# Best riding in NC?



## 633 (Feb 10, 2004)

My wife and I are thinking about buying a vacation place in North Carolina. We'd rent it out part time on someplace like www.vrbo.com, and would have it for our own use whenever we wanted it. I've spent time in Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte and loved it. My wife just got back from several days in Blowing Rock. We've enjoyed all of it. I'm curious, though, if there's general consensus that any parts of the state are particularly good for riding? Group rides would be nice, but I'm most concerned about roads and routes. (For example, if I were telling someone about riding in Texas, I'd tell them that there's definitely a strong road scene here in DFW, but the riding is much better down around Austin and San Antonio, maybe a rural spot outside one of those towns, because the terrain and roads are so much better for riding and there's less traffic outside the cities.) My general impression has been that the Asheville area and small towns around there like Boone and further out into Blowing Rock, etc. might be the best ride routes around, but any better-informed opinions on all this? We need to narrow down our search a bit.


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## wncbiker (Feb 18, 2005)

*anywhere in western NC is good*

Riding in the general area around Asheville is about as good as it gets. If you go to the web site for the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club ( blueridgebicycleclub.org) and look at the weekly ride list, & the ride library.


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## ridgerider (Feb 6, 2004)

I vote for Boone/Blowing Rock. Strong local cycling scene, great roads and pleasant summer weather. Ashe County (northeast of Boone) has some rental properties too...no nightlife but the roads are great for cycling.

Some websites to help you find out more:

Magic Cycles Riders Forum Road Page: http://www.magiccycles.com/forum/simpleforum.cgi?fid=1

Road Cycling the Blue Ridge High Country
http://blueridgebiking.tripod.com


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## VinPaysDoc (May 23, 2005)

*Biking in NC*

Michael,

What time of year are you coming to vacation? I assume that it would be this Summer. If so, the temperature in the Asheville area would be cooler than elsewhere in the state. 

If you want scenic, relatively safe riding, I'd suggest riding stretches of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The grades on the parkway are reasonable and the scenery is magnificent. Also, motorists are usually travelling at reasonable speeds.

Many of the local rides of note feature Parkway rides. You can look at pictures from some of them on their sites:

The Assault on Mt. Mitchell 

Bridge to Bridge 

The Bridge to Bridge site does not contain any pictures, but the descent on the Linville Viaduct is breathtaking. 

Hope this helps,
Greg


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## trumpetman (Dec 9, 2001)

*Best Riding in NC*

The best riding in NC is, in my opinion, in SC! I am in Spartanburg, home of the Assault on Mt. Mitchell, and about 30 miles south of the NC/SC border.

Yes, believe it or not. While the guys in Hendersonville and Asheville do have access to wonderful mountainous terrain, those of us just a little south of the border have access to to the same mountains to the north and just south of town we have flat to gently rolling terrian that is perfect for motor pacing and time trial training. The climate is conducive to riding all year, although you will need to invest in some quality winter apparel if you are a hard core winter rider. Pro's like George Hincape chose to live here for a reason: this is the best place to train.

I don't know if there is anywhere in the country that can boast this: last winter we had 3 organized group night raod rides per week - tuesday wednesday and thursday. Generally around 35 miles and organized around a meal or reccurring social event afterward. My favorite was the Burritto Ride, which we begin at a Tex-Mex restraunt, with food and DosEquis afterward.

Plus cycling has been identified as a key aspect of enhancing quality of life here, and enjoys the full support of our visionary mayor, Bill Barnett.

Check out this link:

http://www.biketownspartanburg.org/index.php

John McBurney


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## 633 (Feb 10, 2004)

Thanks for all the great replies here, guys. Very useful info.


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