bamabikeguy
Active Member
Edit note: my pix are still scrambling, maybe I've exceeded some megabyte limit, but I just removed them all to reload in sequence...a LOT of hassle, with dialup AND tornado damage happening all around us overnight. Some pix may appear below post, because I have chores to do !!)
I found an easy way for carnivores to get that local flavor. At breakfast order the link sausages and at other times, try the bar-b-que sauce variations. But by all means, avoid those bland franchise eating joints !!
Your bike is an automatic conversation ice-breaker, and the lost look in your eyes as you peruse your nappy looking map is an instant way to see why America works, there are helpful people everywhere.
DAY #1
http://www.mapquest.com/mq/7-osVbj_UR
Route:
AL- Boaz-Collinsville-Centre-Lake Weiss-Cedar Bluff -(passing two potential scenic Little River Canyon intersections)
GA- Rome-Kingston-Adairsville
My first ever long distance ride, to Amelia Island, FL was in March 2006, so I know all about the fickle Spring weather. Those of you who have followed some of my long winded narratives will recall that my most valuable "carry along" was my camera, and that for $10 I had purchased a lot of items at the local Goodwill.
So, in picture #1, that blue 2 piece outfit is an Arab High School basketball warmup, the pants have snaps all the way up the sides. As the day warmed up, I could roll them up and stash them in the trapper keeper I fashioned on the handlebars. Because I knew my departure day was going to be the WORST, and my saddlebags were stuffed to the max, the long handles I had on underneath were the raggidiest I owned, both parts were disposed of, the pants on Day #2, the shirt is now a rag for Bill to use when he washes his car.
Those are Snow Sneakers from LL Bean ($55), and my Mom knits slippers every Christmas, I have a doubled up pair (duct tape on the bottom) for camp, doubled up socks and even plastic grocery bags to insulate the feet further.
That little league helmet is the one I found at the Obama/Selma '07 rally, the foam over the ears kept the hoodie snug to the skull. I use Stihl brand safety sunglasses ($12), they have those side panels that keep the freezing breeze off of the eyeballs.
In the front basket are two of those $5 fleece blankets you find at General Dollar stores. I'm a big believer in fleece and flannel ! In the shaving kit are two mini-flashlights, both using the same battery size as the camera. I probably have 10 bungie cords and 50 18" zip ties. The kindiegarden mat, tarp, canvas step-on mat are behind the seat. The small hammer for tent pegs was NEVER used in five nights, making it obselete in the future. Clothes are squeezed into 1 gallon plastic bags, blankets in the supersized ziplocks.
ROPE ! In one of the Pringles cans are 3 pieces of rope/string. Take along about 5-8 feet of cord rope, in case you need to hoist the back end of the bike, from a rafter or a limb. Of course I have tools, spares tubes & belts .....Handi-Wipes in zip locks are in various pockets.
My spare gas is in the 2-33 oz. Scope bottles, the most I'd ever pay to fill up both and the engine's 22 oz. was $1.09, but the average gas purchase was about .75 cents.
CRANK IT UP !
All three mornings on the way to North Carolina began between 7-8 a.m., but I never abided by the time-zone change at the Georgia border, just considered the Crackers and Tarheels to be an hour out of whack.
About 10 miles from my house is a large quarry on a side road, with a constant stream of large dump trucks. Because I wanted to get acquainted with the bike's load, I went by the quarry before hitting the first busy Highway 278 east.
HIP TIP (thx Rif): I'm a firm believer in Mirr-O-Cyl mirrors. When you first see a large truck behind you, wave your left hand in the air, to signify "I see you", most often give a second wave as he begins to pass. I learned from the Kansas leg, directly from a trucker, that they had been talking about the crazy guy on the bike on their CB radios for days.
Of the thousands of trucks and cars that past me, only ONE truck (Knight Trucking) was a jerk, and that was on the last day.
The reason I mention the trucks is the drop-off into the Tennessee River Valley (pic 2) is at a store in Dawson, maybe 2 hours into the ride. They sold gas, and by that time I was frigid, having been pelted by sleet a few minutes before. While I gassed up (.78), 3 of the quarry trucks pulled up, amazed they had passed me back on 278, in Snead. About 5 folks gathered around the bike, I gave out my business cards, and was assured by the quarrymen that there was chatter on the CB radios.
DOWNHILL
My entries/exits into the Tennessee River Valley are limited, you have to think of it as a gorge, maybe 10 miles wide. The 4 stroke engine has kind of a "governor" on the high end, you can't really get up a lot of momentum on the downhills because the carb flutters past a certain speed. Because this road is in a semi-state of disrepair, I know on the return leg, it is off the list. "Trigger Finesse", thats what you need on the 4 stroke, the big T.F., especially on a recumbent loaded for bear.
Collinsville is at the bottom of the hill on the opposite side of that valley (photos in the above posting)....the FIRST challenge and I did it in HI gear. Piece of cake.
Atop the rise is a scenic road, left goes toward Little River Canyon Park and Mentone, highly recommended !! But I plowed forward, through Centre. When I pulled into a CVS parking lot, two Brazilians came out of their pickup, to talk, take pictures and one took a spin around the lot.
FLIRTING WITH KARMA
Yeah, I got a little smart***y with the third picture next to the Alabama Marine Police boat on Lake Weiss. All along the journey I passed lakes and reservoirs, nearly all overbuilt with McMansions. Since lakes are now nothing but glorified sub-divisions, best to time these NOT around afternoon rush hour.
FORREST'S FEINT
I swear, if I've seen ONE historic sign with Col. Streight's name in my region, I've seen a hundred. There are two or three within 20 miles of my driveway. When I get lost on my bike, I think of that poor Union commander wandering the 1862-63 Alabama wilderness. Outside Cedar Bluff is where it all caught up to him, and I got to wondering if the "Bluff" was a some designation of Forrest's headfake.
On this tour I saw too many commemoration plaques to count, way too many to stop and read. What Rif was talking about, the different rhythms of the small towns, will be especially seen on the return leg, moving from "untouched by the Civil War" South Carolina to the "burned by Sherman's March to the Sea" Georgia.
ROME RUSH HOUR
I have cr**py maps, AAA brand, Alabama on one side, Georgia on the other, the irrelevant southern parts torn off and discarded. I was aiming for the Kingston Highway, an easterly 2 lane above the busier US highways going parallel. But d****it, I found myself at some intersection of 4 lanes in Rome, neither road leading to the Kingston Highway.
Officer Tony was operating a radar gun on a southerly 4 lane that had a sembalance of hope of reaching the Kingston Highway. It was also full of supposedly Atlanta rush hour commuters. I saw him in my Mirr-O-Cyl when I stopped at the light, was mildly surprised when he bumped the siren.
It was curiosity !! He just wanted to know what I was doing on the shoulder, and said he was concerned for my safety, with all the lousy drivers on that stretch. We talked for maybe 10-15 minutes, he didn't time me with his gun, durnit. He had to admit, on this weird day where the temp started at 35 and dropped lower in the afternoon, that I was the only person colder than himself. I gave him a business card, he gave me "soon forgotten" directions to the Kingston Highway.
I tooked the first left after leaving Officer Tony, a guy getting into his pickup truck said I could catch the elusive K.Hwy. in about 10 miles, a right then a left....whoola.
Kingston ended up to be another backtrack, the locals said I would have a better ride if I turned around about a mile and took the first right/north, up to Adairsville. AN EXCELLENT ROAD, best of Day #1. 20 miles with less than 5-10 cars passing me.
Evening is approaching, so after crossing the interstate, I started looking for a campsite when the housing starts thinning. About 10 miles east of Adairsville, I note there are lots of potential "hollers", where small hills would block the breeze, and I hit a site within 2 miles of the main road.
Plenty of firewood, this would be the ONLY time I'd build a campfire, about 5 feet from the flap of the pup tent. It didn't take long to build a stockpile of enough for the whole night, re-stoked at midnight and 4 a.m.
The slippers, the fleece and the fire kept me pretty toasty all night, and there was a small creek branch about 20 feet from the fire to dispose of all the ashes/coals the next morning.
Nocturnal FACT: Whippoorwills are EVERYwhere, not an endangered species.
I'm posting this, without edit, else more of my pix look like a plate of scrambled eggs.
I found an easy way for carnivores to get that local flavor. At breakfast order the link sausages and at other times, try the bar-b-que sauce variations. But by all means, avoid those bland franchise eating joints !!
Your bike is an automatic conversation ice-breaker, and the lost look in your eyes as you peruse your nappy looking map is an instant way to see why America works, there are helpful people everywhere.
DAY #1
http://www.mapquest.com/mq/7-osVbj_UR
Route:
AL- Boaz-Collinsville-Centre-Lake Weiss-Cedar Bluff -(passing two potential scenic Little River Canyon intersections)
GA- Rome-Kingston-Adairsville
My first ever long distance ride, to Amelia Island, FL was in March 2006, so I know all about the fickle Spring weather. Those of you who have followed some of my long winded narratives will recall that my most valuable "carry along" was my camera, and that for $10 I had purchased a lot of items at the local Goodwill.
So, in picture #1, that blue 2 piece outfit is an Arab High School basketball warmup, the pants have snaps all the way up the sides. As the day warmed up, I could roll them up and stash them in the trapper keeper I fashioned on the handlebars. Because I knew my departure day was going to be the WORST, and my saddlebags were stuffed to the max, the long handles I had on underneath were the raggidiest I owned, both parts were disposed of, the pants on Day #2, the shirt is now a rag for Bill to use when he washes his car.
Those are Snow Sneakers from LL Bean ($55), and my Mom knits slippers every Christmas, I have a doubled up pair (duct tape on the bottom) for camp, doubled up socks and even plastic grocery bags to insulate the feet further.
That little league helmet is the one I found at the Obama/Selma '07 rally, the foam over the ears kept the hoodie snug to the skull. I use Stihl brand safety sunglasses ($12), they have those side panels that keep the freezing breeze off of the eyeballs.
In the front basket are two of those $5 fleece blankets you find at General Dollar stores. I'm a big believer in fleece and flannel ! In the shaving kit are two mini-flashlights, both using the same battery size as the camera. I probably have 10 bungie cords and 50 18" zip ties. The kindiegarden mat, tarp, canvas step-on mat are behind the seat. The small hammer for tent pegs was NEVER used in five nights, making it obselete in the future. Clothes are squeezed into 1 gallon plastic bags, blankets in the supersized ziplocks.
ROPE ! In one of the Pringles cans are 3 pieces of rope/string. Take along about 5-8 feet of cord rope, in case you need to hoist the back end of the bike, from a rafter or a limb. Of course I have tools, spares tubes & belts .....Handi-Wipes in zip locks are in various pockets.
My spare gas is in the 2-33 oz. Scope bottles, the most I'd ever pay to fill up both and the engine's 22 oz. was $1.09, but the average gas purchase was about .75 cents.
CRANK IT UP !
All three mornings on the way to North Carolina began between 7-8 a.m., but I never abided by the time-zone change at the Georgia border, just considered the Crackers and Tarheels to be an hour out of whack.
About 10 miles from my house is a large quarry on a side road, with a constant stream of large dump trucks. Because I wanted to get acquainted with the bike's load, I went by the quarry before hitting the first busy Highway 278 east.
HIP TIP (thx Rif): I'm a firm believer in Mirr-O-Cyl mirrors. When you first see a large truck behind you, wave your left hand in the air, to signify "I see you", most often give a second wave as he begins to pass. I learned from the Kansas leg, directly from a trucker, that they had been talking about the crazy guy on the bike on their CB radios for days.
Of the thousands of trucks and cars that past me, only ONE truck (Knight Trucking) was a jerk, and that was on the last day.
The reason I mention the trucks is the drop-off into the Tennessee River Valley (pic 2) is at a store in Dawson, maybe 2 hours into the ride. They sold gas, and by that time I was frigid, having been pelted by sleet a few minutes before. While I gassed up (.78), 3 of the quarry trucks pulled up, amazed they had passed me back on 278, in Snead. About 5 folks gathered around the bike, I gave out my business cards, and was assured by the quarrymen that there was chatter on the CB radios.
DOWNHILL
My entries/exits into the Tennessee River Valley are limited, you have to think of it as a gorge, maybe 10 miles wide. The 4 stroke engine has kind of a "governor" on the high end, you can't really get up a lot of momentum on the downhills because the carb flutters past a certain speed. Because this road is in a semi-state of disrepair, I know on the return leg, it is off the list. "Trigger Finesse", thats what you need on the 4 stroke, the big T.F., especially on a recumbent loaded for bear.
Collinsville is at the bottom of the hill on the opposite side of that valley (photos in the above posting)....the FIRST challenge and I did it in HI gear. Piece of cake.
Atop the rise is a scenic road, left goes toward Little River Canyon Park and Mentone, highly recommended !! But I plowed forward, through Centre. When I pulled into a CVS parking lot, two Brazilians came out of their pickup, to talk, take pictures and one took a spin around the lot.
FLIRTING WITH KARMA
Yeah, I got a little smart***y with the third picture next to the Alabama Marine Police boat on Lake Weiss. All along the journey I passed lakes and reservoirs, nearly all overbuilt with McMansions. Since lakes are now nothing but glorified sub-divisions, best to time these NOT around afternoon rush hour.
FORREST'S FEINT
I swear, if I've seen ONE historic sign with Col. Streight's name in my region, I've seen a hundred. There are two or three within 20 miles of my driveway. When I get lost on my bike, I think of that poor Union commander wandering the 1862-63 Alabama wilderness. Outside Cedar Bluff is where it all caught up to him, and I got to wondering if the "Bluff" was a some designation of Forrest's headfake.
On this tour I saw too many commemoration plaques to count, way too many to stop and read. What Rif was talking about, the different rhythms of the small towns, will be especially seen on the return leg, moving from "untouched by the Civil War" South Carolina to the "burned by Sherman's March to the Sea" Georgia.
ROME RUSH HOUR
I have cr**py maps, AAA brand, Alabama on one side, Georgia on the other, the irrelevant southern parts torn off and discarded. I was aiming for the Kingston Highway, an easterly 2 lane above the busier US highways going parallel. But d****it, I found myself at some intersection of 4 lanes in Rome, neither road leading to the Kingston Highway.
Officer Tony was operating a radar gun on a southerly 4 lane that had a sembalance of hope of reaching the Kingston Highway. It was also full of supposedly Atlanta rush hour commuters. I saw him in my Mirr-O-Cyl when I stopped at the light, was mildly surprised when he bumped the siren.
It was curiosity !! He just wanted to know what I was doing on the shoulder, and said he was concerned for my safety, with all the lousy drivers on that stretch. We talked for maybe 10-15 minutes, he didn't time me with his gun, durnit. He had to admit, on this weird day where the temp started at 35 and dropped lower in the afternoon, that I was the only person colder than himself. I gave him a business card, he gave me "soon forgotten" directions to the Kingston Highway.
I tooked the first left after leaving Officer Tony, a guy getting into his pickup truck said I could catch the elusive K.Hwy. in about 10 miles, a right then a left....whoola.
Kingston ended up to be another backtrack, the locals said I would have a better ride if I turned around about a mile and took the first right/north, up to Adairsville. AN EXCELLENT ROAD, best of Day #1. 20 miles with less than 5-10 cars passing me.
Evening is approaching, so after crossing the interstate, I started looking for a campsite when the housing starts thinning. About 10 miles east of Adairsville, I note there are lots of potential "hollers", where small hills would block the breeze, and I hit a site within 2 miles of the main road.
Plenty of firewood, this would be the ONLY time I'd build a campfire, about 5 feet from the flap of the pup tent. It didn't take long to build a stockpile of enough for the whole night, re-stoked at midnight and 4 a.m.
The slippers, the fleece and the fire kept me pretty toasty all night, and there was a small creek branch about 20 feet from the fire to dispose of all the ashes/coals the next morning.
Nocturnal FACT: Whippoorwills are EVERYwhere, not an endangered species.
I'm posting this, without edit, else more of my pix look like a plate of scrambled eggs.
Attachments
Last edited:
ickens+County:1/l:::Marietta:SC::US:35.020802:-82.501701:city:Greenville+County:1/l::[101-199]+N+Highway+25:Travelers+Rest:SC:29690:US:34.96225:-82.4333:street:Greenville+County:1/l:::Tigerville:SC::US:35.068298:-82.368599:city:Greenville+County:1/l:::Cliffside:NC::US:35.238098:-81.769997:city:Rutherford+County:1/l::2100+W+Innes+St:Salisbury:NC:28144-2437:US:35.688573:-80.482725:address:Rowan+County:1/m:35.258308:-81.658637:0:::::/io::::f:EN:M:/e
