Friday, September 30, 2005

Reston, VA to Asheville, NC

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Cycle North Carolina is an annual bicycle tour from the mountains of North Carolina to the coast. The route is changed each year, but the pattern is the same; riding through the mountains in the east, gradually proceeding downhill to the coast. Downhill is a relative term, since there are many climbs along the way. Each descent is a little lower than the previous one, but the climbs can be challenging. Having survived the mountains of Bike Virginia this year on our recumbents, we decided to use them on the CNC tour.

The ride began in Asheville, a beautiful, funky city tucked away in the western hills, adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway and home to many cyclists. The locals told us that George Hincapie, who lives in Greenville, SC, rides in the Asheville area where he can train on some steeper climbs. We're attracted to both of these cities as there seem to be many cyclists, artists, students, and alternative culture types who have migrated there.

We arrived on Friday evening, in time for a vegetarian dinner at The Laughing Seed Cafe. After dinner we strolled back to our motel located nearby, stopping to observe the drum circle in the small park at Haywood St. and Patten Ave. There were some very good drummers pounding away and we hung out for a while before heading back to the room.

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