General Discussion Triathlon Talk » What is your deal, North Carolina?!?! Rss Feed  
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2006-01-17 10:24 AM

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Buttercup
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Subject: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!

I am moving to North Carolina. I am leaving behind a FANTASTIC motorized-vehicle-free (MVH), paved cycling/running paths, specifically:

  • Suncoast Trail is 41 miles long
  • Flatwoods Park is a 7 mile loop set inside a wilderness park
  • Gandy Bridge with BEAUTIFUL water vistas and just 3 miles from my house is 5.2 miles roundtrip

There are many other MVH trails but those are the ones I regularly hit.

So... I'm googling NC for MVH paths and finding nada. Zippo. Niente. WHAT GIVES?

If you know where they are, share. Please.

I need to know I can cycle without getting buzzed by pickup trucks.



2006-01-17 10:31 AM
in reply to: #325565

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Veteran
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Decatur GA
Subject: RE: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!
Where in NC?
2006-01-17 10:41 AM
in reply to: #325569

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Buttercup
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Subject: RE: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!

Pinehurst.

But I'm willing to drive 3 hours for a vehicle-free biking path. Want to get in 50 mile rides.

2006-01-17 10:42 AM
in reply to: #325565

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Elite
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Subject: RE: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!

Try Googling "Hilly Helacious" and go from there.

I hear that western N.C. is a mecca of cycling and eligible men.



Edited by gullahcracker 2006-01-17 10:44 AM
2006-01-17 10:47 AM
in reply to: #325565

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Expert
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Subject: RE: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!

Your best best for "limited to no traffic" would be the Blue Ridge Parkway. Of course it is tough as crap!!

I have also noticed bike lanes near the coast lately. Pinehurst should not be too conjested but traffic free might be hard to come by unless you have a mountain bike.

2006-01-17 10:52 AM
in reply to: #325565

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Resident Curmudgeon
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Subject: RE: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!

Probably mentioned this before, but I spent a week around Albemarle this summer, about 50 miles east of Pinhurst, and there were several highways, relatively low traffic, that were designated cycling routes. Made me wish I had brought my bike.

Not EXACTLY what you're looking for, but I'm saying you'll find plenty of good cycling opportunities. Maybe look for some cycling or tri clubs in the area, Charlotte, Fayetteville, etc.



2006-01-17 10:54 AM
in reply to: #325592

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Buttercup
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Subject: RE: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!
BeCivil - 2006-01-17 10:47 AM

traffic free might be hard to come by unless you have a mountain bike.

No offense to the fine folk of North Carolina but that blows.

Ok, hook me up with the mtn bike trails. My Gary Fisher mtn bike has been feeling neglected.

2006-01-17 10:56 AM
in reply to: #325565

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Queen BTich
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Subject: RE: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!

OHhh, the Blue Ridge Parkway is nice.

2006-01-17 11:02 AM
in reply to: #325603

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Buttercup
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Subject: RE: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!
Well, I've been looking for an excuse to make weekend trips to the BlueRidge.  Now I've got a great excuse! I'll probably resettle thereabouts once my nephews are in college anyway.
2006-01-17 11:56 AM
in reply to: #325565

Champion
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Subject: RE: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!
Hmmm...I have a sister living in Cary NC, maybe I can find out something from her. You might also ask "HookedOnTri", though I haven't seen Mike post here in a while. Or perhaps "Wakeman" can help?

2006-01-17 12:13 PM
in reply to: #325565

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Elite
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Subject: RE: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!

Try some of the Rail-2-Trails Conservancy Sites...

Here's the first one that came up in google:

http://www.ncrail-trails.org/MAPKEYS.HTM

None to stellar near you from the looks of it, but it's a start.

bts



2006-01-17 12:28 PM
in reply to: #325565

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Veteran
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Subject: RE: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!
You are moving to a golf mecca, they don't think too much of those crazy excersize folk! Cary is extremely bike friendly, if you check around the triangle area you should find places to ride and run. Umstead State park has plenty of nice trails. Pinehurst has a nice olympic tri in Oct, the bike course is scenic and not too much traffic all year long. Uwharrie? national forest is also great. Check out Set-Up inc. for the tri's in NC.
2006-01-17 1:04 PM
in reply to: #325764

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Buttercup
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Subject: RE: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!

The Rails-Trails paths look promising. Thank you.

I've got the Pinehurst Oly on my race calendar for this year. I drove to the marina during my last visit; that's one small lake (pond) for the OWS. And it looks ew.

2006-01-17 1:16 PM
in reply to: #325565

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Regular
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Madison, Wisconsin
Subject: RE: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!
I lived in Cary, NC last year for an internship. It is a "bike-friendly" city but that is a bunch of crap. I have never had so many things thrown at me and a#$holes in trucks run me off the road. Good luck. Tons of off-road stuff though.

keith

Edited by Kpoulsen 2006-01-17 1:16 PM
2006-01-17 1:30 PM
in reply to: #325565

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Expert
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Subject: RE: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!
2006-01-17 1:54 PM
in reply to: #325565

Master
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Subject: RE: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!
Try Camp Lejeune.  Probably a couple hundred miles of roads that, while not vehicle free, are certainly biker/runner friendly.  Plus about 60,000 single men.


2006-01-17 1:57 PM
in reply to: #325906

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Giver
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Subject: RE: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!

And artillery fire. 

Stake - 2006-01-17 2:54 PM Try Camp Lejeune. Probably a couple hundred miles of roads that, while not vehicle free, are certainly biker/runner friendly. Plus about 60,000 single men.

2006-01-17 2:02 PM
in reply to: #325912

Master
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Subject: RE: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!

Yeah, but they usually shoot over the roads.

run4yrlif - 2006-01-17 2:57 PM

And artillery (mortar, rocket, machine gun, tank, close air support, etc- your basic sounds of freedom) fire. 

Stake - 2006-01-17 2:54 PM Try Camp Lejeune. Probably a couple hundred miles of roads that, while not vehicle free, are certainly biker/runner friendly. Plus about 60,000 single men.

2006-01-17 2:02 PM
in reply to: #325906

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Buttercup
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Subject: RE: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!

Stake - 2006-01-17 1:54 PM

Try Camp Lejeune.  Probably a couple hundred miles of roads that, while not vehicle free, are certainly biker/runner friendly.  Plus about 60,000 single men.

Ahhhhh.... the Holy Grail.

Bye Jess, Sue, Christine, Jeff - I'll miss ya!!!

2006-01-17 2:09 PM
in reply to: #325565

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Master
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Subject: RE: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!
I feel your pain. I left the Mississippi River Levy (the one that didn't fail) after Katrina and although I now live in Paradise, I have to ride on roads with cars. Bike lanes are limited and often littered or poorly maintained and new construction in the area makes it worse. Thanks for letting me use you post to whine.

manatee express
2006-01-17 2:44 PM
in reply to: #325565

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Coach
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Subject: RE: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!
You could train in Boone, like Lance did.  Then you'd be really fast!


2006-01-17 7:27 PM
in reply to: #325565

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Regular
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Subject: RE: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!

Sorry. I liked FL and the Tampa are as well. Career move??

Good luck finding paved without traffic. Near the house is going to be tough. Let me know if you find something. Otherwise, Pinehurst is great!!!

2006-01-17 8:43 PM
in reply to: #325565

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Veteran
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Kinston, NC
Subject: RE: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!
not in pinehurst, but the duke liver bike course is pretty lightly traveled except for the section on Hwy 64. Blue ridge parkway is great but bring the road bike, not the mountain bike. It will be a good workout since you're coming from Florida. If you are here (NC mountains) in the summer you will see a good chunk of the Floridian population anyway. I would think around Pinehurst the traffic will be light out in the county (unless the US open is in town)

I guess I have never not ridden with cars, so it never occurred to me to be worried about it. I actually prefer the four lane highways because they have wider shoulders and room for the cars to go around.

Check the Dept of Transportation web site. I believe somewhere on there you can get maps of bike routes by counties. They may not be able to be downloaded, but they will mail them to you.
2006-01-17 9:07 PM
in reply to: #325922

Champion
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Subject: RE: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!
Stake - 2006-01-17 3:02 PM

Yeah, but they usually shoot over the roads.



Just stay on the aero bars, to be safe!

2006-01-17 9:11 PM
in reply to: #325565

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Expert
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Raleigh, NC
Subject: RE: What is your deal, North Carolina?!?!
I live in North Raleigh/Wake Forest...the country roads up here have little traffic as well as some of the best country scenery anywhere. Cary and Carrboro are always mentioned as "bike friendly" towns. I went to college in the mountains, but was into mountain biking then. I would much rather ride there then dodge runners, walkers and kiddies on a "bike path". I have only been run off the road by trucks three or four times. The places you ride in FL sound great...I didn't know such things existed. I just assumed that to ride and train you need to accept the risk that came with it.

Country roads is all we got!

www.ncbikeclub.org
www.tarwheels.org

Edited by chris hughes 2006-01-17 9:14 PM
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