Words and photos by Epic Rider Simon Kessler

From extreme south-central Pennsylvania, the Blue Ridge Mountain Range run south and west and comprise of the majority of the Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachians are a loose-knit series of mountain ranges that extend from Maine to Alabama and include portions of New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. These mountains formed the greatest barrier to the westward movement of European and American settlers until the 19th century.



On a long weekend in March, I traveled with the NeilPryde Bikes representative for North America, Clive de Sousa, to the golfing community of Big Canoe which is located in the foothills of North Georgia Appalachians, about an hour north of Atlanta. Big Canoe, just outside of Jasper, is the perfect launch pad to test our Alize and Diablo bikes on some great roads.

Leaving the busy city roads behind in Florida, it was with a breath of fresh air that we headed out for our first ride. Heavy wooded vegetation, leaf-less from a cold winter, painted a brown landscape as far as the eye could see. The wooded scenery encapsulated quiet country roads with unrelenting up-and-down terrain, sure to fatigue the legs in a short time.





We quickly forgot how fortunate we were to be cycling on such unspoiled roads, the voyage of discovery drawing us fully in to the present moment with its new sights, sounds and smells. The sunny weather, not always a feature of this time of year, was welcomed and made for perfect riding.
I have known Clive since the 90s when I called South Africa home. We both raced on the local Johannesburg cycling scene in the “schoolboy” and “juvenile” categories. While pedaling along side-by-side, it was fun to reminisce on earlier times racing and living on another continent that now feels like a world away.

The 19th Century settlers to this area would have surely marveled at the technological advances of today and the bicycles we cycled on. We too marveled at the technological advancements of the bikes of today compared to our racing days back in South Africa in the early 90s. Who would have thought back in the 90s when bikes weighed over 20lbs and had 14 gears, that we would be riding these amazing lightweight machines of today!



The town of Dahlonega which is 40 miles to the east of Jasper is well known for its great cycling. The 6-Gap century takes place here every year with over 10,000 feet of climbing and 6 big “Gaps’ or mountains on the schedule. The downside to the popularity of these roads is that on weekends many cyclist and motor bikers race through the narrow mountain lanes. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the roads in this part of the Georgia Appalachians were far less traveled and made for infrequent passers-by, making for a truly enjoyable and stress-free cycling experience.



The most challenging climbs that stood in our path leaving from Jasper were a little over 2 miles to summit. Some of the climbs made up for their short distance with a steep gradient which at times required the zigzag technique to conquer gracefully. Clive’s sense of adventure took us off on to the occasional gravel road, not a requirement for cycling in this area, but making the ride that much more “epic”.



Before this trip to Georgia, my Alize had distinguished itself admirably on the fast, flat and windy roads of Florida but had yet to experience true climbing and descending. I was anxious to see how it would handle on fast and twisty descents. From experience, I know how different bikes can feel at speed based on frame geometry. Once we had climbed to the Georgia Parkway with its incredible views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a fast and twisty descent awaited us. With mild apprehension, I followed Clive down the descent, with its high speed sweeping turns. To my delight, the Alize tracked like a champ and felt safe and in control at high speed.





During our ride Clive and I compared notes on the different characteristics of the Diablo and Alize model bikes. We both agreed that although they are both similar, the Diablo is the aggressive hill killer or sprinting bike, while the Alize is the “can do everything” bike with its aerodynamic qualities and very comfortable feel.
Our weekend of cycling totaled around 80 miles. Not “epic” In some cyclists definition, but for Clive and I, sharing a great ride with a good friend on beautiful, quiet roads will always be “epic”.