Saturday, February 8, 2014 7:30 am
Withlacoochee State Forest
Brooksville, FL
35 or 50 miles of great single track
No pavement - No two-track
Registration is limited to 300 riders.
2014 Registration will open on December 1, 2013
Visit our Message Forums to buy or sell unwanted tickets.
NEW Date: Feb 8, 2014! (not Feb 1st as the newsletter indicates).
This annual off-road mountain bike ride will test you with challenging climbs, some scary descents, and tight technical mountain bike trail. But mostly it’s just miles & miles of rolling single-track...
Learn more about Croom trails here.
Event Activities
- Well marked ride utilizing 35 or 50 miles of off-road single-track
- Breakfast, SAG stops, and a fantastic dinner after the ride
- Night Ride on Friday
- Event SWAG
Rides
(Helmets are mandatory)Friday:
A guided Night Ride will be offered from Trail head 3 starting at dusk. You will need good lighting (10 watts) that can last approximately 2 hours. (Limited to 50 riders)
Saturday:
Registration Check-in and Breakfast 7:30 - 8:30
You can start your ride any time between 8:00 am and 9:00am. Cyclists will follow the well-marked route, setting your own pace. At 12 mile intervals along the route, snacks and beverages will be available. Bailout points are marked if cyclists are unable to complete the entire ride.
Sunday:
For those staying the weekend, all 60 miles of trail will be open. A Croom map will be available at registration on Saturday.
Sat/Sun:
The Withlacoochee Rail-Trail (paved) runs past the campground and the off-road trails. This 45-mile (each-way) scenic venue has virtually no traffic and very few road crossings.
Tips
Rain
Rain improves the trail conditions at Croom by packing down the normally sandy climbs. These trails handle rain very well and usually drain within an hour or so.
We show up rain or shine and members who know prefer Croom after rain. If it is raining the morning of the event, the start times may be adjusted based on conditions at that time.
Check in after your ride
Make sure you check in with the registration table after your ride, even if you are not eligible for swag. This will let us know you have returned and are not left out on the trails.
SAG Stops
There are 3 SAG stops along the route (only 2 for the 35 mile event) at about 11 to 17 miles apart. Snacks and water are available.
Riders choosing to start before the designated start time are advised they might arrive before the SAG stops are setup.
Meals
The registration fee includes a continental breakfast Saturday morning (7:30 - 8:30) with plenty of fresh fruit, high-energy carbohydrates, and coffee.
Dinner will be served from 1:00 to 4:30 pm. Proof of registration (wrist band) will be required at all meals and SAG stops.
Registration
Registration is limited to 300 riders and will close if the event fills prior to the registration deadline.
Event registration is $50 per person ($45 for SWAMP members) and spaces are limited. All registrants will be required to sign a Waiver/Assumption of Risk before riding.
Registration Opens December 1st and closes when full or January 11th.
All entry changes must be completed no later than February 1, 2014. (Registration closes when the event fills.)
To receive your SWAMP member discount, you must populate the Coupon Code field when registering. Find the Coupon Code in the current SWAMP Club newsletter.
There will be no event day registration.
No unpaid guests
Registration opens December 1, 2013
Visit our Forums here to buy or sell unwanted tickets.
SWAMP makes arrangements and expenditures based on the number of entries received by the last registration date. No refunds will be made after the January 11th deadline.
Croom-35/50 is sponsored by the SWAMP Mountain Bike Club, a nonprofit organization promoting off-road bicycling. All proceeds from the event are used to develop more off-road bicycle trails and facilities.
Schedule
7:30am Sign-in, pick up map, etc. Breakfast served until 8:30
8:00 - 9:00 am Ride Start, you choose when
Check in when you return and pick up your SWAG
1:00pm - 4:30 pm Dinner served.
Directions
Traveling from Ocala or Tampa on I-75, use Exit #301 for SR-50. Go east on SR-50 for 1-mile to turn left on to Croom-Ridel Road (2nd traffic signal)
Traveling from Orlando on SR-50, continue west 2-miles past US 301 to turn right on to Croom-Ridel Road (just past pedestrian overpass).
Travel north onto Croom-Ridel Road.
At 4 miles, Silver Lake Campground is on the right (just before overpass).
At 7 miles Croom Road pavement ends. Continue on rock road another 4-miles to Trail head #3, at the fire tower parking lot. Event is on left.
Click Aerial View of Parking lot to view a Google Aerial Map. Get Driving directions from there too.
Accommodations
Participants wishing to stay the night must make their own arrangements.
Camping in Croom
Silver Lake Campground is a short bike ride from the event trail head. (full hookups for RV's) The Cypress Glen Campground accepts tents and campers, and has showers, picnic tables, and full hookups.
Crooked River Campground can only accommodate tents.
all have access to Silver Lake to launch kayaks.
Reservations are not accepted.
Motels
The following are located at the I-75 interchange, approximately five miles from the event.
Quality Inn (352) 796-9481
Hampton Inn (352) 796-1000
Days Inn (352) 796-9486
More Information
Check out these Croom photos (in a new window) from a past year's event.
SAG Stop 2, Croom 35 50 Challenge, Feb 4, 2012 (Facebook, Photos by Doris Pfister)
For more information E-mail questions to: Events (at) swampclub (dot) org