Southeast - AOMM Training rides now pay to play????

It seems that the new organizers of the AOMM might be in it for the money. In order to get a guaranteed spot there was always a bunch of people that joined the local club even if they lived in various parts of the country and did not participate in any of the club activities aside from this epic ride.

In the past, or at least the past that I participated in, all the training rides leading up to Mitchell were free and included a lunch for participants. I got my info sheet in the mail this week and went to the web page only to find out that each training ride is not $12 for non-members and $10 for members of their club.

I am sure that they will still be successful and the club will be prosperous, but in light of this and the fact that we are trying to avoid unnecessary financial expenses I am not really interested in giving up an additional $48 to ride a few training rides. Not to mention the wear and tear on vehicles and gasoline required to drive to Tigerville.

I guess they will accomplish one of the goals in that they really want to curtail attendance as some of the newer members felt the ride was getting too big. Also moving the date up a couple of weeks will make the weather an issue again nearly every year from now on.

I wish them luck, but I am going to find other rides to train.

hey! how are you doing??? i got my passcode saturday and will attempt to get registered in february...hope to see you again this year! is your daughter going to ride this year??

I would imagine that you could get away with doing the ride for free and not eating. If they are offering SAG support and other stuff, plus a meal, then the price is very reasonable.

I do prefer to ride my bike for free, though.

I was surprised last year when I went on the training rides & saw that they were fully supported and they didn't charge me. I thought the training rides were well supported & the post ride lunch was great. For me, I would have given 10 bucks last year for it. Most rides of that nature charge 25 or 30 bucks, but you do get a t-shirt.

However though, I will reduce the training rides that I am doing from 4 last year to 2 this year.

The training ride schedule that they had before seemed logically structured to prepare people for Mitchell. This year it looks like the only real brutal climbing ride in the training program is the Marquis ride and that is on April 4th, which seems early to me. I would just suggest to schedule some Marion to Mitchell rides in before the big day and then just stay local for the rest of your training. 10 bucks isnt much, but if the ride is no more involved (exception MdS) than you can find in your own backyard then why waste the gas money?

The people running Mitchell do a fine job. The logistics of getting off that mountain and back to Marion/Spartanburg take all the fun out of the ridefor me. Sitting on a bus for at least two hours after that ride is not worth the effort. There are other century rides in the mountains throughout the year that are more enjoyable without the hassle. If you want to climb Mitchell and really enjoy it, take a day off work with some friends, get on the BRP at Liberty Bike Shop, and ride to Mitchell and back.

The people running Mitchell do a fine job. The logistics of getting off that mountain and back to Marion/Spartanburg take all the fun out of the ridefor me. Sitting on a bus for at least two hours after that ride is not worth the effort. There are other century rides in the mountains throughout the year that are more enjoyable without the hassle. If you want to climb Mitchell and really enjoy it, take a day off work with some friends, get on the BRP at Liberty Bike Shop, and ride to Mitchell and back.

I've come to the very same conclusion after 5 AoMM rides. I'm pretty much done with this one. I do plan to do my own AoMM from my house to the summit which will be about 106 miles and more climbing than on the event ride. The route is mostly on the BRP with perfectly spaced water stops along the way. (Balsam P.O., Richland Spring, Mt Pisgah Store, Folk Art Center, Craggy Gardens, Mitchell)

The training ride schedule that they had before seemed logically structured to prepare people for Mitchell. This year it looks like the only real brutal climbing ride in the training program is the Marquis ride and that is on April 4th, which seems early to me.

Seems LATE to me with a May 18th ride date. Much preferred the schedule last year which had well spaced, logical progression in total climbing miles and distances. Plus no Howard's Gap climb? That was the best part of all the training rides.:innocent:

Pretty sure Howard Gap road is on the typical Marquis de Sade route, but who knows this year.

For a lot of people, Mitchell is about just finishing. Most people who even attempt the ride will actually have the fitness level to finish but they may lack the mental toughness to keep going on that last stretch. I personally gained a lot of self confidence during the AOMM training rides last year, and having made it up Howard Gap road I knew I would at least finish Mitchell.

For a lot of people, Mitchell is about just finishing. Most people who even attempt the ride will actually have the fitness level to finish but they may lack the mental toughness to keep going on that last stretch. I personally gained a lot of self confidence during the AOMM training rides last year, and having made it up Howard Gap road I knew I would at least finish Mitchell.

This was the same with me. When I first got my bicycle I tried to climb Ceasars Head; I rode out there (way to hard) & did to many miles before even trying to climb. I talked myself out it & rode home. Pretty muched kicked myself for 4 months until the Mitchell training ride (might have been #3). Went to bed early the night before, ate pasta, got mentally tough & went out & did it. After that, I signed up for the Brasstown Bald Century the next day. Last year the Mitchell ride was brutal because of the heat; not necessarily the ride. Make no mistakes, it goes & goes & goes; but the grades aren't so ridiculous that you don't stand a chance against it.

I totally agree with Kostritzer; it is more mental & "hype" than anything else.

hey! how are you doing??? i got my passcode saturday and will attempt to get registered in february...hope to see you again this year! is your daughter going to ride this year??

I am thinking about doing Blood Sweat & Gears this year. I am done with Mitchell and Marion having completed them both once. I am trying to get a few of the local riders together to do some training rides on the BRP, we shall see how that works.

Daughter is more interested in preparing for College, but she is excited about the new tandem that we are still waiting for. Hopefully in a couple of weeks.

well, after doing Marion last year and hopefully Mitchell this year, i'll be done with it. i dont' care for these one way rides. maybe i'll see ya around on another ride.

lemme know about the brp training rides...i might be interested...