6-29-2015 DLV Working Man’s Omnium From the DLV:  Just a little reminder: Tomorrow and Wednesday is our Two Day “Working Man’s” Omnium. We look forward to seeing all categories A-D out tomorrow night and Wednesday Night!

Bike Alpharetta’s 4th Annual Tour de France Party Tuesday, July 14, 2015 at The Plaza at Avalon, 2200 Avalon Blvd, Alpharetta, GA, 7:00 pm-11:00 pm Watch the Tour de France on TVs, enjoy discounts and enjoy time with friends at participating restaurants and shops at Avalon. Proceeds benefit Bike Alpharetta, 501c3 non-profit. Check in at The Plaza for a free yellow wristband and “road map”. Then Eat, Drink, Shop and enjoy Bastille Day with the Tour de France – Whole Foods, L’Occitane, Goldberg’s Fine Foods, Marlow’s Tavern, Kona Grill, and Ted’s Montana Grill.

6-28-2015 Road Nats Sunday Results W. Harrison Nguy (Frazier Cycling) won 4th in the 13-14 year old Men’s Crit.

6-27-2015 Summer Soltice Race The Summer Soltice 3/6 Hour MTB race has been postponed until SUNDAY (TOMORROW). The time schedule is the same. Details are here.

Road Nats The podiums keep coming for GA riders! David Heath (Frazier Cycling) was 2nd in the Junior Men 13-14. Jane Tullis (Frazier Cycling) was 5th in the Women’s 13-14 TT. Another Frazier Rider,  Eli Hoppenfeld, placed fifth in the Junior Men 11-12 National Time Trial. Eli (Trish’s Note. I don’t have full results. I’m pulling these off of Facebook & Twitter, so forgive me if I miss anyone!)

6-26-2015 Webb Bridge Ride Head’s up if you do the Webb Bridge Ride in Alpharetta! The Coyote Point Offices has said they will tow any cars parked there tomorrow.

More from Road Nats Thursday the younger Juniors race at Road Nats. Andrew (Eisenhauer) Menlo was 4th in the Junior Boys 9-10. (Rock on, my man!!) On Friday Megan continued her podium streak with a 3rd in the Women’s 15-16 TT. More to come….Andrew was 3rd in the TT on Saturday.

6-25-2015 Amateur Road National Championships The Amateur Road National Championships in Truckee, CA got off for a strong start Thursday for Georgia riders. Meghan Heath (Frazier Cycling) won the Junior Women’s 15-16 National Championship! This is Meghan’s first stars and stripes jersey.  Willem Kaiser, son of State Rep. Margaret Kaiser, (706 Project/UHC) won the bronze in the Junior Men’s 17-18 race. Congratulations!

6-24-2015 IMBA SORBA Receives REI Grant Press Release:  IMBA SORBA Atlanta has received a generous $25,000 grant from REI to begin construction on recreational trails at Southside Park in the City of Atlanta. This IMBA Trail Solutions designed project is the result of a partnership between the City of Atlanta, The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, IMBA Trail Solutions, and IMBA SORBA Atlanta. The funding from this grant will be used for Phase One of the project, a beginner trail of almost two miles in length at Southside Park. For more info on the project, check out the President’s article in the latest Atlanta Velo City Magazine. We write “The Dirt” column in every issue to keep you up to date on the Chapter and Mountain Bike advocacy in the Metro Area.  IMBA SORBA Atlanta thanks REI once again for being a great partner to our Outdoor Places and Outdoor Recreation in the Atlanta Metro Area and the State. Trish’s Note: There will be about 7 miles of trails when it is completed.

6-21-2015 Silk Sheets Parking  From Don Duston (Atlanta Cycling): “If you ever ride at Silk Sheets, you’ll be interested in the Chattahoochee Hills Public Hearing scheduled for Tuesday, July 14th at 6:30 PM. The meeting topic we oppose is the installation of No Parking signs along the full length of  Church St. in an attempt to effectively chase the cyclists away. Thank you to Mayor Reed for advising us of this public hearing. The hearing references the No Parking signs that the City of Chattahoochee Hills erected without a hearing, and later removed, around the newly annexed area which includes Campbellton United Methodist Church. Clearly, the intent here is to chase away the cyclists. It has been stated that a very small number of very vocal residents do not wish for others to “invade” their community by cycling on “their” roads. Wait, this is in Fulton County !

As you know, the Church encourages and welcomes cyclist parking. They appreciate the donations and the property security from having visitors on site. However, during Sunday church service hours many cyclists park in front of the church and across the highway on the north end of Church St which has almost zero use so why would the city wish to erect “No Parking” signs on that section of road? Since the signs have already been installed and when challenged, were removed, intent becomes pretty clear. It’s doubtful that these parking restrictions are designed to discourage church attendance. Clearly, this is an attempt by the City of Chattahoochee Hills (Fulton County) to discourage cycling in the community by limiting public parking options.

A city attorney advises that some number of persons attend the Public Hearing however an email campaign is equally effective. So, please take a moment to drop the Mayor and City Council members a short note regarding your enjoyment of visiting and cycling in the City of Chattahoochee Hills and your opposition to limiting public parking options for visitors specifically along Church St.

Please “cut and paste” this list of email addresses and the message to make it easy. One email sent with a copy to all will be fine. Or, draft your own response, as you wish. The important part is that persons respond – numbers.

Cut and Paste – Address List
tom.reed@chatthillsga.us
john.taylor@chatthillsga.us
richard.schmidt@chatthillsga.us
claire.williams@chatthillsga.us
faye.godwin@chatthillsga.us
don.hayes@chatthillsga.us

Cut and Paste – Message

Dear Mayor Reed and City Council Members,
Please accept this letter acknowledging my enjoyment of visiting and supporting the City of Chattahoochee Hills for cycling and other activities and my opposition to limiting visitor parking specifically along Church St.

Respectfully,
Name
__________________________
Chattahoochee Hills, GA
Mayor, Tom Reed
District 1/Mayor Pro Tem, John Taylor
District 2, Richard Schmidt
District 3, Claire Williams
District 4,Faye Godwin
District 5, Don Hayes
P.S. Please pass this message along to others who ride at Silk Sheets and would be impacted. They, too, may wish to respond.

6-20-2015 Powers Ferry Rd. Be careful riding on Powers Ferry Road near Chastain Park if you are in Atlanta! They are doing construction and have shifted the double yellow line.

6-19-2015 Atlanta Cycling Festival If you haven’t had a chance to make it to the Atlanta Cycling Festival yet, there are still events happening Friday and Saturday! Southeastern Cycling is proud to be a sponsor for the second year in a row! The Closing Bash and Bike-In Movie will be on Saturday at the Old 4th Ward Skate Park. Bring your bike and enjoy an evening under the stars! The movie will be the 80s classic The Goonies! There will also be food trucks and beer sales (for those 21+).

Sorella Cycling at the “Baggies” ride at the Atlanta Cycling Festival. The ride went along the Beltline and PATH to a local pub.
Southeast Regional Series Brings Elite Bicycle Races to Knoxville July 11-12 Press Release:  The Leaderboard has taken shape for the biggest cycling series across the South. The Southeast Regional Series presented by BikeReg (SRS) returns to Knoxville, Tenn., July 11-12, as a state-points competition in partnership with the Tennessee Bicycle Racing Association. Male, female and masters (ages 35 and over) cyclists will compete for Best Area Rider (BAR) points during the two-day race weekend. SRS in Knoxville is an Omnium event with all three disciplines– an individual time trial, criterium and road race. The weekend’s events will be hosted by Visit Knoxville, the Knoxville Convention and Visitors Bureau. Racers and spectators can expect a full day of activities on Saturday, July 12. The Tour Stop Knoxville Time Trial begins at 8 a.m. along Martin Mill Pike, followed by the Tour Stop Knoxville Criterium at 11 a.m. The criterium features a one-mile circuit through downtown Knoxville. The start/finish is located on Howard Baker Jr. Avenue, adjacent to the Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum.

Sunday features The Tour Stop Knoxville Road Race at 8 a.m., with the start/finish in Corryton, Tenn.Racers will navigate an 11-mile loop starting at Corryton School Road near House Mountain State Natural Area. The route includes a climb on Hogskin Road for the King of the Mountain/Queen of the Mountain points competition, a prize for the best climbers. “We are really excited to partner with the Southeast Regional Series,” said Nathan Stone, who serves as the Road Director for the Tennessee Bicycle Racing Association. “The event draws some of the best cycling teams in the state. Adding the best area rider points to the competition allows us to really showcase some of these riders.”

6-18-2015 Blanket’s Creek Work Party From SORBA Woodstock: Trail Party this Saturday 6/20 9am-1pm at Blankets. Primary goal is Clip-N-Ride, so bring your bike and hand clippers. We have a few pairs to hand out. We will also be sending a small crew out to fix the trail on Kevorkian Pass that was impacted by the tree that fell away from the tread and another crew to do some chainsaw work.

6-17-2015 Ladies Ride at Cycle Therapy in Rome, GA Cycle Therapy in Rome, GA will begin their summer Ladies Only rides on Wednesdays. Meet at 6 and be ready to ride at 6:15. The ride will be 1-1.5 hours on the Heritage Trails. This ride is perfect for beginners, casual riders, or those who don’t want to ride on the roads.   HEY SHOPS, CLUBS, and RIDE LEADERS–Have a ride you want me to give a shout out to? Contact me! If you are in Atlanta or Athens (GA), I maintain ride lists for those, send me the details! I need the start location, day, time, average speed (does it break up into groups), general ride description, is it drop/no drop, any other info. you want to include, and a cue sheet or link to a GPS file. If you are not in the Atlanta area, give me the same details, and I”ll post it here in the News section!

GBRA News From GBRA: The 2015 Junior Regional Championship, scheduled for June 7/8 was postponed, by the promoter on June 4th. The August date chosen, conflicted with another GCS event. For this reason, All of the 2015 Junior’s Road Cycling State Championship contests associated have been reassigned to scheduled State Championship &/or GCS events: Time Trial State Championship/ The Georgia State Individual & Team Time Trial Championships on August 1-2, Junior’s Road Race State Championships/HHC Rumble @ Roebling August 8-9,  Jr’s Championship Road Race August 9, Criterium State Championship
Litespeed/BMW Twilight Criterium August 15.

Allatoona Work Party From SORBA West Georgia: We Really need a big turnout this Saturday at our ACP trail work party! We’ll start at 9:00 and wrap up around 1:00 with lunch. All tools provided. Just bring study shoes, long pants, gloves and bug spray. Top priority will be making sure the Summer Solstice race course is ready to go. Meet at the main parking lot.

6 Hour Race to Sunset From Mountain Goat Adventures: We hope you will join us for the 6 Hour Race to Sunset at Blankets Creek, presented by OutSpokin’ Bicycles on August 8th. located in Canton, GA, Blankets Creek is home to 15 miles of flowy, rolling singletrack. Take advantage of the early registration pricing by registering by July 18th. The shirt size deadline is July 25th, so you will need to register by then to guarantee your size or if you would like a women’s specific shirt. (Trish’s note: MGA is known for their awesome t-shirts!) This year’s event is limited to 325 riders to keep traffic to a reasonable level on the trails.

All riders receive a wicking tech tee, perfect for these hot summer days! First 250 to register will also receive a commemorative beverage glass, which will soon become your favorite! 100% cash payback to Solo Expert Classes! Sponsor prizes a minimum of 3 deep in all other categories, with large categories going up to 10 deep! Podium shirts for all 1st place finishers! Instant lap times and standings viewable on your smartphone – You don’t even need to leave your pit to check results! Special prizes for fastest laps, best pit, best crash, and best heckler costumes! Please help us help SORBA Woodstock by making plans to attend this event. Your participation ensures that we are able to keep attracting high level sponsors and enables us to support trail maintenance and construction at Blankets Creek and Rope Mill Park via funds raised at this event.

Fools Gold 50 and 100 Mile Mountain Bike Races (also from MGA)- September 19, 2015 Registration for the 2015 Fools Gold 50 and 100 Mile Mountain Bike Race is open and race preparations are underway! The Fools Gold is once again the NUE Series Finale, and is scheduled for September 19, 2015 at the beautiful Montaluce Winery and Estates, in Dahlonega, GA. 200 rider field limit for 100 mile, 300 rider field limit for 50 mile – please register early so you do not miss out. The 2014 race SOLD OUT in early September. Exciting improvements for 2015! More categories in our 50 mile race! We will still have the Open Men/Women’s classes, which will be the “money” classes, but we have added some additional divisions to give you all more options and smaller field sizes. Cash prizes added ($250, $200, $150) three deep in the 100 mile Open Singlespeed and Masters 50+ divisions.

And of Course, all the Good Stuff from 2014: Highly visible Course Markings and Course Marshals, Finisher awards for all 50 and 100 mile finishers, Custom awards for all podium finishers, Cash payout to 50 and 100 mile open Men/Women’s classes, Generous post race meal, Shirt size guaranteed if you register by the size deadline of September 1st., Bloody Early Saturday morning check-in for riders who are local and prefer not to stay in Dahlonega on Friday night., Well stocked aid stations with plenty of calories, fluids, mechanical support and first aid supplies, and possibly a few hecklers., Post race water, soda and of course Terrapin Beer!, Chip timing with instant results – no waiting around to see how you placed!, A mountain of sponsor prizes to find good homes for!, Hanging out post race with 300 of the coolest people you’ll ever meet!

6-16-2015 Welcome to New Advertisers! I’d like to give a huge welcome to a couple of new Southeastern Cycling advertisers. Free Flite Bicycles has been around for over 35 years. Locally owned, locally operated. Service is great! (Hint: Ask for Bryan or Alexis in the Marietta Canton Rd. location.) Free Flite is a huge supporter of cycling in Atlanta. They are very involved with SORBA Woodstock and supporting the trails at Blanket’s Creek and Rope Mill. Free Flite carries Trek, Santa Cruz, Surly, and more!

The Ledesma Sports Medicine Savannah Century features two days of pedaling the lovely and unique scenery of the Georgia Low Country Sept. 5-6.  Saturday’s warm up ride begins and ends at Hendrix Park in Black Creek, Georgia, approximately 20 minutes from downtown Savannah.  Sunday’s “main event’ rides depart from the popular and unique venue- The Distillery Alehouse.  There are routes for all abilities!  Each pre-registered rider who completes the century will receive a custom printed “100 Mile Club” pint glass upon return to The Distillery Alehouse!  Join us on Facebook for jersey giveaways and other added benefits!

The Boone Gran Fondo is part of the Gran Fondo National Championship Series offers not only the hardest road racing series in the nation, but also the most fun!
3 Distances to choose from: Gran Route (105 mi), Medio Route (55 mi), Piccolo Route (20 mi), 4 Timed Sections in the Gran Route – Best Combined Time Wins
Custom “Race Winner” jerseys for all Gran Route age group winners, Cash Purse and Prizes for Gran Route winners, Awards and Prizes for Medio and Piccolo winners, No racing license required. The Boone GF will be Aug. 2nd.

Remember to support the advertisers as they allow me to keep Southeastern Cycling FREE for everyone!

The Omnium Pro Race Series Swap & Shop From the DLV: Back for our second big event of the year will be the Swap & Shop at the Omnium. The vendor area at The Keirin was a success and we want to make it bigger & better!  If you wish to have a booth, spaces will be $50 for a 10×10 space. You will need to bring your own table/chair/blanket/salesperson/tent and methods for accepting payments. DLV cannot make change or accept credit cards for you. If you are interested please email rob@dicklanevelodrome.com for information on how to reserve. Spaces are limited and reserved on a first come first serve basis. Payment required upfront to reserve your spot.

6-15-2015 Trish’s Rant It’s been a while since I’ve had a good rant. Here you go…

How To Pass in a Mountain Bike Race I’ve been racing mountain bikes since 1997 and have been passed by a lot of fellow racers during that time. Thankfully in most of the XC races, The Cat. 2 Women race with the Cat. 1 and Cat 2 riders, who know how to pass politely and safely. In the 3/6 Hour races, everyone of every ability is thrown together. After some bad experiences at the last 2 races being passed, I thought I’d write a primer on how to do it well. USA Cycling’s rule book has a bunch of archaic rules about passing. The one I want to address is this one:

“It is the responsibility of passing riders to overtake safely. Riders should voice the command “Track” when overtaking another rider. Riders being passed must move over as quickly, efficiently, and as safely as possible.” In reality, no one yells “Track” anymore.

SAFELY. This does not involve yelling at the slower rider to “Get the FFFF Off The Trail!” This does not involve slamming the slower rider into a tree or hole or onto the ground. It is the responsibility of the faster rider to pass safely, and it is the responsibility of the slower rider to let them by as soon as it is SAFELY Possible. Here is how to pass properly.

Scenario 1, Passing in a narrow section with a small opening on the trail ahead.
Faster Racer: 2 Riders Back.
Slower Racer: Ok , you can pass on my left just after this tree. (Slower racer moves to the right, and let’s the faster racers pass.)

Scenario 2: Going down a fast, rocky hill. Note: It is DANGEROUS to pass someone going downhill. The Cat. 1 riders know this. LISTEN UP BEGINNERS! DO NOT PASS SOMEONE GOING DOWNHILL!
Faster Racer: I’d like to pass, please.
Slower Racer (looks ahead): Ok, as soon as we get to the bottom of the rocky hill, I’ll pull to the right, and you can pass on my left.
The pass is completed at the bottom of the hill.

Scenario 3: Going up a long hill.
Faster Racer: Pass please! Coming up fast.
Slower Racer: Ok, after this 20 foot rooty section, pass on my left. (Slower racer pulls to the right, so that the faster racer can pass. Slower racer may need to stop and pull off the trail if the hill is steep or narrow. As a courtesy, the slower racer should look back to make sure no one else needs to pass if they can safely do so.)

How NOT to pass. Scenario 1. Passing in a narrow section with a small opening in the trail.
Faster Racer: Passing Now!!! (With no verbal warning that they are behind the slower racer)
*Knocks slower racer off the trail into a tree.

Scenario 2:
NEVER PASS ON A DOWNHILL! EVER…just don’t go there.

Scenario 3:
Faster Racer: PASSING! Get the FFFF off the trail! (Faster racer comes right into the slower racer’s line and makes them have to slam on their brakes and get off their bike).

BEGINNERS-ALWAYS ANNOUNCE YOUR INTENT TO PASS! WAIT FOR THE SLOWER RACER TO ACKNOWLEGE IT AND GET OUT OF YOUR WAY. DO NOT SHOVE THEM INTO A TREE, THE POISON IVY, OR A HOLE! Waiting 3 seconds for them to get out of the way will not hold up your race. You may also prevent yourself and someone else from getting hurt.

Other stuff: No foul language. If you wouldn’t use the language in front of your Grandma, don’t use it on the trail when trying to pass. No elbows or other body parts should ever reach out to touch a fellow racer to push them off the trail. BE NICE!

6-12-2015 Jens Voigt I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Jens Voigt on several occasions now. He is a nice, outgoing, and funny in person as he comes across on social media and tv. He made an appearance at Atlanta Cycling in Vinings on Friday. I hung out and took pictures. It was nice seeing him again! The line to meet him was wrapped around the store! Thanks to AC for hosting the event!

Trish and Jens Voigt at Atlanta Cycling.

6-10-2015 Update on Greg Germani Decaturish has an update today on Greg Germani, the cyclist who was attacked by a driver last year in Atlanta. Greg suffered extensive injuries and continues to recover. The driver is awaiting trial.

6-9-2015 Atlanta Cycling Festival The Atlanta Cycling Festival begins this weekend! There are rides for all levels every day from June 13 to June 20. There are hipster rides, a photography ride, casual rides (ummmmm…..most end at a bar, which is nice if you are 21+), family rides, Beltine rides, rides to the park, a bike-in movie, discussion panels, and more! Southeastern Cycling is proudly a sponsor of the 2015 ACF!!

TN Women ‘s Project Clinics The Tennessee Women’s Project Team will have a beginner focused women’s race at the Music City Crits on June 24 and July 15. Race time is 4:30, and the race will be for Cat. 4 only women for 20 minutes. TCP team members will be there to help before the race and mentor new racers. (Trish’s Note: This is in Nashville, TN and there is a fee for the race and one day license.)

SORBA Woodstock VMT SORBA Woodstock will be hosting a TT on VMT on June 23, 2015 6:30 – 8:00 pm. Course: The course will run counter clockwise and start on Mosquito Flats just before the entrance to VMT and will consist of the entire VMT loop. Riders can do as many laps as they want. All you need is a current IMBA/SORBA membership. We can get you signed up on site, or you can sign up ahead of time, here. Your membership gets you into the remaining TT’s this season. If you are a current member, donations are welcome. On-site registration, number pick up, and membership sign-ups will be at the Blankets Creek kiosk starting at 6 pm. The 2nd and 3rd in the series will be held on Dwelling Loop and South Loop at Blankets Creek in the next month or so—dates announced at a later time.

Jackson County Brevet Review The Jackson County Brevet was Saturday in Braselton, GA. It raises money for the Emory Aplastic Anemia research fund. Ninety cents of every dollar raised by the fund goes directly to the researchers. There were nearly 500 cyclists this year. I was lucky enough to score a VIP parking site right in front of the doors to the church that served as the ride’s home base. There is a certain cool factor with having your name on a parking space. A few years ago when I did the ride, parking was in the lot around the corner in the business park; it has moved to the church’s parking lot, which is very convenient for the riders.

It took me a minute to find registration, but someone pointed me in the right way (I went in the wrong door of the church. Oops!..but I got to scope out where the after ride meal was going to be). Since I was pre-registered, it took less than one minute for me to pick up my number and goodie bag.  The start is organized into waves-20+ mph average, 16-19 mph average, and 15 & below. I really like this approach as it prevents the faster riders from having to overtake the slower riders and keeps the start safer. A police car stayed with the A group, which was led by special guests George Hincapie and Christian Van deVelde, for the entire 100 miles to stop traffic for them. Sadly, I knew I would not be a part of that experience. Let’s just say that I have been feeling awful on the bike since being sick most of April and May. The metric was about survival for me. I stopped for about 1 minute at the second rest stop, so I can’t make any comment about it other than the portapotties were clean. I got back on the road and was caught by the B group doing the metric. I hung on with them for a bit before getting dropped and riding with a small group into rest stop 3. There was a volunteer with a huge smile welcoming everyone and directing them where to go. There was ample railing space to prop bikes up against. My stomach was rebelling a bit, so I opted to eat some of the Clif Blocks I had instead of real food. I saw Kind Bars, Honey Stinger Waffles, and several kinds of fruit. Then I spied it….A HUGE COOLER WITH ICE! The young volunteer happily scooped two cups of ice into my bottle. I was hot, and the cold water tasted so good!  Ride directors take note, if it is above 75 degrees, a cooler with ice would be loved at every rest stop. I went back out and hooked up with a few others. After steering a couple of wayward triathletes back on the course, they pulled me in to the final rest stop. The last rest stop also serves as the first rest stop. I took advantage of it and stopped for a few minutes to get a cup of Gatorade and refill my bottles. This one had indoor bathrooms (Note to cyclists: If the sign on the door says “no cleats,” running into the bathroom in your socks will not kill you! Please honor the request). I came under the finish banner and saw a photographer on a ladder taking pictures of everyone’s finish. The after ride meal was catered by Chiles. The rice and beans were good; my stomach wouldn’t let me try anything else. I’d like to see a roll or tortilla wraps to go along with the meal of chicken with rice and beans. I crave ALL.THE.CARBS when I am done with a big ride, and they tend to be easy on my stomach. Dessert was cookies, sticky granola bar thingies, and….Mayfield ice cream sandwiches! While everyone was eating, a volunteer was circulating the room with a box of the frozen treats. Everyone I was eating with gladly took one, including myself. Yum! I love all things ice cream.

The route was good although a bit hillier than many expected. Having done the ride before, I was prepared for it. If you have ever ridden at Silk Sheets, the terrain is similar. There are some longer, shallower hills along with some short steep ones. There was nothing truly flat although there were a few false flats of 1-2%. Jackson County Police were at several intersections to stop traffic and let the riders through on the first part of the course, which was really appreciated! It’s nice not to have to stop when you have the opportunity to keep rolling. They were also at highway crossing between rest stops 3 and 4. I saw the police patrolling the course at a few points, too. Traffic coming back in the last 7-8 miles can be a bit heavy, but most cars gave cyclists 3 feet. On one road about 10 miles from the end, I saw big portable highway signs that said there was a bike event that day and to give 3 feet to pass. I think another one of those needs to be put on the road before the final right turn back to the church as that is where a couple of us got buzzed.

The JCB bills itself as the ride with the best marked routes. I have to agree that it was very well marked with multiple markings approaching each turn and a confirmation make within half a mile after intersections. As I tend to get lost, the confirmation marks were great! My only suggestion for next year is to put an extra sign for the first 64/100 split another 200 yards further from the turn. Two riders lost some skin when they went down after crossing wheels here after not seeing the sign for the split in a moment of inattention. At this early point in the ride, many that are doing the 100 and 64 milers are still together. Having one more sign may prevent another crash. A slightly more complicated solution would be to have a volunteer holding a sign for the 100 and another holding a sign for the metric. This shouldn’t be an issue at later course splits since the groups are smaller and further broken up. (Trish’s Note: The organizers know about the crash and are already discussing what can be done to make the first split more visible next year. The riders that went down had some road rash but were ok.)

Pros: Awesome volunteers (The volunteers were plentiful and really friendly!)
Convenient Parking
Well marked, confirmation marks after turns
Good, well stocked rest stops (ICE!!!)
Indoor bathrooms at the start
Plentiful, tasty post ride meal
Ice Cream sandwiches

Cons: $55 and no tshirt (I don’t need a tshirt, but some people like them.)
First 64/100 split needs another sign
Put up a couple of signs pointing to where registration is

6-6-2015 Bell Grant Update Knoxville, TN won the $100,000 grant from Bell to build the gravity trail! I can’t wait to ride it when it’s finished!

6-5-2015 Meet Jens Voigt! Jens Voigt will be at Atlanta Cycling in Vinings on Friday, June 12 from 3:00-6:00 pm for a meet and greet. The event is free. Trish’s Note: I’ve met Jens before, and he is very nice to talk to! Jens will also be in Greenville, SC June 11 from 3-6 pm at the Trek Store and in Charlotte, NC‘s Trek Store June 10 from 6-9 pm.

6-4-2015 Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day From SORBA West Georgia: Join SORBA West Georgia for Take A Kid Mountain Biking!
Saturday, June 06, 2015 9:00am – 10:30am Location : Mt Tabor Mountain Bike Park, 1550 E Paulding Dr, Dallas, GA 10157. They are partnering with Paulding Parks and Rec for a bike rodeo. Kid stuff starts at 9:30. There will be group rides at 10:30. Food will be available at 11:30 for chapter members, and there will be a membership meeting at noon.

6-3-2015 Junior Regionals Postponed  The Junior Regionals race, which was supposed to take place this weekend. It may be held Aug. 8-9.

Marietta Crit Info Marietta Tuesday Night Crit–A word to the riders: This is our friend Mr. Cone that Officer Auld puts out to keep us safe. We stay to the right of Mr. Cone until we have passed him coming down the hill towards Turn 1. If you don’t you may become a pancake.

Marietta Crit’s Mr. Cone

2015 Georgia State Championship Road Race Saturday, June 20, 2015 Hambersham County, GA The 2015 Georgia State Road Race will provide thrills for spectators and an amazing championship-worthy race for competitors. The championship course will include an undulating loop with a summit finish. The race will use a challenging ~12 mile loop, with a summit finish on Belton Bridge Rd. Are you planning to preview the state road course? Please choose Belton Bridge Recreation area, at the bottom of the hill, to park for pre-riding. We do not have permission from the owners of the private subdivision near the start, until the day of the event. Dingo Race Productions is now using RaceResult ActivePro Chip timing. The ActivePro Chip is a patented state of the art timing chip, collecting a wealth of information inside the chip while you race. A chip rental fee of $5 is built into the race registration fee. You may receive a $5 refund at registration if you have your own personal ActivePro Chip. You can also receive a $5 refund on your race registration is you purchase your own ActivePro Chip for $65. The ActivePro chips are available at pre-registration online, and also at day-of registration.

Event Time: 8:00am, Event Pricing: $20-$40 pre-reg, $35-$60 day of registration Categories: All USAC Categories and classes from Juniors to Masters. Only the Category & Masters races will vie for state championship jersey at this event.

Grant Park Crit WHAT: The 11th annual Maxxis Grant Park Criterium presented by Carter cycling race takes place on Sunday, August 16 in historic Grant Park. Each year, the Grant Park Criterium features pro and elite riders– both male and female – from around the region and country. The event includes criterium races (short circuit races) through Grant Park. Other highlights include kids races for ages 10 and under celebrating cycling at the earliest of ages – and every child who participates wins a prize.

Racing begins at 10:00 am and culminates with the Pro Men’s race at 4:30pm.The races feature three 90-degree turns, running in a counter-clockwise fashion along the .9 mile course. With a long straightaway across the finish line speeds will increase from a brisk 25-plus mph upwards as they  descend after turn one before going uphill on turn two and then ramping up again out of turn three onto Park  Avenue. Strong racers and teams will stay up front to control the tempo and avoid accidents. The real spectacle  comes near the end of the race, as the last turn onto Park Avenue leads to a short but wide straight to the  finish. Both the Pro women’s and Pro men’s races will last about 60 minutes.
WHEN: Sunday – August 16, 2015 10:00 am – 5:30 pm
WHERE: Grant Park, Georgia (The Start/Finish Line will be located at the intersection of Park Avenue SE and Hansell Street SE)
COURSE DESCRIPTION: • The Start/Finish Line will be located at the intersection of Park Avenue SE and Hansell Street SE. The race will travel counter clockwise on the course.• The course is approximately .9 miles with 3 turns o Turn 1: Left, 90 degrees – into the park
o Turn 2: Left, 90 degrees on Swimming Pool Hill– inside the park o Turn 3: Left, 90 degrees – onto Park Avenue

6-2-2015 Savannah Century Press Release: Join us in one of the most celebrated cities in the U.S., Savannah, Georgia, Sept. 5-6 for a classic road cycling event that has been taking place for over 30 years. The Ledesma Sports Medicine Savannah Century features two days of pedaling the lovely and unique scenery of the Georgia Low Country.  Saturday’s warm up ride begins and ends at Hendrix Park in Black Creek, Georgia, approximately 20 minutes from downtown Savannah.  This 31 mile route differs from the Sunday routes and offer views of farmland and quiet rural Georgia.  Sunday’s “main event’ rides depart from the popular and unique venue- The Distillery Alehouse.  Choose the 25 mile route if you want a shorter spin over to the picturesque Isle of Hope with views of moss-draped oaks, marinas, and lovely old coastal homes.  Choose one of the other three routes (37, 62 or 101 miles) if you want to traverse the majestic Talmadge Memorial Bridge which spans the Savannah River and offers views of River Street as you depart the downtown area for your ride.  Rest stops are plentiful and well-stocked.  Support vehicles patrol the route.  Each pre-registered rider who completes the century will receive a custom printed “100 Mile Club” pint glass upon return to The Distillery Alehouse!  Join us on Facebook for jersey giveaways and other added benefits!

Bell Built Grant-Knoxville The Appalachian Mountain Bike Club, a chapter of the Southern Off Road Bicycle Association, is a one of three finalists for a $100,000 grant from Bell to build a downtown bike park in Knoxville, TN, complete with a downhill run. To win the grant, AMBC SORBA needs your vote!  Voting is only online, takes one minute and ends June 4th. Vote for Knoxville NOW!

5-30-2015  2015 Georgia Cross Series What you’ve been waiting for! The 2015 GA CX schedule! Keep in mind that it is preliminary and subject to change. The Sunday race at Savannah will be on the USA Cycling National Cyclocross Calendar! The biggest pros in the US will be coming to GACX that day! There are also some upcoming exciting announcements regarding other races, so stay tuned.

October 3-4 Dingo Cross, Gainesville
October 11 Jim Miller, Marietta
October 18 Boundary Waters-State Championship Douglasville
October 24-25 Athens
November 1 Serenbe (Haunted Trail), Chatt Hills
November 7-8  Oglethorpe Speedway, Savannah (Sunday is USAC CX NATL)
November 14-15 Elks Aidmore, Conyers
December 5  Grant Park CX, Atlanta

Six Gap Century & Three Gap Fifty From the promoter: Six Gap Century & Three Gap Fifty Event Cost: $60 through August 31, $70 through September 24, $80 September 26 & 27 in person Coming on September 27, 2015 the Six Gap Century & Three Gap Fifty boasts many of the same roads and mountain climbs as the elite Tour de Georgia. The Six Gap Century’s ultra challenging route takes you up and down six of the steepest climbs in the North Georgia Mountains. Test your stamina with more than 11,200 feet of vertical climbing over the 104 mile course. Elevations for the six gaps in this ride range from 1,400 feet to 3,460 feet. The toughest climb, Hogpen Gap, will test even the strongest riders, averaging a 7% grade for seven miles, with sections as steep as 15%. The Three Gap Fifty’s alternative route offers half the gaps and half the distance, but is nevertheless a demanding and challenging course at 58 miles. Elevations range from 1,400 feet to 3,364 feet. We are also pleased to announce the 7th Annual “Valley Route” Bike Ride. This 35-mile valley option is a great introduction to the infamous Six Gap Century and boasts some of the most scenic mountainside in the Southeast. This new route will cast a special spotlight onto Yahoola Valley, Turner’s Corner, and R-Ranch in the Mountains. 100 miles. 11,200 vertical feet. 3,000 friends.

5-29-2015 Winston-Salem Cycling Classic & 2016-2015 US Pro and Masters National Championships: From a Press Release:
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (MAY 28, 2015) – National champions, Grand Tour winners and the top men and women across the nation in professional cycling are confirmed to compete this weekend at the third annual Winston-Salem Cycling Classic in North Carolina. The professional criterium races will take place on Saturday, May 30, as part of the USA Cycling National Criterium Calendar. Sunday, May 31, features the UCI-sanctioned Winston-Salem Cycling Classic road race events. Both champions from the 2014 women’s and men’s road races will return to defend their titles, Shelley Olds (USA), now riding for Bigla Pro Cycling based in Switzerland, and Travis McCabe (USA), riding for N.C.-based Team SmartStop Pro Cycling. Belgian Brecht Dhaene, who won the men’s pro criterium last year, returns on the Astellas Cycling Team. With the 2014 women’s criterium winner staying in Europe to race, the competition will be wide open for all top seven women’s teams on the NCC standings, as well as eight of the top-ranked UCI Women’s Elite teams.

“Winston-Salem put on a fantastic race last year, and I’m excited to bring the team back this year. We’re looking to continue the momentum we’ve built through the Amgen Tour of California and U.S. Pro Championships to Winston-Salem, and then on to the Philly Cycling Classic,” said Rachel Heal, director sportif for the UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling Team, which is bringing top talent for both the men’s and women’s races.
The Winston-Salem Cycling Classic is one of 19 NCC events, and one of nine National Racing Calendar (NRC) events, sanctioned by USA Cycling this year for men and women. The Women’s Professional Road Race in Winston-Salem is one of three internationally-sanctioned one-day races in the United States this year (Amgen Tour of California and Philadelphia International Cycling Classic).

Earlier today, USA Cycling announced that Winston-Salem would host the 2016 and 2017 Volkswagen USA Cycling Professional Road & Time Trial National Championships. The 2016 championships will be held May 22-30. The nine-day event will combine the Pro Road & Time Trial Championships, Masters Road National Championships and the Winston-Salem Cycling Classic, ending on Memorial Day with the Winston-Salem Cycling Classic UCI-sanctioned road race.

Please give cyclists 3 feet when passing. Pass them like you love them! #passthemlikeyoulovethem We are someone’s mother, father, sister, brother, wife, husband, friend, child employee. We are not “some person on a bike.” We have people at home that love us and want to see us returning home safely. Remember that in Georgia and all 50 states, bikes are considered vehicles and have all of he rights and responsibilities of a vehicle–just like a car. In Georgia, you must also pass a cyclist with AT LEAST 3 feet of clearance. IT’S THE LAW!

5-27-2015 Jackson Brevet is 2 Weeks Away Jackson Brevet June 6th, 2015, 7:30am Brasleton, GA 4-HR POLICE ESCORT, Unique ONLY to the Jackson Brevet, we are providing a 4-Hr police escort.  You set the pace and the escort stays with you. Want a quick Rest Stop?  No problem. Your police escort will wait.  Whether you are shooting for a sub-4hr or not, you get your own private escort. (Trish’s Note: This is for the A group.)  ONLINE REGISTRATION Our online registration never closes; even if you register at the event! Don’t forget to purchase your ‘virtual’ raffle tickets for incredible prizes, including a 2015 Trek road bike, provided by Atlanta Cycling, the OFFICIAL BICYCLE SPONSOR for the 2015 Jackson Brevet.

Help SORBA Woodstock! Mountain Goat Adventures is looking for volunteers to help with the Rope Mill Half Marathon on June 13 from 6 am to noon at Rope Mill Park in Woodstock, GA. They will make a $100 donation to SORBA Woodstock for each adult that volunteers at the Rope Mill Half Marathon on their behalf. Email Lisa at lisa at mountaingoatadventures.com if you want to volunteer; let her know your tshirt size.

DLV Women and Juniors Challenge The DLV Women’s & Juniors Velodrome Challenge is this Saturday. This will be a great day to get in some extra racing for our regular participants, and there will be a special Women’s D category for all of our newcomers. The Mission Source Juniors will have some light concessions & snacks available. The flyer is here.

Andrew Talansky (Cannondale-Garmin) climbs Kent Street with 2 to go.

The Twenty16 team at the front going through downtown Chattanooga while trying to bring back the break.

5-26-2015 US Pro Road Races Plenty of photos coming from the US Pro Road Races–after I get some sleep! Here is a preview.

Matthew Busche (Trek Factory Racing) was his second US Pro Road Race Title. Matthew closed his eyes for a few seconds and took in the feeling.

The winning break passes the Tennessee Aquarium over a bridge in the US Pro Women’s Road Race.

5-25-2015 15 USPro TT Photos Photos from the USPro TT are up at http://sadlebred.smugmug.com. Contact me if you are interested in any of the photos for commercial use.

US Pro Road Race! SOUTHEASTERN CYCLING IS AN OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER!  The best place to check in with us is on Twitter for all the action! https://twitter.com/Sadlebred. The LIVE STREAM feed for Monday’s Road Races can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPS6CiWwUlg. If you loved the USA Crits Live Streaming, Swagger (out of Athens, GA) will be doing the coverage for Monday’s RRs!

Pan-Am Champion Carmen Small (Twenty16) rode to a strong 2nd place in the Women’s USPro TT.

Michael Olhieser (Team Lupus) finished strongly in the Men’s USPro TT.

5-24-2015 USPro TT I photographed the US Professional Time Trial Championships today. It was great seeing so many people out! Photos will be up by Sunday night at http://sadlebred.smugmug.com. Contact me if you are interested in any of the photos for commercial use.

Kristin Armstong (Twenty16) came out of retirement to win the US Pro Women’s Time Trial. Her teammate, Carmen Small, was second.

Andrew Talansky (Cannondale-Garmin) won the Men’s US Pro TT Championship

5-30-2015  2015 Georgia Cross Series What you’ve been waiting for! The 2015 GA CX schedule! Keep in mind that it is preliminary and subject to change. The Sunday race at Savannah will be on the USA Cycling National Cyclocross Calendar! The biggest pros in the US will be coming to GACX that day! There are also some upcoming exciting announcements regarding other races, so stay tuned.

October 3-4 Dingo Cross, Gainesville
October 11 Jim Miller, Marietta
October 18 Boundary Waters-State Championship Douglasville
October 24-25 Athens
November 1 Serenbe (Haunted Trail), Chatt Hills
November 7-8  Oglethorpe Speedway, Savannah (Sunday is USAC CX NATL)
November 14-15 Elks Aidmore, Conyers
December 5  Grant Park CX, Atlanta

Six Gap Century & Three Gap Fifty From the promoter: Six Gap Century & Three Gap Fifty Event Cost: $60 through August 31, $70 through September 24, $80 September 26 & 27 in person Coming on September 27, 2015 the Six Gap Century & Three Gap Fifty boasts many of the same roads and mountain climbs as the elite Tour de Georgia. The Six Gap Century’s ultra challenging route takes you up and down six of the steepest climbs in the North Georgia Mountains. Test your stamina with more than 11,200 feet of vertical climbing over the 104 mile course. Elevations for the six gaps in this ride range from 1,400 feet to 3,460 feet. The toughest climb, Hogpen Gap, will test even the strongest riders, averaging a 7% grade for seven miles, with sections as steep as 15%. The Three Gap Fifty’s alternative route offers half the gaps and half the distance, but is nevertheless a demanding and challenging course at 58 miles. Elevations range from 1,400 feet to 3,364 feet. We are also pleased to announce the 7th Annual “Valley Route” Bike Ride. This 35-mile valley option is a great introduction to the infamous Six Gap Century and boasts some of the most scenic mountainside in the Southeast. This new route will cast a special spotlight onto Yahoola Valley, Turner’s Corner, and R-Ranch in the Mountains. 100 miles. 11,200 vertical feet. 3,000 friends.

5-29-2015 Winston-Salem Cycling Classic & 2016-2015 US Pro and Masters National Championships: From a Press Release:
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (MAY 28, 2015) – National champions, Grand Tour winners and the top men and women across the nation in professional cycling are confirmed to compete this weekend at the third annual Winston-Salem Cycling Classic in North Carolina. The professional criterium races will take place on Saturday, May 30, as part of the USA Cycling National Criterium Calendar. Sunday, May 31, features the UCI-sanctioned Winston-Salem Cycling Classic road race events. Both champions from the 2014 women’s and men’s road races will return to defend their titles, Shelley Olds (USA), now riding for Bigla Pro Cycling based in Switzerland, and Travis McCabe (USA), riding for N.C.-based Team SmartStop Pro Cycling. Belgian Brecht Dhaene, who won the men’s pro criterium last year, returns on the Astellas Cycling Team. With the 2014 women’s criterium winner staying in Europe to race, the competition will be wide open for all top seven women’s teams on the NCC standings, as well as eight of the top-ranked UCI Women’s Elite teams.

“Winston-Salem put on a fantastic race last year, and I’m excited to bring the team back this year. We’re looking to continue the momentum we’ve built through the Amgen Tour of California and U.S. Pro Championships to Winston-Salem, and then on to the Philly Cycling Classic,” said Rachel Heal, director sportif for the UnitedHealthCare Pro Cycling Team, which is bringing top talent for both the men’s and women’s races.
The Winston-Salem Cycling Classic is one of 19 NCC events, and one of nine National Racing Calendar (NRC) events, sanctioned by USA Cycling this year for men and women. The Women’s Professional Road Race in Winston-Salem is one of three internationally-sanctioned one-day races in the United States this year (Amgen Tour of California and Philadelphia International Cycling Classic).

Earlier today, USA Cycling announced that Winston-Salem would host the 2016 and 2017 Volkswagen USA Cycling Professional Road & Time Trial National Championships. The 2016 championships will be held May 22-30. The nine-day event will combine the Pro Road & Time Trial Championships, Masters Road National Championships and the Winston-Salem Cycling Classic, ending on Memorial Day with the Winston-Salem Cycling Classic UCI-sanctioned road race.

Please give cyclists 3 feet when passing. Pass them like you love them! #passthemlikeyoulovethem We are someone’s mother, father, sister, brother, wife, husband, friend, child employee. We are not “some person on a bike.” We have people at home that love us and want to see us returning home safely. Remember that in Georgia and all 50 states, bikes are considered vehicles and have all of he rights and responsibilities of a vehicle–just like a car. In Georgia, you must also pass a cyclist with AT LEAST 3 feet of clearance. IT’S THE LAW!

5-27-2015 Jackson Brevet is 2 Weeks Away Jackson Brevet June 6th, 2015, 7:30am Brasleton, GA 4-HR POLICE ESCORT, Unique ONLY to the Jackson Brevet, we are providing a 4-Hr police escort.  You set the pace and the escort stays with you. Want a quick Rest Stop?  No problem. Your police escort will wait.  Whether you are shooting for a sub-4hr or not, you get your own private escort. (Trish’s Note: This is for the A group.)  ONLINE REGISTRATION Our online registration never closes; even if you register at the event! Don’t forget to purchase your ‘virtual’ raffle tickets for incredible prizes, including a 2015 Trek road bike, provided by Atlanta Cycling, the OFFICIAL BICYCLE SPONSOR for the 2015 Jackson Brevet.

Help SORBA Woodstock! Mountain Goat Adventures is looking for volunteers to help with the Rope Mill Half Marathon on June 13 from 6 am to noon at Rope Mill Park in Woodstock, GA. They will make a $100 donation to SORBA Woodstock for each adult that volunteers at the Rope Mill Half Marathon on their behalf. Email Lisa at lisa at mountaingoatadventures.com if you want to volunteer; let her know your tshirt size.

DLV Women and Juniors Challenge The DLV Women’s & Juniors Velodrome Challenge is this Saturday. This will be a great day to get in some extra racing for our regular participants, and there will be a special Women’s D category for all of our newcomers. The Mission Source Juniors will have some light concessions & snacks available. The flyer is here.

Andrew Talansky (Cannondale-Garmin) climbs Kent Street with 2 to go.

The Twenty16 team at the front going through downtown Chattanooga while trying to bring back the break.

5-26-2015 US Pro Road Races Plenty of photos coming from the US Pro Road Races–after I get some sleep! Here is a preview.

Matthew Busche (Trek Factory Racing) was his second US Pro Road Race Title. Matthew closed his eyes for a few seconds and took in the feeling.

The winning break passes the Tennessee Aquarium over a bridge in the US Pro Women’s Road Race.

5-25-2015 15 USPro TT Photos Photos from the USPro TT are up at http://sadlebred.smugmug.com. Contact me if you are interested in any of the photos for commercial use.

US Pro Road Race! SOUTHEASTERN CYCLING IS AN OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER!  The best place to check in with us is on Twitter for all the action! https://twitter.com/Sadlebred. The LIVE STREAM feed for Monday’s Road Races can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPS6CiWwUlg. If you loved the USA Crits Live Streaming, Swagger (out of Athens, GA) will be doing the coverage for Monday’s RRs!

Pan-Am Champion Carmen Small (Twenty16) rode to a strong 2nd place in the Women’s USPro TT.

Michael Olhieser (Team Lupus) finished strongly in the Men’s USPro TT.

5-24-2015 USPro TT I photographed the US Professional Time Trial Championships today. It was great seeing so many people out! Photos will be up by Sunday night at http://sadlebred.smugmug.com. Contact me if you are interested in any of the photos for commercial use.

Kristin Armstong (Twenty16) came out of retirement to win the US Pro Women’s Time Trial. Her teammate, Carmen Small, was second.

Andrew Talansky (Cannondale-Garmin) won the Men’s US Pro TT Championship

Ride with Fast Freddie Want to ride with Fast Freddie Rodriguez? He will be at Reality Bikes THIS Wednesday! “RSVP to this amazing opportunity to meet and ride with cycling legend Fred “Fast-Freddie” Rodriguez this Wednesday!! He will be at Reality Bikes to share some of his amazing career highlights, ride with us, and then join us for post ride recovery food and drinks at Marie’s Italian Deli, Bakery & Market. This season will be his last US pro tour as he will be retiring, so don’t miss this event. Our rides leave at 5:45, 5:55 and 6pm. Fast Freddie is a proud sponsor of the Reality Bikes Ambassador Team and Club Team. Who’s riding with us?” RVSP Here.

5-22-2015 US Pro! US Pro is this weekend in Chattanooga! SOUTHEASTERN CYCLING IS AN OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER!  We’ll be covering Saturday and Monday’s Men’s and Womens races. The best place to check in with us is on Twitter for all the action! https://twitter.com/Sadlebred. The LIVE STREAM feed for Monday’s Road Races can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPS6CiWwUlg. If you loved the USA Crits Live Streaming, Swagger (out of Athens, GA) will be doing the coverage for Monday’s RRs!

Look for us on the moto (hopefully, a little bit! I’ll be in a red helmet) and come say hi! We may just wave b/c we’ll be running with our cameras all weekend!

Atlanta to Savannah Book Local Atlanta cyclist Eddie Shirey has written a guidebook called “Atlanta to Savannah: A Cyclist’s Guidebook.” It offers two detailed routes riding from Atlanta to Savannah. The book contains directions, detailed points of interest, accommodations, store stops, restaurants, and more. Eddie recently did the March to the Sea route. SavannahNow has a great story about it. “Atlanta to Savannah: A Cyclist’s Guidebook” is available on Amazon.

5-21-2015 Atlanta Cycling Festival The Atlanta Cycling Festival has announced the 2015 Ride Calendar! There is something for everyone! I’m looking forward to the Baggies and Skirts ride sponsored by Sorella Cycling. It will be held Wed., June 17th at 6:30. Meet at 12th and Piedmont at the entrance to Piedmont Park. Leave the spandex at home! Wear your comfortable clothes! The ride will be a relaxed pace for about 10 miles over to the Bantam Pub. Southeastern Cycling is proud to sponsor the ACF!

US Pro Info. Looking for info about US Pro like good places to watch the road race, course maps, and more? Check out the USA Cycling Website! Southeastern Cycling will have all the action covered for the TT and RR!

Chattanooga, Tenn., is once again the epicenter of American cycling this weekend, as the 2015 Volkswagen USA Cycling Professional Road and Time Trial National Championships return to the Scenic City for the third consecutive year May 23-25. “It is fantastic to be back in Chattanooga and the home of Volkswagen USA again for these championships,” said USA Cycling Vice-President of National Events Micah Rice. “Between the outstanding fans and the challenging course, which will again include Lookout Mountain and the Volkswagen Kent Street Climb, we couldn’t be more excited to award the Stars-and-Stripes jerseys here.” The event will showcase the top American road cyclists with the May 23 men’s and women’s individual time trials and the May 25 men’s and women’s road races. For a full schedule breakdown, click here. The time trial course will be held adjacent to the Volkswagen Chattanooga Plant in Hamilton County and features rolling terrain with few turns. Riders will complete two out-and-back runs of 9.5 miles each for a total of 19 miles. The course layout has four turnarounds and will allow spectators to see each rider multiple times.

The road races will showcase downtown Chattanooga, along with the tough climb up Lookout Mountain. The men’s and women’s races will begin with a 5.1-mile start circuit — three circuits for the women and four for the men. The same circuit will be used for the finish of each race. The course then takes the riders on a relatively flat run along Market Street to begin the climb up Ochs Highway, which is approximately three miles and climbs 1,150 feet each lap. The race will pass through Lookout Mountain to Scenic Highway, and return to downtown via Market Street. Men will complete four laps up the climb, while the women will do two laps. The “long lap” is 16.5 miles in distance. The men and women will complete the start/finish circuits each lap of the “long lap” and will finish the race with three 5.1-mile circuits each. The North Chattanooga Kent Street Climb (Trish’s Note: Party Central!) is back in 2015, again punishing riders with grades of up to 20 percent. The men and women will face this challenge on all circuits and  “long laps” this year.  The course will cross the Market Street Bridge and Veterans Bridge each lap, and spectators will see the riders cross through the start/finish line 11 times during the men’s race and eight times during the women’s race. In addition to Stars-and-Stripes jerseys, the road race winners will also receive a one-year lease of the new 2015 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen.

“As the title sponsor of the Volkswagen USA Cycling Professional Road & Time Trial National Championships, we are pleased to present the winners of the men’s and women’s road races with a one-year loan of a 2015 Golf SportWagen,” said Vinay Shahani, Vice-President of Marketing, Volkswagon Group of America.  “Volkswagen is thrilled to have this cycling event return to the hometown of our U.S. manufacturing, Chattanooga, Tenn.”
5-20-2015 CCA Regional Road Cycling Championships Press Release: The Carolinas Cycling Association (CCA) is proud to announce that Wade NC, Cumberland County, has been selected as the site for the 2015 CCA Regional (North Carolina and South Carolina) Road Cycling Championships, June 27-28. “Hosting the CCA Regional Road Race Championship in Cumberland County truly indicates the strong grass roots base that cycling has in southeastern N.C.,” said Mike Thomas, Race Director. “On behalf of Hawley’s Bicycle World and the Cross Creek Cycling Club, we are thrilled to host these two exciting days of amateur bike racing.” The Regional Road Cycling Championships are scheduled to take place June 27-28 and will feature masters, elite, and juniors, in men’s and women’s race fields. Racers will compete for up to $4,000 in cash prizes, as well as 2015 Championship Medals.

The 18 mile race course begins at the Wade Community Fire Depart, at 3926 Church Street, Wade, NC 28395. “We are so very appreciative of the support from the Wade Fire Department. They have been very generous to provide the race staging area, parking and free camping” said Thomas. Race distances will vary from 18 miles, or one loop, to up to 90 miles, or five loops for the more advanced race fields. Jesse Newsom, Sports Marketing Director for the Fayetteville Convention and Visitors Bureau said that “this cycling championship is the start of a collaborative effort between the cycling community, Cumberland County and the city of Fayetteville to bring high quality amateur bike racing to the region”. The public is invited to attend as either free of charge spectators, or as competitors. There are race fields for the general public, men and women, at 3 pm on Saturday, June 27, as well as at 1:15 pm on Sunday, June 28. For more information go to the CCA Regional Road Race Face book page at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/CCA-Regional-Road-Race. This event is permitted and sanctioned by USA Cycling (the governing body for national and Olympic cycling in the USA) as well as permitted by the NC State Department of Transportation.

5-19-2015 Who is Racing US Pro? Do you want to see who is registered for the US Pro National Championships this weekend? Check out the USA Cycling website.

Ride of Silence From Bike Alpharetta: “Ride of Silence will be held instead of the “Harry’s not in a Hurry Ride” this Wednesday 5/20/15 leaving out of Independence High School 86 School Dr, Alpharetta, GA 30009 at 7 pm sharp. Join cyclists worldwide who will be riding in a silent slow-paced ride (max. 12 mph) in honor of those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways. It is also raises awareness that we are here and to share the road. http://www.rideofsilence.org/main.php Remember the Ride of Silence starts at 7pm sharp start ~ 4 mile ride.”

5-15-2015 Georgia Cross News! Georgia Cross is VERY excited to announce at the Sunday race at the Savannah Superprestige will be part of the 2015-2016 National CX Calendar! The race weekend will be Nov. 7-8. Elite purses will be $3000 and go 15 deep! Ooooo…..I’m dancing! Elite purses will be $3000 and go 15 deep! Ooooo…..I’m dancing!

City of Atlanta to Hire First Chief Bicycle Officer (Southeastern Cycling’s official stance is: Woo Hoo!!!) Reed Administration partners with the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition to fund position through a 5-year challenge grant from Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation

ATLANTA – Mayor Kasim Reed announced today that the City of Atlanta is hiring its first Chief Bicycle Officer (CBO), a full-time bicycle planner, engineer and advocate for the city’s ambitious bike transportation goals. The Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation is supporting the position through a five-year $250,000 challenge grant to the city through the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition. The public-private partnership will enable Atlanta to achieve national recognition as a Bicycle Friendly Community, and achieve the city’s goals related to bicycle transportation, including doubling miles of high quality bicycle lanes and shared-use trails and becoming a top ten city in the U.S. for cycling by 2016. Specific measures include percentage of workers bike commuting (#23 in 2012) and bike safety (#17 in 2012).

“A Chief Bicycle Officer for Atlanta comes at the perfect time to leverage the progress we have made and the opportunities before the city,” said Mayor Kasim Reed. “From the city’s infrastructure bond spend to the bike sharing program and Atlanta’s engagement with the ‘Mayor’s Challenge for Safer People, Safer Streets’ sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, this is an exciting time for cycling in Atlanta.” The CBO will be responsible for a wide range of activities related to bicycle transportation in the City of Atlanta, including engineering and planning bicycle projects to completion, public outreach, project development, grant writing, oversight of the city’s bike share program and ensuring new development is consistent with bike elements of the city’s existing plans. The CBO will also work closely with the Department of Public Works and Georgia Department of Transportation to include bicycle facilities in roadway maintenance, capital projects and work through Invest Atlanta to support bike projects that advance Atlanta’s economic competiveness.

“By funding and hiring a Chief Bicycle Officer, the city and its supporters in the philanthropic community are sending a clear message that we are serious about creating a network of safe and connected bikeways designed and built thoughtfully for the benefit of all,” says Rebecca Serna, Executive Director of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition. “This position is an example of how the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition is bringing new resources to the table for a more bikeable, walkable, livable city.” “Thanks to the successful advocacy of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition and the city of Atlanta, biking is becoming a high priority across Atlanta,” stated Penelope McPhee, President of the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation, which is an affiliated fund of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. “We are thrilled to support the momentum of this work that is benefitting residents in so many different ways and is helping make our city safer, healthier and more economically competitive.”

The Reed Administration has made significant investments in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure with a diverse range of partners including the Livable Centers Initiative, Atlanta BeltLine, PATH Foundation, Midtown Alliance, Georgia Tech, Atlanta Downtown Improvement District and the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation. During Mayor Reed’s tenure, the City has added 19 miles of new bike lanes, protected bike lanes, and multi-use trails and has an additional 40 miles of facilities in the project development pipeline. The job listing can be found on the City’s website.

USA Cycling Para-cycling Road National Championships back in Chattanooga (May 14, 2015) – Over 100 para-cyclists will vie for more than 20 national titles as the 2015 U.S. Para-cycling Road National Championships return to Chattanooga, Tennessee, May 23-25, as time trial, road race and handcycle criterium competition will sort out who goes to the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships and Parapan American Games this summer.
The largest domestic road para-cycling event of 2015, the U.S. Para-cycling National Championships will run in conjunction with the 2015 Volkswagen USA Cycling Professional Road and Time Trial National Championships. This year also marks the first time the event will serve as the national championships for all para-cycling classes. “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the Volkswagen USA Cycling Pro Road and Time Trial National Championships,” said Ian Lawless, high performance director of U.S. Paralympics cycling. “The events in Chattanooga are a great way to create awareness about the Paralympic Movement and showcase cyclists with and without disabilities together at a high-profile event.”
The U.S. team had a very successful 2014 road season with 18 medals won at the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships to capture the overall and the gold medal count in Greenville, South Carolina. Top performer expected to compete in Chattanooga include world champions Allison Jones (Colorado Springs, Colorado), Aaron Keith (Woodinville, Washington), Jamie Whitmore (Mount Aukum, California) and Megan Fisher (Missoula, Montana).
All para-cycling classes will be in action at the May 23 time trial and May 24 road race, while handcycle classes will close out the holiday weekend with the May 25 criterium in downtown Chattanooga. The U.S. Para-Cycling National Championships are a selection event for the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Nottwil, Switzerland and the Parapan Am Games in Toronto.

5-12-2015 Random Stuff Tina Pic Those of us who have been racing around the South for a long time know who Tina Pic is. She got her bike racing career started while attending grad school at the University of Georgia in the late 90s. She’s been an alternate fr the Athens Olympics, She’s a many time National Criterium Champion, a Pan Am Gold Medalist, and an all-around bad lass. Tina recently celebrated her 49th birthday by racing according to Velonews. Tina even has her own Wikipedia page.

5-11-2015 DLV Photos Photos from the Keirin at the Dick Lane Velodrome are up! There are plenty from the A, B, C, Youth Cycling League, and Keirin events!

Emile Abraham takes his turn on the moto’s wheel at the Dick Lane Velodrome Pro Race “The Keirin.”

5-8-2015 Sorella RAAM Metric Century! Please join Sorella Cycling and Atlanta Cycling to support the Sorella Race Across America Team! There will be a metric century this Sunday (Mother’s Day–hey, may of us are mothers & we ride on Mother’s Day!) starting at Atlanta Cycling in Vinings. Day of entry is $35. There are ride options of 11, 22, 40-50 (out and back), and a metric century.  There will be a sag stop at the 20 mile mark for the 40-50 mile ride and the 20/40 mile for the metric. After the ride, enjoy a hamburger and hot dog cookout at the shop, which is included with the entry!

SRS Returns to Albany, May 16-17th It is the third consecutive year for Albany to host SRS, and the 11th year the city has hosted a bike race weekend. Racers and spectators can expect a full day of activities, including a Pepsi Taste Challenge, for the Albany Unchained: Time Trial and Criterium on Saturday. The Visit Albany Time Trial  will begin at 8 a.m. in downtown Albany, followed by a fast and flat criterium from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. for nine different categories.

The Albany Unchained Road Race, hosted by the Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau, begins at 8 a.m. on Sunday, offering some of the best scenic vistas in the country. Racers will navigate a 34-mile loop just north of Albany through Leesburg.  There is still time to pre-register! Save $10 by pre-registering on Bikereg.com before the May 14th, 11:00 PM deadline!  The SRS events offer series points calculations for those interested in the series jersey competitions. Each race weekend is a stand alone event, where racers can choose to just race that weekend and not continue in the series. Come out and just have fun!

Charleston Park Trail Closure From RAMBO:  “RAMBO and Forsyth County Parks & Rec are sad to announce that the Central Park Mountain Bike Trail will close for good on May 9th. This closure is due to the Water Plant requiring all of the land on the other side of the creek. Without this land, Central Park trail is only 2 miles long and not worth maintaining as a Mountain Bike Trail. For 10 years the Water Department allowed us to use their land and we thank them. Thank you to all of the County Employees and RAMBO Volunteers that worked so hard to build and maintain the trail over the years. Please spread the word that riders should go to our 2 new parks (Charleston Park and Haw Creek Park) to ride in Forsyth County. Trail details at WWW.RAMBO-MTB.ORG.”
SORBA West Georgia May Work Parties From SORBA West GA: “We will have work parties on the next 2 Saturdays in all three counties. Please come out and help maintain a great trail system! Saturday May 9th, 8am to 4pm, Clinton nature preserve/Douglas County, Work on the new beginner loop and fix any muddy spots., Meet at the first pkg lot on the right. Saturday May 16th,   9am to 1pm, Silver comet sidetrail/Paulding County, Meet at the rambo trailhead off the silver comet mile 22.2, Work on a reroute east of rambo and some trail widening west of rambo. Saturday May 16th 9am to 1pm Allatoona Creek Park/Cobb County
Meet at the old stilesboro pkg lot Putting rock in some wet areas and work on new trail sections.”

5-7-2015 Bike to Work Day Atlanta Falcons General Manager Thomas Dimitroff will participate in National Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 15. Dimitroff will ride a loop beginning and ending at the Georgia Dome, covering approximately 17 miles through downtown Atlanta.

The ride will start at 7:30 a.m. at Falcons Landing between the Georgia Dome and Phillips Arena on Andrew Young International Boulevard. Dimitroff will lead the route along with members of the Falcons front office and the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition. The route will feature several iconic Atlanta landmarks, including the historic West End neighborhood, Westside BeltLine Trail, Turner Field, Grant Park, and the Eastside BeltLine Trail. The ride is open to the public and riders are encouraged to join along on their commutes to work. It will be at a casual, social pace (10-15 mph) and end with music and snacks at the Dome. Registration is encouraged for planning purposes. Parking will be available in the Red Deck and parking passes will be emailed to participants that pre-register. Trish’s Note: There is no cost.

5-6-2015 Dirty Spokes Benefit Raffle From Shane Schreihart:  “I am sure most of you have heard… Jason Young, a racer from Canton, GA, was hit by a car earlier this week in Cherokee County. He was rushed to the hospital and spent several days in the ICU. Unfortunately, he passed away Saturday from his extensive injuries. Please keep his wife, 3 children, and family in your thoughts and prayers. We will be doing a “Race Day Raffle” with many great prizes ($10.00 Per Ticket) and donation fund.  ALL PROCEEDS will be given back to Jasons wife and children.” Trish’s Note: The raffle will be at the Dirty Spokes 3/6 Hour race next Saturday.

Jason Young’s Service The celebration of life service for Jason Young will be this Thursday at North Point Community Church in Alpharetta. The viewing is from 5-7 pm. The Celebration of Life Service will be from 7-8 pm. Two funds have been set up. (Trish’s Note: I am not associated with these funds, please contribute directly.) The Jason Young Final Expenses Fund  Set up to cover the costs associated with the medical care that Jason received following the collision, as well as funeral and memorial expenses, contributions to this fund can be made at any Wells Fargo branch nationwide. The Young Children’s Education Fund, Designed to help with the costs of Hannah, Sara and Jake’s educations, contributions to this fund can be made at any Wells Fargo branch nationwide. Donate online here.

Teams Announced for NCC and UCI Races in Winston-Salem WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (MAY 5, 2015) – Organizers of the Winston-Salem Cycling Classic, a third-year professional cycling event, have confirmed the top 24 women’s teams representing 10 countries that have accepted invitations to race May 30-31, 2015.  There will be 24 men’s teams which will compete in professional races in downtown Winston-Salem and surrounding areas. The professional criterium races will take place on Saturday, followed by the road races on Sunday. Highlighting the field of women’s teams are seven teams currently ranked in the Top 15 of the Women’s Elite world standings by the Union Cyclist Internationale (UCI). Currently ranked fourth overall in the world is the Velocio-SRAM team from Germany. The Bigla Pro Cycling Team from Switzerland is ranked fifth overall. Two top American teams will be returning to Winston-Salem, the Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies (ranked 10th in the world) and UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling team (ranked 11th in the world).

Among the U.S.-based women’s team participating at USA Cycling’s National Criterium Calendar (NCC) events, seven of the Top 10 teams will be in Winston-Salem. UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling is the top-ranked team on the NCC circuit. Other NCC teams competing in Winston-Salem include ISCorp presented by Smart Choice MRI, Team Colavita/Bianchi presented by Fine Cooking, Team TIBCO-SVB, Pepper Palace Pro Cycling presented by The Happy Tooth, BMW presented by Happy Tooth and Fearless Femme presented by Haute Wheels Racing.  “The level of competition for the women’s professional races will be incredible this year,” said Ray Boden, race director for the Winston-Salem Cycling Classic.  “Our event continues to be one of three single-day UCI events for women in the U.S. and we expect a very deep field of international competitors for some serious racing. Spectators will be treated to a full weekend of high-caliber racing.” The Winston-Salem Cycling Classic is one of 19 NCC events, and one of nine National Racing Calendar (NRC) events, sanctioned by USA Cycling this year for men and women. The Women’s Professional Road Race in Winston-Salem is one of three internationally-sanctioned one-day races in the United States this year. The Amgen Tour of California (UCI 1.1) and the Philadelphia International Cycling Classic (UCI world cup road race) are the two other UCI-sanctioned races.

Expected to return as part of the Swiss-based Bigla Pro Cycling team is American Shelley Olds, the 2014 Winston-Salem Women’s Pro Road Race champion. Olds was the top American at the 2014 Road Race World Championships with a sixth-place finish. One of the top challengers should be reigning women’s Time Trial World Champion, German Lisa Brennauer of the Velocio-SRAM Pro Cycling team. Brennauer also took the silver medal at the road worlds last year.

UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling, a UCI Pro Continental squad based in California, will lead the field of 24 men’s teams coming to Winston-Salem. Twelve UCI Continental teams are confirmed to race, with five teams ranked in the top seven of USA Cycling’s NCC standings: UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling, Hincapie Racing Team, Astellas Cycling Team, The 706 Project presented by UnitedHealthcare of Georgia and Champion Systems – Stan’s NoTubes. The women’s pro criterium will open the professional racing on Saturday, May 30. The women’s race will start at 5 p.m., with the pro men following at 6:30 p.m. A new 1.2-mile course will be used this year, with start/finish on Patterson Avenue at Bailey Park. Spectators will enjoy the race passing on three sides of Bailey Park, and live music will be staged in that area as well. On Sunday, May 31, the women’s professional road race at the Winston-Salem Cycling Classic will start at 12:30 p.m., and the men’s professional road race will start at 3:30 p.m.  A new eight-mile circuit will be used for both races, with the start/finish located at W. 6th and Trade streets downtown. The course will include multiple laps through Old Salem and Haynes Park. Prize purses will be $12,500 for the women and $12,500 for the men.

Adventures of the Crux. Jackson Street Bridge on an Urban Ramble.

5-5-2015 Alpha Bikes Custom Wheels From Alpha Bikes: “Looking for a new set of hoops?  We can certainly get you just about any set on the market.  But if you want something really dialed to your needs and your bike, think custom.  We’ll work with you to design and hand craft a set of wheels that not only meets your budget, but that best suits your bike and your riding style. And we’ll stand by them with free adjustments and truing for two years.”
Hagen-Kenbikelaw Present the Keirin From The DLV: “We have a lot of exciting additions to our first Pro Race Series of 2015! We will have the Mix’D Up food truck providing us with their delicious burgers and black bean burgers. We’ll have King of Pops out with their Popsicle cart…and never fear, our World Famous Chicken Nachos and Cake Hag cupcakes will still be available at the concession stand. Robert from Saucebox will be live printing commemorative Keirin posters and t-shirts only available that day and other special designs of his invention. We’ll have Lil Miss Rainbow out for face painting fun and Rhys May Jewelry will be showing off her excellent smithy skills and custom head badges. Yes, I did say head badges for your bicycle! We”ll have long time supporters Outback Bikes and Snyder Cycles showing off their new bikes and frames and Richard From ProWheelBuilder.com set-up showing off his custom building skills.” Trish’s note: Entry is $5 for spectators or $10 for the entire family! The Pro Bike Series races at the Dick Lane Velodrome are always so much fun!

Charges Filed in Jason’s Death From the Patch: “Milton police have charged John Blankenship, 46, with vehicular homicide in the April 29 accident, which occurred on Freemanville Road. One of two bicyclists injured when they were hit by the driver of a pickup truck in Milton has passed away. Jason Young of Canton, 42, died over the weekend from injuries sustained in the fatal crash, Milton police said on Monday. Jasper resident, 46-year-old John Blankenship, has been charged with reckless driving and homicide by vehicle in the crash, which occurred at 7:36 p.m. April 29 along Freemanville Road near Dartmouth Road in Milton. According to investigators and information from the scene, Blankenship, the driver of a white 1993 Ford Ranger pickup truck, was traveling northbound on Freemanvile Road while five cyclists were traveling southbound on the same road. In an attempt to pass another vehicle in front of him, Blankenship allegedly crossed over into the southbound lane and hit two of the five cyclists, police said. The other cyclists crashed as a result of the accident. Two of the cyclists were transported to the hospital. The remaining cyclists were treated and released at the scene. Blankenship was initially cited for improper passing at the scene. Blankenship remains at the Fulton County Jail where he is waiting to be arraigned on the charges.”

5-2-2015 MTB Marathon National Championships The Marathon National Championships were Saturday in Columbia County, near Augusta, GA. Three Georgia Ladies brought home the Stars and Stripes Jerseys! Eat your heart out, boys!!! Elizabeth Lee (19-29), Paula Burkes-Peachtree Bikes (40-45), and Lisa Randall-Super Sport (35-39). Way to go, Ladies!

Elizabeth Lee on the podium at MTB Marathon Nationals. Photo courtesy of Brady Rogers.

Rest in Peace, Jason Jason Young, a racer from Canton, GA, was hit by a car earlier this week in Cherokee County. He was rushed to the hospital and spent several days in the ICU. Unfortunately, he passed away Saturday from his extensive injuries. Please keep his wife, 3 children, and family in your thoughts and prayers. The Patch had an article about the incident earlier in the week. The driver was cited, and additional charges may be pending (I hope they are vehicular homicide charges).

5-1-2015 2015 East Atlanta Twilight Criterium Returns for a 4th Year The Litespeed-BMW Cycling Team is pleased to announce the return to East Atlanta Village for the 4th annual East Atlanta Twilight Criterium, the 2015 Georgia State Criterium Championship. Open to all adult categories, the event will take place on August 15, 2015.  Racing starts at 2:15pm with the lower categories and races continue through the afternoon and evening and concludes with the Pro 1/2 Men under the village’s street lights at 8pm. Award ceremonies and Championship jersey presentations will be conducted at the end of each individual race.  The highly competitive and well-attended kids’ race will take place at 5:30pm and the fan-favorite ‘Bartender’ race will immediately follow.  Complete details and registration links will be available soon at www.eavcrit.com.

4-29-2015 Big Creek Pump Track Challenge From RAMBO: Double your fun @ Big Creek Park this Saturday (5/2) Roswell Bicycles and RAMBO are hosting the Big Creek Pump Track Challenge with expert, novice and kids classes. Its free and you can enroll on site. We are also conducting a Kids Skills Clinic to teach the young ones how to ride their mountain bikes. It’s free also. Just show up and bring a helmet. It’s fun for all.

Trailfest From SORBA Woodstock  Do you think you’re fast? Wanna settle the score of flats vs. clipless? How about finally shutting up that buddy who talks crap about his KOMs? Well, come on out to Trail Fest on May 2nd at Rope Mill Park to put it on the line at the first in a series of time trials. The course will include the newly-built trails at The Mill on the north side of the Little River. The next time trials in this series will be rider’s choice. Votes will be tallied, and the trail with the most votes will be the next spot. Aside from perpetual fame, glory, and bragging rights, the fastest riders will receive free stuff. All you need to do is show up and register for the event. We’ll also have our awesome volunteers standing by to sign you up for an IMBA/SORBA membership should you decide to join us. Memberships start at $30 and get you into the remainder of the three race series we’ll be running this year.”

The Pro Women crest the hill on the backside of the Roswell Crit course.

4-28-2015 Roswell Photos Photos from the Roswell Crit are up at http://sadlebred.smugmug.com.

The Masters 1/2 Men around turn 4 at the Roswell Crit.

Tour de Mountains Cycling Challenge From the organizer: “Bicyclists, enjoy the spectacular beauty and challenge of the Blue Ridge and experience small-town hospitality at the Tour de Mountains Saturday, June 13, 2015. A 16-mile route offers the novice a taste of mountain cycling. The 100-mile century features more than 10,000 feet of climb to challenge the most experienced rider. Rides of 35 and 66 miles round out your choices. Enjoy a breakfast of ham biscuits, fruit, cookies, coffee and drinks before the ride. Whenever you finish, hot pizza will be waiting. SAG support is with you start to finish. Every 10-15 miles expect stocked rest stops manned by smiling volunteers. This is a fundraiser for the Alleghany Wellness Center. Learn more at TourdeMountains.com or contact Alleghany Wellness Center, 508 Collins Rd., Sparta NC 28675. Phone 336-372-2944.”

Shine Pedalers Metric From the Organizer:  “3rd Annual ‘Shine Pedalers Metric Hosted by: Dawson County Chamber of Commerce, Northstar Bicycle and Office of Tourism Development Sponsored by: Northside Forsyth Hospital Time: 7:30 am – 2:00 pm Place: Dawsonville Municipal Complex, 415 Highway 53 East Phone: 706-265-6278 Email: info@dawson.org Information. Details: Join our 3rd annual ‘Shine Pedalers Metric bike ride on July 25, 2015. You may participate in either the metric or half-metric ride. You’ll enjoy scenic countryside with rest stops stocked with snacks and drinks. Cyclists riding the Metric will climb Burnt Mountain, all will enjoy breathtaking views on the scenic routes. Start and finish line will be at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame. Once you finish the ride you are invited to visit the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame and the Dawsonville Moonshine Distillery for a tour. Your entry includes a ride t-shirt and goody bag (guaranteed if registered by July 21st), nice facilities, well-marked routes, maps, support, and a great time. Registration will open at 6:30 a.m. The Metric will start at 7:30 and the Half-Metric will start at 7:45.”

4-24-2015 Saturday’s Weather I’ve been asked if Twilight is still no despite bad weather predicted on Saturday. YES! USA Cycling races are run at the discretion of the officials, who will make the call in case of dangerous weather. Races are run in the rain all the time. If there is a tornado or locusts, the races are usually called off or postponed til it’s safe to race again. Twilight has been held for 35 years and NEVER cancelled so far. There are two events I’m aware of that are postponed. RAMBO has moved the Big Creek Pump Track races to next Saturday. The Tour De Blue charity ride in Alabama is cancelled and is looking for a new date. Organizers are working to find a way to get preordered merchandise to riders. Please keep an eye on your event’s website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed.

SUNDAY is looking amazing! I’ll see everyone in Roswell!!

4-23-2015 Dirty Spokes 6/3 Hour Mountain Bike Race From Dirty Spokes: Racers: Just Finalized… We will be giving away over 13 Thousand Dollars in product (one race) at the Dirty Spokes 6/3 Hour Mountain Bike Race Presented by Maxxis Tires and brought to you by Roswell Bicycles and Scott, May 16th, 2015 at Fort Yargo State Park!  On-Line Registration Link! Roswell Bicycles and Scott have come up HUGE and will be providing all 1st Place 6 Hour Finishers with a Scott Stego Helmet ($180 Value)! They will also be providing all 2nd Place 6 Hour Finishers with a pair of Scott MTB Comp Shoes ($100 Value)! We will have a mixture of other SWEET prizes for 3rd Place 6 Hour Finishers! Your race registration will also include a Dri Fit Shirt, Chip Timing, 10 Year Anniversary Pint Glass, Chance to win a Lynskey Performance Bike Frame and an awesome experience! Course layout will be similar to last year (fast flowing and fun!). Check it out… Cool Video From Last Years Race! Or another from the Start! We have some pretty SWEET on-course prizes this year! We will be giving away a FREE Set of MAXXIS Tires to the Fastest Male Lap and Fastest Female Lap!  MAXXIS will also be giving away some sweet prizes to our top finishers!

We are also thrilled to announce Lynskey Performance Bicycles will be out at Fort Yargo this year! They are donating a 29″ Frame that we will raffle off on race day (by entering the race you are automatically entered into the drawing but MUST be present on race day to win)! Giant Thanks to Roswell Bicycles who will be on-hand providing Neutral Support as well!

4-22-2015 Roopsville Ramble From the organizer: ” Just a reminder that the 6th Annual Roopville Ramble is coming up in just a few short weeks on Saturday May 16, 2015 – so make your reservation right away! Proceeds will once again benefit Camp Sunshine -providing respite, support, joy and hope to children with life-threatening illnesses and their immediate families through various stages of a child’s illness. And, remember we are a Georgia BIKES! supporting ride. Georgia BIKES!” he Roopville Ramble is a century ride in beautiful rolling West Georgia. Distances of 15, 37, 50, 67 (Metric Century), and 104 miles are offered.
The ride starts and finishes at the Roopville Baptist Church. 18 Old Franklin Road, Roopville, GA, Lunch will be served following the ride. Day of event registration opens at 7am, the ride starts at 8:00 am, rain or shine! Registration is $35 for Adults and $25 for 12 and Under, Register by May 6 and SAVE $5.

DLV Swap Shop From the DLV:  New this year, we are also adding a Swap & Shop to our Pro Race Series Events. This is open to shops and individual sellers. Shops space 10Wx5D: $50 Individuals space 5Wx5D: $25 You will need to bring your own table/chair/blanket/salesperson/tent and methods for accepting payments. DLV cannot make change or accept credit cards for you. If you are interested please email rob@dicklanevelodrome.com Spaces are limited and reserved on a first come first serve basis. Payment required upfront to reserve your spot.

4-21-2015 Roswell and Twilight Week! This is one of the biggest cycling weeks in Roswell and Athens! There are a ton of events in Roswell and Athens for every cyclist including fun rides, races, and mountain bike rides. There are too many to list, so I’ll highlight a few. The BIGGEST events are the Crits! Athens Sat. Twilight is known as the Party with 10,000 drunk college students. If you have never been, put it on your to do list! The course is a block or two over this year, so it will be a new course for the racers. Roswell will host the Historic Roswell Criterium near Canton St. on Sunday. Athens hosts the Gambler Ride on Saturday for those that don’t want to race as well as a full USA Cycling crit schedule for all cats. Roswell will have the annual Mayor’s Ride (Mayor Jere Wood is an avid rider!) before the races begin. Stay and hang out at Mayor’s Corner for a great view of the crit! The full Athens Schedule is here. The Roswell events are here. Southeastern Cycling plans to be at Roswell. (Can’t do everything. I’ve been sick for 2 weeks, and life has been crazy as my friends have known with many non-cycling obligations this spring.)

4-19-2015  Atlanta Velo City Magazine Southeastern Cycling has an article in every Atlanta Velo City Magazine with highlights about upcoming races and events. Be sure to check it out on page 23 of the current issue! You can download it for mobile apps, desktop, or read it online!

Challenge of the Centuries From the promoter:  Join our 25th annual bike ride over Memorial Day weekend in Hartwell, Georgia, May 23 & 24, 2015. Ride one or both days, with routes of 35, 65, 100 miles – or enjoy a family fun ride on Saturday of 2-4 miles. The ride is through scenic countryside with well marked routes. Highlight is to ride over Lake Hartwell Dam. Free camping at the Hartwell YMCA and the event is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Hartwell. It is a charity event benefiting the Boy Scouts and scholarships for students. Hartwell also has many planned events for the weekend for riders to enjoy in and around Lake Hartwell. You can register online at active.com or visit challengeofthecenturies.com for more ride info.

4-17-2015 2015 Asheville Downtown Criterium presented by TECT From the Promoter: VeloSports Racing Team is thrilled to promote and organize the Asheville Downtown Criterium presented by TECT – the first downtown Asheville criterium in years. Held in conjunction with the 2015 and 2016 USAC Collegiate National Championships, seven categories of racing will take place throughout the day on Asheville’s hot and popular South Slope area. Coxe Avenue will serve as the start and finish of a tough-as-nails course that takes in South Lexington and Hilliard Avenue. An all day of racing, spectating and festivals is going make this a great racer and family destination event to mark on your calendar. Additionally, we will be hosting a beginner’s race clinic for women and juniors on May 9th at 8:00a in downtown Asheville (registration at 7:00-7:45a at 77 Coxe Avenue). Following the clinic the participants will ride to the USAC Collegiate Cycling Nationals Course for the announced Family Health Centers Women’s Category 3/4 race with the $500 payout. This clinic and the race is with the Carolinas Cycling Association Women’s Development Program in mind and is a target event for them. It should be a fantastic race complete with all the regalia of the nationals course – banners, signage, barriers, crowds – for these women. Please help spread the word to those who are interested in learning about cycling skills or getting into racing or picking up some more knowledge. Find more information for the race at www.velosportsracing.com.

4-16-2015 Sick Sorry for the lack of posts this week. If you are friends with me on Facebook, you know I’ve been sick since late last week.

WCA Women’s Clinic Tuesday night was the Atlanta Cycling-Sorella Cycling-Women’s Cycling Association women’s road race clinic. The weather was near perfect! Pro racer Robina Farina, president of the WCA, taught skills useful for road racing (especially crits) and group rides. The clinic was followed by dinner at a local restaurant and a Q&A with Robin. She hopes to be back in the fall with a full day clinic.

The Sorella Cycling-WCA Women’s Clinic Participants. Pro Robin Farnina (Happy Tooth-BMW) is on the left. Photo courtesy of the WCA.

Racing This Weekend Some of the local race promoters (off road) are watching the weather about postponements with all of the rain that is supposed to move in. Make sure to check with your race director if the weather looks iffy! From RAMBO for the Quick 6 Enduro: “Fellow Enduro racers, volunteers and spectators. We just want to let you know we are keeping a close eye on the weather for this Saturday’s Quick 6 Enduro 4/18. We follow guidelines set forth by IMBA regarding extreme weather and the conduct of events. The RAMBO team, volunteers and sponsors all want to run this great race this Saturday 4/18. The race will be held rain or shine, however, if the weather becomes truly dangerous to the racers, spectators, volunteers, or the trail, that could change. We will make the final call around 5:00 PM Friday 4/17. You should assume the event will run as scheduled unless you see an announcement otherwise. We want to give the weather every chance to improve…If conditions dictate, we will move the date for the Quick 6 Enduro to Saturday (5/2).”

Speed Banana 4 Hour Postponed From the Promoter of the 4 Hour Speed Banana Race” With regret we are rescheduling the race. May 9 is a Saturday and the new race date. May 10 is Mother’s Day. Due to forecasted lightning storms on the original date we decided to make the change. The course can handle the rain well enough, but we feel this option is safer for our participants. If you pre registered an cannot make the new date then we will take care of you.We hope to see you all on May 9.”

Rope Mill Work Party From SORBA Woodstock: Our April trail party will be at the Rope Mill trails this Saturday. We need your help to perform the finishing touches to the trails in the park. We need all hands on deck to knock this out so we can quickly move to Blankets Creek Mtn Bike Trail and enjoy the Free-Flite Bicycles customer appreciation lunch at 1:00. Sorba Woodstock needs your help! Wear closed toe shoes, bring gloves and water, we will provide the tools and teach you everything you need to know. 9 am to1  pm.

US Pro Crit and TTT Championships Want to watch some great racing on Saturday & Sunday? Head to Greenville, SC for the US Pro Crit and TTT Championships! The start/finish line for the Crit will be downtown near Pedal Chic on the West End. The Pro Women race at 2:20, and the Pro Men are at 4:00. Friday night from 5:30-7:30, Pedal Chic is hosting a meet the Women’s Pros night, so be sure to stop by. The TTT will be on Sunday on the Southern Connector Highway. There are amateur and all Cat. events for each day!

4-14-2015 Race/Event Info. I appreciate some recent submissions to the calendar and news section. I’ve had to turn down a few as well for lack of basic information. At the very least for a RACE CALENDAR listing I need: Date, Event, Event Type (Crit, RR, XC, CX, etc.), link to the race website or flyer. I need somewhere to send people for more information. For the NEWS SECTION I need a short press release with the basic information and expanded info. You can scroll through the news section for examples. I work full time, train, run the website, *gasp* I even have a personal life, and just don’t have time to write a press release for everything that comes my way. I would LOVE to publish information (It’s why Southeastern Cycling exists) about your ride or race but cannot without the basic information.

4-10-2015 Mother’s Day Benefit Ride for Sorella RAAM Team From the Sorella RAAM Team: Mothers Day, May 10, 2015 TIME: 9:00am – 2:00pm
Join us for a spring morning ride on Mothers Day! Atlanta Cycling in Vinings is hosting a cycling event to support the 2015 Sorella RAAM Cycling Team! After riding 11, 25, 40, or 63 miles with us, enjoy a hotdog cookout refreshment lunch compliments of Atlanta Cycling to support our TEAM! These ladies are ONE OF ONLY 5 WOMENS TEAMS in Race Across America in June 2015 and need our support! Pre-register online for a $30 or more donation (your entire registration and added donation is tax deductible!) OR you may register that morning for $35, cash or personal check. The team will be here to lead things off, stay for lunch and answer any questions regarding the race, logistics and their grueling training schedules! There will be options of 11, 25, 40ish, and 60 miles. All riders are welcome!  The 2015 Sorella RAAM Team members are Jennifer Klein, Korey Gotoo, Betty Jean Jordan and Lauren Schrichten.

ALL proceeds after race expenses are to benefit Wellspring Living in Atlanta, GA—a non profit dedicated to ending sex trafficking of young girls here in Georgia. These EXTRAORDINARY ATHLETES will inspire us all, including those CHILDREN through WELLSPRING LIVING CHARITY who have a chance at a life unimagined, without the boundaries of cruelty and mistreatment they have endured in their short lives. SEE YOU THERERA

4-9-2015  Dirty Spokes 6/3 Hour Mountain Bike Race,May 16th, 2015! From the promoter: We are just about 5 weeks away from the Dirty Spokes 6/3 Hour Mountain Bike Race Presented by Maxxis Tires, May 16th, 2015 at Fort Yargo State Park! Your race registration will include a Dri Fit Shirt, Chip Timing, 10 Year Anniversary Pint Glass, Chance to win a Lynskey Performance Bike Frame and an awesome experience! Course layout will be similar to last year (fast flowing and fun!). Check it out… Cool Video From Last Years Race! Or another from the Start! This is race number 3 of the Chainbuster Mountain Bike Race Series!  Same Great Venue, Same Great Course! The Yargo Area Bike Association has done an outstanding job of building and maintaining these trails… if you haven’t had an opportunity to ride them recently… they are in outstanding condition!  We will have the start / finish area at the “main mountain bike parking lot” (nature center pavilion) same as last year! We have some pretty SWEET on-course prizes this year! We will be giving away a FREE Set of MAXXIS Tires to the Fastest Male Lap and Fastest Female Lap!

Also, in Celebration of our 10th Year of Playing in the Dirt (est. 2005) we will give prizes to the 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th, 70th, 80th, 90th and 100th Riders that cross the road at Entrance “B” (1st Lap of the Race)! We are also thrilled to announce Lynskey Performance Bicycles will be out at Fort Yargo this year! They are donating a 29″ Frame that we will raffle off on race day (by entering the race you are automatically entered into the drawing but MUST be present on race day to win)!

Mt. Tabor Work Party From SORBA-West GA Mt. Tabor Work Party Saturday, April 18 9:00am – 1:00pm, Mt. Tabor Park Mountain Bike Trails, 1550 E Paulding Dr, Dallas, Georgia 30157, Come out to help work on some repair/reroute on booger and the meadow. Meet in the mtb pkg lot by the kiosk, tools water,snacks provided, wear the proper clothes, bring any allergy or bug items u need. Lunch provided. Also will be taking up donations of food,blankets,towels for the local animal shelter. Anything will help.

GIHP Work Party SORBA is hosting a work party at the Georgia International Horse Park on April 18. Horse Park Work Party at 9 am. They will be replacing old white bridge on Beginner Trail and building new Boardwalk section over section that stays wet on Beginner Trail. They will also be doing general trail maintenance.

4-8-2015 Editorial: Paying to Play Recently I’ve heard rumblings that cyclists don’t want to Pay to Play. You ride a $1000, $2000, or $5000 bike but don’t want to donate $1 or $5? Something isn’t right. So, if you are somewhere that asks for a donation, please consider a dollar or two. Are you like me and don’t often have a dollar bill? Pop in a $5, and you are good for a couple of visits. These places come to mind:
1.      Campellton United Methodist Church at Silk Sheets. Everyone parks here but few pay. Did you know that the church used the funds to get a new roof a few years ago and to help with issues of their aging building? They are a small congregation and welcome cyclists. Put $1 or 2 in the box when you go. Please remember not to park in the lot Sunday mornings because of their church service.
2.      Sosebee Cycling Park in Cartersville aka the Bud Plant/Brewery routes. The SCK is private property. The Sosebees ride and have welcomed cyclists with open arms. The donations built the changing rooms, bought the picnic tables, built the pavilion, and pay for the monthly Porta Potty fee. The Sosebees are not obligated to let anyone park on their private land yet they love having people out there.
3.      The Marietta (West Oak) Crit. This is more of a, cough, “Voluntary Donation.” We are required by the City of Marietta to have a policeman at the stop sign on turn 2 if we want to hold the crit. No policeman/policewoman, no crit. The cost is about $150/week. Split by all participants, this is $5 week. Some weeks funds are a little short, so weeks there is an excess are used to cover for the short weeks. Coach Gary Daniels arranges for the police officer each week. So, go gladly pay your $5, sign in, and thank Gary and the police officer. Gary shouldn’t have to lose his jersey over having to pay the officer each week himself.
4.      Any SORBA Trail with a donation box. SORBA is a volunteer organization in Atlanta & around the Southeast that built the trail you are riding…you, yes, you! That trail, right there. See it? Isn’t it fun to ride? I can hardly think of a mountain bike trail in metro Atlanta and much of the state of Georgia that they aren’t involved with somehow. Do them a favor and toss $1 in the donation box and then go sign up for a SORBA-IMBA membership. Your money will go back into the trail, buying/renting equipment, work parties, etc. I put my money where my mouth is. I’m a SORBA member.

Georgia Gran Fondo The 3rd annual Tour of Georgia Gran Fondo returns to Clayton on April 19, 2015. Nestled in Rabun County, the ride starts in downtown Clayton Georgia under the shadow of Black Rock Mt. state park, and heads south on old 441.  After passing Tiger Mountain Vineyard, the course takes a right on Bridge Creek Rd. at the town of Tiger. When sharp topped Tiger Mountain comes into view on the right, the first timed section is near. At mile 5.5, the course climbs 455ft to mile 8 on the ridge of Glassy Mountain. The next 23 miles roll over small mountains, through picturesque farmland, and past mountain lakes.

After passing through Unicoi State Park, the route turns right onto the Unicoi Gap climb. Riders enter the mountainous area that was made famous by the Tour de Georgia. Riders’ second time section will take place here over 7 miles and climb 1500ft to the top of Unicoi Gap. The climb is very gradual for several miles, before turning into a real alpine ascent. Enjoy the vistas of the Chattahoochee National Forest on the descent before turning left and climbing up and over Jack’s Gap. A left turn on Richard Russell Scenic Hwy will put riders face to face with the last timed section, Hogpen gap. Within 6.5 miles and another 1500ft, riders will reach the highest point on the course at 3469ft with ramps of 12%.   The town of Helen will be your next landmark. The next 16 miles will take you through rolling farmland and mountain vistas.  Around mile 90, riders will enter the land of the lakes, as they cruise the rollercoaster of asphalt along Lake Seed and Lake Rabun. At the town of Lakemont, the course again joins old Hwy 441 and returns 8 miles to the finish and the festivities in downtown Clayton. Be sure to plan to stick around for beers, food and music severed up at the finish line by the Universal Joint.

DLV Beginner Classes The Dick Lane Velodrome has released the 2015 Beginner-Certification class dates.  Between March and September, the velodrome offers a four-day class series held on consecutive Thursday nights. This adult beginner program teaches the fundamentals of riding on the track, safely and progressing to more advanced handling. After the program, all riders are ready to race! In addition to the four-series classes, the velodrome also offers a limited number of weekend two-day classes. The two-day classes are scheduled intermittently based on need and instructor schedule.You must attend all sessions of the class in order to be certified for the track.
Signup: Send email to brian@dicklanevelodrome.com – include bike size or your height. Now you can also sign up online at our store.
Cost: $60.00 (includes loaner bike if you don’t have a track bike)
Bring: shoes, pedals and helmet
You’ll also need a signed waiver, you can print one here: ATRA Waiver
Dates:  April 11th and 12th, 1pm-4pm both days
May Weekly Certification Class: May 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th from 7:30-9:00p.m. each Thursday Night

4-7-2015  Tony Serrano Century News There is still time to register for the Saturday’s Tony Serrano ride! While Online Registration closes Tuesday night, you can also register onsite! Need I tell you about all of Joyce’s FOOD on this ride?? Peanut Butter balls are my downfall! There has been a slight route change because of road construction. “It will add about 1.5 miles to the routes. At mile 16.7 for the 39 mile and at 18.8 for the 62/100 mile riders, the course will make a very sharp left turn where in previous years the course went straight. The turn is well marked on the road and is included on the cue sheets and GPS files. If you have downloaded files or pdfs from the website, you should replace them with the updated files.”

Atlanta Cycling Trek Fest Trek Fest has started at Atlanta Cycling! Get a gift card of up to $200 when you buy a Trek!

Georgia Dead Red Law From Georgia Bikes: (This is very cool!) Earlier this month, the Georgia General Assemby passed Senate Bill 76, the “Motorcycle Mobility Safety Act,” which details “the safe operation of a motorcycle or bicycle through an inoperative traffic-control signal.” This legislation, often referred to as a “dead red” law, describes the conditions under which a person on a bicycle may carefully ride through a red traffic signal. The exact language from the bill is below in italics. In layman’s terms, this law states that you may cautiously ride through a red light if you have waited a “reasonable” amount of time and have determined that the light will not change due to the small size of your vehicle (motorcycle or bicycle). The law goes on to state that if you are involved in a crash as result of riding through a red light, the crash is evidence in and of itself that you did not exercise the necessary caution. Many traffic lights in Georgia are not calibrated to detect people on bikes (or motorcycles). Hopefully, as traffic engineers correct the settings, the need to ride through a red light will no longer be an issue. In the meantime, SB 76 is a common sense recognition that much of our transportation infrastructure only accomodates cars and trucks, though many additional types of users are accessing the same public right of way. This “dead red” bill allows people to lawfully make a careful, sensible decision when they encounter a non-responsive traffic light.

Charlotte Crits From Charlotte Sports Timing: The historic Dilworth Criterium is set to take place on Saturday April 11, 2015.   The Dilworth Criterium will once again be held in conjunction with the Novant Health Invitational Criterium in Uptown Charlotte in the evening and the CaroMont Health Criterium in Belmont on Sunday, April 12. That’s right sports fans – racing all day in Dilworth, then pro feature races Uptown Charlotte. The best criterium riders on the continent will take over Charlotte for the day and Dilworth is a big part of the action! If you qualify for the Amateur Shootout in the evening at the Novant Health Crit, registration will be at the Dilworth.

Novant Health Crit this Sat.! Held in Charlotte’s Center City, an international field of the world’s top men and women’s professional cyclists will take to the streets of uptown Charlotte and will compete for one of the largest prize purses in the Novant Health Invitational Criterium. Returning for its 12th year, the races take place on a 1 mile spectator friendly course starting at the Center City intersection of Trade and Tryon Streets, where spectators are up close to the fast, exciting racing action. Over the past several years, these races attracted more than 35,000 spectators to watch an elite field of riders from 23 countries. This race benefits the Brain Tumor Fund Carolinas.

4-3-2015 Blankets Creek Dirty Duathlon and Dirty Thirty MTB Race are Just Around the Corner! Still Time to Register for the Blankets Creek Dirty Duathlon and Dirty Thirty MTB Race, presented by Free-Flite Bicycles – April 11, 2 Blankets Creek Blankets Creek Dirty Duathlon, The race that started it all is back for its 7th year! The event will feature a 5 mile trail run on the Dwelling Trail, followed by 12 miles of mountain biking on VMT, Dwelling, and South Loop. Solo and 2 person team divisions are available. For team divisions, one teammate will run and the other will bike, in that order., Prizes and medals awarded to the top 3 in each category! NEW! Blankets Creek Dirty Thirty Mountain Bike Race, Looking for something longer than an XC race but not quite ready for a 50 miler? Then check out the Blankets Creek Dirty Thirty Endurance MTB Race. The course includes all of the trails at Blankets Creek in a counter-clockwise direction for total distance of 15 miles per lap. Intermediate and advanced riders will complete two laps. A shorter one lap, 15 mile course will be offered for beginner categories. Each lap has just under 1400′ of elevation gain, so this will be a challenging course. Aid station and drop bags will be available at the half way point., Prizes and medals awarded to the top 3 in each category!,

Blankets Creek 5 Mile Trail Run  We will offer a 5 mile trail run as part of our Blankets Creek Spring Sports Festival. The run will take place on the Dwelling trail and offers rolling terrain and views of Lake Allatoona. The course has approximately 400′ of elevation gain over 5 miles. Prizes awarded to top 3 overall male/female finishers and medals awarded to the top 3 in each age group.

2015 Event Shirt! We have you covered with event SWAG! We still have approximately 50 race shirts still available, alotted as you register! All entries include a soft wicking tech tee, mesh gear bag, chip timing, well-marked courses, and post race fluids and snacks! If we do not have your preferred size in the event shirt, you may choose a Mountain Goat tribal print tech tee. Online Registration available HERE until 4/9! All entries include tech shirt and mesh gear bag!

We are partnering with SORBA Woodstock to bring you this event. SORBA Woodstock has built and maintains the trails at both Blankets Creek and Rope Mill Park. This event serves as a major fundraiser for the Chapter – please come out and show your support by either racing or volunteering!

US Pro RR and TT Press Release: (March 18, 2015) –The Volkswagen USA Cycling Professional Road & Time Trial National Championships return to Chattanooga, Tenn., for the third-consecutive year from May 23-25, 2015, where the top road cyclists in America will again challenge the Tennessee pavement over Memorial Day Weekend. “We are again thrilled to team with Volkswagen of America to bring the 2015 Volkswagen USA Cycling Professional Road & Time Trial National Championships to Chattanooga,” said USA Cycling President and CEO Steve Johnson. “This Memorial Day Weekend in Chattanooga will feature another great intersection of world class cycling and world class automobiles in a world class city.”
Home of U.S. manufacturing for Volkswagen, Chattanooga hosts the national championships for the third-straight year, and like 2014, the course boasts new challenges.

The road races will showcase downtown Chattanooga along with the tough climb up Lookout Mountain. The men’s and women’s races will begin with a 5.1-mile start circuit — three circuits for the women and four for the men. The same circuit will be used for the finish of each race. The course then takes the riders on a relatively flat run along Market Street to begin the climb up Ochs Highway, which is approximately three miles and climbs 1,150 feet each lap. The race will pass through Lookout Mountain to Scenic Highway, and return to downtown via Market Street. Men will complete four laps up the climb, while the women will do two laps. The “long lap” is 16.5 miles in distance. The men and women will complete the start/finish circuits each lap of the “long lap” and will finish the race with three 5.1-mile circuits each.

The Volkswagen Kent Street Climb (Trish’s Note: PARTY HERE!) is back in 2015, again punishing riders with grades of up to 20 percent. The men and women will face this challenge on each of the “long laps” as well as on three shorter 5.4-mile finishing circuits. New in 2015, the Volkswagen Kent Street Climb is included on each warm-up lap, laboring all riders before the race begins. The course will cross the Market Street Bridge and Veterans Bridge each lap, and spectators will see the riders cross through the start/finish line 11 times during the men’s race and eight times during the women’s race.

The time trial course will be held adjacent to the Volkswagen Chattanooga Plant and features rolling terrain with few turns. Riders will complete two out-and-back runs of 9.5 miles each for a total of 19 miles. The course layout has four turnarounds and will allow spectators to see each rider multiple times.
4-1-2015 Last Month for Southeastern Cycling  It is with much regret that this will be the last month for Southeastern Cycling. I find myself working more and more at my full time job with increased responsibilities, trying to train, spend time with my family, and have some semblance of a life. SE Cycling has also been taking up more of my time. There is no staff, it’s just me. I’ve tried to find a buyer for Southeastern Cycling but have been unable to do so. As a result, I will be shutting down on April 30th. The site will be left up for reference, calendars, and rides, but no new updates will be made after that date. I will be in touch next week with advertisers and sponsors to discuss the situation and come to an agreement on refunds. (YOU’VE BEEN APRIL FOOLED!!!) 🙂

Paris Roubaix at the Marlay House The Marlay House in Decatur is owned by an Irish family. One of them rides; therefore, they are Atlanta’s Go-To Spring Classics pub for cyclists…Spring Classics, Beer and Cycling fans  (Trust me: Get the Mac N Cheese!)
Sunday April 5 @ 6pm – Tour of Flanders (Replay)
Sunday April 12 @ pm – Paris Roubaix (Replay)

Cycle Therapy Shimano Clinic The Cycle Therapy Shimano Di@ Clinic is April 6 in Rome, GA! Please RSVP! Monday, April 6th at 5:30pm Shimano Tech Rep Foye Troute will be at Cycle Therapy with a Shimano XTR Di2 groupset on a complete bike so you can see it, touch it, and even ride it! What is so great about Shimano XTR Di2? ONE shifter controls BOTH derailleurs! No matter if you are riding a double or even a triple chainring set-up, all you have to do is push ONE button to go into an easier or harder gear, therefore allowing you to be able to focus more on the ride. A happy electronic shifting customer! Snacks and drinks provided, please rsvp to julie at cycletherapy.us.

3-31-2015  Women’s Cycling Association Partners with Local Atlanta Sorella Cycling Team for Women’s Clinic and Ride
Pro Cyclist and WCA CEO, Robin Farina, Leads Clinic and Ride with Sorella Cycling at Atlanta Cycling Vinings

Atlanta, GA – For Release March 26, 2015 –Atlanta women cyclists will have the opportunity to learn from one of the best in the Women’s Pro Peloton! The WCA Join The Ride Tour is coming to Atlanta on Tuesday, April 14th, when 2011 National Road Race Champion and WCA CEO, Robin Farina (Team BMW p/b Happy Tooth Dental Group) will lead a ride and race clinic, women’s group ride and Q&A, in partnership with Sorella Cycling and Atlanta Cycling Vinings, located at 4335 Cobb Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30339. Farina will lead the clinic to help cyclists improve their riding and racing techniques. The clinic is a chance for women who ride and/or race bikes and are thinking about racing bikes to learn from one of the best and most experienced racers. This clinic will cover basics of riding and racing and will touch on some advanced aspects of the sport as well. The clinic is open to all women. The cost of the clinic is $20 and includes a post ride Q&A and dinner at the newTaco Mac Cumberland. (Alcoholic beverages not included) For more info, and to register for the clinic click HERE.
The schedule fr the event is as follows: Tuesday, April 14th
WCA Race Clinic, Ride & Q&A with pro, Robin Farina, Atlanta Cycling Vinings
4:30 – 6:00pm – Race Clinic
6:30pm – Atlanta Cycling Vinings Women’s Ride
Post ride Q&A/dinner with Robin Farina

3-30-2015 Silk Sheets Pavement For those that ride Silk Sheets, Cochran Mill Rd. near Cochran Mill Park has been paved! From what I can tell all of the nasty potholes that have been there for the last decade are gone! There is also a speed bump near the parking lot, but the transition from road to speed bump is very smooth. Beware that there was a lot of pedestrian traffic near the park, even on Sunday morning, and the speed limit has been lowered near the park.

3-29-2015 Ride Times Remember that many group rides in Atlanta move to 6:30 this week or on April. 1. Many weekend group rides will also start an hour earlier next weekend. Not sure about your ride? Check out the Rides page and be sure to check with the ride leader, shop, or team that puts the ride on.

3-28-2015  DLV Women’s Training  From the DLV: 2015 Women’s Training Program Session #1 Our first session for 2015 will be run over 5 consecutive Thursday nights on April 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th. This program is aimed at any woman of any track cycling level. We will have specific skills, drills and workouts that will suit everyone from newly certified riders, through advanced track cyclists. The 5 week class will also serve as a beginners certification for those women who are new to the track.
What: 5 Week Women’s Track Cycling Program
When: Thursday nights 7:30pm-9:00pm beginning April 2nd.
Who: Women of any riding level
Equipment: Track bikes are available, just bring your cycling clothes, helmet and pedals
Cost: $60 for certification riders, $5 track session fee for certified track riders
Contact: Rob Evans, rob@dicklanevelodrome.com 404 594 1789

3-25-2015 Twilight Races A little birdie told me that ALL of the Twilight races this year will be DOWNTOWN! No more Greenway!

Sunny King Live Stream Can’t make it to the NCC kick off this weekend in Anniston or just want to see your favorite racer from the comfort of your own home? The races will be live streamed here!

RTTC Ride to the Capitol was yesterday. What a great day to be on a bike! I joined the ride downtown and saw hundreds of riders coming at me from every. Be sure to check out the photo album on the Southeastern Cycling Facebook Page!

Riders seemed to stretch on for miles downtown!

Sorella Cycling was well represented with Trish Albert, Emily Burrows, Michelle Stahl, Brigette Dusack, and Amy Plummer.