Southeastern Cycling

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!

12-30-2014 New Year’s Day Rides The Airport Ride will roll as always on New Year’s Day at 10:00 am from Peters St./Castleberry Hills. Same blistering pace, same route. The Southern Bicycle League will host their annual New Year’s Day ride from Bicycles South in Decatur. The SBL says: “The Best First Ride of 2015!! Join us for the annual SBL 1st Ride on New Year’s Day 2015 at 9:00 AM . Get the Year started off on the right pedal with a 30 mile ride. Over 100 cyclists will leave from Bicycle South parking lot and roll down Ponce through Down Town and up Peachtree and return via Clairmont- all the roads we can’t use 363 days of the year. Maps will be available at the start of the ride. There is a shorter option to keep out of the afternoon traffic….Helmets are required, no ride if rain, sleet, or snow but we will ride even if the temp is below 0. So when has that happened since global warming? We live in Atlanta and we can ride all year.”

Cartecay New Year’s Ride Cartecay Bikes will be doing their annual ride at Bear Creek on New Year’s Day. Meet RTR at 10:00 am at Gates Chapel Rd. Contact Cartecay for more details.

Savannah Wheelman Training Series I posted about this a while ago, but it’s worth repeating. If you are near Savannah, GA, this is a great series! You can attend one of all of the clinics. “The USA Cycling Beginning Racer Program is a series of 5 clinics which will review and strengthen the four pillars of racing and group riding: Pack Skills, Cornering, Pack Awareness, Sprinting, and then in the 5th clinic bringing it all together. Each Clinic has three components, on-bike – instruction, a mentored race, and a debrief (of the clinic and race). This program is designed to develop new skills and strengthen the ones you already possess.

Dates & Registration:
Saturday, January 24th – Pack Skills
Sunday, January 25th – Cornering
Sunday, February 1st – Pack Awareness
Saturday, February 7th – Sprinting
Sunday, February 8th – Bringing it all together

Registration for individual clinics will be $10 for members / $15 for non- members. Registration for the entire series (all 5 clinics) will be $40 for members / $60 for non-members.”

WBL Thursday, 1 January 2014 (Ride # 5): The Independent Bakery Ladies Day Commerce Classic (60 miles / 3 hours), Time: 10 a.m.* (window open), Length: 60 miles / 3 hours, When: Thursday, 1 January, Where: The Hub (5 Points / Athens), Pee Break: Mile 20, Store Stop: Possibly No Store Stop – stores may be closed. , Intermezzo Sprints: Waterworks NON PRO 1, 2 Hill Jam sponsored by College Transitions (Mile 38.5): Sprint Zone opens 3 miles after Commerce at bottom of steep hill 250 meters long. Line in road at top. Regroup after sprint., Intermezzo Sprint Points/Prizes: Eligible to sprint if: 35 or older, 19 or younger, Cat 3, 4, 5, Interactive Map: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/6697372, Final Sprint: NEW SPRINT LINE / Pink Church line from opposite side (2.2 miles): Attack Zone Opens at Mile 51 when the pack turns left on Cane Creek Road (listen for whistle). Sprint Line is 2.2 miles ahead (No turns). Immediately there is a 300 meter long slight uphill, followed by a 1 k descent which is steepest at the end. THERE IS A TIGHT CORKSCREW AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DESCENT. SPREAD OUT AND GO SINGLE FILE. IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE ON TIGHT DESCENTS, BACK OFF. After the descent, there is an 800 meter uphill climb to the finish line (line in road). ALL MEN MUST BACK OFF AND GIT OUTTA DA WAY.

Saturday, 3 January 2014 (Ride # 6) Classic City Bread-Ken Bike Law Classic, Time: 10 a.m.* (window open) , Length: tba miles / 3.5 hours, When: 3 January, Where: The Hub (5 Points / Athens), Pee Break: Mile tba, Store Stop: tba, Intermezzo Sprints: tba, Interactive Map: tba, Final Sprint: tba.

12-29-2014 Clinton Nature Preserve Work Party From SORBA West Georgia (SORBA recently took over the maintenance of the trails at the Clinton Nature Preserve near Villa Rica, GA): The work party will be Jan. 17. “Come out and join us for the first work party of the new year.. main goals of this work party will be drainage, that means the clearing of drains, digging out new drains, and blowing off the trails….The first shift will run from 8 am to noon and the second shift from noon to 4 pm…You are also more than welcome to come for both shifts or how ever long you can…Tools needed will be rakes, flat shovels, digging shovels and back pack leaf blowers. Lunch will be provided to the morning shift. We will also be discussing our plans for the new year. Come on out and help the trails you love to ride.”

12-28-2014 Atlanta Street Car The awesome (Trish’s note: cough, waste of taxpayer $$, cough. It goes nowhere! If it went somewhere, it might be worth it. I’ve seen the tracks in person, and they are much, much more dangerous than almost any train crossing I’ve ridden.) Atlanta Street Car starts service on Dec. 30. The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition shared this on Facebook Saturday: “Atlanta’s new streetcar service starts this Tuesday, Dec 30 on a 2.7 mile loop on Auburn Avenue, through Woodruff Park, on Peachtree Street, Ellis Street, Carnegie Way, Andrew Young International Boulevard, Luckie Street, Park Place, Edgewood Avenue, and Jackson Street. People on bikes should use extra caution to stay safe (see tips below). Over the past few years, ABC has advocated for bike safety signage (both on-street markings and traditional signs), removal of confusing “no bikes” signs, posts to prevent cars from parking in the bike lanes at conflict points, resurfacing of Edgewood and Auburn, continuous bike lanes on Auburn, and flange filling to keep bike riders safe. Unfortunately, these fixes haven’t been made yet, although we’re hopeful some of the list of above will happen soon. In the meantime, several folks have crashed on the tracks, including experienced riders and commuters. While we continue to work with government partners to enhance bike safety around the streetcar, we’re also looking for ways to raise awareness of bike safety and the messages below.

Cross tracks riding slow & steady. Don’t turn or shift your weight while on tracks. Before crossing, position your bike so wheels are perpendicular to tracks. Hop off and walk across when it’s misty or raining.–Don’t ride between the tracks. From the eastside heading into downtown, ride Edgewood all the way. From downtown heading east, ride Auburn between Woodruff Park and Jackson, where you can turn back onto Edgewood.– Be especially careful where streetcar tracks curve, such as at Jackson, Park Place, and under the interstate.–The streetcar weighs 100,000 pounds and is powered by an overhead electrical system – which means they are very quiet when operating.–A streetcar going 20 miles per hour takes almost 60 feet to stop.–Stop at all red lights – there may be a quiet, slow-to-stop streetcar heading for the intersection.–Never, ever try to pass the streetcar.

12-27-2014 New Trails at Coldwater A new trail has been opened at Coldwater Mountain in Anniston, AL. This makes nearly 26 miles of trails. Trish’s Note: I rode the trails about 2 years ago when the first 7-8 mile loop opened. It is time for me to get back over there!

Union Grove TT The first race of 2015 in Alabama, the Union Grove TT, will be held on Feb. 7. There are 18 divisions with something for every category. Featured are 6 categories for Juniors that separate out the boys and girls.

Kingsport UCI CX Registration is still open for the January 3, 2015 Kingsport UCI CX race. It’s the last UCI race on the East Coast before Nationals in Austin!

12-24-2014 Nonprofit Burlary The non-profit bike shop WeCycle Atlanta was broken into on Christmas Eve. Thieves stole bike parts and tools. Contact the Atlanta Police Dept. if you have any information.

12-23-2014 WBL WBL Saturday 27 December 2014 (Ride # 4): The Statham Stampede (55 miles / 3 hours), Time: 10 a.m.* (window open), Length: 55 miles / 3 hours, When: Saturday, 27 December, Where: The Hub (5 Points / Athens), Pee Break: @ Mile 19 (Listen for whistle), Store Stop: Gratis (Mile 28), Intermezzo Sprints: None Interactive Map: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/6662543, Final Sprint: None, Points: 3 // 1 per hour // must sign in.

12-20-2014 Twas the Night Before Xmas Twas the Night Before Christmas Pisgah-Style by Pisgah Area SORBA.

12-19-2014 WBL (Athens) Ride Time Change From the Winter Bike League: News Flash: The Colbert ride WILL BE SATURDAY (12-20). Ride start delayed 1 hour to 11 a.m. Spread da word. 20 December 2014 (Ride # 3): The Colbert Classic. Time: 11 a.m.* (window open) DELAYED START TIME, Length: 70 miles / 3.5 hours, When: Saturday, 20 December, Where: The Hub (5 Points / Athens) , Pee Break: @ Mile 18 (Listen for whistle), Store Stop: Colbert / Mile 38, Intermezzo Sprints: None, Interactive Map, Final Sprint: None, Points: 4 // 1 per hour // must sign in.

12-20-2014 Twas the Night Before Xmas Twas the Night Before Christmas Pisgah-Style by Pisgah Area SORBA.

Decatur Lights Ride Join Decatur Bikes for their first annual Christmas Lights Ride on Friday, December 19th at 7 pm. The short 6 mile ride is a family ride and will proceed at a nice slow pace to enjoy the lights. Decorate your bike with as much holiday cheer as you like and please bring your helmet.
What:      Decatur Bikes Christmas Lights Ride
When:     Friday, December 19, 7 pm
Where:    Decatur Bikes, 252 W Ponce de Leon Ave,
Bring: At least one front and one back light, warm clothes and YOUR HELMET!!
A recommended donation of $10 per rider (or family) for Clark’s Christmas Kids.

PATH Ped/Cyclist Crossing Update I know it seems like I mostly talk about the Comet if I mention a mutliuse path, but I can across this tidbit on BeActiveDecatur about the PATH along E. Howard in Decatur. “As many are aware, bike and pedestrian access along the PATH trail along E. Howard has been rerouted for the last couple of months due to construction at the Trinity Triangle site. At this time, the City of Decatur is pleased to announce that bike and pedestrian access will be restored to this corridor with a new crossing on E. Trinity Place. Here’s how it works: The new crossing is located between the construction site (west) and the triangle where N. Candler Street meets E. Howard (east). Look for the pedestrian crossing beacon and the street paint. Cyclists and pedestrians traveling east on the PATH Trail or north across E. College Avenue may now cross E. Trinity Place at a new temporary crossing. Cyclists and pedestrians traveling west across E. Trinity Place may now safely make their way across E. College Avenue or west on the PATH Trail.”

12-17-2014 Atlanta Velo Magazine Check out the articles from Southeastern Cycling and the Georgia Cross Series in the Dec.-Jan. issue of Atlanta Velo City Magazine!

Atlanta WBL Atlanta WBL Note: Date changed to Sunday. December 21st, 2014, 9:30AM, Ride Meeting 9:20am, 300 Peters St, Atlanta, GA 30317 (U-Haul location), Ride Time: 2 hrs 20min

eir bathrooms, so please leave cleaner than you found them; we don’t want to wear out our welcome. Indoor (warm) bathrooms are a huge plus!!!
IMPORTANT: Which group do you ride in? All Groups are based on what your typical overall average speed is on any given ride in Atlanta:
~ Group #1: 18 mph avg and higher
~ Group #2: 15-17 mph avg
~ Group #3: 13-14 mph avg
~ Group #4: 12 mph avg and lower (if needed)
RIDE TIMES vs DISTANCE All Rides will be based on Ride Time…NOT distance. Actual miles ridden for each group will vary.

12-16-2014 AJC Article-Must Read The AJC has a great article on United Healthcare Pro Cyclist Jackie Crowell. Jackie moved to Atlanta in 2013 and has been courageously battling brain cancer since then. In addition to being a pro cyclist that competed in the 2012 Olympics, she has taught at the DLV youth program. You may need to click on the article a few times to get it to pull up. It sometimes hides behind a paywall.

12-14-2014 Winston-Salem awarded 2016-17 USA Cycling Masters  Road National Championships Looks like I’ll be dusting off my Cat. 3 road license…..USA Cycling Press Release
USA Cycling and Visit Winston-Salem today announced that Winston-Salem has been selected to host the 2016 and 2017 USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships. Slated for late summer of 2016 and 2017, these championships are estimated to collectively produce approximately 2,000 unique riders and generate an estimated $2.7 million economic impact for Winston-Salem.

“USA Cycling feels so fortunate to be able to bring the 2016 and 2017 Masters Road National Championships to Winston-Salem,” said Micah Rice, USA Cycling Vice President of National Events. “It is a strong cycling hub that we know will rally around our fantastic event. Winston-Salem will be a great destination for our masters racing community.” The back-to-back championships in Winston-Salem will follow the 2014 and 2015 USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships held in Ogden, Utah, and will take place in multiple venues throughout the area, including downtown Winston-Salem and the Yadkin Valley. “Pursuing and securing sporting events for Winston-Salem is an important component in our overall sales strategy as these events are proven, year-round revenue generator,” said Richard Geiger, President of Visit Winston-Salem. “Our incredible sports industry partners and their facilities enable us to host prestigious groups such as the USA Cycling Masters Road Championships and puts us in the national spotlight to attract more events.”

12-12-2014 Hincapie Development Team It looks like Georgians Oscar Clark and Ty Magner are back with the pro Hincapie Development Team for 2015. Congratulations! Their former teammate, Joey Rosskopf has joined the World Tour team BMC for next year.

DLV News From the DLV: A Note From EPVA President Pete Antonvich: It is with much sadness that we will be saying goodbye to our Velodrome Operations Manager of the past six years, Jeff Hopkins. Jeff will be moving on to new adventures in the new year and replacing him in his role will be Rob Evans. Jeff joined our organization six years ago as Operations Manager and played an important role in the growth and success of this organization bringing leadership to our work days, beginners program, youth cycling league, Tuesday and Wednesday Racing and foremost taking our Pro Racing Series to the next level. Although we will miss him, we wish him the best and are excited for him on starting his new company, Service Course Auto Works in Scottdale, GA. Please join me as I extend our warmest wishes to Jeff and his family on their new adventure.

While there will be some changes to the operations of the velodrome, and potentially some new and different faces during some of our programs, we expect to be continuing on with our regularly scheduled programming as we move towards the new racing season in 2015.

WBL 13 December 2014 (Ride # 2):The Team Mission Source Juniors Maysville Classic / 3.5 hours / 70 miles (no sprint) / http://missionsourcecycling.com/ Join us this Saturday as the Team Mission Source Juniors help lead the grupetto out of town. (Pin your ears back, these young lads are ready to rumble.) Time: 10 a.m.* (window open), Length: 70 miles / 3.5 hours, When: Saturday, 13 December, Where: The Hub (5 Points / Athens), Pee Break: @ Mile 24 (Listen for whistle), Store Stop: Maysville / Mile 35, Intermezzo Sprints: None, Interactive Map: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/5790079

12-10-2014 SORBA W.GA Trailer Stolen From Jim Linn: “Unfortunately I just learned that someone cut their way into the Allatoona Creek Park storage yard, circumvented the hitch lock and stole our SORBA tailer and contents. The police have been called but I want everyone to be on the lookout for the trailer. It is an enclosed 6 by 10 V front black trailer. The rear lock mechanism is damaged from the last attempt to steal it. Please keep a lookout for it. If anyone knows pawnshop owners put the word out for trail tools and power tools. If you have any leads please send me a PM. Thanks.” I am trying to get an email address or phone number to call if you’ve seen the trailer. For now, contact Jim Linn on Facebook.

12-8-2014 Off for a Bit I had major sinus surgery today and will be offline for a few days. I’ll be around but will not be working on SE Cycling. Recovery has been a bit rougher than I anticipated. If you send me an email in the next couple of days, please know that I got it and will respond when I feel better. Thanks! Of course, my photo site with pictures from both days of Dingo CX and all the GACX races is up, running, and available to buy from! http://sadlebred.smugmug.com!

12-7-2014 Dingo CX/GACX Finale Photos The photos from Dingo CX/the GACX Finale race weekend are up at http://sadlebred.smugmug.com!

Reece Lathan (NCGA) tears up the course at Dingo Cross in the Juniors 10-14.

Hill Billy (Wayne Nix) apparently forgot you are supposed to jump with your bike over the barriers at Dingo CX.
12-5-2014 Rides Postponed Both the WBL (Athens) and the Atlanta Winter Bike League are postponed until Sunday. This means that you can come do the first day of Dingo CX as part of the GA CX Finale Weekend!

12-5-2014 UHC Team Presentation The United Healthcare Men’s and Women’s team presentations are Monday, Dec. 8th in Asheville, NC at the Orange Peel. Tickets are still available.

5 Hour Energy Folds Cyclingnews.com. reports that the Georgia based 5 Hour Energy team has folded. “The 5-hour Energy team will not return next season after five years of competing in the US domestic peloton. Team owner Jason Kriel cited loss of the title sponsor as the reason for the team’s demise when he confirmed the news earlier this week. “We had some things that were cooking, but they kind of all fell through,” Kriel said of his attempts to replace the energy drink company that has sponsored the team since 2011. “It didn’t make any sense for us to try and force something. It’s hard enough when you barely have enough money to run a team, to try and do it without enough money, you can get yourself in trouble.” Originally managed by Inferno Racing, the team started in 2009 as Kenda Pro Cycling, adding Gear Grinder as a presenting sponsor the next season. 5-hour Energy came on board as a co-sponsor in 2011, taking over the title role completely in 2012, the year Phil Gaimon won the Redlands Bicycle Classic.” Read the article on Cyclingnews.com.

Cross Knox #2 Postponed The Cross Knox #2 race that was supposed o be held on Sat., Dec. 6th has been postponed.

Cochran Mill Park Cochran Mill Park and the trails will reopen on Sat., Dec. 6. The new parking lot is not completed, so please park in one of the “old” areas.

12-3-2014 Ride with Fast Freddie It’s last minute, but there is a ride with Fast Freddie Rodriguez today, Wed., at Reality Bikes in Cumming, GA. The ride is at 1:00 pm and will last about an hour and a half with an average speed of 16-18 mph. See the post on the Southeastern Cycling Facebook page.

12-1-2014 Holiday Week Yep, it’s been a holiday week. Things are slow….

Winter Bike League 2014 HOME OPENER / 6 Dec: The Hub Good Hope Misadventure, Time: 10 a.m.* (window open), Length: 75 miles / 4 hours, When: Saturday, 6 December, Where: The Hub (5 Points, Exit Route: South on Milledge > Simonton Road, Pee Break: @ Mile 19 / Mile 19, Store Stop: Good Hope / Mile 38, Intermezzo Sprints: None, Interactive Map Parking: Parking is available on streets and in lots near the Hub (see list below), but there is no WBL parking in front of the Hub. It will simply be a matter of learning the new parking locations to make this a smooth transition. Make sure to lock up and don’t leave valuables in your car. Local riders, as always, ride your bikes to the start.

null
Brittnay Mixon (Sorella Cycling) practices her downhilling skills at a recent mountain bike clinic.

Atlanta WBL Atlanta WBL DATE: Saturday, December 6th, 2014, START TIME: 9:30AM (Ride Mtg 9:20am), PLACE: 300 Peters St, Atlanta, GA 30317 (U-Haul location) (Map Link)
RIDE TIME: 2 hrs, INDOOR BATHROOMS: U-Haul graciously allows us access to their bathrooms, so please leave cleaner than you found them; we don’t want to wear out our welcome. Indoor (warm) bathrooms are a huge plus!!!
LAST MINUTE RIDE INFO: You can easily get ALL updated ride info in 2 ways:
1. ‘FOLLOW’ my Blog, and/or
2. ‘LIKE’ Atlanta WBL’s Facebook page.
IMPORTANT: Which group do you ride in? All Groups are based on what your typical overall average speed is on any given ride in Atlanta:
~ Group #1: 17 mph avg and higher, ~ Group #2: 14 mph avg and higher, ~ Group #3: 13 mph avg and below
RIDE TIMES vs DISTANCE, All Rides will be based on Ride Time…NOT distance. Actual miles ridden for each group will vary.

11-25-2014 Georgia Cross Series Finale 2014 GACX SERIES SEASON FINALE, DINGO CROSS. This year’s GACX SERIES wraps up with the season finale, December 6th & 7th. Dingo Cross, hosted by Dingo Race Productions and p/b Hayes Dealership of Baldwin and Wrenched Bicycles of Gainesville. The USA Cycling sanctioned, double-header weekend features a challenging, technical course that is fast, flowing and fun for all levels; GACX season finale raffle, full of prizes everyone will love; Carlos Jimenez, of A FOCUS ON LIGHT Photography, on course both days taking amazing photographs; an amazing food truck for your nutritional requirements; and on Saturday, Robinson Executive Helicopter will be available** for an exciting helicopter experience throughout the day.
Bring a cowbell and a bike, and come out to Baldwin cheer, race, or both on Saturday and Sunday for the GACX Series Finale Weekend.
Pre-Register online: www.usacycling.org/register/2015-3441 **Helicopter Experience starting at $45/pp

2015 Calendar The 2015 calendar is a work in progress. What races I have so far are posted. I haven’t received any updates on Road calendars and usually do not until late Dec. My TBRA and GBRA contacts send them to me as soon as they are available. I pull the CCA (Carolinas) races from the website when they are published. Mountain Bike races trickle in throughout the year, especially for summer short series races. I’ll update them as I get them. Individual discipline pages won’t be updated until I get the majority of the 2015 info, so probably in Jan.

Lights Rides Everyone loves Christmas Lights Rides! Free Flite will host their Light the Night on Sunday, Dec. 14th at 6:00 pm. The ride is about 25 miles at 14-15 mph. There is usually a stop and photo op at the Marietta Square. Hot beverages and snacks will be provided by Free- lite Bicycles at the end of the ride to all attendees. The ride is free, but please bring a good donation for MUST Ministries. MUST is Cobb County’s main food pantry. Atlanta Cycling will host a Lights Ride on Wed., Dec. 10 at 6:30 pm from the Vinings store. The ride will be just over an hour through Buckhead at a slow pace. (Trish’s note: It’s usually 14-15 mph). Dinner following with riders and non-riders at 8:00. The ride will have full sag support. Please consider donating a toy for the Children’s Village. AC-V’s own Rev. Dr. Barry McCarty’s church is involved with the Children’s Village. If you donate a toy, you will receive a coupon for a store discount. Trish’s note: Both rides are a lot of fun! Southeastern Cycling is hoping to be at both. Please consider making a donation at each ride. There are many of us who are lucky enough to be able to share with those that are not as fortunate as we are.