Northeast Georgia put out the welcome mat this weekend for the Bicycle Ride Across Georgia (BRAG). More than 1,000 cyclists kicked off the week-long event at the Clayton Municipal Complex in Rabun County at sunrise Sunday. They traveled the winding, two-lane lake roads of Rabun and Habersham counties on their way into Clarkesville.
The first cyclists arrived in Clarkesville around 10:30 a.m. and the rest of the pack filtered in throughout the day. According to BRAG Executive Director Franklin Johnson, 850 participants pre-registered for the event. Another 150 signed up Sunday morning.
This year’s ride is dubbed “Lakes and Libations” and will carry the riders from the foothills of the Blue Ridge to Augusta in East Central Georgia.
More than just bikes
Not all BRAG participants are making the trek on two wheels. A couple of participants skated the approximate 57 miles from Clayton to Clarkesville using inline skates.
One of the skaters is Arnav Shah from Queens, New York. Known as ‘Sonic’ in the skating world, Shah says Sunday’s route was challenging.
“It was very hilly. I love hills. That was great!”
The rain-soaked roads early in the day did pose a problem.
“The wet pavement was very tricky for us. We tend to slide a little bit,” says Shah, adding, “[We] had to take it easy, be very careful and control our speed before we got into the downhills.”
As for the event itself, Shah says the energy surrounding BRAG is “very good.”
“It’s a very different vibe than other events I’ve done. It’s really an intimate group of people,” he says.
Shah also does the annual 87-mile Athens to Atlanta Road Skate each October. That event started before inline skates existed. Back when it began forty years ago, they traveled on roller skates.
Trike riders are also participating in BRAG.
Richard Arnopoln traveled from Chicago to participate in the ride. Driving his three-wheeled catrike, Arnopoln says, “It was a great ride.”
“There was wonderful scenery, hilly, not too much traffic, and what traffic there was, was courteous, which was nice. The sun didn’t come out till the end of the ride, so it didn’t get too hot. You couldn’t ask for much better than that,” says Arnpoln.
Family tradition
Bicyclist Lee Johnson of Suwanee, Georgia, has ridden in BRAG five times since 2016. He’s turned it into a family tradition for him and his four sons. He explains that, when his boys turn 13 years old, he brings them along for the ride. They camp outside in good weather and bad, which they got a taste of last night in Clayton. He says training for the week-long cycling event is a way to connect with his sons.
“This is my version of playing basketball with the father/son thing. We get on the bikes and they have to camp and do everything outside,” he says.
This year it’s 13-year-old Maddox’s turn. He joined his dad for the 57-mile ride from Clayton to Clarkesville on June 4.
“It was pretty hard, but it was enjoyable,” says Maddox. “All the scenery and everything was beautiful, and connecting with other people.”
Maddox says he’s going to complete the ride all the way to Augusta.
The week ahead
According to BRAG’s executive director, the oldest rider this year is 84. The one who traveled the farthest for the ride is from Paris, France.
Here in Habersham, at this early leg of the trip, the riders were still fresh with excitement as they settled in for the night. Many could be found relaxing at their campsites around the Habersham County Recreation Department property off Highway 17. Others set up camp inside the rec building.
Clarkesville welcomed them with a sip-n-stroll event on the downtown square and capped off the evening with a free country music concert. The homespun hospitality was a welcome respite at the end of a long day and the start of what will be a challenging week for these riders.
On Monday, June 5, they will travel from Clarkesville to Gainesville where they’ll spend the night before heading to Braselton on June 6. They’ll spend two nights in Braselton, then head to Madison on June 8. After a night in Madison, they’ll head to Thomson for another overnight stay before finally making their way into Augusta on June 10.
