Heading to Asheville for a long weekend and bringing the road bike. Staying close to downtown with friends and should have a couple hours or so each morning to get some riding in. Would love some suggestions of good rides to try in the 40 or so mile range. Thanks in advance.
Blue Ridge Parkway from Asheville up the climb to Mt. Mitchell. I did it a few weeks ago when I went up there to visit.
So many and you can safely ride through town on your bike so don’t worry about that. Do worry if you don’t have a 26 or 28 rear cassette
You can head to the parkway via Charlotte street then up town mtn or through Biltmore village.
You can ride out to Swanannoa/Warren Wilson Collge/Black Mtn
Ride to the top of Pisgah (steep 4 mile climb that’s horrid to ride up)
You can head to the parkway via Biltmore village (Vanderbilt road)
Ride to Marshall (about the flattest ride around) You can turn left at the bakery in Marshall for some climbing
The Bakery ride Saturday 9:30 from Fuddruckers also on Charlotte street
Welcome! There have been a few similar threads in last months so be sure to take a look.
Feel free to join the Bakery ride - though if you are coming this upcoming Saturday (9/10) it might be a little light as many of us are doing the local Monster Cross race down). Like Brian said, Saturdays departing 10am from the Fuddruckers on Charlotte St. Lots of local power and sometimes BMC’s Brent Bookwalter or local UHC riders will pop on by to ride with us.
I personally think the Parkway is overrated, unless you start above or below town. The stretch between the Welcome Center and Folk Art can be particularly crowded and unsafe as locals use it as a cut-through to town.
Some alternatives:
- the Town/Elk Mountain loop is a great 90-minute loop with plenty of local climbing
- up 151 out in Canton and then back down the Parkway is a great 3.5-4hrs of climbing and then awesome descending and views
- Head up Town or Elk to Craggy along the parkway - sometimes lots of traffic but great views. Can continue up toward Mt Mitchell
- Ride along the river for some flat/rolling terrain
Let me know what kind of terrain and/or distances you’re looking for. Lots of other alternatives. We’re truly blessed with great riding here in WNC.
hey next time I’m in town can we do this ride: - up 151 out in Canton and then back down the Parkway is a great 3.5-4hrs of climbing and then awesome descending and views
Sounds like fun. Probably no Looking Glass, but then again nothing will be.
I think we did the Pisgah ride with Heath last summer? If not, yep, that is a good one. Definitely not 3.5-4hrs of climbing, closer to 1-1.5 with the meat of the climb around 30min. That part is pretty on par with the Doggett 4-mile climb. I rode it on 7/24/16 if you want to peek at a file.
Edit: yes, contradicted myself. Before I meant the Pisgah loop takes about 3.5-4hrs total - not all climbing. Whoopsie
Some alternatives:
- the Town/Elk Mountain loop is a great 90-minute loop with plenty of local climbing
What’s the typical direction for this loop? In-laws just built in Asheville and I did some scouting while we drove up the Blue Ridge to hike this past weekend, the up Town Road looked atrocious(maybe it was just the Labor Day weekend traffic). The few cyclists I saw had cars stacked behind them. Is it more common to ride up Elk and then down Town?
Yeah, I really avoid the straight-shot up Town due to the cars. It is fun to bomb down, however.
You can really go up either way:
- Back roads of Town: some options off of Charlotte street to take going up Town instead of the busier section. These are great, more scenic and a little more forgiving grade-wise. Take Baird St off of Charlotte toward the mountain, left on Sunset Drive, up Sunset for a while and then sharp right on Old Toll Road. You can then pop out onto Town above most of the climb, or you can take a left on Bent Tree for another switchback or so and then hit Town.
- Elk is a little harder but definitely a great climb
You can also get to both of these via the Parkway (but slightly busier section) or the amazing Ox Creek climb coming from Weaverville area. That’s a doozy. Lots of good local loop options featuring climbing.
I was there over the summer. I highly recommend going up Mt. Mitchell. I left Asheville, went up Town Mtn, then to Mitchell and back. Great ride. Elk Mountain was also fun to go up, as was going to the top of Pisgah.
My wife and I are bringing bikes for a couple of rides during a roadtrip to Cullowhee, Asheville, and Greenville next month. We’re camping one night on Mt Pisgah, so I’d planned on riding down and biking back up. Would you head down via 151 and u-turn around the Old US 19-23?
Is there a similarly short way to get to experience the Mt Mitchell climb? I can’t do 4 hour rides, but we want to see some of the “can’t miss” routes.
My wife and I are bringing bikes for a couple of rides during a roadtrip to Cullowhee, Asheville, and Greenville next month. We’re camping one night on Mt Pisgah, so I’d planned on riding down and biking back up. Would you head down via 151 and u-turn around the Old US 19-23?
Is there a similarly short way to get to experience the Mt Mitchell climb? I can’t do 4 hour rides, but we want to see some of the “can’t miss” routes.
FYI for if you don’t know rides in Cullowhee, the main road in front of WCU, Hwy 107 has nice bike lanes for a good stretch. Plus their is a fun loop up Little Savannah road to the Airport(up on a ridge with great view). I like to loop it Hwy 107, River Road, Webster Rd, Little Savannah(do out and back to airport), and back to Hwy 107.
Awesome, thanks! I didn’t know what to expect around Cullowhee. I haven’t been to the western part of NC, so we’re visiting my wife’s alma mater en route to a wedding and trying to get in as much hiking, biking, and exploring as we can.
No problem, my FIL worked for WCU, recently retiring to Asheville, so I know that area pretty well. Not as good as some locals. For some real good rides look at Motion Makers(Sylva) website. Ring of Fire and Spurs of Death are other fun ones.
My favorite run is along that section of River Rd I described and with the new green way you can jump across Hwy 107 and pop on the greenway for a great long run along the river.
As for food and brew, Innovation Brewing in Sylva is good and Sazon mexican over in Cullowhee is good as well.
Also heading up to stay in the North Asheville area in Weaverville this weekend. Any particular roads to avoid due to traffic, bad roads, etc.?
I went to visit just like you this summer. I did an out and back starting at the intersection of town mountain rd & blue ridge parkway headed north on the parkway. This was going towards craggy gardens. I’m not much of a climber but it was a good ride.
there is a small parking area at the end of town mountain rd(694). There are a few tunnels on the route so make sure you have front and rear lights.
I did 10 miles out and 10 miles back. Would be pretty easy to add in another 10 or 20.
Agreed on the advice from the folk art center to weaverville locals call it the red-neck by pass.
I got some good advice from young blood cycles as well. So they may be worth checking out and asking.