Harpeth Century

Harpeth Century was WOW
Humidity so high I sweat like a cow
But the sites were grand
Home baked goods at rest stand
I am full & happy now

The Harpeth Century is a very hill challenging ride through
the rolling farmlands West of Franklin and Leepers Fork.
The rest stops were fantastic with fresh homemade bake goods....
I kept thinking....I ride to eat....I eat to ride

Richard from Memphis

Even got to ride with Lance
(Lance Pope that is from Memphis)

BRAG Thanks

Once again thanks to all those who made the week so wonderful,

the list is many but afew to note:

Lowell:

thanks for your insistance that I go do one of these rides, you were right, I loved it and can't wait to do it again. Thanks for the SAG, van and trailer, ride to and from, and all the stories.

Pam and Bryon:

enjoyed the pace lines, the get up and go, and the respect for keeping our bikes clean and safe.

Jim:

(dad) a good riding buddy, hanging with me through all those HammerHeads, cold beers, encouraging the Superman, and all the laughs and stories along the way.

Paula:

for slowing me down a little, to enjoy the sights and appreciate the long rides and an enjoyable pace.

Burk, Chuck, Winston, Jeff, Tammy, Gwen, Shamyra, Zack and all the others that shared smiles and stories joined us each evening.

Natchez Cancelled

Due to high temperatures in Southern Mississippi, next week's 4 day blast down the Trace has been postponed til Fall.

BRAG End :(

So ends BRAG 2006,
570 miles, great memories, & pics.
So many new friends & stories to share,
of people who ride, & show they care.

Greeted by some of the locals in Evans just before arriving into Augusta.

Down into the flat lands, riding across the lakes, Paula rolls off the miles on her Touring Bike, bragging everytime we had a stretch of "Shack-n-Bake" how smooth her ride was.

Pam, Jim, myself, and Byron one day earlier in the week ready to paceline.

Final Day

And so I am sad to say,
This this will be our final day.
Stories and pics to write in the Blog,
Like the cycle for 4, and the guy and his dog.

Everyone was up early and ready to ride today, some anxious to get back home to their own "Fluffy" bed, myself wishing it could continue.

Jim & Tom SAG Day

32 mi GPS reversed the route, back to Stop 3, then we turned about.
Wine, Jumbolya & Flambe, I cooked with delight,
All enjoyed a delirious sigh.

Thursday was our turn to drive the Van & Trailer up to the next town, Washington. We threw out tents and canopy to reserve the endzone of the Football field, then rode the route backwards to Rest Stop #3, about 32 miles. Once again April was Hosting the stop.

Typical Rest Stop complete with all the fruit, cookies, and poweraid you can drink.

Note of Recognition: Through out the course of the week April has been hard at work, as many have, setting up Rest Stops, cutting up fruit, making more PB&J's than I dare count. And every time I've seen her, she is greeting the riders with smile. Thank you to April and all the others for making our ride so enjoyable.

Jim & Tom

Friday morning and my turn to SAG,
We'll drive into Washington, then cycle back to meet our BRAG.
Only 2 days left :-(

Commerce Nite

Was Tammy's BD so we drank pizza & ate beer,
Afraid tomorrow my head may not be so clear.
Good party :-P

Mayfield Chill

So how do you quench a chill?
Go climb a mountian, or maybe a hill.
So now we stop at Mayfields Dairy for an icecream thrill.

Our second rest stop for Thursday's ride was at Mayfield's Dairy. It was 8:30am and still cool, but anytime is Ice Cream Time!.

Rode today with Jim and included the 24 mile hammer head option for a total of 64 . . . counts as a Metric Century. We are in the town of Commerce for the night.

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Burr

A cool morning we're on our way,
Eggs & waffles to start the day.
Forgot where we are headed.

Oh yea...leaving Gainsville headed to Commerse

Eat Ride

Another day in the saddle, Phillip joined the pace,
A flat tire, a bent chain, initiated him to the 100 mile race.
ERERER

Wednesday Century started cool but as has been the case for most days... the afternoon heat will challenge the ride. Started out with Pam, Bryon, Jim and for a moment rode with Picket and Dr Dillard (15,000 milers). But soon the pack broke up. We continued our smaller pace lines.

It was a wonderful ride of rolling hills and chicken farms and cow pastures. Some how Apple Pie Ridge just didn't tempt the right sences. The Century route and the 60 mile route crossed several times so we were able to meet up with our other riders at the SAGs.

Jim and I first met Phillip (his first Century) near the top of the BIG hill at the 50 mile mark where he was trying to fish out a dropped chain. We ended up having to take the chain apart to get it loose, and so he joined us. Another 20 miles down the road Phillip then had a flat, which took us two tubes to get him back on the road. Told him that most Centurys are not this painful.

101 Day

A Century ride, with the wind in our face,
The smell of chicken farms, we rolled them off in a pace.
More new friends

Dr Gary Dillard and Picket Dillard rode over 15,000 miles last year and are on track to ride 1500 this month. They ride a killer pace line.

30 More

65 miles, Arrived at Gainsville to setup camp,
Out for another 30, before it gets cold and damp.
No one would take me on.

The cooler had most everyones attention.

More Smiles

The rains have passed,
Dry roads at last,
Picking wild flowers along the way.

Wet

Detours, trucks, and rain,
Wind, chills, but no pain.
More to come

Jasper to Gainsville. Rolling out early does have its hazards. Overcast cool morning one of our BRAG riders got hit. No serious damage to him, but the bike was unridable. The Cannondale Truck got him setup and he was able to make the miles. Through the day we road in drizzling rain and were chilled at the SAGs.

Odd but this was the day of smells....diesel, chickens, flowers, walnut trees, fresh cut hay....the nose was alive.

Jasper Nites

Jasper is a cute little town who rolled out the red carpet for us,
Welcomes from all and a street party that was a must.
Loved it.

Jasper

61 miles of hills to respect, paid my dues and he was there to collect.
HH w/ John on a Clark-Kent, we were quite the team
-Superman :)

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1 GoodNite

Cooked up Tacos for dinner!

Its now late at night, 95 miles was right, Pocket Ride was fantastic. 1400 riders could say, its was hot today, start earlier tomorrow.

The Pocket ride was possibly the best rode....many riders include it in their ride from Atlanta.

Day 1 Lunch

Fantastic morning ride, 68 miles of shade and rolling hills.

Just what I need to get my Superman thrills. Lunch in Adairsville.

Just BRAG

We aren't BRAG'n cause we made it to BRAG. Tomorrow we're riding, watching for the SAG. Wow all the bikes and high heat.

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Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.com

Ready Set BRAG

"Eat....Ride.....Eat.....Ride......Eat.....Sleep......Repeat"

Getting myself practiced up for next week's 450+ mile ride across Georgia....BRAG, my first. I will be joining over 1200 other riders on this year's week long event, riding from Dalton to Augusta. In truth, half the fun has been in the preparation for the ride. I have been logging 200 to 300 miles a week in preparation, have outfitting my aerobars with thin mount speakers and MP3, GPS, and Camera. Tent, sleeping bag, recliner camp chair, and cooking supplies have been racked and packed. Dinner menu drawn up and even practiced a few meals, including stuffed baked tomatoes and banana flambe (will be sure to be plenty clear of the tent on that one).

Will try to keep the Blog up through text messages and library access.

Enjoy the miles and smiles.

Thanks for the Trace

Riding the Trace this past week with my new found friends from Natchez, I have been introduced to and expand my cycling further with the internet technology. Thanks to Allen Richard of the Natchez Bicycling Club who did a wonderful job providing frequent updates to the web via his Blackberry, giving friends and family a way to keep tabs on the progress and happenings of the groups week long, 450+ mile ride down the Trace from Nashville to Natchez.

The Natchez ride was the wonderful culmination of many peoples efforts, each contributing with their special gifts....the following are just a few of the many that I wish to thank....

Dianne - chief organizer, its been in the planning stages for so many months.....maybe even a year, arranged Hotels, pickup and departure points, logistics of transportation, and so much more....the "Go To" person for it all
Kenneth - volunteering such a beautiful rig, 40' enclosed trailer and truck, complete with racks to carry over 24 bicycles, all the luggage, coolers and food....and so more that we may never know about
Allen - communication, cell fone and blackberry linkage, internet, Blog page...I learned much from him
Clay - Chief SAG driver, probably logged over 800 miles with the drop offs, pickups, grocery shopping, lunch and SAG stops...keeping the big rig ahead of the group and sweeping up the rear
Tommy & Tommy - bike mechanics tune-up professionals, keeping us all rolling off the miles
Melissa - Medicine Woman, had an extra bag packed full of pills, ointments, and lotions to keep the body good
Everyone else - knocking off the miles, and putting the smiles

All the names and faces, adventures and memories....you guys know them all....thanks once again for the open hospitality you shared with me and my friends...will be sure to keep you mind for our ride as well.....so tune-up the bikes, rest the body, and roll out for more miles....
You are welcome to follow me on my ride next week on BRAG, Bicycle Ride Across Georgia on my skinnyed down Blog. (pics will harder to load real time, updates by text messaging only).

Your very own Superman (aka Tom)

Natchez The End

A police escort to the ends, and hugs for all my new found friends.

Still Rolling South

And a wonderful chicken pasta lunch,
I thank the Hosts so very much.

Now we roll the final miles,
you can see their joy and hear their smiles.

Sat Morning Clinton

Started the morning with a prayer,
Thanking Him that all could be there.

Wonderful cool day to be on my bike and play.
All ready to go now were on our way.

Trace Fri Nite

Made it to Clinton, greeting committee await,
Smiling happy faces, sure was great.

Will peddle into Natchez Sat pm w 22 others!

Natchez Trace

Natchez Bicycle Club @ Loveless Motel

This past weekend, Duke, Robert, and myself were the honored guests of 22 members from the Natchez Bicycling Club on a two day ride from Nashville's Loveless Hotel to Iuka. And while we departed from them on the second day, they continued on a six day tour back to their home town, 450 miles. Our new friends escorted us with a full supported rolling SAG on 140 miles of hills, in 90+ degree days.

Zero

Setting up my moblog cause my feet won't plant.

Not have any pics cause my fone just can't.

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