Welcome to the world of bike touring.  You can choose three ways to do CNC 2004.  You can hotel the event.  You can sleep inside on the floor.  You can camp.  Most camp, followed by sleeping inside on the floor, with motels the least choosed.

Things you should know.  Motel staying requires you to be away from the action in the evenings.  Also, there is the on going problem of how to get to the motel with your baggage   

Sleeping inside allows you be at least be close to the action.  Problem is, to close.  You will be shoulder to shoulder with others doing the same thing.  Lots of noise.  Lots of "sounds".  Lots of "smells"  The biggest draw back to sleeping inside is this....First up...All Up !!!  It is just not a place which allows you private rest.

Camping is something which the largest number of riders do.  You are close to the action and have your own space with privacy.  The ride does not supply camping gear.  There is a vendor which provides a tent, daily set up and take down, a very thick air mattress to sleep on, a deluxe camp chair with foot rest, an extra large bath towel and wash cloth clearn and fresh daily, and baggage transportation for your gear.  Pampered Pedaler Check out the web site for more information.  This service fills fast, first come first serve.

Hope this helps with your question.  One more thing, these are great ways to meet new friends, see beautiful parts of our country, while staying active at the same time.

Thanks for the advice! I do plan on attending. I am now trying to decide on which bike to ride? I have a road bike and a hybrid road/mountain bike. Any suggestions on what would be best for a 6 day ride???

Bring the road bike.  That is, unless you have a medical reason why you cannot ride that one.  CNC is a road ride, so ride the road.

See you there.

     You will love this kind of trip.  Just remember, pack all your gear in plastic zip lock bags to keep things dry incase of rain

     I have been doing tours of this type since 1990 and love them.  Be sure to stop by the Team Pok-A-Dot trailer in camp for a visit.

 

Agree, it does well.  Point is, its called a moutain bike and is designed differently then a road bike. 

Just like driving a 1965 Pinto or a 2004 Lexus.  Both will do fine and get you there, which was is the better ride?

Bottom line is this....If you are happy that is all that counts.  If your mountain bike does fine by you, that is all that counts.

He asked the question, I just tried to answer it honestly.

Did not intend to bruise your ego. 

PS.  this is  a GREAT ride! i have been working it for 3 years and think it,s the best!

Actually we are from Asheville, NC. My husband, who has cycled for years, convinced me to start training with him last August 9 at our daughter's wedding reception. So we call ourselves "team blaine". This has been our fun way to handle "the empty nest syndrome"! Hope our daughter and son-in-law will become cyclists and part of team blaine, too.

Good luck with your cycling adventures, and (depending on where you live) try the beautiful cycling roads of western North Carolina sometime! Truly this is "God's country"!  

team blaine

quote:

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Originally posted by: Newby
" My concern was would I might finish with lots of time left in the day? is that a concern. how many hours do most riders take to go from start to finish each day???

 

I wouldn't be too concerned with finishing too early. The sooner you get in, the better the campsite you get to choose from, the less lines there are at the rest stops, the more time you have to pitch your tent and drink a couple of beers, the shorter the line is for the showers, etc.....Most riders probably leave between 7:30-8:00 every morning and the bulk of the riders probably arrive in camp around 2:00 plus or minus an hour. Weather and terrain of course play a big role in that too. Also, some of the rest stops might be interesting enough to stop at and check out for an hour or more, so that may affect rider's times as well.

As stated, most people camp.  If you hotel you miss much of the comraderie (sp?) of the event.  If you sleep lightly or snore, don't plan on indoor camping.  Indoors will get PACKED if (when) it rains. 

If you don't own a tent and/or want to relax and really enjoy CNC as a nice vacation, consider this...

This will be my 3rd year on CNC and my third year using Bubba's Pampered Pedalers http://www.bubbaspamperedpedalers.com/  Bubba is a wonderful, larger-than-life ex-cop whose business is to cater to cyclists on these sorts of trips.  He provides excellent tents, big inflatable air mattresses, fresh towels, camp chairs, and snacks/beverages.  He packs up and sets up "your" tent each day in the "Pamper Zone".  He transports your stuff so you don't have to haul everything to and from the baggage trucks.  You just get up in the morning, pack up your personal stuff, and get on the bike.  While you're enjoying the ride Bubba is packing up, getting to the next camp site early and selecting the best spot, and setting up the tents/mattresses.  Get to camp after the ride and your stuff is all there and your tent is probably already set up.  Grab a drink, a clean towel, and hit the shower truck.  Bubba may even give you a ride to dinner - and he's very entertaining!

Note:  I am not affiliated with Bubba or his service other than being a 2-time very satisfied pampered customer. 

Are there any spots left (as of August 2) to register for the trip ??