Monday, December 24, 2007
12/30/07 - no dirt
No dirt ride is planned for Sunday, December 30th. It's my recovery week, so dirt gets axed. But the roads are still there if you want to ride.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Firetower 12-23-07
Jake and I didn't finish this course a few weeks ago due to my broken chain, but it's the best of the Sunday Dirt courses. This Sunday we'll give it another go. Be prepared to ride high L2 or low L3 good steady pace. Bring food and drink - there are no stops.
Where: Park at abandoned brick store on Hwy 11 in Round Oak.
When: 2pm Sunday, December 23rd.
What: Firetower Loop: 32.6 miles (about 2.3 hours)
E-mail or call me if you're riding robert@jordan-eng.com 706-318-6786
Where: Park at abandoned brick store on Hwy 11 in Round Oak.
When: 2pm Sunday, December 23rd.
What: Firetower Loop: 32.6 miles (about 2.3 hours)
E-mail or call me if you're riding robert@jordan-eng.com 706-318-6786
Adgateville 8 our lunch
A summary of last week's ride:
Yhis week’s Sunday Dirt was not without incident. Jake, Dave, Rajib(sp?) (Florida friend of Dave’s) and I started from Adgateville at 1pm on Sunday. After about an hour of great riding, Dave’s (well, Christian’s – Dave was on Christian’s bike) rear hub went out. I couldn’t get Betty Jean on the cell, so the 3 of us left Dave walking toward the nearest paved road. After about 5 phone calls, I reached my sister at the DQ drive through, who reached my brother in law, Shane, who was ready to turn off the Falcons anyway because they were getting shelled. Shane drove to pick up Dave, who was busy camouflaging his bike in the bushes, and bring him to my house. Mean time, I turned off the planned route, did a dirt TT to my house, put Dave on Betty Jean’s bike (he looked like one of those circus clowns with his knees almost hitting his chin on every pedal stroke), and then the two of us intercepted Jake and Rajib back on the route, where Rajib had dismounted his bike to use it as a shield against a pack of dogs at a farmhouse. After riding about 20 more minutes, I realized that I’d never make it back to the XTerra in time to get back home to go with Betty Jean to a Christmas Cantata like I’d promised. I didn’t want to spend the next week in the doghouse, so I told the other 3 guys how to get back to the truck, then did a u-turn and attempted another 15-min dirt TT back to the house, where I jumped in the shower, hands and feet burning like fire, and got to the concert during the first song.
Jake picks up the story of the three remaining riders after I left:
“Dude. Did you talk to Dave? These rides need to be called Sunday dirt adventures because we never know what’s going to happen. About 15 minutes after you turned around, I got a flat on my rear tire. Rajib (sp.?) had a tube, but no pump…nobody had a pump. So I said I would just ride it. 10 yards down the road, the thing started to come off the rim. So Dave and Rajib said they would come back for me. So here I am walking down this dirt road freezing my rear end off by myself. Finally I got to the crossroads of Jordan Road and something crossing road. There is an apparently abandoned church there with no sign or anything there. So I cinched up my socks and pulled my knee warmers down a little and sat to wait. Well after about 20 minutes of that my toes were numb and the sun had gone behind the trees so I was really cold. So I got up and started jumping up and down like a jackass trying to get some blood flowing. I got tired of that about the time the wind started to howl, and I mean HOWL. Remember that 30mph gust hitting us in the face? Yeah it was like that over and over. I had to get out of the wind so I went and stood behind the church, and left my bike propped up on the road sign so that Dave would see it in case he came barreling by. I bet I stood behind that church for an hour, shaking like a dog trying to crap a peach seed. Then…all of a sudden after an hour or less…I hear a car…”yes! I’m going home!...” only it’s coming from the wrong direction. An old dark blue Buick comes down the paved road and slowly stops for about 20 seconds at my bike. I’m like holy crap, this guy is about to steal my bike. Keep in mind that I’m peering around the side of the church, trying to be sneaky and hoping they just keep going and don’t see me. So they turn down Jordan road and I start walking towards my bike after they drive off, keeping the church between me and them. I get about to the edge of the church and I hear a car BEHIND me driving in the grass! I look and the freakin car is driving around the church lawn because apparently they saw me. There were 4 guys in the car, 3 of ‘em black and one of ’em is white. They pull up next to me and the first thing I see is the white guy holding a deer rifle in the passenger seat. All of them are rough looking, with coveralls on and the white guy had a camouflage coat with shaggy, but greasy hair. It looked like they just got off work from a saw mill or something. And here I am standing there shivering in my tight bright blue bike shorts. ROBERT (I think this is where Jake started to hear banjo music) They started asking me all kind of questions like whachoo doin? Where you goin? How many of you are there? Where they is? Where the hell is you riding to? Where is you riding from? I was “spittin’ and slidin’” as my dad would call it and I was talking fast, trying to just get them to get the hell outta there, I kept saying “I’m ok…I’m fine…I’m good” there was no way in hell I was getting in the car with those guys. After talking to them for the longest 5 minutes of my life, Dave pulls up. I said, “THERE THEY ARE” and almost ran over to Dave’s car in my bike cleats. Dave said something like “I’m just picking up the broken bikes” and those guys eased by him and kept going. That was clutch in every sense of the phrase. I’ve never been so happy to see him. Apparently Rajib bonked about 2 miles after I got my flat. Dave gave him some gu while Rajib sat and he made it back to the car. So he had to rescue me and Rajib. So everybody had something go wrong yesterday. But it’s a heck of a story. It’s funny now, but not so much at the time.
Yhis week’s Sunday Dirt was not without incident. Jake, Dave, Rajib(sp?) (Florida friend of Dave’s) and I started from Adgateville at 1pm on Sunday. After about an hour of great riding, Dave’s (well, Christian’s – Dave was on Christian’s bike) rear hub went out. I couldn’t get Betty Jean on the cell, so the 3 of us left Dave walking toward the nearest paved road. After about 5 phone calls, I reached my sister at the DQ drive through, who reached my brother in law, Shane, who was ready to turn off the Falcons anyway because they were getting shelled. Shane drove to pick up Dave, who was busy camouflaging his bike in the bushes, and bring him to my house. Mean time, I turned off the planned route, did a dirt TT to my house, put Dave on Betty Jean’s bike (he looked like one of those circus clowns with his knees almost hitting his chin on every pedal stroke), and then the two of us intercepted Jake and Rajib back on the route, where Rajib had dismounted his bike to use it as a shield against a pack of dogs at a farmhouse. After riding about 20 more minutes, I realized that I’d never make it back to the XTerra in time to get back home to go with Betty Jean to a Christmas Cantata like I’d promised. I didn’t want to spend the next week in the doghouse, so I told the other 3 guys how to get back to the truck, then did a u-turn and attempted another 15-min dirt TT back to the house, where I jumped in the shower, hands and feet burning like fire, and got to the concert during the first song.
Jake picks up the story of the three remaining riders after I left:
“Dude. Did you talk to Dave? These rides need to be called Sunday dirt adventures because we never know what’s going to happen. About 15 minutes after you turned around, I got a flat on my rear tire. Rajib (sp.?) had a tube, but no pump…nobody had a pump. So I said I would just ride it. 10 yards down the road, the thing started to come off the rim. So Dave and Rajib said they would come back for me. So here I am walking down this dirt road freezing my rear end off by myself. Finally I got to the crossroads of Jordan Road and something crossing road. There is an apparently abandoned church there with no sign or anything there. So I cinched up my socks and pulled my knee warmers down a little and sat to wait. Well after about 20 minutes of that my toes were numb and the sun had gone behind the trees so I was really cold. So I got up and started jumping up and down like a jackass trying to get some blood flowing. I got tired of that about the time the wind started to howl, and I mean HOWL. Remember that 30mph gust hitting us in the face? Yeah it was like that over and over. I had to get out of the wind so I went and stood behind the church, and left my bike propped up on the road sign so that Dave would see it in case he came barreling by. I bet I stood behind that church for an hour, shaking like a dog trying to crap a peach seed. Then…all of a sudden after an hour or less…I hear a car…”yes! I’m going home!...” only it’s coming from the wrong direction. An old dark blue Buick comes down the paved road and slowly stops for about 20 seconds at my bike. I’m like holy crap, this guy is about to steal my bike. Keep in mind that I’m peering around the side of the church, trying to be sneaky and hoping they just keep going and don’t see me. So they turn down Jordan road and I start walking towards my bike after they drive off, keeping the church between me and them. I get about to the edge of the church and I hear a car BEHIND me driving in the grass! I look and the freakin car is driving around the church lawn because apparently they saw me. There were 4 guys in the car, 3 of ‘em black and one of ’em is white. They pull up next to me and the first thing I see is the white guy holding a deer rifle in the passenger seat. All of them are rough looking, with coveralls on and the white guy had a camouflage coat with shaggy, but greasy hair. It looked like they just got off work from a saw mill or something. And here I am standing there shivering in my tight bright blue bike shorts. ROBERT (I think this is where Jake started to hear banjo music) They started asking me all kind of questions like whachoo doin? Where you goin? How many of you are there? Where they is? Where the hell is you riding to? Where is you riding from? I was “spittin’ and slidin’” as my dad would call it and I was talking fast, trying to just get them to get the hell outta there, I kept saying “I’m ok…I’m fine…I’m good” there was no way in hell I was getting in the car with those guys. After talking to them for the longest 5 minutes of my life, Dave pulls up. I said, “THERE THEY ARE” and almost ran over to Dave’s car in my bike cleats. Dave said something like “I’m just picking up the broken bikes” and those guys eased by him and kept going. That was clutch in every sense of the phrase. I’ve never been so happy to see him. Apparently Rajib bonked about 2 miles after I got my flat. Dave gave him some gu while Rajib sat and he made it back to the car. So he had to rescue me and Rajib. So everybody had something go wrong yesterday. But it’s a heck of a story. It’s funny now, but not so much at the time.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Dec 16th - Adgateville 8
Hitchiti was hot. It was mid-70s and beautiful weather. I think Jake and both set new records for speed on a mountain bike. A couple of the downhills on the Hitchiti course are very steep.
We're moving north this week and might start at 1pm instead of the normal 2pm.
Dec 16th at 1pm
Start at church in Adgateville (Hwy 11 at Adgateville Rd - on west side of 11)
30 miles
Call or e-mail robert@jordan-eng.com me if you plan to ride.
We're moving north this week and might start at 1pm instead of the normal 2pm.
Dec 16th at 1pm
Start at church in Adgateville (Hwy 11 at Adgateville Rd - on west side of 11)
30 miles
Call or e-mail robert@jordan-eng.com me if you plan to ride.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Sunday December 9th
This week's Sunday Dirt will use the southernmost course - Hitchiti, which
starts on Hwy 11 in Wayside near the old brick store on the east side of the railroad tracks.
There won't be any store stops, because there are no stores.
Distance about 31 miles (about 2.3 hrs).
starts on Hwy 11 in Wayside near the old brick store on the east side of the railroad tracks.
There won't be any store stops, because there are no stores.
Distance about 31 miles (about 2.3 hrs).
Monday, November 26, 2007
Sunday Mud
No dirt ride planned for Sunday, December 2nd -- it's my recovery week and that's one of the rides that gets axed on recovery weeks.
Jake and I rode Firetower Sunday. It was a great ride even though it was 50 degrees and drizzleing rain at the start. After 20 minutes it cleared up and was very comfortable. But on a very steep little rise after 1.5 hours of riding, I broke my chain and didn't have a chain tool (I went to the wrong start location on Friday and was late for the ride; I hit a rock, flatted, and was almost dog-bitten on Saturday; and I broke a chain on Sunday - maybe I got it out of my system). We knocked on a hunting cabin door, but no one was home. Jake rode to a hilltop and got Betty Jean on the phone. She picked us up slightly before we froze to death from standing wet on the side of the road.
If Sunday Dirt was fun under those conditions, it'll alway be a good ride.
Jake and I rode Firetower Sunday. It was a great ride even though it was 50 degrees and drizzleing rain at the start. After 20 minutes it cleared up and was very comfortable. But on a very steep little rise after 1.5 hours of riding, I broke my chain and didn't have a chain tool (I went to the wrong start location on Friday and was late for the ride; I hit a rock, flatted, and was almost dog-bitten on Saturday; and I broke a chain on Sunday - maybe I got it out of my system). We knocked on a hunting cabin door, but no one was home. Jake rode to a hilltop and got Betty Jean on the phone. She picked us up slightly before we froze to death from standing wet on the side of the road.
If Sunday Dirt was fun under those conditions, it'll alway be a good ride.
Monday, November 19, 2007
11-25-07 Firetower
Sunday, 11/25/07, 2pm
Cancelled if raining Sunday morning.
Park at abandoned brick store in curve on Hwy 11 in Round Oak.
32.6-miles of backwoods dirt roads (2.5-hrs); non-technical
We'll probably average about 14mph
Good route through Oconee National Forest/Piedmont Wildlife Refuge
See map below:
Cancelled if raining Sunday morning.
Park at abandoned brick store in curve on Hwy 11 in Round Oak.
32.6-miles of backwoods dirt roads (2.5-hrs); non-technical
We'll probably average about 14mph
Good route through Oconee National Forest/Piedmont Wildlife Refuge
See map below:
Friday, November 16, 2007
11-18-07 No dirt
I'll be out of town this weekend, but the dirt will continue next Sunday with the best route so far.
Monday, November 5, 2007
11-11-07 Wayside
Saturday, November 11 at 2pm
31.4-mile non-technical mountain bike ride on rural and backwoods dirt roads and the Hitchiti Experimental Forest. Some short gravel sections and 2 or 3 miles total of asphalt.
Start in Wayside (Hwy 11 near the north end of Greene Settlement Road)
Park near brick building in community area across railroad tracks from Hwy 11
2-2.5 hrs @ 12-14mph
No store stops
E-mail me at robert@jordan-eng.com if you plan to ride
Make sure to bring tubes, air, etc. It might be a long walk to the nearest house on this route.
31.4-mile non-technical mountain bike ride on rural and backwoods dirt roads and the Hitchiti Experimental Forest. Some short gravel sections and 2 or 3 miles total of asphalt.
Start in Wayside (Hwy 11 near the north end of Greene Settlement Road)
Park near brick building in community area across railroad tracks from Hwy 11
2-2.5 hrs @ 12-14mph
No store stops
E-mail me at robert@jordan-eng.com if you plan to ride
Make sure to bring tubes, air, etc. It might be a long walk to the nearest house on this route.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
11-4-07 Adgateville 8
Desc: Mountain bike ride on rural dirt roads
Pace: endurance (12-14 mph)
Date: Sunday, November 4th
Time: Starts at 2pm
Place: Park on Clay-Tillman Road near the intersection of Clay-Tillman Road and GA Hwy 11 in downtown Adgateville, GA
Distance: 28 miles
Estimated ride time: 2 hours
Store stops: none
Route map:
Pace: endurance (12-14 mph)
Date: Sunday, November 4th
Time: Starts at 2pm
Place: Park on Clay-Tillman Road near the intersection of Clay-Tillman Road and GA Hwy 11 in downtown Adgateville, GA
Distance: 28 miles
Estimated ride time: 2 hours
Store stops: none
Route map:
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