|
Wheelchair Accessibility = good heading east, very large hill heading west
The Grady Road Trailhead is at mile marker 45.88 on the Silver Comet Trail and has paved parking.
Across the street from the Grady Road Trailhead is the Grady Road Landfill and the infamous "Surprise Hill" which is affectionately known to some as "Mount Trashmore." Surprise Hill is taller than it looks, often in the direct hot sunlight, and once you get to the top - surprise! - there are more rolling hills that continue west to Cedartown along with an unexpectedly sharp turn.
Additional surprises include:
1. Rocks of various sizes that roll onto the trail just waiting to toss you off your bike.
2. Sharp Turn and hills that have blind spots - Avoid drifting into the other lane because you may not be able to see bike riders traveling in the opposite direction when they pop over a hill or around a turn, and they may be moving fast.
3. Unexpectedly picking up too much speed - The hills are steeper than they look and its easy to go faster than you're comfortable with.
4. Brakes that are not properly adjusted, have old stiff pads, or haven't been tested in a while - Brakes that work well on the rest of the trail may only slow you down on the steeper hills. At the bottom of Surprise Hill is Grady Rd, and if your brakes are bad, you may wind up crossing the road without the ability to fully stop - bad news if a car is coming.
5. Overheating - Some of the steeper rolling hills are in the direct sun. Take your time, bring plenty to drink, and be careful not to overheat.
6. It's OK to walk your bike up or down the hills and around that sharp turn, especially Surprise Hill. Resources:
|
|
|
