Velo Vol 

Who is riding the Cherohala Challenge this year?

Enjoy scenic rolling countryside, the curvy Tail of the Dragon, and the mile-high vistas of the Cherohala Skyway in this epic ride.

Early registration continues through June 8.

wolfpack 

riiight...i don't think i'll be doing it. i'm just riding for fun this month, after AoM. the Roan Moan in July.

BikeWNC

But it is fun.

wolfpack 

haha. fun is a relative term when you are talking about killing my legs on those climbs. and i suppose if i did that ride, i'd really be ready for RM huh?

damn. that's a 500mi trip to the starting point....

Velo Vol 

I've not done the Roan Moan, but I'm pretty confident in saying that if you survived this ride, you'd be in good enough shape to do that one.

wolfpack 

dang. i dunno. i'll have to think hard about it & do some discussing. i haven't done any kind of training for that and it's a friggen long ways out there..

Velo Vol 

You live too far away from the good riding.

wolfpack 

i know. i'm working on getting closer to the good riding by sometime next year.

bikemania

My son and I and possibly a friend are coming up from North Alabama to ride it. I'm old and slow and my son is 19 and races. My goal is to finish and his goal is to hammer me whenever possible. Seriously, we are coming because it appears to be a real challenge, no pun intended. I will be slow but I will finish. Think it will be a great ride. Looking forward to it.

Velo Vol 

You are correct. (unless the weather is bad)

I certainly won't be setting any speed records, either. But as far as I can tell I get as much enjoyment out of the ride as anyone else.

jppe

I got one of their flyers after doing 3S3M. How many folks usually do the 115 miler? I might not get to it this year but looks worth driving over for.

BikeWNC

The early registration has been extended to 6/11 so I'm going to see how Mitchell goes for me before I commit to this ride. It's still on my radar though. I would drive over in the morning as Tellico Plains is about 2 hours away.

Velo Vol 

As I recall there were approximately 450 total riders last year. I don't remember seeing a breakdown, but to make a wild guess I'd say perhaps 250-300(?) of those did the full century.

Velo Vol 

Five days to go.

Yesterday I did some riding in Monroe County from Sweetwater down through Vonore and along the Tellico Lake (on 360). I caught about 1/2 mile of the CC route in the process. I hope Saturday is as beautiful as yesterday was.

File photos from the Skyway:

Velo Vol 

In case any riders missed the news, the start location has been moved:The weather forecast for Saturday is looking good in that it should be a fairly cool day.

Tarmac_Editor

And having the lower temps will make all the difference on a long, tough ride like this! Can't wait...

NealH

I've been thinking about this ride and, well..., why not. I hope to see some familiar faces (like VeloVol) at the Visitors Center bright and early Saturday morning. I have not made up my mind on the route but, am leaning towards the full monty. I'll be riding a leisurely pace and with the intention of finishing whenever I finish. No hurry on this one. I will be taking some pictures too, with the new camera that I am getting ready to buy this evening.

And yes, the weather forecast looks pretty good right now.

wolfpack 

Awesome Neal! Wish I could ride it...well, I guess I could since I'm headed that way.....but, maybe I should save it for next year. You guys have fun and be safe!

BikeWNC

Hey, good for you Neal. You can do this ride no problem. It really is a pretty route. I won't be there this time, but my wife, WP and I will be in the area riding over to Cades Cove on Parson's Branch Rd from the Dragon. Maybe we'll see you on the way back home. Have fun!

NealH

Sounds like you'll will be having some fun too. Been many years since I've been to Cades Cove. Nice area though.

I'm looking forward to the Cherohala ride - and decent temperatures for a change. It involves more driving that I generally like but hey, might as well do it while gas is still cheap .

wolfpack 

Neal, are you driving all the way out there or will you still be staying in Sylva Friday night?

NealH

I kept my reservation at the BRI so, I'll be staying in Sylva and, leaving around 5am for Tellico. I like it better this way as it breaks up an otherwise long drive. I'll return on Sunday. Leave a message or note at the motel if you'll decide to ride road bikes on Sunday. I might join you, assuming my legs are still working. But, I have a feeling they will be hurting.

wolfpack 

well, if you feel like riding Friday evening, just call me. i'll be up there around 5:30.

Velo Vol 

You may need to come scrape my remains off the Dragon. The Honda Hoot is here this week, so there's above-average motorcycle traffic in the area.

BikeWNC

They are going to hate riding behind my Prius then.