Night before lkast we had 80 mph wind shears and egg sized hail about 3 miles from us. It was pretty isloated ina small area while the rest of us for some 50 mph gusts and finger nail sized hail.

Weather is just a strange creature.

While we were riding out the warnings the spousal units asked me what I would try and save if there was a tornado, the guitars or the bicycles. I've been in a cold sweat ever since.

EDIT: BTW, now you know why TU has a cow for a mascot. Gig'em!

Last week we had a couple tornadoes touch down in a county that is near the parkway. I think 3 touched down. No damage over on the road that I've heard. This weekend was heavy rain and some serious wind. Weather around here is fickle.

Bizarre day.

...and it is snowing here in NH.

Glad you are safe. How's the rest of the crew?

They don't need smarts. They're tough.

Tough call. For me it would be my guitar, I suspect.

Hope everybody survived this round of weather. We played a show last night about 1 1/2 hrs west of here. The drive home was brutal. We got home about 1:30AM, but we did get home and this morning the sun is shining. Biking today would be a challenge.

Be safe.

Man that will be a great ride! Wish I was in shape enough (both financially and physically) for that.
Wow! Thats some brutal gears for those hills! Hope you got legs like a Rhino!
I'd want something like a 50/36/28 and a 11-26 (11-28 if a 9 speed) like I have on my T700 with a long 105. I really like 36 front for long grades on my touring bike. Granted a heavier bike but it seems to do well. Would give you a fairly good top end on the few flat and down hill areas but enough gear for long grades and a bail out when you hit the really steep stuff.

Thats what I run on my hot rod R300. Not too bad for the hills in Atlanta but been a few times I would have loved to have a 12-28 but I dont think my Short cage Ultegra can swing it. There is a 12-27 Ultegra gear set available but My cheap butt has been sticking with the $31 12-26 SRAM

Everyone's fine. On a map, it looks like five claw marks, paralleling I-95.
Probably 3 tornadoes, aggregate distance on the ground, probably 100 miles or more.
One was on the ground for 56 miles.

I checked on norskagent, he's fine, his area is between two areas of tornado impact.
I'm in the same boat, situated right between two of the long ground paths.
We've all got a lot of work to do to help our neighbors, etc. Chainsaws are the music of the day.

Still checking on Amani576, because he's moved, I think. The southern part of his county got nailed, but he lives in the northern part.

Well, with the guitars I think I know which three or so I would grab and run with. With the bikes, I would probably die trying to decide.

Yeah, I did a lot of digging before going for the SRAM 9 speed. I couldn't justify the cost difference between the ultegra and sram for a miniscule weight savings. I'm a bit of a masher as I started on mountain bikes with no clips/power grips/clipless system. The 26 should be fine for me. I've been riding these hills with a 39/25 or 26 can't remember which, low for a while now and doing ok. I do want to see how Robbie fares. This could be entertaining.

And they know that you have to sit down, if it's going to rain.

That never made much sense to me, but I haven't asked the cows about it.

Now that have been informed about this thread here's the truth and why Robbietunes isn't worried about the corncob he calls a cassette. He is driving ahead (North) each day and racing back on his bike to join us. Which the first 2 days that have the biggest climbs (over 9000 feet) he will be descending to us at 45 MPH - we will be ascending at 3-6MPH - he will then have fresh legs to climb the next 30 miles with us. He needs brighter lights not bigger cogs.

As everyone has said the tunnels are seriously dark (tunnel vision is real) and there is traffic including 40foot motor homes. I have ridden the Pisgah and Mt Mitchell area and halfway through some of the tunnels you are praying for a car with headlights to help you out.

As to the flatlander problem - I have been training with the wind 15-20mph - going into a head wind I can't get all 6'2" 220lbs in a draft behind robbietunes.

Here's the ultimate question for those of you who are type A and retentive in certain unmentionable areas - the Parkway is closed in the Sparta NC area and has a 22 mile detour using busy mountain roads. To say we did the whole parkway I don't have a problem using the detour as part of the Parkway for 2011, but could we say we did the whole parkway if we actually drive the detour? The detour is off limits to all traffic including foot in this area.

Rob, I vote that it counts if you drive around the closed section, and since I'm leaving you before this, it's easy for me to say this. While 22 miles of the BRP might be closed, it looks as if the detour might be some 30-40 miles in order to get back on track. Don't risk the trip by off BRP riding.

Getting back to our dear RobbieTunes: The problem we will face is that his fresh legs will be spinning a 23 tooth cog while mine might be spinning a 34 tooth cog. My guess is he will still wait for us to catch up at the top of climbs!

Good for you for training into the wind and that the wind cooperated and continuously blew in your face. It does that to me as well. Or was it just because I was riding forwards?

Robbie will actually end up with more mileage than the rest of you. Or it's very possible that will happen.

I did some checking on my current bike, I'm actually running 39/24 as my lowest. Robbie is still going to be a little larger than that. There are times I wish for something lower, which is why I'm building my Gazelle as 39/26. The climbing here isn't nearly what it's going to be down around Asheville.

Why do I get the impression that there is a curious interest in my potential pain?

I'll take pictures. If I didn't someone would be chirping, "Never happened! Never happened! Never happened!"

Haha, if work/time permits I'll be out to take pictures of the pain as well. It will be well documented.

its comeuppance for waving your 58 inch low gear (or whatever ridiculous thing it is) in our faces
why don't you just do it on a Raleigh Sports

...while carrying all our spare gear?

Robbie, you just have such a good heart! We can't help ourselves! Sort like the boys in your Sunday School class: "Can we blow something up before church this morning Mr. Tunes!?!"

I'm going to miss the next 7-8 days of riding, too.....and won't quite be well rested....as I'm preparing my list of excuses....I'm also working. 4 people were huddled in the bathroom behind me, and survived.

WOW that had to be terrifying! Glad they made it out ok.

I don't think he can go that fast.

Sounds like the tour could be just the thing to relieve some stress and refocus the mind. Don’t worry about the “pain”, you were smart enough to bring PastorBob along. My understanding is that he specializes in suffering. Hey, a little Holy Water can do miracles for what ails ya. I use it liberally, and at my age, I still have all my hair.

Joking aside guys, be safe and I wish you well on your trek.

The only holy water I'll have is the sweat I catch dripping off my chin on the climbs.

What many don't realize is, DrRobWave and I share the same profession in the same denomination. There will be two of us to "bless" the climbs!

Yeah I can hear it now Whose BLESSED idea was this to start out on the longest and most difficult climb on the parkway!

BTW the trip just went EPIC - now it is just me and Robbietunes on the whole adventure. My buddy Bill pulled out due to doctors orders and potential surgery. So hop in if you got time here is the schedule

Cherokee April 27th

MP 469


Day 1 April 28th
408 - 61miles
Pisgah Inn

Day 2 April 29th
55 - 53miles
Mt. Mitchell Campground

Day 3 April 30th
297 -58miles
Hotel or Julian Price if open
Day 4 May 1th
Detour thru Sparta ?-miles

Day 5 May 2th
177 - ?miles due to Detour
Meadows Of Dan Campground

Day 6 May 3th
112 -65miles
Warren’s House

Day 7 May 4th
61 -49miles
Otter Creek Campground

Day 8 May 5th
61 - 61 Miles
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