2013 Georgia Rides to the Capitol

I've wanted to participate in Georgia Rides to the Capitol every year since it started 8 years ago. But the fact that it takes place on a week day always kept me from doing it. This year I decided to plan ahead and make it happen. Joe Elam was happy to join me and it didn't take but one time asking to get Stephen Sisk on board. The final and as it turned out crucial part of the plan came together when David Latty decided to join us. The initial plan was to meet at 6:30AM and David's wife would take us to the Reality Bikes start in Cumming. There we could ride to Roswell (20 miles) and join the police escorted ride into downtown Atlanta. A total of 40 miles. After the festivities my wife Lisa would pick us up and take us back to our cars. It was the perfect plan.

The weather would be less than perfect however. Temperatures predicted to be in the 20's to start and we would never see 40 degrees. The day before our adventure we learned why they call it Reality Bikes... the reality of the weather caused them to cancel their leg of the ride. Our plan was thwarted.

But by the afternoon a new plan was born. This plan included a start from Alpha Bikes in Alpharetta, Georgia. Where cyclists are men. And one girl. Shivering like children.
We met with a great group of locals and hit the streets with a fantastic police escort. It was really awesome! And snowing! The group was made up of some diverse riders too. The most diverse was a kid named Buli on a mountain bike who evidently doesn't have any cycling specific winter clothes because he seemed to be prepared to snow ski. During the ride he would jump the curve and ride on the sidewalk (which is illegal in Georgia) but he was obviously trying to get warm so I didn't fuss at him.

We rode out of Alpharetta under escort and began picking up riders along the way. Our group of 13 soon swelled to around 30. By the time we made it to Roswell there were even more.

Java, Java, Java!

The pace was just enough to not really help me get warm at all. I had no fingers. My jaws were aching and I had the cold weather speech impediment going on. When we rolled up to the gathering place for the Roswell departure I saw it.
Coffee! Piping hot coffee! Stephen and I could hardly contain our excitement. I could feel myself getting warmer already. We'll call it the Java effect. It's common among cyclists.

Next we gathered for the journey to the center of Georgia's universe. Atlanta! We would be starting with around 200 cyclists and pick up twice that many along the way.
There were plenty of dignitaries from all around the state. The Mayor of Roswell Jere Wood, an avid cyclist, gave instructions and told everyone who wanted to ride back to Roswell they could join him. That's 40 miles of riding so he truly is a cyclist. Jackson Brevet founder Robert was there to lead the riders and keep us out of trouble. He did his best but after we got into Atlanta the number of riders made his efforts seem more like herding cats.

We left Roswell and started our 20 mile ride to downtown Atlanta and I lost my fingers again. We rode and talked and checked out some cool bikes people were riding. I didn't take too many pictures because I couldn't feel the phone in my hand. One interesting bike I saw was a guy riding was a hybrid, hybrid. His bike was a carbon road bike with disc brakes, a road bar with mtb paddle shifters mounted in the middle next to the stem and a Niner rigid fork. It was like the duck billed platypus of the biking world.

I looked around and saw plenty of people who ride for sport but just as many who obviously ride for love. They just love riding a bike. Any bike. Some folks rode travel bikes complete with what seemed to be fully stuffed panniers. Just in case we got stranded at the Capitol I guess. Some people were completely unprepared for the cold. I rode behind one guy shivering so bad he was creating his own death wobble at 9 miles per hour. He had a thermal underwear shirt on with a 1980's jersey pulled over it. I didn't ride behind him long.

As we got into Atlanta there were more and more folks standing outside their businesses waving and cheering. The moto police were flying up and down the streets working frantically to block intersections and get our cycling caravan to the Capitol without incident. It was crazy and exciting.
They stopped us just before we were to make a short climb to the Capitol and asked the dignitaries to come forward and be first up the hill. Joe Elam is on the Baldwin City Council so he got to go up the hill with them.

It was then that I realized we were waiting at a merge point. Another ride originating from Duluth was waiting on an adjacent street.
The merging of the two rides would create a huge spectacle of cyclists to ride over the hill and in front of the Capitol. It was impressive. I can only imagine how much bigger it would have been if Punxsutawney Phil was a better ground hog.

Video of the Capitol Parade

We finally rode up the hill and in front of the Capitol. There were snacks and drinks and giveaways and banana's. But no coffee. Don't get me wrong I'm not complaining. I was just... spoiled.
We hung out at the Capitol steps and listened to the Brent Buice from Georgia Bikes encourage us. He introduced each dignitary scheduled to speak and it was great to hear them declare their support for our healthy life style and for the "Complete Streets" initiative.

 “In a nutshell what it says is that public roads are for moving people, not just combustible machines such as cars and trucks,” Buice said. “Really what we’re talking about is dedicated funding at both the national and state level.”

Photo Slideshow

Our very own cycling Lt. Governor Casey Cagle took time to speak to us even though it was a really busy day in the world of government. It goes without saying he supports cycling in Georgia and I would say he got the biggest cheer. He's a friend of mine so it was no surprise when he called me out in front of everyone. I guess I deserve it for DROPPING HIM LIKE A ROCK every time we ride together.
My blog Casey. My blog.

Full video of his speech.

After that David jumped in with the Mayor of Roswell's ride back. Joe, Stephen and I gratefully accepted a ride in the van from my wife Lisa and daughter Ellie who got to walk around in the Capitol building and watch us ride in. The warm van was sooo nice. We hit the Chipotle Grill on the way back and despite my desire for a nap I went on in to work. What a way to start the day though.

I want to thank the state wide bicycling advocacy organization Georgia Bikes and the Metro Atlanta Mayors Association for putting the event on. It was great to be a part of and I gladly lent my voice and presence to the effort. I will be doing that again next year for sure!

11Alive Coverage of the ride.



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2013 Trillium Trek

This past Saturday the weather was bad. The morning of the Trillium Trek trail race it was pouring rain and 40 degrees. But my daughter never asked to skip the race. So we got up and headed to Elachee Nature Center for a 5K or more romp in the mud. I estimate they still had almost 300 runners participate. Of course the usual suspects were there including Johnny Garner and Norma Rainwater and Marcus Seymour.

The great folks from RunnersFit were there taking care of the timing. And they had Krispy Kreme doughnuts! I let Molly split one with me before the race because it made her happy. What didn't make her happy was the weather and I couldn't blame her.



The start went well but she and I both soon figured out why Johnny wears gloves a lot. I prepared us for everything but I forgot gloves. She told me later that her hands were cold the rest of the day.
Anyway, she started well I thought but developed a bad pinch cramp that she couldn't run through. Might have been the doughnut... which is my fault as a parent.
She had to walk for a while and we were passed by several ladies. Up to that point she had done well in the mud and slick roots while keeping her pace high.
The cramp never completely went away but she ran the rest of the race as hard as she could. I was very proud of her 4th place Overall Women.

Once back in the car and into some dry clothes we were having some quality Daddy/Daughter time. We headed to meet her Mom and sister at Cracker Barrel for brunch. We talked about the race and the conditions and the great people... but not about boys. Just as I planned.

RACE RESULTS

Thank you to all the runners who were so sweet to her! Trail runners ROCK!!

And that wraps up another edition of Chad's News! Hope you enjoyed it!

Have a great week everyone!

Chad Hayes

Do Cyclists Belong?

People ask me all the time why I love cycling. It's either that or they ask me how many miles I ride each week. I tell them I enjoy the fitness of it. I enjoy fiddling with my bike to fix and maintain it. I enjoy following professional riders and watching them suffer in races like the Tour of California and the Tour de France. I like learning about the latest technology that makes the bikes lighter, faster and – cooler. I like the smooth, fast, powerful feeling I get from flying down a country road. But most of all I like riding with good friends.

Here in the United States cycling has been growing like crazy. And why not? We have the best roads and a beautiful country.  We like to go fast and we like a little adventure. Here in Georgia there’s been a real growth in the number of cyclists. The evidence can be found in the number of USA Cycling licensed road racers as compared to 10 years ago. There’s also the organized/charity ride participation numbers to go by.
The 6 GAP Century, a 100+ mile ride over every major mountain in North Georgia, brings 3,000 cyclists each year to Dahlonega. I just participated in a ride for Aplastic Anemia in Braselton that boasted 1,600 cyclists. But for all its increased popularity cycling isn’t embraced as something beautiful in Georgia like it is in other states. Its benefits aren’t heralded. The riders aren’t seen as fun loving ambassadors of fitness and adventure. This was brought home to me when I opened my local news site AccessNorthGa.com to see the question of the day: 

Of course my cycling friends were quick to grab the latest statistics from Healthy Americans.org:

From healthyamericans.org: "Fifteen years ago, Georgia had a combined obesity and overweight rate of 51.3 percent. Ten years ago, it was 57.2 percent. Now, the combined rate is 65.3 percent."

I’m not saying that every person on the planet should love and revere cyclists. Indeed it’s impossible to get 10 people to agree about anything.
I mean I don’t like the way some people enter the expressway at 45 mph when vehicles are moving at over 70 mph.  It’s dangerous. There should be a sign that says “Increase speed to match traffic”.  Isn’t that more dangerous than having to slow until you can safely pass a cyclist by the required 3 feet?

Of course arguments can be made by motorists that bicyclists are not obeying the law either by riding more than 2 abreast or not signaling their turns or failing to yield. If cyclists aren’t respecting the rules of the road then motorists aren’t going to respect the cyclists.

So my question to myself was “What can I do?” If we’re not careful, both sides will present inflexible, non-cooperative “solutions” that lack realism. We’ll sound like the way the U.S. Government squabbles without getting anything done. So I’ve decided on a few actions that center around one largely impressive idea; educate the people. After some research into what other cities and states are doing I've found that nothing works better than a big fat campaign of education. That and spending some of the massive amounts of government funds we normally waste, on things like bike lanes and biking paths. Nashville, TN has started a “Moving in Harmony” project which stresses more bike lanes and or shared lanes leading in and out of the city. And there are plenty of other examples that led me to suggest that the next question on AccessNorthGA.com should be "Would you support the use of roadway funds to create bike lanes and dedicated paths for bicycling?" I bet the answers would be different.

So who are the people? They fall into two categories: Motorists and Cyclists.

Motorists need to know what to do when approaching a cyclist. They also need to understand what each party’s responsibilities are while on the road. One big thing to understand is that a cyclist, by law, must act like a vehicle. He can’t ride where a vehicle wouldn’t go. He can’t take himself on and off the road erratically. A cyclist has to hold his position on the road or he can be cited.  So I’ve made up this short list of facts that every motorist should know about cycling on Georgia roads.

MOTORIST’S on Cyclists

• When passing a cyclist you must allow 3 FEET of clearance.

• Bicyclists may lawfully ride two abreast.

• When a cyclist exists a driver may cross a solid yellow line and drive to the left of the center of the road but must also yield to oncoming vehicles in the process.  In other words a driver can cross a solid yellow line to pass a cyclist.

• Bicycles are vehicles and have the same rights and responsibilities on public roads as motorists.

• Bicycles must travel on the roadway, not the sidewalk. Sidewalk cycling is illegal for anyone over the age of 12 in GA.

• Verbal & physical harassment of cyclists falls under the law on Aggressive driving and is considered a misdemeanor of high and aggravated nature in GA.

So there are some quick facts for motorists. Now I must confess that we cyclists have more work to do to educate our populous. One problem is simple, we’re not friendly. It only takes a second to put your hand up in thanks when a motorist passes you nicely. Wave to the people working in their yards. Be considerate of a motorist’s time and go out of your way to follow the rules of the road. You won’t win the battle or the war with a vehicle. Your actions today could be the best or worst thing for the next cyclist that driver encounters.

The next problem is people who are new to cycling. Because a cyclist doesn’t need a license…anyone can be a cyclist. All you need is a bike. The problem is that when a new cyclist does stupid things it makes us all look stupid. So here’s the list for new or otherwise ignorant cyclists:

CYCLIST’s Rules of the Road

-        

•      Bicycles are vehicles and have the same rights and responsibilities on public roads as motorists.

o   Signal your intentions

o   Always obey traffic control devices (Red Lights, Stop Signs)

o   Yield when changing lanes

o   Position yourself in the lane of travel based on destination. (Get in the turn lane if turning)

•  Bicycles must travel in the same direction as motor vehicle traffic.

• Bicyclists may only ride a maximum of 2 abreast.

• When cycling at night you are required to have a white front light and a red rear-facing light (or reflector), visible from 300 feet. Additional lighting and reflective clothing is highly recommended.

• Ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable except when

o   Turning left

o   Avoiding hazards to safe cycling

o   The lane is too narrow to share safely with a motor vehicle

• A cyclist should maintain at least 18 to 24” of clearance from a curb or pavement edge.

Just to clarify something...cyclists have the right to take the entire lane if he deems it necessary to keep himself safe or to make a lane change or something. Otherwise the law says you must ride as far to the right of the lane as possible. If you ride in the middle of the lane for no reason you can be cited for impeding the flow of traffic.

Another interesting clarification I found in the law is on overtaking and passing other vehicles. I’ve witnessed riders do this at in-town intersections and thought they were disobeying the law. Turns out… they could be.

When Overtaking and Passing on the Right is Permitted

A cyclist traveling in a lane wide enough for motor vehicles and bicycles to share may pass motor vehicles on the right, but must still take care to avoid turning vehicles.

Wow. So here’s what all my research has taught me. I have the right to ride my bike on the road but doing so carries with it some profound responsibilities. I have responsibilities under the law and other ones that help promote acceptance of my hobby to those I share the road with.

Motorists need more education on how to deal with cyclists or any other slower moving vehicle they share the road with. Nobody likes to be slowed down, especially Americans, but it's going to happen no matter where you go in life. I don’t like it when people stand in line at the fast food restaurant for 10 minutes and then get to the cashier and haven’t made up their mind what they want. It inconveniences me. They should have to go to the back of the line and try again. In the grand scheme of things...I'll get my food (drivers will get there) and what if the guy turns and apologizes for not being prepared? (cyclist waves thank you). How would that change the whole experience?

Just a thought.

The last idea I have for you today is aimed directly at Ride Leaders and/or Ride Directors. Most shop rides have a designated leader who may give pre-ride announcements. Ride Directors will definitely do this because they need to thank the sponsors. I'd like to come up with a card they can read from that spells out some of the quick facts I've covered here and asks the group to remember their manners. Nothing long. No legalese. (I doubt that's a real word) Just info for new riders, a tune up for the veterans, and a reminder to the "leader" that he's the man for shepherding the cyclists behavior. I welcome your input on this.

That's it! That's all I've got. You can do your own research if you like at Georgia Bikes.org.

Here's a recent story in the AJC about proposed bike lane additions in Dunwoody.

Sorry there's not more super cool pictures in this story. How about this one?

Let’s declare our intentions to ride friendly before we shove off from the next group ride.

Chad Hayes