September 2021 News

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9-24-2021 CROSS IS HERE!! OMG! #crossishere. Grant Park is this weekend! Check out Georgia Cross for all of the information, flyer, registration, etc. Pre-reg closes Friday at noon. There will be on-ste registration ($10 late fee). MORE COWBELL!!!

9-21-2021 Rope Mill Dirty Duathlon and 3.3 Mile Trail Run presented by Northside Hospital – Cherokee – November 13, 2021 at Rope Mill Park in Woodstock, GA! Join us for our SORBA Woodstock Season Finale at Rope Mill Park! This is everyone’s favorite event where you can race as a solo or on a team. Pair up with your spouse or kids! The opening bike loop will be 5.5 miles on the Mill Trails, followed by a 3.3 mile trail run on Explorer, and finally a 5.5 mile bike on the Avalanche Trails. Solo, 2 and 3 person team categories are available in the duathlon. We will be using traditional mountain bike race categories, as we have done in the past, to help alleviate congestion on the opening bike loop. The run is short enough that those who do not typically run still have plenty of time to start training! All participants receive a super comfy t-shirt and those that register by October 13th also receive a commemorative coffee mug. Prizes and awards presented to the top 3 in each duathlon category. Post race snacks and water available. Volunteers are also needed!

Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day From SORBA West Georgia Saturday, October 2nd, 2021 is Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day, so grab all the young riders in your life & hit the trails with us at Allatoona Creek! Member extraordinaire, Annabeth Purcell and other approved adult leaders will be there to lead kid’s bike rides starting from the main parking lot (5690 Old Stilesboro Road Acworth, GA 30101) at 9:00am. here will be opportunities for kids ages 5 and up, as well as different ride levels. These rides are sponsored by SORBA West Georgia and will require a guardian/parent to sign a waiver. Parents are encouraged to ride with the group, bring water/snacks, and any other supplies that the child may need for a maximum of two hours ride time. Lunch will be provided for kids and adults after the rides end between 11:30am – 12:00pm. You can register for this event through our link on Golden Opportunities: https://x.gldn.io/Kf9GtfI3Hjb. Or, simply say yes to the FB event page. Registration is not required, but it is appreciated for planning purposes.

9-19-2021 New Silver Comet Trailhead If you like to start your ride in Paulding County, McPherson Church Road will now be an official trailhead. Construction has begun, although I can’t find a mention of real bathrooms. This is way out there and is also a good place to start some paved/gravel road loops.

9-16-2021 Pumpkinvine Nature Park Trail Build Day From MTB Atlanta Sat. Oct 16 10 am-1pm Join us as we build a new park and trails in Paulding County just outside of Dallas! Pumpkinvine Creek Nature Park is an amazing 100 acres natural park where close to six miles of natural surface trails for hiking, trail running and mountain biking are under construction! We will be doing finishing work on the new tread to get the trail open. Please wear closed toed shoes, long pants, bring a pack with snacks, water, sunscreen , bug spray and your episode pen if you are allergic to bees. Lunch will be provided on site after the work party!

9-12-2021 Spin the District Press Release In the coming weekends, ATL Airport District welcomes fans and riders to the final races of Spin the District. Coming to East Point and Union City, the two weekends will be filled with music, food trucks, local craft beer, party games and free bike valet. “We saw such great success from our first two races,” said ATL Airport District CVB President, Cookie Smoak. “We look forward to welcoming both riders and spectators back for the finale.”

East Point Omni  September 18 Calling all cycling enthusiasts – East Point’s Omnium is the biking event of the season! A party for both riders and spectators, the race is located at Dick Lane Velodrome – the only concrete cycling facility in Georgia – and is an all-out race on bikes going 40+ mph with no brakes, no coasting and only one gear. Guests can enjoy live entertainment from award winning DJ Yvonne Monet, food trucks, local craft beer, Velodrome concessions, games and beyond – all while enjoying a view of the racing action and the city’s historic Sumner Park. Admission for the public is free of cost. (Trish’s Note: Registration is for current Dick Lane Velodrome & Track experienced racers only; this is not a beginner race, but please go take the certification class at the DLV, so that you can do this in a few years!)

Union City Fondo October 2 Spin the District comes to a close with its highly anticipated finale – the Union City Fondo and Gravel Grind. Known as one of the best values in the country, the gran fondo is a high-energy finish to Spin the District, offering a variety of mile options and range of routes through South Fulton, Coweta and Carroll Counties. Cyclists can choose between a variety of distances, ranging from the Polyester100, Rayon60 and Velour30. This year’s course includes an option to partake in challenging gravel rides, including the ToughSkin Open, a hard-wearing 110-mile gravel blend, and the Denim60, made for a resilient, smoother ride. Guests can celebrate the conclusion of Spin the District with music, drinks and bites in Union City following the races. More information on rider registration can be seen here.

9-9-2021 Toona to Remain Open! From SORBA West Georgia Bow hunting season begins September 11 at Allatoona Creek Park and runs through January 31st. Please note that the program has changed for 2021. The map shows the areas where permitted hunters are allowed to hunt from sunrise to sunset (the shaded areas that are labeled alphanumerically.) The singletrack trails will be off limits for hunting and will remain open to all users.

Challenge of the Centuries Rides Cancelled I got word that the Challenge of the Centuries Rides in Hartwell, GA have been cancelled. I have no further information. Please contact the promoter.

9-8-2021 Ayesha McGowan makes her European debut at the Tour Cyclist Feminin International de l’Ardeche Sept. 14. Good luck Ayesha!

Winter Bike League Calendar There is only ONE true Winter Bike League-the Athens WBL that others can only copy. From the WBL:  2022 Calendar 3 months until kickoff: Our winter WBL rides start at the Hub at 5 Points in Athens on Saturdays at 10 a.m. beginning on the first Saturday in December (window open). Parking will be available on the side streets in the neighborhoods around the Hub. (Please don’t park at the Hub.) A limited amount of public parking is available at the fire station in 5 Points across Lumpkin (front 12 spots). Get ready for the upcoming other season!  COVID Update: We will be taking safety measures this winter and will announce our guidelines as we get closer to the winter. If COVID numbers continue to ride, only vaccinated people will be able to ride. Our number one goal is the safety of our riders and our community.
2022 Calendar (*subject to tweaking due to despicable conditions):
4 December 2021: (# 1) The HUB Home Opener (https://hubbikes.com)
11 December 2021: (# 2) 4 hours (Tba)
18 December 2021: (# 3) 4 hours (Tba)
26 December 2021: (# 4) SUNDAY: 2 hours (Tba)
1 January 2022: (# 5): 4 hours / Non Pro Final Sprint (tba)
2 January 2022: (# 6): SUNDAY: 3 hours / Ladies Final Sprint (tba)
8 January 2022: (# 7): Pro sprint finish (tba)
(Remainder of claendar tba)

Pisgah Monster Cross From Pisgah Productions: THE 2021 PISGAH MONSTER CROSS HAS BEEN CANCELED – Refunds will be issued.

DLV Reopening From the DLV The DLV will re-open starting Wednesday 9/8! From the DLV The fallen light post and damaged boards have been repaired enough that all programming at the velodrome can resume. We will be open starting Wednesday 9/8. Come out an enjoy an evening of racing under the lights! Many thanks to the East Point Power Department, East Point Parks & Recreation, and Michael Barman for quickly resolving the issues created by the fallen light post.

9-7-2021 Semper Fi Century for Toys for Tots The Carroll County Cycling Club, in partnership with the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, is presenting the inaugural Semper Fi Century cycling event on Saturday October 2, 2021 at 8:00 AM. The event consists of three route options, the Semper Fi Century (102 miles), Mean Marine Metric (64 miles) and the Jarhead Jaunt (36 miles). All proceeds from this event will go to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. Registration fee includes event T-shirt, fully supported rest stops, SAG, post ride lunch and a snowball. Additionally, a DJ will be onsite from 12-4 providing entertainment. Registration is open.
9-5-2021 PaceDay 2021 From the Promoter PaceDay 2021 Event Date: 10/16/2021 Start/Finish Time: 8:00am-5:00pm Charity Ride Details: Set the Pace to End Cancer Paceline is a casual, fun bike ride, and there is a place for everyone to be involved. Through a celebratory weekend of cycling, food, and entertainment, Ride Weekend brings the Paceline community together to celebrate the year-long efforts to raise awareness and funds for cancer research. 100% of all funds raised goes directly to research and survivorship at the Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University. With 3 different route options, Paceline presents an enjoyable and achievable challenge for beginner cyclists all the way to advanced cyclists. Trish’s Note: There is a rather large fundraising minimum, and the registration fee is a bit high.
Breaking News! Joey Rosskopf named to the USA World Championships team for the RR! Read the full USAC press release. Artem Shmidt from Cumming, GA is on the Junior team.

9-1-2021 Interesting Discussion on Racing at Speedweek There is an interesting discussion on the Southeastern Cycling Facebook page about racing and spectating at Speedweek. Why were there good crowds at some races and not others as well as big fields at some (except Twilight b/c everyone knows the fields across all divisions there will be huge) at not at others. Join in the conversation!

One Love News MACC has posted on Facebook to please read the guidelines for One Love this Saturday. The most important thing is that the start is mostly Show-N-Go. Start your ride when you want before 8 am. The first rest stop does not open until 7:30 am. There will be a small ONE LOVE SALUTE mass start at 8:00 am done in waves to break up riders. Trish’s Note: Sadly, it sold out before I could get register. Have fun! Enjoy! and support SO MANY GREAT ONE LOVE causes!

8-30-2021 DLV Temporarily Closed The Dick Lane Velodrome is temporarily closed. One of the big lights fell on the home straight sometime Thursday night-Sunday morning. No one was hurt. The track will be closed until repairs can be made. Stay tuned to the DLV Facebook page for updates.


Big Light Fell at the DLV


Atlanta resident Olivia Ray (Rally Cycling) wins the Grant Park Crit on Sunday. Olivia is the New Zealand Crit National Champion proving, indeed, that Kiwis can fly!!


The Women’s field climbs towards the start/finish at the Grant Park Crit.

 

8-27-2021 All for One 100 From the Van Purser Foundation The Van Purser Foundation All For One 100 is Saturday, October 2, 2021 We are excited for this years All For One 100 Ride and we are counting on you joining us again! The Van Purser Foundation is a non-profit charitable corporation (501(c)3), created by a group of caring cyclists, so that we might pour out into others just as Van has poured out into us. Our mission, simply, is to pull together to assist other cyclists in times of need. 100% of the proceeds of this event go towards helping fellow cyclists in our area who are in need of assistance. A lot of the needs that we meet are financial assistance following a cycling related incident. We are honored as a foundation to have helped many cyclists in the last couple of years with a multitude of needs. Registration is open! Trish’s Note: There are distances of 32, 64, and 100 miles.

8-25-2021 Wilson 100 Cancelled I heard from the promoter today that the Wilson 100 has been cancelled for the year because of the COVID Delta variant. My note: Registration still appears to be open. Please contact the organizer if you registered and have concerns/want a refund/etc. Thanks!

8-24-2021 ATL Airport District Gears Up for First Spin the District Races in Hapeville & College Park  Criterium races start off the initial Spin weekend  ATLANTA (August 23, 2021)ATL Airport District kicks off its third annual Spin the District cycling series in Hapeville and College Park, providing an immersive experience for cyclists and spectators alike and transforming the area’s streets into a premier cycling destination. Following last year’s cancelation due to COVID-19, Spin the District is returning in full swing this year – offering food, entertainment and festivities for all to enjoy. The first events include the Hapeville Crit on Saturday, August 28, followed by the College Park Crit on Sunday, August 29. This year’s roster of cyclists boasts riders from 19 different states and 11 countries from across the world.  “After this past year, we’re excited to bring Spin the District back to the ATL Airport District this fall in a safe, fun and inclusive environment,” said Cookie Smoak, President of the ATL Airport District. “We’re looking forward to bringing our communities together to welcome the best riders in the country to our corner of the world. This year, we’re coming back as part of USA CRITS Speed Week Finals, further showcasing the District as a premier cycling destination.” 

 Kicking-off this eventful weekend, spectators and cyclists alike are invited to the “HandleBar Crawl” at Beer Girl from 6 – 9 p.m. Guests will indulge in beer, slushies, food, music, and Spin the District merchandise. To receive a coveted wristband, guests need to say the secret word which is “CRIT”. If a spectator rides to the event on their bike they will receive a free Spin the District cowbell. The races begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Spin the District launches during USA CRITS Speed Week Finals with the Hapeville Crit – a fast-paced, 1.4-kilometer route in the heart of the city. Hapeville’s course will feature the first and fastest cycling adventure for participants – including a seven-corner course and 150-meter straight finish. To end the day, spectators can watch the crowd favorite kid’s tricycle race and the best pro men and women racers from across the country. Friends, family and cycling enthusiasts can gather for a Saturday Block Party at the parking lot across the street from Hapeville First Baptist Church to commemorate the weekend with frothy drinks, food and festivities throughout the afternoon.   

Wrapping up the initial Spin weekend and USA CRITS Speed Week, the College Park CRITS will last from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., with an artist market scheduled from noon to close. The College Park course will feature a five-corner circuit, tight turns and an uphill finish, all located in the historic streets of downtown College Park. From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., spectators are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs, tents and sunscreen – and can indulge in local food trucks throughout the afternoon, alongside family-friendly games and kid’s races. For more information on ATL Airport District and its Spin the District events, click here. CRIT registration is available here 

8-23-2021 Grant Park Photos are Up! Photos from Grant Park are up. I appreciate everyone’s patience as I learn my new camera! Support your local photographers! Photos are on my photography site: http://sadlebred.smugmug.com