got locked out of the mitchell sign up today. i know it's early, but i'm looking to buy a number. 803-243-5308

locked out here as well. 6 mins after 4.......Got all the way to hitting the pay button.

I had my pass code, but I lost it. It is on a Monday, so there shouldnt be a big problem getting a number from someone. Stuff comes up and people have to bow out, since it is on a weekday.

I plan to try and pick one up that war.

I just FORGOT to register. I had it on my calendar; I had the flyer right here on my desk. I just FORGOT.

After last year, I was really looking forward to the Mitchell ride again. Oh well, I can always buy a number, I guess.

I managed to get a number took me 5 minutes and I was 895. This year is different, Marion with Bittersweet on the tandem, Mitchell on the single bike.

zimbo don't feel to bad, as mentioned numbers come up. The second ride has been described to me by several people thusly. The first time you ride Mitchell you hurt, you cry but just the fact that you will finish is enough to keep you going and you complete the ride. The second time you ride you hurt, you cry, you curse yourself for ever doing something so stupid in your life.

This is going to be my last Mitchell, unless the club decides to go complete lottery for selection. I am going to try HHH or BS&G next year for something different.

I won't argue with that. Assuming I do indeed buy another person's number, this year will be my 3rd consecutive Mt. Mitchell. After last year's ride I was absolutely ecstatic (having reached a goal I set for myself of finishing in the top 20), but since then I've spent lots of time what-if-ing and wondering if I might have done even a bit better if I'd just done this, that, and the other.

Of course right now I'm horribly out of shape and so I won't have any such finishing goal for 2008.

--Steve

I got in this year - but I'm hoping I've got enough time to train - I did 3 centuries last year, along with 2 60 milers with 6000+ of climbing, and bike commute 2X a week (43 mi RT), along with a longer ride on the weekends....

Here's the plan so far - I'll be bike commuting 2-3X a week, with one long ride on the weekends.

March long ride
30 miles yesterday
50 next week
60 last week.

April -
80 long ride
first 100 miler (relatively flat - 3500 feet overall)
50 miler
60 miler (5000 feet)

May
2nd 100 miler
50 miles (6000 feet)
3rd 100 miler
Taper to June 6th ride

Plan for Mitchell is to survive. Anything else is a bonus.

I also got a number again this year. After developing tendinitis on the way to Marion last year, and it taking 3 months to resolve, I wasn't sure I wanted to do Mitchell again. This will be my 5th year but I'm still on the fence since the guy I was planning to ride with didn't get in. Time will tell if I find the motivation, though my riding schedule between now and then won't change either way.

Your doing more than I did last year, I did manage two centuries before Mitchell. Only did two of the training rides, started three but crashed coming down Pearson Falls. All I did was survive @ 10:08 total time. This year time is not important as I plan on doing it differently. As I mentioned to zimbo, Marion on the tandem, then single bike up the mountain. I am pretty much decided that this will be the last time riding Mitchell. I am going to move on to other rides in the area and maybe some in Georgia too.

I'm trying to make up for last year - I got a number, and was training well, but had a wart removed from my little toe, that really killed my training. ("wart" was putting it mildly - they damn near took 1/3 of my toe off). Even with getting SPD sandals to keep riding, it put me off enough that I didn't think I could do Mitchell, and I sold my number last year.

After I recovered, I did pretty well - riding 2X a week to work (43 mile RT), one interval workout on the trainer, and a long weekend ride, I ended up doing several 60-milers, 3 100 mile rides and 2 60 milers with 5000-6000 ft climbs. January and Feb weren't all that great, but I still rode at least 1X a week if there wasn't ice on the roads. If I can stick to the schedule, hopefully I'll be ready by June 9th. I confirmed my hotel today, so the rest of this is up to me.....

I am looking for a training ride to do the part from Marion to Mount Mitchell. I saw a ride with the club out of Asheville, but since the Parkway is closed on that side, they cancelled it. I could just do it by myself, but I figured that other people would be doing this as part of their training, so I thought I would check.

I've got a question for the NC mountain riders. I'm not ready to try the Mt Mitchell ride, but I would like to do a couple other NC mountain rides this year. Any ideas on what other rides would be worth doing?

You could try the Burnsville Metric or Fabulous Fourth Metric. The Fletcher Flyer is actually pretty flat by mountain standards and offers rides of different lengths. The Assault on Marion is run along with the Mitchell ride is also an option. The Assault on the Carolinas metric is coming up on March 29th.

There are also rides in the Hickory area at various times such as the Murray's Mill Metric.

SEBF has a group ride in May on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Details are here if you feel up to it.

Those look like some nice rides, in fact that Burnsville Metric looks so nice that I just made a reservation at the Carolina Country Inn. I'll send in the ride registration tomorrow. That Assault on Marion looks good too, though I wish this ride was on a Saturday or Sunday. I'll have to think about that one.

I know that Wolfpack and I are planning on doing the Burnsville Metric. I don't know if we will ride that one together as our pace may be a bit different. But we can have lunch after for sure.

Wolfpack is also signed up for the Assault on Marion. I have a Mitchell permit.

Thanks. The Fabulous Fourth looks like a possibility. I've got commitments already for the dates of the other ones. I saw the SEBF ride quite a while ago, but unfortunately, it's on one of the weekends that are already booked.

Glad you are going to ride the Burnsville ride! What's the rate at the place you are staying? I've got reservations at the Comfort Inn in Marion right now. I'll probably plan to make a weekend of it, as I really hate to drive 600+ miles and only get one day of riding in the mountains in...

PM or email if you want to.....

I looked up the Burnsville Metric (I really do want to ride with some members from bikeforums - southeast region sometime!) but it falls on the same day as the Wheels for Meals benefitting Meals on Wheels of Greenville. I have a friend that is doing the Mt. Mitchell Climb so if my schedule works out, I like to do the Marion one with him.

I'm staying at the Carolina Country Inn. About $60 per night. The Celo Inn was full but, the owner recommended this one. Said it was close to the start and, was clean, comfy and well run. I noticed that all motels and B&B's in that area seem to be bargain priced - especially the Celo Inn. May have to make some more trips up that way. Wish there was time to pre-ride the metric but, I have no free weekends for the next month.

yea, after i saw your post, i called to see if they had rooms...i'm now staying at teh Carolina Country Inn. and cheaper than the state rate at teh comfort inn.

not sure if i'll make it up for a pre-ride or not. doing teh crowder's mtn pre-ride this coming weekend. i suppose if i didn't actually do that ride, i could go up there that weekend....we'll see.

Isn't it further to drive to Burnsville than to Crowder's Mtn?

I'll be driving over to Burnsville in the morning. It's about 1:20 drive for me.

no, i'm doing crowder's mtn this weekend (3/29 or 3/30). i could do a burnsville pre-ride before 4/26 if i look at my schedule.

it's about a 3hr drive to crowder's mtn

Are you doing Crowder's as a day trip?

if i ride it on sunday, then yea, it'll be a day trip. if i ride it saturday, i might stay over and do something else sunday.

Anybody do the training ride on Saturday?