Conference noted::bicycle

    Your legs will probably be able to take it, and it sounds like
    you have the right attitude about pacing and having fun.  These
    events are usually a blast.  I can understand the urge to dive
    in without the drudgery of trainiing, but you'll still need some
    basics so that you:
    
    1) Won't be miserably saddle-sore after the first day.
    2) Won't die of heat exhaustion.  (I bet it's going to be HOT.)

    Luckily, you have plenty of time, and you don't have to do Olympic
    training or anything to get going.  First, try ONE fifty mile 
    ride to see what it feels like.  Then try TWO long rides 
    back-to-back one weekend to see how you might fare on the second 
    day.  If you still feel confident, the rest is up to you --
    but suffice to say that the more in-shape you are, the more
    you'll be able to BRAG about the ride.
    
    MATT

I have been "the mechanic" on some rides like this -- 3 times.  My
observationis that folks with your attitude have a ball on a ride like
this -- after they get their bikes adjusted and tuned.  Usually someone
who has only done short rides has his/her seat at the wrong height and
needs a tune-up for the bike.

So, my deux centimes: "Get yourself and your bike tuned up and go for
it."

Oh, and if you use bungies to hold something on your rack, be careful:
"Anything that can get into the spokes will."

ed

    
    About Georgia (from one who lives here)....
    An Atlanta to Savannah ride will start off hilly, and get FLAT, FLAT,
    FLAT.  Atlanta is about 1000 feet above sea level, and is in the
    foothills of the Appalachians. June in Georgia is HOT. Plan on 
    85F to 95F (days), with no wind. Afternoon thundershowers are not uncommon,
    but middle and south Georgia get fewer thundershowers than Atlanta.
    South Georgia can be pretty buggy, too (especially this winter...
    we had 20-25 days in January that were above 60. This is the second
    or third warmest winter in recorded history. The bugs this summer
    are expected to be bad.)
         On the bright side, we often ride 5 times a week in the heat
    of the day. Heat is something that you build up to. Early mornings
    are cool (70F) and pleasant. We get very little rain, so chances
    are that all or most of your trip should be dry. Georgia is well
    forested, and (outside of the Atlanta metro area) towns are distant
    (10-30 miles apart...you'll see a lot of the country side).
    
    doug
    

    Fred
     I am going to ride BRAG also. (would have responed sooner but,
    I'm a new noter) North Georgia is hilly the frist 2-3 days will
    be very hilly and after that the ride will flatten out. It will
    be HOT and HUMID (note caps) plan to drink lots and lots of water
    and or a sports drink, ie. Gatoraide.
     If you have any questions you can call me at DTN 8-359-3133 or
    I'm on A1 odixie::penn
    Also let me know if you still plan to ride BRAG.
    
    p.s. this is a sag ride

    
    
    Im going to be moving to atlanta this fall and am looking for some
    inputs from a bikers perspective.  Ill be attending Georgia tech
    so Id like to live somewhere near downtown, thinking about somewhere
    near peachtree park. could someone familiar with the area suggest
    quality biking neighborhoods.
    
    BTW - I love hills
    
    
    Rob

    There are nice neighborohoods to ride in close to downtown. (some
    bad ones close to Ga Tech also). Outside of downtown there are lots
    of very nice places to ride. I can send you a copy of FREEWHELLING
    it's the local clubs (SBL) newsletter which list rides. I now live north
    of Atlanta proper and don't ride downtown anymore.
     If you like hills you will like Atl. The local mass transit will
    allow you to take bikes in the last car of the train so you can
    get around that way also. The current mayor Andy Young is a biker.
    Mr. Young also rode in BRAG last year and has set yp a ride down
    P'tree st. later this month for nat.bike month. 
    If you want a copy of FREEWHEELING just send me an address.
    
    Have you gotten any quotes on apt's or housing close to downtown?

    Well folks I went to a riders meeting tonite got my map and I take
    off tomorrow. A week in the saddle. No car, no phone, and no *&##$%
    pager. I'll also be on a new wheel I got mowed down last weekend
    by an ATB while doing a metric. We had both just turned he was reading
    his map and plowed right into me. At first I couldn't roll the bike
    with the rear brake quick release open I had to stand on the wheel
    and pull on it to straighten it out enough to ride. So now I am
    the proud owner of one Mavic MD40. Hmmmm maybe a front one for
    Christmas.
    
    Anyway I'm off bright and early tomorrow morn. We had rain
    here all week (here is Atlanta) so maybe there will be none next
    week. 
    See ya in a week and 406 miles.

    Now as Paul Harvey says for the rest of the story,
    
    I completed the BRAG and was it fun! I followed all the advise that
    was given by you people gave in the notes and in mail. I was riding
    30 - 50 miles at a time for the ride. I was ready and fairly prepared.
    Here's the answers to my original questions,
    
    1. There is nothing that can compare to alot of riding. I learned
    all sorts of things that you can't read or be told.
    
    2. It was a real blast and the comraderie is there but when its
    you all alone training and preperation is what that counts.
    
    3. My son who rode alot with me was agonizingly slow but he did
    every mile of the ride albeit at a pace of 9 - 10 mph.
    
    4. An amazing amount of people don't know how to do bike repairs.
    
    5. Though I thought I had all the rules to long rides down I learned
    how important it was to eat alot. I rode through the lunch hour
    because I like to push on and finish things etc. Well by the end
    of the day I almost couldn't stand up. Now I believe and I wolf
    down chow regularly. The only question I have is do we have to eat
    spagetti and pancakes?
    
    Thanks for the help,
    
    Fred Mudgett

    I have to eat spaghetti and pancakes.  I just cannot ride well without
    them.  I know someone who does a lot of miles, however, who seems to
    thrive on, I think it was, peanut butter and pepperoni sandwiches.
    
    Spaghetti and Pancakes (in separate meals, of course) are the easiest
    foods for most of us mortals to digest and convert to energy.  I've
    seen numerous cases where some people have learned to thrive on high
    fat diets but their bodies must learn to convert the fats to energy.
    
    You must find out what works best for you.
    
    ed

    RE: .-1
    
    Peanut butter and peperoni???  You've got to be kidding...  :-)
    
    -john  

>    Peanut butter and peperoni???  You've got to be kidding...  :-)
    
reminds me of my old boss at our shop - some folk thought he oughta 
relax a bit and try touring, so one day he took off with his camping 
gear on bike .... one week and 1400 miles later, he was back.... His 
food for the trip consisted almost exclusively of peanut butter (no 
bread, please) and a six-pack of Coke every day. He reported that we 
were all wet, and that bike touring was NOT relaxing. :-)

                                               ken

    I happened to meet Fred in Athens, one of the towns along the route.
    Athens had a street party set up just for riders. I recognized Fred's
    name from this note on a tag that was on his bike.
    
     the ride was very well planned and very organized. The only problem
    was with rain. For the last three years Georgia has been in a drought
    but, we had plenty rain this past week. Most of it was at night
    which made for many very wet tents.
    
     This was my first ride of this type it wasn't anything like a century
    or most club rides. There was every type of rider and every style
    of biks. I had no idea that ATB's were so popular. Of the 1850 riders
    a full 1/3 must have been on ATB's.
    
     Some of the towns we went through were amazed at all of the bikes.
    And there were lines every where. At one Wendy's I rode by people
    were lined up on foot at the drive in window speaker to give orders,
    and inside was just as packed as it could be.
    
     But, it was a great week! Lots of fun and lots of riding. I can't
    wait to do this again next year.