Another post from my previous blog… trying to keep getting up material more frequently. Sorry for the repeat, and I hope you won’t find it too off-topic. It talks about local culture in the great town of Athens, Georgia, bicycling, and my favorite local brewery! Some of the contents will be a little dated, as it was written in April.
Each spring, hundreds of amateur and world-class professional cyclists flock to Athens to participate in a number of bicycle events. The weekend known as Twilight is filled with amateur rides, a 5K run/walk, BMX events, plenty of activities for observers young and old, and the climactic late-night main event: the Twilight Criterium, an 80 kilometer race around a 1K course in the city. Thousands of college students, locals, cycling enthusiasts, and people just looking for a good time cram into an eight block radius to cheer on the cyclists from the best view possible while engaging in Athens’ favorite pastime, drinking. Bars are exponentially more crowded than usual and huge crowds amass at the checkpoints along the racecourse where periodically – when the peloton is clumped together enough on the opposite side of the course – some are let through to scramble across the road before the cyclists get too close and the security guards force their arms in front of the gate. It makes for great people-watching and plenty of difficulty in meeting up with friends throughout the evening.
The speed with which these professionals barrel around the crowded corners of downtown Athens is astounding. Even those not directly up against the course’s protective barrier feel the surge of wind each time the pack of 150 racers passes. It is impossible not to admire the absolutely amazing athleticism of the racers, who bike at what seems like full speed (I am told an average of over 30 MPH) for over an hour. Last year rain soaked the city all day and night, resulting in quite a few crashes for the relentless cyclists. This year, however, gorgeous weather allowed fewer crashes, fierce competition and a down-to-the-wire finish. And they aren’t just pedaling their butts off to try to be the fastest; they are constantly strategizing. The racers are all on teams, and each team member is constantly weaving through traffic to get to the position that best utilizes his or her (men and women race separately, women’s race is 40K) individual talents and is also most beneficial to the other teammates. These dudes are some craaazy athletes. Real world class stuff and it is a blast to watch.
Watching the whole video might get a little annoying, but hopefully it shows how much fun it is to attend the event!
This year I decided to push myself a little and signed up for one of the amateur events. Saturday morning my father drove over from Atlanta and together we participated in the Twilight “Gambler” 50 kilometer bike ride through the rural countryside surrounding Athens. This was the first organized event of its type in which I have participated, and I cannot wait to do it again. The ride took us on windy, hilly roads through beautiful and expansive countryside and forests on a sunny and not-yet-too-hot morning. The first 20 miles were a breeze, but I huffed and puffed my way up the last few hills while my dad (almost three times my age) blew past me. Nevertheless, I never dismounted and finished proudly.
The ride ended at Terrapin brewery, where we received souvenir pint glasses with which we sampled Terrapin’s Road Warrior, a Kölsch style lager brewed specially for the weekend. Lying in a sunny, grassy field with a cold lager in hand is quite the way to relax after a long ride. Unfortunately, that was two weekends ago and I am now in the middle of exams. It’s time to “hunker down, dogs,” and attempt to focus on this final round of exams and papers. As I sit inside it is getting rather difficult to resist the amazing weather, but I know I will be cycling and drinking Terrapin (and some soon-to-be-released homebrew!) again soon and undergrad will be behind me for good.
*Photo and video via http://www.athenstwilight.com/
I loved our ride in Athens, Bill! I only “blew past you,” as you say, because I was riding an incredibly lightweight carbon frame bike while you were on that antique steel bike that weighs more than I do!