February 2018 News

2-24-2018 Silk Sheets Controlled Burn Head’s up if you are riding Silk Sheets this weekend. I found this on the Chattahoochee Hills City Facebook page. “Property managers will conduct a GA Forestry controlled burn on a 105-acre tract off of Rico-Tatum Rd during the day tomorrow, Saturday, February 24th. Dense smoke may be generated in areas near Cochran Mill and South Fulton Parkway (burn area is within Palmetto city limits – Chattahoochee Hills and Palmetto fire departments will be on standby).”

2-23-2018 DLV Pro Race Series The Dick Lane Velodrome has announced the races for the 2018 Pro Series. The Keirin will be May 5, and the Velodrome Cup is Sept. 1. The Keirin is a fun race to watch as riders stay behind a moto for the first couple of laps while the speed winds up. When the moto pulls off, it’s a free for all sprint to the finish. The Velodrome Cup is an omnium style night with riders accumulating points throughout the events. The rider with the most points is awarded the perpetual Velodrome Cup trophy. Pro races are very family friendly with an exciting atmosphere! The Left Turn Cafe will be serving food. You can bring in your own frosty adult beverages (no glass, please!) and a cooler if you prefer. Spectators are encouraged to cheer and bang on the boards for their favorite racers!

Friday Night Sprints proceed each Pro race. Come out and watch the fastest racers over 3 laps of the track in a two up format including Sorella’s own track sprinter as she prepares for the Masters National Championships! Rumor has it the women will have their own sprint tournament this year at Friday Night Sprints!

2-20-2018 Velocity Atlanta Press Release New Premier Fundraising Ride to Benefit Grady Hospital Four Distances, Indoor Cycling in Downtown Atlanta

The Grady Health Foundation is staging a new, premiere fundraising ride on May 5, 2018, benefiting the Grady Health System. The ride, named VeloCity, will begin and end at the Georgia International Plaza in downtown Atlanta and offer multiple distances for cyclists of all fitness levels.

“Our vision is to offer a world-class ride that will ultimately become a new annual tradition for cyclists throughout the region – one that is also a unique and exciting opportunity to engage with Grady, which is an irreplaceable asset for our community,” said Pete Correll, chair of the Grady Health Foundation.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) is the presenting sponsor for the inaugural VeloCity, which is being co-chaired by two avid cyclists, John Gregg, chairman of the board, president, and CEO of SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, and Thomas Dimitroff, general manager of the Atlanta Falcons. Georgia-based, world-renowned sports event management company, Medalist Sports, is overseeing the production and technical aspects of the event. Registration is currently at www.velocityatlanta.com. Participants are required to pay a registration fee as well as commit to fundraising levels based upon the distance selected. Links to routes of 5, 25, 50 and 100 miles can also be found on the website – all will be fully supported with rest stops and support vehicles. Participants are also invited to a special opening celebration on Friday, May 4, at Georgia International Plaza. For additional details visit www.velocityatlanta.com or contact Nick Carvalho at nick@velocityatlanta.com.

About the Grady Health Foundation — The Grady Health Foundation is dedicated to supporting the Grady Health System achieve its vision of becoming the leading public academic healthcare system in the U.S. by funding and accelerating capital renovation, advanced medical technology and equipment, and clinical programs. For more information, visit www.gradyhealthfoundation.org.

No Roswell Crit I have gotten word on good authority that the Historic Roswell Crit is not happening this year. The Mayor’s Ride is still on and registration is open!

2-16-2018 ABC is Hiring! From ABC: The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition (organizers of Atlanta Streets Alive, bike classes, advocacy for safe biking, and more) is hiring for two part-time roles.

1. Communications Coordinator – to craft our message to reach a wider audience. Seeking someone who believes in the transformative powers of cycling AND storytelling, who can help garner support for our advocacy work by creating, editing, and sharing content that is accurate, informative and compelling.

2. Community Engagement Coordinator – if you see biking as a powerful tool for individual and community well-being, if you like how Atlanta Streets Alive is encouraging residents to reenvision our city streets, if you want to be integral in growing the movement that prioritizes people over cars, then this could be the job for you. (While both are part-time, we’re experiencing a lot of growth and hope to expand the roles as funding permits, and we have a strong history of doing that with part-time positions. We also have several internships available.)

Blanket’s Creek Trail Party From SORBA Woodstock: Blanket’s Creek Trail Party, Sat., Feb. 17 9 am-1 pm There is a ton to do this month at Blankets Creek before the riding season. We have to build a new run out past the drops on the flow trial, reconfigure the top bench on Dwelling to alleviate the logjam and remove a bridge and replace with a rock creek crossing. Please join us, we’ll buy you food. Wear long pants, boots, gloves and bring water. Let us know if you plan on coming so we can get a count to get the projects lined up ahead of time.

2-14-2018 Go Nuts Biking Make Up Race From the Promoter: Please SHARE We have a new date and new park to start this GO Nuts series off with a bang!! ALL race entries will be transferred from the original rained out event date, if you have not registered: Online registration ends Thursday, February 22, 2018 at 11:59pm ETD. Onsite Registration opens at 7:00am ETD the day of the race.

2-13-2018 Snake Rescheduled From SORBA NWGA: Unfortunately due to heavy rains over the past several days and with more rain in the forecast, the U.S. Forest Service has forced us to cancel the Snake Creek Gap Time Trial Series this coming Saturday 2/17/18. The Snake will be rescheduled to Saturday March 17. The USFS main concern is for the protection of both the Dry Creek and Pinhoti Trail system. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and we hope you will still be able to make it to Dalton on March 17. We wanted to let everyone know as soon as possible so you will be able to make any necessary arrangements. NWGA SORBA will be working hard to make sure we are ready to see everyone in March.

WBL The Finale WBL # 12: The Finale: The Gruber Images Lula World Cup, When: February 17 (Saturday), Where: The Hub / Independent Baking Company (5 Points / Athens), Time: 10 AM (window open), Length: 100 miles / 5 hours, Points: 5 pts (1 per hour), Interactive map

2-12-2018 Group Ride Season Group ride season is only 4 weeks away! I love Daylight Saving Time!

Trish’s Note: This event was deleted from Facebook on Monday. I’m not sure why. I’ll post a link if I can find another. Bicycle Day at the Georgia State Capitol will be Tuesday, Feb. 20 7:30 AM – 9:30 AM. There will be no organized bicycle ride as in the past. Your ride to this event is by the best means possible to you. Georgia Bikes! has been working with government relations firm JL Morgan Company and their managing director, TJ Kaplan. They have helped secure a room at the Capitol for a breakfast/morning drop-in style meeting for us from about 7:30-9:30AM. State Reps and Senators and their staff will be invited to stop in and talk with us about bicycle issues and challenges in Georgia. After that, Georgia Bikes! encourage advocates to meet with their state Reps and Senators to talk about important legislation this session as well as local concerns in your community. We will provide information about current legislation (Distracted Driving, transit issues, trail funding etc) before Feb 20th. If you, your staff/colleagues, and/or board members are interested in attending, please RSVP by 5pm on Monday Feb 12th to Elliott Caldwell email elliott@georgiabikes.org

2-9-2018 Sope Creek Work Party From MTB Atlanta (Formerly SORBA Atlanta): Sope Creek Work Party, Sat., Feb. 17 from 9 am-noon, 152 Columns Dr SE, Marietta, GA 30067 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.

2-8-2018 Alabama Cycling Classic Press Release Thousands of spectators are heading to downtown Anniston on Saturday, April 7-8th for the Sunny King Criterium and Noble Street Festival! With speakers positioned at all four turns of the downtown course, race fans can listen to local announcing talent Terry Phillis and Brad Sohner dish out the action of all Amateur, Elite and Professional bicycle races. Anniston, Alabama’s largest annual spring street party combining food, family and four blocks of fun is just around the corner! The popular Noble Street Festival joins forces with professional and amateur bicycle races at the Sunny King Criterium for a 17th consecutive year. Saturday features a full day of downtown festivities along the Noble t

On Sunday, a second day of amateur and professional bicycle racing will continue with the Piedmont Road Race! Amateur and Elite racers take to the forty mile course, routing over 2,350ft of elevation. The course starts and finishes in the center of downtown Piedmont at the Community Civic Center. Expect ample parking and easy access getting to and from the venue. The Talladega National Forest race route will WOW you and your teammates. The roads weave through some of the most beautiful landscape on the outskirts of the National Forest. The Elite Men’s and Women’s races offer $2,500 split in prize money for the day. We are thrilled to be able to bring back this day two event for our amateur racers. See you in Piedmont!

2-7-2018 DLV Workday Number 3 From the Dick Lane Velodrome: February 24 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pm, Tasks include: Finish Board repair, Leaf bagging, Finish Pressure washing turn 4, Pressure spray wood crossing turn one, Ant control/killer, Continue Bike repairs, Repair apron, Tar Concessions Roof, Pizza eating

2-5-2018 Flu If I owe you something, please be kind. I have had the flu/crud since Friday. I am still pretty ill and very behind on everything, I did manage to update the calendars in the last week. Road: GBRA and TBRA are correct as of 2-1. Carolinas I was able to put some together from Facebook and USAC’s website. I expect more in a few weeks from CCA. Mountain bike/Gravel: Everything through June is correct. If an individual race has an * the date is right. If it does not have one, I cannot find a 2018 date/information as of 2-1-2018. I’ll check again in a few weeks for the April-July dates. I keep everything as updated as I can. One update of the road and mtb/gravel calendars can take me 4+ hours, so it is not a quick process and why I don’t do it daily.

2-3-2018 NC Grand Prix The only UCI Cyclocross race in the Southeast will return in 2018. The NC Grand Prix will be December 8-9 at beautiful Jackson Park in Hendersonville, NC. The UCI released the preliminary 2018-2019 UCI CX calendar on Friday. The two US rounds of the World Cup, Waterloo (WI/Trek) and JingleCross (Iowa) are back.

DLV Beginner’s Class Schedule The Dick Lane Velodrome has announced the Beginner’s Class Schedule for 2018. All Certification Class graduates receive 10% off new track bikes by showing their certificate at Outback Bikes. Between March and September, we offer track certification classes for all riders 17 years old and over to learn the fundamentals of track riding. Riders younger than 17 will begin in Youth Cycling League. Classes are scheduled intermittently according to demand and the instructor’s schedule. Once certified, you will be ready to race in the “D” category on Tuesday nights or, at least, join our Beginner Training sessions! Signup: Send email to brian@dicklanevelodrome.com and include your bike size or height, Cost: $60.00 (bike rental included), Requirements: you must attend all sessions of a class to receive your certificate.

2-2-2018 Atlantic City To Host 2018 USA CRITS Series Finals  Press Release Athens, GA Beginning in Athens, Georgia on April 29, 2018, the USA CRITS Series is the premiere road cycling series in the United States. The Series features American style criteriums, the most spectator-friendly and enduring form of bicycle racing in the country. The eleven coast-to-coast, locally-originated races combine the highest levels of cycling with urban street fairs and festivals, while showcasing some of America’s most vibrant downtown districts. The #racefororange culminates with teams rolling to the start/finish at the historic Steel Pier on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. The Colavita Leader’s Jersey and other Series jerseys will be awarded at a post event banquet.

Southeastern Races include the Athens Orthopedic Clinic (AOC) Twilight Criterium, Saturday, April 28, 2018, Athens, GA and the Winston Salem Cycling Classic
Saturday, May 26, 2018, Winston-Salem, NC

2-1-2018 World Championship Track Team USAC has named the team that will represent the US at the World Track Championships Feb. 28-March 4 in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. Hailing from Asheville, NC Adrian Hegyvary (UHC Pro Cycling) will race in the Team Pursuit along with Ashton Lambie, Daniel Summerhill, Eric Young, and Gavin Hoover.

WBL # 11: The Porterfield Tire Alto World Cup, When: February 3 (Saturday), Where: The Hub / Independent Baking Company (5 Points / Athens), Time: 10 AM (window open), Length: 118 miles / 6 hours, Points: 6 pts (1 per hour) Interactive map. There is a re-route from miles 84-91 because of a bridge that is out.

1-31-2018 Empower Her Women’s Masters Race Series Comes to Tennessee Tennessee Women’s Cycling Project is excited to announce the inaugural Empower Her women’s masters race series to support bicycle racing by women who are in the 40+ age group. The goal of Empower Her is to grow women’s cycling by providing an opportunity for masters-aged women to race among their peers and to retain women who move to triathlon or other age-group sports. The series, which is made possible through Empower Electric’s title sponsorship, will include five existing criterium races in Tennessee. Women will earn primes, spots on individual race podiums, and points toward the series. While each race’s results will be based on age 40+, the overall series will include a 40-49 age group podium and a 50+ podium, where each series winner will receive a champion’s jersey. Calendar: April 15 – UCOR Oak Ridge Velo Classic Criterium May 6 – Cedar Hill Criterium May 19 – High Roller Crit p/b Riverside Bicycle Racing June 10 – Rockabilly Gran Prix Criterium July 21 – Three Rivers Rumble p/b The Roane Alliance Criterium Masters-aged women are a growing segment of the racing population. The number of licensed women racing bicycles in TN increased 32% between 2014 and 2017. For masters-aged women the increase was 51%. The Empower Her series will promote women’s masters racing in Tennessee, but has no exclusive affiliation with a promoter, event, or racing series. We plan to grow the series to more events in future years. Tennessee Women’s Cycling Project supports and encourages women of all ages to ride and race, via weekly road and mountain rides, clinics, and other events.

Sykes Park Ride & Fly TrailsTrail Build Day Saturday, Feb. 3 at 9 AM – 12 PM SORBA Atlanta and the City of East Point have partnered to develop what we hope will eventually become a series of connecting trails throughout the ATL Airport District by starting with beautiful Skyes Park in East Point. 1. Continued Trash pickup 2. Continued Privet and English Ivy Removal 3. New Trail Building 4. Cleanup and modification of existing walking trails. We will have a waiver for you to sign for you and any minors attending.

Allatoona Work Party From SORBA West Georgia Toona Work Party, Sat., Feb. 3, 10 am – Noon We will be working to open Hocus Pocus and Driftwood. There will likely be a lot of blowing and clearing of limbs from the trail. Please be ready to roll out of the parking lot at 10am. Thanks!

1-30-2018 Sara Babb Workday From SORBA West Georgia Sara Babb Work Day Saturday, Feb. 3 am 8:00 am The last two work days have been snowed out, but it’s looking good for this Saturday! Meet in the gravel trailhead lot at the park. Priorities for the day will be: Bench cut the east creek crossing on the Ray Mtn Loop., Rock armor both creek crossings on the Ray Mtn Loop., Improve the bench cut in a couple spots on the connector., Bring gloves and wear closed toe shoes, long pants.

1-26-2018 Paralympics National Team U.S. Paralympics, a division of the United States Olympic Committee, named 27 athletes, including two tandem pilots, to the 2018 U.S. Paralympics Cycling National Team. The U.S. roster boasts 17 Paralympians and eight reigning world champions returning to the team.

“We’re incredibly excited about the highly-decorated team that we have this year,” said Ian Lawless, director of U.S. Paralympics Cycling. “With Paralympic and world champions helping lead Team USA this upcoming season, we expect to have very successful world championships and a world cup circuit as we begin to gear up for Tokyo 2020.” Congratulations to Alabama resident Jennifer Schuble for making this years team! You can see Jennifer in action at the Dick Lane Velodrome occasionally! Jason Kimball from Charlotte, NC was also named to the team.

1-25-2018 South Rockdale Trail Build Day From SORBA South Rockdale Trail Build Day, Saturday, Jan. 27 9 am – Noon, Join us to work on our new trail project at South Rockdale Community Park. We will be clearing the corridor for Phase One of the project. Meet at the main parking lot at 3909 East Fairview Road, Stockbridge, GA 30281 at 9. Wear weather appropriate clothes, long pants, closed toed shoes sturdy enough for hiking, bring gloves, water, snacks. We will be cutting back brush and removing deadfall to get ready for construction. We will see you there!

1-24-2018 Decatur Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community Decaturish reports that Decatur has obtained Bronze Level Bicycle Friendly Community from the League of American Bicyclists. Tonio Andrade and Joseph Hurley praised the city’s efforts. “Decatur is becoming an excellent place to commute by bike, even as Atlanta surges ahead in bike friendliness, thanks to the Beltline and other infrastructure projects,” Andrade said.”The key to a healthy bike commuting culture is simple in theory but difficult to achieve in practice: protected and connected bike lanes. Decatur’s leadership is aware of this and is building such a network. This will be good for everyone — not just bike riders. Studies show that good bike infrastructure actually decreases motor vehicle congestion, and bike lanes are five times more efficient at moving people than car lanes. We believe that if its current trajectory keeps up, the next time Decatur gets certified it may be silver or gold!”

WBL #10 From the WBL: WBL # 10 THE REEVES AND YOUNG BOWMAN CLASSIC, When: January 27, Where: The Hub / Independent Baking Company (5 Points / Athens), Time: 10 AM (window open), Length: 95 miles / 5 hours, Points: 5 Points pts (1 per hour), Interactive map