Cycling on the Blue Ridge Parkway is not fast!  It is best to take your time, enjoy the views, and find a pace that will let you make the long climbs without wearing yourself out.  If you haven't cycled in the mountains before, you might be surprised by the low average speeds.  In the flatlands of Virginia Beach, I typically average maybe 17 mph on a century ride (100 miles).  On the Blue Ridge Parkway, my daily average is only about 10.5 mph!  Everyone climbs at a little different rate in the mountains and I found that I was about in the middle of the pack for our 2006 group.  My averages, along with other statistics, are shown below.

Paul’s statistics on the May 13-20, 2006 southbound Blue Ridge Parkway trip:

Day	Rated Miles	Actual Miles	Max (mph)	Time	Average (mph)	Rated Vertical Feet Climbed	Rated Vertical Feet per 10-Mile Section
1	60	64.77	35.5	5:28:19	11.8	4802	800
2	60	62.77	39.5	5:49:59	10.7	6322	1054
3	57	63.06	35.5	5:55:46	10.3	6435	1129
4	62	71.10	39.0	6:30:34	10.8	5617	906
5	57	64.63	40.0	6:15:31	10.3	6660	1168
6	43	53.73	34.5	5:13:36	10.2	4680	1088
7	69	71.78	41.0	7:30:31	9.5	7860	1139
8	61	65.62	38.5	6:21:42	10.3	6225	1020
Total	469	517.46	41.0	49:05:58	10.49	48601	1038