REGISTER NOW

On-line Registration until 10pm, Friday, May 16th
Print mail-in registration - Allow mail time (click here to download PDF registration form)
Want to ride the Flyer for $15? - Go to Volunteer Positions and Registration (click here to download PDF registration form)

General Information | Cycling Advocacy | Registration Details | Routes | Parking and Start
Directions | Team in Training | After Ride Experience | Sponsors
Volunteer Positions and Registration | Contact Us

General Information:

The Fletcher Flyer returns for its 5th year to offer full, metric and half century rides that wind through the valleys south of Asheville. It is the least Hilly ride in Western North Carolina, but it has plenty of rolling hills to keep all riders interested. There is terrific mountain scenery without the long mountain climbs.

The century, metric, and half century have cumulative climbs of 4044, 3039, and 2216 feet, respectively. The event can appeal to a wide variety of riders. It is a great course for first time event riders on every route option. It is a fast ride for more experienced riders who want to do a century without spending all day. It is also perfect spring training ride for those who want to prepare for the summer climbing centuries beginning with the Assault on Mount Mitchell.

Rider comments from last year include:

- Fantastic ride in the beautiful hills of WNC.
- Every person we encountered was beyond friendly.
- Rest stops well stocked with goodies.
- Met a lot of nice people and had a great time.
- One of our best rides ever.

The first 600 riders to register will receive DeFeet cycling socks. Be sure to register early to make sure you receive the official Fletcher Flyer socks in the size available.

All riders finishing by 5 PM will receive an after ride meal. There will be massages available after the ride and on route photos by Bird's Eye View, both for a modest extra charge. New this year is the availability of showers and access to pools after the ride.

Cycling Advocacy

Proceeds from the Fletcher Flyer will benefit the BRBC's advocacy programs. Despite our efforts in the past, many of our counties in WNC are significantly behind the rest of the country in land use planning and the City of Asheville did not even earn an honorable mention in LAB's Bike Friendly Communities program. Development continues in WNC at a rapid pace with little consideration for bicycle pedestrian paths, bike lanes, or even widening roads. The BRBC will be working hard to make sure that we continue to enjoy safe and scenic road rides in WNC.

Your registration will support our efforts to make cycling considerations part of every planning meeting in WNC.

In addition, thirty percent of the Fletcher Flyer profits go to fund the WNC Bike Dealers Association mountain bike trail development and maintenance programs, including the Alexander trails.

Registration Details:

You can register on-line at Active.com or print and mail in a registration form (click here to download PDF registration form). If you have problems with the link to the Active.com registration, just go to their main Web site at www.active.com and search for "2008 Fletcher Flyer" (be sure to include the "2008").
On-line registration closes at 10 PM on Friday, May 16th. Allow sufficient time for last minute mail-in registrations, since the last mail delivery before the event is Saturday morning, May 17th.

You can register and pick up ride packets in person at Fletcher Park on Saturday, May 17th from 10 AM until 3 PM and on Sunday (ride day) from 6:30 AM until the 8 AM start.

The ride fee is $35 through Friday, May 2nd, $40 through Saturday, May 17th, and $45 on Sunday, May 18th (Ride day). Extra meals are available at $10.

The first 600 riders to register will receive a pair of DeFeet cycling socks. Register early to make sure you receive the official Fletcher Flyer socks in the size requested.

Routes:

The Fletcher Flyer is a bike event, not a race. All riders are expected to obey all traffic laws. There will be police traffic support for the first few intersections, but after that each rider will need to follow the rules of the road and watch for motor vehicles and other cyclists.

There are three routes: century (100.5 miles), metric century (63.8 miles), and half century (50.3 miles). All three distances follow the same route until the half century turns off at 26 miles and then the metric century turns off at 30 miles. If you want to ride with someone doing a different distance, you can ride together for about half of the shorter route.

The first rest stop is at about 15 miles at Fletcher Park. This is an opportunity to change cycling clothes, if you dressed too warmly or too lightly. Most riders will probably skip this stop and proceed to the second rest stop at 22 miles. The half century and metric have two more rest stops, and the century has four more stops.

There will be SAG drivers on the course from start until 5:30 PM. Riders have the option of continuing on their own after that time, but rest stops will be closed and there will not be SAG support.

Cue sheets:
Century
Metric
Half century

Parking and Start:

Please follow the directions of parking marshals as you turn onto Howard Gap Road from Hendersonville Road. Those arriving early will be able to park near the start/finish in Fletcher Park. Those arriving later might be directed to offsite overflow parking.

There will be areas within Fletcher Park reserved for rider staging, volunteer parking, and park users not involved in the ride. Parking Marshals will be available to direct you to rider parking.

We will have a phased start again this year. Phased starts improve the safety and enjoyment of the ride for everyone by avoiding the confusion of a mass start of riders of varying ability. There will be three phases based on the estimate speed of the rider.

8:00 AM - Riders who will average 18 mph and above.
8:05 AM - Riders who will average 14 - 17 mph.
8:10 AM - Riders who will average 13 mph and below.

Look for signs directing you to your starting position.

Directions:

All routes start from the parking lot of Fletcher Community Park, Fletcher, NC 28732. The park entrance is on Howard Gap Road, about ¼ mile southeast of the intersection of Howard Gap Road and U.S. Highway 25, about 10 miles south of the intersection of Hwy 25 and I-40 at Asheville.

Team in Training:

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) has selected the Fletcher Flyer as a fund raiser ride for its Team in Training (TNT) program (registration coming soon). Seven TNT Chapters from six states will be sending cyclists to ride the Fletcher Flyer full century.

TNT is the world's largest endurance sports training program. Since 1988, more than 295,000 volunteer participants have helped raise more than $660 million for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma research and patient services. The TNT century riders in the 2007 Fletcher Flyer raised more than $150,000 through pledges and it will be even more this year.

The BRBC and WNCBDA are honored to have the TNT participation. Most of the riders will be new to the course and riding their first century. Please make these new riders feel very welcome. They will also be supported by cheer teams and extra SAGS that will give their support to TNT and non-TNT riders alike.

After Ride Experience:

The after ride meal will be a buffet featuring great vegan, vegetarian, and meat dishes and salads catered by Everyday Gourmet.  In addition, there is a tangy vegetable soup on the menu, plus the usual breads, cookies, and brownies.

Showers and access to Olympic, therapy, and whirlpools will be available to all riders and volunteers after the ride at Leila Patterson Center, located 2.5 miles south of Fletcher Park on Howard Gap at the intersection with Naples Road. Riders or volunteers wishing to take advantage of this benefit should bring towels and a modest one-piece bathing suit, if they wish to use the pools.

Sponsors:

Liberty Bicycles
Volvo Construction Equipment
Ski Country Sports
Mike Byer Auto & Truck Repair
BioWheels
Nantahala Outdoor Center
VeloSports Performance Center
Carmichael Training Systems
RBC Centura Bank
Pro-Bikes
Keith's Triathlon
Mountain Home Care
Lelia Patterson Center
DeFeet International

Volunteer Positions and Registration:

The Fletcher Flyer cannot take place without the hard work of over 150 volunteers. Your participation is critical to the success of the Flyer and its support of cycling in WNC.

If you are interested in volunteering, please e-mail the person listed below to get your name on the list. Once you receive confirmation that the position is available, print, fill out, and mail in the registration form (click here to download PDF registration form). Volunteers cannot register on-line.

There are positions that permit you to ride the Fletcher Flyer for $15 and also positions for non-riders.

Contact Us

Ride Director - Charlie Clogston (Send e-mail to Charlie)
Registration - Pat Clogston (Send e-mail to Pat)
Safety Officer - Bruce Rogers (Send e-mail to Bruce)

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© Blue Ridge Bicycle Club Inc. 2008