GET YOUR BIKE ON!
IT seems there’s no better way to ensure
an onslaught of rain than to wish for
a sunny day on the trails. Getting a
new bike or having an old one fixed
Exploring
nature is
better with
can also feel like a catalyst for a week long
deluge of watery precipitation.
For those who love to get out in the woods
and explore the network of off-road biking trails
our area and state has to offer, it can be frustrating when
inclement weather forces closures. However, most people
in the local biking community understand that it is
important not to ride the trails when wet or after a storm,
as doing so can damage the trail.
It may seem obvious to point out that some trails
drain better than others, and some were simply at a
higher elevation to begin with, factors that
make for a shorter waiting period after
a storm. Those in the know have made
a visit to the website maintained by the
Cape Fear Southern Off-Road Biking
Association (SORBA) a part of their
pre-bike routine.
The nonprofit was formed in 2009 to
pedal
power
create, enhance and preserve great trail experiences for
local bikers. Its website, located at www.capefearsorba.org,
has up-to-the-minute information about closures to trails
that are maintained by the organization. With trail maps,
advice about how to get there, and tips for having the best
experience possible, the website is a trove of information
about local “mountain” bike trails.
BY FRITTS CAUSBY
Top: Bill Sessoms gets air off the bumps at Brown’s Creek in Elizabethtown. Above: Phelicia Marion competes in the 2017
Coastal Carolina Off-Road Series event at Brunswick Nature Park. The CCORS was on hiatus due to the pandemic but will
return October 9 with a race at the new Big Branch Bike Park in Jacksonville. Background photo: Cyclists ride the Neuse
River Greenway under the changing leaves of autumn.
18 october 2021
WBM
COURTESY OF BILL SESSOMS
JOHN URBAN