Louisville, KY?

[BURCH]

Hey guys and girls,

I currently live in Norwalk, CT which has great mtn and road biking as well as awesome bike shops. Anyhow a great job opportunity came up in Louisville this week so I am trying to get the goods on that area. Anybody know anything about that place other than bourbon and horses? Curious about the local mountain and road cycling scene (if there is one).

Can't find any good mtb trail reviews on MTBR.com for Louisville itself.

Thanks.

[PhilG]

check out louisvillebicycleclub.org

[Wayne77]

Hey guys and girls,

I currently live in Norwalk, CT which has great mtn and road biking as well as awesome bike shops. Anyhow a great job opportunity came up in Louisville this week so I am trying to get the goods on that area. Anybody know anything about that place other than bourbon and horses? Curious about the local mountain and road cycling scene (if there is one).

Can't find any good mtb trail reviews on MTBR.com for Louisville itself.

Thanks.

I visit Louisville quite often on business. The town looks very bicycle friendly to me. Outside of Louisville you should be able to find plenty of roads that aren't too busy. Lots of rollers winding through very green countryside. As far as mtns, the only thing I have seen are alot of steep ridges and hills. Living in the Rockies, nothing there even comes close to "mtn status", in my book. I would call them "hills" or maybe, slight undulations in the countryside. :rolleyes: There should be plenty of very nice trails through the forests though.

[JohnS]

My brother lives a bit west in Owensboro. I know that the best mountain biking is across the river in the Hoosier Nat'l Forest in Indiana.

[OldDog]

A lifelong buddy lives outside Frankfurt, an hour or a bit less away. He is a member of LBC and often travels to event/rides. He enjoys it. In the Frankfut area the hills rise maybe 1000 + above the river valley, I can't say for Louisville proper.

He moved there 20 years ago and stayed put. When I visit I do not like to leave. Out side of Louisville, it's rural and gets hillier to the west. I like road riding there, though locals do let their dogs run. I've been chased by "packs" of dogs 20 strong. Good sprint training. Pedal or get mauled to death.

I did have the opportunity to pedal my mtn bike way down into Manmmouth Cave, a privatly set up deal. That was cool.

[Joel]

...about 10 years ago so this is dated...

Can't comment on the scene, but the roads are a decent mix. Since Louisville sits on / near the bluffs of the Ohio river there are some excellent rolling hills. The roads onto, near and up and down the bluffs have quite a few sharp steep climbs. I loved the variety and selection of roads to use when we lived there, and for the most part I could ride all year round.

Once you get 'out of town' there are many country roads that are delightful for riding on. As pointed out earlier dogs are frequently around for good sprint training.

The thing to check out is how far the city has been built up. Most of the roads I'm referencing are on the east end of town and that is where a lot of development has gone on.

It's certainly worth checking out in person. If you go take a drive out US 42 East of town past Goshen, past Skylight to 524 which is a little loop road down to the river. Gives you a good sense of the riding.

Best,

Joel

[sbinzer]

Bike community is huge. As someone said before, check out Bicyclelouisville.org, one of the largest and most active clubs in the country.

-Many organized rides
-Active racing, 5 area teams, hosted USCF nationals in 2003.
-Mtn bike trails within the city, and others within a 45 min drive.
-Good mix of terrain
-Current Mayor and staff working to make Louisville as bike friendly as Boulder Co.

I would certainly check it out.

Scott
502-452-8578
502-291-6328