Monday, May 18, 2015 - 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 safely rules of the road in order to ensure the safety of all riders.
Riders will make their way to Marion, NC where Tom Johnson’s Campground 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 Tom Johnson’s Campground 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.
Assaults 2015 Policies
GENERAL
All who complete the Assault on Mt. Mitchell are REQUIRED to ride the buses back to the loading and unloading zone at the Tom Johnson Campground in Marion, or take the new Spartanburg Direct bus. Trucks located at the top will carry all bikes down the mountain to either Marion or Spartanburg as needed.
After finishing at the top of Mt. Mitchell, you will immediately hand your bike to the volunteers loading the trucks. Your dry clothes bag as well as some food and drink will be waiting for you. Then you will board one of the buses back to Marion. There, you will be able to enjoy the post-ride meal, either meet someone to drive you or take another bus back to Spartanburg.
NO PERSONAL SAGS are allowed.
This policy is dictated to us by the Mt. Mitchell State Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway to ensure the safety of our riders, and to manage the limited amount of space at the top of Mt. Mitchell. If you choose to ignore this rule, and you are sighted by any of our ride officials, your rider number will be documented and turned in to the Assaults Director. Upon verification of the violation by the Director or a Freewheelers Board member, you will be notified of the documentation and the disqualification. You will have 10 days to appeal your disqualification to the Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Freewheelers. Once the disqualification is complete, your results will be removed from the official results posted on our web site, and you will be banned from the ride for 2 years. This policy will be strictly enforced so that we may continue to hold the Assaults in the future.
A Personal SAG is any unauthorized vehicle traveling the same course as the Assaults on Mt. Mitchell and Marion. Family and Friends may meet riders at various points between Spartanburg and Marion - so long as they travel on a different route. Additional information on how best to meet up with riders along the route is posted on the web site. The roads are simply too narrow with too many cyclists to have extra traffic along the way.
NO unauthorized vehicles are allowed to drive on Highway 80 or the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Park Service has the right to decline us the privilege of use, so we have an agreement with the Park Service that everyone take a bus from the top of Mt. Mitchell back to Marion. There are no exceptions to this rule. In addition, there are spectator buses available in Marion for anyone wishing to go to the top of Mt. Mitchell to view the finish. DO NOT drive a personal vehicle to the top of Mt. Mitchell. If identified, your rider(s) could be disqualified. Tickets for the Spectator bus can be purchased online or in Marion the day of the event.
TEAMS AND TEAM SAGS
We have many teams that participate in the event and we welcome them all but they must adhere to the same rules as everyone else. Food and support is provided for everyone, including teams, and we require that teams get to the top without any special means. There will be no authorized team vehicles and any team vehicle on the route or at the top, regardless of whether or not they sagged the route, will result in the disqualification of the entire team. The disqualification process will be the same as noted above. A member of the Team will be notified.
IMPORTANT RULES OF THE PARKWAY
All riders must be on the Parkway no later than 3:00pm. Spectator Supporters are NOT ALLOWED to have Personal SAG Vehicles for Individual Riders. This will be enforced and anyone violating this Blue Ridge Parkway requirement will be DISQUALIFIED AND YOUR TIME WILL NOT BE POSTED!”
“Violations observed, improper refuse of human waste and disorderly conduct (exposing, public nudity), under 36 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations), may carry a fine up to $5000.00 and, or 6 mos. Imprisonment.”
Bicycle riders must comply with all applicable federal and state motor vehicle regulations.
The bicycle operator must exhibit a white light or reflector visible at least 500 feet to the front and a red light or reflector visible at least 200 feet to the rear during periods of low visibility, between the hours of sunset and sunrise, or while traveling through a tunnel.
REFUNDS
Unfortunately, we cannot offer refunds or credit registration fees towards next year’s event as this event has limited entries, early financial commitments, and a very tight budget. However, it is possible for registrants to transfer a number to someone else! (See transfer policy below and additional information).
Note: In the case of accidental double registration, it is possible to get a refund if you contact the Director (Click here) within 24 hours of purchasing an entry. As with Transfers, there will be absolutely NO refunds for bus tickets. Purchased Accessories and Items can be mailed after paying an additional shipping & handling fee.
There is a $5.00 processing fee for all Refunds. ($10 for all International Refunds)
TRANSFERS
An Assault on Mt. Mitchell registration / bib number can be transferred to someone else should a rider be unable to participate. However, there is a fee of $30 for transferring a registration. The fee will be applied to BOTH parties involved. In other words, the owner of the original number and the person to which it is sold will each pay $30.
Please be aware that transfers ONLY apply to registration fees and DO NOT apply to any additional purchases such as bus tickets, apparel, lunches, etc. No refunds will be issued for those items and the new registrant will need to purchase additional items separately on the event registration site.
The option to transfer will become available beginning February 2015. ABSOLUTELY NO TRANSFERS WILL BE ALLOWED AFTER FRIDAY, MAY 15 at 5:00 PM!
To help you get the word out, we recommend posting your interest in selling or buying a registration on the Assaults Facebook page: Assaults on Mt. Mitchell & Marion, and if you are a Freewheelers club member, you can also e-mail it the Freewheelers yahoo group: FreewheelersOnline@yahoogroups.com. If you do not have access to either of these outlets, then e-mail your request, including your contact information to director@theassaults and they will post your request on both.
Please note that neither the Freewheelers nor Go-Green Events will be involved in the actual selling of the registration. It is the responsibility of the two parties involved to work out any payment details.
Once a seller and buyer have an agreement between themselves they can initiate a transfer by contacting the Director (director@theassaults.com). They will then provide you with a link to the transfer process on Go-Green events.
Please refer to our web site for more information regarding the transfer process.
UNCLAIMED PACKETS AND MERCHANDISE
If for some reason you are unable to attend the event and you would like your T-shirt and any purchased items, please contact the director (director@theassaults.com) to arrange for shipping. An additional shipping fee will be charged. All requests for receiving unclaimed materials must be received by June 19, 2015. After June 20th all items will be returned to inventory for post event sales.
TIME TRIAL, TRIATHALON AND AERO BARS, DISC WHEELS, ETC.
Time trial, triathlon, and other bikes equipped with aero bars, disc wheels, etc. are not recommended for mass start events but we do not prohibit them. We ask that you refrain from using the aero bar position unless you are by yourself. When in a group, keep your hands near your brakes and in a position that allows you to maintain control of your bike in close quarters.
LOST & FOUND
Lost and found will be available from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm on the Tuesday following the ride at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium entrance.
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