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Info on Asheville, NC? might move there

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holyrider

Chimp
Apr 19, 2005
15
0
I am planning on moving out of the Bay Area in California to North Carolina. I need a change. I don't have much info in rides in the area at all. I have been looking at Asheville and it seems like a cool place to live.
Any info on types of rides there are and cool local bike shops would be helpful.

Thanks for your time.
 

Jeremy R

<b>x</b>
Nov 15, 2001
9,701
1,056
behind you with a snap pop
holyrider said:
I am planning on moving out of the Bay Area in California to North Carolina. I need a change. I don't have much info in rides in the area at all. I have been looking at Asheville and it seems like a cool place to live.
Any info on types of rides there are and cool local bike shops would be helpful.

Thanks for your time.
There is all kinds of riding with a ton of awesome singletrack.
Great place to live for riding.
Sycamore Cycles right outside of Pisgah in Brevard is a sweet shop.
And moving from the Bay Area you may have built up enough of a tolerance to overlook Asheville's hippies.
 

biggins

Rump Junkie
May 18, 2003
7,173
9
there is not all kinds of riding. there is just lots of single track. climb dirt road for 5 miles, descend singletrack for 5 miles...repeat as necessary. oh and a nice dirt jump area. if you like downhilling and freeride dont move here cause ya wont be happy with it. also the job market sucks and it is the most expensive city in the state. expect to work 2 or more jobs unless you are a professional of some sort atwhich point be prepared to not have a job for abou 90 days after you get here. Traffic is outrageous and the place is getting way overpopulated.

however there ar awesome bars, great music venues, great fly fishing rock climbing and paddling around.

for bike shops, i prefer pro bikes (in west asheville) and sycamore cycles.
 

Jeremy R

<b>x</b>
Nov 15, 2001
9,701
1,056
behind you with a snap pop
biggins said:
there is not all kinds of riding.
Well, you got Pisgah National Forest for all your singletrack riding,
You have a great place to dirt jump, you are a 2 hour drive from Windrock which is the best place in the Southeast for DH/Freeride and one of the best places in the country. Plenty of street riding in Asheville, and Asheville also has a huge road biking scene if your into that mess.
That is pretty much the definition of all kinds of riding.

You could have just posted, "Don't move here!"
That'll save you some typing next time.:)
 

biggins

Rump Junkie
May 18, 2003
7,173
9
Jeremy R said:
Well, you got Pisgah National Forest for all your singletrack riding,
You have a great place to dirt jump, you are a 2 hour drive from Windrock which is the best place in the Southeast for DH/Freeride and one of the best places in the country. Plenty of street riding in Asheville, and Asheville also has a huge road biking scene if your into that mess.
That is pretty much the definition of all kinds of riding.

You could have just posted, "Don't move here!"
That'll save you some typing next time.:)
haha i hear ya i am just soured on riding here. i mean he was wondering about the riding around asheville, in my opinion riding around asheville does not include windrock that would be riding around knoxville maybe. as far as the singletrack and the road and urban you are right however. I mean i was just being honest with the guy. i personally do not think that windrock being 2.5 hours away constitutes "Around Asheville" the dirt jumps are nice on the east side of town though.
 

Jeremy R

<b>x</b>
Nov 15, 2001
9,701
1,056
behind you with a snap pop
Yeah, you would for sure know more about "living" there than I do.
I have heard some of the same complaints that you mentioned.
But then again, I just come up there to ride, so it is a place filled with magic for me.:weee:
The one thing I remember sucking back in day up there was that you could not get any body orgainzed to work on $hit. With so much trail to ride, nobody was interested in building anything new.
 

laura

DH_Laura
Jul 16, 2002
6,259
15
Glitter Gulch
biggins said:
haha i hear ya i am just soured on riding here.

oh you poor thing. I feel for you really. If you get too bored come around my neck of the woods. i can show you our 10 glorious miles of flat single track and total lack of street. Biggest hill here is about 20 ft tall. ;)


I :heart: asheville.
 

def

Monkey
Feb 12, 2003
520
0
knoxville, tn
I like the area. I live 2 hours out and dated a girl from over there for a few years. If I could find a job in the area, I'd move here in a heartbeat. Tons and tons of great xc riding. Windrock isn't that far out (Hell, I drive to MAggie Valley to snowboard......and it isn't even that good!).

From the times I've visited, the town has a very liberal attitude. I don't know if I could stand to live downtown though. I've got some liberal ideals and a forestry degree and a bit of a white-boy afro - but I can't take those hippies. Chicks w/ hariy arm pits and dashiki's everywhere! It seems like the perfect town for that N8 cat.

To summarize: I'd move there, or at least the surrounding area.
 

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
If he's from the Bay area, he may drive 2.5+ hours to places like N* and Mammoth for DH, so 2.5 hrs to Windrock might be the same. It seems like you could ride forever in Pisgah.

I think Biggins needs a hug. He's bagging on Knoxville and Asheville in multiple threads. :love:
 
Apr 9, 2004
516
8
Mount Carmel,PA
a few years back I worked on the film Last of the Mohicans in Ashville. iI thought it was a beautifull place. lots of places to ride. Some really nice people. I hooked up with some "Growers" in the back mountais and you should see some of those herb fields. I also went on a bunch of early morning Mushroom hunts with some retro hippie friends. Swimming in the river in the summer was some great party weekends. I wish I was that young and free again!!!!
 

biggins

Rump Junkie
May 18, 2003
7,173
9
profro said:
If he's from the Bay area, he may drive 2.5+ hours to places like N* and Mammoth for DH, so 2.5 hrs to Windrock might be the same. It seems like you could ride forever in Pisgah.

I think Biggins needs a hug. He's bagging on Knoxville and Asheville in multiple threads. :love:
i do need a hug.

i was just trying to behonest to the guy about asheville after livin here for 8 years.

there is a huge problem with getting people to work on anything here. its unreal how unmotivated people are. must be all the dank that is ingested here.
 
May 25, 2003
11
0
Asheville, NC
10:30 Saturday at Industry Nine World Domination HQ.

Building a pump track and need able bodies!

By the way, I live in East Asheville, and have no idea where the DJ's are. Can anyone enlighten me?
 

biggins

Rump Junkie
May 18, 2003
7,173
9
singletrack pig said:
10:30 Saturday at Industry Nine World Domination HQ.

Building a pump track and need able bodies!

By the way, I live in East Asheville, and have no idea where the DJ's are. Can anyone enlighten me?
where in east ashville are? they are at the stop light between warren wilson college road and the old harley shop. if headed east turn left at the light onto a residential road. park in the gravel lot at the house look across the street.
 

biggins

Rump Junkie
May 18, 2003
7,173
9
singletrack pig said:
That's like 5 mins from my house. Thanks for the heads up, I had no idea.

I'm assuming it's OK to ride there? Do I need permission from anyone?
nope, no permission necessary.as a matter of fact you will never know hwo owns the property, very few people do. its the road across 70 from buckeye cove. just park i nthe gravel lot that is kind of in front of this dudes house. you will probably be able to see other people there.
 

los jefes

Monkey
May 10, 2004
103
0
Asheville, NC
biggins said:
. Traffic is outrageous and the place is getting way overpopulated.
I have lived in this general area my whole life and do not plan on going anywhere. I did travel for a living for a year and all it did was re-affirm that this is a great place to live.

Biggins, Anyone moving here from the bay area is not goin to have a problem with our traffic or our housing costs. By the way, if you want to help w/ this years urban comp (Mtn Sprts Fst) get in touch w/ Marty @ Pro Bikes. I am sure she could use some help when it comes time. I am out of it this year.
 

be-radd

Chimp
May 31, 2004
96
1
O-town
i loved asheville, i lived about 45 mins west of it in sylva and thought the place rocked. i just moved to buellton Ca. from there for a change of scenery and weather. two different worlds of riding and any other outdoorys activity but its a great place none the less. All the hippies walk around in bare feet and play their drums in asheville its really funny.
 

rooftest

Monkey
Jul 10, 2005
611
0
OC, CA
I heard Nantahala has great mountain biking - I forget how far it is from Ashville - it's been years since I've been there. The rafting in Nantahala sucks, though.