Category: Training

  • State high point adventure to Tybee Island, Georgia

    825 mile ride to the coast via 60,000 feet of climbing in 5 states, including 4 state high points! 5 states, 4 state high points, 34 counties, lots of adventure! Click to enlarge and see detail. Title Distance Climbing Moving Time Elapsed Time Day 1 – AL to GAMt Cheaha (2407′) 184.6 mi 14,365 ft…

  • Cahaba River Adventure

    Kristine and the kids out on the shoals in the Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge outside West Blocton. I met them there 150+ miles into the ride. It was great to cool off and swim with them in the river amongst all the Cahaba River Lilies! The Cahaba River is the “longest free-flowing river in…

  • The Old Howard plus There and Back Again

    Listening to introductions from Samford University’s Rosemary Fisk before the start of the 12th annual Old Howard Century on the campus of Judson College nearby Samford’s original location in Marion, Alabama. The ride down to Old Howard “Let’s meet at the I-65 bridge at 3:15AM.” Sounds to me like planning a meeting with the mafia,…

  • Southern-style Paris-Brest-Paris – there and back again

    There and back again – topocreator county map showing my outbound route to Clemson in blue and my return route to Birmingham in red. 17 counties traversed on the outbound route, 18 counties traversed on the return route. Click to enlarge and see detail and annotations. I just finished reading the Lord of the Rings…

  • Climbing, climbing, and more climbing

    View this post on Instagram A post shared by Brian Toone (@kartoone76) It has been a busy week of riding and racing with the Cheaha Climbing camp on Thursday, the Southern Cross race on Saturday morning, and then following that up in the afternoon with a “5 Gap” ride up to the highest point in…

  • Shelby County mountains

    The ridges get larger and higher the farther east you go in Alabama — ultimately reaching 2407′ on top of Mount Cheaha, the highest point in Alabama. This elevation trend is true locally in Birmingham as the ridges stack on top of each other getting larger the farther east you go until you hit the…

  • topocreator.com sand mountain

    View this post on Instagram A post shared by Brian Toone (@kartoone76) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Brian Toone (@kartoone76) If you follow my instagram account, then you know that I’ve posted the picture of “The End of the Appalachians” sign several times. This sign is located in Tannehill State Park.…

  • Northwest Alabama and a tri-state commute home via the highest point in Mississippi

    ATV trail on the way to the top of Woodall Mountain, highest point in Mississippi. A video posted by Brian Toone (@kartoone76) on Feb 19, 2016 at 11:30am PST “Ok, google. Where is the highest point in Mississippi?” I asked my phone as I pedaled into a nasty headwind on the Natchez Trace Parkway. I…

  • Ridge to Ridge to Ridge

    Ridge to ridge to ridge ride plus elevation profile – elevation data annotated, no satellite imagery. Click to enlarge. Depending on your browser, you may have to click a second time on the image to zoom in and see the detail. My favorite geological feature in Birmingham is the long ridge lines that run northeast/southwest…

  • Mountains and valleys in the Alabama snow

    Snow showers visible from the top of Blount Mountain near the community of Straight Mountain, Alabama. For those that have done the Tour de Blue, this is the overlook that is used as a rest stop just past Walker Gap. During my Sleeping Giants adventure last week, I rode in shorts and a short sleeve…