Southeast - Any good riding (mtn and road) around Greenville, SC?

Thinking of taking a job in greenville SC. What is the riding situation like in greenville? It seems that you can hit the mountains to the north if your willing to drive an hour. Hincapie lives there for gosh sakes so I gotta assume that there are some good roads/loops/bike shops in the area.

great riding area for both mountain and road bikes..i go there usually twice a year to see a friend..

thanks for the information. Look forward to getting out there.

George Hincapie lives in Greenville. I think the odds of finding good riding are on your side.

You can drive up to NC abd be at DuPont St Forest in less than an hour,(I saw Hincapie there a while back) there's some great mountain biking there. You can also go a little farther and be in Pisgah Ntl Forest and between those two you're looking at hundreds of miles of awesome trails. I know that the road riding round you're area is pretty sweet and the road riding here in NC(Blue Ridge Parkway) is great as well. You'll also have Paris Mountain right outside of Greenville.

We have great riding here in Greenville. HWS already mentioned the “Hincapie effect” here and the US pro races have generated local excitement for cycling as well. We already have a large population of cyclists here, but it seems to be growing all the time.

Check the Greenville Spinners site (http://www.greenvillespinners.org/) for information about weekly local rides (the SCTAC rides on Tuesday night always draw hundreds of local cyclists). Cycle Carolina (http://www.cyclecarolina.com/) has cue sheets for several local rides. The ride up to Saluda, NC is one that is very popular on the weekends. Also check out Carolina Cycling News (http://carolinacyclingnews.com/) for more on the local road scene.

Mountain biking here is great too. Paris Mountain State Park (http://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/paris-mountain-state-park.html) is very close to town and DuPont (http://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/dupont-state-forest.html) is only about an hour away. Upstate SORBA (http://www.upstatesorba.org/) is a good source for more info about off road riding.

...also check out my Bike Greenville blog (http://bikegreenville.blogspot.com/) for occasional news about Greenville bicycle advocacy issues.

Hey, quick question, didn't want to start an entire new thread for this, but can you road ride in and around Greenville all year around?

I live in Toronto and was thinking of doing a road trip south over Christmas to get some nice outdoor miles in as by that stage I'll have been stuck indoors on the trainer for a few weeks. I know some clubs around here organize trips to Table Mountain park in the early spring, but what about mid-winter?
I've no problem with cold temperatures, but obviously if there's snow on the ground then I may as well just ride here ;)

How far south would I need to go? Thanks.

Snow comes to the higher elevations of SC sporatically. I split time between Greenville, SC and Waynesville, NC. Its all about elevation. Waynesville at about 2800 feet = some snow in the winter. Greenville at about 950 feet = rare snow. (Average snowfall in Greenville is 2 inches per year, average Waynesville is 12 inches. Last winter was on the snowy side, 6 inches of snow for the winter in Greenville, 32 inches in Waynesville.) Table Rock is not Greenville, it is in the foothills, higher elevation (but not Waynesville type elevation). So it really depends on the weather. Should be fine in Greenville.

Just check the elevations of where you want to go, and you will get a pretty good idea on weather. Figure 4 to 5 degrees F colder per 1000 feet elevation change.

Myself, I tend to head further south in December for riding as I prefer warmer weather. Average highs are in the low 50s in January in Greenville, but that means half the time colder, half the time warmer.

Good site below for some weather history.

http://www.sercc.com/climateinfo/historical/historical_nc.html

Thanks for the reply and information.

When you say you head further south in December.....how much further would be talking here?


Snow comes to the higher elevations of SC sporatically. I split time between Greenville, SC and Waynesville, NC. Its all about elevation. Waynesville at about 2800 feet = some snow in the winter. Greenville at about 950 feet = rare snow. (Average snowfall in Greenville is 2 inches per year, average Waynesville is 12 inches. Last winter was on the snowy side, 6 inches of snow for the winter in Greenville, 32 inches in Waynesville.) Table Rock is not Greenville, it is in the foothills, higher elevation (but not Waynesville type elevation). So it really depends on the weather. Should be fine in Greenville.

Just check the elevations of where you want to go, and you will get a pretty good idea on weather. Figure 4 to 5 degrees F colder per 1000 feet elevation change.

Myself, I tend to head further south in December for riding as I prefer warmer weather. Average highs are in the low 50s in January in Greenville, but that means half the time colder, half the time warmer.

Good site below for some weather history.

http://www.sercc.com/climateinfo/historical/historical_nc.html

Thanks for the reply and information.

When you say you head further south in December.....how much further would be talking here?

I just head south for warmer temps. To me, that means Florida. I don't really like Florida, but it is an easy drive from here. Not that the temps are bad around here, but I prefer warmer. Figure low 50s for highs. Ok for regular riding, but if you are making a trip out of it, myself, I would head further south.

Getting just a little light snow in the mountains tonight! But Greenville will be getting rain.

James,
I will be coming to town this week. My family is relocating and we are exploring specific areas around Greenville. I am an avid roadie and I try to put in 200 miles a week in the warm weather months. Due to age I am not too keen on steep climbs. Some hills are OK, and I can handle climbs maybe once or twice a week.

What areas outside of town are prime for accessing the good low traffic routes frequented by area cyclists? What are the best bike shops in town? How about a bike-friendly Realtor.

Thanks,

Aarchie

Hi Aarchie

Greenville is fairly small, so it is pretty easy to access low traffic routes from the center of downtown. Most of the popular routes are north of town, but keep in mind that those are the hilliest ones as you approach the North Carolina border. Carolina Triathlon (http://www.carolinatriathlon.com/) has group rides at 8am on Saturday mornings (no one left behind) that you might want to check out to get a feel for the area. Usually they go over Paris Mountain (the closest big climb to town) but during the winter months they are doing a roughly 30-mile route that is comprised of just rolling hills. I have a list of other local bike shops in town in the sidebar of my Bike Greenville blog (http://bikegreenville.blogspot.com/), but I would say that Carolina Tri is probably the best one to hook up with for a group ride.

Jeff Gunn (http://www.jeffgunn.com/) is a bike friendly realtor who you might want to contact. He even refers to himself on his website as a “Professional Realtor & Cyclist”, so he knows all about the best places to ride.

Good luck with the visit and move…and let me know if you have any other questions.

Regards,

James