Riv Ride in Asheville NC?

[Gary L]

Hi,

There was some talk about a Riv ride in Asheville this spring but a May date won't work for lots of people. If there's still any interest in a meetup, how would a July or mid-Sept weekend work for folks?  If there's enough people interested I would be happy to try to nail down a date for whatever month seems to work for most everyone.

Gary

[lconley]

I will be in North Carolina from July 1 thru July 9 - The weekend before thru the weekend after July 4. That would be the best for me.

Laing

Delray Beach FL

[George Schick]

When you all call for a Riv ride "in" Asheville do you mean going over to ride the loop at Cades Cove in Tennessee by any chance?  Just curious.

[Gary L]

Hi George,

Probably not going into TN. We were talking about riding locally at Bent Creek and the WNC Arboretum, possibly the River Arts District bike path, and maybe a low traffic road ride around Montford and North Asheville. With plenty of opportunities for brewery refreshments/food during or after the rides.

[Brian Turner]

So, just to get this straight... did the previously proposed weekend of May 12-14th not work well enough for everyone? I was not going to be free that weekend, but if it's looking like a July date might be better for more people, then I may just be able to make that happen.

[Gary L]

That's correct - the May 12-14 date didn't work out so the July/Sept dates were thrown out to see if more folks would be able to join.

[Brian Turner]

Thanks for the clarification, Gary! Those potential dates work better for me, personally. I have no plans for the month of July, and I am freed up after Sept. 10th for some bike fun. Hoping something can materialize for these new dates!

-Brian

[Gary L]

Hi from Asheville,

Wanted to let folks know that we've currently got 5-8 local Riv riders and 3+ (thanks Laing, Brian, Jason, and maybe George for letting me know) that have said they'd be able to make the weekend of July 7-9 work for them, so let's make that the official date for our Asheville meet up. If anyone else would like to join us please let me know! Also happy to answer any questions if you're iffy or want more info.

Cheers, 

Gary

[Jason D]

Thank you Gary! This sounds like an awesome time.

[Brian Turner]

Thanks Gary! I’m definitely free then. I’ll see if I can round up a few other Riv riders here in Kentucky!

- Brian

On Apr 12, 2023, at 1:08 PM, Jason D <in...@jasonduffield.com> wrote:

Thank you Gary! This sounds like an awesome time.

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[lconley]

Great. I guess we have a couple of months to nail down the details.

Is this going to be more roadish or more off-roadish / gravel? I just want to make sure that I have the correct bicycle(s) assembled.

Laing

[Gary L]

Hi Laing,

We've not solidified ANY details yet, but I'd guess about 50/50 road/gravel fire roads. There are also lots of single track options that we could map out if anyone is interested in that. We will probably also map out shorter and longer options for each day.

g

[Pam Bikes]

I'm going to try to come.  I'd like roads.  What mileage options are we thinking about?  Obviously I would like plenty of time to see all the bikes and meet all the owners so plenty of stops along the way and some time at the beginning and end of the rides would be great.  Want to bring stuff to swap/sell/trade?  Want to have anything else like seeing gear such as favorite bags, tents, accoutrements....?  Let me know how I can help.  Let me know if anyone wants to carpool from Charlotte or stop through on the way there or back.

[Gary L]

Hi Pam! So glad you’re interested and hope you can make it. We will certainly have lots of options ride-wise but haven’t nailed anything down yet. Certainly lots of road and greenway options. Some of the gravel fire roads are pretty mellow too. And we’ll definitely have time built in pre and post ride for socializing, and I love your idea of a swap/sale/trade opportunity. Maybe we could even let folks post what they are thinking about bringing to make it more interesting.

[Frank Burkybile]

Hi all - I have been quietly tracking this conversation and am looking at my work & life calendars to see if it is a feasible trip for me. I will be traveling from Richmond, VA and appreciate all the thinking and effort to get this going!

-Frank 

[James M]

I would love to know more about Asheville area routes, once you folks do this.  I was down there at the beginning of April for a couple of days and definitely need to go back.  (I just wish it wasn't such a looooooong drive from northern NJ.)

James

[Gary L]

Hi James,

Thanks for letting us know you might be interested in the Asheville weekend ride in July. I'll be starting to actually plan stuff in a couple of weeks with some other local Riv owners  and will definitely keep you in the loop.

Gary

[James]

Curious to be in the loop as well.  I'm in Asheville but just unsure if I'll be able to make the dates.  If I can, I will!

[Drew Fitchette]

Hey All, 

A (Bridgestone riding) friend and I will likely be making the trek up from Atlanta for this! Excited to see all the bikes and meet everyone. 

- Drew

[Pam Bikes]

What are the dates?  I thought I'd seen June 7.  

[Brian Turner]

Hi Pam! Gary had posted earlier in this thread about making July 7-9 the weekend for this get-together. I think it's still in the planning stages, but those were the dates discussed.

[Gary L]

Hi Pam,

Yes, July 7-9 is the weekend we are aiming for. Some of the asheville folks will be getting together next week to nail down some more details which we’ll post here. We’d talked about an easy gravel ride, a harder gravel option, a greenway ride, a quiet neighborhood ride, and lots of opportunities for craft beer stops and socializing. You’d also mentioned a possible “swap meet” and I think that is a great idea. Keep your eyes peeled here for more details to come sometime next week!

Gary

[Gary L]

Hi Everyone,

We had a fun meeting yesterday with our local Riv riders and sketched out a few more details about the upcoming Rivendell (unofficial) Meet up this July. Here's what we've got so far:

Schedule for July 7-9:

July 7 - Afternoon ride on Greenway followed by dinner/beer at one of the local places (All Souls, New Belgium, White Duck Taco, Smokey Park, etc). 

July 8 - Morning ride at Bent Creek with two options - an easier, shorter one and a longer one that ideally could be done in a figure 8 so everyone stays together for the first, easier part. Parking either at the Arboretum or by the river (for those that don’t want to pay for Arboretum parking)

           Afternoon short ride in conjunction with a swap meet, possibly at Carrier Park under one of their pavilions (or another similar location near the greenway). 

   Dinner somewhere local (same possible options as for Friday)

July 9 - Morning ride around Montford, Sunset, etc. with optional lunch afterwards

Please let me know if you’d like to continue to get info about this, and if you’re planning to attend. That will help us with planning and food options!  You can PM me with any interest or questions!

Gary 

[lconley]

Hostel booked. Need to decide on which Riv (or Rivs). Is it all paved and/or gravel? If so, I am thinking the Riv Custom with 650Bx48 Switchback Hills would be the choice, so I need to quit dithering on the 90 vs. 100 stem and finally tape the handlebars.

Laing

[Gary L]

Hi Laing,

Bent Creek fire roads are gravel, but not too rough. Greenway is almost all paved except for a short gravel portion that we may or may not do. Neighborhood ride is all paved. Your custom with 650b x 48 would be perfect (and I'd like to see it!).

gary

[Brian Turner]

I got a campsite reserved at Lake Powhatan for the Ky contingent. Looks like a sweet spot! Thanks for all the information and organization! Looking forward to this!

On May 17, 2023, at 6:10 PM, 'Gary L' via RBW Owners Bunch <rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Hi Laing,

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/7451729e-91d7-4e72-9c78-a3bf8ed3869fn%40googlegroups.com.

[Steve]

Brokebike - You done good - it's a beautiful campground. My wife and I have been saying for years that if we didn't live only 10 miles from Powhatan it would be our favorite camping destination.

[Gary L]

Hi from Asheville!

I just wanted to send a quick update about our Riv gathering July 7-9.  You can see our planned activities below.

Right now we’ve got 20 folks that have indicated that they are planning to attend, and 6 that are maybe’s. Here’s the “yes” list I’ve got:

Yes (traveling to Asheville):

Brian plus 2 - Lexington, KY

Jason - Indiana

Laing - FL

Pam - Charlotte, NC

Frank - Richmond, VA

Ken - VA

Drew plus 1 - Atlanta, GA

Eric - Indianapolis, IN

From Asheville:

Joel and Heather

Theresa and Gary

Ellen

Carl

Nic

Steve

Robert

Please let me know if I’ve missed anyone - and also let me know if you’d like to attend but haven’t yet responded.

Some folks have arranged campground reservations (right at Bent Creek where our Saturday morning ride will be) here:  https://adventurepisgah.com/lake-powhatan.  There are also tons of hotel and VRBO options in Asheville but the summer gets very busy so book early.

And a big thanks to the “Planning Committee” members - Carl, Nic, Joel, Robert, Steve, and Ellen!  They are working on route details (map and GPS), food and drink venues, a pavilion for the swap meet, and possibly (fingers crossed) some ride swag (hat and/or a bandana).

It should be a really fun weekend and we are looking forward to meeting everyone, riding, and geeking out on all things Riv!

Gary

Schedule for July 7-9:

July 7 - Afternoon ride on Greenway (mostly paved with maybe a short gravel section - very easy) followed by dinner/beer at one of the local places (All Souls, New Belgium, White Duck Taco, Smokey Park, etc) all near the Greenway with outdoor seating. 

July 8 - Morning ride at Bent Creek Forest near the NC Arboretum with two options (all nontechnical gravel fire roads - an easier, shorter one and a longer one that ideally could be done in a figure 8 so everyone stays together for the first, easier part. Parking either at the Arboretum or by the river (for those that don’t want to pay for Arboretum parking)

           Afternoon short ride in conjunction with a swap meet, possibly at Carrier Park near the Greenway (paved) under one of their pavilions (or another similar location near the greenway). Other ideas are welcomed!

   Dinner somewhere local (same possible options as for Friday)

July 9 - Morning ride near downtown (all paved very quiet neighborhood roads) around Montford, Sunset, etc. with optional lunch afterwards

Please let me know if you’d like to continue to get info about this, and if you’re planning to attend. That will help us with planning and food options...

[Carl]

Hi,
Thank you Gary for the update on the July 7-9 meet-up in Asheville!

As Gary said, we're planning a swap meet. We'll choose the location for that based on how many want to participate and how much stuff you want to bring. Could you let me know if you plan to do the swap meet and a ballpark idea of how much stuff you might bring?

Thanks and looking forward to seeing everyone in July, -- Carl

[Steve]

I had an opportunity this past weekend to pedal the planned Bent Creek gravel route for the upcoming Asheville Riv Ride. For those of you hoping to attend the gathering who might enjoy hearing a bit about the route, read on.

I’ll start with a teaser; I’ve been riding the forest service roads in Western North Carolina for a number of years and Bent Creek offers some of the very best. As a bonus, the course that Joel Osgood laid out for us is at least 85% shaded or in dappled shade, perfect for a mid summer ride in the mountains. It includes a few hundred feet of pavement but is otherwise all hard pack gravel - what fast riders like to call “hero gravel”.  I did note  two short downhill runs showing a bit of erosion with a few exposed baby heads, forcing me to pay attention to my line.

If you’re ambivalent about the whole gravel thing, the course starts with an easy 6.9 mi loop with a moderate 649 ft of climbing. If that whets your appetite, the first loop flows into a second one with a slightly more challenging climb, bringing the total mileage  to 14.1 for 1,176’ of elevation gain. The final, and most formidable leg, makes for a healthy 23 mile ride with 2,133’ of climbing. Never forget the pedaling in the mountains mantra: what goes up gets to come down! 

(These numbers are based on Ride With GPS - my probably less accurate Garmin watch clocked it at 20.55 miles and 2610’ - a healthy ride anyway you cut it.)

The full course took me 3 hours of ride time with another 30 minutes for resting taking pictures and nibbling snacks. At 71years old I’m no spring chicken, so factor that in. I rode on 700c x 40mm shallow knobbed tires at 27psi (Conti Terra Speeds). My trusty climbing gear is 36 x 51 for 19.6 gear inches and I gave it plenty of use. 

Elevation Profile for the full route and a few pics showing the various road surfaces (and one gratuitous glamour shot - forgive me):

[Brian Turner]

This is excellent, Steve (and, nice Outback too!). Photos look amazing! Will you be able to make these routes for the weekend available for those of us also using RWGPS?

-Brian

[Steve]

Thanks Brian.  Joel laid out the draft routes with RWGPS - I believe his intention is to share them in that format prior to the gathering. For any analog navigators I'd be glad to work up a cue sheet (if anyone would like a printed cue sheet make a request on this thread and I'll post it as an attachment).  

We're also planning on providing a lead and a sweep.. 

Stay tuned for more info as the gathering approaches. Our local planning group will be meeting in the near future to finalize things.

Hope to see you in Asheville, Steve

[Gary L]

Great write up Steve! You did a fantastic job describing the really nice riding there and the pictures prove it :). If anyone else gets inspired to join us on July 7-9 please let me know via PM and I’ll add you to our list. Right now we are at about 20-ish participants, some coming from as far as Florida, Georgia, Indiana, and New Jersey. Looking forward to it!

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

If you guys take photos and video and send them to me I can make you a video like I do for our Michigan Riv Rides. Let me know if you want one. It’s easy for me to do and would be a nice keepsake for you guys.

[Dick Pahle]

I've been following this for a while hoping I could commit to joining in. Knew that week in July was problematic and now know for sure I can't make it. Ratz!!

I'm in Brevard and ride a Homer with 40 mm Little Big Ben's. 90 % on roads and paved trails. Could I do those Bent Creek area forest roads on that bike? If so, I may try and join those of you who ride there on a regular basis some other time, if ok to join ya.

Sorry I'll miss meeting/riding with all of you and sorry to miss Pam,  a good friend and my Cycling Savvy instructor from Charlotte. 

Dick

[Steve]

Dick, sorry you won't be able to make it that weekend. 

"40 mm Little Big Ben's...Could I do those Bent Creek area forest roads on that bike?" 

Absolutely!!!    Come on up from Brevard and give it a go!

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[Gary L]

Leah,

What a great offer - it would be an honor to have a video made by you!  But better yet, why don’t you come join us? I know of an extra 55cm Cheviot lying around here in Asheville :)

Gary

[Leah Peterson]

Ha! Gary, I honestly wanted to. And thank you for the offer to use a Cheviot! ♥️ But the 4th of July week is a high holy holiday in my family and we spend it at our family’s Minnesota lake house. I could never miss it, though I was sorely tempted. 

But I will live vicariously through your excellent photos and videos and will compile them into something fun for you to have as a keepsake. And maybe I’ll join you next time.

Leah

On Jun 14, 2023, at 7:19 AM, 'Gary L' via RBW Owners Bunch <rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Leah,

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/8ce1db42-5b75-4f28-88e4-308b9c0f8e54n%40googlegroups.com.

[Carl]

Gary, did you say there's an extra 55cm Cheviot lying around here in Asheville? I could maybe help with that . . .

[Gary L]

Hi from Asheville!

Looks like we're going to have a fun turnout for our Riv get together July 7-9. We are going to be finalizing plans next week and will get the details out to everyone, but until then here is an awesome poster that one of our participants, Brian Turner came up with (Thank you Brian!!!). He runs a graphic design and printing company and is offering to print up posters for anyone coming to the gathering who may want one. He estimates that they will cost about $20-25 and if you're interested please let me know asap so I can let him know.

Also, if anyone wants more info about the weekend now that you've been tempted by Brian's amazing work, please contact me.

[Dick Pahle]

I can't make the ride that wkend but I'd sure like one of those posters (nicely done, Brian!!). 

Dick

Brevard, NC

[Gary L]

Sorry to miss you next weekend Dick, but I'll let Brian know you'd like to be on the list for one of his posters (which are so great!).

If anyone else is interested in a poster (see details in my last post) pls let me know asap so I can give Brian a heads up on how many to print.

Gary

[EverRed]

What are the dimensions of the poster?

Many thanks

John

[Brian Turner]

The posters will be 16” x 20”, signed and numbered. I’m actually hand printing them this weekend. For those who cannot make the trip to Asheville, afterwards I’ll be putting any remaining posters up online with an Etsy link to purchase.

- Brian

On Jun 28, 2023, at 8:58 PM, EverRed <joeyke...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[EverRed]

Sounds great!  Please put me down for one.

John

Black Mountain

[MTR]

I would love to be put down for a poster. still unsure if I can pull of the ride but would love a poster

[Gary L]

Hi everyone, Here's the final schedule and attendee roster for our Asheville Riv Weekend, July 7-9. My apologies if I've missed anyone who is planning to attend and if so, please let me know. Also, if you have any questions, please reach out!

Gary

[Brian Turner]

Hey everyone, if the Kentucky contingent (me, Huston and Tim) are a bit late to the bike swap, don’t fret… we will be there. We ended up grabbing some food beforehand but it’s looking like we won’t be there right at 3pm. See you there!

- Brian

On Jun 30, 2023, at 10:52 AM, 'Gary L' via RBW Owners Bunch <rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com> wrote:



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<Riv Weekend Schedule and Attendees.final.pdf>