BRAG
Bikefest 2009
Tifton
Georgia
As rides go you could not have asked for a better host town,
the townsfolk were very accommodating. They truly earned their nickname, "The
friendly City". Tift County Recreation department was our overnight camp
site for the weekend, spacious Gym and plenty of Hot Water! The only detraction
as far as I was concerned was the trains coming throughout the night blowing
their whistles every two hours! It seems that no sooner then I would go
to sleep then I would be woken up by a train. Sigh.... (flash back to "My Cousin
Vinny"). Anyway it made for some sleep deprived days, and I have my own self to
blame I could have gotten a hotel...
(All rides on the Bikefest and the Tune-up Rides are Loop
rides, originating and ending at the same location.)
Friday, October 9, 2009
Tifton - Ty Ty - Omega Loop
50 Miles
I couldn't make it down the night before so I left home this
morning and arrived just shy of 12:00pm, signed in and got my "goodie bag" and
cue sheet.. So I actually got out on the road as the 1st rest stop was closing.
This doesn't usually upset me any, as I had anticipated it, and it was nothing
more then a routine training ride for me. The scenery was as always beautiful,
traffic on the road was very light, Road markings were good and I very rarely
had to consult my cue sheet. The ride up to Ty Ty was rural in the extreme, some
swamps and forests, mostly Farms and Ranches and some very nice spreads! You
have to be careful going through TyTy and Omega because if you blink your eye
you have missed a golden opportunity to see something unique.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Tifton - Fitzgerald - Sycamore Loop
60 Miles (or 100, 72, 53, 50, or 30)
This was the day I had been looking for, once again I had
planned on doing the Century Ride, I am going to get that BRAG Century Hat if it
kills me! Wellll as I wake up from a very fitful sleep and taking my
groggy self to get some "Go juice" from the
Cafe Compesino folks I then decided that there is always next year. So I
ride out of Tifton east towards our first rest stop in
Irwinville another unique little town which you Civil War Buffs should
recognize as the site where Jefferson Davis was captured. Lingering over long to
read and soak up some history, I departed Irwinville and headed to another
little tidbit of Georgia History,
Fitzgerald Georgia. "The Colony City" is home to the "Blue
and Grey Museum" , and wild chickens roaming freely throughout the
city. (There is even a festival in their honor.) We picked up a very nice head
wind coming back from Fitzgerald and at a turning point, I was faced with a
dilemma, I could ride an additional 30 or so miles to Sycamore, or take a non
sagged 15 mile ride back in.... hmmm 30 or 15, 30 or 15. Anyway my total mileage
today was a wimpy 60 miles. Anyone viewing this from the
Columbus Cycling
Club might recognize a member or two!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Tifton - Nashville - Lenox Loop
33 or 50 Miles
Last day found us going South this time, we still had that
annoying headwind with us teasing us no matter which direction we seem to be
heading. I don't know if it was because of it being the last day or the terrain
was so much flatter or because for some reason my "bottom" was a bit tender, but
this was a fast ride. I had to average a good 15+mph even with me stopping and
taking pictures I was still back in at camp by 1:00 PM. There was one
incident that was so cute and that we were asked at the rest stop in Lenox by a
very refined, fragile, elderly, "Southern Lady" if we would like to
go to a Tent Revival, just down the road! Southern Hospitality, you gotta love
it!
Enjoy the Pictures!
