4-27-2021 Fox Raceface XC Trail at Michelin Raceway Open Every Saturday Morning in May! Join some of the Georgia Cycling teams on the Fox XC Trails and raise money for the teams. The trail will be open 8 am – 1 pm every Saturday in May. The minimum donation is $5/rider with a $10/rider suggested donation. Students-Athletes & Coaches registered in the Georgia Cycling HUB for the 2021 season may ride for free. Full course will be opened 8:00AM until 1:00PM Performance + Turbine + Factory Trails = 7.5 Miles You must check in and sign waivers. Visit PrimaTappa.com to print early.
Helmet required. Ride within your ability. All riders must stay on the trail. (No exploring) Course must be ridden counter clockwise. Do not enter the track facility or you will be prosecuted. Ride within your ability. No riders will be allowed to enter the course after 1:00 pm. Please follow all course marshal instructions.

4-20-2021 Blankets Creek 3 and 6 Hour Race – Coming June 19th – NEW COURSE FOR 2021! From Mountain Goat Adventures Make plans to join us for the Blankets Creek 3 and 6 Hour Race presented by Free-Flite Bicycles on June 19th. Register early as we are still at reduced capacity for our events and we expect this race to fill up. Solo, 2 and 3 person team categories are available in the 6 Hour Race. The 3 Hour Option has a TON of categories for those who wish to ride 3 hours solo, as well as a one and two lap option for junior riders.

We are switching things up for 2021 with a new slightly different course configuration and direction. For 2021, we will be riding CLOCKWISE on both Dwelling and VMT. For the opening lap riders will head straight down Hamilton’s Hop to space out before hitting the Dwelling Trail. Riders will enter Dwelling to the left and ride clockwise up to the bench at the top of the Flow Trails, following the advanced line up to the top. Riders will descend the Rock and Roll Flow Trail down to the bottom and continue riding Dwelling clockwise, using intermediate lines on the remainder of the Dwelling Trail. Riders exit Dwelling to Hamilton’s Hop, cross the bridge and turn left onto Mosquito Flats. The course follows Mosquito Flats to the Mosquito Bite/Van Michael Trail, entering in the CLOCKWISE direction over the wooden boardwalks. Riders will complete the Van Michael Trail clockwise, but will skip Kevorkian Pass and the 420 climb. Once done with VMT, riders will take a left onto Mosquito Flats and ride back towards the parking lot. Riders will take a left on Hamiltons Hop, then left again to an access trail that goes around the metal building and around the paved portion of the parking lot. Teammate exchanges can take place anywhere along the parking lot loop. For subsequent laps, riders will take a left onto Creekside Mosquito Flats on their way to Dwelling. Total distance (with the loop around the parking lot) is approximately 8.3 miles with roughly 780′ of elevation gain per lap. This course configuration offers longer climbs but also longer descent sections and some fun jumps and flow on Dwelling and VMT. The clockwise direction will also allow for Friday pre-riding in the race direction. Compared to last year’s course, it is about 4/10ths of a mile longer with about 50′ more elevation gain, so expect lap times to be about two minutes slower than in 2020. NO MASS START FOR 2021 – STARTS WILL BE STAGGERED BY CATEGORY – We will post start waves/times the week before the event.

4-17-2021 States Covered by Southeastern Cycling Hey all! It’s been a while since I reminded everyone which states I cover for the racing calendar and posting events in the News Section. Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama. Why? They are closest to Georgia, which is where I live. This is also why you see news centered around the metro Atlanta and surrounding areas. I’d LOVE to be able to add Mississippi & Virginia & Florida & Louisiana, & so on. The reality is that I work a full time corporate day job, and Southeastern Cycling is what I do at 10:00 at night AFTER my own bike ride for the day, fixing dinner for those in the household (yeah, or takeout), house chores, regular life things like going to the grocery store or Home Depot or whereever, and yes, watching my favorite tv shows. SE Cycling is not my full time job. I wish it could be!

Parking at Turner’s Corners If you are parking at Turner’s Corners store to ride the Gaps, park in the BACK parking lot! Do no park in paved lot, which is for their customers–not cyclists (obviously unless you are stopping there after a ride for some provisions). If you park in the paved lot, there is nowhere for their customers to park. Please support this locally owned business and park in the BACK lot they have provided for cyclists.

4-12-2021 Haw Creek Work Party From RAMBO Haw Creek Park Work Party Saturday, April 17 9 am-1pm We are going to have a work party at Haw Creek Park Saturday 4/17 from 9 to 1pm. Please meet at the pavilion. Haw Creek Park is on Echols Rd in Cumming Ga right behind the Toyota dealership. We are going to work on general trail needs, drainage, armoring. Please wear the proper shoes and clothing for trail work. The county will supply the needed tools. Thanks for your help in advance. Joe Baker RAMBO Forsyth County Trail Director.

4-9-2021 Big Creek Freeride Work Party From RAMBO Big Creek Freeride Area Work Party, Sat. & Sunday April 24-25 at 9 am.,10200 Wooten Rd, Roswell, GA 30076. We’re refurbishing the upper sections of Extra Credit and Honor Roll, and we’ll need hands to shape and pack throughout the weekend. Join us for lunch, please bring water and closed-toe shoes.

4-8-2021 GA 400 Century is On! Press Release We are cleared for the final year of the GA400 Century. There is still lots of work to do, but we are on a path to ride June 27. Yes this will be the final year of a great ride. GDOT will no longer be able to give us permission after this year to use GA400 due to construction. So tell all your friends that this is the year to do it! Visit http://ga400century.com for all the latest info.

4-7-2021 Toona Work Party From SORBA West Georgia Allatoona Creek Park Work Party Saturday, April 17, 2021 9:00 am, Join us for our monthly work party. Bring water and work gloves. We’ll supply tools and lunch.

4-5-2021 Silver Comet Prescribed Burn There is a prescribed burn on the Silver Comet around miles 28-29. Several riders have reported riding into thick smoke on Monday, April 5. Signs have been posted along the trail according to a few people on Facebook. You may want to avoid this area for a few days if you are sensitive to smoke or have health issues.

Woodland Brook Update The Cobb DOT expects Woodland Brook to reopen the afternoon of 4/6.

4-4-2021  Woodland Brook Closed Woodland Brook Drive Closed Woodland Brook is a favorite road of cyclists in Vinings (Cobb County, GA). It will be closed for repairs for the foreseeable future from damage from recent rains.

4-2-2021 Alabama Cycling Classic Press Release The Alabama Cycling Classic returns to Calhoun County in its traditional weekend format of national bicycle races for amateur and professional athletes on July 3-4th. The City of Anniston will be the showcase for high-velocity, two wheeled bicycles. The Alabama Cycling Classic event begins on Saturday with the Sunny King Criterium held in conjunction with the popular Main Street Anniston’s Noble Street Festival. Sunday’s race features the newly created Piedmont Criterium, which will be held in downtown Piedmont, Ala. This marks the 19th year for the Sunny King Criterium, which attracts top regional and national talent from across the country as part of the USA Cycling’s Professional Road Tour (PRT). The Sunny King Criterium is the fifth national criterium event on the Professional Road Tour calendar for 2021. The downtown Anniston, Sunny King Criterium offers 20 categorized events for men and women, from junior, masters elite and domestic professional races. The historic downtown four-turn course will begin and end on E. 11th Street near Noble Street in downtown Anniston. Sunday’s Piedmont Criterium will host eight races. This schedule also offers races for amateur, master, junior and elite level racers. This new one-kilometer course is located in the northern region of Calhoun County, racing in and around downtown Piedmont. This marks the 8th year for the Alabama Cycling Classic’s day two event to be held in the City of Piedmont with a renewed excitement for hosting a downtown criterium. The total prize purse for the Alabama Cycling Classic weekend will exceed $27,000, with equal payouts for the professional men’s and women’s races on Saturday.

The Noble Street Festival returns with food, music and family activities adjacent to the criterium course on Saturday. There will be free activities for children and live music for the entire family along the 900 and 1000 blocks of Noble Street. Festival hours are 11a.m. – 7 p.m. Returning this year is the Fat Tire Criterium, the YMCA Kids Bicycle Races and Mad Dash 1K running event (ages 12 and under). Applications for festival vendors are accepted online until June 18th. Admission to the festival and bicycle races is free for all spectators. Online registration is currently open until June 30th for racers, with fees ranging from $10 for juniors to $50 for elite riders. Proceeds from the Sunny King Criterium racer registration fees are donated to the American Cancer Society, a local Relay for Life chapter in Calhoun County. Since 2002, more than $120,000 has been raised for cancer research and patient support. Pre-registration for the YMCA Kids Bicycle Race and Mad Dash 1K is accepted via the Noble Street Festival website until June 25th, with fees ranging from $6 per event or $10 for both. Late entries for the Kids Races are also available onsite the day of the event.

4-1-2021 Outback Bikes is Moving From the shop: Southeastern Cycling Advertiser Outback is moving. They will be closed April 4-7. The new address is 484 Moreland Ave Ne, Atlanta Ga 30307, Same hood, different digs…..L5P for 36 years!

3-31-2021 Calendars Updated I’ve spent the last few nights updating May and June races and looking a bit beyond that on all of the calendars. Some things I’ve noticed. There is NO road racing in the Carolinas after April outside of the MAC racing series, the Triad critic series, and 1-2 independent races. Nothing. Georgia RR is going pretty strong thanks to TopView Sports. Alabama has a few races, but I can’t really find anything past May. There will be a lot of crits in the Southeast in August with Speed Week and a few others postponed from the spring happening. Road racing has really taken a hit the last few years and is at about the lowest amount of races I’ve ever seen. Mountain biking and gravel racing, OTOH, is out of control in an amazing way! There are so many events! You can race off road almost any weekend from late. Feb. to early Dec. That includes cyclocross. Look for the Georgia and NC CX Series to be back this year after taking a break win 2020 because of COVID. Just a few observations. Share your views on the SE Cycling Facebook page!

3-30-2021 Wolfpen Gap Closed A .5 mile section of State Route 80 near Vogel State Park is closed through early next week for emergency repair. If you plan to do Three Gap, this is the road that starts the climb to Wolf Pen.

3-27-2021 MoW Charity Ride Press Release The 15th annual Wheels for Meals Charity Ride is scheduled for Saturday, April 24, 2021 at Trailblazer Park in Travelers Rest, South Carolina. Wheels for Meals offers four scenic and challenging routes, a post-ride celebration, fundraising incentive gear and more! You can find out additional details by visiting www.WheelsforMeals.com All event proceeds benefit the mission of Meals on Wheels of Greenville (SC), which provides nutritious meals, personal interaction and independence to the homebound in Greenville County. (South Carolina)

3-23-2021 Bailey MTB Park Closed Pink Bike is reporting that the Bailey Mountain Bike Park has closed. This was posted by the former owners of the park. As of March 20, the Park is Officially Closed As many of you may know, owning and running Bailey Mountain Bike Park has been very demanding for our small team of two. As difficult as it is… we want to let you know we have sold the mountain property. As a result of the sale, Bailey Mountain Bike Park is officially and permanently closed. Riders: please know, your support of us and of the park, your kindness, and your grace has made our experience worthwhile. Your support, whether in our first year or as recent as last weekend, is deeply appreciated and will never be forgotten! You have helped us to create an amazing chapter in each of our lives and facilitated the start of some amazing ride opportunities in the Southeast.

 

3-23-2021 Bailey MTB Park Closed Pink Bike is reporting that the Bailey Mountain Bike Park has closed. This was posted by the former owners of the park. As of March 20, the Park is Officially Closed As many of you may know, owning and running Bailey Mountain Bike Park has been very demanding for our small team of two. As difficult as it is… we want to let you know we have sold the mountain property. As a result of the sale, Bailey Mountain Bike Park is officially and permanently closed. Riders: please know, your support of us and of the park, your kindness, and your grace has made our experience worthwhile. Your support, whether in our first year or as recent as last weekend, is deeply appreciated and will never be forgotten! You have helped us to create an amazing chapter in each of our lives and facilitated the start of some amazing ride opportunities in the Southeast.

3-16-2021 Moore’s Bridge Work Party From MTB Atlanta: Moore’s Bridge Trail Build Wrap-up, Pizza hangout and trail ride #7, Sunday March 21 at 10:00 k
It’s time to finish that trail! Come help us wrap-up our volunteer trail build at Moore’s Bridge park, trail day #7. There are still a few roots to cut, and holes to fill in but not much, we are soooo close. Once we finish the trail work, @Moab Adventure Condo will be providing pizza for lunch. Then we will take on the most important task, we need to ride the trail in to get it ready for the grand opening. Nothing helps a new trail more than getting tires on it. Meet at the boat ramp parking lot at Moore’s Bridge Park at 615 Black Dirt Road Whitesburg, GA 30185 and we will get started at 10. Have a mask, gloves, wear long pants and closed toed shoes and bring water, snacks and your epi pen if you are allergic to bees. We can lock your bike into the tool container if you need that. MTB Atlanta will provide the tools, but if you have one you like bring your own so we are sure to have enough to go around. Loopers, rogue hoes, shovel, rack.

3-15-2021 Pitner Road Work Party From SORBA West Georgia There will be a work party at the Pitner Road Jump Park on Saturday, March 20 at 9:00 am.

3-13-2021 DLV Workday From the Dick Lane Velodrome DLV’s first workday of 2021 is scheduled for 9AM, Saturday March 20th. We need volunteers to help clean up the velodrome grounds in preparation for the 2021 season. Being outdoors everyone will have no problem being socially distanced and mask wearing is encouraged. The primary task will be: Leaf removal, Debris cleanup, & General cleaning. These represent a few of the primary things that need done so that we can take the next steps in opening the velodrome in 2021. Note: State guidelines for Covid 19 safety are to be followed by all volunteers. Please RSVP through our event page. Come join us if you can, we appreciate your help!!!!

3-8-2021 Daylight Saving Time is this Sunday! Cyclist’s favorite time of the year is here! Daylight Saving Time is this Sunday! Don’t forget to set your clocks to Spring Ahead one hour!

Long Branch Work Party from NGMBA NGMBA/SORBA Work Party at Long Branch Free, Saturday, March 13 9 am-Noon, Last month we were able to clean 15 drains and will continue to work at Long Branch until completed. Bring a helmet, water and a snack. We’ll provide the rest.

3-6-2021 AOMM Cancelled From a Facebook post:  We are saddened to share that the 2021 Assault on Mount Mitchell and Assault on Marion (“AOMM”), scheduled for May 17th, has been cancelled. AOMM is a large undertaking with many moving parts. When we began planning this year’s ride back in the fall, we were optimistic that by this May, the effects of the COVID pandemic would have lessened enough to allow us to ride. While case counts are lowering, still, many states – including the State of North Carolina – continue to strictly enforce guidelines for events. Current mandates in the State of North Carolina prohibit large in-person events, whether outdoor or indoor. Since we have no clear timeline on when these regulations will be lifted, the Freewheelers Cycling Association, the State of NC’s Department of Parks, the Blue Ridge Parkway leadership, and the administration of Mt. Mitchell State Park are not comfortable with moving forward with the event in 2021. The Assaults is the premier cycling event of the Southeast and, in our opinion, one of the greatest amateur cycling events in the country. We will carry on, planning for AOMM 2022. Next year’s ride has already been confirmed to take place on Monday, May 16, 2022. Please save the date! We will begin rolling out more information about 2022 later this fall. On behalf of the Freewheelers’ board of directors and event production team, we do sincerely thank you for your understanding. Though we are all disappointed, we look forward to next year with anticipation of it being the best ride yet.

3-5-2021 Pisgah Stage Race Cancelled I have received word directly from from the promoter that the Pisgah State Race in Western NC is cancelled this year. They are hopeful to have it again in 2022.

3-3-2021 Sykes Park Trails Closed The City of East Point has closed the Sykes Park trails through Mrach 15.

3-2-2021 SORBA Woodstock Work Party From SORBA Woodstock This month’s work party will be at Blankets Creek on March 13th at 9:00 am. We will be working on Gnarnia and the new South Louth access reroute. Wear closed toe shoes and bring some water. SORBA Woodstock will provide tools and food after the work party. Sign up on the volunteer tab on SORBA Woodstock’s website.

3-1-2021 Calendar Updates I updated all of the calendars last week. The mountain bike/gravel/off road calendar is filling up nicely. Georgia and Alabama have some road events. Tennessee has a few off road and road events. I have exactly TWO road events for SC & NC not including the Hincapie Spring Series. There is nothing on USAC or CCA’s website. I’ve checked some of the individual events sites, and there is nothing. No dates for 2021. So, please contact the promoter if you have any questions if their event will be held this year.

Velocity for Grady Health Press Release Grady Health Foundation’s 4th annual VeloCity fundraiser will take place on Saturday, May 1, 2021, at the beautiful Bouckaert Farm in Chattahoochee Hills. With its vast 8,000 acres, our new location will allow us to implement any necessary COVID-19 precautions so that our participants may ride or run safely. VeloCity 2021 features a variety of distance options, including 100-mile, 62-mile, 50-mile, 25-mile, and 10-mile rides along metro Atlantas best cycling routes and run/walk options, including the Grady Superhero 5K and a 9-mile trail run. Participants are provided with breakfast before the start and encouraged to stay for lunch and an all-day, family-friendly celebration after crossing the finish line! Registration starts at $30, depending on the course. Participants can organize teams or raise funds in a variety of ways. VeloCity 2021 supports the overall mission of the Grady Health System. Supporting Grady has never been more important – and you can count on us over the next two months for training tips, fundraising ideas, and all of the information you need for a fun, successful ride, walk or run. Who: Grady Health Foundation What: Velocity Atlanta 2021 When: 7:30 a.m., Saturday, May 1, 2021 Where: Bouckaert Farm in Chattahoochee Hills, Fairburn, GA For more information and registration, visit www.velocityatlanta.com; Questions? Contact us at moveforgrady@velocityatlanta.com.

Georgia Cross is Coming! Georgia Cross will be 21 in 2021, and we will be celebrating in big style! Planning has begun for the fall. We don’t know exactly like racing will look like or what venues we will be racing at, but there will be a series! We will be following all USAC and local COVID-19 guidelines at the time of the races, so things may look a little different. Roll with it and be flexible if there are changes as we go through the season; it’s a different experience for us, too. Keep your eyes here for some fun stuff coming later this spring and summer to get us pumped for CX! #crossiscoming

2-23-2021 Biking Bleckley Press Release Ride the scenic roads of Cochran & Bleckley County as the Cochran-Bleckley Chamber kicks off the biking season with one of the first ride of the year. With four (4) routes to choose from, there is something for everyone. Plus, we will have t-shirts, fun rest stops, lunch, snacks, drinks, goodie bags, SAG wagon and entertainment available for all riders. Registration link is available online at www.cochran-bleckley.com Registration fees increase after Friday, March 5, 2021. Please email info@cochran-bleckley.com with any questions.

Willeo and Riverside to be Closed for Bridge Replacement Willeo Road and Riverside Roads at the intersection of the City of Roswell and Cobb County will be closed for 4 months later this year for a bridge replacement. An exact timetable has not been given. This is a popular route for cyclists.

2-22-2021 Michael Garrison Interview Cyclingnews.com has a nice interview with Micheal Garrison from Decatur, GA. Michael races for Continental U 23 team Hagens Berman Axeon.

Dick Lane Velodrome Update From the DLV Website: The Dick Lane Velodrome is committed to promoting cycling in a safe and friendly environment. It was out of an abundance of caution for everyone’s health, state/local guidelines, and respect for the community that we temporarily shut down the Dick Lane Velodrome in 2020. We were all disappointed, but it was a necessary decision. For 2021, we are working on a plan to reopen on a limited basis. The obvious challenge is COVID-19 safety. Some insight into our racing plans for 2021: We are discussing that when racing starts, it will be one night a week. We are planning on just Wednesday nights to begin the season. This allows us to ease into the season and ensure our COVID-19 guidelines are being implemented properly, allowing us to make any necessary changes before the next race day. We will re-evaluate adding race nights on a regular basis to decide if/when we can expand programming.

Status of our regular programs:
• Wednesday adult racing or organized training – in planning phase. Start date to be determined.
• YCL – on hold. Evaluating our ability to restart in 2021
• Certification Classes – on hold. Evaluating our ability to restart in 2021
• Tuesday Racing – on hold till further notice
• Pro races – on hold till further notice

As a 100% volunteer organization, we are doing our best to get things going while taking care of our personal and professional lives outside the velodrome. If anyone wants to help, please email volunteer@dicklanevelodrome.com. Please check back for updates! Thanks, Gary Morgan President, East Point Velodrome Association

USAC Cancels Collegiate Road Nats in Augusta Press Release In order to ensure the safety of our members, USA Cycling has decided to cancel the 2021 Collegiate Road National Championships, due to take place May 7-9 in Augusta, GA, and Collegiate BMX National Championships, due to take place this spring. While the nation is seeing a downward trend of new COVID-19 cases and deaths, collegiate conference road seasons have been canceled, and universities and colleges across the country have travel restrictions in place. These circumstances make holding a collegiate road season with a National Championship at the finale impossible for many riders. After conversations with teams and the community, the decision to cancel rather than postpone was made based on a packed full fall semester of collegiate racing that includes track, mountain bike, and cyclocross. The Augusta Sports Council has been a valued partner throughout the last year as we have assessed holding Collegiate Road Nationals. We are excited to announce that Augusta, GA, will be the host for the 2022 USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships. “With a long and rich history of hosting elite-level events, Augusta and its cycling fans are obviously disappointed that the 2021 USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championship had to be canceled in 2021 due to the ongoing pandemic. We fully support USA Cycling in making this difficult decision and agree that the health and safety of their athletes is of the utmost importance. We are extremely excited to host the event again in 2022 when we look forward to welcoming back USA Cycling and its collegiate athletes to our community,” Brian Graham, CEO of Augusta Sports Council.

2-19-2021 Georgia 3 Foot Law Update From Bike Law Georgia’s Facebook post UPDATE ON GEORGIA’S 3 FOOT LAW. There’s a revised version of the law that was just approved by the House and is on it’s way to the Georgia Senate. We’re hoping that the revised version of O.C.G.A. 40-6-56 will (a) provide better protection for people who ride bikes and (b) be easier for law enforcement officers to understand and enforce. We’re also hoping that the new law will be accompanied by a widespread education campaign to make sure that drivers are aware of the law, since they routinely ignore the law that now exists. The current version that passed the House will require cars to change lanes when passing someone on a bike, if possible. If not readily possible, then the car is required to slow down and only pass the person on the bike if they can do so safely, leaving at least 3 feet when passing. The language of many bills gets changed before becoming finalized as a law, so stay tuned. If there’s a need for public comment or support, we will notify as many people as possible.