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September 2015 News

9-28-2015 Rides Remember that many after work rides are moving to 5:45 or 6:00 for October with the waning daylight. Check out the rides page for updated information that I have. Is your favorite ride not listed? Check with the hosting bike shop or club.

9-26-2015 GA CX is Here!! New Venues! Beer Tours! Cross! Georgia Cyclocross starts with a double race weekend NEXT Saturday and Sunday Oct. 3-4 with Dingo CX at the Lake Lanier Olympic Venue in Gainesville, GA! I’ve heard there will be homemade BAKED GOODS for prizes! Registration is open. As always, there will be race day registration with NO late fees for any GACX race! That doesn’t happen much anymore! Oct. 10-11 brings Across the Beeriers in Athens, GA at Southern Brewery. There will be brewery tours for those over 21 on Saturday. Swagger will be using their transponder system for electronic timing. Rent a transponder for $5 for the weekend of bring your own. This is in addition to the regular entry fee. Register for Across the Beeriers.

Snake Creek Gap News from NWGA SORBA:  The Snake Creek Gap 6 Mountain Time Trial Series began in 2005 with less than 50 participants.  The Snake is constantly evolving and continues to grow in popularity.  In 2015, we had over 500 participants.  It’s now one of the highest attended endurance mountain bike events in the South.  In 2016, the series will consist of two race dates to be held on January 9 and the Grand Finale on February 13.
It’s insane!  We are adding a 50 Miler to the 2016 Snake series.  50 Miles in the cold of winter! It’s going to hurt, but you’re gonna love the triumph of conquering this challenge.
These are the three distances that you can attempt:
Snake 50 Mile – Money Class, Age Categories, Clydesdale, SingleSpeed
Snake 34 Mile – Age Categories, Clydesdale, SingleSpeed
Snake 17 Mile – Men’s Open Class, Women’s Open Class

For completing the 50 Miler for both races, you will earn the coveted 2×50 Belt Buckle.  For riders completing both the 34 Miler races, they will earn the 2×34 Belt Buckle. The Money Class will now be offered only for the 50 mile distance. Money Class awards include 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th place fastest time for the entire series. 1st will receive $750, 2nd will receive $500, 3rd Place will receive $250, 4th and 5th Place will each receive $50.

Carolina CX Omnium  Saturday, October 3rd the Carolina Cyclocross Omnium kicks off at 8:00 AM in Conestee Park for a One-Lap Time Trial. Prepare yourself for a hard solo effort to ring in the weekend.  Course distance is 2.2 miles with a mild climbing profile. Cool down and grab a snack before getting back out there and racing the 2nd Annual GetOut! Greenville CX-Cup.  This CX course is premier and staged at the heart of the local Greenville Community Festival, GetOut! Greenville.  Plan for an exciting atmosphere and bring your spiffiest race socks.  Points from each racers Greenville CX- Cup finish will count towards their Carolina Cyclocross Omnium total. Overall Omnium Winners receive FREE entry into the Hincapie Fondo! The Fondo is the creme-de-la-creme of Fondo’s. Race hard for this ultimate prize! The races continue on through Sunday for the 1st Annual Tryon Difficile Ultra Cross. The community, volunteers and local vendors are especially excited for this new event!  A challenging 62 mile mixed surface dirt race event will offer a great effort to racers, jump starting early Fall fitness.  Gravel and Fire Roads will be primary on the route, ride either a cyclocross bike or a mountain bike and bring a couple extra tubes to keep yourself rolling!

9-25-2015 SBL Rides From the Southern Bicycle League: “Do the double…The Halloween Ride is right around the corner…Appropriately so, on October 31st and the second annual Holiday Ride is November 21st. The Halloween Ride is a new ride for SBL and we are very excited to share a most beautiful and fun part of Georgia.  You will enjoy some rolling hills, awesome Athens, a most fun rest stop at Terrapin Brewery, the precious town of Winterville that will remind you of Specter, from the Big Fish Film:-) and many more exciting stops and scenery!   Packet pick-up will be Thursday, October 29th from 5pm-8pm at REI, 1600 Mall of Georgia Blvd,Buford, GA 30519.  Ride will start at 8am, Saturday, October 31st at the YMCA, 50 Brad Akins Drive, Winder, GA 30680. Our second annual Holiday Ride in Stone Mountain will be November 21st. Roll into the Holiday Spirit with a ride starting at Aztec Bikes in Stone Mountain Village. Experience a great time before the hustle and bustle of the season takes over. Bring an unwrapped toy to help the less fortunate girls and boys in the metro area this year. Southern Bicycle League Members, with early registration and dressing as your favorite holiday character, will get a discount to the event. Turkey, Pilgrim, Elf, Santa, Mrs. Clause, Reindeer or even the GRINCH will get a discount. Once again Santa will lead us out for the start of the Season Ride at 10:00 AM.

Dunwoody Cycling Rides The Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday Dunwoody Cycling Evening Rides will start at 6:00 until the time change.

9-24-2015 CX Dismount

9-23-2015 Nancy G’s Night Ride Join Mike Livingston on Tuesdays and Thursdays night ride from Nancy G’s at 6:30 pm. Front and rear light’s are required. Tuesday’s route is a clockwise stroll around Buckhead, Vinings and Sandy Springs. Thursday is get your “Hill’s” on and has some climbing to say the least. Only a couple rules: 1) This is a no-drop ride 2) Base Pace 3) Climb at your own speed and regroup before moving on Send Mike a message on Facebook for updates weekly.

GTC Wednesday Fall/Winter Night Ride, 6:30 pm. 20-25 miles. 16.5-17.5 mph. No drop if you can maintain that pace. Lights are required. Meet at Harbins Elementary School, New Hope Rd., Gwinnett County.  Map.

9-22-2015 TomorrowWorld/Silk Sheets If you plan to ride Silk Sheets this weekend, you might want to avoid anywhere near Chattahoochee Hills Farm/Charlie’s Store/ the Church. The TomorrowWorld music festival is expected to bring nearly 140,000 people over Sept. 25-27th. In addition to traffic you can probably assume most of the participants will, uh, not be sober. If you want to ride Silk Sheets, park at Cochran Shoals Park or Serenbe and stay away from the north part of the ride. If you park at Serenbe, stop by the Blue Eyed Daisy for great coffee, cookies, and desserts. There is a parking pass required for Cochran Shoals Park, which was $5 the last time I checked.

9-19-2015 GA CX Clinic Want to know more about cross? Interested to know what happened at the Georgia Cyclocross-Sorella CX clinic? Photographer and CX racer Mae Gurene reports no her blog, Find Your Fast. #crossishere

Thanks to Mae for the gorgeous photos!

Trish showing Luz why you don’t grip the handlebar underhanded when racing cross.


Demonstrating a remount before realizing that I left my helmet by my car, which was quickly corrected. #oops #alwayswearyourhelmet


The kids got remounts down very quickly!

Raccoon Mountain Closure From SORBA Chattanooga: Raccoon Mountain Temporally Closing for Routine Reservoir Maintenance Tennessee Valley Authority is closing the Raccoon Mountain recreation area from Oct. 17 to Nov. 21 to perform routine maintenance and safety inspections on the dam that holds the 700 million gallon reservoir. Vehicle access to the recreation area will be closed near the Elder Mountain entrance. The TVA boat ramp and the adjacent parking area on Raccoon Mountain road will be closed to the public. The area is needed to store equipment and heavy trucks for the worksite. Signs will be posted to alert the public. During the closure, boaters can use Sullivans boat ramp in Marion County. A discoloration of the Nickajack reservoir water could occur when the Raccoon Mountain reservoir is drained. The discoloration is caused by sediment deposits draining from the reservoir. TVA will control water releases to minimize the duration and extent of the discoloration.  TVA reduces water levels in the Raccoon Mountain reservoir every five to seven years as part of its dam safety inspection program. Once the maintenance activities are completed, the area will be reopened to the public. Trish’s Note: This includes the Raccoon Mountain trails.

GHSMBL News: From NICA: Over 200 middle and high school students from the Georgia High School Cycling League (GHSCL) raced their way through the rolling hills and twisty turns of the Georgia International Horse Park MTB Trails this past Sunday in their first race of the 2015 season. It was a beautiful day for Mountain Bike Racing as parents and friends made a day of it with their tents, chairs, and cowbells to cheer on their favorite team and riders. The 2014 Team Champion, Habersham Central Raiders, started this 2015 season looking to race their way to another Championship, but, it looks like they will have some steep competition from the Hall County Prima Tappa Team, who took 1st place in Sunday’s Centennial Olympic Challenge. The Fannin County Composite Team took second, and an impressive newcomer to the league, the Athens Area Mountain Bike Team, took a strong third place. Read the rest here.

9-18-2105  Six Gap Crit From Dingo:From The 2015 Six Gap Crit p/b Mission Source outdoor gear! Just 1 weeks away. Don’t miss this fun, fast crit, & roaring crowd in Downtown Dahlonega in the final race of the 2015 road season, September 26th, kids, youth & junior races beginning at noon! Volunteers are needed as course marshals. Email Betty at betty at feedyourdingo.com to sing up. Volunteers will receive tshirts and much gratitude!

RAMBO Big Creek Family Festival From RAMBO: RAMBO Big Creek Family Festival, in conjunction with National Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day, has all the kid friendly / family friendly fun you need in one place – Big Creek Park on Saturday October 3. We will be hosting Kid’s Skills Clinics, fun events like the Kid’s MTB Time Trial, Pump Track Race, Scavenger Hunt and more. All the local Bike Shops will be there to showcase their latest bikes (and some demos), and RAMBO will be providing lunch for everyone. Festivities start at 9:00 AM in the lower parking lot at Big Creek Park in Roswell.

9-17-2015 AL CX Series The Alabama Cycling Association announces the Alabama CX Series. This will be a high point series for all of the USA Cycling (BAMACROSS, Team Magic, etc.) CX races in the state. There will be a series overall for individuals and teams. The CX State Championship will be hosted by Bamacross at Brookside on Sunday, October 25th. Good luck to everyone this weekend at the first event of the series! Full rules are here.

SORBA West Georgia Work Parties SORBA West Georgia Will Host Work Parties this Saturday. The Silver Comet Super Side Trail Work party is 9:00 am – 1:00 pm starting at the RAMBO trailhead. The Clinton Trails work day will be 8 am to 4 pm, come help when you can They will be doing some more work on the new beginner trail Cricket. “As many of you have noticed it still needs some work to become a true beginner trail for us to take some newbies on before releasing them on trails like Squirrel Terrace and Skills to Pay the Bills. We will be building some short rock bridges over some of the dips and maybe opening up some of the tree squeezes. Some flat shovel work will also help smooth things out. We will show some love to the other trails as well by trimming as needed. I would also like to get ahead of the game on Nature Trail by clearing out the drains and leveling out the edges of the trail to let water drain.”

9-16-2015 Beautiful Backroads Century The BBC is this Saturday at the Budweiser Plant in Cartersville, GA. There are options of 14, 31, 48, 66, and 100 miles through some of the best riding in North Georgia! Sag stops are a-plenty. Lunch follows after the ride, and those over 21 are treated to cold, frosty Budweiser beverages.

Trish’s Annual Cyclocross Clinic Get Your Cyclocross On!
Join Trish Albert of Sorella Cycling for an evening of exciting cyclocross! Learn what CX is and develop race skills!

When:  Monday, Sept. 14, 2015
Time:  6:30-7:30-ish PM
Where: Jim Miller Park, 2245 Callaway Road, Marietta, GA 30008. Park in the big field across from the Fairground.
Who: Everyone is welcome!
Cost: Free
What To Bring: Cyclocross bike or mountain bike. If you bring a mountain bike, remove your bottle cages and bar ends. Bring water. HELMETS ARE MANDATORY! Please do not wear baggy clothing like mountain bike baggy shorts or cycling skirts.
Skills to Be Covered: Cyclocross mounts and dismounts, lifting the bike over barriers, race tips and tricks. We’ll do a practice race on the end on one of Georgia’s classic cyclocross courses.
Etc: You are coming to this clinic at your own risk. Trish Albert, Southeastern Cycling, the Georgia Cross Series, and Sorella Cycling are not responsible if you get hurt or break any bike or equipment. The bathrooms may or may not be open.

Want to come? Contact Trish. Details about the clinic are at: http://www.southeasterncycling.com. There are beautiful I Love CX pins from Rhys May Jewelry for some of the lucky women that come out to the clinic! In addition to being a talented artist, Rhys races CX. There will also by Goody Bottles guaranteed to the first 10 women. Talented photographer, road racer, and cx’er Mae Gurene, a Specialized ambassador, will be covering the clinic for her blog! 

9-14-2015 Fools Gold 50 and 100 Mile Mountain Bike Races – THIS COMING SATURDAY – September 19, 2015 We’ve added 50 additional slots to the 50 mile race! Still plenty of room in the 100! Due to demand for the 50 mile event, we have added 50 spots and online registration will be available through Wednesday, September 16th at 8 pm. The weather forecast for this year’s event is again calling for fast, dry hero dirt! Registration for the 2015 Fools Gold 50 and 100 Mile Mountain Bike Race is open and final race preparations are underway! The Fools Gold is once again the NUE Series Finale, and is scheduled for September 19, 2015 at the beautiful Montaluce Winery and Estates, in Dahlonega, GA.
More categories in our 50 mile race! We will still have the Open Men/Women’s classes, which will be the “money” classes, but we have added some additional divisions to give you all more options and smaller field sizes. You can check out the new list of categories HERE.
Cash prizes added ($250, $200, $150) three deep in the 100 mile Open Singlespeed and Masters 50+ divisions. Full details on payouts/prizes can be found HERE.
Podium Shirts for all first place finishers.
More dirt for your dollar in the 100 mile – we will be tweaking the course ever so slightly to get the 100 miler closer to a true hundie.
And of Course, all the Good Stuff from 2014:
Highly visible Course Markings and Course Marshals
Finisher awards for all 50 and 100 mile finishers
Custom awards for podium finishers
Cash payout to 50 and 100 mile open Men/Women’s classes
Generous post race meal featuring Moe’s Fajita bar and Terrapin Beer.
Shirt size guaranteed if you register by the size deadline of September 1st.
Bloody Early Saturday morning check-in for riders who are local and prefer not to stay in Dahlonega on Friday night.
Well stocked aid stations with plenty of calories, fluids, mechanical support and first aid supplies, and possibly a few hecklers.
Post race water, soda and of course Terrapin Beer!
Chip timing with instant results – no waiting around to see how you placed!
A mountain of sponsor prizes to find good homes for!
Hanging out post race with 400 of the coolest people you’ll ever meet!

Coldwater Fat Tire Festival The Northeast Alabama Bicycle Club will host the Coldwater Fat Tire Festival on Oct. 15-16. There will be rides for all levels, a downhill shuttle, games, a beer garden and lots more!

9-12-2015 GBRA News: 2016 GBRA Board Elections Candidates for Rider’s Representative: Ryan Collins   Aaron Meyers
Candidates for Club/Team Representative: Greg Latham, Candidate for Officials/Coaches Representative: John Patterson
Candidate for Representative at Large: Betty Hodges, Candidate for Promoter’s Representative: Jeff Clayton

GBRA Annual Meeting The GBRA annual meeting will be held on Saturday, October 10th.  The location and time are TBD, but it will be held in the afternoon.  GCS award presentations will be held, and we will work on setting the 2016 schedule.  Hope to see you there!

US Masters Road Nationals The US Masters National Championships is this week in Ogden, UT. I’ll provide a few updates as I can. Brendan Sullivan (Atlanta, Team Lupus) defended his National Time Trial Championship in the Masters Men 50-54.  Other Southeastern Racers:  Men Master 70-74 Durwood Higgins (Chattanooga, Village VW), 3rd;  Master Men Tandem 90+ Stephen Jamison/Brenda Sullivan, 2nd. In the first day of the RR, Kim Nelson (Decatur, GA, Sorella Cycling) took 4th in the Master Women 50-54. Durwood Higgins was 3rd in the Master Men 70-74.

9-11-2015 Always Remember 9-11………..

Stone Mountain Road Work Head’s up if you ride at Stone Mountain. Someone spotted a sign that said “Stonewall Jackson Dr. will be closed between Evergreen and E. Lee Blvd Sept. 14 until mid-November for road construction.” You may wish to take a detour on your bike.

Northside Drive Closure Northside Drive, between Harris Trail/Davis Drive and W Garmon Rd/Northside Dr. will be closed to traffic beginning Friday, September 11, 2015. The closure is an emergency measure needed by Fulton County Sewer as a sewer line is replaced. The closure is expected to remain in place until early October. Detours will be in place.

Blanket’s Creek Work Party From SORBA Woodstock: “Saturday Sep 12th – 9am September Trail Work Party. Some will be working the trails and others joining in the lake cleanup effort. Lunch provided afterwards.” Be prepared to work from about 9 am to 1 pm.

9-9-2015 Ugh Sorry for the website neglect. I had some oral surgery last week and have been recovering….and there was a holiday…and a CX race…

Celebrate Anderson CX Race Put this one on your calendar next year CX Racers! It was a lot of fun! The local media was out in force. I was interviewed by the Anderson Independent Mail, the local newspaper for one of their articles on the race. They even gave my lovely Sorellas some coverage!

Smyrna Bike Share! Smyrna, GA’s bike sharing program starts on Thursday! It’s free for the first 4 hours!

Allatoona Hunting Begins From SORBA West Georgia: This Saturday, September 12, marks the start of Georgia Archery Deer Season. As such, Allatoona Creek Park Trails will not open until 10 AM as permitted hunting is allowed at ACP. Please be sure to observe this restriction. Before everyone starts with the nasty comments please be aware that the hunters were there before us bikers, hunters were involved in the early trail construction at the park, and hunting is not going away. Thanks for your compliance! Trish’s Note: The hunters were there first! Please respect their use of the land. Plus, you don’t want to take an arrow to the tush!

Northwest North Carolina Mountain Bike Alliance Women’s Group Rides The Alliance announces a series of Women’s Group Rides! These rides are being promoted as an opportunity for women of all abilities to meet others, have fun, and ride! The rides will be led by veteran women riders in our area, and currently scheduled at three different trailheads in Northwest NC:
Sept. 19 –  Lake James State Park, Nebo, 11:00 a.m.
Oct. 3 – Zacks Fork Trail, Lenoir, 11:30 a.m.
Oct. 25 – Kerr Scott Trails (OVT), Wilkesboro,  10:00 a.m.
Please RSVP.

Dixie Cream Donut Dash and Century Ride From the promoter: “We at the Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA). We are preparing for our annual Dixie Cream Donut Dash and Century Ride: Routes for the Hungry Cyclist.  It’s a fun-filled event where eating donuts can take minutes off the riders’ times.  Obviously the donuts are optional, but it’s a neat twist. The ride will be October 3rd with a check-in time of 7:00AM. It begins and ends in Hahira Georgia at North Lowndes Park (7715 Sonny Rogers Memorial Drive, Hahira GA).  It is formerly the Hahira Honeybee Century Ride and is in conjunction with the Hahira Honeybee Festival.  We have four cycling courses to choose from.
Donut Hole Sprint – 20 mile ride with pit stops where eating donuts will take minutes off your ride time
Donut Dash – 30 mile ride with or without donut time reduction
Unfrosted Dash – 63 mile ride with no donut eating necessary
Ultimate Glaze – 100 mile ride with no donuts involved
Riders can enjoy rest stops along the route and will be provided lunch and a shirt.

Tour De Tugaloo Tour de Tugaloo Benefit Bicycle Ride Saturday November 7, 2015 Yonah Dan Park, Toccoa GA. 8AM- Check in/ 9AM Century and Metric Century Starts/ 10AM 42 and 22 mile routes start Tour scenic and less traveled roads along the Historic Tugaloo River Corridor in Northeast Georgia, Lake Hartwell and foothills of Western South Carolina. Century (100), Metric Century (62), 42, 22 mile routes with gentle to challenging terrain. Well supported SAG and ride amenities including meal, entertainment and massages, EXPO and Swap Shop. Early registration, by Oct. 29th- $35 guarantees long sleeve ride shirt. After Oct 29th – $45, shirts available while supplies last. Proceeds benefit the Stephens County Foundation in memory of ride founder Lainie Weade.

9-4-2015 Celebrate Anderson Omnium Less than 12 hours left (NOON on Friday!) to preregister for this weekend’s Celebrate Anderson! Labor Day Omnium & Crossover CX Race in Anderson, SC! EIGHT free meals for cyclists, a free concert, an “End of the Road” party, a cyclocross race on Labor Day, and much more! DON’T MISS IT!

9-3-22015 Birmingham Memorial Ride If you are in the Southeast, no doubt you’ve seen the news about the death of William Robertson and injury of two other cyclists in Blount County, AL this past weekend. They were hit by a pick up truck, and Mr. Robertson was killed immediately. Tracey White suffered injuries, which required her to be hospitalized for a few days. Her husband, Demetrious White, had cuts and bruises. All three are experienced cyclists and well known in the Birmingham cycling community. Black People Run Bike and Swim is hosting a memorial ride. From BPRBS: “All Cyclists are invited to join in a RIDE TO REMEMBER William Robertson AND IN HONOR OF Tracey and Demetrious White on Labor Day, Monday, September 7th at 9:00am leaving from RailRoad Park in downtown Birmingham.” They will ride on of Mr. Robertson’s favorite routes. My thoughts go out to his family during their time of loss and get well wishes to Mr. and Mrs. White as they continue to recover.

Fall Ride Times Please remember to check with the ride organizer of your favorite rides. Many move start times 15-30 minutes earlier in Sept. because of waning daylight. The Roswell Ride will leave at 6:00 in Sept. The Dunwoody 20 ride is moving to 6:00 for Sept. and Oct. It is a year round ride and moves back to 6:30 for the winter. The Grayson Cycling Club rides will also be moving to 6:15.

9-1-2015 Marietta Crit From Coach Gary: A quick yet important notice regarding tomorrow night’s training at West Oak. Same 6:30pm start at the line, same free training clinic 5:30pm-6:15 sponsored by getHDFit coaching, and same sign-in requirement. However this weeks cost of having an officer and squad car are being sponsored by Novo Nordisk; medical research and innovators based out of Denmark, and for 90 years dedicated to diabetes worldwide. They are not only covering our safety cost but I’m told bringing some cool swag. Be there or be square as we circle the course for “an hour plus 5”. No training the following Tues being the day after Labor Day Holiday. Look forward to a great turnout!! Yours Truly, Coach Gary Daniels

Savannah CX Clinic Savannah CX Clinic, Saturday, September 12, 10:00am, Whitemarsh Island Preserve Trail, Curious about cyclocross but unfamiliar with the skills and set up? Rusty from a summer of boring road miles? Come brush up before ‘cross season with the Savannah Superprestige Cyclocross Crew! The half-day clinic will cover basic bike set up including tire pressure. We’ll talk about cornering and line choice. And most importantly, we’ll help you start to figure out how to dismount, remount and lift and carry over obstacles… well, at least as much as we can in one morning. We’ll put it all together with some hot laps after everything has been covered. We’ll have some goodies out there for participants, and support from local shops. This event is non-USAC sanctioned. Participate at your own risk.

Big Creek Closed This Weekend From RAMBO: [Trail Closure Notice] This weekend (9/5-6), collegiate racers from across the Southeast will take on the Georgia Tech MTB Omnium at Big Creek Park. All Big Creek MTB trails (XC and FR) will be CLOSED to non-racers both days, per the City of Roswell. Come out and race or spectate! Trish’s Note: There are open races for Beginner, Sport, and Expert Men, Women, and Juniors!

8-31-2015 Labor Day Metric Century The Labor Day Metric Century benefits one of the area’s oldest historic churches and the church members are front line to insure the enjoyment of your ride and picnic. The ride routes pass through the lovely rural setting of the city of Chattahoochee Hills with rolling hills and smooth pavement. No wonder this area is known to cyclists as “Silk Sheets”. Upon your return, you’ll be greeted by lots of refreshments and a summer picnic under the church’s pravilion so bring your friends and expect a wonderful, early fall day. Registration opens at 8:00 on Labor Day morning. Ample parking is available, and our staff will help direct parking. Riders should pick up their wrist band and rider information at the registration center under the church pravilion. Maps will be availble, but the various routes are well marked and very easy to follow. The ride will begin promptly at 9:00. The picnic will open by 10:45 so enjoy your holiday ride.   Trish’s Note: The homemade food for lunch is so yummy! There are also shorter options of about 27, 40, and 50 miles.

Fall-Winter 2015 Ride Times

Atlanta Cycling Weekday Ride Times: From AC: This is hard to choke out, but beginning with September the weekday rides begin at 6:15 pm. In October the weekday rides begin at 6:00 and Saturday’s Six Flags ride moves to 10:00 until April. For November through March we ride at 4:30 from the Vinings store on Tuesdays and Thursdays while the Saturday rides continue.
(Sep 6:15 / Oct 6:00)
Mondays – “Recovery “- Vinings
Tuesdays – “Women’s Only” – Vinings
– “Conversation” – Vinings
– “Beginner’s” – Ansley
Wednesdays – “Ride-In” Ride – the quick one – Vinings
– “Go West” – Ansley
Thursdays – New – “Early Bellyache” – St Phillips
– “Vinings Loop” – Vinings
Saturdays – “Six Flags” – Vinings (Old, friendly route)
– “Vinings Loop” – Vinings’ in-town route

Eastside Rides:
Daylight Saving Time (DST) will end Sunday November 1.  DST will return again in the Spring on Sunday March 13.
Week of 9/1 – 10/1 Start times for Northlake (Tuesday) and Pizza (Thursday) will be 6:15 PM.  The Northlake ride will be normal summer- 2 loops- Belgium Finish.  The Pizza loop will be will be normal summer- 2 loops.
Week of 10/06 until time change- Start times for Northlake (Tuesday) and Pizza (Thursday) will be 6:00 PM.  The Northlake ride- we will do one counterclockwise intermediate loop- Belgium Finish.  The Pizza loop will be one large clockwise 8.75 mile loop.

Winter Pizza Week of 11/1 through 3/10/15- Every Thursday Winter Pizza Starts- 6:00PM- winter pace to the park, two small counterclockwise loops (approx 9.75 miles) at approximately 22-23.5 mph (winter pace to/from the park- in the park- no attacking, steady paceline, but final sprint allowed.)
Pizza Ride Start- meet in the old location (which is now closed and a deserted building) Avondale Pizza Cafe parking lot: 70 North Avondale Road, Avondale Estates, GA 30002 Distance- Approximately 33 miles round trip in Summer- then moves to 26 miles as ride gets shorter (shorter options available in the park).

Northlake Ride Start– meet at the back of the parking lot of the Restaurants located at: 3900 Lavista Road, Tucker, GA. If you look at a map- meeting location is between Montreal Rd and Harobi Drive, East of Wendy’s/Popeyes across the street from Chevron Gas Station / McDonald’s.
Distance- Approximately 30 miles round trip in Summer- then moves to 23 miles as ride gets shorter (shorter options available in the park).

Airport Ride– rolls out 10AM Sunday, 11/01 – through the last Sunday in March
Airport Ride Start- meet at Trinity Ave SW, Atlanta, just west of Forsyth St SW. Approximate address- Trinity Lofts- 249 Trinity Ave SW, Atlanta, GA 30303

“Big” Tucker Ride– rolls out 10AM Saturday, 11/07, until it goes back to 9AM- the first Saturday in April.
“Baby” Tucker Ride– rolls out 9:30AM Saturday, 11/07, until it goes back to 8:30AM the first Saturday in April.
Tucker Ride Start- meet at the intersection Lynburn Drive and Main St, Tucker, GA, Approximately 46 miles (shortcut options available).

8-30-2015 DLV Velodrome Cup Photos Photos are up at http://sadlebred.smugmug.com. There are plenty of pictures from all races-Youth Cycling League, Women, A’s, B’c, and C’s. If you purchase a photo and want me to edit it, contact me.


Willem Kaiser (UHC-706 Project) won the Points Race in the Men’s A.

8-29-2015 Chain Buster Productions Announces New Ownership Kenny Griffin, founder of Chain Buster Productions, announced a new era for the company he launched in 2009 to create the best off-road racing series in the Southeast. Ownership of the race production company known for putting on endurance mountain-bike races, including the Southeastern Endurance Cup series, The 24 Hours of Iron Maiden and Assault on Currahee Mountain, will be changing hands in November of 2015. “It’s time to pass the torch,” says Griffin. “I’m thrilled that Eddie Freyer, my capable partner and first-rate race director, will be taking things from here. Expect a seamless transition. You’re in great hands.” “I have truly enjoyed getting to know each and every racer that has crossed my finish line says Griffin. I’ve watched many of you grow mile after mile into comfortable and very talented athletes.

The thousands of memories and EPIC journeys that have been created on my watch, I will forever cherish. I thank each and every one of you for your continued and relentless support towards our racing adventures and truly thank you for embracing myself and family as part of yours. I want to say a personal thank you to all of our sponsors for making this dream a reality. I am excited for the next chapter in my professional career with The Georgia High School Cycling League, and wish you all the best of luck. You will be left in great hands.” Freyer, an avid mountain biker who began racing in 1996, started directing multi-sport adventure races in California in 2000. After moving to Alabama in 2003, he fell in love with Southeast singletrack and found his calling in growing the sport. This March, he founded the Alabama High School Mountain-Bike League, the second largest launch in the country, according to the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), the national governing body. Griffin recruited Freyer as a business partner in 2014, and the two worked closely to put on races in Georgia and Alabama. Freyer has played an integral role in all Chain Buster events for the past year, including serving as race director for several races and will continue to do so for the remainder of the 2015 racing season.

“Kenny has built a devoted following by putting on great events, so don’t worry about that changing in 2016,” says Freyer, who will continue directing races in both Georgia and Alabama. “This new adventure with Chain Buster ideally compliments what I’m already doing with the Alabama NICA League and will allow me to pursue my passion for putting on first rate mountain biking events on a year round basis. I’m not planning any many changes in the race schedule for 2016, but we may add a few new formats in the coming years, including more gravel grinders and adventure races.” Griffin plans to stay involved as Freyer’s chief advisor and confidant, but he feels great about his decision to step away and spend time with his wife, Nicole, their 3 year-old son, Lanier, and a baby due in late December. “With my family expecting our newest addition, I’m looking forward to spending more time with my wife and the kids,” he says. “And who knows… you may even get to see me racing alongside of you next year in my newfound journey toward better health.”

The Twin Rivers Challenge hosted by Tallulah Falls School, is an autumn ride through some of Northeast Georgia’s most spectacular scenery and follows routes carefully planned by an avid local cyclist. Three route options range from a 115K ride through the Tallulah River and Soque River watersheds which explores a portion of the Lake Burton shoreline; a 72K intermediate ride that takes in scenery along Seed Lake and Lake Rabun; and a 37K ride for novice cyclists from Tallulah Falls to Tiger and back. All rides begin and end on the Tallulah Falls School upper school campus, and no matter which route you choose you will be challenged by the final climb on the TFS campus to the finish line. “We are excited about this new adventure which we believe will bring riders from across the region to participate in this fundraising opportunity for our school,” said TFS President and Head of School Larry A. Peevy. “Most importantly it will bring, over the years, hundreds of people from Georgia and surrounding states to our community and introduce them to the most beautiful vacation and recreation opportunities in the entire country.  I hope this event will continue to grow and provide scholarships for deserving students at TFS. I also believe it will enhance the economy of both Rabun and Habersham.”

All rides will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 31, 2015. Parking is directly in front of the Tallulah Falls School upper school classroom. Registration on the day of the event will be in the TFS upper school classroom lobby. SAG stops will be available at regular intervals along the selected route. A post-ride meal will be provided for all riders. For route details go to: www.ridewithgps.com (key words: Twin Rivers Challenge). Ride shirts are guaranteed to all participants who register before October 10, 2015. The Twin Rivers Challenge is operated by the trustees, faculty, staff, and students of Tallulah Falls School. Proceeds from the ride provide student scholarships at TFS. Registration.

8-28-2015 Six Gap Crit From Dingo: Georgia Road Racing Season doesn’t end until The 2015 SIX GAP CRIT p/b Mission Source! The SIX GAP CRIT p/b Mission Source returns September 26! This year we’ve added a few foot races too! New additions to the 2015 schedule include Elite 5k, a timed Age-Group 5k & a 5k Briefcase Relay, benefiting the Georgia Mountain Food Bank! Support the Georgia Mountain Food Bank, and SHARE The fun of Six Gap with your Friends & Co-workers. It’s not just for cyclists

8-27-2015 DLV Velodrome Cup From the DLV: We’re almost ready for the Velodrome Cup p/b Third Eye Software! Racing begins at 3p.m. this Saturday August 29th! Gates open at 2p.m. and racing kicks off at 3p.m. with the main events starting at 6p.m. We’ll again have our women’s races as well as our Youth Cycling League races. We’re keeping the fun rolling for our last Pro Race Series of 2015! We will have On Tapa The World featuring their Spanish Tapas as well as the King of Pops out with their Popsicle cart…and never fear, our World Famous Chicken Nachos and Cake Hag cupcakes will still be available at the concession stand. Robert from Saucebox will be live printing the special commemorative t-shirts (third in the series!) only available that day and other special designs of his invention. We”ll also have our long time supporters Outback Bikes and Snyder Cycles showing off their new bikes and frames and several new vendors showing of their fun inventions or events of their own. So be sure to check out our festival area! Bike Train! New for 2015, leave the car at home and ride to the velodrome. In conjunction SOPO Bicycles we are going to have valet bicycle parking and a special bike train to the track leaving from SOPO at 4:45p.m. It will be a casual pace 8 miles ride taking about 45 minutes to get to the track. Just in time to get settled for the first main events!

8-26-2015 CXNC Press Release: USA Cycling announced Monday the seven-event Cyclo-Cross National Calendar (CXNC), which will run from September to December in seven different states nationwide. The calendar opens with the CrossReno Cyclo-Cross Race Sept. 19 in Reno, Nev., and works its way through Ohio, Georgia, Michigan, Oklahoma and Indiana over the following 12 weeks before closing out in Bend, Ore., Dec. 12-13.

The 2015 Cyclo-Cross National Calendar:
CrossReno Cyclo-Cross Race Reno, Nev. Sept. 19
The North Coast Gran Prix of Cyclo-Cross Cleveland, Ohio Oct. 24-25
Savannah Superprestige CX Weekend Savannah, GA Nov. 8 (Georgia Cross Race!)
Mad Anthony CX  Detroit, Mich.  Nov. 14
Cyntergy Hurtland, A Tulsa Tough Production Tulsa, Okla. Nov. 21
2015 OVCX Finale at Indy Cycloplex Indianapolis, Ind. Dec. 6
Deschutes Brewery Cup Bend, Ore. Dec. 12-13

Cross Vegas Congratulations to the two NC riders selected to represent the US at the Cross Vegas UCI UCI CX World Cup on Sept. 16! Elite Men – Travis Livermon (Winston Salem, N.C.) and Elite Women – Erica Zaveta (Brevard, N.C..

Upcoming Centuries From the Tony Serrano Century:  September 12-We (Tony Serrano Crew) will once again be at the Hollonville Opry House rest stop for the Wilson 100. Joyce will be preparing your favorites! See you there. September 12-The Fifth Annual Teardrop Century has a new starting point in beautiful Madison at the Morgan County High School. Absolutely one of the best areas for cycling in the state of Georgia. September 26-Velo Atlanta has been hard at work for three years now preparing for this event, the First Annual Rescue One Century. Starting in Social Circle, this ride goes through much of the same area as the Tony Serrano Century. Velo Atlanta has a special offer for Tony Serrano followers. Use this code TS82015 for a $10 discount. This offer is valid until August 31.

October 24-Joyce makes all the snacks (Trish’s Note: Mmmmm…Peanut Butter Balls!) and I (Trish’s Note: Paul) get to do some riding for one my favorite events, the fall edition of the Agro Cycle Tour. This once begins and ends at Southern Brewing and visits three farms. The distance is only 20 miles, so this is the perfect event to bring your friends or family that can’t keep up with you on those other rides! October 24-The Redskin Spirit Ride starts from Social Circle Middle/High School. I rode this last year and had a great time supporting the Social Circle High School Cheer Team. October 24-A new event, the Good Hope Poppy Festival Ride starts near the iconic Good Hope Store. Enjoy fully supported rides of 25 or 50 miles and take in the Poppy Festival.

8-19-2015 CX Calendar Updates All of the CX Race Calendars are updated. There have been some date and venue changes with GACX and Bamacross in the last few weeks, so be sure to check them out. I’ve put up the NC/SC Cycling Association Races, NCCX, MSG CX, and anything else I have. I’m missing TBRA, and I’ve emailed them to see when the schedule will be out.

SBL News From the SBL: After all of the summer rides and training, it’s time to get ready for the Wilson 100!  Time for any bike repairs and maintenance before September 12th. In our metro Atlanta area, we are so very lucky to have many bike shops with experienced repair people.  Take advantage of their expertise to ensure a smooth ride. The Wilson 100 is September 12th starting and finishing in the beautiful and quaint town of Senoia.  Join us for either a 40, 62 or 100 mile ride. Register now. This week-end is the Alliance Ride/Wheels Of Fire at Callaway Gardens August 22nd. in support of Warriors transitioning home from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom!  They are  offering SBL members $5.00 off registration.  For more information: allianceride.com

August 2015 News

Trish’s Annual Cyclocross Clinic Get Your Cyclocross On!
Join Trish Albert of Sorella Cycling for an evening of exciting cyclocross! Learn what CX is and develop race skills!

When:  Monday, Sept. 14, 2015
Time:  6:30-7:30-ish PM
Where: Jim Miller Park, 2245 Callaway Road, Marietta, GA 30008. Park in the big field across from the Fairground.
Who: Everyone is welcome!
Cost: Free
What To Bring: Cyclocross bike or mountain bike. If you bring a mountain bike, remove your bottle cages and bar ends. Bring water. HELMETS ARE MANDATORY! Please do not wear baggy clothing like mountain bike baggy shorts or cycling skirts.
Skills to Be Covered: Cyclocross mounts and dismounts, lifting the bike over barriers, race tips and tricks. We’ll do a practice race on the end on one of Georgia’s classic cyclocross courses.
Etc: You are coming to this clinic at your own risk. Trish Albert, Southeastern Cycling, the Georgia Cross Series, and Sorella Cycling are not responsible if you get hurt or break any bike or equipment. The bathrooms may or may not be open.

Want to come? Contact Trish. Details about the clinic are at: http://www.southeasterncycling.com

8-30-2015 DLV Velodrome Cup Photos Photos will be up by late Sunday morning at http://sadlebred.smugmug.com. There will be plenty of pictures from all races-Youth Cycling League, Women, A’s, B’c, and C’s. If you purchase a photo and want me to edit it, contact me.


Willem Kaiser (UHC-706 Project) won the Points Race in the Men’s A.

8-29-2015 Chain Buster Productions Announces New Ownership Kenny Griffin, founder of Chain Buster Productions, announced a new era for the company he launched in 2009 to create the best off-road racing series in the Southeast. Ownership of the race production company known for putting on endurance mountain-bike races, including the Southeastern Endurance Cup series, The 24 Hours of Iron Maiden and Assault on Currahee Mountain, will be changing hands in November of 2015. “It’s time to pass the torch,” says Griffin. “I’m thrilled that Eddie Freyer, my capable partner and first-rate race director, will be taking things from here. Expect a seamless transition. You’re in great hands.” “I have truly enjoyed getting to know each and every racer that has crossed my finish line says Griffin. I’ve watched many of you grow mile after mile into comfortable and very talented athletes.

The thousands of memories and EPIC journeys that have been created on my watch, I will forever cherish. I thank each and every one of you for your continued and relentless support towards our racing adventures and truly thank you for embracing myself and family as part of yours. I want to say a personal thank you to all of our sponsors for making this dream a reality. I am excited for the next chapter in my professional career with The Georgia High School Cycling League, and wish you all the best of luck. You will be left in great hands.” Freyer, an avid mountain biker who began racing in 1996, started directing multi-sport adventure races in California in 2000. After moving to Alabama in 2003, he fell in love with Southeast singletrack and found his calling in growing the sport. This March, he founded the Alabama High School Mountain-Bike League, the second largest launch in the country, according to the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), the national governing body. Griffin recruited Freyer as a business partner in 2014, and the two worked closely to put on races in Georgia and Alabama. Freyer has played an integral role in all Chain Buster events for the past year, including serving as race director for several races and will continue to do so for the remainder of the 2015 racing season.

“Kenny has built a devoted following by putting on great events, so don’t worry about that changing in 2016,” says Freyer, who will continue directing races in both Georgia and Alabama. “This new adventure with Chain Buster ideally compliments what I’m already doing with the Alabama NICA League and will allow me to pursue my passion for putting on first rate mountain biking events on a year round basis. I’m not planning any many changes in the race schedule for 2016, but we may add a few new formats in the coming years, including more gravel grinders and adventure races.” Griffin plans to stay involved as Freyer’s chief advisor and confidant, but he feels great about his decision to step away and spend time with his wife, Nicole, their 3 year-old son, Lanier, and a baby due in late December. “With my family expecting our newest addition, I’m looking forward to spending more time with my wife and the kids,” he says. “And who knows… you may even get to see me racing alongside of you next year in my newfound journey toward better health.”

The Twin Rivers Challenge hosted by Tallulah Falls School, is an autumn ride through some of Northeast Georgia’s most spectacular scenery and follows routes carefully planned by an avid local cyclist. Three route options range from a 115K ride through the Tallulah River and Soque River watersheds which explores a portion of the Lake Burton shoreline; a 72K intermediate ride that takes in scenery along Seed Lake and Lake Rabun; and a 37K ride for novice cyclists from Tallulah Falls to Tiger and back. All rides begin and end on the Tallulah Falls School upper school campus, and no matter which route you choose you will be challenged by the final climb on the TFS campus to the finish line. “We are excited about this new adventure which we believe will bring riders from across the region to participate in this fundraising opportunity for our school,” said TFS President and Head of School Larry A. Peevy. “Most importantly it will bring, over the years, hundreds of people from Georgia and surrounding states to our community and introduce them to the most beautiful vacation and recreation opportunities in the entire country.  I hope this event will continue to grow and provide scholarships for deserving students at TFS. I also believe it will enhance the economy of both Rabun and Habersham.”

All rides will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 31, 2015. Parking is directly in front of the Tallulah Falls School upper school classroom. Registration on the day of the event will be in the TFS upper school classroom lobby. SAG stops will be available at regular intervals along the selected route. A post-ride meal will be provided for all riders. For route details go to: www.ridewithgps.com (key words: Twin Rivers Challenge). Ride shirts are guaranteed to all participants who register before October 10, 2015. The Twin Rivers Challenge is operated by the trustees, faculty, staff, and students of Tallulah Falls School. Proceeds from the ride provide student scholarships at TFS. Registration.

8-28-2015 Six Gap Crit From Dingo: Georgia Road Racing Season doesn’t end until The 2015 SIX GAP CRIT p/b Mission Source! The SIX GAP CRIT p/b Mission Source returns September 26! This year we’ve added a few foot races too! New additions to the 2015 schedule include Elite 5k, a timed Age-Group 5k & a 5k Briefcase Relay, benefiting the Georgia Mountain Food Bank! Support the Georgia Mountain Food Bank, and SHARE The fun of Six Gap with your Friends & Co-workers. It’s not just for cyclists

8-27-2015 DLV Velodrome Cup From the DLV: We’re almost ready for the Velodrome Cup p/b Third Eye Software! Racing begins at 3p.m. this Saturday August 29th! Gates open at 2p.m. and racing kicks off at 3p.m. with the main events starting at 6p.m. We’ll again have our women’s races as well as our Youth Cycling League races. We’re keeping the fun rolling for our last Pro Race Series of 2015! We will have On Tapa The World featuring their Spanish Tapas as well as the King of Pops out with their Popsicle cart…and never fear, our World Famous Chicken Nachos and Cake Hag cupcakes will still be available at the concession stand. Robert from Saucebox will be live printing the special commemorative t-shirts (third in the series!) only available that day and other special designs of his invention. We”ll also have our long time supporters Outback Bikes and Snyder Cycles showing off their new bikes and frames and several new vendors showing of their fun inventions or events of their own. So be sure to check out our festival area! Bike Train! New for 2015, leave the car at home and ride to the velodrome. In conjunction SOPO Bicycles we are going to have valet bicycle parking and a special bike train to the track leaving from SOPO at 4:45p.m. It will be a casual pace 8 miles ride taking about 45 minutes to get to the track. Just in time to get settled for the first main events!

8-26-2015 CXNC Press Release: USA Cycling announced Monday the seven-event Cyclo-Cross National Calendar (CXNC), which will run from September to December in seven different states nationwide. The calendar opens with the CrossReno Cyclo-Cross Race Sept. 19 in Reno, Nev., and works its way through Ohio, Georgia, Michigan, Oklahoma and Indiana over the following 12 weeks before closing out in Bend, Ore., Dec. 12-13.

The 2015 Cyclo-Cross National Calendar:
CrossReno Cyclo-Cross Race Reno, Nev. Sept. 19
The North Coast Gran Prix of Cyclo-Cross Cleveland, Ohio Oct. 24-25
Savannah Superprestige CX Weekend Savannah, GA Nov. 8 (Georgia Cross Race!)
Mad Anthony CX  Detroit, Mich.  Nov. 14
Cyntergy Hurtland, A Tulsa Tough Production Tulsa, Okla. Nov. 21
2015 OVCX Finale at Indy Cycloplex Indianapolis, Ind. Dec. 6
Deschutes Brewery Cup Bend, Ore. Dec. 12-13

Cross Vegas Congratulations to the two NC riders selected to represent the US at the Cross Vegas UCI UCI CX World Cup on Sept. 16! Elite Men – Travis Livermon (Winston Salem, N.C.) and Elite Women – Erica Zaveta (Brevard, N.C..

Upcoming Centuries From the Tony Serrano Century:  September 12-We (Tony Serrano Crew) will once again be at the Hollonville Opry House rest stop for the Wilson 100. Joyce will be preparing your favorites! See you there. September 12-The Fifth Annual Teardrop Century has a new starting point in beautiful Madison at the Morgan County High School. Absolutely one of the best areas for cycling in the state of Georgia. September 26-Velo Atlanta has been hard at work for three years now preparing for this event, the First Annual Rescue One Century. Starting in Social Circle, this ride goes through much of the same area as the Tony Serrano Century. Velo Atlanta has a special offer for Tony Serrano followers. Use this code TS82015 for a $10 discount. This offer is valid until August 31.

October 24-Joyce makes all the snacks (Trish’s Note: Mmmmm…Peanut Butter Balls!) and I (Trish’s Note: Paul) get to do some riding for one my favorite events, the fall edition of the Agro Cycle Tour. This once begins and ends at Southern Brewing and visits three farms. The distance is only 20 miles, so this is the perfect event to bring your friends or family that can’t keep up with you on those other rides! October 24-The Redskin Spirit Ride starts from Social Circle Middle/High School. I rode this last year and had a great time supporting the Social Circle High School Cheer Team. October 24-A new event, the Good Hope Poppy Festival Ride starts near the iconic Good Hope Store. Enjoy fully supported rides of 25 or 50 miles and take in the Poppy Festival.

8-19-2015 CX Calendar Updates All of the CX Race Calendars are updated. There have been some date and venue changes with GACX and Bamacross in the last few weeks, so be sure to check them out. I’ve put up the NC/SC Cycling Association Races, NCCX, MSG CX, and anything else I have. I’m missing TBRA, and I’ve emailed them to see when the schedule will be out.

SBL News From the SBL: After all of the summer rides and training, it’s time to get ready for the Wilson 100!  Time for any bike repairs and maintenance before September 12th. In our metro Atlanta area, we are so very lucky to have many bike shops with experienced repair people.  Take advantage of their expertise to ensure a smooth ride. The Wilson 100 is September 12th starting and finishing in the beautiful and quaint town of Senoia.  Join us for either a 40, 62 or 100 mile ride. Register now. This week-end is the Alliance Ride/Wheels Of Fire at Callaway Gardens August 22nd. in support of Warriors transitioning home from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom!  They are  offering SBL members $5.00 off registration.  For more information: allianceride.com

8-17-2015 Celebrate Anderson! Weekend From Swagger:  Once again, Anderson County’s Family-Friendly Weekend will bring together businesses, cycling enthusiasts, community leaders and residents for a memorable event, successfully enhancing Anderson County’s reputation as THE LABOR DAY DESTINATION! Come join us and let us spoil you with our own special brand of Southern Hospitality! Cyclists will be provided EIGHT meals during the event weekend inside the Civic Center. Serving times will be posted at onsite registration. Sunday evening’s meal will be served in the Amphitheater under the VIP tent to the immediate left of the entertainment stage where cyclists can enjoy a great up close and personal view of the concert with refreshments close at hand. Also included with the registration is a dry-wick shirt with event and sponsor logos.

Saturday, September 5th and Sunday, September 6th will be all about road cycling. Family-friendly and amateur rides, the Tour de La Cure, Tour de La France, and 66-mile rides will begin at 8am on Saturday. During the day, attendees will also enjoy the 7th Annual Charity Pedal Race and the “Pimp My Trike” theme contest. The Civic Center Circuit is on Saturday; the Civic Center Criterium is on Sunday! As a part of Celebrate Anderson Weekend, Anderson will host a cyclist “End of the Road Party” immediately after the criterium races end Sunday night.  Entertainment will kick off with local, yet nationally awarded T.L. Hanna Jazz Band followed by the Electric City Big Band before special guests, Pure Prairie League, take the stage singing their greatest hits including ‘Amie’, ‘Let me Love You Tonight’ and ‘Falling in and Out of Love’ among others.  The evening will culminate with a 17-minute Zambelli Fireworks tribute to our Veterans!

And finally, “crossover” into cyclo-cross season with Swagger’s official end to the road season with the Celebrate Anderson! Crossover Cyclo-Cross Race on Labor Day, Monday, September 6th. Come race this new addition to the Celebrate Anderson! Weekend of events. But remember, no white kits allowed starting Labor Day (haha just kidding). Visit http://www.swagger.us in the near future for a map of the course.

8-16-2015 EAV Crit Photos Photos from the East Atlanta Village Crit-GA State Championship Crit-will are up! Plenty from Women Pro/1/2, Cat. 3 Men, and Men Pro/1/2! http://sadlebred.smugmug.com.

Other Stuff I have some work to do including finishing updating the CX Calendars for Sept.-Dec. I hope to finish it this week. Unfortunately, it’s now Sunday night, and I have a migraine. Early to bed instead of being on the computer. Look for the updates soon!


Emile Abraham (Texas Road House) in the Men’s Pro/1/2 race at the EAV Crit.

 

8-15-2015 EAV Crit Photos Photos from the East Atlanta Village Crit-GA State Championship Crit-will be online by Sunday night at http://sadlebred.smugmug.com.

Morgan Brown (Colavita) wins the Women’s 1/2 GA State Championship on Saturday.


Making it a Brown family podium sweep, Tomas Brown (UCH-706 Project) wins the Pro/1/2 Men’s Race at the EAV Crit.

8-14-2015 Charlotte Women’s CX Clinic Women’s Cross Clinic Saturday September 12th, 10:00am – 12:00, at Cordelia Park in Charlotte, NC with Jessica Singerman from Team Bike Law – Uptown Cycles & Coach Sarah Matchett from Team Race City Cycling (RCC), You will learn cross techniques (dismounting and remounting, carrying your bike, barriers, cornering, starts, etc…) and there will be a Q&A for any questions you might have about cross bikes, racing, training, how to dress for cx, etc… Bring a CX, mountain, or road bike, All interested ladies are welcome! Pass this along to your friends!

8-13-2015 Athens SORBA Fundraiser From SORBA Athens: Want more biking options in Athens, GA…both on-road and off-road? Then come have a pint of freshly brewed local beer with us this Friday (Aug. 14th) at Terrapin brewery 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. A percentage of the proceeds from the Terrapin tour will benefit both Bike Athens and SORBA-Athens. There will also be fun games and prizes. Check out the facebook event for more details and to rsvp (though an rsvp is not necessary…just show up and drink beer).

Rope Mill Work Party SORBA Woodstock will host a work party at Rope Mill this Saturday at 9:00 am. The work will involve a lot of different stuff, and tools will be provided.

Georgia High School Cycling League The new Georgia High School Cycling League (GHSCL), a competitive Mountain Biking program for middle and high school students, is projecting to double its participation in its second year with over 200 student-athletes expected to hit the trails for the 2015 season. With a successful inaugural season behind them, the GHSCL is looking to double its participation in terms of teams, student-athletes, and coaches. Interest in the league is so great from parents and students; the league has added a middle school program for the 2015 season for grades 6 – 8. The GHSCL is comprised of 28 teams from all areas of the state including Habersham County in the Northeast, to Athens in the East, Columbus in the South, and multiple teams in between. New to the league in 2015 are teams from Milledgeville, Cherokee High School, and composite teams representing the Allatoona Creek area, and White and Coweta Counties. A team from South Carolina will be allowed to race in the Georgia League since South Carolina does not have a League under the NICA umbrella. The Georgia League is open to all Georgia students, regardless of ability, believing that cycling is about lifelong health, not just today’s win. The League is driven by strong values -Strong Body, Strong Mind, Strong Character, Inclusivity, and Equality. The GHSCL offers scholarships and loaner bikes to students in need.

2015 Race Schedule
September 13 – Georgia International Horse Park, Conyers GA
October 4 – Private Farm Venue, North GA (Trish’s Note: Private Property; Trails are not open to the public.)
October 11 – Heritage Park, Watkinsville, GA
November 1 – University of North Georgia College- Gainesville Campus, Oakwood GA

8-12-2015 Georgia Cross Series Schedule The revised Georgia CX Series Schedule is out!

Oct. 3-4 Dingo Cross, Gainesville
Oct. 10-11 Athens CX, Athens
Oct. 18 Boundary Waters-State Championship, Douglasville
Oct. 24-25 Forsyth County CX, Cumming
Nov. 1 Serenbe (Haunted Trail), Chatt Hills
Nov. 7-8  Oglethorpe Speedway, Savannah (Sunday is USAC CX NATL)
Nov. 14-15 Elks Aidmore, Conyers
Dec. 5  Grant Park CX, Atlanta (USAC CX NATL)

ZZZZZZ… It’s been a bit of a slow news week. Maybe it’s the summer heat…..

8-7-2015 Top Climbs in the US The Global Cycling Network (GCN) has named Brasstown Bald in Georgia as one of the Top 10 road climbs in the US! They noted it is short but really steep, with an average grade of 11%.

Blanket’s Creek Closed From SORBA Woodstock: Reminder: Blankets Creek trails will be closed from 10pm Friday Aug 7th until 10pm Saturday Aug 8th for the 6 hour Race to Sunset. The trails at Rope Mill will be open as usual.

Silver Comet History A friend found this interesting old video on the history of the Silver Comet Trail.

2015 Brownwood Bike Rally Get your bikes in gear for the East Atlanta Kids Club’s 11th-annual Brownwood Bike Rally! Join us on Saturday, September 12, 2015 at beautiful Brownwood Park in East Atlanta for another great day of bike racing & other fun festival activities! The Brownwood Bike Rally is a festive event celebrating cycling, fitness and health, for kids and adults. This year’s festival includes street bike races and a bike safety rodeo for kids, crit-cross races for adults, a health fair, a food court and a festival area featuring family-friendly activities. Prizes are awarded for all races.  Proceeds will benefit the East Atlanta Kids Club, a nonprofit after-school tutoring and mentoring program for promising youth. Register and learn more about the 2015 Brownwood Bike Rally at active.com.  When: Saturday, September 12, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Where: Brownwood Park, 602 Brownwood Avenue SE, Atlanta, GA 30316 (and surrounding streets in East Atlanta), Time: Registration begins at 8:00 am; bike races and bike rodeo begin at 9:30am and end at 2:00 pm.
Cost: Event admission is free for all. Races are free for children, $10-$20 for adults.

8-6-2015 Pedal for Kids Pedal 4 Kids Community Ride is the largest bike event in the Lowcountry (SC) with 100% of its proceeds benefiting the Boys & Girls Club of Hilton Head Island. Now, in its 9th year, the Pedal 4 Kids Community Bike Ride attracts over 400 bicyclists, of all ages and skills levels. The event gives residents and guests of the Island an opportunity to join their friends, family, co-workers, associates and neighbors in a group ride throughout the island’s beautiful pathways and parks. Make plans for Saturday, September 26, 2015 for another great day of cycling. Pedal 4 Kids Routes & Rides: Metric Century (62-miles) 40-miles 20/25 miles 10-miles Family Fun Ride

8-5-2015 Cycle Therapy at Tour of Utah From the Rome News-Tribune: “Bicycling has been a way of life for Roman Trey Smith since he was a child, but this week he’s riding a motorcycle in a seven-day bicycling competition across the state of Utah.

Smith will be providing support services for the prestigious 2015 Tour of Utah race. He’ll be driving a motorcycle with Ben Horst — a mechanic at his Cycle Therapy bike business in Rome — on the back seat. “I think it’s very unusual to have two guys from one shop to get invited, much less two from Georgia,” Smith said from Logan, Utah, where the race started Monday.

Smith and Horst are working the Tour of Utah for Shimano bicycles, a major manufacturer providing support for the teams riding the race. If a bike breaks down, Smith and Horst zoom to the location to try to make the repair as quickly as possible…..” Read the rest of the article on Northwest Georgia News.

Junior Track Nats Today’s podium finishers Men 11-12 TT: Reece Lathum (Roswell, GA-Mission Source Juniors) 3rd, Men 9-10 TT: Max Oestrich (Powder Springs, GA, Junior Flyers), 3rd

Alabama CX Clinic There will be a CX Clinic on Sunday, Aug. 23 at Veteran’s Park in Birmingham, AL at 5:00 CDT. Riders from the Bob’s Bikes-Infinity team, including former National CX Masters Champion Hardwick Greg, will be teaching cx skills.

8-4-2015 SE Junior Regional Championships Trish’s Note: This seems to be a very last minute event. I cannot confirm with 100% certainty that it is happening but am listing it as registration is open on USAC’s website. Please contact the promoter to confirm if you plan to attend. The Southeastern Regional Junior Championships will be Aug. 8-9. The crit is Saturday at the West Oak/Marietta Crit course, and the RR is Sunday in White. Read the flyer for more information.

Allatoona Trail Fest From SORBA West Georgia: We are pleased to announce a special event, Allatoona Trail Festival, at Allatoona Creek Park, 5690 Old Stilesboro Road Acworth, GA 30101 on Saturday August 15. The schedule of events for the day follows:v8:00: 5K/15K Xterra Trail Race presented by Dirty Spokes, 9:00-2:00 Bike Demos presented by REI and Free Flite, REI will be debuting their Ghost brand bikes, 8:00-10:00 Time Trial on Voodoo. So you think your fast but are you fast riding and going over obstacles?, 11:00 Ribbon Cutting on the all new Gravity/Flow trail presented by REI, SORBA West Georgia, Cobb P.A.R.K.S. and Atlanta Cycling, 12:00-2:00 Jump Jam and Time Trial on the new Gravity/Flow trail. This event is being held in conjunction with Cobb County Parks & Recreation with sponsorship by REI and Atlanta Cycling. Please join us for the fun!

Junior National Track Championships USAC Junior and Elite Track Nationals The youngsters from Georgia are competing this weekend at the Home Depot Velodrome in Carson, CA at the USA Cycling National Track Championships. I’ll be posting highlights this week. There are a lot of kids and teenagers and a lot of races. I’ll post what I can, but I might not catch everything. Congratulations to everyone!
Junior 2K: (All Mission Source) Boys 11-12 Reece Latham- 5th Owen Braunecker 9th, Boys 9-10 Max Oestrich 4th,
Scratch Race: Women 17-18 Salma Huque (Junior Flyers) 2nd, Men 17-18 Nick Oestrich (Junior Flyers) 4th
Scratch Race: Boys 11-12 Reece: 5th

8-3-2015 Beginner Women’s MTB Clinic From Sorella: Come to a Beginner and Intermediate Mountain Bike Clinic, Saturday August 29th led by Sorella race team members Alexandra Martinez and Stefanie Gore Blankets Creek . It will be from 9 am -12pm. Topics covered will be bike maintenance, fixing a flat, bike handling, and nutrition. There will also be a no drop mountain bike ride. Please RSVP to alexandramartinez1 at hotmail.com.

Rescue 1 Century Velo Atlanta Cycling Club is pleased to partner with Atlanta Dream Center, a 501 ©(3) organization in their mission to reach, rescue, and restore victims of human trafficking, homelessness, and at-risk youth in the metro Atlanta area to put on the Rescue 1 Century. Join us in supporting a worthy cause while enjoying the scenery of some of Georgia’s historical communities and pastoral rolling hills of Walton and Morgan county. The Rescue 1 Century will provide – cue sheets, marked routes, SAG Support and Rest Stops. Route options will be 16, 32, 63, and 100 miles. A light lunch will be provided after the ride. Early Bird: $35.00 until July 31st, Regular Registration: $45 August 1-September 25th.

MTB Race News Six Hour Race to Sunset at Blankets Creek THIS SATURDAY!! From Mountain Goat Adventures: 6 Hour Race to Sunset presented by OUTSPOKIN’ BICYCLES – Register by July 18th for early registration pricing! We hope you will join us for the 6 Hour Race to Sunset at Blankets Creek, presented by OutSpokin’ Bicycles on August 8th. Located in Canton, GA, Blankets Creek is home to 15 miles of flowy, rolling singletrack. This is one of our largest bike events of the year with last year’s race seeing over 300 riders! Tackle the event solo or bring your riding buddies and form a team. Tell me about the good stuff! All riders receive a wicking tech tee, perfect for these hot summer days! First 250 to register will also receive a commemorative beverage glass, compliments of Traxxion Dynamics! 100% cash payback to Solo Expert Classes! Sponsor prizes a minimum of 3 deep in all other categories, with large categories going up to 10 deep! Podium shirts for all 1st place finishers! Instant lap times and standings viewable on your smartphone – You don’t even need to leave your pit to check results! Special prizes for fastest laps, best crash, and best hecklers!

7-31-2015 Beginner MTB Clinic From SORBA West Georgia There will be a beginner mtb clinic on  Tuesday, August 4at 6:15pm at Allatoona Creek MTB Trailhead, 5690 Old Stileboro Road, Acworth, Georgia 30101, If you are a beginner or just want to brush up on some of your skills we will try to cover basic bike knowledge such as shifting gears and proper tire pressures to more advanced skills such as line choices, braking, and even bunny hops and jumps (if Parker is at the clinic), Come out and give it a try!! One on one help. We will meet at AC at 6:15 pm in front of the Restrooms.


Sometimes a city cyclocross ride is gorgeous. The Downtown Atlanta Skyline from the Jackson Street Bridge.

7-30-2015 GACX Race Day Schedule There have been some changes to the GACX Race Day schedule!

10:00a Women CX4, Men CX 5, Junior 15-18/10-14 30 minutes
10:45a Elite Masters (CX1/2/3) 40+/50+ 45 minutes
11:45a Kids race short laps
12:15p Elite Women CX 1/2/3, Men CX4 45 minutes
1:15p Men Pro, CX1/2 , Men CX3 60 minutes
2:30p Single Speed, Masters 35+ (CX 4/5) 30 minutes

Crossroads Classic The 2015 Giordana Crossroads Classic  is set to kick-off THIS Thursday, July 30  and will visit four different NC cities over four days. All races will be held in exciting downtown venues. We will be awarding a Giordana leaders jersey to each race leader throughout the four-day series.
2015 Schedule July 30 – Mocksville Criterium in Mocksville, NC, July 31 – Downtown Statesville Criterium in Statesville, NC, August 1 – Pigs and Pedals Criterium, Asheboro, NC, August 2 – City Park Circuit Race in Salisbury, NC , Registration is OPEN but will close Wednesday at midnight for both the individual and series registration!  Pre-registering helps us get you in and out of registration as  quickly as possible.  Plus, you’ll save time and money by registering for all four days of the Crossroads Classic. Race day registration opens at 5:00pm

Trish’s Annual Cyclocross Clinic Get Your Cyclocross On!
Join Trish Albert of Sorella Cycling for an evening of exciting cyclocross! Learn what CX is and develop race skills!

When:  Monday, Sept. 14, 2015
Time:  6:30-7:30-ish PM
Where: Jim Miller Park, 2245 Callaway Road, Marietta, GA 30008. Park in the big field across from the Fairground.
Who: Everyone is welcome!
Cost: Free
What To Bring: Cyclocross bike or mountain bike. If you bring a mountain bike, remove your bottle cages and bar ends. Bring water. HELMETS ARE MANDATORY! Please do not wear baggy clothing like mountain bike baggy shorts or cycling skirts.
Skills to Be Covered: Cyclocross mounts and dismounts, lifting the bike over barriers, race tips and tricks. We’ll do a practice race on the end on one of Georgia’s classic cyclocross courses.
Etc: You are coming to this clinic at your own risk. Trish Albert, Southeastern Cycling, the Georgia Cross Series, and Sorella Cycling are not responsible if you get hurt or break any bike or equipment. The bathrooms may or may not be open.

Want to come? Contact Trish. Details about the clinic are at: http://www.southeasterncycling.com

7-29-2015 Krog Street Tunnel Oh, how we all love the Krog Street Tunnel and its funky art, potholes, and shortcuts to the other side of town. Wait, not the potholes! They eat bicycle wheels. Good news! The City of Atlanta filled them on Tuesday! Plans for a complete repaving are in the works.

Have a Bike Business and Want to Run a Kiosk? From the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition: “Downtown Atlanta has released a Request for Information (RFI) seeking ideas for bicycle-related businesses interested in occupying a vending kiosk at Woodruff Park. Submissions are due on Friday, August 14th.”

BamaCross Schedule BamaCross has released their 2015 schedule.
Sept. 6 Bamacross Dirt Crit
Sept. 20 Bamacross Fear the Bull. Oxford, AL
Oct. 17 Bamacross Cross After Dark, Gadsden, AL
Oct. 24-25 Bamacross Rumble at the Creek, Brookside, AL
Nov. 8 Bamacross Ironworks Cross
Dec. 6 Bamacross Sloss Cross, Birmingham, AL Sloss Furnaces

Racing This Week in Georgia From Dingo: Georgia State Championship Time Trial: Enjoy a beautiful time trial course in Northwestern Hall County. This course, tested last year, is a favorite among the time trialists. A challenging and rolling course that calls for your best. A true state championship time trial course. Saturday Individual Time Trial event, and a Sunday Team Time Trial event for 2 & 4 person teams, NO ONSITE REGISTRATION
Registration closes at 11:59pm, Thursday. Event Location: Tadmore Elementary, 3278 Gillsville Hwy, Gainesville, GA 30507

AMP Cycling Series: Weeknight SPEED at the Atlanta Motorsports Park! A 4-Race Series. July 16, 30 & August 13, 27 USAC Sanctioned, closed course racing on an awesome F1 race track. Courses are challenging, fun, beautifully paved and safe.  No other series like this in Georgia.  Juniors, Womens, Masters and Category racing, from 5p-8p for more information. No late fees for onsite registration!

7-28-2015 Dawsonville Shine Pedalers Metric Century Ride Review On Saturday, July 25th, I was invited to ride the Shine Pedaler’s Metric Century in Dawsonville, GA put on by the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce. The ride is billed as “ a challenging ride through the scenic North Georgia mountains beginning in the “Moonshine Capital of the World”!

This ride offers a Half-Metric and Metric route that runs through the gorgeous mountains and valleys of Dawson County.” With nearly 6200 feet of climbing, the Metric has the same ratio per mile as Six Gap. I was in for some suffering as I’m not known as a climber! Routes were posted on RideWithGPS beforehand, so they could be downloaded to Garmins  riders could see what they were in for.  The first 20 miles of the route is rolling, about what you would expect at Silk Sheet or similar areas. The climbs began in earnest after that. Cove Road after Jasper was especially hard with several climbs that pitched up above 14% and were more than a mile long. The climb up Burnt Mountain was 5-8 miles long if you included the approach road. With most of it in the open sun and temperatures near 90, it was challenging. A rest stop was located a mile from the top. Extras included Coke, donuts, and cooling towels, which were appreciated. The descent was really fun! The last 15 miles were rolling with no major climbs.

Registration was quick and smooth. I looked over a couple of times and never saw more than 2-3 people in line as they were moving everyone along. The Metric route was a mix of slightly busy state roads and quiet back roads, which is normal for any ride in North Georgia. There was more traffic in Dawsonville and Jasper, as would be expected.  Most of the cars were courteous and shared the road. The roads were well marked with two arrows before the turn and one confirmation arrow after the turn. I had no problems making the turn as I was by myself or with a small group for half of the ride. A larger group might have problems with the short distance from the first arrow to the turn. I’d like to see the first arrow about 100-150 feet before the turn to allow the bigger groups to make it safely. One other suggestion would be to put occasional “straight” arrows at intersections on several roads we were on for a long time, so that riders know they are going the correct way. I saw a couple of straight arrows but would go for miles without seeing another. The rest stops were basic with cold water, drink mix you could add, fruit, and granola bars. I appreciated the bowls of bite sized Hershey bars as chocolate is quick, tasty fuel that agrees with my stomach on long rides. The organizers had nearly 50 riders more than they planned for. This lead to two of the rest stops running out of water with nearly a quarter of the riders still to come through. The organizers scrambled to get water to those rest stops. Food also ran low at all but the Burnt Mountain stop. With the growth of the ride, there should also be a wider variety of food—premade PBJ sandwiches on plates or in baggies, packaged cookies, and bananas are easy to have on hand. All rest stops had clean porta-johns with plenty of TP. As with any ride, I recommend carrying a few extra Gels and $5 for an emergency store stop and refilling water any time you stop. The after ride meal was BBQ from a local restaurant, tea, water, and some sides that people seemed to be enjoying. Unfortunately, I had to run to get to a team obligation an hour away and could not stay to enjoy it. The ride tshirt is a poly-cotton blend and is so soft, and who can resist a Shine logo?! I think this is one of the top 3 ride tshirts I have ever received. It will immediately go into my rotation to wear.

I really enjoyed the route and the ride! The volunteers were great!  With a little tweaking and more advertising, I think this could become a destination ride and a great training route for Six Gap. I plan to be back next year!

My ride was complimentary, but all pedaling, suffering, and opinions are my own.

US Track Masters Nationals In the Team Sprints Women 35+ Cheryl Fuller-Muller teamed up with Camie Kornley to win the Gold. This Masters Track Nats will be known as “Gold is Cheryl’s Color” year. Congratulations!! In addition, Chris Annuziata (EPTC) set a PR in the Kilo! I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that there were also numerous podiums by riders from the Carolinas!

Little Bellas MTB Program Little Bellas, a mountain biking program for girls, selected Rebecca Loose in Atlanta, Georgia out of a stack of applications from around the country to start its newest Little Bellas chapter. This all-girls mountain bikes program will run on Sunday afternoons at Blankets Creek Trail and Olde Rope Mill Park in Woodstock, from 4pm-6pm for girls ages 7-14 years old. Little Bellas is a mountain bike organization whose goal is to help young women realize their potential through cycling. Little Bellas brings together girls, ages 7 to 16, and female mentors in our programs across the country. The Sunday Program offers recurring sessions throughout the summer to allow each girl to make new friends and learn to love the sport of mountain biking.  Girls and mentors will ride once a week and work on a skills mountain bike progression.  These girls will be given healthy challenges in a friendly, fun environment.  This program is not focused on competition.  The Atlanta Sunday Program includes an end of season party, a Primal jersey, goodie bag, and snacks. Ages 7-14, Blankets Creek Trail and Olde Rope Mill Park, Woodstock, GA, 4-6 p.m., 9/13, 9/20, 9/27, 10/4, 10/18, 10/25, 11/1, 11/8, Cost is $199.