Road Cycling - I need a ride in NC

I am a newbie starting out in the bike riding thing. I am trying to shape up for a 10 day trek on the blue ridge parkway in the Spring. I live on the coast, and it is flatter than a pancake here. Can anyone here recommend a 25 to 30 mile ride within 2 hours of Wilmington, NC with a least some small hills? I would like to drive up Friday this week do the ride early Saturday, and get home early afternoon or so on Saturday. Just looking for something not quite so flat. Raleigh would be the perfect distance, and although it is not really hilly it is not as flat as it is here.

Thanks in advance,
Richard

http://www.ncbikeclub.org/

See cue sheets section

lots of rides varying distances

Thanks for the link.

Richard

How about the mountains of Brunswick county.

The bridges to Oak Island, Holden Beach, and Ocean Isle Beach.

Paul

Moore County, NC is somewhat hilly. It's where Southern Pines/Pinehurst is located.

Check out http://www.golfnetonline.net/howard/scc/maps.html for some routes. I've done the Tour De Moore century a couple of times. It's a great ride and it's coming up again on Labor Day.

Hey Richard, I'm moving to Wilmington in May. I've ridden around Boone/Banner Elk, that's some excellent road riding in the mountains. I don't know about near the coast though, everything I've ridden there is really flat, the only "hills" being the arched bridges that go over the waterways and sounds!

CPA Rider if you are listening, I pulled the Mangum Dairy Loop ride off the site. Looks like a good starter ride. I am not from Raleigh, so I don't want to get lost, or face heavy traffic.

I like the term Brunswick County Mountains. I think with the Summer traffic people may get irritated with me going back, and forth over the bridge.

Good luck with you move Crus. There seems to be a good bike club here. I have yet to join, but will soon.

Thanks all,

Richard

Actually that "hill" they refer to is a pretty good one so if you want to simulate the mountains that's a good one. It's country roads excpet highway 98. That's a decent sized road with 55 MPH traffic that I avoid. The other routes I avoid are ones that go on Falls of the Neuse road. A fw years back that was a country road that was good to ride on but not anymore.

The rides I've done on there are beaver dam loop and the fall rally half metric. You can also add to the routes if you know the roads.

One problem with that route is that one of the roads is the wrong name. I think it's stoney hill road or mangum dariy road that is called something else. I can't remember the name, I'd look on Mapquest.

Have a good ride, you come over Falls lake a lot out there so there is a hill on both sides of it that should get you going.

I will do that. Thanks CPA.

Richard