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Post by dgaddis1 on Feb 28, 2011 12:50:18 GMT -5
If you're ever up in the Gainesville, GA area be sure to take your bike and ride the Chicopee Woods trail system, it's great! Take a map with you, or find someone to show you around. There's lots of intersections and you could end up going in circles if you're not careful. Gainesville SORBA has a PDF of the map HERE.
I wouldn't drive over there just to ride though. The trails are super fun, but it's about a 3hr drive to get there...not worth it for only 21 miles in my opinion. YMMV.
I've ridden there before, about two years ago. Gainesville SORBA has been busy since then, making changes and improvements, with lots of new trail re-routed around the unsustainable old sections.
Saturday morning I met up with Greg, from the GregRidesTrails blog. He knows his way around, so I just let him tell me where to turn at every intersection. I have no idea what route we rode, but I know we rode it all. Covered just over 21 miles with an average pace of 8.9mph.
The trails have a little of everything. Fast and flowy, tight and twisty, and everything in between. A few technical trail features here and there, and a few creek crossings. The climbs are not any longer than you see around here, but they are typically steeper and more technical - they will test you! The terrain and trails have a very mountain like feel. Lots of roots, and they oftentimes have small drops on the downhill side of them. Very fun going down, but taxing when climbing. I was toast at the end of the ride...that may be partly due to the fact that I went to bed at 2:30am and then woke up at 6am to get ready to ride.
I took a few pics with my iPhone, this was the only half way decent one. Greg riding the big creek crossing.
The natural line into the creek here will put you in the wrong spot, too far to your left, with no easy way onto the bank on the far side. You need to stay far right as you enter the water. After the creek crossing there is a very tough climb out of the creek bed. You take a really hard left, and go up a steep bank heavily armored with large rocks, and usually a thin sandy layer on top of them. It's a fight against gravity and traction. I didn't even bother trying it on my SS. Wet tires, no momentum, and slippery surface. I walked it. Last time I was there I was on my old geared bike, and made the climb out, but it took 4 or 5 tries.
Greg got a few pics before the battery died in his camera. Me crossing the creek.
This log ride was cool. I tried it 3 or 4 times, but every time I'd slip off when getting onto the 2nd log, which was at a slight angle from the first one. Either my front tire would slide off the left side, or the rear would slide off the right. I didn't crash though!
I wouldn't drive over there just to ride though. The trails are super fun, but it's about a 3hr drive to get there...not worth it for only 21 miles in my opinion. YMMV.
I've ridden there before, about two years ago. Gainesville SORBA has been busy since then, making changes and improvements, with lots of new trail re-routed around the unsustainable old sections.
Saturday morning I met up with Greg, from the GregRidesTrails blog. He knows his way around, so I just let him tell me where to turn at every intersection. I have no idea what route we rode, but I know we rode it all. Covered just over 21 miles with an average pace of 8.9mph.
The trails have a little of everything. Fast and flowy, tight and twisty, and everything in between. A few technical trail features here and there, and a few creek crossings. The climbs are not any longer than you see around here, but they are typically steeper and more technical - they will test you! The terrain and trails have a very mountain like feel. Lots of roots, and they oftentimes have small drops on the downhill side of them. Very fun going down, but taxing when climbing. I was toast at the end of the ride...that may be partly due to the fact that I went to bed at 2:30am and then woke up at 6am to get ready to ride.
I took a few pics with my iPhone, this was the only half way decent one. Greg riding the big creek crossing.
The natural line into the creek here will put you in the wrong spot, too far to your left, with no easy way onto the bank on the far side. You need to stay far right as you enter the water. After the creek crossing there is a very tough climb out of the creek bed. You take a really hard left, and go up a steep bank heavily armored with large rocks, and usually a thin sandy layer on top of them. It's a fight against gravity and traction. I didn't even bother trying it on my SS. Wet tires, no momentum, and slippery surface. I walked it. Last time I was there I was on my old geared bike, and made the climb out, but it took 4 or 5 tries.
Greg got a few pics before the battery died in his camera. Me crossing the creek.
This log ride was cool. I tried it 3 or 4 times, but every time I'd slip off when getting onto the 2nd log, which was at a slight angle from the first one. Either my front tire would slide off the left side, or the rear would slide off the right. I didn't crash though!
