3-23-2021 Bailey MTB Park Closed Pink Bike is reporting that the Bailey Mountain Bike Park has closed. This was posted by the former owners of the park. As of March 20, the Park is Officially Closed As many of you may know, owning and running Bailey Mountain Bike Park has been very demanding for our small team of two. As difficult as it is… we want to let you know we have sold the mountain property. As a result of the sale, Bailey Mountain Bike Park is officially and permanently closed. Riders: please know, your support of us and of the park, your kindness, and your grace has made our experience worthwhile. Your support, whether in our first year or as recent as last weekend, is deeply appreciated and will never be forgotten! You have helped us to create an amazing chapter in each of our lives and facilitated the start of some amazing ride opportunities in the Southeast.
3-16-2021 Moore’s Bridge Work Party From MTB Atlanta: Moore’s Bridge Trail Build Wrap-up, Pizza hangout and trail ride #7, Sunday March 21 at 10:00 k
It’s time to finish that trail! Come help us wrap-up our volunteer trail build at Moore’s Bridge park, trail day #7. There are still a few roots to cut, and holes to fill in but not much, we are soooo close. Once we finish the trail work, @Moab Adventure Condo will be providing pizza for lunch. Then we will take on the most important task, we need to ride the trail in to get it ready for the grand opening. Nothing helps a new trail more than getting tires on it. 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 10. 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. We can lock your bike into the tool container if you need that. MTB Atlanta will provide the tools, but if you have one you like bring your own so we are sure to have enough to go around. Loopers, rogue hoes, shovel, rack.
3-15-2021 Pitner Road Work Party From SORBA West Georgia There will be a work party at the Pitner Road Jump Park on Saturday, March 20 at 9:00 am.
3-13-2021 DLV Workday From the Dick Lane Velodrome DLV’s first workday of 2021 is scheduled for 9AM, Saturday March 20th. We need volunteers to help clean up the velodrome grounds in preparation for the 2021 season. Being outdoors everyone will have no problem being socially distanced and mask wearing is encouraged. The primary task will be: Leaf removal, Debris cleanup, & General cleaning. These represent a few of the primary things that need done so that we can take the next steps in opening the velodrome in 2021. Note: State guidelines for Covid 19 safety are to be followed by all volunteers. Please RSVP through our event page. Come join us if you can, we appreciate your help!!!!
3-8-2021 Daylight Saving Time is this Sunday! Cyclist’s favorite time of the year is here! Daylight Saving Time is this Sunday! Don’t forget to set your clocks to Spring Ahead one hour!
Long Branch Work Party from NGMBA NGMBA/SORBA Work Party at Long Branch Free, Saturday, March 13 9 am-Noon, Last month we were able to clean 15 drains and will continue to work at Long Branch until completed. Bring a helmet, water and a snack. We’ll provide the rest.
3-6-2021 AOMM Cancelled From a Facebook post: We are saddened to share that the 2021 Assault on Mount Mitchell and Assault on Marion (“AOMM”), scheduled for May 17th, has been cancelled. AOMM is a large undertaking with many moving parts. When we began planning this year’s ride back in the fall, we were optimistic that by this May, the effects of the COVID pandemic would have lessened enough to allow us to ride. While case counts are lowering, still, many states – including the State of North Carolina – continue to strictly enforce guidelines for events. Current mandates in the State of North Carolina prohibit large in-person events, whether outdoor or indoor. Since we have no clear timeline on when these regulations will be lifted, the Freewheelers Cycling Association, the State of NC’s Department of Parks, the Blue Ridge Parkway leadership, and the administration of Mt. Mitchell State Park are not comfortable with moving forward with the event in 2021. The Assaults is the premier cycling event of the Southeast and, in our opinion, one of the greatest amateur cycling events in the country. We will carry on, planning for AOMM 2022. Next year’s ride has already been confirmed to take place on Monday, May 16, 2022. Please save the date! We will begin rolling out more information about 2022 later this fall. On behalf of the Freewheelers’ board of directors and event production team, we do sincerely thank you for your understanding. Though we are all disappointed, we look forward to next year with anticipation of it being the best ride yet.
3-5-2021 Pisgah Stage Race Cancelled I have received word directly from from the promoter that the Pisgah State Race in Western NC is cancelled this year. They are hopeful to have it again in 2022.
3-3-2021 Sykes Park Trails Closed The City of East Point has closed the Sykes Park trails through Mrach 15.
3-2-2021 SORBA Woodstock Work Party From SORBA Woodstock This month’s work party will be at Blankets Creek on March 13th at 9:00 am. We will be working on Gnarnia and the new South Louth access reroute. Wear closed toe shoes and bring some water. SORBA Woodstock will provide tools and food after the work party. Sign up on the volunteer tab on SORBA Woodstock’s website.
3-1-2021 Calendar Updates I updated all of the calendars last week. The mountain bike/gravel/off road calendar is filling up nicely. Georgia and Alabama have some road events. Tennessee has a few off road and road events. I have exactly TWO road events for SC & NC not including the Hincapie Spring Series. There is nothing on USAC or CCA’s website. I’ve checked some of the individual events sites, and there is nothing. No dates for 2021. So, please contact the promoter if you have any questions if their event will be held this year.
Velocity for Grady Health Press Release Grady Health Foundation’s 4th annual VeloCity fundraiser will take place on Saturday, May 1, 2021, at the beautiful Bouckaert Farm in Chattahoochee Hills. With its vast 8,000 acres, our new location will allow us to implement any necessary COVID-19 precautions so that our participants may ride or run safely. VeloCity 2021 features a variety of distance options, including 100-mile, 62-mile, 50-mile, 25-mile, and 10-mile rides along metro Atlantas best cycling routes and run/walk options, including the Grady Superhero 5K and a 9-mile trail run. Participants are provided with breakfast before the start and encouraged to stay for lunch and an all-day, family-friendly celebration after crossing the finish line! Registration starts at $30, depending on the course. Participants can organize teams or raise funds in a variety of ways. VeloCity 2021 supports the overall mission of the Grady Health System. Supporting Grady has never been more important – and you can count on us over the next two months for training tips, fundraising ideas, and all of the information you need for a fun, successful ride, walk or run. Who: Grady Health Foundation What: Velocity Atlanta 2021 When: 7:30 a.m., Saturday, May 1, 2021 Where: Bouckaert Farm in Chattahoochee Hills, Fairburn, GA For more information and registration, visit www.velocityatlanta.com; Questions? Contact us at moveforgrady@velocityatlanta.com.
Georgia Cross is Coming! Georgia Cross will be 21 in 2021, and we will be celebrating in big style! Planning has begun for the fall. We don’t know exactly like racing will look like or what venues we will be racing at, but there will be a series! We will be following all USAC and local COVID-19 guidelines at the time of the races, so things may look a little different. Roll with it and be flexible if there are changes as we go through the season; it’s a different experience for us, too. Keep your eyes here for some fun stuff coming later this spring and summer to get us pumped for CX! #crossiscoming
2-23-2021 Biking Bleckley Press Release Ride the scenic roads of Cochran & Bleckley County as the Cochran-Bleckley Chamber kicks off the biking season with one of the first ride of the year. With four (4) routes to choose from, there is something for everyone. Plus, we will have t-shirts, fun rest stops, lunch, snacks, drinks, goodie bags, SAG wagon and entertainment available for all riders. Registration link is available online at www.cochran-bleckley.com Registration fees increase after Friday, March 5, 2021. Please email info@cochran-bleckley.com with any questions.
Willeo and Riverside to be Closed for Bridge Replacement Willeo Road and Riverside Roads at the intersection of the City of Roswell and Cobb County will be closed for 4 months later this year for a bridge replacement. An exact timetable has not been given. This is a popular route for cyclists.
2-22-2021 Michael Garrison Interview Cyclingnews.com has a nice interview with Micheal Garrison from Decatur, GA. Michael races for Continental U 23 team Hagens Berman Axeon.
Dick Lane Velodrome Update From the DLV Website: The Dick Lane Velodrome is committed to promoting cycling in a safe and friendly environment. It was out of an abundance of caution for everyone’s health, state/local guidelines, and respect for the community that we temporarily shut down the Dick Lane Velodrome in 2020. We were all disappointed, but it was a necessary decision. For 2021, we are working on a plan to reopen on a limited basis. The obvious challenge is COVID-19 safety. Some insight into our racing plans for 2021: We are discussing that when racing starts, it will be one night a week. We are planning on just Wednesday nights to begin the season. This allows us to ease into the season and ensure our COVID-19 guidelines are being implemented properly, allowing us to make any necessary changes before the next race day. We will re-evaluate adding race nights on a regular basis to decide if/when we can expand programming.
Status of our regular programs:
• Wednesday adult racing or organized training – in planning phase. Start date to be determined.
• YCL – on hold. Evaluating our ability to restart in 2021
• Certification Classes – on hold. Evaluating our ability to restart in 2021
• Tuesday Racing – on hold till further notice
• Pro races – on hold till further notice
As a 100% volunteer organization, we are doing our best to get things going while taking care of our personal and professional lives outside the velodrome. If anyone wants to help, please email volunteer@dicklanevelodrome.com. Please check back for updates! Thanks, Gary Morgan President, East Point Velodrome Association
USAC Cancels Collegiate Road Nats in Augusta Press Release In order to ensure the safety of our members, USA Cycling has decided to cancel the 2021 Collegiate Road National Championships, due to take place May 7-9 in Augusta, GA, and Collegiate BMX National Championships, due to take place this spring. While the nation is seeing a downward trend of new COVID-19 cases and deaths, collegiate conference road seasons have been canceled, and universities and colleges across the country have travel restrictions in place. These circumstances make holding a collegiate road season with a National Championship at the finale impossible for many riders. After conversations with teams and the community, the decision to cancel rather than postpone was made based on a packed full fall semester of collegiate racing that includes track, mountain bike, and cyclocross. The Augusta Sports Council has been a valued partner throughout the last year as we have assessed holding Collegiate Road Nationals. We are excited to announce that Augusta, GA, will be the host for the 2022 USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships. “With a long and rich history of hosting elite-level events, Augusta and its cycling fans are obviously disappointed that the 2021 USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championship had to be canceled in 2021 due to the ongoing pandemic. We fully support USA Cycling in making this difficult decision and agree that the health and safety of their athletes is of the utmost importance. We are extremely excited to host the event again in 2022 when we look forward to welcoming back USA Cycling and its collegiate athletes to our community,” Brian Graham, CEO of Augusta Sports Council.
2-19-2021 Georgia 3 Foot Law Update From Bike Law Georgia’s Facebook post UPDATE ON GEORGIA’S 3 FOOT LAW. There’s a revised version of the law that was just approved by the House and is on it’s way to the Georgia Senate. We’re hoping that the revised version of O.C.G.A. 40-6-56 will (a) provide better protection for people who ride bikes and (b) be easier for law enforcement officers to understand and enforce. We’re also hoping that the new law will be accompanied by a widespread education campaign to make sure that drivers are aware of the law, since they routinely ignore the law that now exists. The current version that passed the House will require cars to change lanes when passing someone on a bike, if possible. If not readily possible, then the car is required to slow down and only pass the person on the bike if they can do so safely, leaving at least 3 feet when passing. The language of many bills gets changed before becoming finalized as a law, so stay tuned. If there’s a need for public comment or support, we will notify as many people as possible.
