VERDICT North Georgia's wine country serves up proper climbing with a civilized finish—Winding Stair Gap separates the tourists from the locals.
A training plan for Southern Cross Gravel—shaped to your fitness and the hours you have.
Punchy Georgia mountain gravel with a winery finish and the best post-race party in the Southeast.
Steady cult following. 250-300 riders annually. Regional Southeast field with repeat participants. Founded in DATA NOT FOUND. By Mountain Goat Adventures.
Photo: YouTube / Gravel Cyclist
Photo: YouTube / Gravel CyclistThe approximately 50-mile flagship gains about 5,500 feet on mostly gravel roads with some pavement and pasture or trail sections. It has two major sustained climbs and two long descents, with grass in the final half mile to Montaluce Winery.
Signature challenge: One aid station, visited twice: 50mi riders must clear Winding Stair Gap (mile 12) by 12:30 PM or get redirected onto the 30mi course back to Montaluce Winery.
These events are not corporate not expensive and in some cases free and epitomize the true meaning of Grassroots gravel cycling versus just calling themselves Grassroots gravel cycling
Gravel Cyclist · 4.7K views
Despite being free this event has many sponsors that give back to the community in fact the event supports a local scholarship that goes towards postsecondary education
Gravel Cyclist · 4.7K views
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March in North Georgia is a weather lottery—you might start at 35°F and finish at 70°F, or get caught in cold rain that turns the course into a mud nightmare. The 2023 edition saw 18% DNFs partly due to wet conditions. Temperature swings demand layering strategy, and mud risk is real. Similar climate challenges to SBT GRVL.[3]
Mass start at 10 AM sends 30mi and 50mi riders off together in self-seeded corrals, which can create early bottlenecks before the field spreads out on the first gravel sector. Packet pickup runs Friday 4-8 PM or Saturday 7:00-9:30 AM at Montaluce Winery. Dahlonega's small-town infrastructure handles the 250-300 rider field adequately, but there's no shuttle service if you drop out mid-course.[14]
Remote Chattahoochee National Forest sections put riders in wilderness where mechanicals matter and cell service is unreliable. The course crosses the Appalachian Trail at 4 points during peak thru-hiker season, and vehicle traffic shares the same Forest Service roads. Creek proximity and loose, torn-up terrain create backcountry conditions far from suburban bike paths.[1]
A solid regional race that draws 250-300 riders but hasn't broken into the national gravel conversation. Mountain Goat Adventures knows how to put on a race, but this isn't Unbound or Belgian Waffle Ride territory. The North Georgia location and March timing keep it from attracting the heavy hitters who are either training or racing bigger early-season events.[13]
If you can handle 6,200 feet of punchy Georgia climbs over 50 miles and aren't fazed by potential mud lottery conditions, this delivers solid suffering with the best post-race scene in the Southeast. Skip it if you need extensive aid station coddling or panic at the thought of 35-degree starts. Compact gearing and 40mm+ tires aren't suggestions—they're survival equipment.
Research sources used to build this race profile. Always verify details with official race sources before making travel or registration decisions.