Final Savings for Cycling Events on Six Gap Weekend Available Online Through Sept. 22

Former Pro Cyclist Tom Danielson Offers Clinic Prior to Dahlonega Gold Criterium

DAHLONEGA, GA. (Sept. 19, 2019) - - The countdown is underway for cyclists to take advantage of the Summer Signup Specials for Six Gap Century events in the heart of the North Georgia Mountains. Online registration and a discount of $10 will conclude at 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 22 for the 31st edtion of the Six Gap Century and Three Gap Fifty. Close to 2,500 individuals are expected to participate in the three ride options offered on Sept. 29.

The Six Gap Century & Three Gap Fifty is an annual recreational bicycle ride that offers three routes, including the epic 104-mile ride across the six mountain passes made famous by the Tour de Georgia professional stage race. The Six Gap Century features 11,200 vertical feet of elevation gain. The toughest climb, Hogpen Gap, averages a gradient of seven percent for 7 miles and includes sections as steep as 15 percent. Other ride options include the Three Gap Fifty, a 58-mile course with 6,385 vertical feet of climbing, and a 35-mile Valley Ride. All individuals who complete online registration by Sept. 22 will receive a 15% discount on pre-orders of commemorative Six Gap jerseys.

Activities begin Saturday, Sept. 28 with the Bike Expo and Dahlonega Gold Criterium in downtown Dahlonega. A series of eight bicycle races will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with all races starting and finishing in front of the Holly Theatre on fresh pavement. A $5 discount with online registration is available throught Sept. 27. Part of the race loop will take cyclists around the Old Lumpkin County Courthouse, where the new Tantrum Brewing Beer Garden will be located next to the first turns of the course.

New at the Bike Expo is a free Ascend Six Gap Clinic from Cinch Cycling featuring former pro cyclist Tom Danielson. Beginning at 8:30 a.m., Danielson will present a fitness strategy and new climbing techniques for the Six Gap course, as well as discuss the right nutrition to riders through the event optimally. Afterwards, participants can join Danielson and Cinch Cycling for an easy social recon ride of the final 25 miles used for the Three Gap and Six Gap routes. Vendor booths for the Bike Expo will open at 9 a.m., with interactive displays, special merchandise, and product samples available until 6 p.m. Pre-registered rider check-in is available for Sunday’s Six Gap Century & Three Gap Fifty on the Visitors Center plaza during the Expo.

Information on the Dahlonega Gold Criterium

Each categorized race is timed, ranging from 30 to 60 minutes. Registration ranges from $15 for Juniors to $35 for Pro Men, and is available online. A total prize purse of $4,200 is up for grabs in five categories. Junior boys and girls race for medals, awarded by age groups of 10-12, 13-14, 15-16 and 17-18. All races are sanctioned by USA Cycling. Same-day registration will be available for some categorized races.

Information on Six Gap Century & Three Gap Fifty

There is one flat price for any of the three ride options. The Summer Signup Special is $76 through Sept. 22 - click here to access the online form. Each registration includes a custom T-shirt, snacks and beverages at multiple rest stops, changing rooms and showers, and a post-ride spaghetti dinner (from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.). After 12:01 a.m. on Sept. 23, online registration will be closed for all rides. Walk-up registrations will be $86 and will be taken on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and on Sunday, Sept. 29 from 6 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., if the limit of 2,500 riders has not been met. Fees are nonrefundable and the rides will take place rain or shine.

Event Sponsors

Among sponsors to join the weekend of festivities are Northside Hospital Sports Medicine, SunTrust Chestatee Ford, and Tantrum Brewing Company. New Community Sponsors include Free-Flite Bicycles, Consolidated Gold Mine, United Community Bank, and Lanier Restaurant Management Group. Free-Flite Bicycles will provide technical support on Hogpen Gap. The Six Gap Century & Three Gap Fifty will continue to support Georgia Bikes, a non-profit organization working to improve bicycling conditions and to promote bicycling throughout the state of Georgia. One dollar of every registration will be donated to Georgia Bikes to increase bicyclist safety through education, outreach, and better streets and trails.

The Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Chamber & Visitors Bureau owns and operates the Six Gap Century & Three Gap Fifty, as well as the Dahlonega Gold Criterium and Bike Expo. The Six Gap Century & Three Gap Fifty boasts many of the same roads and mountain climbs that were conquered during the Tour de Georgia professional stage race. The Six Gap Century’s ultra-challenging route features six of the steepest climbs in the North Georgia Mountains. It is the largest participant event of the year for the organization, which grows the economy, attracts visitors, advocates for all businesses, and develops leaders to promote the welfare of the community.

Six Gap By The Numbers

  2,500 registered riders
  104 miles for Six Gap/ 54 miles for Three Gap
  Neels Gap - 3,139 feet (957 meters) *
  Jack’s Gap - 2960 feet (902 meters)
  Unicoi Gap - 2,949 feet (899 meters)
  Hogpen Gap - 3,480 feet (1,061 meters)
  Wolf Pen Gap - 3,345 feet (1,019 meters) *
  Wood Gap - 3,200 feet (975 meters) *
  * also part of Three Gap route; times for Bike Expo are subject to change