Assault on the Carolinas???

[bouncybouncy]

has anyone done this ride...how are the rest stops??? is it worth it???

http://www.assaultonthecarolinas.com/default.aspx

Thanks:)

[Nanci]

I haven't done that ride, but I have done a ton of MTBing in that area. The roads are beautiful. Hmmm, BF works that weekend! (I'm already taking Thursday off to SAG Bike Florida when they come through Gainesville...)

Nanci

[bouncybouncy]

you know...i thought of you nanci while looking at the website for this ride! wondered if i would get to meet a fellow TE forum fanatic?? ah well...many more rides to come i am sure:D

have a blast SAGing and pedal on...

[Nanci]

Sign up for Three States Three Mountains! (Chatanooga) You can share my hotel room! Or Dahlonega, Six Gap, in September! You can go winerying with me and BF! We didn't even make it out to dinner the night before, last year...(Reg is not open yet, but I already have my room reserved!) Or Tour of Springtime Rural Vistas South (that's kind of far for you, but it's back to back centuries!

I really shouldn't go to Assault on Carolinas, because, depending on how the 400k this Saturday goes, the 600k is April 1st, only three weeks later, and I am not sure a mountain ride the previous weekend would be a good idea...But next year!

I'd probably drive as far as WNC for a bike ride. Aren't you practically right there, in Asheville? (Put a new tranny in my Explorer there, one bike trip...)

Nanci

[profàvélo]

I haven't done this ride, but I have done Caesar's Head (included in the ride) several times. It is a real butt-kicker. George Hincapie uses it for training. It's a six-mile climb with only a brief respite of almost-flat in the middle. Can you say 'granny gear'? But it's in a gorgeous area.

[Nanci]

Sounds like good training for Six Gap!

Nanci

[bouncybouncy]

weeeeellllll...with little to NO training done and the "assault" being just about 2 weeks away we are prolly gonna do the 60k:rolleyes:

as for the 3 states/mtns...with fair weather on our sides and no major issues at work (which unfortunately is a big possibility) we will try our best!!! i will let you know...

DH may have to up and leave town at any moment so our pre-registration is iffy...we do not want to commit too early and he have to leave. one week at a time is our motto for now...6 gap in sept looks like a good b-day ride goal for me tho...

***all on the calender!!!!

[profàvélo]

Okay, I've signed up for the 100k. Bouncy, you've still got some time to get some climbing in and do the 100k...

[bouncybouncy]

UH-OH...PRESSURES ON!!!:eek: :eek: :eek:



***will confer with the leader of the pack tonight!

[bouncybouncy]

ARE YOU HAPPY profàvélo?????????


we are signed up for the 100k as well...this is literally our FIRST road ride this year!!!! in fact the 1st one since last september i believe:confused:
WHAT ARE WE THINKING?????????
***we can always opt out to the 60k:rolleyes:

i will be on a pink Gunnar, light blue helmet, not sure of the clothing (what do you think the weather will be? cold? mild?)
DH will be on a dark blue Calfee, white helmet...
keep in touch...

[profàvélo]

I'm ecstatic! :D

I'll be in a white helmet--not sure about the weather yet, but I'm thinking layers will be good--on a blue Specialized with a Terry Aloha saddle and a red saddle bag with the SC palmetto and crescent moon. And I probably won't be going very fast uphill. Or downhill, for that matter--I'm not great at descending. Not sure I've convinced the DH to join me; working on it. So I'll be doing some climbing this weekend, because I haven't done much yet this year. Should be interesting. Hey, it's just a training ride...no worries.

[bouncybouncy]

OK...we are signed up, ready to explore some of our new-found homeland, got our warm clothes (ready to layer), got new cranks (hubby's back rings may still be a little small), tested out the new seat :D , ....but man, are we physically NOT ready for this!!!!

we have only ridden road once (this year in the mountains) and now the bike toting car is water-pumpless...:eek:

we are gonna try and get out today and tomorrow but we are gonna SUFFER!!!! i just hope we get to the last sag before they pack up...haha!!!

i did some hills on sunday...felt pretty good but they were short (blue ridge parkway)...the downhills are not my favorite (25mph max) i did have on winter gloves which impeed my grip so that may have been an issue!

all i know is that i am gonna get a good nights rest....eat well....and pedal, pedal, pedal!!!

[profàvélo]

Um, so it's supposed to snow tonight up there...cross your fingers that if it does, it all melts before Sat. morning! In any case, I think it will be a chilly ride.

I'm not aiming to set any speed records. Just get out there and pedal. Caesar's Head is killer, but it feels so good when you get to the top!

I should have on my red jacket.

[bouncybouncy]

i am sitting here looking out to VERY grey sky...it is actually that white, can't see anything, but not foggy thick kinda day (did someone say hot chocolate?) the snow is falling but the ground is just too warm for accumulation:D the counties north of us are expected 1-3" of snow...
hopefully the temps will hold out as high as they can get...i am going to run to the bike shop later to stock up on warmers for feet and hands!!!! i am not very comfortable riding in bad weather so if i do this thing i will be chasing my demons big time!!!! we have spent alot getting prepared for this cold weather riding so i think we will make the effort but i am not happy about the westcoasters sending us this cr@% right before my biggest ride in months!!!! so if the weather is bad and the ground is wet i am not going to be my chipper-self cause i will be nervous as all *%^%&^!!!!! ok...can you tell i am starting to freak a bit???? i told my dh to "just PLEASE be patient with me!!!" he is a seasoned rider (but not in the cold...rain, yes...cold, no!)

OH BOY...it is snowing harder now....excuse me while i go cry:(

[Nanci]

Have a good time, you guys! Don't fall in the snow and not make it to 3-State 3-Mountain!

Nanci

[profàvélo]

So, Bouncy, how did it go? I never saw a pink bike...we got there without much time to spare, as usual. But I thought it went really well! I thought the route was good. No wet stuff on the roads anywhere. The only negative was the freezing cold on the descents. What did you think of the climbing? I felt pretty good on Caesar's Head. I have to say--sorry guys, if you are reading--passing guys on a climb is lots of fun! :p To be fair, I got passed a few times on CH as well, but it was nice to be a passER for a change and not just a passEE.

[bouncybouncy]

well, got there a bit early (did not know how long it would take to drive...only 30 minutes) suited up for the 4th time (NO CLUE what to wear!!!) ended up with the perfect combo of long sleeve jersey/illuminite jacket/shorts/gore leg warmers/woolie-boolies/feet warmers/shoe covers/amfib gloves/oh...and a beenie.
and off we were...as i rode i was checking out everyones bum...actually just looking for an Aloha saddle...never found one:o

hubby and i started with the crowd...he kept up and i slacked off a bit (still not comfy in big groups) but as soon as it thined out i pedaled on!!! hit every hill with avengence and never had to get off:D for a newbie hill-climber i felt i was flying on CH...one guy passed me and i was just not about that, so i passed him back...hehe! passed a few others (and some who looked like they should have been up and gone by then:confused: ) stopped for a snack at the top and moved on...i am a wuss on decents!!!! barely could keep it above 20 without freaking out...on the smoother areas i did get to 27mph but that was it...on the short decents where you could see the next up i hit 32...i need to work on speed!!! (my levers are not comfy tho...too far away!)

i finished total 5 hours 30 min...bike time 5 hours 19 min

not ever riding in the mountains i am not sure how that rates...hubby finished 30 minutes ahead of me so i felt pretty good he was not HOURS ahead...

[Veronica]

Sounds like you had a grand time!

V.

[profàvélo]

Sounds like you had a good ride. Great job on Caesar's Head, by the way--that is one tough climb. It's just so long! (six miles, for anybody out there reading) Did you notice the sign that says "4 miles to CH State Park"? I hate that sign! Like you, I'm not crazy about the descents, but that will get easier over time, like everything else. My DH decided to ride with me--not sure why--but I almost wish that he wouldn't, because he's constantly looking back at me, like, "Are you coming?" He didn't mean it that way--he was just looking for me, he said--but that's what it felt like. Anyway, he would wait for me at the tops of the climbs. We got into several different pacelines over the course of the day, so that helped speed the flatter parts along. We were in a group of about a dozen on the last little bit, between CH and the finish, and it felt like we were flying (a lot of that was gently downhill, remember?). The big timer at the school said 4h22m when we pulled in. My only complaint is that I wish lunch had been better. Otherwise, all the support was great, especially all the help with traffic. I couldn't believe how many turns had law enforcement there to help us.

You are all set for the Fabulous Fourth ride out of Tryon, NC on July 4--you should put that on your calendar. It's a fun ride, also a metric century, and it has plenty of climbing, but I don't think it's as hard as the Assault was. It can be hot, but that actually sounds good right now. I need to buy warmer gloves...

[Blueberry]

So glad to hear your ride went well and Asheville is agreeing with you! I'd love to tackle some rides out that way (we're only about 3.5 hours from Asheville, and it's one of my favorite places to visit), but I'm the original hill slug (think either 3 mph or walking). Maybe in a year or two...

Carrie Anne

[bouncybouncy]

thanks carrie anne...yes asheville is agreeing well!!! now if we could stop getting these morning cold snaps i can get motivated to start commuting...mapped out a course just can't quite seem to get out the door with enough warm clothes to ride in the early a.m.

now i am gearing up for the 3 state-3 mountain...hopefully i will be in town and in shape!!! after hearing profavelo's time i am feeling a bit slow...will just have to power it up a bit...and prof-i understand not seeing a pink bike, it is small...altho i saw one other one-a hot pink independent...i did see another blue specialized and kept wanting to say something but her helmet was red.

here is a pic before the ride...

[profàvélo]

Great picture! And you aren't slow--good grief, you did great! Just keep riding in the mountains, you'll get faster. I'm impressed that you're doing the 3-State/3-Mountain. Good luck with the training! We should have some consistently warmer weather soon.

In fact, if you want to come down to Tigerville, SC, and ride Caesar's Head again, there is a FREE training ride on Sat., April 8 that leaves from North Greenville College. Here is all the info (http://www.freewheelers.info/series/). Maybe I will see you there!

[bouncybouncy]

TRAINING???? you mean you gotta train for this thing...oh my:eek: what have i gotten into???

well, yeah, we plan on stepping it up a bit but everytime i get excited about getting into some sort of schedule (or the likeness of one) a glich is formed...i checked out that site and it looks great! i would love to join and will put it on the calender but the weekend of the 8th i will hopefully be in missouri at a mtbike festival with my bros!!!:D or in holland on a cruise if my bosses get that worked out (yeah, yeah, yeah...rough job!!!!)

anywho...thanks for the link and hopefully see you on the later ride:)

[Blueberry]

Very Cool picture:D :D

I know what you mean about cold mornings - we're no where near as cold as you guys are, but morning rides haven't been happening around here. I'm an official wimp :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

By the way, do you have the Favorite Rides of the Blue Ridge Bike Club book? It has some cool ideas about rides (we used it when we were on vacation last year) - except, I discovered, flat doesn't really mean flat. Are there any rides up there that don't involve massive amounts of climbing??:eek: :eek: