BikeSouth
2000 Rolls.
By: Nathan Gifford
 |
 28.8
Real |
|
| Report
from BikeFlorida 2000 'Right click' Downloadable high-speed version (3.8 MB) |
BikeSouth 2000 is considered to be the brainchild of Mr. Jerry Colley of the hugely successful Bicycle Ride Across Georgia or BRAG. Each year BRAG attracts nearly 2,000 riders making it one of the region's top rides.
With the millennium approaching, Colley recognized that cyclists, like everyone else, were looking for something to commemorate its passing. Joining all of the region's rides into one mammoth ride seemed like a great idea. After two years of hard work, tours like BikeFlorida, BAMA (Bicycle Across Magnificent Alabama), Cycle South Carolina (CSC), Bike Virginia, and BRAG pulled together to make this millennium ride a reality. Together the groups charted an ambitious 5-week, 2000 mile smorgasbord of tours covering 6 states.
That smorgasbord is one of BikeSouth's 2000 greatest features. Super rides, like BikeSouth typically have one problem: few people can get away for the duration of the ride. To accommodate these riders, as well as, their individual tours regulars, BikeSouth integrated a 'ride what you like' plan.
 |
'Ride what you like?' That's right, riders can ride any portion of BikeSouth 2000. Al Wooten, a semi-retired accountant from the Outer Banks is riding with his family and grandkids. The elder Wooten has the time to ride the entire 2000 miles, but his kids can only ride the weekend. Al wishes his kids could take the time off from work to do the whole tour with him. Still loves having the time to enjoy BikeSouth and adds wryly, "Its Hell I know, but someone's got to do it."
Some of the cyclists may not have realized what they have gotten into, at least that is what Mr. Harold Clayton, owner of The Bike Detail, a bicycle cleaning service, believes. Through his travels with his bicycle detailing service [associated story] Harold knows plenty about tours and touring cyclists. Says Harold, "In a couple of days these cyclists are going to come to realization of what they have committed themselves to...and it is a commitment."
The measure of success is usually considered how many cyclists show up for the event. The 206 riders who have enlisted for BikeSouth are only about 10% of BRAG's rider ship. However, these same riders have tripled the attendance for smaller tours like BikeFlorida and BAMA. Mr. T.J. Juskiewicz, Executive Director of BikeFlorida is happy. Adding, "Anytime you can get that many cyclists to riding that many miles I call that a success!"
Every ride has something rather unusual or unique. While kids on long rides are hardly unique anymore, this one sure is. Meet Matthew Blanket and his owner Ms. Nancy Flowers. Growing every day, Matthew has to be the most famous vegetarian on the tour. When Southern Cyclist Magazine caught up with this crew at Defuniak Springs, FL Matthew was recovering from eating a belly full of flowers he shouldn't have. Under doctor's orders, Matthew had to travel by the sag wagon for a day instead of in his trailer amongst a herd of cyclists.
- Matthew Blanket and Nancy Flowers. Not just another kid
-
A number of small towns were surprised to see these cyclists. Most welcomed the tour as these cyclists camped in their schools and shopped in their stores and restaurants. For example, when BikeSouth stopped in Defuniak Springs, part of the tour inundated the local ice cream shack and cleaned out nearly every flavor. It is these kind of things that make big tours fun.
Will there be a BikeSouth 2001? Probably not. "A lot was done to make sure these tours linked up," says Mr. Morton Archibald of BAMA. "I think the tours will want to pick different routes next year."
Well that might be shame considering how this ride is turning out. Mr. Robert Steigal of Georgia's Dream Team, a group of teenagers earning their equipment by riding BikeSouth said to me, "My teachers always talk about geography. But on this trip I get to see all those places we talked about in class, but I thought I'd never get to see." Watching that teenager, or rather that young man's joy at exploring horizons bigger than he thought possible is really special. Now that's a trip I think is worth continuing.
###
Resources
BikeFlorida
2000 | Bike Ride Across Georgia | Bicycle
Across Magnificent Alabama | Cycle
Across South Carolina 2000 | Bike
Virginia 2000
We Like The Best In Web Broadcasting. We Use
Copyright © 2000 Southern Cyclist Magazine © and Creole Publishing. Site developed by Creole Publishing