8-1-2013 Harbins Work Parties From GATR:     With all of the rain, we have many spots to fix at Harbins Park.   Come out show your favorite trail some love!  We have scheduled a Work Party for Saturday and Sunday, so more folks can help.  Lunch will be served at the end of the work party.  Sunday, August 4th from 9 a.m. – noon (please show about 8:45 a.m. to sign in and break into work teams) and Saturday, August 10th from 9 a.m. – noon.

7-30-2013 GA State TT Championship This Sunday, Aug. 4, is the final of the Peachtree Bikes Time Trial Series. The race also serves as the Georgia State Time Trial Championship. Juniors 10-14 will race a 6 mile course, Juniors 15-18 will race a 12 mile course, and all other divisions will race the full 24 mile course. Parking is at Serenbe with the start nearby. See the flyer for full details.

Riders in action at the Georgia Grand Prix last week. Photo courtesy of Harvey Blanco (Team Lifetime Bicycles).

Covington Century What’s the perfect warm up for the State TT Championships? The Covington Century! Fully Sagged • Signature Rest Stops • Helmets Required • Rain or Shine Ride, Mileage Options of 17, 32, 67 or 100 will take you through Covington, Oxford, Jersey, Rutledge, Social Circle, Mansfield and Newborn. Trish’s note: This is one of my favorite centuries of the year!! Don’t miss it! The routes have been changed to reflect some of the roads of the old Century route, so I’ve been told.

MSG Cross Series The MSG Cross Series has released their 2013-2014 schedule.
Sept. 28 MSG CX Dotmar
Oct. 5-6 MSG CX Farmhouse
Oct. 12 MSG CX Elizabethton
Nov. 2 MSG CX Boone
Nov. 23-24 MSG CX King Campus
Dec. 7 MSG CX Mars Hill
Jan. 4 MSG CX Final Domtar
Jan. 5 MSG CX UCI Domtar

Alliance Ride The Alliance Ride has been rescheduled for Aug. 25th. From the promoter: “Welcome to the 2013 Jackson Healthcare/Scott Rigsby Foundation Alliance Ride, supporting Warriors from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom! All donations from this event support Warrior Family Retreats and Warrior counseling services. On August 25, the Alliance Ride’s 25 and 50 mile ride will launch from the Jackson Healthcare offices at 2655 Northwinds Pkwy., Alpharetta, GA 30009.  The ride will begin at 7:45am for both rides. With plenty of snacks, beverages, and nutrition items, as well as special exhibits from our sponsors and local military, the event makes for a very memorable day for all who attend. Register Now and help our Warriors and their families transition back into their communities

7-29-2013 Racing This Week There is a lot of racing this weekend. Summer is in full swing! On Tuesday the  AMP Cycling Series rolls into Dawsonville, GA!  On Wed.  the  NashvilleCyclist.com Criterium #9 takes place. July 31-Aug. 4i s the Crossroads Cycling Classic. Scroll down about 1/4 page for plenty of information on the Crossroads Cycling Classic! Mountain bikes have a few mid week races: Fisher Farm XC, July 31 Hendersonville STXC, July 31 Tanglewood Park Triad MTB, Aug. 1 Gainesville SORBA TNT. Come by the Sorella Tent to say hi to Southeastern Cycling on Saturday at the annual Race to Sunset at Blanket’s Creek in Woodstock, GA. The SERC Series wraps up Aug. 3-4 with SERC #10 Fontana.

7-27-2013 Ride with the Pros I was doing a bit of web surfing today. I came across the Ride for C5 with Tyler Farrar Nov. 4th at Barnsley Gardens. I thought it was a neat idea for a fundraiser until I saw the price. $1250 for an individual cyclist. That is not a misprint. I verified it on their website. *CHOKE* That’s half of the new cross bike I want. (Really, it’s ok. I’ll be racing cyclocross that weekend anyway.) Don’t want to pay that and want to ride with a pro? Check out the Gran Fondo Hincapie north of Greenville, SC on Oct. 26th. Registration starts at $100, which includes a jersey.

7-26-2013 Beltine Police Patrol The Atlanta Police Dept. officially has their Beltine Patrol in Action on bikes and horses. They patrol the 12 mile Beltline stretch that is in use.

Atlanta Cycle Track The first two way Cycle Track in Atlanta is underway on 10th St. in Midtown. It will connect the BeltLine Eastside Trail to the bike route on Charles Allen. There is also a Cycle Track and a road diet planned for part of Peachtree Center Ave. in downtown Atlanta.

7-24-2013 Georgia Cycling Grand Prix  The Georgia Cycling Grand Prix is this week. I’ve been asked a couple of times about the schedule. Here it is:

Wed.  Road Atlanta Circuit Race, 5300 Winder Hwy, Braselton, GA 30517
Thursday Crossroads Road Race, 227 State Road 229, Social Circle, GA 30025
Friday Oxford Hills Road Race, Providence Christian School, 252 Byrd Road, Oxford, GA 30054
Saturday Crossroads Time Trial, 227 State Road 229, Social Circle, GA 30025
Downtown Covington Crit, 1134 Clark Street, Covington, GA
Sunday Newton County Circuit Race, 220 Bates Road, Covington, GA

Outback Bikes Closing Hamilton Mill Location Outback Bikes is closing the Hamilton Mill location. Anyone that purchased a bike at the Hamilton Mill location can still receive service on their bikes by calling 770-945-BIKE. lThe Little 5 Points location is still open and ready to serve as it has been for 27 years! Remember…Ride What You Dig!

7-23-2013 Crossroads Cycling Classic News From the Promoter: The 2013 Giordana Crossroads Cycling Classic presented by Salisbury-Rowan County Convention and Visitors Bureau will be a six-race, six-day individual omnium that will visit four different NC cities. All races will be held in exciting downtown venues except the High Rock Road Race on Saturday. We will be awarding a Giordana leaders jersey to each race leader throughout the five day series. We are also once again bringing back the super exciting 2013 Sprint Competition.

The 2013 Giordana Crossroads Classic p/b Salisbury-Rowan County CVB will be be held the first week of August and will kick in Mocksville, NC with the Mocksville Criterium. The weekend will be highlighted by two great events, the ever popular High Rock Road Race on Saturday and City Park Circuit Race in Salisbury on Sunday.
2013 Schedule
July 30 – Mocksville Criterium in Mocksville, NC
July 31- Cabarrus Creamery Classic Criterium in Concord, NC
August 1 – Downtown Salisbury Criterium in Salisbury, NC
August 2 – Downtown Statesville Criterium in Statesville, NC
August 3 – High Rock RR in Salisbury, NC
August 4 – City Park Circuit Race in Salisbury, NC
For 2013 – In order to product fast and accurate results, the event will be chip timed using the MyLaps Pro Chip System.

** ROAD CONSTRUCTION **
For those of you traveling on I-85 to the different Crossroads Classic venues, please remember there are several major construction projects underway. Please leave yourself plenty of time as you make your way to the different venues. US HWY 29 is a good alternative to I-85 when traveling north on I-85.

Covington Century From the SBL:  The Covington Century pulls out at 7AM on Saturday, August 3. Police escort through Covington Square. Great parking for early birds. Registration opens at 5:30. Coffee and donuts for sleepyheads. Updated info and Routes available at covingtoncenturyride.com or REGISTER NOW.

7-22-2013 Racing This Week Racing this week kicks of Tuesday with the  AMP Cycling Series in Dawsonville, GA. Also this week in Georgia is the Georgia Cycling Gran Prix  for the roadies. Thursday is the Gainesville SORBA TNT in Gainesville, GA as well as the  St. Francis Series, crit in Greenville, SC. Up this weekend are the Oak Ridge Velo Classic and Raccoon Mountain on Saturday. Sunday is the Haynes Park Classic Crit the  AMBS XC Coldwater.

Bull Mountain Trouble The US Army wants to take over 282 acres of land at Camp Merrill at Bull Mountain. Hiking and mountain biking advocates are against the idea. They cite environmental concerns and lost access to recreation.

7-18-2013 Slow News Week It’s been a slow news week, so there haven’t been many updates. I hope everyone is riding between thunderstorms and watching the Tour De France.

Racing This Week Lots of racing this week! Thursday is the  Gainesville SORBA TNT . The venerable and long running French Broad Classic takes place Friday-Sunday around Asheville, NC. It’s one of the best omniums in the Southeast! For endurance mountain bikers the  20 Jerdon Mountain Challenge is on Saturday, and ORAMM is on Sunday.

Atlanta Cycling Sale Atlanta Cycling is having their annual summer sale through July 22! There are deep discounts on 2013 bikes including Trek!

Article Southeastern Cycling appeared in an article on cycling in Atlanta in the Examiner. Cool! The article also mentions several other local websites.

Reality Bikes Ride Read this if you do the Reality Bikes Ride: From RB: “Important Wednesday night ride info: Todd met with the Chief of Police on Monday regarding the incident last week with Matt being ticketed on the ride. After a productive meeting, the Chief expressed his support and agreed to throw out the ticket. In the next few weeks he wants to have an open meeting between cyclists and some of his officers to discuss ways to better work together. Details to come. For now we need to be sure to ride two abreast from the shop all the way through town, including when stopped at the stoplight in town. No passing cars at red lights or running the stop signs. This goes for the end of the ride too. If we want the support of local law enforcement we need to do our best to be respectful of the traffic laws and do our best to not give officers looking for violations a reason to take issue.

Thanks for your support & we look forward to seeing you tonight!

7-15-2013 Dick Lane Velodrome “The Omnium” Photos I took about 200 photo of The Omnium p/b Outback Bikes at the DLV on Saturday night. They are up on my Photography Site!

Gaps Rides My Cycle Coach is having two Gaps rides for riders. Both rides are free. Ride 1:  July 20th-  GAPS Ride for A/B riders.  8am start time from Helen (exact mtg location TBD).
Climb Unicoi and u-turn at top.  Then climb Hogpen, Jacks, Unicoi and back to Helen.  Send and email to robert@MyCycleCoach.com if you plan to join.

Ride 2: July 28th-  GAPS Ride for BEGINNERS & 1ST TIMERS.   8am start time from Turners Corner Store.   Here is your chance to do this ride w/o worrying about riding with a bunch of hammerheads and leaving you all alone.  If you are apprehensive on descents, I will help guide you thru some vital steps/information that will dramatically increase your confidence.

Seeking someone to drive a SAG vehicle for this ride. (rider donations will cover your gas).  Prefer a van/SUV or large vehicle to handle a few ice chests and a tool box or two.  Bike racks (or a way to transport bikes, if necessary) is preferred. Send email to robert@MyCycleCoach.com if you plan to join.

Wayne Whitesides (EPVA) wonders how he can beat ONeill Sameuls (Litespeed-BMW) at the Omnium p/b Outback Bikes at the Dick Lane Velodrome on Saturday.

7-12-2013 Free Flite Sale Free Flite is having a huge Summer Clearance Sale starting today! Stop by their stores in East Cobb and Marietta to see the great deals on bikes, clothing, and accessories. Save 10% of in stock Santa Cruz bikes or $1000 off select Trek Project One Ultegra DI2 bikes.

SORBA Athens Work Parties From SORBA-Athens: Hard Labor Creek Work Party, When: Saturday, July 13th, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., Where: Hard Labor Creek State Park, Rutledge , GA 30663 This trail system will be a big part of our 30/30 Project.  Bill Pflueger has done a tremendous job spearheading the work at Hard Labor Creek. There are 10+ miles of beginner/intermediate trails there already with more on the way. Here’s a trail map.  The Red trail is tight and twisty with some climbing.  The Blue trail is made for speed with long stretches and flowy turns.  Recommended Route: First half of Orange -> Purple Connector Trail out -> Blue Trail out -> Blue Trail back -> Red Trail Loop -> Purple Connector back -> Orange Trail 2nd half.  Work could include cutting back brush, raking, helping construct bridges or putting up directional signs.  Free parking and trail passes for the day are included. We will ride after we finish working.  Bring gloves, water, and your bike. If you are looking for someone to carpool with, check out this post on the SORBA-Athens forum.

Hart Farms Work Party/Camp Out When: Saturday, July 20th, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Where: Hart Farms, Crawfordville Road, Union Point, GA 39669 This trail system connects two smaller trail systems into one large challenging ride. The Hart Farms section (also the trail head) contains 12.6 miles of technical trail. The Corry House section consists of 8.8 miles of straighter but no less exhausting challenges currently connected by 5.2 miles (round trip) of road travel down Hwy 278 East. Jacob Meyer has put in a lot of hard work building these trails and anyone who has ventured down to ride them will tell you that his hospitality is legendary. The plan is to start work at 9 a.m. and work until lunch when we will cook out hamburgers and hot dogs. Then folks can either sit around and relax, ride bikes, work on some more trail, or any combination of these things.  Most of the work will be cutting in some new trail on what is called Sockmans Loop.  Bring gloves, water, and your bike…and rogue hoes and mcleods if you have them.  Free camping is available.

7-11-2013 Allatoona Work Party From SORBA Atlanta: Come help clear the next 4 miles of trail! Bring water and snacks.  Wear closed toe shoes, work gloves and sturdy clothing.  Bring an Epi-Pen if you have allergies. Tools will be provided. Be sure to check the SORBA Atlanta Facebook site or the SORBA Atlanta web-site at on the morning of the event for any last minute instructions or cancellations. Free lunch will be served. When: July 13th, 2013 9:00 AM   through   1:00 PM, Location: 5690 Old Stileboro Road, Allatoona Creek Main Trailhead, Acworth, GA 30101

 7-10-2013 National Road Championships Congratulations to the Georgia & Southeastern Racers that competed at the Junior, Amateur, and Para-Cycling National Road Championships last weekend in Wisconsin. Quite a few riders from the Southeast were on the podium in the crits. (Results below). Full results can be seen on USA Cycling’s website.

Juniors Women 10-12
4. Annalise Oestreich (Powder Springs, Ga./Junior Flyers)

Juniors Men 10-12
4. David Heath (Alpharetta, Ga./Frazier Cycling) +0:03

Juniors Women 15-16
5. Hannah Arensman (Rutherford College, N.C./ExergyTWENTY16) +0:04

Juniors Men 15-16
4. Broderick Hartley (Lilburn, Ga./D3DEVO) s.t.

U23 Men
1. Tyler Magner (Athens, Ga./Hincapie Sportswear Development) 1:15:37

C4 Para-cycling Men
3. Aaron Trent (Greenville, S.C./Team Roger C Peace)

C3 Para-cycling Men
2. Jason Kimball (Spring Lake, N.C./Ride 2 Recovery) same time

7-9-2013 Red Clay Ramble From Bicycling Club of Milledgeville: Please join the Bicycling Club of Milledgeville for the First Annual Red Clay Ramble.  The Red Clay Ramble isn’t your regular old metric century… with only 16 miles of paved road on the 65 mile route, the rest is dirt and gravel roads with great scenery, challenging hills and very little traffic.  While any bike is capable of making the ride,  riders may prefer to leave their good road bikes at home and bring their cyclocross, gravel grinder, touring or mountain bikes instead.  There will be watering stops along the way for the 65 and 33 mile routes so riders can refill their water bottles

The first 75 registrants will get special early bird pricing at only $25.  After 75 people register, the price goes up to $35 for pre-registration, so hurry up and register now.  All pre-registered attendees will receive a tee-shirt.  All riders are encouraged to hang around after the ride for food, festivities and cold drinks (you’ll need those after an August day on dirt roads in Middle Georgia!). Onsite registration starts at 7:30 AM on August 17th, with the ride starting at 8:30AM.

7-8-2013 Ride Review-Dunwoody Cycling Dunwoody Cycling offers several rides every week for all levels of riders from beginner to racer. The See and Be Seen ride leaves at 6:30 on Tuesdays from the Mellow Mushroom at 5575 Chamblee-Dunwoody Rd., Dunwoody, GA. The S&BSR caters towards the A/B crowd. The average speed is 17-19 mph on the flats and about 17 mph overall for the B group. The A group was so far ahead that I did not get their average speed for the night although the rumor was about 19.5 mph.  Both packs regroup at key points, usually after a climb. There is a sweep rider for the B group. The S&BSR will draw 20-30 riders on most nights. Because Dunwoody Cycling was distributing their new jerseys the night I rode with them, there was at least 40 riders.

Like many intown rides, be prepared to climb and climb some more and go up another hill for good measure. Bring your climbing legs!  The first quarter of the ride is on well-traveled streets. Riders need to be aware of the traffic and cars coming from every which direction. The ride turns off into the neighborhoods and quieter roads once Inside the Perimeter. The S&BSR is no different from any intown ride that uses a few roads with a lot of traffic to get to the good roads. Mid ride the course  goes around Silver Lake and the Capital City Golf Club, which is a popular loop for cyclists. The winding streets have virtually no traffic, and we passed several other group rides that leave out of Vinings or Sandy Springs. Going the opposite way than most group rides around this loop is mostly downhill, which I found a lot of fun as I’m used to cursing the hills as I climb them going counterclockwise. Unfortunately, what goes down must go up, and there is a large climb up Windsor Parkway to go over GA 400 and to the Glenridge Connector. Thankfully, we regrouped at the top.  The last quarter of the ride is mostly on rolling residential streets going back into Dunwoody with a busy stretch of Glenridge thrown in to connect two roads. I was bringing up the rear with a few other riders when one of them had a flat. Since there was a group of us, the main B pack rode on. One rule of the S&BSR is that no one finishes alone. We stayed with the rider that had a flat, and he pulled us back in. Riders usually stick around for dinner at Mellow Mushroom and enjoy the Dunwoody Cycling exclusive beer specials. A map of the ride can be found here.

I was made to feel welcome by the group, even by Martin, if you can put up with his jokes (Just kidding, Martin! He apparently likes to tell bad jokes). Introduce yourself and make some new riding buddies. If you can’t make the S&BSR, check out the Dunwoody Cycling ride schedule for plenty of other opportunities to ride with them.

Racing This Week Racing this week begins on Tuesday with the AMP Cycling Series in Dawsonville, GA. The series continues every Tuesday into Sept.! The Charlotte Mountain Bike XC series heads to the ASC Greenway, on Wed. The second race in the RAMBO TT series is also on Wed. while the  Gainesville SORBA TNT starts on Thursday at Chicopee. Both series are open to SORBA members. You can also join SORBA-IMBA onsite. If you sign up at the RAMBO TT, you race for free! Racing heats up this weekend at the Dick Lane Velodrome starting with the Friday Night Need for Speed Sprints and continuing with the Pro Series race Saturday night– “The Omnium”.  The NC State Championship Crit, takes place on Saturday with the NC State TT Championship on Sunday. Two mountain bike races happen on Sunday SERC #9 Ft. Payne  and the Georgia Games XC.

7-4-2013 Latest DLV News From the DLV: Outback Bike presents ‘The Omnium’ & Free Admission Coupon! Join us for our second of three Pro Race Series events, when Outback Bikes presents ‘The Omnium’. You can expect to see a great battle out on the track. The best sprinters will do battle against the best endurance riders throughout the evening to see who is the best all-rounder at the Dick Lane Velodrome. It’s a speed the whole family will enjoy, eat from our great concession stand and enjoy the home of track cycling in Atlanta. The only time where cycling with NO BRAKES is considered fun! Racing starts at 3pm for racers, Main Events kick off from 6pm for spectators. $5 Spectator Entry $10 for Families Spectator Information: http://www.dicklanevelodrome.com/pages/spectator-prs.html Outback is offering a Free Admission Coupon over here: http://www.outback-bikes.com/

Friday Sept. 9th, 7pm – Parks Law Need for speed Sprints, Free for spectators

 We Need Volunteers!! We are looking for a few more folks to round out our volunteer crew for the upcoming Pro Race Series event, Outback Bikes presents ‘The Omnium’. If you think you can help us out at any time during the day on Saturday please drop us a line: jeff@dicklanevelodrome.com . We have shifts available for set-up between 11am and 3pm and evening shifts from 5:30pm to 9pm

 Summer Weekend Beginners Class July 27th/28th We’ve set the schedule for our Summer weekend beginners class, which will be held on the 27th and 28th of July, from 2pm till 5pm both days. If you’ve thought about giving the track a go, but weren’t able to make any of our thursday night classes, this is your best opportunity to get yourself certified and racing. We are going to be offering group discounts for the class, groups of 5 or more will receive a $10 discount on the cost of the class(normally $60). To get the group deal, just contact jeff@dicklanevelodrome.com for details. As always individual sign-up is online, and you can choose to pay online before the class or bring cash/check on the day. If you have any questions about the class, feel free to drop us a line, jeff@dicklanevelodrome.com.

Coming Soon: State Track Championships Coming back for 2013 will be the State Track Championships. Championships will be awarded for best all-round riders from both Georgia and Tennessee, in cateogries Elite Men, Elite Women, Mastesr 40+, 50+ and 60+.

Race Postponed The Canal Crown Race will be postponed because of the rain. The make up date is Friday, July 12.

7-3-2013 RAMBO July MTB TT From RAMBO: The second race of the 2013 Big Creek Summer Time Trial Series sponsored by Alpha Bikes is coming up on July 10. We had a great turn-out of 62 riders for the June race and everyone seemed to have a lot of fun. We really appreciate the support!
To recap the details: Dates July 10 and August 14. (Rain dates will be scheduled if necessary.)
Classes Men, prizes to 1st, 2nd & 3rd: 1) 34 and under, 2) 35 and Older
Women, prizes to 1st, 2nd & 3rd: 1) 34 and under, 2) 35 and older
Singlespeed, prizes to 1st only: 1) All men, 2) All women
Clydesdale, prizes to 1st, 2nd & 3rd: 1) All 200# and over
Juniors, prizes to 1st, 2nd & 3rd: 1) 17 and under
(Racing age is your age on December 31, 2013.)

Registration Registration onsite. Suggested donation $10 per TT or all 3 for $25. Donation is waived for those folks that join or renew their expired memberships to IMBA/SORBA. Due to IMBA/SORBA insurance guidelines, participants must be a member of IMBA/SORBA. Last month, some folks renewed online ahead of time and brought the receipt with them; this works, too (please check RAMBO as your chapter if you do. )

Time Registration opens at 5PM. First rider starts at 6PM, last rider leaves at 8PM. Great fun and great prizes provided by Alpha Bikes. We hope to see you on July 1

7-2-2013 Scholarship for Georgia Cyclist Frazier Cycling congratulates Zoe Frazier who has accepted a cycling/academic scholarship at Marian University in Indianapolis  this fall.  Zoe will compete in road, track and cross.  She is a graduate of the Frazier Cycling Junior Development Program.  She was recently featured in Sports Gwinnett magazine as a top Gwinnett female athlete.  Zoe is also featured on the Hincapie Sportswear website  promoting their spring/summer cycling clothing line.

Covington Century News Wondering what’s up with the Covington Century? Check out the lastest issue of the Southern Bicycle Magazine and turn to page 10.

Latest GBRA News Next GCS Event: Georgia Games, July 6th and 7th With the State Road Race Championship is in the books there’ll be a few week break before the series heads to the Georgia Games races. Time Trials, Criteriums and Road Races are on tap for the Georgia Games once again in 2013. While not a state championship event this year, the racing should be just as action packed as it has been in the past! Info for the races can be found over here: http://www.georgiagames.org/.

Current GCS Standings After State Champ Road Race Things are moving along here in the GBRA headquarters, and the point standings are being progressively updated. Be sure to check through the results, and let us know if your results need adjusting, or if you have any quesitons about how things are looking there, email info@gacycling.org.
Georgia Cycling Grand Prix, July 27th and 28th The first time in a few years for joining in the GBRA GCS Series, but the Georgia cycling Grand Prix is back! Not all races in the series will score points, but the time trial and criteriums on the 27th will score points as will the circuit race on the 28th. http://www.georgiacycling.net/ for all of the info about the events.

Peachtree Bikes State TT Champs. August 4th Peachtree Bikes will be hosting this years state time trial championships down in Serenbe (Palmetto, GA). Also doubling as the last event in their 2013 TT Series, this will be a great opportunity to test yourself against the clock in the race of truth! More info here: http://www.peachtreebikes.com/time-trial-series and map with info here: http://www.peachtreebikes.com/images/24-mile-state.pdf

7-1-2013 Racing This Week With the holiday week, there are several races in the Southeast. The AMP Cycling Series kicks things off on Tuesday. There is a new evening schedule, so be sure to check out there website if you are going. July 5-7 is the Pisgah Omnium.  The Georgia Games road events are on July 6-7. The SERC Mountain Bike Series continues on Sunday with SERC #8 Woolvine.

Ride Review This week’s ride review is by Kristi June, who writes the Tale on Two Wheels blog. Please check out the new blog! Thanks, Kristi!

If you like riding in a country setting, come join Perpetual Motion Bicycles in Carrollton, GA for a twenty-five mile ride on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Perpetual Motion Bicycles is located at 1002 Maple Street, Carrollton, GA 30117. It is right down the street from the University of West Georgia. If you would like to go on an official fifteen mile warm-up ride, be at the shop and ready to ride at 5:30 PM. Otherwise, be ready to roll out at 6:30 PM. The ride starts as one big group but eventually splits into 3 different groups. The fast group usually averages 20-23 mph and is a drop ride. I rode with the intermediate group. We had an 18.1 mph last Tuesday, but the intermediate group can average anywhere from 17-19 mph, depending on the day. The intermediate group is also a drop ride. There is also a no-drop recreational ride that goes anywhere from 13-16 mph. Sometimes they ride a shortened version of the route which is only fifteen miles.

Perpetual Motion Bicycles’ route offers a variety of cycling terrains. The ride starts in a residential neighborhood and passes parks, well-manicured homes and even breezes through a finished section of the Carrollton Greenbelt, which has a beautiful winding stream running alongside the trail. Once off the Carrollton Greenbelt and through the light at the heavily traveled Carrollton Bypass/Highway 166, the group ride gradually increases its speed. Instead of subdivisions, schools, and city parks, the view changes to picturesque country scenery. The route goes on well-paved and less traveled country back roads scattered with big red barns, rolling pastures and ripe and ready to pick vegetable gardens. At some points during the ride last Tuesday, I wished I was sitting in a rocking chair on a front porch drinking a big glass of sweet tea instead of riding. I knew I couldn’t completely stop, but I was almost tempted to slow down and take it easy…until I heard the buzzing sound of bicycles passing. Then, it was like, “Scenery? What scenery?” It’s hard to focus on anything but riding when you have competitive cyclists all around you.

This is probably the most competitive cycling group I have ever ridden with so far. We did a pace line probably only about 50 percent of the time. The rest of the time was someone attacking up a hill or trying to pass…or succeeding to pass me on a downhill, which I don’t mind. It just makes me work harder. If you have a competitive spirit, you will be fine. If not, I suggest riding with the 13-16 mph group. No matter which group you choose, just be ready to climb as West Georgia has hills and at some points this route feels like a roller coaster. There are lots of 3-6 percent grade hills and one 8 percent grade hill that will make you push yourself! There is lot of climbing, but the descents make it all worth it!

If you can’t make the ride during the week there is a forty-five mile ride on Saturdays that I am sure is equally if not more challenging! Maps of all the rides are on Perpetual Motion Bicycles’ website at perpetualmotionbikes.com. Here is a direct link to the twenty-five mile ride route: http://www.perpetualmotionbikes.com/hub/images/pocketmap25.jpg.

6-29-2013 Georgia 3 Feet Law The Roswell, GA Police Dept. has produced a GREAT video explaining the Georgia 3 Feet Law for both cyclists and motorists. Thank you Mayor Wood and the Roswell PD!

6-27-2013 6 Hour Race to Sunset at Blankets Creek From Mountain Goat Adventures: The weather is heating up and that means we’re getting close to this year’s 6 Hour Race to Sunset at Blankets Creek, presented by OutSpokin’ Bicycles! The new parking lot expansion is finally complete, leaving us with an improved venue for this event with more parking and more pit areas. Join us for what will be the party of the summer! The festivities kick off at noon on August 3rd, with sponsors, music, and pit setup. The race begins at 3 pm and ends at 9 pm.

The race will feature solo, 2 and 3 person divisions and the course will consist of a 7 mile loop including the “Mini” VMT loop and all of the Dwelling Trail. Prizes will be awarded a minimum of 3 deep in all categories with cash going a minimum of 5 deep in Men’s Expert and 3 deep in Women’s Expert. All female solo riders who podium will receive a gift card courtesy of Van Michael Salons! Entry includes a soft and comfy event shirt, swag bag, and a coveted 16 oz. Belgian Style Beverage Glass with event logo. We’ll also be giving away our custom goat medals to the top 3 and our “Train Hard, Win Easy” podium shirts to all first place finishers. Start training now, because you know your kids/spouse/partner will want one! We have approximately 20 VIP parking passes left for the next few folks who register. Register now and show up late – we’ll hold your spot and you won’t have to tote your gear over from River Church.

6-26-2013 Crossroads Classic Mark your calendars for most sought after race series in the Southeast….the Giordana Crossroads Classic. July 30 – August 4, 2013.
Sprint competition with jersey and overall leaders jerseys for all categories.  The 2013 Giordana Crossroads Classic presented by Salisbury-Rowan County Convention and Visitors Bureau will be a six-race, six-day individual omnium that will visit four different NC cities. All races will be held in exciting downtown venues except the High Rock Road Race on Saturday. We will be awarding a Giordana leaders jersey to each race leader throughout the five day series. We are also once again bringing back the super exciting 2013 Sprint Competition. The 2013 Giordana Crossroads Classic p/b Salisbury-Rowan County CVB will be be held the first week of August and will kick in Mocksville, NC with the Mocksville Criterium.  The weekend will be highlighted by two great events, the ever popular High Rock Road Race on Saturday and City Park Circuit Race in Salisbury on Sunday.

2013 Schedule
July 29 – Mocksville Criterium in Mocksville, NC
July 30- Cabarrus Creamery Classic Criterium in Concord, NC
August 1 – Downtown Salisbury Criterium in Salisbury, NC
August 2 – Downtown Statesville Criterium in Statesville, NC
August 3 – High Rock RR in Salisbury, NC
August 4 – City Park Circuit Race in Salisbury, NC

For 2013 – In order to product fast and accurate results, the event will be chip timed using the MyLaps Pro Chip System. Registration is OPEN for the 2013 Giordana Crossroads Classic.  We will be running an early bird special registration for the six-day series through Monday, July 15. Register NOW for the whole series and save money.

Louis Garneau Factory Team Ride/Party/Fundraiser Come join the Louis Garneau Factory Team Wednesday July 10th for a ride and post ride party! The Louis Garneau Factory Team ladies will lead the B2 group ride and provide their team car to sweep the ride. This will be at the standard B2 ride pace and include the usual regrouping spots.  This is a great chance to move up to the B2 ride for the first time or take a break from the faster race rides and enjoy a nice social ride with our local Elite Women’s cycling team!  The B2 ride leaves promptly at 6pm.  More info on the B2 route here. After the ride, stick around for the party at Marie’s Italian Deli next door. The Ladies team will be selling raffle tickets for $10, all proceeds go to support the development of women’s cycling. Raffle will be held at 8:15pm at the party. Must be present to win. Tickets will be available at the shop up until the event and then will be available all night at the event inside Marie’s Italian Deli. Raffle items include team helmets, team issued skinsuit/vests, team issued t-shirts, Smith glasses, and some other goodies. The team will also be on hand for a meet & greet, photos (with the car too) and autograph signing. Marie’s is going to be serving their delicious food, wine, and beer during the party and contributing 10% of the register sales during the event to the team fundraiser. Want to be an official sponsor for the Louis Garneau Factory Team?  For a donation of $100 the team will place your name or logo on the window of their team car from now through the 2014 season.  The team car gets exposure at all events the ladies participate in as well as being parked in front of the shop when they are not traveling. All donations welcomed and appreciated!

DLV News From the DLV:  Free Admission Once again this year Outback Bikes will be offering a Free Admission coupon to come and catch the action at the Omnium! Coupons can be printed from the Outback Bikes website. Just print the coupon, fill it out and present it at the gate on July 13th. The fine print: One coupon required per person, coupon must be completed and presented to redeem free admission.

Summer Weekend Beginners Class We’ve set the schedule for our Summer weekend beginners class, which will be held on the 27th and 28th of July, from 2pm till 5pm both days. If you’ve thought about giving the track a go, but weren’t able to make any of our thursday night classes, this is your best opportunity to get yourself certified and racing. We are going to be offering group discounts for the class, groups of 5 or more will receive a $10 discount on the cost of the class(normally $60). To get the group deal, just contact jeff@dicklanevelodrome.com for details. As always individual sign-up is online.  and you can choose to pay online before the class or bring cash/check on the day. If you have any questions about the class, feel free to drop us a line, jeff@dicklanevelodrome.com.

Womens Try The Track Day Courtesy of Sorella Cycling: Want to try riding on the track? If so, Sunday, June 30th from 2-4pm you can come out to the Dick Lane Velodrome and try it out! Dick Lane Velodrome will provide the bike, just bring your helmet, pedals, and shoes! The clinic is free for Sorellas and $5.00 for non-Sorellas. For women who are already certified, this is a great day to come out and do some training. Riding on the velodrome is a lot of fun! Please take advantage of this opportunity! Email jennifer.undutch@gmail.com if you are interested in coming or have any questions.