BBQ Bass 2017

Days like today are why I love summer.  Robert and I hosted our annual BBQ Bass Bicycle Ride.  We think it's the 22nd annual.  I wouldn't swear to it, but that's about right because that would have put our first one in 1996, the year we moved to Monticello.  No matter, it's become one of my favorite summer traditions.  We get to ride with our cycling friends on great roads in and around Jasper County and share some good BBQ and adult beverages with them.

BBQ Bass is always a blast, but this year everything came together particularly well.  Last year it was boiling hot.  I'm very heat tolerant, but even I noticed it then.  This year temperatures were significantly milder, like in May.  Maybe that enticed more of our friends to join us.  Including Robert and me, there were 19 of us.  Our soigneur was our friend Greg from New Zealand, who drove the SAG vehicle/beer truck.  As a rugby coach, he's a pretty big guy.  It was quite entertaining to see him drive around with Sadie the toy dog:

Robert mapped a new route for us this year.  It was one of the best we've had on BBQ Bass.  From the Jordan Engineering parking lot in Monticello, we headed east on Highway 212.  Then we took some local roads in Putnam County into Eatonton.  Our first stop was Tienda Tarimoro, the Mexican market I love to ride to.  It was fun to introduce our friends to it.  Although a few seemed kind of out of their comfort zone, several found it as cool as Robert and I do.  I got a Mexican soft drink as usual, grapefruit this time.  I also tried something new, one of the beautiful Mexican pastries.  There were all types.  I chose a flat pastry that was shaped kind of like a bunny head.  It wasn't terribly sweet, which was fine with me, but it was deliciously flaky.

We headed out of town on Godfrey Road, another excellent cycling road.  About 15 miles later, it was time for a beer stop.  We fueled ourselves adequately with barley and hops and got back on the road.  The Bass (and other varieties) helped keep the ride from being too much of a hammerfest, but we still relied on guys like Jake who did a great job of moderating the group when they got on the front.

Originally, Robert had planned on one beer stop.  However, part of the fun was being flexible.  About another 15 miles later, we made a second beer stop.  I didn't partake this time because I probably would have gotten dropped if I had had another mid-ride beer.

The whole ride seemed to go quickly.  We averaged a relatively fast 20 mph but also were able to talk to each other.  Sometimes it's really nice to do a ride specifically to be social.  Even so, I could feel the testosterone simmering among the guys during the last 10 to 15 miles.  They picked up the pace noticeably.  I managed to hang on, but we started dropping a few people in the last few miles.  Thanks to road markings, cue sheets, Greg in the SAG, and a straight shot back into Monticello, at least we didn't have to worry about anyone getting lost.

Back at Jordan Engineering, it was time for BBQ.  Our Mennonite friends who have prepared the BBQ the last few years weren't available this year.  So, we went with Middle Georgia's tried-and-true, Fresh Air.  It's some seriously good eats.  Our friend Louise even volunteered to drive to Jackson to pick it up.

BBQ and Bass, the titular elements of the ride.  (I said titular - hee hee)

We had some extra yummage to go with lunch this year, fried pies from my friend Laverne.  She always has them at the farmers market on the Monticello square on Saturday morning.  Because I didn't want to clean out her stash for BBQ Bass, I had called her a few days earlier and asked her to make some additional ones for me to pick up this morning before the ride. 

A = apple; P = peach

When you die, if you get a choice between going to regular heaven or pie heaven, choose pie heaven.  It might be a trick, but if it's not, mmmmmmm, boy.  (Thanks, Jack Handey.)

What a great day with Alan, Andy, Angie, Bill, Cal, Chad, Chris, Cody, Dale, Greg, Jake, Jason, Robert J., Robert N., Sidney, Tony, Trey, and Van.  Thanks for being my cyclopeeps!