School me on the Blue Ridge Parkway in May

[572cv]

Some riding pals are organizing an 8 day ride, the length of the BRP. Middle of the month is the plan. I'm seriously considering joining in. Any tidbits of info would be appreciated, weather, road manners, great food places, whatever. It looks like they have the accommodations issue more or less worked out, at the moment. Thanks!

[josephr]

plan your ride for weekdays on the bike....stay the heck away Saturday, Sundays, holidays. stop at the apple orchard even though no apples yet, take plenty of pictures, don't go off the ridge unless your ready to climb back up, pack light...and most importantly, don't get eaten by bears!

edit: and stay away from any of the wineries --- they're tourist traps as no decent grape can really grow in North Carolina. Stick to beer.

[rnhood]

Its a nice voyage. If you plan to go into any of the little towns, you will typically be descending approx 12-1500' to the town, then climb back up. Just keep that in mind because, after a long day in the saddle with plenty of climbing you now have to do more if you want to venture into town. The prettiest part of the parkway will be between Asheville and Cherokee. May is a good month and it will be memorable. Enjoy the trip.

[Ken Robb]

A few years ago we got on at Front Royal and planned to stop at a lodge on the Parkway between there and Charlottesville. This was July and it was Hot and Humid but we were driving and the scenery was lovely so it didn't matter. Then we got to the lodge and the rooms were DUMPS with no A/C or through ventilation. When I returned to the front desk with the key and a no-thank-you the clerk said "We get that a lot." We moved on and had several fun days in Charlotteville staying in a Residence Inn near UVA. Monticello is VERY well done and should not be missed.

If the rooms in the lodges on the Parkway have been updated it would be nice not to have to leave it for lodging. I think most, if not all, of the roads on/off the Parkway were pretty steep hills that might be a big plus or minus depending on your love of speed or climbing. The part of the Parkway we drove was great scenery, woods, and fun rollers. I don't know what happens south of the Charlottesville area.

[kramnnim]

I only have experience with the section between Asheville and the VA border. Traffic isn't that bad on weekends. There are some towns/stores that are somewhat close to the Parkway, you don't always have to descend a lot to refuel. But...in some sections the water stops are quite far apart.

[tigoat]

We rode the whole parkway in 7 days about 2 years ago. It was the best ride and vacation of my life. There were 14 of us with two trailers so we basically lived off the trailers during the day and get off the parkway to descend down to towns to stay at hotels at night. We started in Front Loyal in VA and ended in Cherokee. It's been two years so I don't remember every detail but the best road sections as I recall were in VA and NC. One of the best and longest climbs was around the James river climbing up to Peaks of Otto. It was about 14 miles of continuous climbing average around 7% gradient. There were many 4-7 miles climbs so you have to be a good climber to enjoy it. Some of my buddies calling those climbs big rollers, which I am not sure if I agree, as one roller may last 4 miles long. Anyhow, beside lots of climbing, sceneries were breathtaking. It was in August when we were there but I remember one of the last two days of the trip somewhere after Asheville, it was raining and I was freezing to the bone. I can't wait for our group to organize another trip on the parkway.

[FlashUNC]

Be ready for hills. And bring good lights for the sections where folks need to see you.

[summilux]

Stick to beer.

The legally made and commercially branded Moonshine was pretty good too. I've never seen it anywhere else besides VA.

[ultraman6970]

Get the compact crankset ready.

[weisan]

It was fun!
http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=75111&highlight=blue+ridge

[Ralph]

Be ready for hills. And bring good lights for the sections where folks need to see you.

Yes....Like the tunnels. They are vary dangerpus without lights. Without lights, you are going to be hitting the ditch, maybe full of water, every time a car comes by you in tunnel. And he won't even know you were there.

[eddief]

something about dark, cool, windy, dark that screws with your mind. By all means don't underestimate lighting up. And not just that funky light sitting in your garage because you thought you might need it some day. You'll need a good one here. Bring good legs too.


Yes....Like the tunnels. They are vary dangerpus without lights. Without lights, you are going to be hitting the ditch, maybe full of water, every time a car comes by you in tunnel. And he won't even know you were there.

[Ralph]

Like some of you mention, I also have ridden the Blue Ridge Parkway (and Skyline Drive) end to end before. And sections of it around Boone and Blowing Rock many times. Like to ride over the Viaduct. It's a terrific ride.

But be prepared for the (can't remember exactly) 5-7 tunnels that are very dark inside W of Boone, and be prepared for it to be sunny as you go into a side of mountain, and be raining when you exit a tunnel, or cross a divide, etc. I just carry a small umbrella along with a rain jacket. Because, even in summer (and especially May), when you get wet, you get cold. And temperature can vary a lot, depending on which side of mountain you are on.

And if I were doing it again, would use some SPD pedals so I could walk around some during the day. Lots to see along the parkway.

[marciero]

Not much to add that's not been said, But I rode Parkway between Boone and Asheville last year. Had forgotten about the tunnels! That and lots of climbing. I also found traffic rather light. The other thing is that there are no big trucks-it;s a park! the speed limit is low, and with other major roads that are faster, motorists dont seem too bothered by cyclists. I thought it had more the feel of a big bike path. I heard when I was there that it was the first road in the country that was conceived and designed as a scenic byway.

[jvp]

The climb (or descent) on Mt. Pisgah has 11 tunnels , at least one of which is curvy and long enough such that you can't see light at either end when mid-tunnel. I had to point my light straight down through that one, just to see the road/wall. Also the higher elevations will be quite a bit cooler, even in mid summer. 80+ down low will be 50 something up there.

[OtayBW]

I rode Cherokee to Front Royal years ago. All good info here. Get ready for long (20+ mi) pulls of moderate grade and be sure to bring a (required) headlamp. And do stay away from the weekend nutball RV drivers on this road with no shoulders.

[eddief]

was on a tour day going from the TN/NC border on HWY 441 to Cherokee. It was a Sunday, the day of a TN football game and a huge custom car show in Gatlinburg. We were climbing all day in nearly bumper to bumper traffic with Harleys, good old boy customs, and pickups. We were being honked at, purposely spewed with diesel smoke, and having little necklaces of some sort thrown at us. This went on for a couple of hours until we got to the pass and descended into Cherokee. The next day all was calm as we jumped onto the Parkway with no traffic, but were welcomed by fog and rain instead. It was September.

[bironi]

was on a tour day going from the TN/NC border on HWY 441 to Cherokee. It was a Sunday, the day of a TN football game and a huge custom car show in Gatlinburg. We were climbing all day in nearly bumper to bumper traffic with Harleys, good old boy customs, and pickups. We were being honked at, purposely spewed with diesel smoke, and having little necklaces of some sort thrown at us. This went on for a couple of hours until we got to the pass and descended into Cherokee. The next day all was calm as we jumped onto the Parkway with no traffic, but were welcomed by fog and rain instead. It was September.

That day does sound like a day in cycling hell - loud exhaust, fumes, and abuse. Lovely!

[bikinchris]

I once met a group of people who did the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline drive end to end and LOVED all 56,000 feet of climbing.

I cannot relate.

[572cv]

There is a lot of great experience in these comments. Thanks all! I didn't know about the tunnels, for example. It will be nice to go into this better prepared.

[Johnnyg]

have ridden it 3 times from both directions. Just WOW. There is no better ride any where that has the continuous beauty, nice surface, not many intersecting roads, challenging etc. It's got it all. Yes lights in tunnels a must. Places to stay near or on the parkway. I always did it in September but May will be good also. Have a blast. It's a ride of your life.