5-23-2017 Georgia State TT and TTT ChampionshipsGeorgia State Time Trial and Team Time Trial Championships The are this Saturday in Gainesville! The Georgia State Time Trials are open to anyone with a USAC license. If you don’t have a USAC license, you may purchase a one-day license at online registration. You need not reside in Georgia; however, only annual license holders, residing in Georgia are eligible to purchase the Georgia State Championship Jersey. Individual Time Trials begin at 8 am, Team Time Trials begin at 12pm All Podiums 1st-3rd receive medals All 1st place residents USAC license holders and residents of Georgia are eligible to purchase custom Georgia State Championship Jersey. Category, Masters, and Teams will race 22 miles. Juniors will race 12 miles.

Sumatanga RR There is a RR in Alabama this Saturday at Sumatanga. Alex, the promoter, needs 55 entries in order to hold this race. There will also be a mountain bike race at Sylaward planned for Sunday. Several riders from Alabama have reached out to me and asked all racers from Alabama and anyone that can to support these races. 

5-19-2017 Healthy Newton Omnium Returns! The Healthy Newton is back June 10-11, 2017! Just 30 miles East of Atlanta, Healthy Newton features a NEW 6 mile time trial course and a NEW 4-corner criterium course on Saturday. On Sunday race through the rolling country side where you can see 200 year old farm houses and mansions. Proceeds from this race go to support the local Newton Trails and local safe road markings. Find more information on the website  or Facebook. Pre-Registration is available through USA Cycling.

Atlanta Bicycle Festival Schedule The Atlanta Bicycle Festival will take place around the city June 10-17. The full schedule is up. There are rides for roadies, mountain bikers, hipsters, and families! There are also networking and social events as well as a chance for city of Atlanta residents to meet with their council members. If you enjoy giving back, there is a Bicycle Lane Clean Up Ride and a ride to collect toiletries for the homeless. Atlanta Streets Alive from the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition will be June 11 on the Westside utilizing Howell Mill Rd. and Marietta Blvd. Georgia Bike Law will give a presentation on scary encounters on a bike and how to handle them.

5-17-2017 Women ‘s Only Rides in Atlanta I get asked all the time if there are any women’s only rides in Atlanta. Yes! I am happy to say there are several this year.
Mondays–This one is just getting off the ground. Snyder Cycles Females Only Beginner and Recovery Ride. 6:30. Moderate.  New to riding in a group or just recovering from a hard weekend, all female identifying cyclists are welcome. The emphasis will be one learning and becoming comfortable riding in a group. This will be a no drop ride but please be prepared for 16 miles at around 12 mph to Stone Mountain, around, and back. Helmets required and lights recommended.

Tuesdays:  Women can also do the “Mixed” Ride with the guys if you want a really hard ride that night. Atlanta Cycling Women’s Ride. 6:30 (6:15 March & Sept. 6:00 Oct.), 22 miles, Strenuous/Moderate/No Drop. Join Atlanta Cycling for a women’s only ride on the Vinings Loop. The ride breaks into A and B groups. There is a sweep rider, so no one rides in alone! Road bikes are required, and you should be comfortable averaging 12 mph on a very hilly course. Join the Facebook group. Strava Map.

Wednesday: Sorella Cycling Women’s Only Ride. Leaves from E. Rivers Elementary in Buckhead at 6:30. Varying abilities, but you should be able to average about 15 mph in very hilly Buckhead terrain. They regroup at the top of some hills, but this is not a beginner ride. Map.
AND ChicksWhoRide, 6:30. Moderate. Meet at Outback Bikes in Little 5 Points. Road bikes required, ladies only. Expect an average speed of 15-16 mph on this hilly intown route. This is NOT a no drop ride. You need to be comfortable riding intown with traffic and typical intown stuff. Strava Route.

5-16-2017 HighPoint Cycling Classic Press Release For the first time since 2014, the High Point Cycling Classic is back, confirmed on the Carolinas Cycling Association calendar and sanctioned by USA Cycling.  In partnership with the Bobby Labonte Foundation, the City of High Point, NC, as well as USA Cycling and the Carolinas Cycling Association, the September 9th High Point Cycling Classic will combine a fundraising ride in the morning with the exciting action of criterium racing in the afternoon and into the evening in downtown High Point, North Carolina.  Bobby Labonte Charity Ride offers participants can now visit  three distances including 25 miles (40k), 37 miles (60k) and 62 miles (100k), scheduled to begin at 7:30 am that morning.  High Point Cycling Classic criterium registration is also open, with racing options including Men’s Cat 4/5, Men’s Masters 35+, Women’s Cat Open, Men’s Masters 45+, Men’s Cat 3, Women’s Pro 1/2, and Men’s Pro 1/2.  The first criterium race is scheduled to kick off at 2:00 pm, while the final race is scheduled to begin at 8:30 pm.  All activities will be followed by a spectacular fireworks show, weather permitting. Judy Rhyne, President of the Carolinas Cycling Association is excited to welcome the High Point Cycling Classic back to the annual race calendar.  “Always a favorite of local racers, the High Point Cycling Classic offers amateur and professional participants a best-of-class race experience.  Aside from a challenging race course, the High Point venue provides both racers and spectators with a rather unique experience via a covered start/finish area.   The City of High Point has always been welcoming to race enthusiasts, and we are thrilled that the Bobby Labonte Foundation is on board for the return of the High Point Cycling Classic.”

5-15-2017 Blanket’s Creek Trail Party From SORBA Woodstock Blanket’s Creek Trail Party Saturday, May 20, 9 am-1pm  Join us this Saturday for our May trail party at Blankets Creek as we prepare for our Six Hour race. The recent rains created lots of opportunities for maintenance. We will also be holding an short training session on trail care. Bring water, gloves and wear closed toe shoes. We will provide lunch at 1:00.

5-14-2017 Sara Babb Work Party From Sorba West Georgia Sara Babb Work Party Saturday, May 20, 8:00 am. We will be starting on the new connector trail between the existing trails and Ray Mtn! Bring gloves and wear closed toe shoes, long pants, bug spray recommended. Tools and drinks will be provided.

5-11-2017 Cochran Mill Work Party From SORBA Atlanta Cochran Mill Work Party Saturday, May 13 9 am-Noon We will be meeting at the main parking lot at 9. Please 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!

Sope Creek Work Party From SORBA Atlanta Sope Creek Monthly Work Party Saturday, May 20 9 am-noon. We will be meeting at the Columns Drive Parking Lot of the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area at 9 AM. Wear long pants, closed toed shoes, bring gloves, water, snacks and your epi pen if you are allergic to bees.

5-9-2017 Battle the Clock at the Georgia State Time Trial May 27th! From Dingo Race Productions:  You don’t have to be a time trial specialist to compete in the Georgia State Individual and Team Time Trial Championships, every cyclist is welcome! Maybe you’re a triathlete or a duathlete looking to test yourself against the clock. Maybe you’re a Masters athlete getting ready for Masters Nationals. Whatever your reason, come test yourself on a challenging, 22 miles of rolling countryside. Online registration closes May 25th at 11:59PM. NO LATE OR DAY OF REGISTRATION *only GA state residents & USAC license holders are eligible to purchase state champion jersey

Eventide Monthly Ride Sorella Cycling sponsor Eventide Brewing invites all Sorellas, fellas and friends for an intown group ride and brews. We hope you will join us for this monthly weekday evening ride!
What: Social intown ride beginning and ending at Sorella sponsor Eventide Brewing
When: Thursday May 11th, Ready to Ride @ 6:00PM
Where: Eventide Brewing, 1015 Grant St SE, Atlanta, GA 30315
Who: Sorellas, fellas and friends (helmets required)
We encourage everyone to bring a friend to show our support of Eventide and enjoy a larger riding group. Join Sorella ride leader Brittany Montgomery for the monthly Eventide Brewing Intown Road ride. The group will leave Eventide to enjoy a 14-16 mile no drop loop all intown on streets that are not busy during rush hour! This will be a very chill social ride, no crazy climbs, very beginner friendly. Ride time is approximately 1:15-1:30 with an average speed of about 14 mph.

Cyclofemme Ride We invite ALL WOMEN, Fellas and MANY friends to join us for a special Mother’s Day road ride! EVERY WOMAN COUNTS. We believe, We pledge, and We promise to inspire ONE MORE WOMAN to ride a bike this mother’s day.
What: North Atlanta Cyclofemme Ride at Silk Sheets
Who: All Level Riders, Men and Women.
Where: 8650 GA-92, Fairburn, GA 30213
When: May 14, 2017, Mother’s Day. 8:30 am gathering, wheels down at 9 am. Donation: $10 (if you can) to benefit Wellspring Living, a non-profit organization working to change lives and restore hope to those persons and families affected by sex trafficking in Georgia.  3 ride options: a 25 mile route for those that need encouragement, support and just a casual ride, a 35 mile conversation to slower-paced ride out and back, and a 50+ mile option for a more brisk (16-18 mph) Intermediate level pace–if needed, there will be an “A” faster group and an “B” moderate pace and all routes are “no drop”.  Each route will have chaperone Sorella or “Sorella Fella” ambassador riders and SAG available. Join nearly 200 other women cycling groups gathering around the world celebrating “the power of the pedal for positive social change”.! Come whether you are NEW to cycling (or know someone who is), or a SEASONED rider willing to help us lead the way to a healthier and inspired lifestyle for the next women who wants to ride! Light refreshments to be provided following the ride.

5-5-2017 AAA Bicycle Roadside Assistance AAA South, which covers Georgia, will now offer bicycle roadside assistance. It is limited to securing the bicycle to the service vehicle and transporting the rider to anywhere within the member’s coverage area. AAA has different levels of coverage at different prices that take you different distances for repair. Other services that offer roadside bicycle roadside assistance are a Better World Club and USA Cycling.

Women’s Enduro Bike Event Comes to Knoxville Tennessee’s first ever women’s only enduro mountain bike race is here for its first event! Bell Joy Ride Knoxville and 3rd Coast Productions are encouraging all women that mountain bike to come out for the 3rd Coast Productions Presents Bell Joy Ride Heartbreaker at Baker Enduro. There will be 5 FUN stages that will test each riders’ skills and endurance. Expect fun, fast and flowing downhill terrain. Whether you like to ride, race or just enjoy getting outside with your friends, the Bell Joy Ride with Third Coast Productions brings together the women’s cycling community in a unique and supportive environment. Come for the race, stay for the after party! The highlight of the weekend is a women’s enduro race on Sunday catered to all levels, including the first-timers (Beginner) category, all the way up to the seasoned racers (Expert). If you want to learn more skills and gain confidence on the bike, join the Joy Ride course pre-ride on Saturday, June 10 (day before race). Grab your friends, your family, and your biggest supporters for a weekend of FUN for all! Open to the public for spectating if not racing!! Then cap off a full day with the Men’s Joy Ride DRAG Race with guys dressed in skirts, halter tops, and heels! The race will start promptly after the Heartbreaker at Baker Women’s Enduro race and feature a dirt crit format. Men will race for 20 minutes on a short course near the start/finish. Spectators will get to cheer on their favorite riders on a super fast, fun lap. Registration is required.

Schedule of Events and Prices Saturday June 10 All Day – Course will be marked and open for practice Evening hours – Pre-Race Party Sponsored by Yee-Haw Brewing Company and SoKno Taco Sunday June 11 7:30 – 8:30am – Rider check in & registration, 8:45am – Riders Meeting, 9:00am – Riders leave for Stage 1, 3:00pm – Awards, Awards go 3 deep. Categories (registration fee $75 for all racers– includes t-shirt): And, you don’t have to hold a license (or not hold a license) to be in contention or compete in any category.
5-3-2017 More Roswell Photos

Here are a few more photos from Roswell. All of the galleries can be found at http://sadlebred.smugmug.com.

The Pro/1/2 Men race up the back side climb at the Historic Roswell Criterium.

The Pro/1/2 Women round turn 4 at the Historic Roswell Criterium.

5-1-2017 Roswell Photos My photos from the Historic Roswell Crit will be up by Monday morning at http://sadlebred.smugmug.com. I’ll be sharing some here and on Instagram (@Sadlebred) later this week.

Chad Conely (Mission Source) takes the WIN at the Historic Roswell Criterium in the Pro Men’s Race!

4-30-2017 Tour of Georgia Gran Fondo Time Sections Giordana GFNCS releases Tour of Georgia Gran Fondo timed Sections ahead of May 7th The 2017 edition starts and finishes in downtown Helen under the shadow of the mountains made famous by the Tour de Georgia. Each rider is provided an electronic timing-chip to keep track of their progress throughout the course and to allow riders to compete for best time through highlighted sections of the course.  Nestled in the Bavarian Alpine village of Helen, GA the ride starts in the heart of the North Georgia Mountains.  After rolling out of Helen the route hits the first timed segment at mile 2.5, where any riders with intentions of an overall podium finish and cash pay-out will need to put their cards on the table from the start.

The first time section immediately enters the mountainous area made famous by the 2003-2008 Tour de Georgia. Unicoi Gap, Hogpen Gap (6.5 miles), Snake Branch (3 miles), and Oakey Mountain.

The 2017 GFNCS event Schedule
Sunday March 26th 2017 – Gran Fondo Florida, San Antonio, FL
Sunday May 7th 2017 – Tour of Georgia Gran Fondo, Helen, GA
Sunday June 4th 2017 – Highlands Gran Fondo, Newfoundland, NJ
Sunday July 23rd 2017 – Gran Fondo Asheville, Asheville NC
Sunday August 6th 2017 – Boone Gran Fondo, Boone NC
Sunday August 6th 2017 – Bluewater International Gran Fondo, ON
Sunday August 27th 2017 – Golden Gran Fondo, Golden, CO

4-25-2017 Dirty Spokes 6/3 Hour Mountain Bike Race From the Promoter: The Dirty Spokes 6/3 Hour Mountain Bike Race Fort Yargo State Park, Winder, Ga. Presented by MAXXIS Tires and Brought to you by Roswell Bicycles and Scott, May 13th, 2017 is 3 WEEKS AWAY (ALL 6 HOUR CATEGORIES 1st Place, 2nd Place and 3rd Place will be receiving either a SCOTT Helmet or MAXXIS Tires) This is race number 3 of the Chainbuster Mountain Bike Race Series!  Race Day Raffle to Support the Yargo Trail Crew! LittleFire Cycles (Custom Wheel Builders) is proud to give back to both Dirty Spokes and the Yargo Trail Crew! LittleFire Cycles will be donating a Wheel Set (Carbon Rims, Bitex Hubs and DT Spokes)! Race Day Raffle Tickets are $10 each and ALL Proceeds will be donated to the Yargo Trail Crew!

Fools Gold 60 mile MTB Race Registration for the 2017 Maxxis Tires Fools Gold 60 Mile Mountain Bike Race is underway! The Maxxis Tires Fools Gold is scheduled for September 16, 2017 at the beautiful Anderson Creek Retreat, in Ellijay, GA. We have a few changes for 2017 that we feel will ultimately lead to a better and more sustainable event. The 2017 Maxxis Tires Fool’s Gold will offer only a 60 Mile option. The decision to drop the 90 mile course was made after seeing a steady drop in numbers so that we could allocate those resources to making the 60 mile event better, as historically the shorter couse has comprised over 75% of event participants. Those who normally race the longer distance will still be challenged by our 60 mile course, and you will arrive at the beer and fajitas several hours sooner! We also made the tough decision to withdraw from the NUE Series so that we could partner with Maxxis Tires for this year’s event, which will allow us to offer better payouts and more swag for our 60 mile riders. Rest assured, the quality of the race will not be compromised and we plan to improve upon what we are currently offering. 400 rider field limit for the 60 mile race – please register early so you do not miss out.

Mt. Tabor Spring Cleaning Trail Party From SORBA West Georgia: Mt. Tabor Park Mountain Bike Trails, 1550 East Paulding Drive Dallas, GA 30157, Dallas, Georgia 30157, It’s time for a little spring cleaning at Mt Tabor Park! Sat., April 29 8 am-noon, We’ll work on the briars in the meadow, some of the nastier roots and trimming back the overgrowth throughout the trail. If you have a gas powered trimmer and/or hand pruning shears, please bring them. Bring your bike! We’ll try to sneak in a little ride time! Bring gloves and wear closed toe shoes, long pants recommended.

4-24-2017 Are you missing a bike that fell off of your car on I-20? A friend of mine found a nice Women’s Road Bike on I-20 near the Lake Oconne/Rutledge/Social Circle area this weekend. It appeared to have fallen off of a bike rack. He is reporting it to the local police. Email thomasbward at hotmail dot com to identify the bike. Thomas is a cyclist himself and wants to return this bike to the rightful owner. (Update 4-25-2017 Thomas has located the owner of the bike thanks to the shop that sold it to her!)