Topic: North Carolina

[kj]

Just back from North Carolina. 

Had a tri at the W. Kerr Scott dam and rode Dark Mountain and Warrior Creek.  Rode the FSR on these trails.

In Greensboro we rode Owl's Roost trails. Rode the SS rigid there.

I'd never ridden outside of Florida so didn't know exactly what to expect but have come to really enjoy the downhill sections.  Those trail systems are amazing and the people who are conditioned to the long climbing are machines.  Dark Mountain is a real challenge and the downhill sections can be dangerous when camouflaged by the fallen leaves but it's the uphill drags that seem to go on forever to this flat lander.  There wasn't a single steep climb, nothing like Gatorback or Moonscape or even Ridgeline, but the climbs just kept on going and going.  But once you were at the top then the fun began.

Warrior Creek in Wilkesboro was the coolest trail I've ever ridden.  A true rollercoaster feel with gradual climbs, flowing downhills and each turn banked and bermed, brakes were optional and each turn provided a thrill.  It was worth the trip alone.   The red clay stands up to everything nature throws at it and the trails are fairly low maintenance, Carolinian's are fortunate to have great soil.

Worth the trip and right now is a great time before it gets to cold.

[Darrinw2001]

I have ridden a few times out of state in GA, NC, SC, TN, and find the same thing with the climbs. are Florida trails are more technical but the long sustained climbs wipe me out... but then again i am old and fat.... 

[Rockhopper]

I'm always impressed by how well the local Florida trails prepare riders for out-of-state riding - except for the sustained hill climbing. I'm not sure if it's more mental than physical, since we never have to peddle for more than a minute or so to get to the top of the biggest mountain bike hill in these parts. I will add, though, that a couple laps through Ridgeline or Rollercoaster will at least help get anyone ready for the hills up north.
 
The technical ups and downs around here are great practice for much of what we have found out of state. I'm not a particularly advanced technical rider, but getting around the Abyss, Moonscape and the Vortex makes some of the stuff out West seem easy -- except for those dam 10-foot high wooden bridges in Whitehorse and Whistler. Scared the bleep out of me. 
 

[Scott]

A little San Ann helps prepare your legs for those climbs