12-27-2020 Sykes Work Party From MTB Atlanta Sykes Work Party Saturday, Jan. 2 9 am-Noon We got so much done at the December work party, that we’re doing it again in January. We’ve been busy since the last work day – we hired MTB Atlanta Pro Trails to cut the new trail, we’re moving giant boulders into staging areas to create epic garden, and we’re ready to rough cut a new beginner downhilll line. We will be following local regulations and CDC guidelines to conduct these events. We will adhere to mask requirements and social distancing at these events. We are excited to get back at it! Meet at the main parking lot at Sykes Park and we will get started at 9. Have a mask, gloves, wear long pants and closed toed shoes and bring water, snacks and your epi pen if you are allergic to bees. Tasks for the day: 1. Finishing work for the new Ridgeline Trail 2. Corridor clearing for the new Beginner Downhill line
3. Fix the drain at the Pump Track 4. Rock Anchoring and cleaning drains 5. Work on new Rock Gardens We will have coffee and a morning snack while we run down how we will be socially distancing and the goals for the day.
12-23-2020 North Cooper Lake Work Party From MTB Atlanta North Cooper Lake Work Party and Clean Up, Saturday, January 23, 2021 9 am-Noon Join us at North Cooper Lake Park as we clean up the park and do trail work on the cross country trails. We will be working on clearing a significant amount of trash out of the old dump site. Have a mask, gloves, wear long pants and closed toed shoes and bring water, snacks and your epi pen if you are allergic to bees.
12-21-2020 NCCX Winter Cup Cancelled From NCCX The Winter Cup has been CANCELLED. It was scheduled for January and February, a revival of what use to be a two-part CX season. Thank you for everyone’s understanding and continued support. The good news is a vaccine is here, 2021 will be the 25th season of the NCCX series and there will be other exciting news released in January. So for now Happy Holidays!
12-19-2020 Chainbuster Racing is USAC for 2021 (edited for length and clarity) From Chainbuster Racing As we head into 2021, we are pleased to announce that Chain Buster Racing and the Southeastern Endurance Series is now a USA Cycling affiliated series! The biggest question many of you will have is… what will be different? The answer for most of you is…not much! Our races will still be the same 3 Hour or 6 Hour format that you are accustomed to! Same length on courses! Same vibe! Same emphasis on “Fast! Family! Fun!” The heart of this change is a basic business decision! We are able to get comparable insurance at a much better rate than from our previous insurance company. That’s a pretty boring business reality, but it carries tremendous upside! So, do I have to have a USAC annual license or One Day license? Nope! Chain Buster Racing will absorb the cost of the one day license so you will not incur any additional expense associated with this change.
If I have a USAC annual license, do my results count towards USAC ranking points?
Yep! The Southeastern Endurance Series 3 Hour categories are points eligible races for ranking points in Cross Country standings. The Southeastern Endurance Series 6 Hour Solo categories are points eligible races for ranking points in Cross Country Marathon standings. But…let me take a moment here to say that if you have been enjoying the great races put on by our friends at GoneRiding.com, GoNuts Biking, or the Cane Creek Cup, please continue to enjoy those races! They are all put on by great families who are passionate about cycling!
What if I don’t care about ranking points?
Then there will literally be no difference to you. The races will look the same. They will feel the same, and chances are you had no idea who our prior insurance broker was, so it won’t make a difference there either! We have had multiple lengthy discussions with USA Cycling, dating back to 2018. In 2020, we definitely had many more questions and, truthfully, a bit of skepticism. But every question we had received an appropriate answer, and any skepticism that we had quickly melted as we got to know the people that we will be working with and even more when we got to meet face to face. We heard their heart as they talked about the future of cycling, how to keep the racing culture healthy in America, and as they shared their personal experiences in front of a room full of adults and kids at the 706P Dirt Devo hosted Q&A on December 6. We LOVE the direction that USA Cycling is headed, and we look forward to working with them to continue building a solid foundation for the future of cycling!
12-18-2020 Moore’s Bridge Work Party From MTB Atlanta Moore’s Bridge Work Day, Saturday,Dec. 19 at 9 am. Join us at we continue to clear the corridor for several miles of new trail at Moore’s Bridge Park. Tools provided. Meet at the boat ramp parking lot at Moore’s Bridge Park at 615 Black Dirt Road Whitesburg, GA 30185, and we will get started at 9. We will be working on privet removal and corridor clearing the new trail. Have a mask, gloves, wear long pants and closed toed shoes and bring water, snacks and your epi pen if you are allergic to bees. MTB Atlanta is resuming work parties in limited capacity this season and is using local regulations and CDC guidelines to conduct these events. We will adhere to mask requirements and social distancing at these events.
12-17-2020 Florida State CX Championship Press Release GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – The Florida Bicycle Racing Association has awarded its 2021 Cyclocross Championship to VeloBrew, with the race being hosted at Ronnie Van Zant Park on Jan. 10. The event features a demanding course that tests the participants on trails, grass, steep hills, and obstacles – forcing the racers to dismount at several points to run while carrying their bikes.
“We are ecstatic to host the state cyclocross championship and excited to bring it to a new venue in Clay County,” said Jackie Morrison, board member of VeloBrew. “Thanks to the partnership with everyone involved, we’re able to create a great course that will offer one of the top cyclocross experiences in the Southeast.”
The cyclocross season runs from October to February, with each race being contested on a 1.5-2 mile course requiring multiple laps during the 30 minute to one hour race. “Cyclocross is a unique discipline in cycling and with a wide selection of venues, it is a great opportunity to invite racers to Clay County for a new experience,” said Mike Cella, Clay County Board of County Commissioners and chairman of the Tourist Development Council. “Clay County is excited to be opening our doors to host this unique event that will make an economic impact on our community.”
Mt. Tabor Work Party From SORBA West Georgia Tabor Love (work party) will be Saturday, Dec. 19 9 am – Noon. Tabor needs a little love, Need 3 folks to help blow the trail and possible trail reroute if time allows.
12-16-2020 Silver Comet Extension Update PATH has released drone footage of the Silver Comet extension. The Cobb County Courier reports “While the 2021 construction of this 2.4-mile extension will be very exciting, it is just one of two extension segments required to get the trail to the Chattahoochee River,” Wendell said via email. “We are asking leadership in Cobb County to allocate initial funding from the 2022 T-SPLOST for the Silver Comet extension from Plant Atkinson to the Chattahoochee River. If the trail from Plant Atkinson Road along Atlanta Road to the Chattahoochee River is allocated in initial 2022 SPLOST funding, acquisition could begin in January 2022 and construction of that segment could begin before the end of 2022.”
12-15-2020 USA Crits News Press Release (edited for length) Nine cities across the United States have been selected to play host to America’s national criterium series, USA CRITS. The pandemic pushed several events back including the pre-season Birmingham Hammerfest which will join for 2021 as a regular season points race. Other events, including Sun City Crit in El Paso and Athens Twilight in Athens, have also departed from traditional dates in what will provide a recovery window from the pandemic. Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Criterium Partners for Active Living is prepared with a date the Friday before Athens should there be a need to move that event on the calendar as well.
2021 will see 19 days of live streaming free to viewers. “We want the world to see our #D1 teams race and expand promotion of the venues and partners helping grow the sport. This represents a $250k investment made possible by our partners and comprises nearly 80% of all road events streamed in America. We have been in discussions with a couple of international media partners. This year is the bridge to pulling those agreements together,” said Scott Morris, Managing Director.
Winston-Salem Cycling Classic, previously announcing a move to the fall, will have an exciting new format with three days of criterium racing. Friday will play host to the USA CRITS Finals with the season jerseys and #D1 HelloFresh Team Competitions on the line. Winston-Salem continues their investment in the sport by also hosting the International Crit Challenge on Saturday. Select international teams from around the world will be invited to join in racing against America’s best.
USA CRITS will continue to monitor the impacts of the pandemic and make changes that are in the health and safety interest of the athletes and communities. Twenty-two #D1 teams have so far committed to compete in the Series and will be announced later in January 2021. Confirmed to be returning are both of last year’s team winners, ButcherBox Cycling (men) and Colavita HelloFresh Pro Women’s Cycling Team (women).
Southeastern Dates
Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Criterium April 23 Spartanburg, SC
Birmingham Hammerfest Fueled by BOLT24 Aug. 14 Birmingham, AL
Athens Orthopedic Twilight Criterium Aug. 21 Athens GA
Winston-Salem Cycling Classic-Finals Sept. 24 Winston-Salem, NC
Winston-Salem Cycling Classic-Internationals Sept 25 Winston-Salem, NC
12-13-2020 Blanket’s Creek Work Party From SORBA Woodstock Join us for the final work party of 2020, Saturday, December 19th at Blankets Creek. The plan is to knock out 3 big projects on Gnaria getting us much closer to opening. Meet in front of the metal building at 9:30. Lunch will be provided. Please pre-register so we can get a head count and thanks in advance.
12-12-2020 Silver Comet Closure Cobb County has said that the Silver Comet Trail will be closed at the bridge over the East-West Connector from January 5-February 4 for board replacement. To get around it, start at either the Concord Road or Floyd Road trailheads and go west. This Silver Comet website has good information on how to get to different trailheads.
12-10-2020 Moore’s Bridge Park Work Party From MTB Atlanta Join MTB Atlanta, the Trust for Public Land, the Georgia Audubon Society and Carroll County Parks at Moore’s Bridge Park this Saturday 9-12 as we kick off a new trail build at the park called the River Bluff Trail and do some invasive species removal in the corridor. Meet at the boat ramp parking lot at Moore’s Bridge Park at 615 Black Dirt Road Whitesburg, GA 30185, and we will get started at 9. We will be working on privet removal and corridor clearing the new trail. Have a mask, gloves, wear long pants and closed toed shoes and bring water, snacks and your epi pen if you are allergic to bees. MTB Atlanta is resuming work parties in limited capacity this season and is using local regulations and CDC guidelines to conduct these events. We will adhere to mask requirements and social distancing at these events. We are excited to get back at it and hope to see you there!
12-4-2020 Sykes Park Work Party From MTB Atlanta Work party this Saturday at Sykes Park from 9-12. Meet at the main parking lot at Sykes Park and we will get started at 9. Have a mask, gloves, wear long pants and close toed shoes and bring water, and snacks. Tasks for the day: 1. Paint Pump Track, dependent on temperature 2. Fix clogged drain at the Pump Track 3. Start to rough clear Phase Two trails (Cutting away limbs & brush, raking, moving fallen branches, and potentially cutting fallen trees. 4. General clean-up- Trash, clearing the trails. 5. Potential moving of rock into positions for further trail development and rock armoring. We will have coffee and a morning snack while we run down how we will be socially distancing and the goals for the day. We are resuming work parties in limited capacity this season and are using local regulations and CDC guidelines to conduct these events. We will adhere to mask requirements and social distancing. We are excited to get back at it. See you there!
Para Cycling to Hold National Calendar Events in Huntsville, AL From the City of Huntsville U.S. Paralympics Cycling will visit the Rocket City next year, as it begins its national calendar in preparation for the Paralympic Games in Tokyo this coming summer. Huntsville will host one of four domestic cycling events, the U.S. Paralympics Cycling Open, on Saturday and Sunday, April 17-18, 2021, in Cummings Research Park. Watch the live stream 👉 https://bit.ly/3mIzvyg More info ➡ https://bit.ly/33GdXuM
12-1-2020 Article on Ian Garrison Velonews has a great article on Ian Garrison, a Georgian who races for Deceuninck-Quick-Step. He competed in his first Grand Tour this fall, the Vuelta. At 6’4″ and an excellent time trialist, Ian is looking to make his mark on the Cobbled Classics. Trish’s Note: Lots of good stuff on Velonews lately!
11-30-2020 Allatoona is Open! Beginning December 1 All-A-Toona (all of Toona) Allatoona Creek Park is open to everyone again at 11:00 am. Not a minute before!
John Murphy Retires John Murphy, a sprinter on Rally Cycling, has retired. John grew up in Marietta, GA racing the GAP series mountain bike races and local road races. I’ve known him since he was about 14-15 years old. Even then everyone knew he was a special talent. John rode for many teams including the World Tour in Europe. He competed at Paris Roubaix, Tour De Langkawi, and most major races in the US. He said that is best win was Athens Twilight in 2017. John-I wish you the best in retirement and good luck with your new ventures in digital marketing!
Q&A: What John Murphy learned from 17 seasons in pro cycling
11-28-2020 Currahee’s Rvenge Gravel Race From Chainbuster: Revenge? Yep! In March, the iconic Currahee Mountain climb had to be removed due to adverse conditions on the mountain due to treacherous Spring rains. For this rendition, the Currahee is ready for your return. AND for the first time EVER, you are racing the full “THREE MILES UP!” This familiar course will be raced backwards this go round! NOTHING will be familiar, but, fortunately, you’ll get to hit Currahee Mountain on fresh legs. The second half of the course? Yeah…not so much! Tee shirt and early registration deadlines are TOMORROW NIGHT, Sunday, November 29 at 11:59PM. After that, the prices increase and the shirts decrease!
https://chainbusterracing.com/race/currahees-revenge/
11-25-2020 Rally Cycling Signs Olivia Ray Atlantan Olivia Ray has been signed by the Rally Pro Women’s cycling team for 2021. Olivia also recently won the New Zealand National Crit Championship. As for racing in Europe, she said ““I think my biggest downfall so far is lack of racing experience, so the big goal for next year is to go to as many races as I can, learn as much as I can and, fingers crossed, go to Europe because that’s the make or break of cycling.” Congratulations Olivia!!!
Rally Cycling shores up women’s squad with Olivia Ray, Madeline Bemis, and Holly Breck
11-23-2020 Light on News It’s a slow week as far as news goes. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and is able to get some riding or exercise in to work off all that yummy food!
11-18-2020 2021 Races The calendars are being slowly updated as the dates for early 2021 races trickle in. I haven’t seen quite as many as in normal year, but I am updating the calendars as the dates come out. I wouldn’t expect to see anything for road until at least February 2021. They are always behind off road (gravel & mtb).
VMT Closed During the Week From SORBA Woodstock Starting 11/18/2020 VMT will be closed for maintenance during weekdays. We will make every attempt to reopen on the weekends if possible. Trish’s Note: They are revitalizing 36 berms.
