29, Gearing up in 29 days trail.

Suffering from 240 miles in just under four weeks at this point, and most of those miles are best. Me along the way - ice, snow, mud, rocks, rain - has made great to put to test the conditions encountered my gear. Just thought I would give the update I still share a full review of these components is not ready, but how holding everything up.

SRAM X 0 2 x 10 drive train

I ride my Durango Moab ago, during the summer, but installing everything I didn't have enough time, SRAM X 0 2 x 10 discusses the transition to drive. I wish I went I was ahead of it because I really I some more gear steep elevations of high of climbing may have some.

Past 26 29 step I explore my way all kinds of trail - a steep slippery Granny gears climb - fast, flowy big gear you should suffer from the ring thing, and I somehow I always I keep moving to be found. Become stronger than I actually, in the course of many I know my own small ring as long as possible, rider (and I ride small go, and I usually have for too long stay) to stay has been forced.

You can muddy tracks winter horse in Georgia.

As you can see from the photos above the challenge I drive fairly rough has been made (in the front a derailleur all the mud). The rear derailleur, in thick coating of ice to limit the overall movement of some gear twice freezing. However, extracting all was back to normal. I also was ignoring rear derailleur season trail and X 0 back I fear or two) that could pick up a number of bars for each given though to snap successfully.

I already twice cassette my 29 record challenge in de-greased you (something I usually just once a year) and cannot to count the lubed for putting conditions are partially miles and I clean my chain. Because it becomes easy to maintain, all clean and brand new, shiny is going smoothly and all the SRAM.

SRAM X 0 hydraulic brake

These are the best so far using mountain bike disc brake is hydraulic I. Was very easy to install the brake of the X 0 and I'm one problem with them in hundreds of miles (even before you begin the challenge) of was riding. I, to release the brakes and quiet operation lever snap "is love. I ride after the brake caliper deep water I, Dawson forest tracks the freezing when the temps... What happens when you play a frozen water

Easton shelter 29 er wheels

I just trail # 11 people install 29-day challenge for I wish I had done I managed to get these wheels, it is faster. Shelter 29 ers also built the mega powerful yet, still simple enough Lord XC man I like has none. Cheaha State Park rock pinging, 1996 Olympic course in granite bounce, these wheel veteran Pro like execution.

Blingy beauty and solid construction beyond the many shelter 29 er wheel is compatible with UST for riders big plus. Tyres tubeless mountain bike owners and up to this point have not done all documentation I convinced to go for (Easton to recommended tubeless ready or UST tires only). What a difference! Mule pinch without having to fear of shallow low pressure that is reason enough to perform, but also for me is the simplicity of the whole. I love these wheels so far!

Other things

UST-wheel set is pretty without waste compatible tires Maxxis ardent desire 2... 3 experimented 29er tire and Hutchinson Python in it. To test I also to can't wait Captain specialist waiting in the wings "" has 2 Bliss tires.

Challenges before me and a few inches I answer ODI ruffian lock-on grip tapered Carbon Poker pro and additional (lock-ons my first set) lopped. Grip really well-sliding doesn't work in wet conditions-I had a little padding is desired. Hey, at least they are light-weight!

My GPS, however, quite well is not going right. To be fair, unit 3 or 4 years now, on the car door, time or two, have been destroyed, but still "that need to access the lap button to stop and the fact that I use Allen wrench for my minimum) to except for the great work. Is the rubber band handlebar clip with long ago.

29 This pull 29, on the trail, is a physical and a spiritual struggle, but higher reliability of gear that is almost impossible. Case in point: almost I will crank thread about what my bike to get stuck in 29 stores Trail # 7, after stripping the worry so freaked out. Thanks to Andy Jordan everyone was quick fix, but it always in case of repair is not. It is important to jump the bike when thanks to have all of my gear is a sunny day!

SRAM offer component reviews and Easton at thanks to the people.

Add Site Url to Free Web Directory


Original article

Trail 25: Arabiaâ Mountain PATH

I simply was hoping would come. Does not contain Arabic mountain and prior to starting my 29 step road test ride, all course listings, list definitely wrote. This is not a great place to ride-was hoping that I wasn't anywhere, most single-horse riding to avoid. Arabia mountain path in single and it has also paved. Yuck.

Only so few days is going after my deadline and hard is one night it rains can decisively Fort Yargo off, blankets, Creek, to cross Chattanooga area my to-do list trail-nothing's gonna happen. Instead of looking for a dirt road, path and get in front of Saturday 29 trails you can, try to exhaust high trails, to open.

So when it's going to rain yesterday stayed off track: something to others, and then rose on the sidewalk. Arabia mountain, starting with city's downtown, and runs through the Panola Mountain State Park. Landscape is flat straight path by the great, and it is not like silver Comet (is this even a decent choice gritty fire road rides from your bike to help protect raining) and rail tracks.

I started at Stonecrest mall parking-Panola State Park headed rode. Started on cold and foggy, and I ride (or part of the rest of the day for that matter) of and improve ???? let. Still, I pass some pedestrians mainly had my way. Through the path of exposed granite section, second is, felt was riding mountain bike trails in fact of one section. However, it was over.

I decided that I in turn right Highway 212 30 minutes after. I did this time at the end of the line in the golf course was abandoned. One day I single-mountain biking in this area I heard it today, I can't ride because of the rain that they would. Back in the car approximately 15 miles, at one time-I guess I got good training on GPS said. I wish I could I held the dirt.

Add Site Url to Free Web Directory


Original article

In Atlanta snow biking: trail # 2

My 29 is the fourth day of the daily interest road challenge has already fallen. About 5 inches of snow here and in Atlanta mountain bike on Monday obviously do got difficult, impossible. Ride yesterday to postpone a matter of fact, had the city outside of my plan, road conditions.

Decided to hit the one closest to my Ira B. Melton called instead of the small Park House road. GoldenGoose, I agreed to meet pm hoping to be done in the freezing rain and sleet until there. My own 30-minute ride on the sidewalk road approximately 3 miles to gave, and I quickly,-on the road enough time not provide basically the secret small patches of Teflon mix ice.

Trailhead is word he's a GoldenGoose it was not by way of any two flat tires, along the way by some points (you can read more about in the Forum). Even in moderation was surprised how much easier my bike trail is the way by any stretch (still not easy) to ride was. In glory "the first track" fresh snow snowboarder story but see flared earlier in the day for me was that some hikers to the relief. Can one follow in their footsteps easier stuff down a little bit.

As far as I know, IRA B. Melton trail bike officially opened is not even officially close to the bike. And you must ride in the deployment of this type of attitude of the IMBA mountain bikers are granted explicitly they say, pretty harsh is. In my experience by IRA B. Melton hikers is very easy to use, and sharing the road for much of walking the dog chain similar gray area trail use especially those more than.

1.1 Miles trail loop by IRA B. Melton is very sandy usually sand and snow conditions are actually many different is not to be. And avoided the oppression by the branches of low trees, snow and ice on the 5-inch thick skin powder ice tire's satisfying crunch offers.

My 29 rose pave the way for the hometown bang records challenge trail # 2 after. Round trip took about 7 miles per hour and a half, and I was riding much farther much more harder to felt. I looked like extension of road the trail continues along the way was single rut I. Ride the mountain in fact added to the sense, usually along busy routes only saw some car.

29 29 Trail ride signs of ice and snow melts quickly at any time is a bit worried about falling behind my goal. And obviously I double to triple in the coming days between the week should be back on track. If you do not 1 month, once again, this really challenge!

Add Site Url to Free Web Directory


Original article

1996 Olympic MTB Course: trail 16

Friday afternoon in Conyers, Georgia, Georgia International Horse Park, 1996, drove home the Olympic mountain bike course. It is very exciting American Olympic course, but those of us who natural areas to live it we. Chris Eatough race solo who every year annual 24-hour race course Conyers (24 hours) to use and documentaries 24 saw him VII World Championship course.

Shortly after the Olympic course wildness and mudhunny I could not follow one year later she describes. Fortunately, local SORBA Club pick up the ball, to keep the trail today, to continue. You can place and of course have been some changes since 1996 games, wooden TV camera platform strategy turn see granite coating still yellow course boundaries. And disappeared under the original course Golf course sand traps in the photo below shows green.

On Friday, "fault loops" decided to initiate the start of the main parking area next to the field. Better along the way here dozens of times, but for some reason the wrong direction, the trail goes wrong I started to houshil brush is suffering. Well, I only ran into one of the other mountain bikers and Road Runner and neither of them seemed to mind. This section is, of course, to Woods and generally pretty challenging stuff, occasionally only root garden.

Fields is back and ride parking place in the past, I "granite loop", beyond the Parkway split. Intersection of easy ride – of most dangerous part of sharp, steep rim see oncoming traffic and bicycle intersection (four total) were cut for some reason someone decided of bulging Middle impossible to evergreen trees to plant. To pass before the tree around peak speeding cars are hurtling on opposite sides of the road and waited.

And granite tread features long, stretching from the beginning to a completely different published the second half of the course (photos that do justice to) quick lung bursting climbs decomposition. I always how much my Mule granite-take beating, Moab slickrock doesn't seem forget. Ascending, descending and ascending order, and will again, granite after descending on the sidewalk I tight twist some fresh trail re-routes and the dip in the Woods has found. Conflicting though doubt trail very scenic I thought actually here in 1996 Olympian's mind.

Final climb granite backups at all times I have been challenging-in fact my is my arch-nemesis (dgaddis term to borrow that) I can tell you. Climb is remarkable-average length, slightly steep almost is not smooth, but for some reason I can ride to the top went. I previously climbed either from either the morning or the top-spin and roots spent Friday wasn't the exception. Said Hill on my GPS alone 7 point of view of course difficulty (about 150 feet / miles) miles of 1,000 feet or more rose to. East side on the bicycle Road Atlanta but not bad!

16 Trails; 1 more to go.

Add Site Url to Free Web Directory


Original article

Trail 7: Dawson Forest

I didn't ride my wake this morning would you like to is. I before, of night in bed with my eyes closed and just won't go away single - random trail features – of saw the flashes. World like extended maze of "my" gun it spend hours playing Nintendo 64 Goldeneye is my college days I reminded me of wandering through target searches. This 29 road 29 experiment was starting to get intense.

6 Days ago I scarfed woke up a few grains, North of Atlanta 1 about time-Dawson forest did. This is me another new trail and ish miles, 10,000 acres trail holds promise I go to was just enough to get to. Arrived around 7: 30 pm on the sidewalk and saw some of the other in most of the hunting their parking car. Check information bulletin board to determine whether the path is open (is regularly special hunting for holidays has) and on the trail of the blue starts to crisp, frozen mud.

From Dawson forest purchased during the 1970s Lockheed, owned by Atlanta city. It originally Georgia nuclear aircraft Research Institute, word section 3 acres of elevated levels of radiation would have (only section enclosed by fence this riding after reading the main trailhead or??), in the late 1990s was recently. Past several years, reduce congestion in the city, the new airport Hartsfield International (the world's busiest airport) or reservoir 100 million gallon northern suburbs day considered to build the capacity of the pumping of water per building. Either way, not 10 years from now the trail was riding.

I decided to ride on the sidewalk 9.4 miles seemed to cover the hand loop tube map, and blue of good bits. Thanked and frozen in time and occurs after the first mile or so major horse damage red clay trails are some of the ground still ride me (temperature in the days after 70 will reach age). Walking in the mud hole, ice was bad to-so you could see some spots, traction here fell to the horses own nasty way to find other attractions. Do not respect the trail is enough to avoid them when it is wet riding?

2.5 Miles mark I River Ford ETIS, I easily go swift, wide river: what I found and did not say of providing over 3-4 feet deep (I cannot actually see the below) was in. Approximately 10 seconds and turn off my shoes and socks, cross the river and idea, I took temperature 30 degrees and would be walking barefoot down the River I reminded. Climb back into the mud Horse trail to, does not wants to instead join Orange trail rd, struck I train. And turning around ago the mud tire of cleaning, I pedal starts soon has started with water ice disc brakes.

And follow the trail on the back of my map use the print rule "unless you have been marked with specified trail along horse and bicycle roadside suffering must be not" so strange that I ride my promptly ignores and rest rules along the way, see one of the vehicles found restrictions and from the road bike didn't.

Orange road is pretty much the same – was a mud and low quality. Was not only the surface of the sidewalk muddy and a pock-it seems that was the course of the fact that grassy forest roads,"all". Orange trail, saw the shortcuts on the road to the Hunter rifle lollipop in hand to rounding after the one side trail from emerging. Exchange greetings and headed in the opposite direction.

Rode parking is a little over 12 miles of GPS, and easily my most disastrous ride still was mentioned. Good condition-summer trying to imagine the sidewalk probably-but I probably back I decided even in summer's no slip. Unless you need it to catch the flight out of town.

Add Site Url to Free Web Directory


Original article

Lake-red trail 100 MTB version of the Boston Marathon will be?

Across the photo courtesy race sky.
When you create a series of Red Lake - red 100 sponsors lifelong fitness AEG race - qualifying Nations, according to a recent post has partnered. So I went to the entry system based on the lottery is the Leadville 100, some elite mountain bikers this are (increasingly) barred from the most popular events.
AEG owns California travel professional bicycle race, this year three races "Lake-red qualifying series. "The management to help expand the operation 2013 series eight races (sorry Northeast, outta luck as it seems) there are events in CO, CA, TX, Midwest, Southeast, Southwest. We are all ultra endurance race assumptions are released and may be up to 100 miles from these is not like a qualifying event, clear. Already the national endurance racing Ultra series may see some races to specify the dual here United States.
Lake racing, series,-red 100 100 entries will be awarded-half of the age and category winners and the other half top finishers of the whole. Based on cut gender / age standardized marathon distance for the completely different trade-offs) to time based on this Setup is similar to the Boston Marathon entries awarded. Unlike the Boston Marathon usually rider still Lake - can you race in red – they just (just a little, - 2011 Jan 31 closing) need to get the lottery luck.
Only of course) Boston Marathon yet now, "lifelong fitness Leadville 100" Lake-it called the Boston Marathon in contrast to red 100, these to see sponsored events for several years in future will be interesting to see what.

Trail 19: Dawson Forest

I didn’t want to wake up for my ride this morning. As I closed my eyes in bed the night before, I saw flashes of singletrack – random trail features – that just wouldn’t go away. It reminded me of my college days when I’d spend hours playing Goldeneye on the Nintendo 64 and would “see” myself, gun extended, wandering through maze-like worlds in search of my target. This 29 Trails in 29 Days experiment was starting to get intense.

Just before 6am I woke up, scarfed down some cereal, and drove about an hour north of Atlanta to Dawson Forest. This was another new trail for me and the promise of 20-ish miles of trails in a 10,000 acre preserve was just enough to get me going. I arrived at the trail at around 7:30 and saw a few other cars in the parking area, most of them hunters. I checked the info board to make sure the trails were open (they’re periodically closed for special hunting days) and started down the crunchy, frozen mud on the blue trail.

Dawson Forest is owned by the city of Atlanta, purchased from Lockheed in the 1970s. It was originally home to the Georgia Nuclear Aircraft Laboratory and word is that a 3 acre section still had elevated levels of nuclear radiation as recently as the late 1990s (I only read this AFTER riding – could it be the fenced section at the main trailhead?). Over the past few years the city has considered building a new airport to relieve congestion at Hartsfield International (the busiest airport in the world) OR to build a reservoir capable of pumping out 100 million gallons of water per day to the northern suburbs. Either way, I had to ride the trails in case they weren’t around ten years from now.

Map in hand, I decided to ride the blue loop, a 9.4 mile trail that seemed to cover a good bit of the tract. After the first mile or so I encountered some major horse damage on the red clay trails and was thankful the ground was still frozen during my ride (temperatures would reach the 70s later in the day). Some spots were so bad that I had to walk through the ice crusted mud holes and I could see other spots where the horses themselves slipped to find traction on the nasty trails. Don’t horseback riders respect the trails enough to avoid them when they’re wet?

At the 2.5 mile mark I got to the Etowah River Ford and I have to say I wasn’t prepared for what I found: a swift moving, wide river crossing that was easily 3-4 feet deep at the middle (I actually couldn’t see the bottom). For about 10 seconds I considered taking my shoes and socks off and crossing the river but then I remembered the temperature was 30 degrees and that I’d be walking across the river bottom barefoot. Not wanting to climb back up the horse-mud trail, I struck out on Railroad Rd. to join up with the orange trail instead. Before turning around I rolled my tires in the water to clean the mud off but found my disc brakes iced over as soon as I started to pedal.

According to the trail use rules printed on the back of my map, “horses and bicycles should not be ridden along roadsides unless it is marked as a designated trail.” I found it strange that bikes would be restricted from the roads so I promptly ignored the rule for the rest of my ride and didn’t see a single vehicle along the way.

The orange trail was mostly more of the same – muddy and cruddy. It wasn’t just the mud and pocked trail surface that bothered me – all the “trails” were really just wide, overgrown forest roads it seemed. After rounding the lollipop portion of the orange trail I took a shortcut on the road and saw a hunter, rifle in hand, emerging from one of the side trails. We exchanged greetings and headed in opposite directions.

Back at the parking lot, the GPS said I rode a little over 12 miles and it was easily my most miserable ride yet. I tried to imagine the trail in better conditions – the summer perhaps – but I decided even in the summer I probably wouldn’t be back. That is, unless I need to catch a flight out of town.

Add Site Url to Free Web Directory


Original article

Will the Leadville Trail 100 Become the MTB Version of the Boston Marathon?

photo courtesy Race Across the Sky.

According to a recent article, Leadville 100 sponsor Lifetime Fitness has partnered with AEG to create a national series of qualifying races for Leadville. Since the Leadville 100 went to a lottery based entry system, some elite mountain bikers have been shut out from this (increasingly) popular event.

AEG owns and operates the Tour of California pro cycling race and this year they’ll help manage the 3-race “Leadville Qualifying Series.” By 2013 the series will expand to 8 races and will include events in CO, CA, TX, the midwest, southeast, and southwest (sorry northeast, seems like you’re outta luck). From the release it’s not clear what these qualifying events will look like, though we’re assuming they’ll all be ultra-endurance races of up to 100 miles. There’s already the National Ultra Endurance Race Series here in the US so we may see some races with dual designations.

At each race in the series, 100 entries to the Leadville 100 will be awarded – half to age/category winners and the other half to top overall finishers. This set-up is similar to how the entries to the Boston Marathon are awarded, though because the marathon is a standardized distance it’s completely time based (with different cut-offs based on gender/age). Unlike the Boston Marathon, regular riders can still race at Leadville – they’ll just need to get lucky with the lottery (which closes in just a few days – Jan. 31, 2011).

Of course the Boston Marathon is still just called the Boston Marathon, unlike the Leadville 100 which is now the “Lifetime Fitness Leadville 100.” It will be interesting to see where these corporate sponsors take the event in coming years…

Add Site Url to Free Web Directory


Original article

Sope Creek: Day 10, Trail #3 :(

It’s day 10 of my 29 Trail challenge and I managed to ride just one more trail today. While the ice and snow have melted a good bit here in Georgia, a lot of it is sticking around, keeping the trails wet and slushy. I called the Gwinett County trail hotline this weekend in hopes of riding on the east side but all the trails were closed and remain closed today.

Since not all mountain bike trails have status hotlines and I didn’t want to drive too far only to find closed trails, I ventured out to Sope Creek figuring I could at least ride the gravel loop by the river if the trails were shuttered. Turns out parking is free at all National Parks and Recreation Areas today in honor of the MLK holiday so my timing was right!

In 2009 I helped out during a couple trail work days at Sope Creek and I was eager to see how the new trails were holding up so far. I was also curious to see how the re-vegetation was progressing on the old trails I helped close that spring. The lead into the trail from the river side was in good shape but things started getting a little tacky as soon as I got onto the new trail. To be honest some parts were more than tacky – they were downright muddy and clearly others had ridden the trails this weekend.

Near the top of the first climb I saw one of the new trails being cut and by the looks of it I’d say it might be open to mountain bikes (though I don’t know for sure). The upper forest road portion of the trail was in good shape and the new switchback descent on the other side was covered in a nice crust of snow that was still firm and crunchy – not muddy at all.

I rode to the upper Paper Mill Rd. parking lot and headed back, stopping at the lake where I used to ride my bike off the dock and into the water as a beginning mountain biker. That probably wasn’t great for the bikes but it felt awesome in the summer after a long ride!

All told I was able to get in about 8 or 9 miles of riding this morning and it felt great to finally get back on the bike. With temperatures in the upper 40s it was a nice hour in the saddle despite the muddy spots. Fingers crossed for blue skies and dry trails over the next 3 weeks…

Add Site Url to Free Web Directory


Original article

Snow Biking in Atlanta: Trail #2

It’s day four of my 29 day trail challenge and I’m already falling behind. We got about 5 inches of snow here in Atlanta on Monday which makes mountain biking difficult, though obviously not impossible. The real problem, however, is the road conditions which meant my plans for riding outside the city yesterday had to be postponed.

Instead, I decided to hit up one of the closest trails to my house in a little park called Ira B. Melton. GoldenGoose and I agreed to meet up there in the afternoon in hopes that the sleet and freezing rain would be done by then. I gave myself 30 minutes to ride the roughly 3 miles on the road to the trail and I quickly realized that wasn’t enough time – the roads were basically a teflon-coated mix of ice with small patches of slush.

At the trailhead, I got word from GoldenGoose that he wouldn’t be making it all the way due to two flat tires by the halfway point (you can read more about that on the forums). Easing my bike onto the trail I was surprised at how much easier it was to ride than the road had been (though still not easy by any stretch). Snowboarders talk about the glory of “first tracks” in fresh snow but I was relieved to see that a few hikers had blazed the way for me earlier in the day. For one thing, their footprints made it easier to follow the trail but they also served to pack things down a bit.

As far as I know, the trails at Ira B. Melton aren’t officially open to bikes, nor are they officially closed to bikes either. IMBA’s stance on this type of arrangement is pretty harsh, saying that mountain bikers should only ride where they’re expressly allowed. In my experience at Ira B. Melton, hikers are very friendly and are more than willing to share the trails, especially since many of them choose to walk with dogs off leash (a similar gray-area trail use).

The 1.1 mile trail loop at Ira B. Melton is normally sandy to very sandy and the snowy conditions really weren’t that much different. With a thick crust of ice on top of 5 inches of powder, my tires provided a satisfying crunch as I dodged low tree branches weighed down by the snow and ice.

After completing trail #2 of my 29 trail challenge I jumped back on the road for the slog back home. Although the round trip was only about 7 miles it took me an hour and a half and I felt like I had ridden much farther and much harder. The road portion seemed like an extension of the trail and the ruts I followed along the way were my singletrack. I saw only a few cars along the normally busy route which added to the feeling of a real mountain ride.

With no sign of the ice and snow melting anytime soon I’m a little worried about falling behind on my goal of riding 29 trails in 29 days. Clearly I’ll need to double and triple up in the coming days and weeks to get back on track. Then again, this wouldn’t really be a challenge if it weren’t January!

Add Site Url to Free Web Directory


Original article

Trail 16: 1996 Olympic MTB Course

On Friday afternoon I drove to Conyers, GA and the Georgia International Horse Park, home of the 1996 Olympic mountain bike course. It’s the only Olympic course on US soil which is pretty exciting, but for those of us who live in the area we sometimes take it for granted. There used to be an annual 24 hour race on the course (24 Hours of Conyers) and for those who watched the documentary 24 Solo, it’s the course where Chris Eatough races for his 7th World Championship.

Shortly after the Olympics the course fell into disrepair and mudhunny tells me she couldn’t even follow the trail just a year later. Fortunately the local SORBA club picked up the ball and continues to maintain the trails today. Of course there have been a few changes since the 1996 games but you can still see the wooden TV camera platforms placed at strategic turns and the yellow course boundaries painted onto the granite. The photo below shows where the original course vanishes underneath the golf course sand trap and and green.

On Friday I decided to start on the “Steeplechase Loop” which begins in the field beside the main parking lot. I’ve ridden here dozens of times but for some reason I started going the wrong direction on the trail, ignoring the “Wrong Way” signs along the way. Oh well, I only ran into one other mountain biker and a trail runner and neither of them seemed to mind. This section of the course is wooded and generally pretty rolling with only the occasional root garden to make things challenging.

Riding back across the field and past the parking area, I crossed the divided parkway to access the “Granite Loop.” The street crossing is easily the most dangerous part of the ride – for some reason the sharp, steep curbs were never cut for a bike crossing (4 of them total) PLUS someone decided to plant bulging evergreen trees in the median that make it impossible to see oncoming traffic. Peeking around a tree I waited for the speeding cars to pass before sprinting for the other side of the road.

The second half of the course is completely different from the first and features long stretches of exposed, decomposing granite tread and quick lung-busting climbs (the photos never do it justice). I always forget how much of a beating my hardtail takes on the granite – it’s not like the slickrock at Moab at all. After ascending, then descending, and ascending and descending the granite again, the trail dips into the woods where I discovered some fresh trail re-routes full of tight twists and turns. The trail is really quite scenic here, though I doubt that thought went through the minds of the Olympians competing in 1996.

The final climb back up to the granite has always been a challenge for me – in fact I guess you could say it’s my arch nemesis (to borrow dgaddis’s term). The climb itself isn’t that remarkable – average length, moderately steep, and mostly smooth – but for some reason I’ve never been able to ride all the way to the top. I’m either too spent from the earlier climbs or I spin out on the roots at the top – and Friday wasn’t any exception. At the top of the hill my GPS said I had climbed more than 1,000 feet in just under 7 miles which puts the course difficulty into perspective (nearly 150 ft/mile). Not bad for a bike trail on the east side of Atlanta!

16 trails down; 13 more to go.

Add Site Url to Free Web Directory


Original article