It's the heat-n-humidity that makes you feel sluggish.  Keep it up & by the time fall rolls around you'll be clearing all of East Main with no problems.  I've suffered quit a bit on those hills, too, but I've learned to love the pain as it is lessened with consistency.

I'm 55 and have no issue with it. Most of the time on a Single Speed, sometimes even rigid. I have a buddy that lives close by and he rides it regularly on a single and he is at leat 62 now and a good 15lbs overweight. FWIW, East is not very high on my list of favorite parts at WWC, but you cant say you rode a full lap unless you ride it all.

A full 28 mile lap at WWC has some demands, but overal the place pales in difficulty when it comes to 2 laps Rocky RIver on a Single Speed

East Main has fantastic flow? 

Dang.. I must be thinking about a different trail. 

I did 8.5 miles over at Cane Creek this morning on the Motobecane full squish, 11 speed bulldozer and I thought I was kicking some butt. Apparently, I'm doing these wussy rides and I didn't even know it.

You guys let me know next time you're doing 2 laps at Rocky River in the 100 degrees. I might stop by and spectate.

you guys dont know how good you got it down here. come ride up in the tri-state area and youll wish east main was as hard as it got!

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one of my favorite trails back home.

ill agree it is pretty demanding cardiowise, but nothing over the top...

I think the east main extension is the hardest trail there but really like it. While not insanely hard, it is more technical than the rest of the park. MTB riding in this area is way too dumbed down in the name of flow (IMHO of course).  East main is more old school real mtn biking. I like RRT for this reason also. They aren't easy, but who says easy is always fun??

I knew it. This is the kind of stuff I hear all the time, but have never seen it. That could be because you guys are all passing me and I'm miles behind, you. I did park myself at the bottom of goat hill one day just to see how many guys made it up, zero. They all looked like pros too. I just can't see myself after all the uphill finally getting to that small bridge and then just pedaling up that hill with the rocks and roots. That thing goes and goes, sharp turn, then goes and goes. I need somebody to take me under their wing and teach me the ways of the force. I've hit most the trails around Charlotte, but never Rocky Road it seems maybe I should stay far away from that one. 


I loved the "it has great flow", your going uphill like eighty percent of the time.  You have to be the most positive person.

The Elk wrote on 07/17/17 at 7:42pm:


I clean Goat Hill on my rigid singlespeed 33x18. It isn't the prettiest thing, but singlespeeding usually isnt I will say that is a booger of a climb, something pretty unique in the area.

The only way to get better at this stuff is keep trying. Keep riding, keep getting stronger. That is the fun part of MTBing, the skills only get better the more you ride! Try and link up with people who are a little out of your comfort range and let them drag you around. It will come to you

I'm an extremely novice racer and only slightly better trail rider.  It is a challenge, but yes I make it up Goat trail.  I would say if you did not see anyone make it up goat hill then you didn't watch any "pros" climb then hill.  Even the top level beginner level class guys can clean that hill w/o issue.

flynbryan19 wrote on 07/17/17 at 8:57pm:


Quoted for truth. 

The hardest part of goat is the very bottom and even that is way easier now.  The trail used to go in from the left more and drop down a bit further into the loose rocky section. 

Goat gets way easier toward the top. That part is just conditioning. 

As far as flow goes, I really dislike academy. It doesn't have any flow or challenging sections. Just gotta slog it out on the SS. I ride that trail first to get it out of the way and then go over to east main. The rest is a bit easier from there out. 

Keep on it and you'll get there.

Yeah Elk..

Be careful out there and don't get hurt. In my view it just isn't worth it.

Everybody's got to decide what degree of risk is acceptable to them when they ride and on what they ride. And then live with the consequences. It truly is a Darwin type sport. 

Survival of the fittest. Which is another word for the smartest.

That being said, none of us come into this sport or continue in it completely unscathed. 

I consider myself to be a little more careful than most, growing up during a time without cell phones, lightweight safety equipment, and hospitals and rescue crews nearby. And I ride mostly alone. It ensures that I always ride a little behind the edge of things and my ability.

And to be honest with you, at 56, I don't see any reason to change at this point. It doesn't mean I don't push things occasionally under ideal conditions. It just means broken arms, legs, blown out knees, etc.. take a long time to heal at my age. And it's best avoided. 

A certain degree of suffering is inevitable. But excess suffering aint fun. Especially if it only leads to the doctors office.