I need some help from folks who live in the Durham, NC area. I’ll be staying down there for six weeks and I want to map out some good bike courses.
For reference I am staying on the Duke East Campus. Mid week rides are 1.5 to 2 hours and weekend rides are 4-6 hrs.
What roads should I avoid due to traffic? I am looking for varied terrain. Which general direction should I venture to get hills?
Any and all advice appreciated.
If you can get to 751, you can head out to Jordan Lake. Lot of places to ride. I am not familiar with going North of Durham or Chapel Hill (but I am sure someone here can help). Let me know if you have any questions.
I used to live in Durham, but have been gone for about 1.5 years now. There’s lots of good riding heading north and west from Durham. Unfortunately, I can’t really remember any of the road names now.
Try this club’s web page. They may have routes listed or you may be able to join in on some of their rides:
Thanks for the link! How long should I expect it to take to ride out to Falls Lake from the Duke Campus?
Appears that looping around either Jordan or Falls Lake should give me the kind of terrain I’m looking for.
I’m just curious as to what roads are suicide missions with traffic. Anywhere you recommend to avoid?
Here’s another good site with lots of local group rides: http://www.ncbikeclub.org
From Duke’s campus, you can jump on the Tobacco Trail heading south and it should dump you in the area around Southpoint Mall. If you head south from there on NC 751 (you might need to cut through a neighborhood) you’ll be heading out to Jordan Lake. 751 is a little busy, particularly on weekdays, but not too bad. Take a right on Martha’s Chapel road off of 751. Stay on that until it deadends and then take a left. If you stay straight on that road (Farrington, I believe) it will take you out to the Duke 1/2 IM course. That’s a nice route with minimal traffic and nice, rolling hills. For info on that route, go to http://www.set-upinc.com.
Just north and west of Chapel Hill, there’s some great riding around a bunch of dairy farms. The main road out there is Dairyland Rd. Most of the roads out there have a bunch of people riding and not too much traffic. I’m not sure the easiest/safest way to get there from Durham, but I know there’s a way because I have some friends from Durham that ride over there all the time. Stop by Cycle Center (next to Whole Foods) in Durham and someone there can probably help you figure it out.
What’s your pace for your long rides? After this weekend, I might be up for a long weekend ride (70-80 miles) if you’d like some company/tour guide.
For a flatish or rolling course I usually hold 20ish MPH solo, faster obviously with company. From what I can tell, there isn’t too much in the way of major hills without getting way outside of Durham.
I get down there on the 16th so anytime after that I’m game for a ride. I’d be very interested in hooking up with folks for some long rides and getting the local tour.
-Daren
First, check on group rides leaving from Cycle Center, which is right across Broad Street from the East Campus, next to Whole Foods:
http://www.durhamcyclecenter.com/grouprides.shtml
You already have the Tarwheels link. Most Tarwheel rides are B/C pace, which is too slow for you, but there is generally an A ride out of Wilson Park in Carrboro on Saturdays.
You should also check in with Clean Machine in Carrboro, which is the focal center for Doughnut Boys Racing, the most active Durham/Orange County group of competitors. They operate a weekday time trial every week. While in Carrboro, stop into Performance Bicycle (remember, this is the home of Performance); a number of group rides leave from there.
Now, as to solo routes, I’d recommend heading west and then either north or south. From East Campus take Campus Drive past the West Campus to Cameron Blvd./751, where you take a right. Once under 15/501, go left on Erwin Rd.
For southerly destinations, continue south and turn right on Mt Sinai. After a few hills, you’ll T into NC 86, where you go right. Next, turn left on New Hope Church Rd., which, once over I-40, is the feeder to a lot of great Orange County cycling. If you crave hills, for example, be sure to turn right on Borland Road. For your longer rides, you could go to Saxapahaw or Snow Camp.
For northerly directions, go right on Cornwallis from Erwin and follow until it crosses US 70 and becomes Pleasant Grove. Much fine riding north most of the way to Virginia between Hillsborough and Roxboro.
David
David Schoonmaker & Threeway provide some very good recommendations. The diciest traffic will be the roads immediately around Duke Univ. I live in SW Durham and would be up for a long ride the weekend of the 16th and 17th. PM me for my direct email address if interested.
Alicia