Beautiful Bike Trail
We had an awesome start of the day, following the Chattahoochee Riverwalk bike path along a river which led to Fort Benning. The path meandered through the trees along a river mostly flat with a few small rises, and we followed it at a leisurely pace, about 7 of us in the lead group. That stretch was been the most fun for me so far on this trip.
After about 19 miles, we were off the trail and onto the roads, and the gentleness disappeared. We hit roller after roller after roller, with the length and the height of them such that most ended up the last one-third or perhaps two-thirds in the granny gear. Our first SAG was at mile 40, and the big rollers lessened from there on. I was feeling OK, so the big rollers were not exhausting me, but they just are not fun when they are that large. The only consolation was that with only 3376' of climbing for the day, the rest of the route had to be less hilly.
Near the top of one hill at mile 64 my rear wheel did not feel right, so I stopped at a small intersection to inspect it. Darn, my first flat since very early on the trip. As I started to remove the wheel, a guy in a pick up truck turned around and asked me if I needed a lift somewhere. I asked him which direction he was going, and he said, "It doesn't matter. Which way do you need to go?". Well, the lunch SAG was at mile 74 and when I told him that, he told me to put the bike in the back and he would take me there. Wow! Southern hospitality. So, that is how I got bumped 10 miles up the road.
At lunch, Mike took a look at my tire and told me that that tire was toast, with it worn through in one spot. Luckily, we all had to bring an extra tire with us, which he installed after retrieving it from the support van. The rim strip tape had also moved, so it was lucky I did not try to fix it on the road, or it would have simply been a waste of time. It would also not have been much fun sitting in the dirt on the side of the road in the blazing sun either "fixing" the tire.
At any rate, by the time Mike was done with the bike, I had eaten and was ready to roll. I was glad to get moving, as it was getting REALLY hot sitting there in the sun. I wet my skull cap and soaked my jersey before heading out, benefiting from the evaporative cooling as I rode. The terrain was favorable, traveling through Mennonite farming country, on very quiet roads, although a bit rough. It was clear sailing all the way to the motel at mile 96. By that time, it was 91 degrees, so no wonder it felt hot.
We only have two more days of riding, with tomorrow as follows: Day 26: Thursday, May 12 - Perry, GA to Vidalia, GA 101 miles for the day, 2,776 so far, 3,200' of climbing. Piece of cake, especially after an 86 mile rest day like today.
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For the ride leader's take on today's ride with photos, go here.
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