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Header Photos Courtesy of Milesphotos Natural Light Photography
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BRAG 'N Writes
Ride It. Love It. BRAG About It.
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Georgia BikeFest 2011
 The 20th annual Georgia BikeFest will be October 14-16, 2011, in Columbus, GA. We will camp right next to the Chattahoochee River and Riverwalk, within walking distance of restaurants and pubs. Indoor camping will also be available beginning Thursday, October 13.
The City of Columbus is planning an exciting weekend. There are exciting activities planned for Friday and Saturday evenings. Also, Saturday will be a fun-filled day with non-biking activities beginning at 9:00 am. Market Days (local farm products and baked goods for sale) begins at 9:00 am and will continue until Noon. Arts on the River will be from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm. After your ride, take a walk and check out the professional art for sale. Stay Uptown and enjoy the Backyard BrewFest at The Loft Restaurant from 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm. Make sure you have your BRAG wristband on in order to receive a discount. Plan to spend Saturday evening at an Uptown Columbus restaurant and listen to the live band concert.
The Georgia BikeFest routes have been driven, redriven, and driven again. There's a ride and distance for everyone on Georgia BikeFest.
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Friday, October 14, THE TOUR DE MUSCOGEE RIDE (60 / 38 / 16 miles).
Ride all 3 of the paved paths in Columbus: Riverwalk South to Ft. Benning and back (16 miles), then ride over to the Fall Line Trace. You can head back to camp for a 38-mile tune-up ride, or continue on through northern Muscogee County to Lake Oliver. There the 60-mile option takes the Riverwalk North path back to camp in downtown Columbus. Back at camp/town, there are football and baseball games on TV, free live band concert, S'mores, etc.
Saturday, October 15, THE SWEET HOME ALABAMA CENTURY RIDE (101 MILES / SEALE THE DEAL 47-MILE OPTION / 12-MILE COUNTRY STORE OPTION). Cross the Chattahoochee River and spend the day in rural Russell County, Alabama. There are enough hills to make it an interesting century ride, enough flat stretches to make it a fast one. The 6 rest stops are spaced among little country churches, downtown Hurtsboro, and a VFW. The 47-mile option makes a shortcut through Seale AL. The 12-mile option stops for optional biscuits and gravy, then turns around. Back at camp/town, there's college football on TV, The Backyard Beer Fest, another free band concert, BRAGster Dragster Big Wheel races, and more S'mores.
Sunday, October 16, THE HOOAH RIDE (48 / 40 / 28 / 16 miles).
Ride to and through Ft. Benning, the best U.S. Army installation in the world. We'll ride by lots of monuments and statues of Army heroes. Be sure to bring your picture ID and ride single file while on the fort. Take 30 minutes or so to visit the U.S. Infantry Museum, a world class museum. It's free, or you can make a donation.
Mark your calendar now to attend. You can download a registration form and mail it in or register through Active.com. Updated ride information is on our website, http://www.brag.org/bikefest2.html. Be sure to have your registration postmarked by September 30 to avoid the late fee.
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BRAG 2012
BRAG 2012 will be June 2 - 9. The tentative, unconfirmed route is to begin in Chattanooga, TN, with overnight stops in Dalton, Cartersville, Roswell, Winder, Cornelia, and end in Clayton. You can download a registration form and mail it in or register through Active.com. The Early Bird Registration is valid until December 31, 2011.
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Riders of the Month
 Michele Saffer and Randall Blevens loved Metter during BRAG 2011. They said everyone in Metter was so nice and it was also a very pretty town. But, maybe the reason they really liked Metter, was that they got engaged there. See, good things do happen on BRAG!
Congratulations to Michele and Randall! Best Wishes for a wonderful life together.
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Again in 2011 - The BRAG Centurion Club
If you have already ridden the Spring Tune-Up Century Ride and the BRAG Century Ride this year, make plans now to ride the last BRAG century in Columbus, GA, October 15, during the Georgia BikeFest. You will become a coveted member of the BRAG Centurion Club. We will again give away the BRAG Centurion Club Hat to those riders who complete all three of the BRAG Century Rides in 2011. You will wear your BRAG Centurion Club Hat with pride during 2012!
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BRAG WinterRide 2012
St. Mary's WinterRide (Ride/Hike/Boat Adventure) February 21 - 26, 2012 BRAG's third WinterRide will start in beautiful St. Marys, Georgia. The dates are Tuesday, February 21, 2012, through Sunday, February 26, 2012. The average high temperature this week in St. Marys is 65ºF. St. Marys is 350 miles from Atlanta and takes about 5 hours to drive.
This would make a great Valentine's Day present for the sweetie cyclist in your life. Non-riders are welcomed also.
Tuesday, Feb. 21. Arrive early enough at St. Marys and bike 3 miles to the St. Marys Submarine Museum and the Cumberland Island Museum in downtown St. Marys. Bring a bottle or two of your favorite wines for our nightly wine tasting / happy hour. Optional dinner together at a local restaurant.
Wednesday, Feb. 22. Ride the 33-mile St. Marys Loop Ride, led by local cyclists. Visit the oldest church in Georgia, a War of 1812 site, the U.S. Navy Submarine Base, including the USS Bancroft Memorial, the Sugar Mill tabby ruins, and Crooked River State Park.
Thursday, Feb. 23. We will take the ferry to Cumberland Island. Bike (you can rent one on the island) or just walk the 5-mile recommended leisurely hike on the island. Either way, Cumberland Island is one of the most beautiful places on earth and is a photographer's paradise. February is the time to see it, without the heat and the bugs.
Friday, Feb. 24. Ride your bike to downtown St. Marys. Then take the ferry to Fernandina, FL. We will have optional lunch at the Gourmet Gourmet restaurant, then head out to visit Ft. Clinch. After Ft. Clinch, we will bike to the Atlantic Ocean for a beachfront snack. Then make our way back to the ferry for our return trip to St. Marys. 33 miles total.
Saturday, Feb. 25. Head by car to the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge and Okefenokee Adventures. We will arrive in time for lunch and an overview of the swamp by Chip and Joy Campbell. Then we start paddling the swamp by canoe or kayak on our guided tour of this third photographer's paradise of the week. After our tour, we will continue by car to Waycross, GA, where we will spend the night at the Jameson Inn, one of BRAG's sponsors.
Sunday, February 26. After breakfast at the Jameson Inn, check out and head home to BRAG about your week's winter adventure in Georgia.
For more information, including cost and directions, email Jerry Colley at Jerry@brag.org.
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Spring Tune-Up Ride
Mark your calendar now for the 19th annual Spring Tune-Up Ride, April 20 - 22, 2012. The ride will be in Madison, Georgia. There will be various mileage options each day with a fully-supported Century Ride on Saturday. More details to follow. |
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Johnny Ray Century Ride
Be a part of the Johnny Ray Century ride, Saturday, September 24, 2011, in Opelika, AL. This ride benefits the Parkinson's Association of Alabama. Various mileage options are available, 20, 34, 62, and 100, with SAG support, rest stops, breakfast and lunch, showers, prize drawings and much more. For additional information and to register, visit http://www.auburn.edu/~lakwean/registrationform.html.
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Camp Twin Lakes Spin For Kids Ride
This year Spin for Kids will take place during the weekend of October 22-23, 2011. On Saturday, the mountain bike ride will take place in beautiful Ft. Yargo State Park. On Sunday, the road bike ride will offer multiple routes for riders of all skill levels to ride through scenic Morgan County and the historic town of Madison. You can ride either day or both days if your schedule allows. A Day Camp option will be provided for children ages 5-12 to enjoy supervised camp activities while their parents ride or volunteer. After Sunday's ride, participants and their families are invited to enjoy a community day at Camp featuring lunch, camp activities, live music and fun for the entire family! To register, visit www.spinforkids.org. |
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30th Annual North Florida Tour
Come to the North Florida Tour sponsored by the Southern Bicycle League, November 3-6, 2011, for 3 days of cycling, kayaking, swimming, fishing & exploring. This adventure will be held at Camp Cherry Lake in Madison, FL. For more information, visit www.northfloridatours.com or contact Margaret Bokros at marg@margaretbokros.com. |
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Connect With BRAG
BRAG has a Facebook page. Get in on the action now. Join other cycling enthusiasts and veteran BRAG riders as they discuss the upcoming BRAG events. See what you have been missing by not riding BRAG.
Click here to go to THE BRAG Page on Facebook.
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| Questions? Please contact us at news@brag.org or 770-498-5153 |
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