Yeah, the rides you are describing are just okay. I would suggest checking out that Matthews Mojo ride and any other rides that ride out near Harrisburg, which you previously mentioned. There is far too much traffic and non-bike friendly roads in Fort Mill and Waxhaw. The real gems are out between North-east Charlotte and Albemarle.
Thanks, Iāll def look into it. Funny my wife and I took a ride up to Hāburg a few weeks ago and I forgot about all the good riding spots I scoped out when we first visited the area years ago.
What I find amusing (sad actually) is much of my riding is on the SC marked bike route #4. Itās well signed and has āshare the roadā signs, but the shoulders arenāt marked - if there are shoulders at all! Whatās the point of the marked bike routes if there is no place to ride?
Shoulders require pavement.
Pavement requires money.
Money requires taxes.
The South does not have shoulders on roads. Itās just something you have to get used to.
Where I came from in the north had even less shoulders (narrow country roads) so something Iām used to. I just find it ironic itās a marked cycling route thatās not all that cycling friendly.
A lot of the newer roads around here (4 lane state highways) have a wider right lane which could allow for a wider shoulder, but the white line is still close to the edge. One 2 lane road had wide shoulders when we moved here but about a year ago they ground those lines away and moved the white line to the edge. Now there are really wide lanes with no shoulders. Just didnāt make sense.
It makes sense for big bloated vehicles.
Iām about to move there myself (Charlotte) somewhere near the airport will be the easiest for my job. Iād read about the trails at the USNWC and they seem pretty interesting.
Visit Asheville, itās even more ironic. Billed as a cycling Mecca with almost no cycling infrastructure whatsoever. Blue Ridge Parkway riding? Not unless youāre very brave. Not that WNC is unique to cycling issues itās just funny at how itās touted as ācycling friendlyā it is not.
The airport would be close to the whitewater center. Itās about 48 miles of nice single track. However, itās just one of many excellent trails and not even the best. But its up there.
The airport is also close to some well established group rides and a good launching point for some more rural towns and roads west of Charlotte.
Looking at Strava segments and heat maps thatās what I was hoping. Good to hear it from someone whoās more familiar though.
Hopefully Iāll be able to find a place around that area to hang my hat so to speak.
Was thinking the other day with daylight getting shorter and the time change around the cornerā¦
Are any of the trail systems around Charlotte usable for night riding? Iād love to have a place to get in a night trail ride now and then.
The whitewater center allows night riding. I think a few others. Most donāt.
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Not sure if theyāll throw it again after covid killed it, but if you ever hear of something called ātour de Charlotteā ā¦ GO DO IT
My only advice is to not ride in Fayetteville. The roads arenāt maintained and thereās no bike lanes. Everybody drives too fast also. I used to live there.
Asheville is fantastic for cycling. Ive ridden there many times and look forward to many more rides thereā¦road, gravel, mtb (and even a melodrome). If your talking just about bike lanes, theyre working on it., but has a lot of room to improve.
I moved here for that very reason. I came as a mountain biker who fell in love with road cycling here as well. I donāt find many of the popular routes to be enjoyable any longer. Try riding Riverside Dr on a busy afternoon, try the Parkway in peak leaf season. There are still quiet country roads left (for now) that I still enjoy but Iām very selective. I used to commute from the county into Asheville almost daily, so my perspective is a bit different.
There are some great gravel roads in Asheville, thatās true, but most are in the surrounding FS areas as well as all the mountain biking. No argument how enjoyable cycling as a whole can be here but road riding here has changed a lot and Iām less inclined to call it cycling friendly.
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100% agree.
The area is fantastic for road cycling but the traffic (the speed and caution of vehicular traffic) is not. I have done plenty of events in the area, but my last solo ride was from Brevard to Highlands. Great roads, amazing sceneryā¦ but good Lord, Iām lucky to have survived.
Thatās one nice thing about the Piedmont where I live: we have 70% of the elevation, and 30% of the frightening traffic.
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Where is a good place to go ride for a weekend on the peidmont? What city do you recommend? Iām always looking for new area to explore.
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From Lewisville, hereās a common route we run : 11-SEP-2021 - A bike ride in Lewisville, NC
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If you want a bit more climbing (ok, a lot more climbing) hereās what we call the āTriple Humpā : 14 AUG 3-HUMP - A bike ride in Winston-Salem, NC This one starts a more āin townā, but even then, thereās very little traffic.
In my personal opinion, further east towards Greensboro is is less appealing because there are somewhat fewer hills and a bit more traffic. Not āunpleasantā, but not my preference.
DM me if youāre headed up this direction. Iām always happy to show folks how great our riding is locally in the Piedmont.
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As a person whoās in the process of moving to another city, I want to ask how to pack and ship my bike. I have Gary Fisher Big Sur 2010. Moving from Boston to South Carolina | Stark Moving and Storage Inc should I hire professional movers or do it myself? Thx
Oh lovely, yet another New Englander moving here to SC 
. Where are you locating?
Iāve moved a few times for work across one state line (which factors into shipping cost I think) and all but one used professional movers - that one time of having to move a 2.5k foot house of stuff was the last Iāll ever do it myself - hiring a company is worth every penny of not having to deal with the stress and fighting of doing it yourself.