# Fast Blue Ridge Parkway Ride



## jcr7u (May 11, 2009)

Wasn't sure whether to put this here or in touring, but thought this would be the better crowd.

It has always been a dream to ride the Blue Ridge Parkway end to end. I work a job that makes it very tough to take time off, and I am getting married next year. That essentially means I have to do it this summer, and quickly. So, I am considering riding the Blue Ridge Parkway solo and unsupported - fast. I am thinking three days.

I am pretty experienced touring. I have done a tour on the Parkway before, have done Skyline Drive end to end to end in two days, and a few other random tours on Skyline. I also lived in Charlottesville for years, and have done many long rides and a few centuries on the Parkway and Skyline Drive. That being said, Blue Ridge Parkway in three days means a little over 150 miles a day, three days in a row.

I'd be riding a Specialized Allez Comp double that I've used on several other tours. It is light (even with gear), I've been riding it for about 3 years, and I feel pretty comfortable pushing it up hills. I also do a fair amount of riding at night, which i would obviously have to do to achieve this. I also have a good set of gear (camping hammock, lightweight stove, bags, seat post rack, etc.), and know how to pack light but carry enough food. I also plan to buy a good amount of food as I go.

I would probably start in Waynesboro, ride down to the southern end, arrange for a ride back to Asheville, drop the bike off at a local shop for them to ship it back, then hop a flight or bus home. If logistics are better, I may do the reverse and have the ol' fiancée pick me up in Waynesboro.

I guess I just want to hear some thoughts. Have any average joes done this? I like to ride, but am by no means as serious or in as good shape as some of the more dedicated cyclists. Am I crazy? Anyone have any gear, training, nutrition, or other tips? 

And yes, I've used the search function.


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

If your doing it fast, I would forget all the gear and just stay in the lodges/towns on the parkway. Maybe it could work. 
The biggest climbing is getting onto the parkway after getting off to go to town. Eliminate that and you save a lot of climbing. 
I think food and water may be a bigger issue, there are not many stores using this method.


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## jcr7u (May 11, 2009)

I thought about staying at the lodges and hotels, but don't think it will work. To your point, it will involve a LOT of extra mileage and climbing back up to the Parkway every morning. Plus, I will likely have to cycle into the evening each day, which won't work too well with check in times. Food isn't so much a problem - i have a great ethanol stove I made, and can pack a fair amount of food in. There are a good number of lodges and stops for food (at least every 50-100 miles), so i can stop at least once a day for a hot meal and more supplies. As far as water, my experience is only with the northern half of the Parkway - there are water stops every few dozen miles. 

I am more worried about the mileage. I am going to try to do a few centuries and maybe even a double to train, but am skeptical whether i can handle it.


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## rm -rf (Feb 27, 2006)

jcr7u said:


> I thought about staying at the lodges and hotels, but don't think it will work. To your point, it will involve a LOT of extra mileage and climbing back up to the Parkway every morning. Plus, I will likely have to cycle into the evening each day, which won't work too well with check in times. Food isn't so much a problem - i have a great ethanol stove I made, and can pack a fair amount of food in. There are a good number of lodges and stops for food (at least every 50-100 miles), so i can stop at least once a day for a hot meal and more supplies. As far as water, my experience is only with the northern half of the Parkway - there are water stops every few dozen miles.
> 
> I am more worried about the *mileage*. I am going to try to do a few centuries and maybe even a double to train, but am skeptical whether i can handle it.


Not just the *mileage*, but all that *elevation gain*. 

We had a group from the local cycle club do the whole Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway in 7 days, taking turns to drive the support van. They averaged about 88 miles per day, with 10,000 feet of climbing. And had food and water on the van, with transportation to lodging. Any rider could cut short a day and ride in the van. It was 616 miles and about 70,000 feet of climbing. They were expecting to do about 13 mph average speed.

Here's an example 3 day BRP route set, north to south. I didn't spend any time on this, but each day does end at a place with motels.
1. 209 miles, 18000 feet map
2. 133 miles, 12600 feet map
3. 138 miles, 17000 feet map

My rule of thumb is that each 200 feet of elevation is like adding a flat mile. So 12600 feet is like 63 flat miles. And 17000 feet is like 85 miles. Of course, that's offset somewhat by the "free" mileage on the downhills!


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## Gregon2wheels (May 7, 2013)

Best of luck. You'll be covering an average of 156 miles per day. That kind of mileage solo is very, very different than knocking out long weekend training rides with a group. How comfortable are you with that mileage, especially considering the elevation gain on the Parkway? At least if you head south I think it will be net downhill. 

How much time will you lose in that shuttle back up to Asheville as well as the bus ride back to Waynesboro (or the DC area or wherever)? With a tight schedule, you're probably better off with a 1 way car rental. There is an Enterprise in Sylva according to Google. Then you don't have to pay to ship the bike back. We did this once many years ago on a SF-LA ride. Saved the hassle of boxing up bikes and let us set our own schedule (my buddy forgot to pack the bikes in the car but we realized that mistake early so it only cost an hour of travel time  ).

It does look like there are hotels very close to the Parkway (as in 2 miles at some points). Here's a map: Blue Ridge Parkway - Interactive Map. That will let you stay light. I've only done the Parkway by motorcycle, and I can't remember what we did for food, but I don't think we got far off the Parkway to eat.

That would be an awesome trip, but you might enjoy traveling just a portion of the Parkway. IMO, the most interesting parts of the Parkway are south of Roanoke. Roanoke has all services. That might be a better jumping off point. Or do what a neighbor did with the Appalachian Trail -- do sections over many summers instead of cramming it all into one trip.


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## cooskull (Nov 30, 2013)

The 3 day tour sounds pretty brutal. Even if you could physically and logistically pull it off, it sounds like it would be an extreme sufferfest (but maybe that's good prep for marriage ). I'm all for pushing limits, but it sounds like getting some enjoyment out of the endeavor is the goal too. Maybe come up with a pared down highlights tour?


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