thinline
Posts:323
 |
| 09/10/2016 06:01 PM |
|
Well, back home after some long driving.
But, WOW! What a great time. Five consecutive days on the bike, 300 miles and 20,027 feet of vertical on gorgeous roads, very little traffic for the most part, stunning scenery, and great support.
The company, Carolina Tailwinds, did a superb job. The routes were so well-selected. Good pavement, remote roads, some demanding days in the mountains. Fun post-ride happy hours with the group, great meals, great lodging. I know, I should be a commercial.
As for customer service, I threw my left crank about 3/4 mile into the day one route. Sheared off the nut that holds it all together. They put me on one of their bikes. The local shop was closed for Labor Day so even though we did a loop that day, no joy on the repair. Tuesday, we did a huge day up through the mountains to another town. The tour folks got in touch with a shop in the originating town that they trust, got my bike there that morning to get it fixed, and went back to the start town at the end of the day to pick it up and bring it back to the second town so it would be ready for me the morning of the day three. I thanked them profusely and they shrugged it off, "hey, if we can get you back on your bike, that's what's important."
So, if any of you are thinking of a supported tour, I really recommend this outfit. There were 10 of us on this ride and six of them were repeat customers. Speaks volumes in my mind. I am already thinking about next year.
|
|
|
|
|
smokey52
Posts:493
|
| 09/10/2016 07:47 PM |
|
Sounds so much better than sitting with a busted bike on the side of the road. Happy that you had a great series of rides.
How did you find this Carolina Tailwinds group? Are they associated with Adventure Cycling or some other organization? |
|
|
|
|
longslowdistance
Posts:2881
|
| 09/10/2016 08:54 PM |
|
Glad you had such a good time. Sorry it was so blazing hot. It's been 10 degrees above average and humid too this past week.
Can you provide more details on your route? Did you get to the Bluegrass valley or Monterey? Where did you ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway?
|
|
|
|
|
thinline
Posts:323
|
| 09/12/2016 10:02 AM |
|
Smokey, a friend stumbled across the group one day while riding near her home in Vermont. They were doing a Vermont/Adirondacks tour that week and she came across them at their lunch stop, chatted a bit and got a brochure.
It's a company run by a husband and wife team and they are not affiliated with any other organization. Very well run.
LSD, don't recall Bluegrass Valley or Monterey. Day one we did a loop out of Staunton to a national park called Chimneys. Day two was Staunton to Lexington via BRP. We climbed up to the parkway through a town called Love (if memory serves). We got on a few miles north of an overlook called 20 Minute Cliff and rode south about 30 miles, descending on Route 60 into Buena Vista, then side roads to Lexington. Day three was Lexington to Millboro where we stayed two nights at Fort Lewis Lodge (awesome spot!) on the Cow Pasture River. Spots I recall from that day include a town called Goshen and a stretch along the Maury River that was especially fine. Day four was a loop that included a major climb about 10 miles in, can't recall the route number or pass name, but it descended into Hot Springs, then on to Warm Springs on a fairly main road (Route 250???), then looping back on side roads and up and over a road called Muddy Run and then some more gorgeous along the river in the woods pedaling to end that day. Day 5 was Fort Lewis Lodge back to Staunton, largely on quiet back roads.
Fun, fun, fun. |
|
|
|
|
longslowdistance
Posts:2881
|
| 09/12/2016 02:36 PM |
|
| You did hit my favorite stretch of BRP. 20 minute cliff overlook is my favorite in va. |
|
|
|
|
Orange Crush
Posts:4499
|
| 09/12/2016 02:46 PM |
|
this thread is useless without pics.
there I said it. |
|
|
|
|
SideBySide
Posts:444
|
| 09/12/2016 04:48 PM |
|
It sounds like a lot of fun.
|
|
|
|
|
thinline
Posts:323
|
| 09/13/2016 09:50 AM |
|
| Alright, OC. It's been a long time since I tried using my Photobucket account. Will give it a shot later this evening. |
|
|
|
|
Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
|
| 09/13/2016 11:17 AM |
|
Sounds like a great trip, thinline....but I'll echo what OC said.
 |
|
| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
|
|
|
Nick A
Posts:625
|
| 09/13/2016 01:16 PM |
|
Sounds awesome. All miles are good miles.
Nick |
|
|
|
|
thinline
Posts:323
|
| 09/13/2016 06:24 PM |
|
| Well, I uploaded photos to photobucket but when I try to copy the image here I get an error message about my browser not supporting pasting rich text content or something like that. Any ideas? |
|
|
|
|
thinline
Posts:323
|
| 09/13/2016 06:43 PM |
|
Trying with a different browser . . .
[URL=http://s632.photobucket.com/user/telethinline/media/Bie%20trip%202016/IMG_0168_zpsqxbwcnce.jpg.html] [/URL]
Chimneys park
[URL=http://s632.photobucket.com/user/telethinline/media/Bie%20trip%202016/IMG_0182_zps6b0rijpf.jpg.html] [/URL]
Happy Kate on Blue Ridge Parkway
[URL=http://s632.photobucket.com/user/telethinline/media/Bie%20trip%202016/IMG_0183_zpsxi2puohi.jpg.html] [/URL]
View from BRP
[URL=http://s632.photobucket.com/user/telethinline/media/Bie%20trip%202016/IMG_0201_zpsdayr5qgk.jpg.html] [/URL]
Pedaling along Maury River
[URL=http://s632.photobucket.com/user/telethinline/media/Bie%20trip%202016/IMG_0217_zpssc3vte7m.jpg.html] [/URL]
Outdoor pavilion at Fort Lewis Lodge (nights 3 and 4)
[URL=http://s632.photobucket.com/user/telethinline/media/Bie%20trip%202016/IMG_0240_zpsqmxb7zkt.jpg.html] [/URL]
Fort Lewis Lodge Food
[URL=http://s632.photobucket.com/user/telethinline/media/Bie%20trip%202016/IMG_0247_zpswlewq9be.jpg.html] [/URL]
Happy Kate and John at top of Day 4 climb
[URL=http://s632.photobucket.com/user/telethinline/media/Bie%20trip%202016/IMG_0263_zpseomsyeqw.jpg.html] [/URL]
Fort Lewis Lodge
[URL=http://s632.photobucket.com/user/telethinline/media/Bie%20trip%202016/IMG_0264_zpspnj17dny.jpg.html] [/URL]
Day 4 happy hour
[URL=http://s632.photobucket.com/user/telethinline/media/Bie%20trip%202016/IMG_0268_zpshyfnb5i1.jpg.html] [/URL]
Day 5 happy Kate
[URL=http://s632.photobucket.com/user/telethinline/media/Bie%20trip%202016/IMG_0270_zpsv7lpogm4.jpg.html] [/URL]
Home again in Vermont |
|
|
|
|
Orange Crush
Posts:4499
|
| 09/13/2016 06:49 PM |
|
| Now we're talking awesome. Thanks thinline! |
|
|
|
|
Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
|
| 09/13/2016 09:16 PM |
|
Yeah, that trip looked like it sucked.....
/sarcasm |
|
| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
|
|
|
ChinookPass
Posts:809
|
| 09/14/2016 11:44 AM |
|
a
w
e
s
o
m
e
!
! |
|
|
|
|
SideBySide
Posts:444
|
| 09/14/2016 12:58 PM |
|
| That looks fantastic! |
|
|
|
|
longslowdistance
Posts:2881
|
| 09/14/2016 02:36 PM |
|
Great pics, thanks for sharing.
In case other readers are interested, pics #2 and 3 are from the fantastic "20 minute cliff" overlook at mp 19 on the BRP.
#4 is Goshen Pass on VA 39 along the Maury river SW of Staunton. Not a climbing pass. The river cuts through the long ridge of an Allegheny mountain. Narrow valley, rapids, always cool there. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goshen_Pass
#7 looks like the Dan Ingalls overlook further west on VA39. If thinline was headed west, it's a really steep descent. |
|
|
|
|
Orange Crush
Posts:4499
|
| 09/14/2016 02:54 PM |
|
Drove through that area once in fall on visit of friend in S Carolina; colourful maples and hot springs is what stood out, sleeping in open air in a park. Long time ago.
All I have to offer for recent cycling adventure is mean streets of DC. BTW - nice place thinline - I like the solar.
|
|
|
|
|
Spud
Posts:525
|
| 09/15/2016 11:30 AM |
|
| Great pics guys! Thanks for sharing. |
|
|
|
|
thinline
Posts:323
|
| 09/15/2016 03:24 PM |
|
LSD, yes, good call on the overlook. I had the point of descent wrong in hindsight. I think we descended to Warm Springs, then headed south on the Sam Snead Highway (route # escapes my mind) to Hot Springs, then west on Main Street for a few miles, then north on what I want to say was Jackson River Road???? through the Village of Bacova eventually back to near the bottom of the descent for lunch at a place called Milk House or Milk Parlor? Then what I think was probably a northwesterly jaunt for about 6 miles on the main drag that the descent connected to in Warm Springs and then right on Muddy Run Road.
That descent reminded me of a Vermont style descent from a pass . . . except the pavement in VA is soooooooo much nicer! My companion and I could not get over how nice the pavement was. |
|
|
|
|
Habanero
Posts:257
|
| 03/11/2017 11:49 AM |
|
| Thinline - we may have covered this during the VN forum days, but where in VT are you? I am in Portland Maine, so maybe we meet sometime and ride? |
|
|
|
|
thinline
Posts:323
|
| 04/05/2017 12:27 PM |
|
I live in Starksboro, about 20 miles north and a bit east of Middlebury, three miles up the west side of the "App Gap". I work in Montpelier.
I need some decent weather to train up. I just signed for another ride with that same group May 29- June 3 back in the VA mountains. Get to ride the entire length of Skyline Drive on this one.
|
|
|
|
|
thinline
Posts:323
|
| 04/05/2017 12:30 PM |
|
BTW, doing another one with the same group starting May 29.
Here is the ride link:
http://carolinatailwinds.com/northern_shenandoah.htm
Now I just need some decent weather to get in shape! |
|
|
|
|
longslowdistance
Posts:2881
|
| 04/05/2017 07:48 PM |
|
Skyline drive is good for bikes b/c the speed limit is so low - 35 mph - and enforced. The grades are reasonable, like the Blue Ridge Parkway. But the access to the ridge is steep, and the roads are high speed. Hopefully on day 1 they will take you up the bikecentennial route 76 to Rockfish Gap from Charlottesville. If you can, ask the tour leaders about a detour to Chiles Peach Orchard west of Crozet. Best peach pie I've ever tasted!
http://chilesfamilyorchards.com/orchards/chiles-peach-orchard/ |
|
|
|
|
Habanero
Posts:257
|
| 04/06/2017 11:18 AM |
|
| I've been getting in quite a few miles. One nice part of contracting is I can take days off to ride as I see fit.
Let me know if you'd like to ride this summer and we'll make it happen! |
|
|
|
|
thinline
Posts:323
|
| 04/13/2017 09:12 AM |
|
I've really just started riding outside this week and hope the weather allows it to continue. No long rides yet, just 20-mile lunch rides and one 30 miler. Nice to be out there, though. Doing a little multi-day trip to almost southern Vermont in about a week and a half for some early season riding in the hills to get ready for Virginia.
Maybe when I get back for VA we can pick a weekend to do some riding. |
|
|
|
|
Habanero
Posts:257
|
| 04/13/2017 11:06 AM |
|
| Sounds good! Hopefully the roads are in decent shape by then. |
|
|
|
|