Tentative Training Ride Schedule

Time is running short, with just a few weeks remaining until the big ride. The last few training rides, organized by Richard White, should have plenty of climbing and some interesting locations.

This Saturday, April 20th at 9:00am.

Meet at the Great Escape (Franklin Ave. near the intersection of I-26 and Hwy 29).

The route will head up the Greenville Watershed, down the Saluda Grade, through Tryon, and back New Cut Road to the start. It is about 88 miles and should take 5.5 to 6 hours total for the group. The average speed should be in the 18 mph range , which includes the Watershed climb. Regroups will occur at all turns, stop sights, mechanicals, and at the top of climbs.

Tentative Ride Schedule:

4/27 - AOMM Training Ride #5: This ride will cover the actual Mitchell route for 50 miles beyond Bill's Hill, and then back to the start.

5/4 - Table Rock Ride: This is a great ride, with some nice climbs including the infamous Highway 215 climb to the Blue Ridge Parkway.  It will be 97 miles with 8,500 feet, and will definitely let you know where you stand for AOMM. It starts in Table Rock State Park, heads through Rosman, up 215, to Brevard, back up through Caesar's Head (easy side), then back to the start.

5/11 - Possibly Marion to Mitchell. This could also be a makeup date if the Table Rock ride gets rained out.

Observing the following will help ensure a safe ride for everyone:

1.      By coming to a posted ride you are in fact agreeing to abide by all guidelines either posted with the ride, communicated to you at the pre-ride meeting or referenced by the ride leader(s) during the ride. Ignoring these guidelines is not an option. Those who lead our rides deserve our support as otherwise they may decide it’s not worth the effort to organize , post and lead rides.

2.      If you  have a problem with someone or some behavior for any reason during a ride, please let the ride leader know and they will deal with the problem. Please do not verbally or physically threaten anyone as we believe all cyclists should feel safe. 

3.      We will designate multiple ride leaders (can be done just before the ride) who will deal with any major disagreements as a leadership group.

4.      Safety includes obeying all traffic laws, most notably riding two abreast and not crossing the yellow / white line into oncoming traffic.

5.      All cyclists on a ride are responsible for themselves and all other cyclists in the group. Everyone has a duty and right to speak to safety concerns and we would ask that this be done in the spirit of civility even when attempting to address dangerous or disruptive behavior.

In Addition:

1) When we stop for any reason please move to the far right side of the road or off the road if possible . This is especially true at stop signs as we need to let cars by and they are often reluctant to go by if we're milling around in the road.

2) Please try to move to the right as soon as possible and 2 wide whenever someone says " car back.". The car may still have a tough time getting around but at least we tried.

3) Please pass information forwards and backwards through the group for turns, holes, etc.

4) If you plan to leave the group, please move to the back of the group before your turn so as not to create confusion about the correct route for others.

5) Please be careful when moving around in the pack. We all count on each other to make predictable moves as the group rolls down the road and it's the quick, unpredictable moves that often cause accidents.

6) If you do experience mechanical issues or difficulty in maintaining the groups pace, please let us know ASAP so we can help you determine your best option .