Ok so I’m traveling to Norcross, Georgia for 5 days this coming week and I really wanna take my bike. Just wondering if anyone here lives around the area and knows of any good places and hopefully routes there would be to ride. Strava/Garmin Connect files would be awesome or if anyone would be interesting in meeting up and getting in some miles together while showing me around that’d be cool too.
Thanks in advance!
Be forewarned, Norcross area terrain is rolling, like Texas hill country, but the rest of Atlanta is HILLY. We go on long rides to include the one 5 mile stretch of flat, along the river.
Do you want a group ride or just a route suggestion? Do you mind a group ride on the street among the traffic? For a non-traffic solo ride near Norcross, drive 12 miles then park your car in Stone Mountain, Ga, and ride your bike (free entry) into and around Stone Mountain Park. Very nice riding there, scenic, lots of cyclists, runners.
What level rider are you? on flat/rolling for an hour: “A” 21-24+ mph, “B” 17-20 mph, “C” 14-16.
Check out www.dunwoodycycling.com for some regular rides with friendly folks. Note the 5:30 am rides are mostly A’s, and bring lights. The evening rides usually split into A, and B groups. The mid-day rides are B and C.
Here’s an extensive Atlanta ride list http://sadlebred.com/rides/ but you may need some local interpretation. The Northlake, The Pizza ride, and The Tucker ride are epic.
I’ve also got connections to the “Bonzai” 6 am ride, which is only 9 miles away. Let me know if you want details.
Two excellent bike shops near Norcross: The Bicycle Doctor http://bicycledoc.com/ - a ‘dive’ of a bike shop, but expert wrenches, and Cycle Works http://www.cycleworksinc.com/ - they have regular group rides from the shop.
Bill
Thanks alot for the info.
Where I’m from is completely flat except for two bridges -_- but I enjoy climbing when I get the chance and would love to be able to get in a week of climbing while I’m up there.
Due to the fact that I will be in class every day from 10AM to 5 PM I’ll probably have to settle for solo riding for the most part so some good solo routes would be cool, although if I get the chance I sure would love to be able to hit up some group rides while I’m there. Actually I see on that list there’s a lot of evening rides so that would be awesome.
As for the big group rides around here I usually ride with the A group, curious as to what the pace consistency is for the A groups up there. Around here they treat it more like a race with sprint points and such where its not really about the average speed but being able to keep up with the surges and attacks, I would expect that’s probably what its like there as well but who knows.
Again thanks for all the info I’ll probably be hitting up the week day evening rides, I’m not used to being able to make it to evening rides so this will be a nice change!
I wouldnt mind hearing more about the Northlake, Pizza, Tucker, and Bonzai rides, which days and what not.
The Dunwoody 20 looks like fun, as well as the Smyrna bikes. If you know which rides might happen to be the little faster paced A groups that would also be nice. Again thanks alot man!
Also, there wouldnt happen to be like a weekly crit series up there would there?
Just beware of Atlanta traffic, getting from Norcross at 5:30 pm to anywhere by 6 or 6:30 pm is a pain. It can be done, but it will take longer than you expect. The 8 miles from Norcross to Dunwoody, between 5 and 7 pm, you’ll probably get there faster by bike.
This is part of why many of us ride at 5:30 or 6 AM. Almost zero traffic. We all use lights and we call out the potholes. Riding with 8 to 12, all with blinking lights, we look like ‘a christmas tree on a wrecker truck’, so the few cars usually give us a wide berth. But riding in the dark takes getting used to. You don’t have as much peripheral vision clues to your speed, and especially diving into a corner where you’re turning into darkness as your headlight shines tangentially - can be a little un-nerving.
You might also search Strava for where people are riding. Here’s something kinda fun for looking at lots of Strava data. http://raceshape.com/heatmap/ Unfortunately Norcross is not in a hot cycling quadrant of metro Atlanta. Just in from Norcross, Doraville and Chamblee are Hispanic and Asian areas - not many Strava cyclists. I’ve never ridden there, but this looks like the route around Berkely Lake (just north of Norcross) is popular - might be one of the Cycle Works shop rides.
Come see us in Dunwoody.
Not sure if you can stay the weekend, but the “Gaps” are our pride & joy. The gaps are in Dahlonega, about 30 miles north of Norcross. It would be worth staying an a extra day if you can swing it. Our big Six Gap Century is 9/29 so there will be plenty of people up there this weekend. You can park at R-Ranch, Turner’s Corner, Helen or Vogel State Park for 3 or 6 Gaps. All are on Google Maps. You can get a decent hotel up there cheap, or buy an ENO and grab a camp site at Vogel or Unicoi. “Hogpen” is our beast climb, near Helen. At CAT3 level, it’s 40 minutes of lovely agony. CAT4 is about 48 minutes.
http://www.cyclenorthgeorgia.com/index.php/the-rides/six-gap-century
Wow. Am I out of the loop (no pun intended). I haven’t heard of any of those… and I live in Tucker. LOL.
Then again, I usually ride/train alone. Not to mention the only bike I own is my tri bike. So groups usually aren’t very good option for me. Someday I’ll get a road bike and partake.
Word of advice to the OP. If you do ride Stone Mountain, stay alert once the dedicated bike lane ends, I have almost been killed there way too many times. It’s a nice place to ride just don’t become complacent because you’re in a “park”.
“Hogpen” that climb kills me every time I do it, either side.
Now a really enjoyable climb is up Blood Mountain. (Neals Gap?)
Yes, Neels is the 1st gap, nice 28 min (Pro/Cat3) - 38 (CAT4) tempo, some 4 lanes. Jacks is eh…rough road, not too scenic (sorry Jack), but some add on Brasstown Bald (highest point in GA, parks service will not allow bike the whole way up). Unicoi is similar to Neels, but shorter, about 24 minutes. The descent is awesome, like a Formula 1 race. Then comes the mighty Hogpen, who has his own Facebook page! Wolfpen is my favorite, about 20+ minutes of tight, tree-covered switchbacks. Then lastly, a short, straight 10 minute shot up Woody’s. At this point, you’ve put a lot of climbing credits in the bank and can cover the final 10 miles or so in about 25 minutes. Backdoor brag…The same year I rode IMFL in 5:05, I could do Hogpen in about 42 minutes. The record is actually closer to 30 minutes!!!
Wow. Am I out of the loop (no pun intended). I haven’t heard of any of those… and I live in Tucker. LOL.
Me too when it come to this area of town. It is amazing the various big pockets of cyclist around the Atlanta Metro area and to see these post continues to remind me how vast it is. My area is northwest of Atlanta so my go to spots are typically the brewery north of Cartersville, Jasper and Ellijay for Burnt Mountain and Fort Mountain and then about once a week a venture down to Smryna to do a recovery ride on the Comet for a flat and easy recovery ride. I used to do most of group rides with NARC out of the brewery, but NARC is also scattered all over and many members that I have never met. Now I spend most of my time training solo and have lost touch with most of my cycling social circle.
I know there are good groups in Roswell/Alpharetta from Roswell Bikes, Sports Factory and All3Sports.
Good groups in Marietta with Free-Flite
Group with PTS in Cartersville
Group with Outspokin in Woodstock and North Cherokee County
Groups in Atlanta/Dunwoody/Columns Drive with Atlanta Cycling and other shops
Groups in southwest Atlanta that use the Silk Sheets routes
Groups in Stone Mountain area as you guys mentioned.
Groups in the northeast that get the blessing being really close the gaps.
…and probably many more that I see on posts like this.
Not sure if you can stay the weekend, but the “Gaps” are our pride & joy. The gaps are in Dahlonega, about 30 miles north of Norcross. It would be worth staying an a extra day if you can swing it. Our big Six Gap Century is 9/29 so there will be plenty of people up there this weekend. You can park at R-Ranch, Turner’s Corner, Helen or Vogel State Park for 3 or 6 Gaps. All are on Google Maps. You can get a decent hotel up there cheap, or buy an ENO and grab a camp site at Vogel or Unicoi. “Hogpen” is our beast climb, near Helen. At CAT3 level, it’s 40 minutes of lovely agony. CAT4 is about 48 minutes.
http://www.cyclenorthgeorgia.com/...ides/six-gap-century
+1 the gaps are awesome. Yes, to come to Norcross and not ride the gaps, would be like going to Grenoble France and not riding L’Alpe d’Huez. The “front 3” is a very nice 2.5-3 hour loop, but remember ‘you don’t have to pedal half the distance’. The “back 3” is harder and longer, and includes Hogpen, epic (you need a 28, or better a compact, it can be done with a 26 but painfully). All 6 is 70-80 miles and you’ll need to bring plenty of snacks. There’s a few water stops, don’t pass any without refilling. If you start early from Vogel or Stone pile (“rock pile”), you’re likely to meet some cyclists along the way.
The Brasstown Bald climb, Hors Categorie, will not be discussed here out of reverence. Mere words on a forum post, ‘epic’, ‘awesome’, etc. cannot explain, thus HC. Good form does not include it as ‘one of the gaps’, even though it starts at the top of one, Brasstown is it’s own adventure. Bucket list.
Do NOT go to the Silver Comet Trail. Rail trail, flat to rolling, boring, many sections crowded with runners, strollers, kids, rollerbladers, dog walkers, etc. Plus it’s all the way across Atlanta from Norcross. Good place to take a non-cyclist girlfriend on a hybrid bike. Enough said.
I can barely make it up Brasstown Bald (to the parking lot) and I was riding a 39-30 with 650’s!
Comming down Unicoi (either side) is fun and coming down Woody’s going southeast (to the rock pile) is a long fun decent. Looking to the right and seeing how high you are is great.
I’m not sure which way you’re describing going up Hogpen (thinking from the north?) but comming down the way that has the three bumps in it is a thrilling ride (going southeast).
Where can I find these gaps on a map?
If you are going to be around Saturday morning with a road bike, and want to play with the big boys, do Tucker. Fast.
This is kind of a bad time. The winter rides have not started yet. The summer rides are winding down, and the sun is setting earlier. The Sadlebred link somebody posted earlier is the best reference for rides throughout Atlanta. While I have never been on a Dunwoody Cycling ride, I hear nothing but good things about them, and they are close to you.
If you want to try some hills, there is a fun group on Thursday evenings that you might be able to get to. They are good guys and have an fun ride with some hard hills. I swear one is a long driveway! (During the winter they do an insane urban mountain bike ride late at night! Then have beer and pizza.)
What the traffic like in Stone Mountain bike around 6 or 7 AM on weekdays? Wouldnt mind getting in an early morning ride there
That’s probably the best time to go. Very few cars, just watch out for the runners/walkers. I have seen a few that like to run/walk in the road at that time.
With stone mtn you have a 5 mile inner loop and an 8ish mile outer loop. If you do the outer loop be careful on the descent near Venerable lake, where it links back to the inner loop. It quite a steep one.
And if you’re in Norcross, it’s not as good as the downtown original but the Varsity is awesome. They pack more grease and sodium into a cheese chili dog than anyone! DO NOT eat here BEFORE a ride, only AFTER. A “Frosty O” is to die for.
Varsity Gwinnett
6045 Dawson Blvd, Norcross, GA ý
(770) 840-8519 () ý · thevarsity.com
That’s probably the best time to go. Very few cars, just watch out for the runners/walkers. I have seen a few that like to run/walk in the road at that time.
With stone mtn you have a 5 mile inner loop and an 8ish mile outer loop. If you do the outer loop be careful on the descent near Venerable lake, where it links back to the inner loop. It quite a steep one.
I agree that is probably the best time to go, especially if it’s a weekday. The inner loop is 4.8 miles and the outer is closer 7ish miles at least by my Garmin. Definitely take his advice on the descent by Venerable Lake. I come out of aero for that one. Although you could go counter-clockwise and climb it.
From what I’ve seen of it on google maps I’ll probably go around each loop several times back and forth just to get the full experience of it, looks like it’d be fun!
Thanks for everyones help!