Biking the Thermal Belt Rail Trail | Forest City to Gilkey, NC

Twenty-seven miles of rail trail (out-and-back) that connects five towns...it's an all-day adventure fueled by locally-made donuts and Mexican food! Forest City, Spindale, Rutherfordton, Ruth and Gilkey, NC are located in a thermal belt, hence the name. All five communities share this great trail, which features a church from the early 1800s and a historic site from the days of the North Carolina Gold Rush. Check out the Thermal Belt Rail Trail with me!
See my previous video on the Purple Martin Greenway in Rutherfordton here: • Biking the Purple Mart...

Пікірлер: 82

  • @truckinggeorge
    @truckinggeorge Жыл бұрын

    In the early days of forest city ,b4 it was incorporated and was named. the downtown area you saw today burned down so completely that the only thing left was a chimney that was badly scorched (burned) as the town was being rebuilt that was the only landmark that let you know where you were and that's how it was described and the name just stuck until the town commissioners changed it.Fun Fact, each of the trees you saw, that line the sidewalks, was planted in memorial of a resident that made the ultimate sacrifice during WW2, each of the trees had a plaque in the sidewalk with the name of the resident and date of death and where they died. Those plaques had to be removed as the trees grew and began to buckle the sidewalks. They are now in a special memorial garden located in the Cool Springs cemetery right behind what was Cool Springs School and is now the Rutherford County board of education.

  • @truckinggeorge

    @truckinggeorge

    Жыл бұрын

    For a real treat visit between thanksgiving and christmas for the christmas lights and carriage rides.

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you for that added layer of history! I do plan to ride that trail again when the Christmas lights are up. Maybe at that time I can convey some of the details that you shared.

  • @JustinSmith-st6vx
    @JustinSmith-st6vx Жыл бұрын

    Live local and love the trail- you need to come back at Christmas- Forest City turns into a winter wonderland!

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    Жыл бұрын

    Yes! I was reading about that online. Definitely need to come up again in December. I live only about an hour away.

  • @drudewitt
    @drudewitt Жыл бұрын

    This video makes me so happy! My husband and I are planning a 5-day trip in our RV to the area and are looking forward to riding this trail. I can't wait to watch more of your videos. Thanks!

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks! You will definitely enjoy it.

  • @MRGreen79
    @MRGreen79 Жыл бұрын

    Great video of our Trail!

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks! I enjoyed it very much. That was my second time, driving from South Carolina, just to ride that trail. It's a keeper.

  • @RichardMooreAndJulieMoore
    @RichardMooreAndJulieMoore Жыл бұрын

    Another wonderful video. This looks like a great trail to ride, although the 35 road crossings are painful. The nighttime bridge lights are very cool.

  • @101mazz

    @101mazz

    10 ай бұрын

    35 isn't bad at all when some roads have 4 cars on it all day.

  • @kathysnell
    @kathysnell Жыл бұрын

    We've ridden this trail many times and love it! We get off the trail and also do the Purple Martin Greenway which adds a few more miles but it's a beautiful ride.

  • @AnnieDance
    @AnnieDance Жыл бұрын

    This is great. I ride the trail with my service dog in his bike trailer. He’ll ride in that for a couple miles then walk/run/bikejoring for a mile around the Ruth area where there’s definitely that side grass. 🐶

  • @FollowThomas
    @FollowThomas Жыл бұрын

    I like your vlogging style.👍 At some point I'm gonna ride this trail and gonna check out that famous donut place. 👍

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks!

  • @kevinwisler4547
    @kevinwisler45474 ай бұрын

    Lol, you eat junk food when you ride, so do I. I usually have ice cream after the ride. That looks like a really cool trail. Just a tip, wear biking shorts, then wear sweat pants or baggy shorts over top of them. Forget the jeans. I used to wear jeans when biking. One of the best things I did was to switch to athletic clothes and later start wearing biking shorts underneath. The biking shorts really help with saddle discomfort.

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    4 ай бұрын

    Thanks for the tip… yeah, I don’t often put a lot of thought into what I’m wearing, and sometimes I’m sorry later!

  • @EbikeFloridaRailTrails
    @EbikeFloridaRailTrails Жыл бұрын

    Great video!! Really well done! Thank you

  • @billysbikesbrews7183
    @billysbikesbrews7183 Жыл бұрын

    Very well done 🎥🚴‍♂️.. I’ve biked Thermal Belt Rail Trail a few times.. Nice Touch.. bike ride & explore the history, new coffeehouses, pastries, interesting restaurants.. A Full Tank of Gas Road Trips are all around US 🚴‍♂️😎

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks! I'm just having fun. I'm pretty much limited to weekend day trips right now. But retirement looms...

  • @billysbikesbrews7183

    @billysbikesbrews7183

    Жыл бұрын

    @@joyfultrails Good For you.. I retired 15 months ago.. for bigger bike adventures.. you’re really good at it.. Keep it up.. 🎥🚴‍♂️😎👍🍩

  • @leegandysdroid
    @leegandysdroid Жыл бұрын

    Okay, so that looks like a destination right there. I've already researched where to camp close by or at least close enough to make it a day trip. Looks like Kings Mountain fits the bill. Thanks for another great video! I'm glad I found this channel. God bless.

  • @encoremultimedia3511
    @encoremultimedia3511 Жыл бұрын

    Really well done and very enjoyable to watch. Thanks for taking on the ride.

  • @bentrider
    @bentrider8 ай бұрын

    I have always thought that your voice and accent sounds a lot like John Denver's. When you said the words "slap your grandma", it brought back memories of an interview I saw with him many years ago.

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    8 ай бұрын

    I’ve never been told that before! I don’t really know that much about him… This is making me want to google him. 😬

  • @101mazz
    @101mazz10 ай бұрын

    We live here, great to see it showcased and enjoyed.

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    10 ай бұрын

    I’ll be back in December; I hear y’all go all out for Christmas!

  • @ummbatata
    @ummbatata Жыл бұрын

    I want to ride with you! Subscribing and setting off to work my way through your archive.

  • @cherylnewell9912
    @cherylnewell991210 ай бұрын

    Very nice

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    9 ай бұрын

    Thanks!

  • @FirebrewTV
    @FirebrewTV7 ай бұрын

    Great video, Forest City and Rutherford County is a great place. Another rail trail is being built in nearby Shelby, NC. The first mile segment opened this past fall. Called the Carolina Harmony Trail it will connect with other trails and stretch over 20 miles to the SC border and will pass through Shelby’s uptown and the towns of Lattimore, Patterson Springs, and Earl.

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    7 ай бұрын

    Wow, thanks for the info. That'll be nice when it's all done.

  • @GamingOnTheRails019
    @GamingOnTheRails019 Жыл бұрын

    The Thermal Belt Rail Trail got its name from the Thermal Belt Railway (TBRY) who owned the tracks before the trail came about.

  • @PlayingInVestapol
    @PlayingInVestapol7 ай бұрын

    I want to get one of those Drones that can be programed to follow me. The only complaint that I and other who use this trail daily is the Homeless that hangout on the side of the trail during the day.

  • @thomasm2161
    @thomasm2161 Жыл бұрын

    Nice vid of my city

  • @billysbikesbrews7183
    @billysbikesbrews7183 Жыл бұрын

    You were right 🍩 This Orange Twist Donut 🍩 🍊 at Davis Donut House is Phenomenal.. a quick bike ride on the Thermal Belt then heading to Greenville for a doubleheader of bike rides if your available later for a bike ride.. you can show me Unity Park.. maybe a snack at Swamp Rabbit Cafe 🚴‍♂️😎

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    Жыл бұрын

    Awesome! Unfortunately, I came in to work at 12 because I have to work over tonight. But the weather's great today, you should have a nice time of it. There may be a little extra traffic, as the Scottish Highland Games are happening at Furman University this weekend and there's a Scottish parade downtown tonight at 6.

  • @billysbikesbrews7183

    @billysbikesbrews7183

    Жыл бұрын

    @@joyfultrails I’m in no rush 🙂

  • @RetroHGenX
    @RetroHGenXАй бұрын

    We just rode the thermal belt RT today. The hottest day of the year and we both have mild sunburns but our engwe e-bikes handled it with no issues. Not sponsored. Lol

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    Ай бұрын

    Awesome! It’s a lovely trail.

  • @JayJoJonny
    @JayJoJonny10 ай бұрын

    I like your road bike videos though I have to chuckle when you talk about Dragon Buffet in CLT & butter shrimp, now Davis Donuts, what's up? Is this a new carb loading trend?

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    10 ай бұрын

    Ha! Yeah, well...I never said this was a health food channel... 😆

  • @JayJoJonny

    @JayJoJonny

    10 ай бұрын

    @@joyfultrails 😳

  • @christyvance2770
    @christyvance277011 ай бұрын

    Looking forward to adding this to our list. What is the name of the song playing middle of the video?

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    11 ай бұрын

    That's a song titled "Still Waters" by a group called Marshall McFerrin.

  • @johnlowry5311
    @johnlowry5311 Жыл бұрын

    Beautiful trail even with all the crossroads. Who was that singing during the video of the trail

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    Жыл бұрын

    I use a service called Artlist for my music. I’ll have to check on that and get back to you…

  • @johnlowry5311

    @johnlowry5311

    Жыл бұрын

    @@joyfultrails thank you

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    Жыл бұрын

    @@johnlowry5311 That's a song called "Still Waters" by Marshall McFerrin. From an album titled "Spirited."

  • @johnlowry5311

    @johnlowry5311

    Жыл бұрын

    @@joyfultrails Thank you so much. That was very kind of you to get that

  • @MacedoinaChoirs
    @MacedoinaChoirs Жыл бұрын

    I ride there sometimes twice a week. How have I missed Davis Donut House?

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    Жыл бұрын

    I saw where it was recommended online somewhere. It really was good. Couldn't go inside, though. The creme-filled donut was amazing!

  • @garyleiendecker631
    @garyleiendecker631 Жыл бұрын

    I see some of the road crossings have double bollards / posts. They look close together, have you seen recumbent trikes or bikes with full panniers fitting between these posts? Thanks.

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    Жыл бұрын

    You know, that's a great question... I don't have panniers, so I'm not sure exactly how much space they take up. But I can see where that might be a concern.

  • @AnnieDance

    @AnnieDance

    Жыл бұрын

    Great point, I have a bike with a dog trailer so turning can be a challenge near those. They’re mainly so cars don’t accidentally or purposely end up on the trail.

  • @MacedoinaChoirs
    @MacedoinaChoirs Жыл бұрын

    I've gotta do a night ride this Summer

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    Жыл бұрын

    I want to ride it at Christmastime. People say it's amazing.

  • @hankjoiner7692
    @hankjoiner76928 ай бұрын

    First time watching. Do you always ride without a helmet?

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    8 ай бұрын

    No, not always. Depends on the situation.

  • @PlayingInVestapol
    @PlayingInVestapol7 ай бұрын

    Gilkey has a population of 2,540? No way. Other than that Sawmill and a Church. That's the only activities' happening there. I keep saying when I get back to the end of the trail, I'll drive to see what else is there.

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    7 ай бұрын

    Yeah…I don’t think that number is accurate. I guess you can’t believe everything you read on the internet!

  • @markdulken6126
    @markdulken61262 ай бұрын

    Where's your helmet?

  • @titusyeti2
    @titusyeti211 ай бұрын

    Nice one! I've enjoyed several of your vids. The east coast greenway is right out my door if your ever in Titusville for a launch it's worth doing. There is another trail nearby that has two different springs you can visit while riding. Cheers

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    11 ай бұрын

    Florida? I need to get down there! Well, I’ve been many times, of course, like most people… But I’ve never ridden any bike trails in Florida. Hopefully I’ll be able to branch out further once I I no longer have the 40-hour-a-week day job to go to..

  • @OhTerrful
    @OhTerrful Жыл бұрын

    Gilkey is a community not a town.

  • @pedrofernandez8729
    @pedrofernandez8729 Жыл бұрын

    If you got an e bike, your subs would double

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    Жыл бұрын

    Hmmm... I'm probably a year or 2 away from getting one.

  • @pedrofernandez8729

    @pedrofernandez8729

    Жыл бұрын

    @@joyfultrails If you reach out to e bike companies, I am sure they will send you one of theirs for you to try out, especially since you're new at it. Trust me , there are e bike channels without the quality content you have, that get more subs and views because of the subject matter. Your production values and content are very, very good.

  • @scottbachmann1962

    @scottbachmann1962

    Жыл бұрын

    @@pedrofernandez8729 Thank you. Making these videos has become kind of a passion for me so I really appreciate you saying that.

  • @unicorn_sparkles_8945

    @unicorn_sparkles_8945

    7 ай бұрын

    @@scottbachmann1962 He's not lying, I feel like other videos of the area look like it was filmed by somebody's dog

  • @DRichard-zm5yw
    @DRichard-zm5yw Жыл бұрын

    Wear a helmet

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    Жыл бұрын

    I understand your concern. But I came of age and started loving bikes back in a time when there was no such thing as bike helmets. If there had been, I may have never started riding in the first place. I don't ride on streets with cars. I ride FLAT riverwalks, greenways, and rail trails. I have assessed the risk (which is minimal).

  • @user-vo3ef9xl2n

    @user-vo3ef9xl2n

    Жыл бұрын

    @@joyfultrails Hmmm. I guess old habits are hard to break. I just wish you were more of a cycling advocate. If you were, you’d promote helmets, especially when kids see you. It’s a”minimal risk” until your head hits the ground.

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    Жыл бұрын

    @@user-vo3ef9xl2n When I see little kids wearing helmets it literally makes me sad. It's most likely being pushed by their overprotective, millennial, helicopter parents...and it's very likely going to cause the kid to never fall in love with cycling. I see little kids riding bicycles so small that they still require training wheels...and the kid is being forced by their parents (or by misguided laws) to wear a helmet that is obviously uncomfortable and hot, causing the kid's head to sweat. I think this will lead to a lot of kids having a negative association with biking. Even if the kid fell over...they're already low to the ground to begin with. When I fell in love with bicycles as a kid, we jumped ramps (imitating Evel Knievel) constructed of plywood and concrete blocks. Helmets were not even sold in stores. We had a blast.

  • @emaglott

    @emaglott

    Жыл бұрын

    Well seeing the response to this point literally makes me sad. I also came of age in probably the same time as the youtuber. We didn't pay much attention to "safety" and I definitely have peers who didn't make it or had life changing injuries. I guess I was lucky I was "skeerd" and made it to adulthood mostly intact lol. Now a grownup who always wears a helmet and it takes nothing from my experience of riding. Maybe I push the edge a little bit more because I'm looking out for my future?

  • @joyfultrails

    @joyfultrails

    Жыл бұрын

    @@emaglott I watched a KZread video recently where they used data and statistics to debunk the almost religious zeal that is applied to bike helmets (by a lot of people). The fact is that you are statistically no more likely to sustain a head injury from riding a bike than from walking or jogging, and yet we see no one wearing a helmet just to go for a walk or a run. I just wish the disapproving Karens could mind their own business.