Off I go...From the start, here, at Rough Butt Bald Overlook I'd bike the 3-miles (mostly) downhill via the Parkway and NC-215 to the Flat Laurel Creek Trailhead where I'd begin my 15-mile hike...
Also, try not to judge to harshly the quality of my ride...I'm a hiker, I bust out a bike maybe a handful of times a year, thus the K-Mart special...