The way points of this bicycle route:
I lived nearby for many years. Five Points is a central, fun area downtown from which to start/end. This is a bank parking lot at Saluda/Blossom. This ride is good for West and Northwest winds.
Take the ped/bike bridge here, off the left sidewalk, just past Main.
Roll down the sidewalk to the light at Park, then turn left.
Blossom is heavily travelled, but wide and accomodating.
The river walk here is nice, but not great for road biking.
Knox Abbott is wide, too. Watch for shopping/dining traffic.
Take the easy right on 12th.
Left on Evergreen here, crossing over to Platt Springs Road.
This road is newly paved, and about as good as it gets in a semi-urban setting! Good warm up intervals here.
Keep haulin'.
Traffic gets faster here, but people are respectful.
This area doesn't really have a name, but is pleasant riding. Take a right on Emanuel Church and note that the road will be narrrower, and hillier. Alternatively, stay on Platt Springs to S Lake (Hwy 6), then North to 2 Notch.
2 Notch here will be the top of the hills, so far.
2 Notch is good riding, but a bit narrow.
Hwy 6 is good to the South, and alternatively, you could have stayed on Platt Springs to 6, then North to this point.
Be careful of traffic here, road is wide.
Getting into downtown Lexington here, a quaint, old suburb of Columbia
Left on Main.
Left on Hwy 1. Alternatively, you could go through Gibson Lake, or take Hendrix, or other variations. All roads are rideable.
Stay on Hwy 1 here, for some really great riding.
Left on Peach Festival, headed to Gilbert, then Summit.
Beautiful, small town USA. Take a right on Hampton and head to Summit. Traffic should be light.
Back on Hwy 1. Of course, you could have stayed on it, as the road remains smooth, with rollers.
I usually turned around about here, as the small hills added up and called for a break. If the Wind is Westerly, you'll be very glad to turn around now!
Continue back on 1 for the downwind boost!
By now, nearly 50 miles, you should be feeling it. You could take Pisgah Church for some good hills, down to 2 Notch Road.
You can continue here and take 378 back to Columbia, or turn back on Main st. here.
Fast downhill here, be careful of traffic, then a climb back up.
Gets easier here, and you can look forward to a long, downwind, flat run!
Bit of an up-grade here, but by now you should be flying!
Traffic, especially for the upcoming WalMart, is heavy here, but be bold and stay to the right!
I usually took Klapman here (Hwy 12), for another last run, but staying on Augusta is just as good.
You can take 12th here, but I'd go just a bit farther to the 9th ramp if you have the green light.
Left on Meeting, take care with traffic, as the road narrows here, but the upcoming downhill is a big payoff!
Trendy restaurant to the right and other shops, and I like going through the green light here at 35+ MPH! Don't look back at the gapers!
Cross the bridge as fast as you can, because it's narrow, with an unforgiving concrete gutter! After all the climbing and mashing, I'd go into cool down here, and take Senate, and Pulaski.
Back to the sidewalk for the ped/bike bridge.
Back in Five Points!
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Tagged with: Training, Onroad, Steep, Difficult, High traffic, Urban, Rural, Scenic
