Considering Possible relocation to Charlotte area, currently live in a meca for mountain biking, can anyone provide any guidance as to the mtb riding, and community in the Charlotte area?
thanks
fatmarc

Considering Possible relocation to Charlotte area, currently live in a meca for mountain biking, can anyone provide any guidance as to the mtb riding, and community in the Charlotte area?
thanks
fatmarc


charlotte is definitely more than what most expect in terms of mountain biking, i would think. we have a variety of trails here in charlotte itself, then there are more trails a bit farther out there, such as catawba (20-30 mins away) or cane creek park (45-60 mins away). most riders absolutely love catawba, so i would recommend that. a favorite of mine is renaissance park-- not too tecnhical and pretty fast too. if you are relocated near the charlotte sewage treatment plant or the marion diehl senior center, post again, and i will show you the "secret" trails they have back there on either side of tyvola road.

smallbrowndog.com

thank folks. I will be in town in May, I will take your recommendations.
Thanks for the feedback,

For trails around Charlotte, I second the site mentioned above (smallbrowndown.com)--its run by local shop and lists quite a few local trails. I have not had an chance to ride any yet--I live up in Davidson (north of Charlotte) and have been riding around the campus & on some of their 'trails' (cut out for cross country but open to the public during certain hours).

I have heard good things about a relatively new trail north of Charlotte. I-77 cuts through the middle of down-town Charlotte (starts around mile mark 4 and goes up to mile mark 10 or 12). This newer trail is at mile mark 42. It is on a state park and is being developed by voluteers. Additionally, plans have been announced recently for a mtb in Davidson too.

For trails around Charlotte, I second the site mentioned above (smallbrowndown.com)--its run by local shop and lists quite a few local trails. I have not had an chance to ride any yet--I live up in Davidson (north of Charlotte) and have been riding around the campus & on some of their 'trails' (cut out for cross country but open to the public during certain hours).

I have heard good things about a relatively new trail north of Charlotte. I-77 cuts through the middle of down-town Charlotte (starts around mile mark 4 and goes up to mile mark 10 or 12). This newer trail is at mile mark 42. It is on a state park and is being developed by voluteers. Additionally, plans have been announced recently for a mtb in Davidson too.



is that the one at lake norman state park? i think that may be the one youre talking about. if so, i have riden there. i did not enjoy it so much, but it would be super awesome for a really fast race without much technical stuff. it is mostly just flat and fast, no technical sections nor sufficient climbs. in fact, i saw a family riding there with their 4-6 year old son who was probably on his first bike. but for me, i much rather prefer something more technical, and almost as fast with atleast some short climbs.

Charlotte has quite a few trails as mentioned, but if you want some serious "mountain" biking, Pisgah National Forest is only 2 hours away. Close enough for a day trip, but even better is to camp for a weekend. Definitely keep tabs on http://www.smallbrowndog.com (not run by any shop, just a local mtb dude). Lots of rides are posted here, rides of all shapes and sizes; from mtn, to trials, to urban, to road, something for everyone.

As far as Western NC riding (Pisgah), check out http://www.mtbikewnc.com or http://www.wncmountaingoatepics.com for more info of those parts.

Also, if you like the longer ride, check out http://www.ratride.com We usually ride most of the local trails in a single day, which ends up being 40-50 (depending on optionals taken) miles of trails (and 100 or so miles on the vehicle) or we'll head up to the mountains and ride several of the trail systems in a single day. Just read the Rat Rides section on the left-hand side.

Thanks for the heads up. Coming from the Midatlantic, My house backs up to a park with 75 miles of trails, and there are 3 smaller parks that I can ride to from my house with extensive single track. Great racing scene, Great clubs, and lots of single speeding. Work may having me relocating to NC, Charlotte some I'm in the process of information gathering. Thank you for the information.




Charlotte has quite a few trails as mentioned, but if you want some serious "mountain" biking, Pisgah National Forest is only 2 hours away. Close enough for a day trip, but even better is to camp for a weekend. Definitely keep tabs on http://www.smallbrowndog.com (not run by any shop, just a local mtb dude). Lots of rides are posted here, rides of all shapes and sizes; from mtn, to trials, to urban, to road, something for everyone.

As far as Western NC riding (Pisgah), check out http://www.mtbikewnc.com or http://www.wncmountaingoatepics.com for more info of those parts.

Also, if you like the longer ride, check out http://www.ratride.com We usually ride most of the local trails in a single day, which ends up being 40-50 (depending on optionals taken) miles of trails (and 100 or so miles on the vehicle) or we'll head up to the mountains and ride several of the trail systems in a single day. Just read the Rat Rides section on the left-hand side.

Great racing scene, Great clubs, and lots of single speeding.


Check out www.charlottemtnbike.com

There is a very active racing community in Charlotte. Just finished a 5-race "Short-Track" winter series. During the summer, there is a 20-race series held on Wednesday nights which rotates amongst four local parks. It's a great way to train for the "bigger" AMBC races, also a GREAT way to meet other mountain bikers. The guy that runs these races quit his regular job and does this stuff full-time. He seems to be doing well, too.

Sweet. Thanks for the information, relocation is a tough call, but knowing there is a good community helps a ton. Thanks for your help.

Sweet. Thanks for the information, relocation is a tough call, but knowing there is a good community helps a ton. Thanks for your help.

You can get a balance of the Urban culture (Charlotte city-proper) along with some great day-trips into beautiful single-track (Pisgah, Bent Creek, DuPont, Cane Creek, etc.). Plus as an added bonus, you can ride all year.

But with 75 miles of backyard delight, why move? :confused:

element