Bike Ride Across Georgia

Bike Ride Across Georgia

Bike Ride Across Georgia

( 1 review )
100% of reviewers recommend this race
  • Atlanta,
    Georgia,
    United States
  • June
  • Other
  • Road Race
  • Event Website

Jessica Rudd

Atlanta, Georgia, United States
68 61
2016
"Cross the state with 1000 of your (new) closest friends"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
Jessica Rudd's thoughts:

As cyclists, my husband and I have heard about BRAG for some time now. It was only a matter of time before we decided to use one of our few summer vacation weeks to cross Georgia by bike. Each year the course is different so waiting for the right route was really key for us. Earlier this year we realized the 2016 route was leaving from Atlanta, a few miles from our house, and heading to Savannah; this seemed like the year to do it!

Even though we're both strong cyclists, we were both worried about being on the bike for 50-70 miles, 7 days in a row, and camping for a whole week. However, our worries were quickly diminished. From day 1, we met amazing people, pedaled through a quiet Atlanta morning to beautiful farm country, and figured out a good routine for setting up and taking down our camp area each day. In fact, we opted to camp inside, usually in school gyms, each day since they provided AC and we didn't have to bother with breaking down a tent each morning. Ear plugs and eye masks are a must if you decide to do indoor camping. Also, I only had a light sleep sack and I wish I had my full sleeping bag since the AC in many places made me freeze each night. Still, I'd rather be cold than hot and sweaty in a humid, cramped tent.

My husband and I really liked having a vacation where we got good exercise but still had relaxing time each afternoon. It was the perfect combination for people who don't just like sitting, eating, and drinking for a whole vacation. Instead, we got to ride our bikes, eat, and drink. :-)

Pros:
-Check in and expo: I had to do this myself since my husband was transporting the car to the finish but this was generally pretty easy. Also, the expo had some cool vendors including a nutrition/gel I had never tried, a bike themed jewelry shop, and my friends at the Atlanta Cycling Festival. They also had several bands that night (and every night of the week) and the camp area that night was right next to a large shopping center with restaurants, grocery store, and any other last minute items needed
-Parking: We chose the option to transport our car to the finish in Savannah where they had free parking for the week at the convention center. It was really nice to have our own car once we made it to Savannah and then we were able to spend an extra night in the city. At the beginning of the week, BRAG had a shuttle from Savannah to ATL for people who opted for this.
-Camping options: indoor and outdoor options at each location, and all the indoor options had AC, which is not typically guaranteed (maybe we just got lucky this year). Each location also had a beer truck, live music, games, shower truck, and sometimes a shuttle into town for food/shopping
-Routes: all routes were well marked and rest stops were between 10-20 miles apart, usually with 3-4 per day. Rest stops were well stocked with fruit, pb&j, packaged snacks, pickles, water, Gatorade

Cons:
-It was HOT and there were no ice anywhere to be found. I wish they had ice at the rest stops and at the finish each day. It would be really cool if they had a few of the plastic kiddie pools filled with ice at the end each day. Easy and cheap for some good ice baths after some really hot/humid mornings of riding.
-Food options: They advertised there would be food trucks at each location but, really, we were lucky if there was one truck at each location. Some of the schools had pasta dinners, which were very good, but it would have been nice to have more options or better access into towns (some places had shuttles but in Dublin you had to take a taxi for $5 each way per person. That's $20 for me and my husband just to get to Walmart.). We brought our own breakfast and lunch so it wasn't terrible for us, but it would have been nice on some evenings to have a better time finding food. If you have specific food requirements (veggie, allergies, etc), this ride might be difficult for you if they don't improve this. I definitely think it's something they can easily change in the years to come.

Overall, this was a GREAT experience and we loved it! We will definitely be doing this ride, and other vacations like it, in the future.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Latest reviews

Loading Reviews...