Stage 3 Report: Homeward Bound

Monday, May 29, 2017
Start: Madison, GA
Finish: Johns Creek, GA
Bike Mileage: 70.1
Cumulative Bike Mileage: 291.2 miles

With the excitement of returning home that evening for a brief respite, we received word that three of our friends would be joining us to "pull" us home today: Vik (who will also be flying out to Colorado a few weeks later in the journey for a jaunt through the Rockies and Utah desert), Noland, and Joe - all strong cyclists and good friends. A "pull" in cycling terms means to lead another cyclist who is installed just behind the leader's rear wheel thus enabling a draft, the air pocket seam that translates into less wind resistance, less drag, and thus less energy expenditure. A big thank you to Chandler, Noland's wife, who rouses the troops at 5am back home and drives them over two hours to Madison to meet us here at the hotel by our early morning departure. The weather report was predicting another hot sultry day.

Stage 3 Memorial Day ride - the extended family of "Blaze Brothers":
L to R: David, Vik, Mike, Noland, and Joe.
Thanks guys! Really enjoyed the ride back home with y'all! Be safe.

Great to be greeted and supported by these guys. We've share a lot of home town joy rides, and training rides, over the years since I moved to Atlanta. I really appreciate that they occupied their Memorial Day by joining us for the Stage 3 road home!

The 7:45am start from the Days Inn hotel had us depart very scenic Madison, GA with its Civil War antebellum homes and beautiful countryside along Dixie Highway and through the small towns of Rutledge, Social Circle, and Jersey (note to self to return to this area with Judy for a B&B weekend in the fall, would be spectacular and well, romantic!). Fortunately, our cycling buddies understood the need to slightly tone down the usual aggressive speed we take on our weekend rides to compensate for our long distance haul and importance of conserving energy.

Encountered a flock of Turkey Vultures observing us intently. I am convinced they are calling ahead to their country cousins to check on our latest condition just in case the opportunity strikes if we are too weary?! "Not today my friends," Mike shouts at them, "Not today!"

Sadly, on a refreshing fast downhill country road section I ran over a rapidly darting squirrel. I've always loved squirrels (truly) so was quite displeased with this. There are too many roadkills of our furry friends as it is. Will make a wildlife donation as pittance for my squirrel-slaughter crime.

Ride continued to a town called Youth and then to a less scenic connecting section of busier roadways through Loganville and Grayson. Passed by pick-your-own strawberry fields with their delicious sweet scent. Wish we could have stopped to enjoy for some fresh ones.

I took a foolish fall off my bike while tracking too close behind Joe's rear wheel. We were starting up from a traffic light intersection and I clipped Joe's rear tire with my front tire causing me to lose steering control. I hit the pavement hard as I flipped onto my left side. First fall ever for me on a road bike that I recall. Nothing serious though, fortunately, for me or my bike; L hand was scraped up and a large outer left thigh bruise on top of my already chaffed buttocks. It will likely hurt more tomorrow upon awakening. It also added unnecessary drama to the day and a note to self to be ever careful along a 3000+ mi journey. One major slip and the journey can be over.

After Grayson we stopped for lunch at a Firehouse Subs shop as the temperature and humidity kept climbing; we followed the main road with lots of PUDS (persistent ups and downs) through the Lawrenceville area, across Hwy316 and I-85 and onward to the town of Duluth (undergoing quite a nice downtown renovation upgrade), to Pleasant Hill Rd, across the Chattahoochee River and into Fulton County; on to Medlock Bridge Rd, and then a right onto Old Alabama Rd for the final 6mi stretch home through our home town Newtown Park area of Johns Creek, GA. My energy surged the last 5-10 miles in thoughts of returning home, seeing Judy, and taking a brief respite. My wife and friends secretively sent the word out of our return, with Noland's help (Mike and I were clueless) as we ride triumphantly into our neighborhood's swimming pool parking lot and are greeted by many neighborhood friends and other guests to celebrate our return and completion of Stage 3. A decorated "Welcome Home Blaze Brothers" sign greeted us. It was difficult to hold back joyful tears after a more challenging day of squirrel slaughter, my bike fall, and rude drivers. Already miss riding in the countryside!

But, after all considered, our friends made the day for us! Thank you again to Noland, Vik and Joe for being able to take the time to join us for Stage 3! Be safe, ride on...

Home with Judy and our middle child, Abigail. Our oldest and youngest, Eliza and Jonah, both away with friends for the holiday weekend. Judy prepared a delicious home cooked meal of salmon, pasta and veggies! She's an amazing cook. I needed to run errands quickly - I searched the internet for new bike bibs and located two pair of high quality Pearl Izumi Elite bibs at the nearby REI store along with the Camelback Podium insulated water bottles, the same bottles Mike was using!

Glad we could stop through home on this westward journey. Family and local community are truly the source of most of our daily joy from life. Sharing good or difficult times, caring about each other, providing for the good of the local community. This ride puts all of these in proper perspective as we journey just above the wind's pace from town to town across our nation.

Stage 3 Bikeoo

Of all Life's pleasures

'tis Friendship that nourishes

man's reason to love

Stage 3 Indexes

Weather: (5)
Pleasant morning despite some humidity but another energy-soaking day by early afternoon.

Terrain: (5)
Nice morning of country rollers but the major roads in the last 30-40mi were not that bike friendly or scenic. Already miss chatting with the cows and horses.

Scenic: (6)
Very scenic countryside in the first 25mi but the rest of it was mostly less than friendly road arteries heading home through busy Memorial Day traffic.

Wildlife and Roadkill:
W-more Turkey Vultures, snake, darting squirrels 🙁
R-squirrels (everywhere), opossum, snakes, raccoon

Endurance: (7.5)
Legs OK although didn't feel as energetic today, my tush unhappy from chaffing, a push to get 'er done today with the help of our friends taking the lead and allowing Mike and me to draft behind them to conserve energy

Bike: all good

Still Having Fun: (9)
Squirrel slaughter is a mandatory one point deduction! Hope it never happens again. I remain very sorry!

Turkey Vultures (continue to observe our progress and energy level!) "Not today my friends..."

Strawberry pickers in the fragrant fields. Couldn't stop thinking of strawberry pie!

Memorial Day honors in Duluth, GA; note that our ride is a fundraiser for BlazeSports dedicated to disabled children and disabled military veterans; thanks for considering a little donation to BlazeSports.org via this blog on this Memorial Day; too many wars, not enough peace. John Lennon will forever have it right... enough said