Fall Appalachian Riding Tour (FART) 2016 - Sparta NC

Added to the calendar and plan on staying the whole time. This will be my first BMWST outing/gathering.

Be gentle...

Mike

You'll have a great time and it sounds like you might have your bike sorted by then and ready for some great riding!

Added to the calendar and plan on staying the whole time. This will be my first BMWST outing/gathering.

Be gentle...

Mike

Take it easy on you? What one Earth could that mean?

Kidding aside, I do know what you mean. A few years ago when I first became active with this group, I said almost the same words to Mark (Stretchmark) and Shawn (Lone_RT_Rider). After some teasing about various hazing tasks I'd have to do ... I arrived at the last El Paseo to find that none of those sorts of things occur with this group. We're pretty much a bunch of docile older cats, who like to laze the evenings away, but then get up at various hours in the morning and go play (many sprinting around the countryside pretty quickly). Off the bikes, food is nearly always a priority, and some of us like to imbibe in the evenings. No set plans, no group rides, just a group meal on Saturday night that's completely optional.

In short, we make it easy for people to join in. That said, don't expect a formal introduction. Speak up and introduce and reintroduce yourself often (some of us are getting old).

So welcome aboard, Mike!

BTW: What day are you planning to arrive?

Oh yeah ... and we all lie ... often. So, don't believe much of what anyone tells you.

Oh yeah ... and we all lie ... often. So, don't believe much of what anyone tells you.

I do not!

Oh yeah ... and we all lie ... often. So, don't believe much of what anyone tells you.

 

I do not!

Just did

I am hoping to arrive Wed afternoon. It is only a four hour ride or so, unless i decide to take a more scenic route from Raleigh. Either way, I will be there Wed.

Hey, it looks like we have enough on Thursday for a RideSmart class, if anyone wanted to take the lead.

Just saying.

In for Wed-Thu.

Keith

Hey, it looks like we have enough on Thursday for a RideSmart class, if anyone wanted to take the lead.

Just saying.

Sounds like a gr8 idea Bernie!!

OK, for those who can't see the presentation slides (graphics) ...

Or for those of us that love to cut and paste an address into google maps.

By the way....

Arriving LATE Thursday night since this event is now 3.5 hours from my work and not 2 hours as was START.

I am going to have to modify my arrival date and time due to my fall semester class schedule. I will be arriving Friday, 23 Sep after 1400. If I can get out my class on that Friday (anyone want to take my Calculus for me that day?) I will be there Thursday around the same time. I will be staying until Sunday. My apologies everyone, was not expecting my class load to look like that.

Cannot wait.

Mike

Craig,

I should be there Thursday night later. Probably between 7 and 8 PM.

Shawn

It's been a little dull in this thread as far discussion goes so let me add this ... I am heading out to the target area for a camp & ride weekend. I was going to do this a couple weeks ago but I had a pressing matter I had to take care of ... a job interview in Asheville. Unfortunately, I didn't get that job ... and am still lookin'.

Anyone who cares to head out that way and wants to join up while scouting, send me a PM and we can exchange plans/phone numbers.

Craig,

 

I should be there Thursday night later. Probably between 7 and 8 PM.

 

Shawn

Excellent!

Anyone who cares to head out that way and wants to join up while scouting, send me a PM and we can exchange plans/phone numbers.

Which weekend?? This?

Anyone who cares to head out that way and wants to join up while scouting, send me a PM and we can exchange plans/phone numbers.

 

Which weekend?? This?

Yes. I'm heading out tomorrow near dawn. I know I don't want to cancel again. Besides, scattered showers/T-storms in the mountains doesn't necessarily equate to riding in the rain all day.

You available?

Sorry Shawn ... I left you off. I'll beer ya when we're there!

Yes. I'm heading out tomorrow near dawn. I know I don't want to cancel again. Besides, scattered showers/T-storms in the mountains doesn't necessarily equate to riding in the rain all day.

 

You available?

Dang it, not really. Final prep for the UN for me this weekend.

Yeah, I'm envious. I would LOVE to be able to go to the UN but I simply can't. It's going to be a great time ... and I'm missing it.

Don't worry about this weekend's trip. I'm certainly not going to be able to scout all the back roads I really want to, so I'm sure I'll go again before we put the routes out. Unfortunately, I doubt I'll be able to give much notice. That's just my life right now.

Craig,

IN

Plan to arrive Thur. Don't want to miss the new venue.

Craig,

IN

Plan to arrive Thur. Don't want to miss the new venue.

Well that works out because we don't want to miss you either!

Room booked. Arriving Wednesday, departing Friday.

Gotcha!

my college Volleyball schedule is completed and I am open that weekend. I will plan to arrive Thursday evening late around 10pm. Not sure if I am bringing the G450x or the Tuono. Ideally I would like to ride off road, just will have to see if I can find enough dirt/gravel in the area to cover three days of riding.

my college Volleyball schedule is completed and I am open that weekend. I will plan to arrive Thursday evening late around 10pm. Not sure if I am bringing the G450x or the Tuono. Ideally I would like to ride off road, just will have to see if I can find enough dirt/gravel in the area to cover three days of riding.

Randy,

Glad you can make it. BTW: There are lots and lots of gravel roads in the region. In fact, West of Sparta the challenge is finding the paved back roads, not gravel/dirt.

This road pictured below is Independence Rd and is not more than 2.5 miles north of Sparta.

I didn't like going down hill on a GSA with side cases while riding alone with it starting to rain, but it could be some fun for better off-road riders than me. There are several other very tame gravel roads in that immediate area that I took with no difficulty (Crab Orchard, Little River Rd, etc.). There seem to be many others in that immediate area as well. I know there are quite a few others East along the edge of the Alleghany Plateau.

This road pictured below is Independence Rd and is not more than 2.5 miles north of Sparta.

 

This road looks like fun! I need an off road bike!

We made our reservations today for Wednesday and Thursday, leaving Friday morning for an old rice burners rally in Robbinsville NC. (XS Southeast Rally) We are looking forward to meeting everyone.

awesome, G450x it is.

We made our reservations today for Wednesday and Thursday, leaving Friday morning for an old rice burners rally in Robbinsville NC. (XS Southeast Rally) We are looking forward to meeting everyone.

I'll add you to the list here shortly. Looking forward to adding more craziness to an already insane crowd ... insane about riding, that is.

In fact, two of us will be there this weekend, doing a bit of riding and a wee bit of scouting. So, if you see a mint green 13' RT and a yellow 11 GSA riding around on The Snake, US-58, etc., well that's us. Flag us down and we'll meet.

We made our reservations today for Wednesday and Thursday, leaving Friday morning for an old rice burners rally in Robbinsville NC. (XS Southeast Rally) We are looking forward to meeting everyone.

I'll add you to the list here shortly. Looking forward to adding more craziness to an already insane crowd ... insane about riding, that is.

 

In fact, two of us will be there this weekend, doing a bit of riding and a wee bit of scouting. So, if you see a mint green 13' 11 RT and a yellow 11 GSA riding around on The Snake, US-58, etc., well that's us. Flag us down and we'll meet.

Fixed it for ya'

That was a typo. I knew better.

Hi Craig. Ron (Savannah Capt.) and I are registered, arriving Wednesday Sept. 21st, leaving Sunday Sept. 25th.

Thanks.

Terry

Hi Craig. Ron (Savannah Capt.) and I are registered, arriving Wednesday Sept. 21st, leaving Sunday Sept. 25th.

 

Thanks.

 

Terry

Glad to hear it!

7 weeks away, I can't wait. It will be good to see some old friends again, I see a few new names and am looking forward to meeting them too. I was fortunate to reconnect with some west coast folks at the UN. I love riding in the Carolinas. See you all in a few weeks!

It'll be good to have you back with the crew again, John.

I just got back from Sparta. Scott (Blind Squirrel) and I had separate plans to go to the area, so we joined forces and had a fantastic time tooling around the area. We sampled a couple restaurants in town, Scott stayed at the Alleghany Inn, and I stayed as A&C Campground (about 4.5 miles away).

So many great roads in the area and we hit a bunch of them in a day ride of about 255 miles Saturday. After the downpour of Friday night, there were a good many gravel/dirt washouts from driveways, but still just tons o' fun.

The event routes cover a whole bunch of great roads and will be posted shortly.

Came upon a road closure Friday, a road that is part of several of the event routes, but I just researched it on the VDOT and it appears it will be back open this week. Good, it's a fun, twisty, short connector.

Thanks for the scouting report. Looking forward to the routes.

In Friday evening, Saturday evening.

In, Arriving Thursday.

The Alleghany Inn is an older place, but it is clean and comfortable. There is a pizza joint in the same parking lot as the inn. They also serve breakfast. Didn't get a chance to try the breakfast, but ate dinner there one evening. Good food and cheap prices.

The route Craig and I rode was great! One road, I think it was Russ Norris, had a lot of gravel and needed to be taken with caution. Like Craig said, most likely because of the heavy rain the night before there was gravel in some of the curves. Attention needs to be paid on all of the roads in the area. I think we covered about 255 miles, almost all twisting, winding fun!

Can hardly wait for September to get here so I can get out and run the roads again!

Do they still have rooms left? I'm hanging onto a reservation that I'm 90% sure I won't use. I'll release it now if I'm keeping someone from attending.

Do they still have rooms left? I'm hanging onto a reservation that I'm 90% sure I won't use. I'll release it now if I'm keeping someone from attending.

There are plenty of rooms left.

Craig,

IN

Plan to arrive Thur. Don't want to miss the new venue.

Craig be sure to add TomK to your updated list of attendees

Craig,

IN

Plan to arrive Thur. Don't want to miss the new venue.

 

Craig be sure to add TomK to your updated list of attendees

Thanks, but be sure to read that he said he would arrive on Thursday, and lo and behold ... he's listed under Thursday!

Craig,

IN

Plan to arrive Thur. Don't want to miss the new venue.

 

Craig be sure to add TomK to your updated list of attendees

 

Thanks, but be sure to read that he said he would arrive on Thursday, and lo and behold ... he's listed under Thursday!

My Bad!