June 2017 News

6-27-2017 Shine Pedalers Metric Press Release Unique ride offers tremendous views of Dawson County this summer. The Dawson County Chamber of Commerce and Office of Tourism Development is hosting its 5th Annual Shine Pedalers bicycle ride July 29. The metric and half-metric rides start and finish at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in downtown Dawsonville. The rides begin at 7:30 and 7:45 a.m. Each ride takes cyclists through scenic and rural areas of Dawson County. The metric ride offers a challenging climb up Burnt Mountain. “Each year we strive to make the ride better than the year before. This year, the route has been adapted to make it even more enjoyable for the riders by keeping the ride off main roads as much as possible” Haynes said.

The ride features plenty of SAG stops to keep riders energized and hydrated throughout the ride. New to the ride this year is a competition between themed SAG stops. Cyclists will vote for their favorite stop at the end of the ride. King and Queen of the Mountain will be awarded to the first male and female to reach the top of Burnt Mountain. After the ride, cyclists will be treated to a BBQ lunch, refreshments and an opportunity to tour the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame as well as the Dawsonville Moonshine Distillery. Trish’s Note: I did this ride 2 years ago and enjoyed it overall. I’m glad to hear they have changed some of the course. It is a great training ride for Six Gap, especially if you have never climbed Burnt Mountain.

Georgia Bikes is hiring a new Complete Streets Coordinator! Great position for a Georgia-based advocate (or someone willing to move to Georgia very quickly!) interested in bike/ped friendly communities that have safety and equity at the center new infrastructure. Applications due in two weeks on Monday July 10th.

6-26-2017 Pizza Ride Decree From Mark Linenberg: “Given the recent and frequent rain, I’ve received requests to keep 3 loops on Northlake and Pizza Rides for a bit longer, so we actually get a chance to ride 3 loops several times….

Therefore: 3 loops in St. Mountain Park for rides through, Thursday, July 6. Bring lights, accordingly. The Belgium loop is NOW OPEN and will be ridden on the final loop of Northlake. July 3rd: Special Edition Northlake Ride- MONDAY July 3 @ 6:30PM start. No Northlake Ride on Tuesday July 4, due to St. Mountain Park Fireworks display/car traffic.”

6-25-2017 Joey Does It! Congratulations to Georgia resident Joey Rosskopf (Team BMC) on winning the US Pro National Time Trial Championships! You will look great in Stars and Stripes, Joey!!

6-23-2017 Gran Fondo Asheville Press Release Discover alluring Asheville, from the unique perspective of your handlebars. Experience Asheville, North Carolina, Lonely Planet’s top U.S. travel destination for 2017. Your ride begins in the River Arts District at New Belgium Brewing Company and quickly moves along well-marked winding roads out into pastoral countryside and up to mountain ridge vistas. At the end of the ride, as you descend from the Blue Ridge Parkway into the heart of town, you will be afforded a spectacular cityscape view and greeted by fellow riders and families back at New Belgium Brewing Company; where you can enjoy the music, vendors, massage therapists, and of course- food and beer!

Beginner and avid cyclists alike will find a challenge to meet their individual goals with courses covering 30-, 60- and 100-mile journeys. Gran Fondo Asheville is a part of the Giordana Gran Fondo National Championship Series (GFNCS) and benefits Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Register by June 23 for reduced pricing!

6-21-2017 Silk Sheets Time Trial July 29! Equipe Sports present the first annual Silk Sheets Time Trial July 29 in Chattahoochee Hills, GA. The course is about 15 miles long. Categories are offered for Men and Women from Cat. 5 to Cat. 1. Masters age groups for Men and Women are offered in 5 year blocks starting with 35-39 and going up to 60+. Entry is only $25, and pre-registration is open until July 27th! Register early for the best start times! Don’t have a USA Cycling license? One day licenses will be available for $10 for Cat. 5 racers!  Triathletes–you can do the Cat. 5 Men’s and Women’s races on a 1 day license! Practice for your next tri! Come out and test your speed against the clock!

6-20-2017 US Pro Live Webcast The US Pro Road Races are this weekend in Knoxville, TN. The live webcast for #USPRO will be for road races on Sunday, starting 9 AM EDT with Women’s Pro RR Championship in Knoxville. The Pro Men start at 1:15 PM EDT.

6-18-2017 Georgia CX Dates The 2017 dates have been finalized for the GACX Series! A couple of tweaks are being made to the race venues, so they will be release shortly! The dates are Oct. 1, Oct. 8, Oct. 14-15, Oct. 22, Oct. 28-29, Nov. 11-12, Nov. 19, Nov 26, Dec. 2-3.

6-16-2017 Georgia Cycling Gran Prix From the Promoter TopView Sports is bringing you the 10th Annual Georgia Cycling Gran Prix, from July 19-23, 2017. This yearly tradition has racers across the Southeast targeting these 5 days at the end of July with extreme anticipation. This year’s event will consist of six exhilarating and challenging races over 5 days. Building off the success of the past 10 years, averaging over 500 racers from 11 states each year, the 2017 edition is showing signs of dramatic increases in participation and excitement. Sanctioned by USACycling, the Georgia Cycling Gran Prix will attract both amateur and professional cyclists of all ages from around the Southeast, definitely determining the best in the region when the dust settles on the 24th.

Twilights at Atlanta Motorsports Park From TopView Sports: Hey Georgia Bike Racers. Don’t miss this chance to race on the awesome, closed, safe, fun, challenging, car free, wide and smooth Atlanta Motorsports Park on Wednesday June 28 at 6pm. Two races, B’s at 6pm and A’s at 6:45pm. Super cheap entry of $20 too.

Sope Creek Monthly Work Party From SORBA Atlanta Sope Creek Monthly Work Party, Saturday, June 17 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.

6-15-2017 David Heath to Euro Camp From Frazier Cycling Frazier Cycling is proud to announce that David Heath, 16, has been selected to represent Team USA at this summer’s USA Cycling’s Men’s 15/16 European Race Camp from July 9th to July 31st! David is Frazier Cycling Juniors’ second member selected for Team USA following in the footsteps of his older sister Megan, who was selected for the 2016 World Road Championships last October. Congratulations, David! Well earned!

Hey Carolinas! Step up to support your Crit Championships! From Judy Rhyne-Carolinas Cycling Association (Edited for length)
There is no denying that road racing in this country has been declining rapidly over the past few years. There are multiple contributing factors for this decline….one of which is the fact that clubs are no longer required to organize and promote races in order to remain in good standing with USAC. Once this rule was removed from the USAC rulebook, we saw an immediate decline in the number of local races on the calendar……We have struggled this year to find clubs willing to organize our regional championship events. This struggle is not new….the CCA had to start offering financial incentives to clubs willing to organize championship events about 9-10 years ago. Now, even those incentives are not enough to convince clubs to do their duty for the future of this sport. I receive daily emails and phone calls from racers asking about the championships….as if they are entitled to race in championship events, but with absolutely no understanding that championship events do not simply happen on their own…..there must be clubs willing to host and organize them.

Lowcountry Racing has stepped up once again and volunteered to host the 2017 Regional Criterium Championships, even though they hosted last year’s event with minimal racer participation…. Walterboro, SC graciously agreed to serve as the new venue for the 2017 Criterium Championships. We need every club to field a team of racers to attend this event. Otherwise, we may not have ANY regional or state championship road events going forward. If everything goes well this weekend, Lowcountry Racing has discussed the possibility of also hosting the TT Regional Championships….I urge you to support the Criterium Championships this weekend in order to ensure the future of local racing. We are still working to bring you both TT and RR championships this year. As mentioned above, Lowcountry may host the TT championships. In addition, the final day of Crossroads may in fact be a regional RR championship. These events cannot happen if clubs do not send racers. Most clubs have enough members that they can support both the charity ride and the Criterium Championships. No racers in attendance today = no race in the future.

6-14-2017 Pete Wicker Update As many people know Pete Wicker, owner of Outback Bikes, had a quintuple bypass a few weeks ago. On June 10 Pete suffered a stroke. While the doctors are cautiously optimistic, the road to recovery will be a long one. Please consider donating to a GoFundMe account set up by one of Pete’s good friends. I have confirmed with Pete’s wife that this is going to their family for Pete’s medical bills and recovery. If you would like, you can also send a check directly to Outback Bikes or shop at Outback Bikes for any bicycle needs! Pete and Outback have been a long time supporter of Southeastern Cycling and for that I am very grateful! Rudy Keefer, the pasta chef at Kevin Rathbun Steak & Outback Bikes race team member, has offered to cook a 4 course meal for the person that donates the most to Pete’s recovery fund. (I can attest to how amazing Rudy’s cooking is!) Please keep Pete and his family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

Allatoona Work Party From SORBA West Georgia Allatoona Trail Work Party, Saturday, June 17 9 am-1pm We’ll be working on a variety of trail projects. Driftwood extension, Hocus Pocus reroute, etc. All tools and lunch provided. Just wear long pants, closed toe shoes, gloves and bug spray.

6-13-2017 Rope Mill Trail Party From SORBA Woodstock, Sat. June 17 9 am-1 pm, Love to ride trails? They don’t just magically appear, they need volunteers like you to make sure they are the best trails around. Come be a part of the core group that makes trails happen. The June 17th trail party will be at Rope Mill park. We will provide tools, training and lunch, all you need to do is show up with gloves closed toe shoes and water. We will provide everything else.

6-10-2017 Georgia Bikes Announces New Director From Georgia Bikes The Board of Directors of Georgia Bikes is pleased to announce Elliott Caldwell as the organization’s new Executive Director. He is currently the Interim Executive Director, a role he has occupied since February 2017. He takes over for longtime Executive Director Brent Buice, who now works as the South Carolina & Georgia Coordinator for the East Coast Greenway and recently joined the Georgia Bikes Board. Commenting on the new hire, Brent said, “Georgia Bikes is fortunate to have Elliott continuing his tenure with the organization as the new Executive Director; he and Nedra Deadwyler, the Safety Education Programs Manager, create a phenomenal one-two staff punch.”

Board President Joe Seconder also weighed in on the new hire, stating, “It’s my great pleasure to see Elliott move forward within Georgia Bikes; he brings great synergies to this critical leadership position, including tenured work as our Complete Streets Coordinator, a fellowship with the Alliance for Biking and Walking, and service as past president at one of our many statewide partner organizations, BikeAthens. His experience in working on promoting bicycling advocacy across the regions of our state is truly an asset and sets him up to be productive from day one. The Board looks forward to working with him to execute our new strategic plan.” Trish’s Note: Elliot is a WBL Zealot and Men’s 1/2 CX racer. Congratulations!!!

6-8-2017 Women’s Only Track Certification Class Sorella Cycling is pleased to announce a women’s specific track clinic at Dick Lane Velodrome on June 24th and 25th from 1-4 p.m. This is an opportunity to become familiar with fixed gear riding and basic technique and rules of velodrome use and racing. The clinic is open to anyone who identifies as female. Learning will be lead by Brian Sullivan as well as other women from the track community. Completion of both days of the clinic will result in “track certification” and the ability to race/train at most velodromes across the country. No experience necessary! If you have a track bike, you’re welcome to bring it, or you can rent one from the fleet. Email Brian Sullivan (valbrenta@gmail.com) with your height and bike size. You will need to bring your own pedals if you are renting. Other things to bring: helmet, kit, sun glasses, water, and a snack. There are bathrooms on site. Total cost: $60
RSVP & Pre-registration Required.

6-7-2017 Chicopee Work Party From SORBA NE GA Sat., June 10. Join Northeast Georgia SORBA for a morning of trail maintenance and fellowship at Chicopee Woods MTB Trails. Please arrive by 8:45a.m. for sign-in. Meet at the tool shed in the upper parking lot. We will work from 9-12:30pm. Tools and Lunch will be provided. No experience is necessary. Everyone is welcome. Wear long pants and closed toed shoes, bring water, snacks, gloves, etc. Stinging insects are active at this time of year, so if you have a severe allergic reaction to stings please bring your Epi-Pen or other device. If you enjoy these trails please join us to help maintain them. RSVP to negasorba@gmail.com by noon Friday June 9 so we know how many lunches to prepare.

6-5-2017 Second Atlanta Velodrome? Those of us that race track have know for a while but…..Could Atlanta have a 2nd velodrome in the next year or two? The East Point Track Club (EPTC) is working to bring portable velodrome to Atlanta. It would be set up in an indoor location in the winter and an outdoor location in the summer. Their proposal is now online and makes for an interesting read. Personally, I hope they pull it off! It would bring track cycling and cycling in general to a new audience in the region. We ALL love racing at the Dick Lane Velodrome, but it is a haul for a lot of people in weeknight traffic. Little known fact: The DLV has more programming (races, certification classes, youth cycling league) that almost any other velodromes in the country (Speculation is that we have the most!). It would be great to race and ride at the track year round and give others the opportunity to as well!

6-2-2017 Dirty Sheets News If you are tired of having to jump fences while crossing S. Fulton Parkway on the Dirty Sheets gravel loop there is now a gate at Whiteside and S. Fulton. Please be kind and close the gate behind you when you are done crossing. Disclaimer: I have no clue who put it there! This was posted to a trail group on Facebook.


S. Fulton Parkway Gate-Dirty Sheets Loop. Photo courtesy of anonymous.

Blanket’s Creek Closed Saturday Blanket’s Creek will be closed for the 6 Hour Race to Sunset on Saturday. As a reminder, the public cannot ride when trails are closed for an event. Why not sign up to race? Rope Mill will be open.

6-1-2017 Amazon Smile Does everyone know about AmazonSmile? When you shop via AmazonSmile 0.5% gets donated to a non-profit of your choice. I’ve chosen the Dick Lane Velodrome, but there are a ton of cycling causes you can choose from including several SORBA Chapters, the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, SOPO Bicycle Coop and tons more. You can get more details and sign up at AmazonSmile. It doesn’t sound like much, but it adds up for your favorite cycling non-profit.

5-31-2017  Cobb Trails Master Plan Survey If you live in Cobb County or use Cobb County trails including greenways, the Silver Comet, bike paths, Allatoona Creek Park, mtb trails, etc, please fill out the survey about the Masters Trails Plan.

Other News  With the holiday, it’s been a bit quiet. The Healthy Newton Omnium released the flyer for the race next weekend. It’s a true omnium with a TT, Crit, and road race. Check it out and support a great local independent promoter (well, two–Jim Behning and Elizabeth Lee).

5-28-2017 Try the Track! Interested in trying the track? The DLV is having a “Try the Track Day” to celebrate National Velodrome Day on Sat., June 3. The Try the Track session in the morning is free. Bikes are provided, and there will be DLV coaches on hand to help participants. There is also a weekend certification class next weekend. The “Try the Track” is not the same as the certification class. People still have to take the certification class for which there is a nominal fee. Please share with anyone you think might be interested!!
 5-26-2017 DLV Track State Championships The Dick Lane Velodrome Track State Championships for GA, TN, and AL are June 16-17. Admission is free for spectators! Bring a cooler and come cheer us on! All racers must be track certified. Category “C” and above can compete in all events including mass start races. Cat. D racers are welcome for to race the 200, TT, and IP (no sprints). There will be no Cat. D mass start races.