Best reports from Bike Ride Across Georgia

DAY FIVE AND SIX

Friday was a tough day for me.  The ride was 63 miles, but I had TWO FLAT tires at about 30 miles and could not finish the day’s ride.  Mrs. Judy came to my rescue and picked me up after I was out of tires and tubes.  A cut tire was the culprit so I had to buy another tire to finish my journey on Saturday. I guess thats the chance you take when you ride on over 350 miles of back roads!

The final day was a short ride from Washington to Clark’s Hill Lake on the South Carolina border.  Washington has a beautiful downtown area with nice shops and food.  The homes were from the antebellum period and were amazing.

We finished Saturday morning about 9:30 and headed back to Cairo, tired, but excited that we had accomplished our third BRAG!

I’ll share more in this week’s edition of the Messenger.

DAY FOUR
 
We finished Day 4 on BRAG about 11:30 this morning.  We left out earlier than normal to beat the Athens traffic. Three cyclists were serious injured yesterday when they were hit by a car in the busy traffic.  We had no problems today except we noticed my back tire was just about shredded due to rode wear and mileage.  My good friend Marty switched tires out for me and I’m ready to roll on new tires.
 
Today’s ride was the best overall by far, 56 miles with great weather and beautiful scenery.  We traveled across the longest covered bridge in Georgia  at Watson Mill State Park and got to see the “Georgia Guidestones.”  If your not familiar with this point of interest, it is a granite monument, much like an American version of  “Stonehenge” inscribed in several different languages.
 
Tonight we are in Elberton, the granite capital of the world.  We missed touring the Granite Museum because we were busy buying me tires.
 
Tomorrow we are off to Washington, Georgia, a 63 mile ride.  There are only two days left on BRAG!

 

DAY 3
 
Today’s ride was the longest of the six day Bike Ride Across Georgia.  We traveled 65 miles from Dahlonega to Athens.  Marty, Larry and myself adourned red and black riding gear today in honor of our destination city of the home of the Georgia Bulldogs.
 
The ride included some smaller mountains to climb but the story of the day was the heat.  The temperature guage on my bike computer registered 102 degrees today! Everyone in the Cairo group completed the ride and we even ran up on Sheila Dalton Smith, a former Grady County resident.  Her and her husband are riding with a group from Albany.
 
Tomorrow is a layover day and then on Thursday we travel to Elberton. I have learned that Elberton is the home of the largest granite quarry in the world and also is the home of the largest covered bridge in Georgia.  You see these are things you just don’t pick up traveling the interstates!
 
We are halfway through our trip, after our day off tomorrow, I will be back with an update on day four Thursday.  Now it’s time to rest and get off my seat, if you know what I mean.
 

 

DAY TWO
 
We completed day two of the Bike Ride Across Georgia before lunch today.  Today was more strenous and hilly than yesterday. The heat is also beginning to be a factor as temperatures topped a little above 90 degrees. Today’s trip was 47 miles and went from Dahlonega to a little city called Mt. Airy.
 
One of the best things about this trip is seeing the sights and sounds, and (smelling some smells) of Georgia. I had no idea there was a community in Georgia called “Booger Holler” and I nevre knew there was a community with a huge rocking chair as a tourist attraction, and we also saw the Big Apple in the city of Cornelia.  Im not sure about the purpose the reason for these landmarks, but they are interesting none the less.
 
Yesterday we traveled through wine country.  You see I never new Georgia had such large vineyards, they were even having a “Wine Festival” that people were paying $20 each to attend.  Must have included wine tasting.
 
Tomorrow we travel to Athens for a two day layover.  I understand the route begins to flatten out some, but tomorrow is the longest day at 65 miles.
 
Check back tomorrow for more Tales from the Trail.

DAY ONE
 
Tails from the Bike Trail
By: Michael Best
 
Welcome to my daily journal on our adventures on the Bike Ride Across Georgia.  Each day I will update our readers on our expereinces as we travel all week from Hiawassee to Augusta.
 
Day one on the Bike Ride Across Georgia is complete. Today’s journey began in Hiawassee near the North Carolina border and ended 51 miles later in Dahlonaga. Today was a very strenous ride of parts of the Apalachian Trail and the big Unicoa Gap.  I read where Lance Armstrong rode this area and Brasstown Bald, which we didn’t do thankfully.  He said it was some of the toughest hills he’s rode!
 
The downhill run off the Gap was extremely dangerous, reaching speeds of over 40 miles an hour, I stayed on the brakes a lot! All our local riders made it in with exception of our friend John McDaniel who broke a cleat and will have to try another day.
 
I have seen several former Grady Countains on the trip so far and of course there are always those who yell out “How Bout The Syrupmakers!” when they see we are from Cairo.
 
Today’s ride was tough, but word is tomorrow’s will be even harder.  We’ll leave at 7am headed to Mt. Airy, Ga.
 
Come back tomorrow for an updat on Day Two and read about our first few days expereinces in this week’s Messenger.