The 2010 Assault on Mt. Mitchell will indeed be continued under the leadership of the Freewheeler's of Spartanburg and newly named Assaults Director, Katie Malone.

Registration

Early registration for Assault on Mount Mitchell opens FEBRUARY 2nd @ 6AM EST!! Passcodes are required for early registration!

Event Information

Registration for the event opens in the beginning of February (Feb 2nd 2010) for current members of the club. To be considered a club member in good standing and receive a pass code for Mitchell registration club membership for 2010 must be renewed between 10/01/09 and 12/31/09. All club members will have the right to register for the event before the event is opened to the general public. In the middle of February (Feb 16th 2010) general entry will open. This means that if there are 100 spots open for the event that they will most likely be sold out on February 16th and registration will then be closed for the event.

The Assault on Marion has an unlimited amount of rider numbers. Participants can sign up for the Assault on Marion starting on February 2nd. Registering for this ride does not require a pass code or club membership. Registration for Marion will stay open until a few days before the actual event.

Hotel Reservations
Spartanburg Marriott at Renaissance Park
Note: All reservations need to be made by April 30th, 2010 in order to receive the special promotional price.

May 23, 2010 - Registration /Packet Pick-up, Expo and Pre-Ride Dinner will all be held at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium.

May 24, 2010 - Riders will start the Assault on Mt. Mitchell and the Assault on Marion at 6:30 AM from downtown Spartanburg. At this location vehicles will be left and there will be a truck in which all participants have the opportunity to place a dry clothes bag to pick-up at the top or in Marion. Riders are expected to follow basic safety rules of the road in order to ensure the safety of all riders.

Riders will make their way to Marion, NC where it will be the stopping point for the Assault on Marion riders and the beginning of the last hard segment of the ride for the Assault on Mt. Mitchell riders. Traditionally Marion is where friends and family can cheer for riders as well as pick up riders after the ride. It is also here that buses will be available to take spectators to the top to watch the finish of the Assault on Mt. Mitchell. All riders completing the Assault on Mt. Mitchell are REQUIRED to ride the bus back down the mountain to the loading and unloading zone at Marion. Trucks will be located at the top to take all bikes back down to Marion or to Spartanburg as needed.

NO PERSONAL SAGS are allowed. This is dictated to us by the State Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. If you choose to ignore this rule your rider number will be taken and you will not be allowed to finish the ride, you will be banned from the ride for 1-5 years depending on your attitude after being confronted. PLEASE NO PERSONAL SAGS. This will be enforced so that we may continue to hold the Assault on Mt. Mitchell.

SAG Definition: A SAG is any unauthorized vehicle traveling the same course of the Assaults on Mt. Mitchell and Marion. Family and friends can meet and greet riders along the way at various points on the course as long as the routes that they are traveling to get there are not the same as the ride route. The reason being is that the roads are too narrow and it is simply too dangerous to have extra cars on the roads that 1000+ cyclists are trying to pass through. In the past the biggest problem with SAGs was people trying to get a ride from the top of the mountain down to the bottom. The Park Service has the right to decline us the privilege of using the park. We have an agreement with them that EVERYONE will take a bus from the top of Mt. Mitchell back to Marion. There will be no exceptions to this rule.

After you finish the Assault on Mt. Mitchell you will immediately turn your bike in to the trucks to be loaded for transport, you will have your dry clothes bag available, as well as some nourishment. Then you will load the bus for the ride down the mountain back to Marion. In Marion you will be able to enjoy the after ride meal and then either meet your ride back to Spartanburg or take the bus back to Spartanburg.

For planning purposes this is an all day event for most folks. By the time you complete the ride, take the bus back to Marion, eat, take the bus back to Spartanburg you can expect that you will return very late in the day. So if you are booking flights out please take this into consideration.

Assault on Mount Mitchell 2010 Jersey View Jersey

• Jerseys $65
• Shorts $60
• Arm Warmers $25

Route Information

• Cue Sheet View Route
• Elevation Chart for Assault on Mt. Mitchell View Chart

F.A.Q.

• When does membership have to be renewed in order to be able to get a pass code for 2011?
  
• The Freewheeler's membership drive is from October 1st through Dec 31st every year. You have to join the club during this time in order to be eligible to receive a pass code.
• What is a pass code?
• A pass code is a number that you receive in the mail (US post) that you can use to access early registration for the Assault on Mt. Mitchell. Early registration is from Feb. 2nd at 6 AM EST through Feb 15th at 12 PM EST. If you don’t use your pass code during this time you can still register on the 16th but you are not guaranteed entry.
• When will I get my pass code for 2010?
• Pass codes will be mailed out on January 26, 2010.
• Can someone else use my pass code to register?
• Yes, you can give your pass code to a friend to be used with your name. Each pass code can only be used once.
• Can I change the name and information on the ride number if I purchase it from someone else?
• We are looking into the possibility of doing this for 2010. Check back on the website at a later date for more details.
• Are there entry requirements to be able to ride Mt. Mitchell?
• In the past it was required that you ride the Assault on Marion first, before you were allowed to ride Mt. Mitchell. This requirement became hard to enforce because there have not always been accurate accounts of who finished the Assault on Marion. Now there are no requirements to ride the Assault on Mt. Mitchell.
• Why don't people who rode Mt. Mitchell last year get pass codes for early registration this year?
• One of the most basic reasons is that this ride has always been a club ride and club members always have had the first chance at purchasing a ride number. If we have 700+ club members and all of them get a pass code it would be unfair for us to give another 700-1000 people who rode last year pass codes as well. This year the ride will be open to club members first and then on a first come first serve basis on February 16th.
• How many ride numbers will go to general entry on Feb 16th?
• We don't have an exact number but worst case we expect at least 300-400 numbers to be available.
• I heard that last year more numbers were sold than should have been and people were turned away from entering the parkway. Is this true?
• This is something that really did happen to the unfortunate few. This year we are selling a lot less numbers and we are going back to a time cut off. You have to make it to the top of Hwy 80 (86 mile mark) in 9 hours. This is an average speed of 9.5 mph so this is the speed you need to train for to be able to be allowed to continue on to the parkway. No arbitrary numbers this year.
• What is the start going to be like?
• We have not made a final decision yet on a mass start or a stagger start.
• How many Rest Stops are on this course?
You can expect to see a rest stop in the following locations:
• Mile 22 - Rest Stop #1
• Mile 42 – Rest Stop #2
• Mile 47 – Rest Stop #3 Top of Bill’s Hill-Tech Support Available Here
• Mile 64 – Rest Stop #4
• Mile 74 – Rest Stop #5 Tom Johnson’s Campground – Marion Finish – Tech Support Available Here
• Mile 85 – Rest Stop #6 Tech Support Available Here
• Mile 86.7 – Rest Stop #7 – Beginning of Blue Ridge Parkway
• Mile 93 – Rest Stop #8
• Mile 97.9 – Rest Stop #9
• Mile 102.7 – Rest Stop #10 – Entrance to Mt. Mitchell State Park
• What will you be serving at the rest stops?
• We will have water, Powerade at all stops. Coke will be available starting at rest stop #5 and at all stops after that. We will also have cookies, bananas, oranges, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, trail mix & pretzels.
• My family wants to follow along in the car?
• You want to share the your big day with your family for sure but please have them meet you at different places along the way. We will have a GPS map link posted on the website with details on how your family can follow the ride but stay off the course. If you have a car following along on the course that will be considered a SAG. No SAG of any type is allowed in this event.
• What happens if I break down and can’t go any further?
• We will have motorcycles all over the course as well as mechanics and official SAGS that can transport you to Marion.
• My family wants to watch me finish at the top of Mt. Mitchell, how do they get there?
• From Marion your family can ride the bus up to the top to watch you finish and then ride back down with you. There is a small fee charged for the bus ticket for family.
• I want to leave my car in Marion on Sunday. Can I do that?
• You can take your car to Marion and park at Tom Johnson’s campground for a $5 fee. We will have buses available to take you back to Spartanburg. You can pre-purchase a bus ticket when you register for the ride.
• Where can I find pictures of this event?
• Birds Eye View is our official photographer. They will be located on Bill’s Hill (mile 47), on the switchback’s on route 80 and at the finish on the top of the mountain. Information will be on the back of your bib number.

More information will be posted here over the next few months so please check back on a regular basis.

For questions or to become a volunteer please contact assaultdirector@freewheelers.info