for your responses.

The Marion ride is 72 miles. You may register for this ride seperately. You cannot do the Mt. Mitchell ride without doing the first Leg(Marion). There is no seperate registration for Mt. Mitchell. All of the registration forms for the Mitchell part have been mailed, there is no online registration for this, only Marion. All of the spots for Mitchell are very competitive. As soon as I got a the registration for Mitchell, I filled out the check, application, and returned it to the mail right away. All total, the Mt Mitchell ride is 102 miles(plus 12 for this year). This includes the first 72 to Marion. Confused? It took me years to figure out the system thus far. If you have not already registered for Mitchell, your only hope is to watch for someone to sell you their ticket, and you ride under their name. Let me know if you need any more information. The whole Mitchell ride is much more difficult than Hilly Hillacious 100.

It's not a race, but it's ridden like a race at the front. George Hincapie has "won" the event a few times. They do keep a big clock at the finish line.

This year's event has been re-routed because part of the Blue Ridge Parkway got washed out. The route cuts west and approaches the mountain from the west. The new route is about 8 to 10 miles longer and includes about 2,000 feet of additional climbing. Basically, figure on climbing for 30 solid miles!

If you order a ticket though the official organization, you'll have to get a ticket for the ride to Marion for the first year. Then you'll have the option of getting a ticket for the ride all the way to Mt. Mitchell the following year. However, there are usually plenty of people who have tickets for the top who are willing to sell them. If you go to http://.freewheelers.info you can usually find links to forums where people are exchanging tickets. If you have a ticket to the top, it's a ticket to the top. It doesn't matter how you got it or if you did Marion the year before or not.

Marion is NOT the halfway point of the ride as has been said here. Marion is a 72 mile event with 4,000 +/- feet of elevation gain. The route to Mt. Mitchell breaks off from the Marion route about 45 miles into the ride this year (because of the new route).

I've done the ride twice. To me, the climbing is bad enough, but the worst part is the start. 3,000 people taking off in a mad dash. In some years it's been anerobic for the first 10 miles. It's also been a crash-fest. I hate that part the most.

Bob C.

i don't have any extra info but i didn't realize this event's fame had gotten so widespread. i guess i'm just spoiled having the parkway right out my backdoor. lucky me i guess

when you register for the assualt you are signing up to ride the marion ride plus the mt. mitchell section - they limit the number of people since they bus them down.

the ride past marion gets tough so be prepared

the lead group rides together until Bill's Hill (~mile 50) which gaps out some of the people at the back, this smaller group rides together until Marion when the real hill starts (27 miles up).

you can probably find a mt. mitchell through the greenville spinners or the spartanburg freewheelers message boards

shop owned by a top 10 is Columbia SC Outspokin' http://www.outspokinbicycles.com/ they may be able to help you find a slot.

i live in Seattle now and can't help but please ride the assault for me

John

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John Teeters
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 << when you register for the assualt you are signing up to ride the marion ride plus the mt. mitchell section - they limit the number of people since they bus them down. >>

No. When you first register for the assault, you get a ticket for Marion only. You'll be eligible for a ticket to the top the following year. If you try to ride to the top, you're considered a "renegade" and they'll try to keep you out the following year. But if you buy a ticket to the top from someone who already has one, you're good to go. A ticket to the top is a ticket to the top. But you don't get one the first year if you just sign up.

<< the lead group rides together until Bill's Hill (~mile 50) which gaps out some of the people at the back, this smaller group rides together until Marion when the real hill starts (27 miles up). >>

No. Not this year. The route to the top of Mt. Mitchell has had to be re-routed because part of the Blue Ridge Parkway was washed out east of the peak. This year the route to the top splits off from the route to Marion JUST BEFORE Bill's mountain. It goes by Chimney Rock and Lake Lure before turning north to catch The Parkway just on the east side of Asheville. If you saw "Last of the Mohicans" you'll be riding right through that gorgeous terrain that was used in filming that movie.

If you want a ticket to the top, keep monitoring http://freewheelers.info to see who's selling.

Bob C.

Assulting Mt. Mitchell is like kicking sand in the face of a bully, a big bully. A bully Sea Lion in fact that won't hesitate to kill you and leave your entrails as a snack for scavengers.

You can ride Mt. Mitchell, but I'd ask permission before trying to assult the sleeping giant. I think there are two years of my life somewhere left on the side of the road there.

-SD

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https://www.kickstarter.com/...bike-for-the-new-era

As I've read somewhere before, the secret to conquering a giant is to attack its head, not its feet. The assault on Mt. Mitchell has been funny over the years. Sometimes it starts out ridiculously fast. Sometimes it starts out ridiculously slow. Times at the top seem to be about the same either way. With the new route this year, it's hard to say what's in store, but it was already a monster before they added another 10 miles and another 2,000 feet of climbing. Via the historic route, you gain 4,000 feet in cumulative climbing by the time you reach Marion at 72 miles, then you start the steep stuff ... for 30 miles! There's one break where you have about a 2 mile descent. But I learned to hate that part 'cuz a) you just lose elevation you have to regain and b) you have to get your legs accustomed to climbing again after the little break ... and that's when I always start cramping (even if I keep spinning on the descent).

The worst part of all is the last 5 miles when you actually get into Mt. Mitchell State Park. You turn in at mile 97 and begin a brutal climb that's worse than what you've already been doing for 25 miles. Thankfully, it eases somewhat in the last mile or so.

I've always been lucky to catch good weather. But there have been some years when it's been absolutely awful on that mountain ... 35 degrees with 50+ mph winds (don't know what that means for wind chill). On the flip side, there was one year it was so hot people lined the parkway puking from the heat and exhaustion.

But the best part is, if you have to take the bus all the way back to the start in Spartanburg, SC, they drop you off right across from a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop!

Bob C.

Just got my ticket to the top yesterday. I am #63 this year. The new route should be interesting. I hope it doesnt hail this year. When I get to the top with my PC's, think Frank might give me a jersey for my effort? :-)

I figure if I can do the Mt. Baldy ascent/descent three times (75 miles total ~ 15,000' of gain) in less than six hours I'll be able to handle Mt. Mitchell and all but a handful of riders that enter. Of course, I currently can't do that, but it's something tough to shoot for and keep me motivated.

What should I look to pay for a ticket to the top?

Any truth to Bill's Mountain having 1,000' of vertical gain in less than one mile, as the Mitchell website states it does? That is flat out insane, a mile long hill at 20%!?

Does George Hincapie have a brother who rides? There was a Hincapie with a different first name in the top 10 last year.

Yeah, Rich Hincapie, but RIch Harper from Raleigh NC (me) rode in his place. The ride from Marion to Mitchell really sucks when you are a flat lander field sprinter!



Rich

<< I figure if I can do the Mt. Baldy ascent/descent three times (75 miles total ~ 15,000' of gain) in less than six hours I'll be able to handle Mt. Mitchell and all but a handful of riders that enter. >>

Well, you might have to define "handful." You're probably looking at a similar total elevation gain, but another 35 miles (with this year's route change). The best I've managed on the "original" 102 mile course is 6:23 (I aint no climber and I cramped horribly). I think that had me about 150th. There are always plenty of folks who finish in under 6 hours -- probably even dozens who finish under 5:30. It's not a race, but it is. The folks at the front are REALLY serious.

<< What should I look to pay for a ticket to the top? >>

$55 has been the going rate in past years. But you've gotta figure out how you're gonna get back down to Marion and then back to Spartanburg. You may need to get a bus pass.

<< Any truth to Bill's Mountain having 1,000' of vertical gain in less than one mile, as the Mitchell website states it does? That is flat out insane, a mile long hill at 20%!? >>

I don't think there is any truth to that. There's no way that's a 20% climb. Maybe it's 7% average with 10% in a spot or two. I've never thought Bill's Mountain was any big deal. The real problem there is that you've still got 2,000 riders all together when you get there. If you're not at the front, you could have people dropping chains or just plain going backwards in front of you. This year, that's irrelevant if you're going to the top. The route isn't going over Bill's Mountain. I suspect there'll be plenty of others, though. (The Marion ride still goes over Bill's Mountain.)

<< Does George Hincapie have a brother who rides? There was a Hincapie with a different first name in the top 10 last year. >>

I see this has already been answered. Rich is a nice guy. I believe he's the driving force behind Hincapie Sportswear. (Extremely nice stuff!) I wondered about seeing his name in the top 10 last year. I was really impressed. Oh well. Another illusion dies.

Bob C.

Only a handful...meaning...ummm...maybe top 5% or so? I'm getting to be a pretty decent climber so I thought this ride would be a nice benchmark in which to compare myself to other climbers as well as being a nice benchmark to compare myself to in the future. If 2,000 people are generally together through 50 miles it sounds like minimal amounts of work would be required for the first couple hours due to drafting. This is probably an illusion, but it's one I have at this point.

<< If 2,000 people are generally together through 50 miles it sounds like minimal amounts of work would be required for the first couple hours due to drafting. >>

Well ... yes ... and no ... it depends. I've only done it twice. The first year the "marshals" were pretty lax about the yellow line and riders took most of the road. That year, it was VERY fast at the outset. At the end of the first hour I was already trashed we were riding so hard. Then things split up. I found myself in a second group with about 25 or 30 riders on up the road. This was barely into the second hour.

The next time I did it, the marshals freaked out anytime anyone touched the yellow line. People were trying to advance, but couldn't. The pace at the front seemed to be under some sort of control and was only about 22 mph (which, when drafting in a group of 2,000, is nothing). Everyone was packed like sardines and there were constant surges and slow downs. And there were crashes galore. I hated it. It stayed like this all the way to Bill's Mountain (+/- 45 miles)which was the first feature to break things up. It was so squirrely and tense that I was more wasted after the first hour THAT time than I was the first time when the pace was insane.

Because of the route change this year, I'd suggest you keep an eye out for Hwy. 64. You'll be on it when the route splits -- where those going to the top will go straight and those going to Marion will make a right turn. When you get on Hwy. 64, hug the yellow line. There are bound to be morons diving across the entire group to make the turn to go to Marion.

Good luck. I hope you get a ticket. If I hear of any, I'll send you a message. I'm in Upstate SC and lots of folks I know either do the ride or get tickets just in case.

Bob C.

Thanks for the heads up, although it's starting to sound a bit on the risky side. The last thing anybody wants to do is train their asses off, be in killer shape, and break a collar bone because they did a ride with a thousand or so people who've never ridden in a pack. How do they line people up? Is it just a free for all or do they have sections flagged off for the sub 6hr estimated finishers, 6 - 6 1/2, 6 1/2 - 7, 7 - 8, etc.?

This is a badass ride. Yes, it is worth it. I can't say more than the others have already said. Do it.

I think they had to change the route this year because the Blue Ridge Parkway is damaged North of Mount Mitchell. I did a self-supported tour of the Skyline Drive / Blue Ridge Parkway last year, and can wholeheartedly say I would NOT want to do the climb from Asheville up to Mt. Mitchell at the end of a long ride. The climbs out of Asheville (in either direction) on the Blue Ridge Parkway are killers. Ashville to the entrance to Mt. Mitchell park is a climb of 4,265 feet (it was a fun descent for me, even though it was rainy cold :-)).

The Assault on Mt. Mitchell is an impressive ride. Anyone who can do it has my admiration.

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-Mark Rebuck, http://www.markrebuck.com/

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I dont want to hijack the post, but I figured some of you could also answer my question as all these rides are in the same area. I'm coming back to NC this year for the Hilly Hellacious again, but I'm thinking about using the Blood, Sweat & Gears metric century as a warm up. Can anyone comment on this ride or any other good ones in the Blue Ridge Mtns area?? Thanks in advance for your responses.

BSG is a full century. Around 101-102 miles, actually. I did it for the first time last year, and plan to go back in '05. Fun ride. Good support. This time - no walking up Snake Mountain.

Alicia

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<< The climbs out of Asheville (in either direction) on the Blue Ridge Parkway are killers. Ashville to the entrance to Mt. Mitchell park is a climb of 4,265 feet >>

A bit of perspective. You'll have already ridden 70 miles or so with plenty of elevation gain by the time you reach Asheville.

Then, after the 4,265 feet of elevation gain to the park entrance, you essentially climb Alpe de Huez. That's what the section in the park is like.

Bob C.

<< Thanks for the heads up, although it's starting to sound a bit on the risky side. The last thing anybody wants to do is train their asses off, be in killer shape, and break a collar bone because they did a ride with a thousand or so people who've never ridden in a pack. >>

I didn't mean to scare you off. I have seen some crashes on the ride. I just wanted to "advise" you of that fact. Put 3,000 riders on the road going anywhere and there'll probably be some crashes. But I think the organizers do a VERY excellent job running the thing. Also, I don't think anybody just shows up to do Mt. Mitchell who hasn't done a fair amount of training. It's not like you're gonna be around a bunch of newbies. Now I'll give you one more very important tip. It's the secret to staying out of trouble (or avoiding much of it). There's no organization at the start line. You line up and you go. Some folks who want to ride at the front and avoid the mayhem go a block or two up the road. When the gun goes off, they pull out ahead of the pack. It kinda sucks, but it happens and I understand why. My first year I thought I was lined up very close to the start line. When the gun went off and we got rolling It was like, "how did these 500 riders get ahead of me already?"

Seriously, if you've got some climbing legs, you need to do this ride. Just have your antennae out.

Bob C.