Get to know the Blue Ridge and Western North Carolina in the best way possible – by bicycle! Take to the high mountains or keep it relaxed in the valleys. We have riding routes on each day that can appease any rider. Visit the Biltmore House, pedal along the Blue Ridge Parkway, imbibe the best craft beer at multiple breweries (AFTER riding), or seek out waterfalls in the surrounding National Forests. This tour covers the entire region, and gives you innumerable options to spend your vacation time. See full itinerary below. Or click here to all of our other Asheville bike tour offerings.
- General Details
- Guide/Concierge Info
- Accommodations
- Rental Bikes Available
- Inclusions
- GPS Availability
- Additional Adventure Opportunities
- Pricing
- Register For This Tour
Dates: Your pick! We offer tours in Asheville as early as March and as late as October and into November.
Length: 8 days, 7 nights
Service: Supported, Private, “Self Guided” tour. GPS Guidance! For more about how our Self Guided tours work CLICK HERE.
Type of riding: High mountain climbing.
Bikes suggested: Road bikes
Average daily riding: From 40 miles to 60 miles. We have routes for all levels.
Start city: Asheville (AVL)
Finish city: Asheville (AVL)
Suggested transport: Fly or drive from anywhere.
From greeting guests when they arrive, to personally handling luggage transfers, to curating excursions, to problem-solving (e.g., flat tires and other unforeseen issues) our concierges assist guests daily. They also set you up on your rental bikes, and can help with routing and simple questions. Need help finding a good lunch spot? Is it raining too hard or you’re too tired to continue? The concierge is a phone call away and are there to help you! Each tour group works with a single, dedicated concierge who can be called upon for in-person assistance at any time.
We generally target highly rated local hotels and B&Bs, which we hand select to maximize comfort while minimizing cost. These are generally considered 3 to 5-star hotels using the French rating system. This rating system has proven to be the standard around the world. Therefore we use the same standards in France and beyond.
Over the years we have developed relationships with many amazing 3, 4 and 5-star properties that distinguish themselves as providing much more than their rating suggests. We have loved getting to know these hotels and sharing them with our guests. For tour groups wishing to upgrade their accommodations, we can provide custom pricing for nicer four and five-star hotels, pending availability. Below are an example of some of our favorite hotels in the region that we target using on our tours, pending availability.
Location | Hotel | Photo |
Burnsville B&B | Nu Wray Inn | |
Asheville B&B | Chestnut Street Inn | |
Asheville Premium Hotel | Grove Park Inn | |
Hendersonville B&B | Melange | |
Lake Lure | Lake Lure Inn & Spa |
All bikes come with a helmet, repair kit, pump (or CO2 cartridges), lock, and water bottles. During the registration process, you will be asked for sizing specifics to ensure we have the correct sized bike waiting for you. We can supply a number of styles of pedals – please ask if you don’t see the pedal type you’re looking for on the registration form.
Road Bikes: Our rental road bikes are mostly gravel bikes. Gravel bikes have a road bike geometry with drop bars and larger tires for all-terrain riding. It makes for a comfortable overall ride. If you prefer a racing road bike with skinnier tires, please ask us.
- Type – Carbon Road/gravel
- Sizes – 50 to 62 cm
- Components – Mixture of Shimano 105 and Ultegra with either triple or compact double cranksets. Many have road-disc brakes.
Hybrid Bikes: Our rental hybrid bikes hard-tail mountain bikes with road oriented tires. They have a relaxed style with flat handlebars.
- Type – Hybid/MTB (Aluminum)
- Sizes – XS, S, M, L, and XL
- Components – Mixture of Shimano road and mountain components with either triple cranksets or compact double.
eBikes: These semi-powered bikes allow for nonriders to share the experience with their friends and family who are stronger cyclists. We have limited supply of eBikes, so please contact us to ensure we can supply them.
- Type – Electric-assist eBikes
- Sizes – S, M & L
- Components – Mixture of Shimano Acera and Deore.
- All hotel accommodations – mostly 3 and 4 star but ask for custom accommodation requests.
- An OBT cycling jersey!
- The use of a Garmin Touring GPS during the tour for worry-free routing.
- Detailed route notes, maps, and tourist information. This includes standard cue sheet, and GPS courses to upload to your own GPS device.
- Luggage transfers from hotel to hotel.
- Meals as explained in the tour itinerary pages. Usually this means all breakfasts, no lunches, and some dinners.
- Access to your personal guide/concierge (See Guides/Concierge tab).
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED:
- Transportation to start location and from finish location.
- Bikes, but we have rental bikes available.
- Travel and Health Insurance.
- Admission to sightseeing venues, unless explicitly mentioned as included.
At the beginning of your tour your local guide will show you how to use the unit. We will also provide instructions that you can reference when needed. As a backup and supplement to the GPS, we will also provide a local map as well as routing instructions.
One unit will be provided to each four guests. If you need additional units they will cost $125 per unit per tour for rental.
Brevard Mountain Biking: Experience the local mountain bike trails including Pisgah National Forest and Dupont State Forest. A hardtail bike is included, and an upgrade to a nicer (full suspension) bicycle will cost $50 per person. Lunch is included. Cost: $400 for two, full day. Ask if there are additional participants.
Hiking: Explore the backcountry trails of Pisgah National Forest and Dupont State Forest which surround the towns of Brevard and Asheville North Carolina, NC. We can provide you with a trip that offers spectacular views and scenic waterfalls. Timing options: 1) All day – Cost: $275 for two, $40 for each additional person; Or 2) Half Day – Cost: $200 extra for two, $35 for each additional person.
Biltmore Estate: Tour the house, visit the winery, and enjoy the complete splendor of the entire estate. We will transport you onto the estate and onto their bike paths (they do not allow bikes on the main roads). Timing: All day. Cost: $65 per person.
Brewery Tours in Brevard: The tours will consist of visits to the Pisgah Tavern, Oskar Blues Brewery, and Brevard Brewing Company. Timing: Afternoon and evening. Cost: $35 per person.
Stand-Up Paddleboard Tour: Ride the French Broad River on a SUP! Timing: Morning. Cost: Contact us.
Canyoneering & Climbing: Check our the waterfalls and cliffs of the Blue Ridge up close! Timing: Morning. Cost: Contact us.
Tour Cost Per Person: Our Asheville area tours are often custom designed and priced. The below pricing is for the sample itinerary below during much of our tour season. Pricing can vary widely depending on the time of year. For example, October rates are higher due to the fall color season. Contact us for specifics.
- Double Occupancy: US$2,795
- Single Occupancy: US$3,295 (for single room occupancy on multiple person tours)
- Solo Tour: Please contact us
Bike Rental Per Person:
- Road Bike: US$450
- eBike: US$450
- Hybrid: US$300
Questions: First, please feel free to ask us any questions about the tour. We are happy to help clarify any details.
Registration: Once you are ready to register please go to https://outfittertours.com/registration/ and complete the registration form. EACH tour participant will need to complete the form. At the end of the registration for you will be asked for a US$800 deposit. You can pay the deposit by bank check, wire, or credit card. Once we have all registrations we will secure all of the details of your tour – hotels, bikes, etc.
Final Payment: 60 days prior to your tour we will invoice you for the balance of the tour.
Tour Packet Delivery: Once the balance is paid and approximately 30 days before your tour we will send you a complete tour packet containing all details of your tour – accommodation information, detailed routing, a suggested packing list, maps, tourist guide, and much much more!
For more information on our Terms & Conditions please CLICK HERE.
Daily Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Asheville & Transfer to Burnsville
Welcome to Asheville! We will pick you up from the airport and take you to your first hotel or B&B in Burnsville. Once you arrive at the hotel and get settled in you will meet your guide/concierge and prepare for your adventure! You may assemble your bicycle or be fitted for your rental, which will be waiting. Hear a short orientation and take an afternoon warm-up loop if you are eager to be in the saddle.
Day 2: Loop Ride from Burnsville – 40 to 75 miles
Today you can several ride options: Keep it close to town with a local town ride along the Toe River or ride north towards Tennessee. You could possibly ride all the way to Roan Mountain. The quiet roads will blow you away – beautiful. Dinner is on your own in Burnsville.
Day 3: Loop Ride from Burnsville – 40 to 75 miles
What did you miss yesterday? Use today to make the most of your time near Burnsville. Dinner is again on your own in Burnsville.
Day 4: Burnsville to Asheville – 50 to 80 miles
Today is a special day – you have the chance to conquer Mt. Mitchell – the highest point east of the Mississippi River. Also, you will be riding the Blue Ridge Parkway for most of the ride. Dinner is on your own in Asheville. There are too many options to choose from, and we will have suggestions for you. You’ll quickly realize why Asheville is known for its culinary reputation. Cap off the day at local brewery such as Green Man, Wicked Weed, or many others that we can guide you to.
Day 5: Asheville Loop Ride – 40 to 80 miles
Today you can several ride options: Keep it close to town with a local town ride, ride northeast of town towards Marshall and Leicester, or head for the high mountains again. Locals regularly use the quiet roads towards Marshall for leisure and training rides. We can also help you with a cycling visit to the Biltmore Estate. From pottery visits and gallery browsing, to conquering more local mountains. We will make sure you have the experience you are looking for. Dinner is again on your own in Asheville.
Day 6: Asheville to Brevard – 25 to 65 miles
Today you leave the small city, and ride into the countryside. The relaxed ride is rolling, and traces the border of Pisgah National Forest and the Biltmore Estate (this ride can be shortened with a short transfer by car). After leaving town you’ll roll through the exclusive Biltmore Forest, where celebrities’ have known to own homes. After leaving “Asheville suburbia” you’ll quickly find yourself in the countryside. Surprisingly enough Sierra Nevada Brewing decided to put their new brewery in a fairly remote area you’ll be able to ride to for lunch. From there you can soft pedal to Brevard, and your B&B for the night. Dinner is on your own in Brevard, with many options on Main Street, and walking distance from your B&B. Options: Hiking, Mountain Biking, and/or Brewery tour. See the Extra Adventure Opportunities tab above for more information.
Day 7: Brevard Exploration – 5 to 55 miles
Spend an extra day on the bike, or add a canyoneering, hiking, climbing, and paddling excursion. We can arrange a day mountain biking – the legendary trails of Pisgah National Forest and Dupont State Forest are nearby! If you prefer to stay on the road bike, there is an amazing loop ride that takes you up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, past Devil’s Courthouse and Graveyard Fields, then back down past some of the most stulling waterfalls in North America.
Day 8: Departure.
Sleep in, have a leisurely breakfast, and enjoy your final morning in the mountains of Western North Carolina. We will collect your bike if you rented one, and help transfer your luggage to the airport, before bidding you farewell! Thanks for choosing OBT for your cycling vacation!