I hope you have a wonderful holiday season no matter what you celebrate! Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanza, Happy New Year! I’ll be updating Southeastern Cycling through the holidays although I may take a day here or there off. I hope you get some good riding and good eating in. As always contact me if you have news to publish! Southeastern Cycling is accepting new advertisers for 2022! It’s a great way to advertise your cycling or non-cycling business or cycling events like charity rides, centuries, races, and anything cycling related!

12-23-2021 TOSH 2022 Cancelled From the promoter: ToSH 2022 Cancelled COVID has struck yet again and we are very disappointed to announce that the event has been cancelled for 2022. We were well into the planning stages and we had some awesome changes in store for you, but we will have look ahead to 2023. We’ll keep the wheels turning on our end and we hope you will have a successful race season in 2022.

12-22-2021 WBL Holiday Rides From the WBL WBL HOLIDAY SCHEDULE (UPDATED)
WBL Ride # 4: The Nabo Realty Ladies Day Classic When: Friday, 31 December Where: The Hub (5 Points / Athens) (https://hubbikes.com)
Time: 10 a.m. (window open) Length: 55 miles / 3 hours (ride time) Points 3: 1 per hour (must sign in) Exit Route: S Milldege > MLK > Boley > Nowhere Store Stop: None (Mile –) Pee Break: approx. Mile 20
GPS MAP: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37989629
Intermediate Sprints: None Final Attack Zone (YELLOW LINE RULE!): Ladies Only (1 Mile / Pink Church) Attack Zone opens at Mile 45 when pack turns right at Alligator pond. Ride 1 mile uphill to Pink Church Line. Fame and Fortune await.
Ladies Finish sponsored by Nabo Realty (naborealty.com):
1st: 10 pts. / $200 plus da Box!
2nd: 8 pts / $100
3rd: 6 pt. / $75
4th: 4 pts./ $50
5th: 2 pts / $25
6th: 1 pt
****
WBL Ride # 5: Cappy’s Custom Cabinets New Year’s Day Classic When: Saturday, 1 January Where: The Hub (5 Points / Athens) (https://hubbikes.com) Time: 10 a.m. (window open) Length: 60 miles / 3 hours (ride time) Points 3: 1 per hour (must sign in) Exit Route: College Station Store Stop: None (Mile –) Pee Break: approx. Mile 20
GPS MAP: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37989513
Intermediate Sprints: None Final Attack Zone (YELLOW LINE RULE!): Non Pro, 1, 2 Only (6 Miles / Flat Rock Final Attack Zone): Opens at Mile 43 when pack turns right at Wire Bridge. Ride 2 miles to stop sign and turn right on Oliver Bridge. Ride 2 miles and turn right on Flatrock Road. Ride 2 miles to sprint line. (Regroup at stop sign after sprint)
Non Pro Finish sonsored by Cappy’s Custom Cabinets (http://www.cappyscabinets.com)
1st: 10 pts. / $100 plus da box!
2nd: 8 pts / $75
3rd: 6 pt. / $50
4th: 4 pts./ $25
5th: 2 pts / $25
6th: 1 pt

12-20-2021 SORBA Chapters Merge From MTB Atlanta The Boards of SORBA West Georgia and MTB Atlanta, the Atlanta Chapter of the Southern Off Road Bicycle Association, have voted to merge Chapters in order to better serve their membership, mountain bikers and the trail community at large in Metro Atlanta. Both Boards had meetings to weigh the benefits of joining the Chapters together and after a period of over a year both boards have voted to approve the merger. The SORBA Executive Board voted and approved the merger at their December Board meeting. All three Board votes were unanimous. Recently MTB Atlanta and SORBA West Georgia partnered together with the Southeastern Trust for Parks and Land to open the new trails at Pumpkinvine Nature Park in Paulding County. This work cemented the relationship between Board members and was an amazing step forward for the merger as well as an incredible new asset for County.

SORBA West Georgia and MTB Atlanta merge to better serve Mountain Bikers in Metro Atlanta

12-16-2021 TN State CX Championships From TBRA Join us as CX The Farm will be hosting the 2021 Tennessee State CX race this Saturday! Appreciate all the racers who’s been coming out to these CX events so far! Looking forward to seeing new faces and the regulars this weekend!

Grayson Cloy Life Celebration Ride From Webb Bridge Cycling ** Please see the Facebook invite. Some details have changed to make the ride more inclusive. 

12-15-2021 National Championships Matthew Crabbe (Mission Devo p/b Tyler Perry Studios) captured the 13-14 Year old Men’s Cyclocross Championship. His hard work, dedication, and hours of practice in the backyard have paid off. Congratulations Matthew! We can’t wait to see you wearing the Stars and Stripes at Georgia Cross next year.

WBL # 3 *MOVED TO SUNDAY!* From the WBL Headline News: We are watching Saturday’s forecast. Stay tuned for further announcements on whether the weather will cause any revisions in this Saturday’s planned WBL ride (# 3).
WBL Ride # 3: THE GRUBER IMAGES COVERED BRIDGE ROMP (https://www.gruberimages.pro/index) When: Saturday, 18 December Where: The Hub (5 Points / Athens) (https://hubbikes.com) Time: 10 a.m. (window open) Length: 82 miles / 4 hours  Points 4: 1 per hour (must sign in) Exit Route: Milldege > Over Stadium > Olympic Store Stop: Paoli Junction (Mile 41)
Pee Break: approx. Mile 20 GPS MAP: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37989204
Sprints: None *Parking*: Ride your bike down if you live locally, park on a side street nearby if you drive. The front 12 spots are available at the fire station across the street. You may drop off riders in the HUB parking lot but please do not leave your car during the ride.

Sope Creek Trail Day From MTB Atlanta, Sat., Dec. 18, 8:45 am at the Columns Drive Parking Lot. Join us and the Chattahoochee River national Recreation Area for our monthly volunteer trail day at Sope Creek. We will be doing trail maintenance with a big crew of folks so come join the fun. Meet at the Columns Drive parking lot at 8:45. Have a mask, gloves, wear long pants and closed toed shoes and bring a pack, water, snacks, bug spray and your epi pen if you are allergic to bees. MTB Atlanta is resuming monthly work parties at Sope Creek and is using Federal regulations and CDC guidelines to conduct these events. We will adhere to the Federal mask requirement at the Park and will engage in social distancing at these events.
Tools and stoke provided!

12-12-2021 How was the Silver Comet Built? This month’s PATH Foundation newsletter goes into detail about how some of the iconic parts of the Silver Comet Trail–the Brushy Mountain Tunnel and the Pumpkinvine Trestle were built even before other parts of the Comet. It’s a 3-4 minute quick and interesting read!

12-10-2021 Payout Controversy A few days ago Georgia based pro cycling Olivia Ray called out the organizers of the Into the Lions Den crit in CA for not paying out nearly 6 weeks after the race. It’s a problem that is more widespread in cycling than most realize. Many crits, including the well organized Grant Park Crit here in Atlanta, pay out right after the race. The riders leave with their checks. Some don’t with riders waiting months for the payout. Olivia was most likely forced into posting an apology on social media by her team, Rally Cycling. I normally don’t get into rumors but will make an exception. Rumor has it that SRAM asked Rally to censure Olivia. SRAM was a major sponsor of the crit. I don’t see them listed on Rally’s webpage as one of their “partners,” but they could provide the team some equipment. Cyclingnews has taken it upon themselves to back Olivia and call out all race organizers that fail to pay riders in a timely manner. Yes, I’m still waiting on a payout from a mtb race about 15 years ago. Never did get my money. What are your thoughts? Join the discussion on the Southeastern Cycling Facebook page.

12-9-2021 Blanket’s Creek Trail Closures for Hunting (not a joke!) From SORBA Woodstock: Georgia DNR has evaluated the Blankets Creek property and came to the conclusion that the deer population is in a bad state of balance based on reported aggressive activities and current malnourishment due to overpopulation/lack of food. They will be conducting a lottery style licensed bow hunt of the property on the following dates from 6am – noon. Sun, Dec 19, Sun, Jan 2, Sun, Jan 9 Trails will be closed during that time. Ridership will reopen at noon those days. DNR and Corp of Engineer staff will be onsite during that time to manage the hunter activity and turn away other trail users due for safety issues. Please avoid Blankets Creek during these listed morning time slots. Thanks, Jay Wilkes President – SORBA Woodstock (Trish’s Note: There have been a couple of reported incidents of aggressive deer at Blanket’s this fall. Please abide by the closure dates. Hopefully this will help the deer population rebalance.)

12-8-2021 Southern Cross From Mountain Goat Adventures Maxxis Tires Southern Cross Gravel Grind – Coming March 5, 2022 – Registration Opens January 5th! The 2022 Maxxis Tires Southern Cross Ultra Gravel Grind course is 50 miles with a bit over 6,000 ft of elevation gain (two major climbs), and consists of pavement, gravel roads and a short (but hard) grass section at the end of the race up to the finish line. The course is gravel bike or mountain bike friendly, so pick your poison! Riders will pass by an aid station twice during the ride, and be treated to Terrapin Beer and Moe’s Burritos for a hearty post-race meal. Registration opens January 5th! We have added a shorter 30 mile option for Junior riders with categories for 10-14 and 15-18 male and female riders. 30 mile Juniors will ride the infamous “Winding Stair Loop” and are allowed to have a non-participant adult accompany them for safety, but are not allowed to draft or have the adult carry any of their food or water.

2022 Race Highlights! ▪Killer course that features some of the toughest and most scenic forest roads in North Georgia that will give you bragging rights for finishing! We are only using the gravel loops for 2022 – no trail sections.▪Cash payout for Top 5 Open Men and Open Women’s classes. You can find payout details HERE.▪ Free Primitive Camping at Montaluce for Friday and Saturday night!▪Super comfy cotton blend race shirt with race logo (register by Feb 19 shirt size deadline to guarantee your size)▪Surprise race swag item (past items have been hats, stainless beer cups, pint glasses, and coffee mugs!)▪Post race burritos from Moes with Terrapin Beer!▪Well stocked aid station with plenty of calories, fluids, mechanical support, first aid supplies and more.▪Transport of up to 2 drop bags to aid station▪Custom awards for all podium finishers

12-7-2021 Lots of news from the last few days!

Grant Park Criterium Demise From the Grant Park Crit Trish’s Note: They will still hold the Grant Park CX race!! Earlier this week the City of Atlanta installed speed bumps along Park Ave, the finish line stretch of the GPC course. We knew this was a potential possibility in the future, however this week it came to fruition. With this, in addition to a number of other challenges innate to organizing a race of this caliber, we will formally be putting the Grant Park Criterium on hold, at least in its current form, for the foreseeable future. We are thrilled that we were able to pull off such an incredible event this past August. It will be hard to replicate that moving forward. We’d like to personally thank everyone who has participated in our event year after year, as racers, volunteers and sponsors, some of you have served in all three roles 🙏🏼, we couldn’t have had the success we’ve had without each of you. Thank you to @grantparkatl for welcoming us and opening the park to our cycling community, we’ll still be pedaling through the park at GPCX! Lastly, a very special recognition to Dave Hicks, Russell Baggett and Conor McNally who have shouldered much of the load for countless years to make this race happen. Very few have a true understanding of the massive effort these guys carried for this annual cycling celebration. It will be a staple that is missed by all but the memories will carry on, and perhaps we’ll resurface in a new form. For now, GPCX will remain on the calendar as our annual race and we are stoked to continue to grow this event with our friends @specializedbmwcycling! See you in the park next Fall! Thanks again!

Garretts Ferry Bridge I like to read various things on-line. Buried in the Dec. Chattahoochee Hills, GA city newsletter is this about Garrett’s Ferry Road. Those that ride Dirty Sheets know it as the road with the bridge out either just before or after the gate at S. Fulton Parkway. “Still on the schedule for construction to begin in Fall/Winter 2022. Recently survey tape was added, so it is hopeful some work is being done there.” I don’t know why they wouldn’t know about the work, but maybe it’s being done by Fulton County.

WBL #2 *MOVED TO SUNDAY BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER!!* From the WBL Headline News: We are watching the forecast for Ride # 2 and we may move it to Sunday depending on developments. Stay tuned! WBL Ride # 2: THE TEAM TYPE 1 MAYSVILLE CLASSIC, When: Saturday, 11 December, Where: The Hub (5 Points / Athens), Time: 10 a.m. (window open)
Length: 80 miles / 4 hours
Points 4: 1 per hour (must sign in)
Exit Route: Milldege > Prince > Access Road
Store Stop: Maysville (Mile 38), Pee Break: approx. Mile 16
GPS MAP: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26424577
Sprints: None
*Parking*: Ride your bike down if you live locally, park on a side street nearby if you drive. The front 12 spots are available at the fire station across the street. You may drop off riders in the HUB parking lot but please do not leave your car during the ride.

Spin the District is back for 2022! From Spin the District Remember the Fondo? The big ride, the Union City Fondo and Gravel Grind, the epic Spin the District finale? Back in 2018, 2019, and last October? Yeah, that was awesome. Let’s do it again. What do you think about Saturday, October 22, 2022?  Because that’s the date. It’s on. We’re doing it. As always, the Fondo will take you through horse country in beautiful Union City, Ga.—easy on the eyes and the wallet, and super simple to travel to, bike and all. Which bike, you ask? We can’t answer that for you. You must choose. You see, with each passing year, we make our gravel routes (the ToughSkin Open and the Denim60) more and more…what’s the word…mental. Punishing. Ridiculous. Each time segment is unique, all favoring a different style—gravel, road, mountain or cyclocross—so unless you’ve been developing an enchanted groadtaincross bike, you’re going to have to decide which bike to bet on and make it work. The mixed-gravel adventure comes in two sizes, 60 and 120ish miles long, each incorporating an unpredictable mix of gravel, pavement, mud, water, man-made obstacles and the constant up and down of the Chattahoochee Hill Country. There’s also 30-, 60-, and 100-mile road options that incorporate…road. Just road. Which is nice, too. Real nice, actually.

THE FONDO OF CHAMPIONS People (mostly us, but sometimes other people) have been calling the Fondo “The Unofficial Mixed Surface Championship,” because it attracts the best of the best gravel riders from across the country. Why do champions flock to this ride in particular? Check it: It is, as previously described, spectacular. No other ride combines all these different disciplines into one supremely gnarly event. Union City is scenic and affordable in terms of travel and accommodations, and only a few minutes from Atlanta. Our rider support is excellent. Our after party is even better. Winners ride free. So yeah, okay, maybe #5 should’ve been at the top. Each year, Spin the District invites the year’s gravel champs to register free of charge; this year, the first 50 male and 50 female entrants who have placed in any U.S. gravel race over 60 miles since January 1, 2021 will be granted free registration. (If that’s you, email granfondo@spinthedistrict.com about your free registration sooner than later. It would be devastating to find out your request was our one-hundred-and-first. Elliott Smith would write a song about you.) Whoever finishes each of the day’s rides fastest will receive sweet custom medals, while the time segment winners in the road and mixed surface century events (men’s and women’s divisions) will be awarded wrestling-style championship belts.

Win or lose, all riders chill together as equals after the ride with food, beer and massages. Registration opens on January 2, 2022 and can be completed online:

12-6-2021 Photos from the Georgia CX Finale at Terrapin Beer Co. My photos from the Georgia CX Series at Terrapin at up! Support your local photographers! http://sadlebred.smumgug.com.

12-2-2021 Georgia Cyclocross Finale Georgia Cross Finale! Hosted by Southern Brewing Company on Dec 4, and Terrapin Beer Co on Dec 5. Free kids race and food trucks each day! Come race for awards and prizes!  The overall awards will be handed out to Those 21+ can enjoy the beer flow at both breweries! Pre-registration closes Friday, Dec 3 at 12:00pm. You can register at http://bikereg.com/athens-cyclocross. Stick around after the last race at Terrapin this weekend!! Series awards will be handed out! Please give our results guru time after the last race to finish his tabulations. As soon as they are done, awards will be given out (4:30ish or so–emphasis on the “ish or so.”). We will also have a raffle with some AMAZING prizes from our sponsors! Seriously, trust me, I’ve seen what some of the prizes are. All racers are eligible for a raffle ticket!

Athens Twilight Returns! From Athens Twilight: Athens Twilight returns April 29-30, 2022. Speed Week will be the following week!

GA State Crit Championships From Topview Sports (Trish’s Note: This is for 2022.) The Georgia State Crit Championships is now Sunday of Commerce Stage Race! June 4th and 5th! Save the Date to be the next Georgia State Crit Champion!

11-27-2021 Woodland Brook Paving Woodland Brook in Vinings (Cobb Count, GA) is a popular road for cyclists. It’s being paid 9-4 daily with one lane closed. Reports are that the portions of the road that are torn up are bad and significant.

11-25-2021 Pumpkinvine Trails are Open From SORBA West Georgia. Pumpkinvile Trails are Open! The intermediate loop is 4.3 miles with another .8 mile loop. Opened to the public on November 21, 2021, the Pumpkinvine Creek Nature Center offers five miles of multi-use natural surface trail for public hiking and mountain biking. Trail direction changes daily. Mountain bikes: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday – Clockwise. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday – Counterclockwise. Hikers travel in the opposite direction. The land is a triangular parcel that was donated to the Southeastern Trust for Parks and Land by the Boyce family. It has a creek front on two sides and a high-crowned hilltop in the middle. This configuration has created 5 unique areas: swamp, wetland, high grassy field, mixed hardwood forest, and emergent pine forest. Once platted for 200 homes, it is now permanently protected from any type of development. 293 Settlement Road,Dallas, GA 30132 Please do not use the restroom or change on the side of the road or within view of any surrounding home (The police have already been called and are not tolerant of this). Restrooms/Port-a-johns will be delivered soon. Please be respectful of the local home owners as well as watch your speed on the entrance roads. We need to keep in good graces with them. Practice Leave-No-Trace (Let’s keep this park clean for all.) There may be some additional trail finishing that needs to happen but the trails are rideable and do still need to be ridden in, so come on out.