Gator Grind Prologue (2/27)Racing the Ridge (3/20)Crush the Capital (4/3)Rise Above Sunrise (4/24)Hammer the Hammock (5/15)
Gator Grind Prologue
February 26th, 27th, 2022
Loyce E. Harpe Park [MAP]
300 West Carter Road – Mulberry, FL 33860
We will kick off season three in the central part of the state on the wonderful trails at Loyce E. Harpe Park, otherwise known as Carter Road. The single track at Carter Road is built on the rugged terrain of what was once a phosphate mining site offering a little something for everyone from beginners to advanced riders. Student-athletes will experience a fun but challenging course that starts off on a wide dirt road that transitions into a grass run (don’t burn yourself out yet!). Then the trail flows into single track that meanders around scenic lakes, traverses up and down ridges and ends with a section of tight, twisty, single track that takes them to the finish. Plan to spend the rest of your weekend riding the trails at this incredible destination mountain bike haven!
What is a FICL Prologue… a preliminary time trial held before a race series to establish staging and category placement. This will be a 1 lap race with individual awards for every category and 50 bonus points awarded for the season total points for all participants in the high school categories. Riders will stage with their assigned categories (8th boys, 7th boys, etc.) starting 15 minutes before their wave start time. Riders will begin at 15 second intervals and go out on this fun, fast course!
Race #1 – Racing the Ridge
March 19th, 20th, 2022
Caloosahatchee Regional Park [MAP]
N Park Entrance Rd, Alva, FL 33920 (N Park Entrance)
Season three’s first mass start race will take place in Southwest FL at Caloosahatchee Regional Park in Alva, FL near Ft. Myers. Trails at CRP are composed of fast, flat open areas that are intermixed with areas that cut through the natural canopy providing a very scenic ride. There are plenty of small but steep drops and climbs to keep things interesting and we know this will be a season favorite! Student-athletes will start off in an open field and work their way towards single-track that is full of ups and downs in an open area that is perfect for all of our spectators. The trail then continues into the canopy and twists and turns along a ridge until eventually returning into an open field towards the finish line or feed zone for those turning multiple laps.
Race #2 – Crush the Capital
April 2nd, 3rd, 2022
JR Alford Greenway Park
2500 Pedrick Rd, Tallahassee, FL 32317
Race number two finds us visiting the state capital of Tallahassee and spending the weekend at J.R. Alford Greenway. With more than 17 miles of multi-use trails, this park offers a wide variety of activities for many different users such as cyclists, runners, hikers, horseback riders, nature lovers and dog walkers! This is a true gem of a location for a FL NICA event. Wide open spaces with beautiful views and trails leading to naturally wooded forests and lakes all teeming with a diversity of wildlife. But the real reason we are all here is the trails! Race number two will truly test all of our student-athletes in a good way offering a course with a diversity of fun terrain and plenty of climbing to write home about. Riders will start on an open grass field and climb toward a doubletrack gravel trail. This will lead to some more double track dirt trails which take riders to two fun, twisty, flowy, fast singletrack sections that will leave all riders with a large smile on their face. This is a true cross country riding experience with a little over 300’ of elevation gain per lap!
Race #3 – Rise Above Sunrise
April 23rd, 24th, 2022
Markham Park
16001 W. State Rd. 84 – Sunrise, FL 33326
Race number three finds us visiting the southern part of the state and Markham Park in Broward County, FL. This park, which is located in Sunrise, FL, has just over 10 miles of trails of varying degrees of difficulty. There isn’t a lot of change in elevation, but the terrain changes frequently from classic singletrack, to rock gardens, fast flowy berms, or steep technical climbs and descents. In addition to these traditional biking trails, a number of wider and more gradual adaptive trails have been introduced that are designed specifically for off road hand-cranked bikes.
Race #4 – Hammer the Hammock
May 14th, 15th, 2022
San Felasco State Park
13201 Progress Blvd., Alachua, FL 32615
Race number four finds us in Alachua, FL at San Felasco State Park. With nearly 40 miles of flowing single-track mountain bike trails that wind through numerous ecosystems in the Hammock Preserve, there is a little bit of something for everyone. This is one of Florida’s truest traditional cross-country trails with double track roads, grass fields and plenty of single-track climbing with a handful of roots to keep you on your toes. Student-athletes will experience a fun but challenging course that starts off on a wide dirt road that transitions into a short section of single track that leads to an open field with grass. From here riders eventually get back on the single-track trail which is filled with twisting turns and roots and eventually drops you back out into a grassy climb to the finish. Plan to spend the rest of your weekend riding the trails at this incredible destination mountain bike haven and we’re sure you will see your fair share of wildlife!