Hello! 

My wife and I recently sold our house in New Jersey and are heading south to relocate. We are part of a huge forum (MTBNJ.COM) locally and this seems to be the equivalent.

We are planning on moving to the Huntersville/Concord/Davidson area. We came down a couple of weeks ago and rode Sherman Branch and did a loop at Lake Norman. Awesome trails and awesome work to maintain them, I must say! Not as rocky as some of the stuff that we normally ride, but I'm sure you can get that fix somewhere else.

Really looking forward to the local vibe and some of the larger races that happen in this region!

I thought Pisgah was just roots?!

Welcome!

We have recurring group rides on Tues and Wed nights if you would like to join. The Tues night ride rotates around to different trails so you have to check the forums each week to see where it is and it starts around 6:15ish. The Wed night ride is always at Francis Beatty Park and it starts at 6:30. Also our monthly club meetings are the first Thurs of every month (we skip Jan and July) and are at Dilworth Neighborhood grill. Coming to the meeting is a great way to get involved and meet new people.

Lake Norman is pretty sweet.  It is certainly not rocky, but I really enjoy getting out to ride 30 miles of purpose built single track!  Not that I normally ride it all in one sitting...  The variety of trails in this area will certainly keep you busy!

pearl wrote on 12/09/15 at 6:30pm:


Winter time and weather tend to make this place slow down a bit.  We have few all weather trails and few that allow night riding so we go hibernate a bit more.

sager wrote on 12/09/15 at 6:39pm:


Ha! On our forum the winter brings out everyone along with the banter of being stuck inside with no riding

We like Yankees... just not "damn Yankees..." Were you born in NJ? 

I hope you and your wife enjoy this area when you move here. The only loop at LNSP that has rocky sections is the Laurel loop. I was in the navy and went to A-school in Lakehurst, NJ. in late 70 and early 71. Only thing I miss is the pizza and subs. I am retiring in 3 weeks from tomorrow and my wife and I will be moving to Snowshoe, WV. in April. Maybe we can ride some before the move.

The reason our taxes (and way of life) will soon mirror the northeast, is precisely because of the "damn yankees" I previously mentioned. 

They bring their politics and their values with them. 

My aunt (who lives in CT) came down for thanksgiving - she and her husband spent the whole time making fun of the south (country music, the Dallas cheerleaders, the number of churches, Republican politics, etc.) This is, of course, followed by "We're thinking of moving down here - everything's so cheap..."

I spent a lot of time sitting out in the garage...

johnski wrote on 12/10/15 at 3:01pm:


Agreed.  I'm born and raised here and don't identify with Trekker's thoughts at all.  Welcome.

if you want rocky and rugged BYT is your proving grounds

Apartment hunting is going well, Maybe we should start packing our stuff soon? 

Can someone help me fill in a calendar of events that are must do? I have checked out (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) and they seem to have some awesome stuff. What about local goods? I see (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) has winter short track and I could possibly be in for all of those. Our team ran a local series and it was super addicting.

I'm a fan for shorter endurance races (30-50 miles) and the standard XC races. We can discuss CX down the road

It seems like in the summer there is a huge lull in racing, is this true? Is the summer more of the off-season while people race through the winter in the Charlotte area?

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You might be interested in this series:

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You might not yet be acquainted with the heat and humidity of the South. 

pearl wrote on 12/17/15 at 1:27pm:


I'm originally from western Canada and my first year here I pretty much put my bike in storage June-September.  You get used to it though.  The trick is to keep on riding when the first heat wave hits.  The first few rides in it feel awful but the body quickly adjusts and after that it's fine.  I have had enjoyable rides in 100+ degree temps.  Just keep it a little mellower and keep on hydrating.

pearl wrote on 12/17/15 at 1:27pm:


Key word there... "Sometimes"

There may be a handful of days up north where the summer heat and humidity mimics that of the south... but down here it's consistent, day in, day out. Highs right around 100 for 2-3 months straight. Look at the weather in the summer and its "high of 99 with scattered afternoon thunder showers" every. single. day.

Not trying to scare you off or anything. I much prefer it to 2-3 months straight of never seeing the ground because its covered in snow, scraping ice off windshields every morning, and walking/driving in salty, sandy slush everywhere.

Like others have said, you get used to the heat. You just have to pace yourself when riding in it... and drink LOTS of water.

also check out (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links);

Welcome to the South!  I'm a transplant from the Northeast too (PA).  It took a little while for this area to grow on me, but it really has and I don't regret coming here at all.  As other folks mentioned, the cost of living (especially housing and taxes) is much more reasonable here.  While I would love to be closer to good skiing areas, I don't miss the longer winters, the road muck, and spring fever that comes with it.  The consistent heat in the summer is a good trade-off, in my opinion.  You'll eventually get used to it and learn to deal w/it through good hydration and such.  

If you like cross-country style racing, definitely check out the summer series that Mike mentioned.  It usually starts in April and is held almost every Wednesday night thru August.  Lots of fun!  I believe it'll be run by the same group that does the Winter Short Track series (due to merger of 2 promoters this year).  Here's a link to their site (though Summer Series doesn't appear to be posted yet):  (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

There is also the Southern Classic Mountain Bike series which has races throughout the spring and summer in down here in Dixie.  Not much posted at the moment on their site, but here it is:  (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)  Note:  They have sanctioned their races through USACycling, so check out USACycling's site too for upcoming events.  I believe one of their events held at the US Nat'l Whitewater Center over the last couple years has also been a fundraiser for our club too, so added incentive to race/volunteer for that one (is that right, officers?). 

One of the best things I love about the Charlotte area is its cycling community.  Both mountain and road biking communities are vibrant and very active.  Lots of great people.  If you want to flirt w/the dark side...     You can find a lot of info on the local road and cx scene here:  (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)