Where:  Huntersville, NC (just north of Charlotte off I-77)
Ride Distance:  58 miles
Terrain:  Rolling with a few good climbs.  Somewhat hilly ride leaving Huntersville thru Davidson to Mooresville and back.  Popular route among locals.

I love this 58 mile loop.  It combines all the best of what you're looking for in a 3 hour ride:  beautiful countryside, challenging climbs and fast flats.  This route also serves as a good base route for expanding into even longer and more challenging rides into the beautiful Carolina countryside.

Directions to the departure site from I-77.  Take Exit 23 and head east on Gilead Rd.  Travel approximately one mile and after crossing Highway 115 (Old Statesville Rd.), take your second left onto N. Main St.  Park in the parallel parking located to your right adjacent to the train tracks, directly across from the Farmer's Market. 

Turn-by-turn ride directions:

1. Head south on N. Main St. for a few yards and turn left at stop sign onto SR-2448 (College St., which will turn into Huntersville-Concord Rd.).
2. Stay on Huntersville-Concord Rd. for 3.5 miles and turn left at stop sign onto SR-2426 (Hiwassee Rd.).
3. Hiwassee Rd. for almost one mile and turn left at the stop sign onto SR-2427 (Ramah Church Rd.).
4. Ramah Church Rd. for 0.2 mile and turn right onto SR-2427 (McCord Rd).
5. McCord Rd. for 0.5 mile and turn right onto SR-2428 (Black Farm Rd.).
6. Black Farm Rd. for 2.1 miles (turns into Mayes Rd. after crossing Highway 73) and turn right onto Barnhart Rd.
7. Barnhart Rd. for 0.7 miles and turn left onto Davidson-Concord Rd.
8. Davidson-Concord Rd. for 1.3 miles and turn right onto E. Rocky River Rd.
9. E. Rocky River Rd. for 2.3 miles (first short climb of the day) and turn left onto Shearers Rd.
10. Shearers Rd. for 7.5 miles (you're now in Mooresville).  Turn right onto College St.
11. College St. for 0.3 miles and turn right at stoplight onto Church St.
12. Church St. for 1.6 miles and turn left at stop sign onto E. Stewart Avenue.
13. E. Stewart for 100 yds. then right at stop sign onto N. Main St.
14. N. Main St. for 0.3 miles and turn right onto SR-1150 (Linwood Rd.).
15. Linwood Rd. (which will change into SR-1353, Deal Rd.) for 9.2 miles and come to stop sign at Highway 152.
16. Cross over Highway 152 and Deal Rd. changes to Concordia Church Rd.  Stay on Concordia Church for 0.9 miles and turn left onto SR-1554 Corriher Springs Rd.
17. Corriher Springs for 1.8 miles and turn left onto Corriher Grange Rd.
18. Corriher Grange quickly turns into Jackson Rd.  Stay on this road for 3.3 miles and turn left onto Highway 152.
19. Highway 152 for 1.1 miles and turn right onto Unity Church Rd.   

To be continued..............