Here are some odds and ends that might be helpful in preparing to cycle the Blue Ridge Parkway.

	Triple Chain Ring -  You absolutely must have a triple chain ring.  In the 2004 BRP trip I rode a Trek 7300 Hybrid with a triple in front (28-38-48).  I spent a LOT of time in my lowest gear on the long climbs.  My lowest gear has a ratio of 28/34 = 0.8235.  In the 2005 BRP trip I rode a Cannondale T2000 touring bike where my lowest gear is a 26/32 = 0.8125.  You might want to calculate your lowest gear ratio to compare.
	Weather - The weather is very unpredictable on the BRP.  When I did a 4-day trip in July 2003 the weather was in the mid-80's and it was very hot on the long climbs.  I went through incredible amounts of water and still think that I was dehydrated.  The weather on the May 2005 trip generally ranged from highs in the upper 60's to lows around 40.  It was pretty chilly in the campgrounds and it was quite cold getting on the bike early in the morning.  It is also common to put on clothes and remove clothes many times in a day.  It is easy to get hot on the long climbs and then freeze on the long downhills, so I would often take off a jacket before a climb and stop at the top to put it on before the downhill.
	Rain Gear - When it rains in the mountains, the temperature often drops as well.  As a result, it is easy to get chilled, especially on the long downhills.  I thought that I would get too hot wearing rain gear, but that is not necessarily the case.  If the temperature is in the 50s and it is raining, rain gear is a must to stay warm.
	Visiting Places - It is good to enjoy the parkway, not just conquer it.  There are so many nice things to see.  The book Bicycling the Blue Ridge Parkway, by Skinner, has lots of great suggestions on neat things to see.  I tried to take advantage of many of them, including visiting an apple orchard, visiting the Church of the Frescos, going up on Grandfather Mountain and walking on the mile high suspension bridge (shown to the left), walking around Mabry Mill, eating at the nice restaurant at the Mt. Pisgah Inn, buying some of the delicious homemade baked goods from the Northwest Trading Post, and much more.
	Eating Out - I probably ate out about 25% of the time, especially when there was a place with some local charm.  Some of my favorites include Peaks of Otter Restaurant - MP86 (It is shown to the left.  The restaurant overlooks the lake with Sharptop Mountain towering in the background.), Mabry Mill - MP176, Bluff's Lodge & Coffee Shop - MP 241 (they put bowls of homemade black cherry jam on the table with breakfast that is to die for),  Spear's Restaurant - MP317 in Lynnville Falls, and the Pisgah Inn Restaurant - MP 408.
	Motels - I tried to camp out as often as I could, but sometimes it is nice to take a break or to get clean and warm!  On Day 2 of my August 2004 trip, I biked 60 miles in the rain.  The rain looked like it was about to stop as I neared the Roanoke Mountain Campground, but I had had enough.  I was wet and cold and wanted to get warm and comfortable.  I went about 2 miles further and found a Comfort Inn on highway 221 and ate in a Western Sizzlin next door to it.  It was heavenly!  So bring extra money or a credit card for such possible changes in plans!
	Replacing Cables - I think that I will have my cables replaced on my bike each year before I go on such a trip.  It isn't very expensive.  When I was on my 10-day trip in August 2004, I began to have trouble with my rear derailleur.  It was shifting very slow and was not shifting into the lowest gear well.  I kept trying to clean things, but it didn't help much.  I hoped to find a bike shop near Ashville, NC.  I ran across three local cyclists on the BRP and they told me that Liberty Bikes was only a block off the BRP and the exit was only a few miles ahead.  They rode with me to exit and were a great encouragement to me.  I stopped in Liberty Bikes and they were very helpful.  My rear cable was fraying and the housing was full of dirt.  They replaced the cable and housing, cleaned and lubed everything, and didn't charge me anything!  What a blessing!
	Water - Water may not be available on the  BRP for long stretches (40 miles or so).  If the weather is hot, you can go through incredible amounts of water.  On my 2003 trip, I brought three 24-oz water bottles on my first trip and basically ran out of water a couple of times (had to ration it).  On my 2004 trip I brought a 72 oz CamelBack along with three water bottles, carrying a total of 152 oz (over a gallon).  Since water weights about 8lb/gallon, this adds a lot of weight.  So I would sometimes leave a couple of my water bottles empty when I knew that water supplies were accessible.  The CamelBack was also very nice since it is hard to drink from a water bottle when you are struggling to get up a long climb at 5 mph with a loaded bike.
	Food and cooking - Dehydrated meals are a great choice for dinners.  They weigh almost nothing.  They require 2 cups of boiling water and take about 7 minutes before they are ready.  I like the Mountain House dinners.  I can easily eat one of their dinners that supposedly serve two after a day of biking.  I used a JetBoil backpacking stove.  The small fuel containers (3.53 fl. oz.) are probably good for at least 20 cups of water.  I will gladly share my stove with other cyclists.  We can count cyclists and meals and figure out how many fuel containers to bring.
	Lights - Lights are a must for going through the 26 tunnels on the BRP.  They are not lit and it is a real shock being thrust into the pitch black from the sunshine.  The short tunnels are OK because you can see the other side and get oriented.  The long tunnels are very scary as you can't see anything.  Rear flashers are a must so that cars can see you from behind.  A front light is also a good idea so that oncoming traffic can see you in the tunnels (which is rare since traffic is light).  There is a very small shoulder in the tunnels, but the tunnel roof is curving toward your head and the shoulder is often full of debris (which you also can't see), so I would only use the shoulder in case of emergency.