Southeast - The Triangle, NC

I'll be moving to Northwest Raleigh this weekend (hopefully)... does anybody know of weekday and weekend rides in the area... about 17-19 mph pace?

Try the NCBikeClub site.
They have monthly listing of weekly recurring rides and one-time rides. They link to many other sites with addtl rides & links. NCBC also has a forum similar to this one, although traffic appears to be EXTRMELY low; that noted, there are sometimes group rides at many different paces posted there, but no where else. NCBC is the home of the Road Dogs mentioned so frequently above. The Dogs are fast. But not as fast as the All-Star & Trek/Volvo teams that often train north of Raleigh (esp in the winter).

http://www.ncbikeclub.org/

The NCBC always has at least one link to the Gyros. Beyond the official, weekly rides, there are often posts where someone announces an intention to ride XX day @ TT time for DD distance @ PP pace, and invites others.


http://www.raleighgyros.com/index.htmNCBC will also link you to the TarWheels over Chapel Hill way.
http://www.tarwheels.org/NCBC will also link you to "JayC's" TriangleCycling site (Jay appears to be being humble), where the Slow Spokes hang out. People will also post for rides/meet-ups on Jay's site.
http://www.trianglecycling.com/NCBC rides list is likely to link you MSLinks (Apex), MSFITS (Durham), and others including MeloVelo and at least some of the bike shops. Follow those links and you may find more links.
http://www.msinglinks.org/

Check out the MSLinks Calendar, it will almost surely link to MSFITS, perhaps the Selma Cyclepaths (see a JayC post for that site), perhaps Team GSK, and others including the NC DOT site.



The NCBC, Gyros, TriangleCycling, and TarWheel sites all have cue sheets posted (although you have to look around a bit to find the Gyros cues (look under "Rides" - I think). The NCBC site has many, many rides starting from Blue Jay Point & a few from Pleasant Union School; those two locales are also where most of the Gyros rides start. Print a cue sheet and ride solo north of Raleigh.

There are quite a few people that start rides from BJP & PUE that it is likely - if you start at a reasonable time - that others may also be starting rides. Intro yourself & the topic of riding together. Of course, be willing to accept "No", and also be willing to accept the request that you break off from this pick-up group (they may think you are an unsafe rider & don't want to argue about it), and be willing to intro the concept that you are going to break off from the group (if you think they are unsafe riders).

A few basic starter courses such as "Northwest Passage" (which goes around Falls Lake - well, not all of it) will begin to introduce you to the area north of Raleigh / northeast of Durham. As you become familiar with the area doing those basic rides, you will realize that there is a lot of overlap on the NCBC cues. The Northwest Passage is also easily reached from downtown Durham and Duke; I think its only 6 or 7 miles from Duke to the corner of Cheek & Patterson, which figures prominently on the "NW Passage" route.

If you ride NW Passage around Falls Lake solo, you are unlikely to be truly alone. I have counted as many as a dozen groups in the course of 40 miles around the lake constituting as many as 30-40 riders. And that's only the ones going the opposite direction from me. (I've also encountered as few as 0, 1, 2 riders, but would usually expect to see at least 6 other riders.)

Leadership between many of the various clubs / groups is often incestuous, so making successful contact with one or two can lead to others. Also, the attitudes as well as the speeds of the various groups vary significantly. If you find yourself over- or under-matched, try the other groups. Most riders are willing to suggest the move-up or move-down (in speed) group that they think would fit you. If you don't like the attitude of a group, try the others. Ditto your perception of safety.

Ask at your work. I'll bet somebody rides and knows a group that might fit you. Or you might find yourself starting your own small group.

Btw, I ain't even a member of NCBC even though I seemed to have pimped their site quite a bit above.

I dont think there is a direct link to Triangle Cycling on NCBC's website. I sort of inquired about doing something with NCBC a while back and was told that since I was directly competing against them, they didnt think it was in their best interest to help me out.

I dont really see that.. Im not a club, I dont make money from Triangle Cycling, I give free advertising to any shop that will take it and my only motivation is providing a forum for road biking in the area to make it easier to find rides and communicate with other cyclists. They did link to TriangleMTB which is more of a commercial site than mine is but that's okay.. we're doing fine without NCBC's support.

The Slow Spokes link tho, does forward back to Triangle Cycling since the majority of their communication is done on the site.

I dont think there is a direct link to Triangle Cycling on NCBC's website. ...
The Slow Spokes link tho, does forward back to Triangle Cycling since the majority of their communication is done on the site.
You're right Jay. That link on the ride listings is to the old Slow Spokes site, which re-directs to the current locale, i.e., "TriangleCycling.com". I guess I've just gotten used to where it actually goes now and forget the little details.

wow. skiffrun is here on BF as well! you get around don't you? good to see you over here promoting the local cycling scene in the Raleigh/Clayton/Garner area.

... you get around don't you? good to see you over here promoting the local cycling scene in the Raleigh/Clayton/Garner area.
You get around more than me. I thought I was promoting cycling in Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill.

Thanks for all of your suggestions, everybody. I'll definitely check out some of the groups and possibly see some of you out really soon. I especially like the sound of the 40-mile lake loop. Is there much elevation on that ride?

... I especially like the sound of the 40-mile lake loop. Is there much elevation on that ride?For someone from Hickory: No.

However, for those without "mountain legs": Depending on exact choice of route incl clockwise or counter-clockwise, 1550 to 1700 or 1800 feet of climbing - I've seen more from some GPS reports. The shorter alternatives are not necessarily those with the least elevation change (e.g., Kemp Rd is 3 or 4 or 5 miles shorter than continuing on up Carpenter Pond Rd to Olive Branch or Leesville Rd, but the three hills in those 3.3 miles across Kemp amount to more climbing). (The NCBC cue sheet doesn't mention Olive Branch or Leesville Rd, but one cue sheet on TriangleCycling.com does.)

Thanks for all of your suggestions, everybody. I'll definitely check out some of the groups and possibly see some of you out really soon. I especially like the sound of the 40-mile lake loop. Is there much elevation on that ride?

dude, i'm originally from conover. i bet hickory has some good riding.....

Does anyone ride the weekly Saturday morning metric from Cycling Spoken Here in Cary? If so, how is it? Much climbing, stops, drops, etc?

Does anyone ride the weekly Saturday morning metric from Cycling Spoken Here in Cary? If so, how is it? Much climbing, stops, drops, etc?

I haven't ridden it yet this season, but seasons past have been nice for harder training. The group usually sticks together at a reasonable pace until it hits certain sections which see some more aggressive riding. Smaller groups form but everything generally comes back together. There aren't really any climbs in the area but there are many rollers which can wear you down over time. There's usually one long stop midway through the ride. The pace on this ride is faster which means people will get dropped. The CSH team is really nice (I'm a member so a bit biased) though and will generally try and make sure no one gets lost or stranded on the side of the road if you let them know you're new.

Check out a topo map of the Lake Jordan area, especially Beaver Creek, Big Woods, Tody Goodwin, Richardson and New Hill-Olive Chapel/Holloman roads as most any ride in the area will be on one or more of them.

Does anyone ride the weekly Saturday morning metric from Cycling Spoken Here in Cary? If so, how is it? Much climbing, stops, drops, etc?

When I've done it they generally divide into groups right from the start with the fast group leaving first. The 20+ mph group goes pretty hard (rotating pacelines, a couple of town-line sprints, a few beat-you-to-the-top hill efforts), especially at certain points along the way. I can't speak for the slower rides, but although there are a few natural regroup points, depending upon who shows up for the 20+ there's no expectation that the group will wait for struggling riders.

--Steve

hey everyone-- i'm thinking of making a "running of the bulls" ride on maybe friday june 15 at 530pm(?) in durham. i'm thinking we could bookend a bulls game with riding/bars/fun/games. if enough people want to do it, maybe we could get a group rate or something. PM me if interested! (i'm going to cross-post this in other threads.)

Is anybody interested in a ride tomorrow afternoon?? I know it's Friday and all, but I haven't gotten any riding done in Raleigh yet!!! I'm up for anything up to about 40 miles - maybe 20mph pace. Somebody name the time and place and I'm there!

Is anybody interested in a ride tomorrow afternoon?? I know it's Friday and all, but I haven't gotten any riding done in Raleigh yet!!! I'm up for anything up to about 40 miles - maybe 20mph pace. Somebody name the time and place and I'm there!You need to hook up with the Gyros. 20 (possibly +) mph is up their alley. Some of them post for extra pick-up rides. For definite 20+ mph, hook up with Road Dogs. <links: see prev posts this thread>

I might ride Friday pm from BJP. But not 20 mph. And I ain't sure I can/will ride, so ... .

Is anybody interested in a ride tomorrow afternoon?? I know it's Friday and all, but I haven't gotten any riding done in Raleigh yet!!! I'm up for anything up to about 40 miles - maybe 20mph pace. Somebody name the time and place and I'm there!

There is a small pack of 20+ riders at the Cyclepath rides but you may not want to come that far. Last week we averaged 21.something for the whole route. Tommorow's ride is 30ish miles.

http://www.selmacyclepaths.org

Bike to Work Week :: Durham, NC ::

On Friday, May 18, there will be a "Bike to Work Breakfast" at Mad Hatter's Cafe and Bake Shop, 1802 West Main St., from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. with free food, coffee and prizes for cyclists.
The Durham Bicycle Chain will also be nearby with a free bike check-up station and prize drawings.

The Durham Bike Co-op is also hosting some events (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=4456877#post4456877) on Saturday 19th.

wow. no posts in this thread for over a month... folks must be outside riding their bikes or something. :rolleyes:

wow. no posts in this thread for over a month... folks must be outside riding their bikes or something. :rolleyes:


imagine that! the weather has been great and lots of fun stuff going on. anyone signed up for the Firecracker 100K/50K on the 4th of July? Hurry up and register before June 20th for dibs on a free t-shirt. Hibernian and Whole Foods will be catering. Good grub! Hope to meet some peeps at my pace there. Seems that everyone around here is a 20+'er or -15, darn it. :p

http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=4844

imagine that! the weather has been great and lots of fun stuff going on. anyone signed up for the Firecracker 100K/50K on the 4th of July? Hurry up and register before June 20th for dibs on a free t-shirt. Hibernian and Whole Foods will be catering. Good grub! Hope to meet some peeps at my pace there. Seems that everyone around here is a 20+'er or -15, darn it. :p

http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=4844


this one looks like a good ride, too. More than likely, I'll make this one - anybody up for doing a BF'ers group ride (or at least try before dropping the hammer) ??

heh, i will not be dropeing any hamers. this is my first metric century and ill be sure to do it wisely. maybe next year i can be a badass :) id love to do a group ride tho. maybe we can get a couple groups going.

Come on over to TriangleCycling and sign up.. there will be a group of us probably riding together from over there.

Bike to Work Week :: Durham, NC ::

On Friday, May 18, there will be a "Bike to Work Breakfast" at Mad Hatter's Cafe and Bake Shop, 1802 West Main St., from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. with free food, coffee and prizes for cyclists.
The Durham Bicycle Chain will also be nearby with a free bike check-up station and prize drawings.

The Durham Bike Co-op is also hosting some events (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=4456877#post4456877) on Saturday 19th.

I wonder who won the bike they were giving away to people in the Triangle that signed the pledge to commute. I haven't seen any announcements about it.

... Hope to meet some peeps at my pace there. Seems that everyone around here is a 20+'er or -15, darn it. ... There are lots of people in between those two categories. But most seem to like quiet rides without all the drama that seems part and parcel of some rides / groups.

If you're close to Winston-Salem or Clemmons there are quite a few large weekly rides. Clemmons Bicycle has one every Wednesday night where they just ride a 5 mile loop 4 or 5 times. Then Paceline Bicycles has 2 rides Saturday morning. 8:00 for the A ride and 8:15 for the B ride. I was doing the B ride for the last few months because I hurt my knee doing 2 100k back to back on a bad bike fit. Now that I'm all better I just rode with some guys in Salisbury. That was fast. I'm going to ride with them again this Saturday because they leave at 7am and I have to be back in time to leave for the Beach. Come on out and ride with us if anyone is near Salisbury. The rides go out of Windsong Bicycle shop.

Hi everyone,

Been posting on BF for over a year, and I've never made my way over to the Regional Discussions board until now. D'oh!

I'm mostly a commuter (5/week, 10 miles/day) but I want to do more group rides. Working at GSK, I'll probably do their training rides for MS150. Hope to see y'all on the road sometime.


I wonder who won the bike they were giving away to people in the Triangle that signed the pledge to commute. I haven't seen any announcements about it.

I don't know who won the bike, but I can tell you a funny story from last fall's Alternative Commute week contest. The contest gave free airfare for 2 to anyplace in the contiguous 48. I couldn't sign up for the contest because, well, when you bike-commute 5 days a week, what exactly IS alternative commuting? Driving? But one of my co-workers signed up for the contest by committing to telecommuting (working from home) at least one day each week for September. Since she'd work from home every day if GSK let her, it wasn't a hardship for her. ;)

Sure enough, she won the contest. Everyone in my part of the building couldn't believe that I hadn't, since they see me walking in every day with the trunk, panniers, etc. But to add insult to injury....the GoTriangle folks called me to ask for help getting the award to her.

I wonder who won the bike they were giving away to people in the Triangle that signed the pledge to commute. I haven't seen any announcements about it.

I signed up myself but I never got any emails or seen announcements about it...They were giving out free commuter lights in the TTA center in RTP...I never made it by to get a set but I know they were going to start giving them away on Friday...They may still have some unless the people working there took them home...

I wonder who won the bike they were giving away to people in the Triangle that signed the pledge to commute. I haven't seen any announcements about it.
With the help of the good folks at The Bicycle Chain (http://thebicyclechain.com/index.cfm?display=homepage) and the TTA (http://ridetta.org/Home/index.html), I have an answer (sort of):



Hello Jack,

The Bike to Work Week winner has been chosen but we have not been able to make contact with the person yet.

I am trying again by mail this week.

If I do not hear back from the person within another week or so, we will draw another name.

In order to maintain the element of surprise, I would prefer not to release the name at this time.

Please be patient. As soon as we are able, the name will be released.

Here's some interesting data I found about our BTWW:

645 Triangle area cyclists took the 2007 Bike to Work Week Pledge
These cyclists traveled an average of 8.0 miles each way
150 cyclists (23%) rode to work on a bike for the first time ever during Bike to Work Week 2007!

p.s. more Triangle area BTWW 2007 results at GoTriangle.org (http://www.gotriangle.org/Bike_Walk/BTWW07.html).

I signed up myself but I never got any emails or seen announcements about it...They were giving out free commuter lights in the TTA center in RTP...I never made it by to get a set but I know they were going to start giving them away on Friday...They may still have some unless the people working there took them home...
I ride one of their vans. All I got was a lousy key chain (and a free lunch). The lunch was worth it.

With the help of the good folks at The Bicycle Chain (http://thebicyclechain.com/index.cfm?display=homepage) and the TTA (http://ridetta.org/Home/index.html), I have an answer (sort of):
Originally Posted by TTA rep.
Hello Jack,

The Bike to Work Week winner has been chosen but we have not been able to make contact with the person yet.

I am trying again by mail this week.

If I do not hear back from the person within another week or so, we will draw another name.

In order to maintain the element of surprise, I would prefer not to release the name at this time.

Please be patient. As soon as we are able, the name will be released.

I think they're just waiting us out. :)

yeah, no ****. that 'please be patient' line got my spidey senses all tingly. why are they so defensive? not like I've been harassing them or anything.
I sent that email from the Durham Bike Co-op account so I'd be taken seriously, but that was a sketchy reply.

Hi all,
New here, and just getting back into cycling after many years away. Recovering from achilles surgery (which may put an end to basketball and tennis), so hope to meet some of you after rehab.
Tim

yeah, no ****. that 'please be patient' line got my spidey senses all tingly. why are they so defensive? not like I've been harassing them or anything.
I sent that email from the Durham Bike Co-op account so I'd be taken seriously, but that was a sketchy reply.

I feel so used. :D

mid September and still no word from TTA

mid October - the vigil continues...

Send a PM to 3MTA3.. he works for TBC.

try cycle logic on hillsboro st. Very fast, tons of experience, very reasonable, no "attitude".

try cycle logic on hillsboro st....no "attitude".

ha!

selective attitude.

I'm in Zebulon - Out here in the Country

-- John

Taking full advantage of this new 'regional discussions' forum, let's start with a whos-who of folks on BikeForums from the Triangle (meaning Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Cary, Apex, etc.) - and get this thread moving!

Live just north and east of Carver & Guess near the park.

Richard
Heron Wayfarer
Giant Cypress SX

my babe is livin' in durham for a year. i ride when i'm there.
my grandfather was born and raised in bonlee.