10-30-2020 Friday Afternoon Update The Big Creek Greenway in Forsyth County is closed-all of it. There are also a lot of roads in the Milton/North Fulton/Cherokee County areas that have been impacted and may be unpassable. I’ve also had warnings of bad road conditions in Buckhead in the city of Atlanta. Please use caution riding anywhere this weekend.
Silver Comet and other paved trails Reports form the Silver Comet and other local paved trails is that they are a mess. Give local governments a few days to clear them up. Parts of the Comet in Paulding County are still closed for debris removal.
Mountain Bike Trails As of mid-day Friday most local mountain bike trails remain closed because of trees down including Rope Mill, Blanket’s Creek, Toona, and Chicopee. I know of crews working to clear most trails according to various SORBA chapter Facebook pages. Pack a little patience and give them time. Trails that are open as of mid-day Friday: Lost Mountain, Mt. Tabor, and Sara Babb. A reminder that Allatoona is closed all of November for hunting although Red Baron, Turtleback, and Whippersnapper are accessible from the Pitner Road Dog Park.
10-23-2020 2021 Races I started to update some of the 2021 race dates, but I’ve found that very few have been released. I’ll continue to update the calendars as I run across 2021 dates.
WBL 2020 From the WBL: Decisions on whether the WBL can go forward this year. We will continue to watch numbers and listen to experts and not politicos with an agenda. There is no doubt there cannot be a “normal” season under any circumstances and whether there are any WBL rides this winter remains to be seen. Rider safety and our ability to keep folks safe and healthy during a pandemic is our # 1 consideration. Because we are not a for-profit entity we do not face the same pressures as college football, the NFL, etc. More announcements on this issue to follow soon. –David Crowe on behalf of the Full Board of the WBL.
10-22-2020 Hawkes Creek CX From the promoter We’ve decided to host Hawkes Creek Cross on Sunday, November 8 at Hawkes Creek Farm in Winterville, GA. We think we have a good plan to keep everyone as safe as possible and ask that you are on board with all of the protocols in place if you do come and race (or just watch). If you have any questions about the protocols, please see the Tech Guide.
Registration is live now. Pre-registering will help create a check-in process that is as contactless as possible. There is a $10 day-of registration late fee if you wait. There is a refund policy in place to help encourage pre-registration. If we have to cancel the race or you have to quarantine, you have a couple options for your registration fee.
10-20-2020 Spook and Spoke Crit Trish’s Note: I’m not sure what to make of this. YMMV and ride at your own risk. From Strange Duck Brewing in Commerce, GA The scariest bicycle criterium of the century is coming to the 600ft go kart track at Strange Duck Brewing on Halloween Night, Saturday, October 31, 2020! Special guests 49 Winchester will be playing from 5-7 pm on top of the school bus! A & J Grillin will be on site serving up BBQ! There will be a costume contest! All happening under the stadium lights… bring your lawn chairs and candy to give out to kids! ABOUT THE RACE: A $1000 cash prize purse will be awarded to those that make the podium (1st place $500, 2nd place $300 and 3rd Place $200). Auxiliary prizes will be awarded (TBD). Sign ups will be available here until the day before the race. The entry fee will be $20 per rider through the website or $30 at the brewery on the day of the event. All riders must be on site by the go kart track no later than 5:00 pm for a riders meeting, assignment of number tags and practice if desired. Helmets will be required, pads are encouraged and a liability waiver must be signed to participate in the racing. Anyone under the age of 18 MUST have a parent/guardian signature!
RACE ORGANIZATION: Depending on how many bike riders sign up, we will have several elimination heats of 6-8 riders per race. This will culminate into a final race for the money with very similar rules. There will also be a “Champion of the Losers” race that would include any rider that did not make the final race, but would like to participate in one more race for the glory. The goal is to have bike racing going for the major part of 7:00 to 10:00 pm. The races will be formatted as a “missing out” race (Trish’s Note: I think they mean miss n out like on the velodrome). Riders will be placed into heats at random. These races will start side by side from the start/finish line with a gunshot. Every three laps, the person crossing the start/finish line in LAST place will be eliminated from the race. The race will continue another three laps and another rider will be dropped. The elimination lap will be notated by cow bell, airhorn and/or race announcer. For the preliminary races this will continue until only the final TWO riders remain. Those riders will advance to the final money race. For the final, the race will go all the way until we have a winner. Safety is very important to us, so we will be hiring a paramedic to be present during the entirety of the races. We will have the track groomed and any hard corners will be padded with hay bales. We want this to be a fun and unique race for both riders and fans. If you have any questions about the race, please feel free to reach out to drake@strangeduckbrewing.com or 706-201-5094.
10-15-2020 Ian is going to the Vuelta!! It’s official! Ian Garrison is going to the Vuelta!!! Decatur’s 2nd Grand Tour rider of 2020 after Joey Rosskopf‘s impressive break away ride during the Giro & 4th place state finish. ! Go Wolfpack!
10-14-2020 #crossiscoming !!!!! There are a couple of new CX races in the Southeast! I’ve heard rumors of a couple of others and will keep the Cyclocross calendar updated.
Nov. 8 Hawkes Creek CX, Winterville, GA
Nov. 14-15 Nash Farm CX, Hampton, GA Nash Farm will serve as the Georgia State Cyclocross Championships.
Oct. 30-31 King University Halloween Cross, Briston, TN
Nov. 8 Gobble Cross CX
10-12-2020 SORBA Woodstock Trail Work Party from SORBA Woodstock October Trail Work Party, Rope Mill Park, Saturday at 9 AM – 1 PM This month, we will focus on getting all 3 trails at Rope Mill park ready for winter. Meet at the pavilion, wear boots and bring something to keep you hydrated. Lunch will be provided. Thanks in advance.
10-8-2020 Fear the Squirrel Postponed From Go Nuts Biking Hurricane Delta is gonna be NUTS!! So, we are moving the Don’t Fear The Squirrel XC race to Sunday, October 25 at Lake Lurleen State Park. We are cancelling the Lake Lurleen Trail Run and will not reschedule for this year. Please note: pre-ride times on Saturday, October 24, will end promptly at 3pm because the park is hosting a Halloween event- which is going to be a lot of fun! We will post info for the Halloween event shortly.
10-6-2020 Sope Creek Love Project From MTB Atlanta: We will be kicking off a benchmark effort we’re calling the “Sope Creek Love” project! The Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy and MTB Atlanta were awarded a $30k grant from REI to restore the shared use trail at Sope Creek and produce new signage for trail management best practices. The Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy raised another $10k to match and MTB Atlanta has raised $6,500 on a $10k goal thanks to Atlanta Cycling and generous private donors! We are looking for another $2,500 to match to get to our goal! Donate here
MTB Atlanta Pro Trails was hired to do the work and will be working with Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area staff and a 6 person volunteer crew from the Student Conservation Association. Work will begin work today, Monday 10/5 and should last for 6 weeks.Trails will remain open during this important restoration and maintenance work but be conscious while you ride and be prepared to dismount and walk your bike through work zones. As the friends group for the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CRNRA), the mission of Chattahoochee National Parks Conservancy (CNPC) is to build a community of support for the national park and promote stewardship of its natural and cultural resources. One of the top forty, most-visited national park units in the country with three million visitors annually, the CRNRA consists of nearly 7,000 acres of land (in 15 park units) and more than 80 miles of trail along a 48-mile section of the river. REI grant funds will help support a collaboration with MTB Atlanta to address two critical, existing issues in Sope Creek: signage and trail maintenance. Our goal is to improve visitor safety, reduce user conflict and protect park resources, while providing an exceptional trail experience for all users, in accordance with park regulations. This project is in response to high visitation levels, inadequate signage, alignment issues and poor water management, the trails are severely degraded and there is conflict between pedestrians and mountain bikers.
Thanks to all the partners, sponsors and donors for the opportunity to bring the LOVE to one of the most used (and best loved) trails in the Southeast!
Allatoona Workday From SORBA West Georgia Turtleback Reroute Work Party. October 17 at 9 am. Meet at the Pitner Road Dog Park.
9-30-2020 Hunting Season at Allatoona From a Facebook post: Don’t forget bow hunting season starts Thursday, October 1st at Allatoona Creek Park. That means you cannot access the park from sunrise to 11am unless you have a hunting permit. (Trish’s Note: This include mountain bikers, hikers, runners, and dog walkers). The trails from the Pitner Road Dog Park will remain open as usual – Turtleback, Red Baron, Whipper Snapper.
Jake Mountain Work Day Posted on Facebook by Mountain Goat Adventures Join us for a work day on Jake Mountain Trails this Saturday Oct 3. We will meet at the Jake Mountain parking lot at 9 am. Wear sturdy shoes, long pants, bring snacks, water, and lunch. USFS requires helmets on work days so either bring a hard hat or bike helmet. Bug spray/sunscreen also recommended as well as any medication if you are allergic to bees/hornets. They are fiesty this time of year. Please RSVP to Debbie Crowe if you’d like to attend so she can bring enough tools: georgiacrowes22@gmail.com
9-29-2020 EPTC CX Race Looking for a CX Race? The EPTC CX Cup will be November 14-15 at Nash Farm just south of Atlanta, GA and will serve as the Georgia State Cyclocross Championships. Please make a note of the race schedule! Not all categories will race on both days in order to keep social distance and meet state and local requirements. This is not a Georgia Cross Series race. Please support the East Point Track Club! The Women 1/2/3 will be highlighted on Sunday with their own start time at 1:30! Details coming soon on 2 more possible races.
9-25-2020 The Comet is being Extended! From the Marietta Daily Journal The Georgia Board of Natural Resources signed off Tuesday on a plan to extend the popular Silver Comet Trail in Cobb County. Board members unanimously approved agreements with Cobb County, the state Department of Transportation and the Forest Park-based nonprofit PATH Foundation to add 2.3 miles onto the eastern end of the trail, taking it inside the Interstate 285 perimeter for the first time.
The Silver Comet Trail runs for 61.5 miles along an abandoned rail line from Smyrna west through Cobb, Paulding and Polk counties to the Georgia/Alabama line. The paved trail is used primarily for biking and hiking. The new extension ultimately will allow the trail to connect with the Atlanta Beltline. To accomplish that aim, another extension will be needed to cross the Chattahoochee River.
The PATH Foundation has agreed to build the extension at no cost to the state, Steve Friedman, chief of real estate for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, told board members Tuesday. Cobb County will operate and maintain the new section of the trail, he said. The project is expected to be completed by the end of next year, Friedman said.
9-19-2020 Love 100K Breast Cancer Challenge From the promoter The Love 100K Breast Cancer Challenge is the(Lake Oconee Velo Eatonton 2nd annual metric century ride in Eatonton, GA. This one is very special because it benefits and honors two great local women, Marie Rainey and Amy Johnston who are fighting breast cancer. There are options of 100K / 60k / 30k / 5k family ride. There will be a police escort out of town and multiple rest stops. Nelson Vails will be the special guest. There is a Time Trial on Sunday, Oct. 4 on a 10 mile course. It will be a USA Cycling sanctioned TT.
Virtual Brownwood Bike Rally From the promoter Trish’s Note: This is a benefit for the Brownwood Kids Club. I have been a supporter of the Brownwood Bike Rally for many years now. You are receiving this email because you have participated in Brownwood Bike Rally during the last few years as a rider or volunteer, and we wanted you to know that even in the midst of this ongoing pandemic, we will be holding an event this year from October 1-17. The format will be different as we will be riding solo or in teams, virtually. This means that you can choose your own route, and we will be challenging folks to log as many miles as possible over seventeen days. Hop on a bike, trike, trainer, bike-erg, stationary bike, penny farthing, or unicycle, and let’s ride together to create more educational opportunities for our deserving youth! Along the way, there will be challenges, opportunities to share and highlight your rides, and prizes aplenty! Plus, you get a sweet t-shirt along with your registration, and this year’s rider is masked up and ready to ride safely. Register here. If you would like to support via donating to the event or a specific team but are not interested in riding, you can do so here. We are grateful to you for your past participation and support, and we hope to see you on the virtual road and trails this October!
9-16-2020 USA Cycling Announces 2021 National Championships USA Cycling announced some of the Cycling National Championship dates and venues for 2021. It looks like a lot of the same venues from 2020 will be used since they didn’t happen. Lots in the Southeast! Nats in the Southeast include:
Collegiate Road Nats May 7-9 in Augusta GA
USA Pro Road National Championship June 17-20 Knoxville, TN
Amateur Road Nats June 24-27 Clay County, FL
Gran Fondo National Championship July 18 Asheville, NC
9-14-2020 Ride to Rescue There will be a charity ride for several dog rescues including Mostly Mutts and Friends to the Forlorn in White, GA on October 3. There will be routes of 8 miles (you can do multiple laps!), 31 miles, and 62 miles. SAG stops will be on course. There will also be 1 mile out and back walking route with leashed dogs welcome! There is no on-site registration, so be sure to pre-register!
rty Spokes 6/3 Hour Mountain Bike Race From Dirty Spokes The Dirty Spokes 6/3 Hour race will be at Fort Yargo State Park in Winder, GA on November 7th, Start / Finish at the Nature Center Pavillion (the park has finished construction and we are moving it back to the Main Mountain Bike Parking Lot). We are in our 15th year of putting on the Dirty Spokes Fort Yargo State Park Endurance Mountain Bike Race and as enthusiastic as when we started it (thanks to racers and riders like yourselves). We appreciate the support you all have given our events for the last 14 years and look forward to seeing you out there again this year! We will be giving away thousands of Dollars in Product for the Dirty Spokes Fort Yargo Mountain Bike Race thanks to Roswell Bicycles, Giant and MAXXIS! They will be providing all 1st Place, 2nd Place and 3rd Place 6 Hour Finishers with some sweet prizes! This race will race number 6 of the Chainbuster 6/3 Hour Series (for complete series rules and information please visit Chainbuster Racing)!
