The Bicycle is a great way to get round the Smokies and especially the Blue Ridge Parkway. The real reason for this with the Parkway is the slow speed limits and the complete absence (more or less) of Commercial Vehicles (less chance of ending up facing the wrong way on the radiator grill of a Truck!).
This having been said the Blue Ridge Parkway was designed primarily for motorised forms of transport and so for those who wish to use a cycle, it is best to seek shelter in those facilities off the parkway rather than use the more conventional Campgrounds which tend to be more spaced apart designed more to be reached by car etc.
The other problem with the roads off the Parkway especially in Virginia and parts of North Carolina is that they can be rather steep. Hey it’s great for the calves and you certainly will end a cycling holiday here fitter than you would when you started! This means that it is more of an endurance exercise than a gentle cycle but well worthwhile nevertheless. The lowest point on the parkway is 600 ft above sea level with the highest accessible point by cycle being at 6,000ft.
You can’t cycle on the walkways or trails and riders should travel in single file and it is advisable to ensure that you are always well to the right of the road. Sounds more like plain common sense really but you would be surprised how many people lack this basic common sense approach.
All cycles should be equipped with a white light or a reflector that is visible from at least 500ft in the front and the red light or the rear reflector should be visible from at least 200ft during periods of low visibility, between sunset and sunrise or whenever the cyclist is cycling through a tunnel.
Like elsewhere but possibly more so here (make sense?) it makes sense to make your activities as safe as is possible therefore do yourself a favour and wear a helmet all the time, make sure that you have a first aid pack and also a cycle / tyre repair kit. OK it doesn’t have to be of the standard of the average Tour de France participant but you get the drift? Make sure that your cycles headlights are efficient and work as the 26 tunnels that help make up the Blue Ridge Parkway have quite severe curves within them and are pitch black within the centre – no illumination folks and so be forewarned!
With regards to clothing, it is an idea to wear breathable clothes in layers to give you the opportunity to heat up or cool yourself down. Heat exhaustion at times can almost be as bad as hypothermia. Make sure that you have adequate supplies of water to safeguard against dehydration and to safeguard against general exhaustion, make sure that you have a couple of High energy snacks.
Lastly, use your common sense and avoid the roads if at all possible when the conditions are foggy.
Stephen Morgan is an independent journalist writing about a number of matters. A diagnosis of acute High Blood Pressure lead him to start exploring a whole number of ways to maintain good health. One of which is cycling and the great outdoors. Further information on this article can be found at http://www.smokymountaincabinsonline.us/cycling_the_blue_ridge_parkway.html and at Smoky Mountain Cabins Online http://www.smokymountaincabinsonline.us. Further information about High Blood Pressure can be found at his own site Living with High Blood Pressure Net http://www.livingwithhighbloodpressure.net.
