Van Michael Supports Southeastern Cycling I am excited to announce that Van Michael Salon is back for 2020 as an advertiser on Southeastern Cycling! Van is a long time mountain biker and supporter of cycling in the area. I’m sure you’ve heard of the Van Michael Trail at Blanket’s Creek in Woodstock, GA. Yeah, that VMT is named after a hair salon! Womxn--I can recommend a couple of great stylists at Virginia-Highland and East Cobb! One of them is a cyclist and understands you need to look good after a ride! Guys–Van Michael Men at the Battery in Cobb County at Truist Park offers cuts and shaves for you!

2-20-2020 Want to be a USAC Official? There is an upcoming clinic in Greenville, SC. Contact Scott Patton for more information (see flyer).

2-19-2020 US Amateur National Road Championships Press Release The best amateur cyclists in the country will descend upon Clay County for the USA Cycling Road Amateur National Championships on June 25-28, 2020. The two-year agreement brings the event to Northeast Florida in 2021 as well. The championship will feature 800 competitors combined between the various rider divisions, with athletes as young as 10 years old competing for National Titles. There will be a group of elite amateur racers aiming for the professional ranks that will be competing as well.

Three different disciplines will be featured in the weekend of racing – time trial, road race, and criterium. The time trial course on Thursday, June 25 will start and finish at the Keystone Airport, with the course running through Camp Blanding. The road races begin on Friday, June 26, with the younger age groups on a short course that starts and finishes at Penney Farms. The road races conclude with a longer race for the older age groups on Saturday, June 27, at Penney Farms. The racing concludes on Sunday, June 28, with the criterium – a NASCAR-like short and fast cycling race near Fleming Island High School.

8th Annual Bike Luck Presented by the Charlotte Knights Press Release Date/Time: Saturday, April 25, 2020 8:00 am – 2:00 pm at Grinnell Water in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 8th Annual Bike LUCK (Lucky Unlimited Cardiac Kids) Presented by Charlotte Knights is the annual charity bicycle ride for Camp LUCK. All donations are tax deductible and 100% of proceeds raised support Camp LUCK! Back by popular demand, we will have the 45-mile bike route to our 60-mile and 25-mile routes!! Camp LUCK provides medically supervised camp experiences for kids with significant heart disease. Camp LUCK transforms our heart kids into Lucky Unlimited Cardiac Kids with programs designed to nurture, educate and support the kids and their families. It’s more than a camp; it’s an attitude … and changing attitudes changes lives. Donations will help sponsor kids who attend at Camp LUCK at located at Kings Mountain State Park.

2-18-2020 St. Paddy O’Pedal From The Olde Blind Dog Cycling Club We are looking forward to having you join us again for our fourth year of the St. Paddy O’Pedal Ride to Conquer Childhood Cancer on Sunday, March 22nd, at Milton City Hall. Register here! Choose from the Metric Century (63 miles), a 45-mile ride, or a 25-mile ride. Each participant gets a high-quality Stand & Hammer Cycling t-shirt when you register before March 12th – and if you sign up by March 8th you’ll secure the $45 registration deal. Let’s remember why we’re doing this! This benefits the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. In 2015, John and Shawn Dickson lost their precious and vibrant 21-year old daughter, Kiersten, to lung cancer. Treated by the compassionate doctors and staff at the Aflac Cancer Center, Kiersten’s parents teamed up with the Olde Blind Dog Cycling Club to create this event. Last year’s event raised nearly $100,000 to fight pediatric cancer. The fun continues after the bike ride! All of the cyclists will return around the same time, where each participant receives a free beer and lunch courtesy of From the Earth Brewing Company. Of course, you’re welcome to purchase more beverages, if you’re still thirsty! We will also have great music playing, as well as several performances by Irish dancers.

2-17-2020 Currahee Rescheduled From Chainbuster Racing: After conferring with USFS and our local partners, we were able to get two dates in checkmate! (We reserved both just in case!) Our reschedule date for the Currahee Gravel Race 2020 will be March 14! Multiple hunting seasons made for limited available dates. Before choosing this date, we asked Kent McMullen with AMB Weather to do a historical analysis of precipitation from Feb 14-March 14. While rain is still obviously very possible, long periods of heavy rain are typically end in February with lighter showers becoming the norm in March.

There will be a change of course and start/finish associated with the new date. The race will be hosted at Mt. Airy City Hall which is across from Lake Russell Road. As a result, you will not be climbing Tower Mountain at the end of the race. Before you celebrate, I promise that you will miss it! New course maps will be uploaded soon!

2-14-2020 Trail Update From SORBA Woodstock: Here’s the latest update on the trail systems at both parks: Rope Mill Park remains closed due to high water and flooding from last week. it will remained closed until the City gives us the thumbs up on reopening. Blankets Creek trails are starting to be affected by the current lake level that is ~6.5 feet above full pool. The lower leg of Mosquito Bite is currently underwater by 2.5 feet of water. The hand railed bridge and the bottom of Blood Rocks on South Loop will go underwater at 848.00 We will continue to monitor the moisture and lake level conditions as time progresses. We will update as we get more information.For now, the trails are wet and the lake is up.

Update 2-15-2020 Dwelling, VMT, and Mosquito Flats only are open at BC. RM is still closed.

SORBA West Georgia reports that parts of Allatoona are also under water. It remains closed. I’ve seen conflicting info. if Mt. Tabor, Clinton, Lost Mountain and Sara Babb are all open or closed on the SORBA West Georgia FB page and Trail status page. AFAIK all Gwinnett SORBA and MTB SORBA trails remain closed as of Friday morning.

2-13-2020 Yard Sale MTB Races From Swagger: March 20-22, 2020 It’s been 14 years (or maybe 15? 16?) since the last Yard Sale Race, and we thought it was about time we brought it back! The weekend will feature three days of mountain bike racing, a trail run, and of course, The Yard Sale! Mark your calendars for March 20-22 out at Hawkes Creek Farm in Winterville, GA. Registration is open now! And of course since this is a throwback, we want to see your best retro racing gear out on the course! Got Stuff? Sale it at the Yard Sale! Tables start at $15 (and it doesn’t have to be only bike parts). You can reserve your table today! If you are uninterested in racing, come shopping! The Yard Sale will run on Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22 from 8am – 5pm. And stay to cheer on the racers! We will have food and drinks available for purchase, as well. Hope to see you at the farm!

2-12-2020 Silver Comet Bridge Closure From the Cobb County Government The Silver Comet Trail closure in Powder Springs has been extended. Bad weather has delayed crews working to repair the bridge, pushing back their forecasted completion from February 20 to March 20. They hope to finish earlier than that, but have continued concerns about the weather going forward.

2-11-2020 Daylight Saving Time Less than 30 days til Daylight Saving Time starts. Who else is excited?? Group Ride Season is almost here! I update group rides as the info. becomes available, which is an ongoing process from March well into April. If you have group ride info. drop me an email or PM me on Facebook!

WBL Alto World Cup For more on the venerable Alto World Cup, see the WBL Facebook page. It is a legend in its own mind and in reality.
WBL # 10: The Porterfield Tire Alto World Cup
When: 15 February (Saturday) – rescheduled from Feb. 8
Where: The Hub / Independent Baking Company (5 Points / Athens)
Time: 10 AM (window open)
Length: 115 miles / 6 hours
Points: 6 points (1 per hour)
Interactive map

Curahee Postposted From Chainbuster Racing An unfortunate reality is that in this business, there are only so many things we can control. Weather isn’t one of them. We appreciate the efforts of the Chattooga River district rangers. They spent the day in the Lake Russell WMA assessing the condition of the roads before they called us. Due to the amount of rain that has already fallen and the additional rains expected, they will not be issuing an event permit for this weekend. We are in the process of rescheduling, but it will take a few days to assess viable options. There are so many moving parts to a race weekend, and we have to find a date that coordinates with venue, WMA, food truck, public safety, and our amazing volunteers. It is further complicated by the managed wildlife hunting seasons that also affect the WMA. Currahee will happen in 2020. It will be awesome! We’ll give you more details on the reschedule as soon as we possibly can!

2-7-2020 Smyrna Bicycles Offering Bicycle Tune Up Service with Pickup and Delivery-Unique Service for Smyrna-Vinings Area

SMYRNA, GA, Smyrna Bicycles announces a new tune up service for bicycles with pickup and delivery.

Smyrna Bicycles has begun offering a complete Bicycle Tune Up service with pickup and delivery on the customer’s schedule. They will work with customers to pick up the bicycle and drop it off when completed. The service is offered in Smyrna zip codes 30080 and 30082 as well as select areas of Vinings. Tune Ups start at $69. Smyrna Bicycles offers other mobile mechanic services including flat repair starting at $30.00.

Locally owned Smyrna Bicycles has been serving Smyrna, Vinings, Mableton, and Cobb County since 2007. They carry all types of bikes from road bikes to mountain bikes, hybrids, cruisers, and everything in between from Giant, Litespeed, and Electra. They also carry Liv, which offers a full line of women’s bicycles. Full mechanic services for all varieties of bikes will keep riders on the road or trail. Rental bikes are available on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis. Hybrid rentals are great for riding on the Silver Comet Trail, which is an easy quarter mile ride from the shop’s front door. Road bike rentals are available for riding on the Trail, in a triathlon, or for a century or charity ride.

Call the shop at 770-436-3252 with questions about the Tune Up pickup and delivery service. Information can also be found on their website http://www.smyrnabicycles.com/

2-4-2020 Roswell Mayor’s Ride From Bike Roswell The Bike Roswell! Mayor’s Ride returns Sunday April 26th, 2020!  Bike Roswell is excited to continue a great Roswell tradition with our Mayor!  Routes: 18, 42 and 64-mile routes will travel rolling hills and flat sections next to the Chattahoochee river as we tour the city of Roswell. Rest stops will be stocked with drinks and snacks. Pre-ride mechanical support will be provided. T-shirts will be given to the first 500 pre-registered riders for the 18, 42 and 64 mile routes.  This year’s family ride will be incorporated into the Roswell Moves! An Open Streets Event. If you have smaller children, please plan to attend this fun event with activities and the opportunity to explore Canton St. by wheels and feet in a safe environment.  18-mile Challenge: the 18 mile ride is flat, we skip Martin’s Landing!! Bring the whole family for this easy ride. 42-mile Workout: All of the above, plus 20 more challenging, beautiful miles with police support at intersections. 64-mile Metric Century: Beautiful and challenging, this metric century is memorable

2-3-2020 Big Creek Work Party From RAMBO: Big Creek Work Party We’ll be adding some length to Climbing Snake. Clearing deadfall and debris, trimming branches, working on the tread where necessary. Meet in the lower lot @ 9am Saturday, Feb. 8. Bring gloves and water, snack if you like. RAMBO will supply the tools and lunch.

2-1-2020 NC CX Grand Prix The North Carolina Grand Prix UCI CX race will be November 21-22, 2020. The UCI released the full 2020-2021 UCI CX calendar this week. Other “close” races to the Southeast include Ohio and Virginia.

2020-2021 UCI Cyclocross Race Schedule and Calendar Released

1-29-2020 WBL From the WBL Next Ride: WBL # 9: The Reeves Young Hoschton Classic
When:  2 February Sunday
Where: The Hub / Independent Baking Company (5 Points / Athens)
Time: 10 AM (window open)
Length: 90 miles / 4.5 hours (83 miles w/out final loop)
Points: 5 points (1 per hour)
Interactive map

1-28-2020 Open Trail Days at Road Atlanta Prima Tappa will host several open trail days for mountain biking at the FOX RaceFace XC trail: April 25, May 2, May 16, and May 23. There are not may details yet. There may be a donation/fee to benefit local NICA mtb teams. This trail is normally closed to the public and is a lot of fun to ride!

Cochran Mill Work Party From MTB Atlanta Saturday Feb. 8 9 am-Noon. Join us for our monthly work party at Cochran Mill Park. Meet at the main parking lot at 9 AM. Please wear long pants, closed toed shoes, bring a helmet, gloves, water, snacks and your epi pen if you are allergic to bees. We will see you there!

Some Creek Work Party From MTB Atlanta Sope Creek Work Party Sat., Feb. 15 9 am-Noon. Join us for our monthly Work Party at Sope Creek and give back to the trails that you love to ride. We meet at the Columns Drive parking lot at 9 AM at the gate by the Fitness loop. Wear long pants, closed toed shoes, bring gloves, water, snacks and your epi pen if you are allergic to bees. We will see you there.

Maxxis Tires Southern Cross Gravel Grind From the Promoter: Looking for your next Epic Adventure? Check out the Maxxis Tires Southern Cross Ultra Gravel Grind on March 7! The course is 55 miles with a bit over 7,000 ft of elevation gain (two major climbs), and consists of pavement, gravel roads and weather permitting, some short sections of buff, newly constructed singletrack trail. This is a challenging, classic course in the North Georgia Mountains. The event is cross bike or mountain bike friendly, so pick your poison! Riders will pass by an aid station twice during the ride, and be treated to Terrapin Beer and Moe’s Fajita Bar for a hearty post-race meal. 2020 Race Highlights! Killer course that features some of the toughest and most scenic forest roads in North Georgia that will give you bragging rights for finishing! ▪ Coffee Mug Finisher Awards for all Finishers!▪ Cash payout for Top 5 Open Men and Open Women’s classes. ▪ $100 cash to first place finisher in each of the solo non-open classes ▪ Free Primitive Camping at the race venue for Friday and Saturday night! ▪ Super comfy cotton blend race shirt with race logo (register by Feb 22 shirt size deadline to guarantee your size) ▪ Improved course which features some sweet, newly constructed buff singletrack that is cross-bike friendly. ▪ Generous post race HOT meal (Moe’s Fajita Bar) with Terrapin Beer! ▪ Well stocked aid station with hot soup, plenty of calories, fluids, mechanical support, first aid supplies and more. ▪ Custom awards for all podium finishers ▪ Loads of sponsor prizes to find good homes for!

USA Crits News From Velonews: USA Crits on Friday revealed its 2020 schedule, which is comprised of 10 criteriums spread across the country. For the second consecutive season the series will kick off at the Birmingham HammerFest in Birmingham, Alabama on March 14, and conclude with the Benchmark Twilight Classic in West Chester, Pennsylvania on September 12. Sandwiched in between are a smattering of returning events, including the Athens Orthopedic Clinic Twilight Criterium in Athens, Georgia, the Saint Francis Tulsa Tough, and the Salt Lake Criterium, among other events. All of the elite races will be live streamed on the series’s website. Each race also awards points totals toward an overall champion in the men’s and women’s division. Last week USA Crits announced the 21 Division 1 teams that will compete in the entire series.
2020 USA Crits calendar Southeastern Events
March 14 Birmingham HammerFest Fueled by Bolt 24, Birmingham, Alabama
April 24 Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Criterium, Spartanburg, South Carolina
April 25 Athens Orthopedic Clinic Twilight Criterium, Athens, Georgia
May 23 Winston-Salem Cycling Classic, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Registration for the Tony Serano Century Opens Febuary 1st From the Promoter: It’s time for the seventeenth annual Tony Serrano Century on Saturday, April 11th. We are starting again from the Athens Tech campus in Monroe, Ga. Sign in will open at 7am and the ride rolls off at 8:30am. Enjoy routes of 10, 39, 60 and 100 miles on the low traffic, rolling roads of Walton, Morgan and Oconee counties. Enjoy rest stops with lots of hand made snacks by the famous “Rest Stop Queen”. Each stop has unique delicious, nutritious eats. The ride is fully sagged and mechanical help will be available from our friends at C Town Bikes and Aztec Cycles. The course is well marked and this year you will be able to use your smartphone as a FREE navigation device. Your entry fee includes post ride lunch and your choice of an event T shirt or two big Jersey Bins with our logo. Come join the ride and help in our mission to make cycling safer and our communities healthier. The entry fee is $40.00 through March 20th, $50 through March 31st and $60 after April 1 and day of the event.