For Day 2 of the C26 Triathlon Hub experience, a small group of us went on an easy, endurance bike ride into Georgia.
When we left the Hub at 7.30am, the roads were still wet from overnight rain and the skies were gray. We wound our way along city streets and the local greenway, as we made our way south. Before long some light rain started, but the weather was forecasted to be good for most of our ride.
The roads in the city were a little rough and we had to cross quite a few railroad tracks. Along one section of the road, the railroad tracks went diagonally across our path. Unfortunately for one of our group of riders, their front wheel went down into the gap of the diagonal track and they crashed. The good news is that we were going very slow at the time, and there were no serious injuries. The rider had a few scrapes and will have some nasty bruises tomorrow, but they were OK enough to join us for the rest of the ride.
Railroad tracks are not cyclist friendly. Most people talk about them from the perspective of the jolt they give the rider and the fact that they can eject water bottles from their holders. My concern is more serious; they cause crashes. I have only witnessed two bike crashes and both involved railroad tracks. If you ever have to cross them on a bike, please be very careful. Cross them at 90 degrees and go slowly. Also be aware that they often have wooden surrounds, which can be very slick when wet.
After this early ‘event’, the rest of the ride turned out to be an absolute delight. The road surface quality was excellent, traffic was mostly light and the scenery was fantastic. We rode alongside Lookout Mountain and through the Chickamauga Battlefield. The weather forecast turned out to be accurate and the rain gave way to a partly cloudy day. We stopped for a quick coffee and still made it back to the Hub, in time for a late morning brunch.
I normally do my long rides alone, so today was a little different for me. I had so much fun … I really need to do more group rides in the future.
