Sort of. i learned from Joe whom I globbed onto in parking lot. He initiated the conversation & I just asked if he would take me. Followed a racer considerably my junior. But this is way ahead of tails of events previous. Most of what we rode was part of course w/ pieces retired from wear.
Last night while still up & on computer a car pulled up & turned on parking lights but did not make contact w/ me. I was hemmed in. Sometime later I noticed it had left. GA woods.
Finished drive into Conyers w/ propane & a bike shop on point. Gas station attendant supplied the yellow pages & I was on it. Wrote down addresses & phone numbers of 2 propane & 2 shops.
Punched in first address of ACE hardware propane supplier. Just down the road. 3.9 gals in a week out of 5.7 possible.
Bike shop turned out to be just minutes from bike course. Purpose was to buy Endurolytes for body chemistry. Succeeded there. Also a Specialized dealer and I have positioned myself to buy a new pair of mtn bike comps should I find the opportunity. Several nights ago I researched sales tax rate by state and GA was only 4% which was the best until Oregon. And I haggled a little & received a break. I bought them. The high top soft boots seemed to irritate my foot tendons. The old ones little toes were sticking out.
Drove to TH which is nondescript. Almost ready to go and…… reread 1st paragraph.
Tough & challenging course. I was unable to ride 1 climb either lap. First lap was w/ Joe and he smoked w/o working @it. He lead & talked over his shoulder in almost normal breathing. Man, I am huffing & puffing trying to stay on his wheel. Good sport to allow me to affect his training.
Loop completes @ TH. I bid adieu & ride off for 2nd lap by myself. I experienced a bit more of trail being slower & leading. Other side of 4 lane paved road is Granite which goes up & down on quite a few long sections of bare granite. 1 tricky spot was an off camber @ bottom of steep drop, wet, & in the shade turn. Way potential of sidehill wipeout slamming down & abrading on rough granite. Made it. Second lap was tougher not following Joe’s wheel. I counter weighed the pedals & bar to stay perpendicular to rock surface. Whew.
Granite alongside golf course:
Trails all hand made. Slope angle percentage exceeded 15%. 2 laps, 14.52 miles, 2425′ vert. Riding these non mountainous trails to get the most of vertical elevation the trail plays w/ fall lines. The climbs are all normally short w/ a turn and slight traverse afterwards to allow catching of breath. The Olympic course had brutal short some steep climbs. Built in ’96. Rode a few feet in GA red mud. Granite is rougher in surface flatness than sandstone slickrock.
Woods section, 3 trails in this picture:
Drove back to bike shop to begin shower search. I ask Brian, the shop owner(?) for shower suggestions and he days he has the solution: shower in the shop. Way to score.
He said i could stay overnight in the parking lot. His shop is 1 in a small strip mall and they probably lease so he didn’t give landlord’s permission. But I will deal w/ that if it comes up. A bit of ways off hwy but still hear traffic noises. Sleeping under parking lot lights. Normal parking lot site but usually not this obvious. Difference between permission or permitted and dirtbagging.
Turned on heater to take chill off.
Gotta figure out future travels. Staying in GA until FATS in SC then back to mountains of N GA.