Western NC - Ride and Camp 2020

You can stick with me!

 

I was sorry I missed out on this last year and glad to be tagged in this year's event! @Bannerman
I am working up until the 18th and then off for a little while so it must just work out perfectly. I've ridden Dupont but never Pisgah.

Had plans to ride Bent Creek and then the virus hit. Wife and I are headed to Kitsuma this Sunday.

I'll be following this thread closely and keeping you posted, but for now I'm a hard "interested"

@BamaTaco56 I too may look to do a day rental. My Giant Trance has served me well around CLT and I've even taken it to Beech twice last summer. But it won't be too long until I'm ready for an upgrade and it would be a good chance to try some better bikes out.

 

Added. It's gonna be a fun weekend, hope you can make it!

Kitsuma is probably my favorite trail, top three at least. You are gonna love it.

 

you have some pretty high mileage rides planned, so I have to ask....is the campground pretty easy to get back to from the trails? like if I'm absolutely gassed can I just pop on over to the truck/camp while y'all finish up a ride? I think the most I've done in one day was 12 miles, which wasn't with a break so maybe if there's a lunch or something in there I'd be ok..

 

Yeah the site we have is pretty central to everything. What kind of elevation can you handle? Can you do a ten mile ride on steep terrain? Not trying to scare you off, worst case we can do two groups and I can send you on some trails that are more mellow and we can meet back up.

 

let me crunch some numbers on the trails I've ridden and let you know.

 

So for elevation, there will be times when you are pushing your bike because it's too steep to ride.

Edit: We call it Hike-A-Bike

 

I'm a pro hike-a-bike-er, trust me.

 

so a typical "longer" ride for me, which I can do a bit more it's just our mountain isn't advantageous for more mileage without the insufferable climb back to the beginning haha.

12miles, ~1000ft of elevation. all technical, and I'd say no downhill section greater than ~50ft in any one go in there, so lots of up/down/up/down stuff. and I do have to hike the bike some.

 

Well you are in for a treat when you come to Pisgah.

 

haha! give me some trail examples/routes you think we'll take.

and 100% trust me, I am unopposed to being left behind I don't want to hold anybody up.

 

^ this
Given my level of experience riding in Pisgah (none) I was going to offer to split and take anyone interested in more green/blue routes.

 

I'm ok with being a green/blue guy.

The thing with me, is it doesn't necessarily seem to be the classification of difficulty, moreso how much climbing haha.

I've done black diamonds, double black diamonds, and "reds" whatever that means....locally and they've been as easy or as difficult for me as some blues and greens lol. it's just oxygen...I've never been a cardio guy in my life, other than sprints in baseball when I was younger, just used to powerlift... now I'm 28, 225lbs, and just really getting into it.

 

Idk if I’ll be able to make it yet but I’m also in the thicc boy bike club as Brendan schaub would say so I’d be party pacing it to the top with you. I’m just gonna get my total weekly rides into the 50s consistently with as much climbing as possible to be ready haha. That will be road and mountain biking though.

 

yeah I gotta do some more climbing for sure! really hit home when the bike's weight settings topped out at my weight with a greater than symbol beside it haha

 

Haha seriously though, the good (Or bad) thing is the more you ride the more weight you lose

 

I'm really not concerned with how much I weigh, if I can just get my lungs to cooperate with the weight lol. I see some big guys on youtube doing really really tough rides and climbs and I just can't yet. It's also a lot of mental block, which makes training alone hard.

 

Here are the rides that I did last year, Jeff (my buddy) did all this with me, @paleh0rse was with me for Bent Creek. Upper Trace Ridge was just myself, Jeff, and one other guy. So we will probably do something similar this trip, the biggest ride we did in one go was 12 miles.

 

Tough climbs for me are all mental. We will for sure ride Middle and Lower black. Doesn't really matter what shape you are in, climbing Clawhammer (fireroad) for and hour+ sucks. You just gotta put your head down and do it.

 

Jah feel, just gotta ride consistently without overreaching. The overreaching part is the hardest. I was doing 10ish hours a week between the trainer, road, and mountain bikes and I felt amazing as far as how much I could ride. Then this virus shit hit and I ducked up my routine...still trying to get back to it.

That actually doesn’t look bad as far as climbing goes. Are those all climb to the top then mostly downhill or ridge line type riding?