Asheville recs

[jm2e]

It's the southeast. Always a bit of a crap shoot, but always rideable. For the experts, the variable conditions are part of what makes it challenging and interesting. Summer can be wicked hot/humid. Winter can be cold/wet. Spring and fall can go either way.
Want to plan for the highest chances of good weather & ground cover: maybe 1-5 weeks before Memorial Day and 1-5 weeks after Labor Day. Inside of those dates and the weather will probably also be good, but the camping will be hard to score and lodging will be pricey.

[bagtagley]

I'm a Spring fan, personally. The trails are clearer, the trees and scrub haven't bloomed, and the weeds haven't grown in, so visibility and sight lines are prime. I think we'll shoot for late April, early May next year.

[SchralphMacchio]

bump ... looking for specific trail recs that would be good for my fucked up shoulder.

I'm heading to Asheville in August and only have 1.5 days to ride. Making things even more difficult, I'm having a really crappy behind-schedule rehab from my recent shoulder surgery and probably won't be able to handle much chunk or gnar, and I'm legitimately in poor shape ... however I'd still really love to get a micro-taste of some classics without being so deep over my arms that I'd be walking around stuff more than riding.

Any trail recommendations near Brevard that fit the bill of "low angle climbing, fun but mostly chill descending, with a few small sections of excitement" that would be entertaining for someone who used to ride a ton but now can barely mow the lawn without getting getting gassed (okay I'm not in *that bad* of shape but I've lost a ridiculous amount of flexibility and strength)?

I'm thinking I would be renting from Sycamore Cycles, do a medium size ride in Pisgah (like 15-20 miles / up to 2500' gain) that I can just relax and take at a pretty slow pace, spend the night in Brevard, then do a shorter ride the next day (maybe like a 10 mile loop) at Dupont.

Oh yeah, would Sunset Motel in Brevard be the best choice for "cheapest place to stay that isn't a shithole and I won't get bitten by bugs in my room?" I'm not feeling too excited about flying cross country with my tent and backpacking stove, so Davidson River CG is probably out ...

thanks!

[biggins]

Everyone buy jm2e a beer.

Drop some coin on dinner at The Admiral in Asheville, best pork chop I've ever had. That region makes me so happy thinking back on my one trip there. I gotta get back.

[jm2e]

Considering your disability, you’ll probably have the most fun at DuPont. Other than Big Rock and Cedar Rock descents, there isn’t much it there that would be likely to strain your arms. And either one of those two are still worth riding conservatively because they’re a cool, pretty, classic and relatively shot descents.
Ridgeline also has your name all over it.
As far as what route to take when xc riding in DuPont, I’m no help. Try to get a route going that brings you to a bunch of cool waterfalls and finishes you at the top of either Ridgeline or Big Rock.

If you’re in Asheville, the Bent Creek trail system is pretty smooth I think. Not too familiar, but any local shop will love to plot a route for you. Or, just hit Kitsuma. Super fun and flowy Classic. Can be shuttled (with 30min of climbing) or done as a loop on the bike path.

Maybe pm smokan. He’s been guiding out there recently I think. Should have some ideas for having a fun time.


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[bagtagley]

2022 update

- RIP Upper/Middle Black Mountain. The original trail was closed and replaced with what I consider to be pretty generic flow trail (with some technical sections mixed in). OG Black Mountain alone was worth the trip to Brevard. It really was something special. Rowdy AF, technical but really fast. I'm going to miss it. The new trail is fine, but the juice isn't really worth the squeeze, IMO.

- Ride Kanuga Bike Park in Hendersonville is pretty awesome. It's pedal-only, no lifts or shuttles, but has some legit DH trails and features, and a newly built jump park with beginner, intermediate, and expert lines. Stuff is really well built and designed for progression. The DH trails are accessed by either a steeper (it's not that steep) fire road climb, or a mellow single track climb, making it ideal for an e-bike ( first time I've found myself wishing I had one). The shop is open 10-5, but the trails can be accessed any time between dusk and dawn.

Adjust the mental ability scale a bit. Anything marked "beginner" is really more intermediate, a lot of the intermediate stuff requires speeds that might be out of some folks comfort levels, and some of the expert stuff is borderline pro-level. It might be a little on the pricey side considering there are no lifts or medical services, but it's well built, well maintained, it continues to grow and improve, there's nothing like it anywhere I ride, and I can't wait to get back, so maybe not. Also, take water!