Sugar Bottom - Oxford

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Iowa City, IA, US

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Route Overview

Ride SE Iowa

Road / Gravel / Touring

48 mi.

2,437 ft.

A mix of hills and flat roads takes you through Sugar Bottom Recreation Area to North Liberty, IA. From there you ride on to the small town of Oxford, IA, and then back to Iowa City.

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Route Details

This is a favorite Iowa City longer group ride. It is all paved with some chipseal and mostly older pavement. As you can see from the route profile, there are some good Iowa climbs and some long flat sections. This route starts from College Green Park and there is usually parking around the park, or there are parking ramps close to the park in downtown Iowa City. North Liberty and Oxford have convenience stores, restaurants, and pubs. Know your fitness level and look at the profile of this route, and plan for wind, as this ride can be pretty challenging. You could ride this route any time of the year, but it is best when the snow is clear from the roadway shoulders.

# Route
* Park: around @point[College Green Park](d,4.8) or in a @poi[downtown parking ramp](56995826)
* Initial Section: @slice[Getting out of Iowa City, be careful with traffic](d,340.18,1585.99).
* Interesting Points: @point[Mehaffey Bridge](d,20648.67) offers a beautiful look over the Iowa River
* Climbs / Descents: At @slice[mile 10 be careful on the descent](d,16312.66,16882.51) as the curve at the bottom often has sand. After this descent there is a good climb called @slice[The Pepsi Challenge](d,16977.02,17422.73). Out of Oxford at mile 31 @slice[there is a long gradual climb](d,50109.59,52255.1). Enjoy!
* Be sure to be careful when approaching busy highways. I have marked them on the route with caution POI's
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# Notes
* There are plenty of way to make this route shorter if you would like to modify the route. You could turn in from @point[North Liberty](d,24498.83), or @point[turn to go though Tiffin](d,30616.45).
* Normal cycling gear for 50-mile rides and Iowa weather.
* Moderate to high fitness level recommended.
* Plenty of chance to get supplies. Preview the route to see convenience stores and restaurants.

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Sugar Bottom - Oxford

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