Todd said:
"I would guess that Smokey Mountains (N. Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee) and Appalacians(sp?) in West Virginia would have some interesting routes, too. Do we have any members who can comment on these or maybe the Ozarks in Missouri?"
The Southern Appalachians have some fun and challenging riding - but we get a significant amount of rain normally - so the weather can be challenging at times. There's plenty of climbing to be had - I did my first 200k brevet last Saturday with our local RUSA chapter which included 23,000'+ of climbing - including many of the roads/climbs that are typically in the Tour of Georgia. It's sensational riding when the weather is good!
In this part of the country, it's best to stay off dirt roads when you're clad in cycling gear. ("You got purty lips" - where's my banjo).
Roman Stankus
Atlanta, Ga.
USA