This is a nice rolling route through the rural Piedmont region. From Snow Camp to Green Level it covers the same territory as the NCBC 200 brevet, but with a differing route to provide some variation and uses some quieter and perhaps slightly shorter and maybe hillier roads. Since these roads see less traffic, they get less maintenance and may have a few minor surface blemishes.
The start (Greensboro Train Depot) is about 500' higher than the finish (Raleigh Train Depot), so overall the route is downhill. That said there ARE some climbs throughout, especially in the last 25 miles (east of Jordan Lake). Biggest descent: Jack Bennett Rd approaching Lake Jordan. Biggest climb: Highhouse Rd by Bond Park in Cary.
There are few stores on this route, so traffic and roadside litter are both low (outside of Cary-Raleigh). After mile 16, it's almost 40 miles to the next store, so stock up! (There are a couple of stores just a bit off the route but, unless you know where they are, you won't find them.)
Two off-route stores are located at:
- NC-62 at Alamance Ch Rd (1005)
- (Frosty's) Crawford Dairy Rd at Hamlet's Chapel Rd
The Amtrak fare, one-way, with bike is about $ 16.00.
