News for 8-23-2023
Dirty Sheets Gravel Grinder
From MTB Atlanta
Dirty Sheets Gravel Grinder Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023
Note: We’re still waiting on a few things to flush out, but we want to get the date out and in your head. Registration will be open early September via bikereg.com. Dirty Sheets Gravel Grinder is coming back! Atlanta’s best-kept secret isn’t actually in Atlanta, but about half an hour’s drive south, where the white noise of the interstate gives way to the hush of open fields, the chitter of wildlife, and the faint scent of honeysuckle on the breeze. This is Dirty Sheets. And for one glorious day, it’s the Dirty Sheets Gravel Grinder. The Dirty Sheets Gravel Grinder will offer three routes at 112 miles, 62 miles and 20 miles. (The astute among you may have cottoned that the Dirty Sheets loop itself is only 20 miles long, and to you we say please holster your pitchfork and hold all questions until the end.)
While our 20-mile ride is a non-competitive gravel jaunt, our Metric Century routes (62 and 112 miles) take that pleasant ride and twist it into a grueling challenge, all wrapped up in a 60/40 blend of gravel and road—with a nice amount of single-track mixed in. And on top of that, the 112-mile sweetens the pot with time segments and prizes. That’s right: for one low price, you’re getting all of Dirty Sheets, plus the best gravel and low-traffic roads that Douglas, Carroll, and Heard Counties have to offer. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL! We’ll throw in SAG (just enough), swag (tba), and the satisfaction of sheets well-dirtied. [Editor’s note: take this out, it’s disgusting.][Author’s note: no.]
Start times: 7:00am: 112-Mile – Double Metric (Yikes!) 9:00am: 62-Mile – Metric (Civilized) 10:00am: 20-Mile – Full Dirty Sheets (Party) Field Limits: 100 per category. Cost: $65 donation proceeds go to MTB Atlanta to build and maintain all that we’re working on and will be working on. Post ride food, drinks and entertainment – of course – enough to make you happy and then some.
Awards: There will be dirty awards for the Top 5 Male and Top 5 Female finishing riders of the 112-mile event only. What do we mean by dirty awards? Wouldn’t you like to know! (Actually, wouldn’t we like to know—we’ll be revealing the particulars a little closer to the event date, after we get them figured out ourselves.) For all races and rides, all verified finishers will be awarded a rider completion badge. The 62-mile ride will not be a race, but it will be a timed ride, and listed for on our website for all the glory a web listing provides. Event put on by MTB Atlanta and the East Point Track Club with help from Ethic Creative Works & Independent Gravel.
News for 8-22-2023
NCCX Skills Clinic
NCCX Skills Clinic – Bent Creek Community Park, Asheville, NC Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023–Join NCCX and friends for not only one, but two pre-season clinics! 9:30am-12:30pm: Women’s Only Clinic (limited to 30 spots) 2:00pm-5:30pm: Open CX Skills Clinic Our women’s clinic will be lead by female instructors and focus on beginner and new racers. The open clinic is open to all levels of experience, abilities, and genders. Both clinics are open to ages 9 and up, but riders 14 and Under must be accompanied by a registered and participating parent and/or guardian.
Fee: $10 per person per clinic Register starting Monday, August 14: https://www.bikereg.com/nccx-pre-season-skills-clinic Registration closes September 9. Things to bring: Bike with knobby tires (cx, gravel, mtb), Water, Snacks
News for 8-21-2023
Silver Comet Closure
I found this on Facebook. I don’t have an original source, but I believe this to be accurate. (Update 8-21 late evening: I saw the signs myself today. This is confirmed.)
–On August 23, 2023 a portion of the Silver Comet Trail in Cobb County, Georgia will be closed for those traveling in both east and west directions. The closure will be between Mile 3 and mile 3.9. There is a tunnel at mile 3 and Hicks Rd is at mile 3.9.
— Cobb county, Georgia portion of Silver Comet trail. On August 28, 2023 and continuing for 3-5 days, weather not interfering, the trail at mile 7.1 will be closed. This is a location very close to the trail where it crossed Anderson Farm Rd. A golf course is on one side of the trail and the large Colonial Pipeline facility with huge gasoline tanks is on the other side. Construction by Colonial. Trish’s note: I noticed a lot of utility markings out there last week. It looked like they were going to probably tear up some of the Comet for gas line work.
Tour de Georgia
Beyond the Trestle has a really good article on the history of the Tour De Georgia. For those that didn’t live here then, we had a UCI Men’s Road Stage Race here for several years. It was incredible! I had so many good times-riding in the Mavic car with my friend Scott, riding in a team car, getting my start as a photographer and even writing a couple of things for cyclingnews.com as well as having my photos featured in their TdG stories every day. It was a magical time!
Still the best photo I took at the Tour de Georgia. Jens Voigt (as in SHUT UP LEGS fame) drinking a cold beer at the top of Brasstown Bald. It was hot, and he came across the finish line saying “I need a beer! I need a cold beer!” (paraphrasing). A spectator with a cooler offered him one.
News for 8-17-2023
Georgia Grinduro
From TopView Sports
Save the Date for our biggest gravel event – The Georgia Gravel Grinduro p/b Panaracer – 10/28/23 in Helen, Georgia! This ride only improves each year. The routes are much easier than year 1 but enough climbing to make your heart happy and challenge you. Click the link below for crazy cool info about the ride: https://sites.google.com/view/georgiagravelgrinduro
News for 8-12-2023
Fools Gold
From Mountain Goat Adventures
The 2023 Maxxis Tires Fools Gold will be held on September 9, 2023 at the beautiful Montaluce Winery, in Dahlonega, GA. The Fool’s Gold Mountain Bike Races will offer riders a 38 mile or 54 mile course. Free primitive camping is available at Montaluce Winery for Friday and Saturday nights. Register early, as this event has sold out the past three years. Both courses begin at Montaluce Winery and will have approximately 3 miles on pavement.
The 54 mile course begins with a stout 3 mile gravel road climb. For 2023, the long course will remain on the ridgeline gravel road for 6 miles all the way to Winding Stair Gap and Aid 1. This should make finishing times about an hour faster from previous years. A fast gravel descent then takes riders onto the singletrack of the Turner Creek Trail. From here, riders will descend back to FS 28-1, and join the 38 mile course for the remainder of the race, which includes the Jones Creek Dam Trail, Bull Mountain Trail and Loop, Jake Mountain Trail and Black Branch Trail.
The 38 mile course heads directly to the Jones Creek Dam Trail along gravel roads, giving riders the opportunity to space out. Essentially the shorter course just cuts off the first section of gravel road climbing and ridge riding, and heads directly to the singletrack loop.
Quiet Tent Camping along the Etowah River! Free Camping for Racers at Montaluce Winery Friday/Saturday Night! We will have a dedicated tent/van camping area along the Etowah River as well as separate areas for RVs and travel trailers. Join us for the race and hang out in Dahlonga, GA for the weekend. Please email lisa at mountaingoatadventures.com with your camp unit type (Tent, RV, Sprinter, etc) if you plan to camp so we can ensure we have enough space for everyone.
We are looking for folks who’d like to volunteer for this year’s Fool’s Gold Mountain Bike Race! We take good care of our crew and offer a Fool’s Gold or Southern Cross entry for adults who commit to a 6 hour shift (for yourself or you can earn an entry for a spouse/friend). We need helpers for registration, aid stations, course marshals, as well as at the start/finish to keep an eye on the beer. We also have a limited number of positions available for Friday night/Saturday morning registration and post-race help, for folks who want to volunteer AND still race. If you are interested in helping out, please contact lisa@mountaingoatadventures.com and let me know your shirt size, availability and any task preference. Course Marshals and Aid Station helpers will need to have transportation out to their location. Thanks in advance!
News for 8-10-2023
Bearings Bike Works to Host NCL Qualifier Aug. 19
From Bearings Bike Works
Bearings Bike Works is hosting the National Cycling League’s Team Qualifier Event at their southwest Atlanta campus on Saturday, August 19th from 6-8 p.m. Ahead of the NCL Cup on August 20th, athletes will go head-to-head in a 150m drag race along Murphy Street in front of Bearings.
This free, family-friendly community event will also feature games, an NCL prize package giveaway, a food truck, free hot dogs for kids, and a chance to meet the pros!
Find more info at: https://nclracing.com/races/3/2023-08-20/atlanta-georgia.
News for 8-8-2023
Georgia Cyclocross Series to Host Two Days of UCI Racing
The Georgia Cyclocross Series will host two days of UCI Racing for Elite Women, Men, and Juniors on Dec. 2-3. The EPTC CX Classic will be held at Nash Farm Park in Henry County, GA. A full slate of regular GACX races will be held for all categories.
Atlanta Streets Alive Returns!
From RoughDraft Atlanta
“Atlanta Streets Alive returns on Sept. 24 after a three year hiatus prompted by the pandemic.Peachtree Street will be closed to vehicular traffic from 14th Street in Midtown to Baker Street in Downtown. Attendees will be able to walk, bike, skate or board down the open street from 2 to 6 p.m.
Atlanta Streets Alive will become a series, with fall 2023 dates planned for Sundays on Oct. 22 and Nov. 19. The event will pick back up again in Spring 2024 on the third Sunday of the month from April to November.” More information on Atlanta Streets Alive here.
News for 8-6-2023
Chainbuster Schedule Announcement
From Chainbuster Racing
We are making an adjustment in our Small Town Gravel Series. The Assault on Currahee Mountain will be moving from December 2, 2023 to February 10, 2024! But have no fear…let us introduce the Rose City Rampage from beautiful downtown Thomasville, GA on December 2, 2023! If you haven’t been to Thomasville in a while (or ever), you have no idea what you’re missing. The downtown area is one of the most vibrant in southeast, and the gravel there is both pristine AND abundant – perfect addition to the Small Town Gravel Series!
If you are already registered for the gravel series (and the Assault on Currahee Mountain,) your registration will automatically transfer to the Rose City Rampage! If you aren’t yet registered, we will open registration next week! More details on Rose City Rampage are coming soon. You don’t want to miss it!!
News for 8-3-2022
MTNC Finale Aug. 29
Aug. 29 will be the final Marietta Tuesday Night Crit for the season! Come out and get in a great workout. $5 helps to pay for the police officer the business park requires the crit to have.
Pump Track and Trails Coming to Westside Park in Atlanta
From Urbanize Atlanta
Trish’s Note: This is interesting, and I wonder who the donor is.
“Atlanta BeltLine officials revealed this week that top-flight mountain biking trails, a pump track, and scenic hiking paths are bound for the city’s largest greenspace, minutes from the bustling urban settings of Midtown and downtown.
Landscape architect Kevin Burke, the BeltLine’s longtime director of design, said during a Westside Study Group meeting Monday that additions would come across roughly 45 acres at the northeast corner of Westside Park. The 280-acre greenspace opened its first phase two years ago this month.
According to Burke, new facets of Westside Park would be funded by an unnamed donor who approached the city and is “an avid mountain biker who travels all over to do this, loves pump tracks and is looking to create a signature facility” in Atlanta.” Read the full article.
News for 8-2-2023
Andrew Knight-Georgia Masters Racer
USA Cycling has a good article about Georgia Masters Racer Andrew Knight. He is a 3x Masters National Champion looking to defend his titles in Augusta at the Masters and Para-Cycling National Road Championships Aug. 23-27. He rides for the North Georgia Cycling Association (NGCA). Read the article.
News for 7-31-2023
Cyclocross Calendars Updated
The Cyclocross Calendar is updated with what I have. Somethings are “coming soon” from both GACX and NCCX. I’ll post them as soon as I get them. The Mountain/Gravel/Off Road calendar is also updated. Except the Temple of Zoom Series, Road is all but over for the year in the Southeast.
Dirty Sheets Gravel Grinder Race
There is a (confirmed) rumor that there will be a Dirty Sheets Gravel Grinder race put on my MTB Atlanta on Oct. 14. Details soon.
News for 7-27-2023
Georgia State Cyclocross Championships
Georgia Cyclocross announced today that the State Cyclocross Championships will be at Elks Aidmore on Nov. 12. Elks is a challenging course with a lot of elevation gain per lap. There is nothing flat. The standard daily races will be run. Some categories may have separate jerseys for state championships, including the Junior races.
Judge hands down guilty verdict in fatal Cedartown hit-and-run trial
From the Polk County Standard Journal
“An Aragon man’s decisions in the minutes after he hit a Cedartown man on a bicycle with his vehicle nearly four years ago led a judge to find him guilty on hit and run and reckless conduct charges Tuesday.
Ralph “Ryan” Dover III was driving south on North Main Street in Cedartown the evening of Sept. 11, 2019, when he struck Eric Keais, who was traveling in the same direction. Prosecutors said because Dover didn’t immediately report the incident to proper authorities it stretched out the time before Keais got medical care, leading to his death.
Testimony indicated that Dover drove more than half of a mile down the road after the collision to a convenience store instead of stopping sooner. He didn’t call police or 911, instead calling a friend, State Rep. Trey Kelley.” Read the full article (turn off your ad blocker).
News for 7-26-2023
Chainbuster Racing News
From Chainbuster Racing
Chainbuster Racing is pleased to announce our newest race….The Bear 6/3 at Yonah Preserve Trail on August 19! The Bear 6/3 at YPT will be race #1 of our 2023-2024 Southeastern Endurance Series! Moving forward, our endurance season will become a fall-spring series. This change will allow more continuity with a shorter break in between races, allow for a progression in race difficulty, AND hopefully create less scheduling conflicts with other MTB events. (We like racing too!)
If you are competing for series awards for 2023 season, have no fear. You will not be affected by this change. Registration is now open and our Endurance Series Sale will begin on August 1, 2023!
Big Creek Work Party
From RAMBO
Typhoon Trail – Finish Work Party, Monday, July 31, 5:30-7:15 pm Big Creek Freeride. Our friends at Jarrod’s Place are going to lend a hand and stack the dirt to finish the creek gap and rebuild the berm on Typhoon. Please come help us with the finish work to get the trail reopened! Who is going to test ride the creek gap first??!
News for 7-24-2023
Cyclist Hit on Tommy Lee Cook Road on Silk Sheets
From the Newnan Times-Herald
https://www.times-herald.com/news/cyclists-injured-on-tommy-lee-cook-road/article_1ffb90f8-2a91-11ee-97dc-4b613381d3fd.html
Atlanta Streets Alive is Back!
From Urbanize Altnata
UPDATE: 11 Atlanta Streets Alive dates officially set
“The city’s signature open-streets program has been dormant for four long years
UPDATE: 10:34 a.m., July 20: Following Wednesday’s report that Atlanta Streets Alive will be resurrected soon after a four-year hiatus, District 2 city councilmember Amir Farokhi sends details Atlantans have long been waiting for: According to Atlanta Department of Transportation officials, Atlanta Streets Alive will officially return Sunday, September 24, opening a roughly three-mile stretch of Peachtree Street in downtown and Midtown to people and closing it to vehicle traffic. Later this year, Streets Alive will also be staged on that same Peachtree route on the third Sundays in October and November. But wait, there’s more! According to ATLDOT, Streets Alive will return to the three-mile Peachtree route in April next year—and then continue there on the third Sundays of every month through November 2024. No other routes have been announced. In other words, Atlanta’s signature open-streets program is officially back, rooted in a designated place with the city’s densest neighborhoods, and now more frequent than ever.” Read the full article.
