Sasquatch Ride 2019

I love all the types of cycling I do, but I grow to love dirt road riding more and more over time.  My favorite thing about where I live is the outdoors and all the activities it affords.  It's gravel grinding paradise.

The Sasquatch Ride is a lot of excellent dirt road riding in a great, chill social setting.  Ray and Tina Egan do a fantastic job of putting it on.  There are several route lengths (30, 60, or 100 miles), the food is delicious, there is live music, and it's just good people.  Last year I had fun but wasn't feeling well at the Sasquatch Ride and didn't get to fully partake; this year I felt great and had a blast!

Saturday

I opted for the 100-mile route.  About 10 miles in, I had the chance to turn onto the 60-mile route.  It was slightly tempting, given the near 100% chance of rain that afternoon.  However, I had set my sights on 100 miles, and the rain didn't look too bad (only about 1/4 inch was predicted).  Besides, it's always easier if the rain starts during a ride rather than having to start in the rain.

I was very happy to get with a group of five other riders: my friend Monte; Bill from Warner Robins; and Canaan, Chad, and Mike from Louisiana.  We headed north on the extra loop of the 100-mile course, which allowed us to see much more of Jasper County (my home county).

Although I didn't take many pictures myself, someone posted these beautiful photos from the ride:

Several earworms stuck in my head throughout the day.  It started with Cake: "He's going the distance...He's going for speed..."

We approached the first rest stop at about mile 27 at the northernmost part of the route.  A high school mountain bike team (NICA - National Interscholastic Cycling Association) from Warner Robins sponsored this rest stop.  They greeted us enthusiastically and provided much appreciated refreshments.  Also, they were playing Christmas music!  Before Thanksgiving!  Jingle Bell Rock became my new earworm as I continued riding.

As we rode through Monticello, my hometown, we made an extra stop at CVS.  I chatted with Chad.

He described riding to the North Shore.  I assumed he was talking about New Jersey because of his accent.  It turns out he was referring to the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain, and he's from Louisiana!  I love and appreciate Southern accents in all their varieties, but this Cajun accent was new to me.  We both had a good laugh later when I told him about my misunderstanding.

At this stop I also learned Canaan's name.  Up to then, everyone had referred to him simply as The Kid.  He's only 14 but has already made quite a name for himself in cycling.  This summer he did Trans North Georgia (TNGA), keeping up the whole way with Mike.  Canaan/The Kid finished something like eighth overall!  That's insane.  When I was 14, I was doing well not to trip over my own two feet.

As we left CVS, I had a new earworm: Land of Canaan by Indigo Girls.

We rejoined the 60-mile route on Smith Mill Road in western Jasper County.  From there, we rode south, parallel to the Ocmulgee River.  The next rest stop was at the public boat launch on the river.  This was a party stop.

Bill's bike in front of the wanted posters

They had margaritas and scotch.  Sascotch, to be exact.

The snacks were outstanding, too, including homemade jerky and these blackberry and raspberry bars that were just delicious.  The bars had a hint of salt, which made them extra flavorful and provided a few electrolytes.  Apparently, it's some kind of pro cycling recipe.

As usual, the hourly forecast from The Weather Channel was right on.  The rain started while we were at this rest stop.  It was intermittent at first.

Mike, Chad, and Canaan between rain showers

The rain picked up as we approached the lunch stop (mile 71) at the boat ramp in Juliette.  It was after 2:00 PM, the stated end time for the lunch stop, but Ray, Fred, and several other volunteers graciously waited until we 100-milers showed up.  I think they had determined early on that we weren't going to make it by 2:00 because of our 9:00 AM start.  Tina's taco bar hit the spot!  Too bad we missed seeing her there.  She had just left, taking the Fireball with her.  Probably just as well after the margaritas and Sascotch at the previous stop.

Although it wasn't a cold rain (the temperature was in the 60s), I was getting chilled as I sat under the pavilion at the boat ramp.  Monte and I rolled out before the others so we could get our blood moving again.  The hardest rain was over about the next 10 miles.  Then it let up, and the rest of the ride was great.

The creek crossing was at mile 85.  At least I knew to expect it; last year it was a surprise!  Monte asked if I wanted to walk through the water or try the rocks, a shallower spot slightly downstream.  I chose the closest spot through the water.  Creek crossings on bicycle rides generally don't faze me.  Besides, I was already wet, and I thought the rocks might be slippery.

The final rest stop was at the top of the hill just past the creek crossing.  To be festive, I split a Fat Tire beer with Monte.  Also, a cute little girl, about four years old, gave me a bag of chips.  I wasn't hungry after the excellent tacos at the lunch stop in Juliette, but you don't turn down such hospitality.  I stuck the chips in my jersey to eat later.

I enjoyed and appreciated all the rest stops.  I wanted to award all of them the trophy:

Neither Monte nor I was interested in the last part of the route, which included some single-track through Dauset Trails.  So we took a slight detour back to Indian Springs.  The 100-mile route was actually about 94 miles, and Monte's and my detour reduced us to 88 miles.  I had already planned to ride six extra miles to get 100 miles.  Now, I set my mind to riding an extra 12 miles.

I did an out-and-back stretch on nearby Mount Vernon Church Road.  The sky was clearing, and the sunset was glorious.  I didn't mind the extra miles a bit.  I got back just as it was getting dark.

I waited until I got home later to take shower, but I changed into warm, dry clothes in the meantime.  The rest of the evening was fun and relaxing: BBQ, visiting with old and new friends, and live music by Kurt Lee Wheeler Music.  He was a great singer and guitarist, sometimes accompanied by a harmonica player.  I especially liked his unique rendition of Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones, even without Merry Clayton's co-vocals from the original.

Also, I won a T-shirt as a raffle prize!  I really like the Ride Local motif.

This was on top of the totally cool ride T-shirt:

I headed home relatively early.  Robert was already in bed, reading, and so I'm glad I at least got to say hi to him.  I missed riding with him and the other guys at Peach Peloton that morning.  However, they sure missed out on a great Sasquatch Ride!

Sunday

I headed back to Indian Springs the next morning for a shorter ride.  Sunday was much less structured.  I didn't want to ride single-track at Dauset, and I didn't want to do the ride to Fresh Air.  I can have Fresh Air BBQ anytime, but it's not often I can get Tina's delicious gumbo.  I had really been looking forward to Tina's gumbo for Sunday's lunch.  By the way, as I chatted with Chad the previous evening, I mentioned how much I was looking forward to Sunday's gumbo.  Then I stopped, looked at him, and said, "Oh, I guess you're not as excited about having gumbo here in Georgia."  We both laughed.

I'm glad I had uploaded the 30-mile Little Squatch route to my Wahoo before I left home that morning.  Another guy named Andy was looking to ride a similar distance, and so we joined forces.  Both of us were glad for a riding companion.

Although it was cooler than the previous day, the sky was bright blue and cloudless.  It seems like it took a long time for the leaves to turn this year, but since they did, they have been spectacular.  It was truly a beautiful morning to ride.  The route was about 50/50 paved and dirt.  We finished it in just under two hours.

I changed clothes, and just as I was entering the amphitheater meeting area, the gumbo arrived!  Tina had made some with shrimp and some without.  I chose the batch with shrimp.  Fish and seafood are my favorite meats.

Several of us discussed over the weekend the fact that registrations for the Sasquatch Ride were down this year.  We don't know why.  Everything about this event is wonderful - the riding, the food, the people.  Could it be the price?  $75 for five meals, snacks, and free tent camping seems very reasonable to me.  Also, the net proceeds go to charity.  I suggested to Ray that he advertise to cyclists who do the Bicycle Ride Across Georgia (BRAG).  If any of them like dirt road riding, the Sasquatch Ride would be perfect for them because it's like dirt road BRAG.  See how much fun it is?

Fall Festivities

Although I’ve been riding a good bit in the past month, work has been extra busy.  So, I haven’t had time to write all the ride reports I’d planned on.  This is a compilation of some highlights from recent weeks.

Fried Green 50

The Fried Green 50 (FG50) is one of my favorite cycling events of the year.  It’s mostly dirt road riding in the Piedmont Wildlife Refuge (PWR).  I love the PWR!  It was a smaller-than-usual crowd at the FG50 this year.  I’m not even sure how many people were racing it.  The fastest guys dropped me regardless, but I didn’t see any other women nearby.  So, I set a goal of riding tempo the whole way.  Perhaps an even bigger success, I rode across all six creek crossings without stopping!

At the finish I had my taken picture with the perennial FG50 witch.

Which witch is which?

Thank you, Monte, for another excellent FG50!

I skedaddled home because I had planned a Halloween picnic for Robert and me that evening.  Although I love picnics, I’ve never thought of having one in the fall.  Because the weather was still pretty warm and Daylight Saving Time had not yet ended, conditions were perfect for an early evening outing.

Robert has been working on a trail behind our house.  He took me to a beautiful hillside covered with beech trees.  One of his relatives had the foresight several decades ago not to turn this area into pasture like much of the surrounding property.

We hiked in with a backpack and basket - a real picnic! 

Our menu included Bloody Marys with Eyeballs (garlic-stuffed olives), Monster Muffaletta, Yummy Mummy (pumpkin/cream cheese dip) with crudites and pretzels, Bat Fruit Salad (all ingredients rely on bats for pollination), and Ashes Cookies (named for Ashes the World's Best Office Cat).

I took my menu inspiration from elementary school lunches.  Every year on Halloween, my elementary school cafeteria served Ghost Meat, Witch's Hair, Dragon's Tooth, and Green Eyeballs in Blood.  It was so exciting!  Well, the names were anyway.  It was really spaghetti with meat sauce, potato triangle (like at Arby's), and green grapes in red Jell-O.  Elementary school lunches were legendary for being an incongruous combination of items.

Deer Dash/Deer Festival

My buttocks wasn't completely healed from the SEGA 5K in early October.  I had tried running a few times since then, mostly unsuccessfully.  Therefore, I decided to walk the Deer Dash 5K with Allie and Fleetwood, the same as I had done at the SEGA 5K.

Part of me really struggled with not running the Deer Dash competitively as I always have.  If I had been in my usual running form, I would have won my age group and perhaps women's masters.  On the other hand, it didn't seem smart to force myself through the pain.  So, I made the best of the situation, enjoyed the beautiful (if chilly!) morning, and just had fun.

I have two ideas about why it's been so difficult for me to run this year.  One is that I've emphasized endurance cycling so much this year that it was harder to transition back to running.  The other possibility is that I'm getting older (gasp!).  It's probably a lot of strain on my body to pick up running in August each year, giving myself only two months before I start racing my annual 5Ks.  Because of PBP this year, I didn't start back running until September, even less time than usual to recondition myself.

Next year I'm determined to be back in good racing form for the SEGA 5K and the Deer Dash.  I'll start training in July.  My athletic goals have always been in cycling, but it's good to have a running goal for next year, too.

I went home after the Deer Dash, took a shower, and then headed back up to the square on my bicycle.  This is my usual order of operations on Deer Festival Day.  It's a lot easier to handle traffic and parking by riding my bicycle to the festival.

My first order of business was the Venison Cookoff.  I love venison, but Robert doesn't like it.  The Venison Cookoff at the Deer Festival is my once chance to enjoy venison each year.  For $10, you can sample all the items the contestants have prepared.  The trick is that you have to get there pretty early.  I arrived at 11:45 AM, and two of my favorite dishes were already gone: Liz's Mexican venison casserole and Jimmy's venison chili (almost like a chowder).  Next year I'll hightail it back to the Deer Festival after the Deer Dash so that I don't miss out on any of the venison entries.

I always buy something at the Deer Festival.  Not that I need any more, but this has been the year for cool T-shirts.  Before I bought this one, I checked to make sure the coordinates are correct.

On my ride home, I passed this sign:

Two great things about the South: festivals for just about everything and signs for fresh vegetables for sale.

Robert's cousin Joel and Joel's son Ben were visiting.  We all walked around the trail Robert has been building behind our house.

Robert and Joel

Flat Rock

Robert showing how he plans to build a bicycle bridge over the barbed wire fence

After our walk, I took my mountain bike out for its second ever spin.  I rode on a portion of Robert's new trail.  It was much more technical than I anticipated.  I still need a lot of practice.

Sherman’s March 200K Permanent

The next day I got back in my more familiar groove and rode the Sherman's March 200K permanent.  With no November brevet on the Audax Atlanta schedule, I needed a permanent to complete my R-12 quest.  The R-12 award is for completing a 200K or longer randonneuring event each month for 12 consecutive months.  The events can be brevets and/or permanents.

This November permanent marked the completion of my sixth consecutive R-12.  I have a long-term goal of achieving the Ultra R-12 award, which is ten R-12's.  Only four more R-12's to go!

My friend Julie rode the Sherman's March 200K permanent with me.  She also recruited Beth and Tristan, two of her cycling friends from Atlanta, to join us.  It was cold to start, but it warmed up a good bit, and the four of us had a very enjoyable day on the bike.

Peach Peloton

Although I'm not a fan of cold weather, Peach Peloton is a big warm spot during the fall and winter months.  We usually kick of Peach Peloton on the first Saturday in November, but this year several of us regulars had conflicts that day (Deer Dash for me).  Therefore, we started Peach Peloton the next Saturday.  We also made it a thank you to Mt. Zion Baptist Church, asking all the riders to make a donation to the church.  Mt. Zion lets us use their parking lot year-round for Tuesday and Thursday Worlds as well as Peach Peloton.

I hadn't ridden with my Macon cyclopeeps in a while, and it was so good to see them again.

By the way, when Robert and I were heading home from Peach Peloton that day, we stopped at Bowdoin's Store in Juliette for gas.  On the weekends, a guy hangs out there selling fried pork rinds.  Our friend Monte highly recommends these particular pork rinds.  So, we decided to give them a try.  The pork rind chef has five kinds: plain, lemon pepper, sweet BBQ, spicy BBQ, and salt & vinegar.  We got spicy BBQ - light, crispy, and just right on the heat.  They'd be extra good right out of the kettle.

MTB

The next day, Robert and I rode our mountain bikes again on the trails near the Ocmulgee River.  I shredded a little more gnar than the last time.  That's my goal each ride.

Sunday afternoon is turning into mountain bike practice.  This past Sunday, Robert met Monte in Juliette at noon for another Ocmulgee River trail ride.  I would have joined them, but I had already committed to being the liturgist at church that morning.  (I am the liturgist.  Goo goo g'joob.)  So, I grabbed a quick lunch after church and then headed south on my mountain bike.  They were going to ride at least a few hours, and my plan was to meet up with them along the way.

I rode on some of my favorite roads in the PWR.  Usually, I ride them on my cyclocross bike.  Riding them on my mountain bike felt like riding a tricked-out mo-chine.

I did take one trail that definitely was better suited to MTB.  I encountered a mud puddle that stretched across the entire path.  Wanting to hone my technical skills, I thought, "I can ride through that!"  I sallied forth and came to a standstill midway through.  The water was about two feet deep.  I toppled over - splorsh! - and my whole left side got wet and muddy.  No harm, no foul.

Warm, Fall Afternoon Ride

The landscape is starting to look more fall-ish.  The colors aren't spectacular this year, but they are at that pleasing point of some leaves lacking chlorophyll and others still having it.  The sky was overcast today.  It was warm for fall - highs in the mid 70s.  If we have to give up summer for fall, I'll take this.

Today was my first ride on my Trek Domane since PBP.  It took a few weeks for it to get home from France.  Although it arrived right before my October brevet, I opted not to ride it then because I hadn't taken in on a test ride since it got home.  I was going to ride it once or twice since then, but it still needed a Wahoo mount put back on it.  Robert took care of that in time for me to take out the Trek today.  It was like buttah.

I was up for a longish ride and selected a route that would take me to Eatonton, about 50 miles total.  I headed south toward Hillsboro.

Yesterday I drove through Hillsboro and saw a great Halloween display at the Ben Hen School, which now is Hillsboro's civic center.  Today I rode an extra mile to get a photo.  You can't really tell here, but there are orange lights all over the logs - totally cute.

I backtracked a short distance to Fullerton-Phillips Road.  This is a great paved road that has little traffic.  A few miles later, a deer crossed my path about 18 inches from my front wheel!  It all happened so fast.  I heard some rustling in the woods to my right.  I had just picked up significant speed on a downhill.  A young buck darted in front of me.  Our eyes locked.  He practically tumbled across the road.  Neither of us intended such a close encounter.

A little more than halfway into my ride, Robert passed me.  He had ridden the route backwards, planning to turn around and join me when we met on the route.  I had in uptick in average speed for the rest of my ride as I drafted him.

Robert asked my how my Trek felt.  I told him it was so smooth!  He said no wonder - it was only my second ride on it since the super-duper tune-up before PBP.  I guffawed.

As we headed back toward Monticello on Glades Road, we passed a hunter on the side of the road.  He was applying camouflage paint to his face, using the side-view mirror of his truck.  Robert and I greeted him as we rode by.  Then, Robert commented that he didn't understand why the guy was using face paint for deer hunting.  (Firearm season for deer hunting opened last weekend.)  Face painting is more common for turkey hunting in the spring.  Also, this guy had a bright orange vest, which seemed to negate face paint.  Oh, well.  Robert said it was one of those things that doesn't do anything but is part of the tradition, like guys shaving their legs for cycling.  It made me think of congealed salad at Thanksgiving dinner.

Name something that doesn't do anything but is part of the tradition.

When we got home, I had ridden just over 53 miles.  Robert was at 49.9 miles.  He refused to ride his bicycle around our driveway for a lap or two to make it turn over to 50 miles.  However, he said I could ride his bike for him.  So, of course I did.  I wouldn't have been able to sleep tonight knowing we left him at 49.9 miles.

The Dark Side

I've gone to the dark side.  Robert convinced me to get a mountain bike.  We picked it up at Bike Tech in Macon last Friday.  I took it for its first spin on Sunday afternoon in the Oconee National Forest in south Jasper County, where Robert has been working on the trails.  It is so beautiful there.

Some of the trails go right along the Ocmulgee River.  Last Saturday we got the first rain in over a month.  We sure did need it!  It probably even improved the trails where we rode on Sunday, making the few sandy sections more ridable.  Unfortunately, we also got a close-up view of Big Sandy Creek dumping a load of sediment into the Ocmulgee River.

We humans aren't very good land managers.

For now, I'm just getting used to how the bike feels.  The turning feels different from a road bike.  A lot of times I feel like I'm about to fall.  I have to let it go where it wants and not fight it.  I can take turns a lot more slowly than on my road bike.  Robert says he had the same sensations when he first started, but they go away.

My technical skills at the moment extend to going over roots that are about 5 cm high.  On Sunday I rode very non-aggressively, walking across creeks, up and down steep embankments, etc.  Overall, I had a good time, but I did get a little frustrated toward the end of the ride.  Robert encouraged me to keep at it, and it will get a lot more fun.  My intuition tells me he's right.

Isn't it handy that there's already a podium right near the river? :)

SEGA 5K (a.k.a. I'm a Cyclist, Not a Runner)

Running has never been as enjoyable or come as easily to me as cycling.  I ran cross country and track (1-mile and 2-mile events) in high school, intuitively knowing even then that I'm better at endurance sports than skill sports.  Back then I didn't know anyone who was into cycling for fitness or competition, and so running it was.

In recent years I have run only enough to manage a couple of 5Ks in the fall, the Southeastern Greyhound Adoption (SEGA) 5K in October and the Deer Dash, held in my hometown in November.  Typically, I start training in August, running once a week through the Deer Dash.  Then, with relief I give up running again until the next year.

Because of PBP, I didn't start my running training until September this year.  Maybe I needed that extra month of training in August.  Maybe my focus on endurance cycling for PBP has made it harder to reactivate my running muscles.  Maybe I'm just getting older.  Maybe all three.  Whatever the reason, I wasn't at my usual level of running fitness going into the SEGA 5K yesterday.

Even so, it was worth it.  One of my great loves besides cycling is my greyhounds.  This is why I run.  Or attempt to run.

Fleetwood, me, and Allie

The SEGA 5K is the biggest fundraiser of the year for our group's greyhound adoption program.  It's such a fun event.  A lot of greyhound club members bring their hounds to the race to cheer on the humans.  They greyhounds don't run; after all, they are retired.  Each human runner is paired with one of the greyhounds at the race, making them "running mates."  This is also a reference to part of the greyhound training process at the racetrack.  When a young greyhound is beginning its training, it is paired with an older greyhound who helps teach the youngster the ropes.  The greyhound running mates at the SEGA 5K is one of the most popular features of the race.

I always take my greyhounds to be running mates.  A volunteer holds them for me while I run.  At least, that's the usual procedure.  It didn't happen that way yesterday.  My buttocks ligament had already been sore from getting back into running the last few weeks.  Before the 5K started, I got tangled up in Allie and Fleetwood's leashes and really pulled it.  So, I made a last-minute decision to walk the 5K and take Allie and Fleetwood with me.  We enjoyed the beautiful morning.

Fleetwood pulled hard on his leash to start.  He wanted to run!  Especially when a wiener dog passed him.  I told him we both had to let our ego go because we were just walking this one.  Even so, I think Fleetwood got a complex from being beat by the wiener dog.

After about a mile, Allie and Fleetwood started slowing down.  I stopped so each could get a cup of water at the halfway turnaround point.  We kept going.  I was having to pull on their leashes a bit.  They were tired, but the exercise was probably good for them.  I simply slowed my pace to accommodate them.

I hope I never finish a 5K that slowly again, but I still had a lot of fun.  Besides, the whole point was to support the greyhounds.  From that standpoint, it was a smashing success!

When I got home, I decided to go for a bicycle ride.  I definitely made the right call in not running after I pulled my buttocks ligament, but I still wanted a decent workout for the day.  (Walking 5K didn't even get my heart rate up.)  I rode some dirt roads.  I could feel a little tightness to start, but I think the cycling actually helped.

While I was riding, I remembered that someone at the 5K recommended taking aspirin or Tylenol.  I found some aspirin when I got home.  I don't take medicines unless I absolutely have to - to the point that I forget that sometimes a simple painkiller is appropriate and effective.  A short time later, probably thanks to both the ride and the aspirin, I felt pretty much back to normal.  I'll still give it a few days before I run again, though.  Gotta get ready for the Deer Dash now!

By the way, unlike in cycling, I don't think a picture has ever been taken of me smiling while running.

Definitive proof that running is barbaric.

Tri-County Dirt

Yesterday was the last Saturday I won't have to get up to an alarm clock until at least February.  I got a good night's sleep Friday night, did a few things around the house, and then headed out for a long dirt ride just for fun.

My first stop was the farmers market on the Monticello square.  It was the last one of the season.  I got some sweet potatoes and shelled pink eye peas, which I left at the office to pick up later, and one of Laverne's delicious fried peach pies.  I put the pie in my jersey pocket to eat mid ride - rocket fuel!  I also found some new handlebars:

Then I headed south, soon turning onto dirt.  My goal was to get a good workout and simply enjoy the day.  Greer Road is one of the prettiest dirt roads right near my house, and I ride on it often.

The road turned back to pavement as I approached Hillsboro.  I loved getting to see these hurricane lilies in someone's yard:

Before I knew their real name(s), I thought of these as pinwheel flowers.  I've since learned that they are called spider lilies, hurricane lilies (because they bloom during peak hurricane season), or surprise lilies (because they seem to bloom all of a sudden).

Turner Road becomes Hillsboro Lake Road, which transitions from pavement to dirt.  Now I was getting into some really good dirt roads that I only get a chance to ride when I have time for a longer ride.  By the way, in case you weren't sure, I live in a rural area.

Although I've ridden on a lot of the dirt roads in this part of Jones County during the Red Clay Ramble, Jackson Road isn't on that route.  It was only fairly recently that I discovered Jackson Road, which is just beautiful.

This old barn with poke salet growing beside it caught my eye.

Robert says when he was a little boy, he would mash up poke salet berries to make warpaint.  I grew up in the Atlanta suburbs and didn't know what poke salet was.  However, we had monkey grass.  I mashed up the monkey grass berries, mixed them with water, and made "preserves."  My grandmother was a great cook who made various jellies and preserves, and she taught me the difference between the two.  Jelly contains fruit juice while preserves have pieces of fruit.  I was a very particular child; because my concoction had pieces of monkey grass berries, I made preserves, not jelly.

It was getting warmer yesterday as midday approached.  I was grateful for New Damascus Baptist Church, one of the few places to get water along the route.  My planned rest stop was only about half a mile later at the bridge and dam at Hungerford Lake.  It hasn't rained in over a month, and so I didn't expect to see any flow over the dam.

It was still a pleasant spot for a peach pie petite picnic:

I was a little more than halfway through my ride.  Although I was still thoroughly enjoying it,  I had ridden nearly three hours by then and was no longer fresh as a daisy (or a hurricane lily).  I thought back to the farmers market that morning and laughed to myself about a conversation I had had with one of the vendors.  She asked me where I was riding, and I told her I was heading south to ride on dirt roads.  She said, "That's going to be so dusty!"  I responded, "Well, I'm going to take a shower afterwards anyway, and so I'll just wash off the dust."  I should have said something like, "Yeah, it's going to be dusty.  And next time it's going to be rainy.  Or cold."  Most people don't realize how great it is to be outside, even in less than optimal conditions, which is most of the time.

I had ridden from Jasper County to Jones County to Putnam County.  The last part of my route took me northwest, back through Jasper County.  It had been a fantastic ride, but I was ready to get home.  Robert and I have always estimated that dirt road mileage is about the same difficulty as 1.5 that mileage on pavement.  Also, you can't ever go easy on dirt roads; you're always going at least at tempo pace.  So, my 52-mile dirt road ride was about like a 75-mile road ride - not nothing.

That evening I made cheese soufflé, an excellent dish I hadn't fixed in quite a while.  I also used some of the sweet potatoes from the farmers market, mixing diced, baked pieces with sauteed onions, cumin, and cilantro.  (This is a great savory way to cook sweet potatoes!).  I also made one of my favorite salads, balsamic fig salad, which is mixed greens topped with a balsamic vinegar reduction, dried figs, and large slivers of Parmesan cheese.  I was grateful for a wonderful ride and the earth's bounty.

Poultry in Motion: A Highly Scientific Analysis of Fried Chicken

A few months ago, I realized that there are several fried chicken places where I had never eaten: Bojangles' and Popeyes.  Hmm...maybe I could design a bicycle ride around fried chicken.  Even better, I could do a highly scientific analysis of fried chicken, similar to the highly scientific analysis of peach ice cream I did a few years ago.  (See Tour de Peach post, 7/13/15.)

I checked Google Maps for the closest Bojangles' and Popeyes.  Madison has a Bojangles', and Eatonton has a Popeyes.  Yes, this would work!  Additionally, I realized that although I've had chicken fingers from the local Big Chic, I had never had their bone-in fried chicken.  I added Big Chic to my itinerary.

Right after I hatched my plan, Popeyes came out with a chicken sandwich that many say is better than Chick-fil-A.  I avoid Chick-fil-A because I disagree with its corporate LGBTQ policies.  Not to say that Chick-fil-A sandwiches don't taste good, but it would be great to verify that Popeyes has an equally tasty, less fraught chicken sandwich.  Even though it looked like I wouldn't egg-actly be comparing apples to apples (bone-in chicken at Big Chic vs. boneless chicken sandwich at Popeyes), I looked forward to my important research.

Last Saturday was fried chicken day.  I brought along my bird flu chicken for the ride, pinning it to the back of my jersey:

It made most sense to start with Big Chic, but they didn't open until 11:00 AM.  No problem - that gave me time to go to the farmers market on the square.  It was good to go back to the farmers market after being gone so many recent Saturdays.

A young girl, maybe eight or nine years old, came over to talk to me while I was getting back on my bicycle.  She told me about her own bicycle ride that morning - 50 miles!  She had roused her father early, saying, "Get up!  Get up!  It's bicycle day!"  Even if she didn't really ride that far, I loved her enthusiasm.  Another cyclopeep in the making!

Time for some poultry in motion:

First stop, Big Chic:

I ordered a single thigh (I prefer dark meat) because I still had a lot of fried chicken coming up.  My favorite hot sauce for fried chicken is Crystal brand Louisiana hot sauce, but Texas Pete certainly will do.

The chicken must have been taken out of the fryer just minutes earlier.  It was almost too hot to eat.  However, it was delicious, crispy, and juicy.  I gave it a 4 out of 5 in each category.  I didn't want to get overzealous in my numeric analysis too early.  If Bojangles' or Popeyes were better in one or more categories, I wanted room to reflect that.  Also, Big Chic was mighty fine, but I wouldn't say it's the absolute best fried chicken I ever had, which a 5 out of 5 in every category might imply.  Still, it's hard to beat bone-in fried chicken.  Any subsequent boneless chicken had a high bar to reach.

Big Chic had some nice chicken art, too:

From there, I headed north toward Madison on familiar, quiet, lovely back roads.  This huge hay field near the Jasper/Morgan County line caught my eye.  It was even prettier than I could capture in a photo:

It was a little dicey trying to get to Bojangles', which is on a busy highway.  However, thanks to the Hoot Owl 200K brevet a couple of months ago, I knew of a less traveled connector road that put me out close to Bojangles'.

At Bojangles' a man asked me if I had been in Newborn earlier.  I said yes.  He had seen me there and was rather incredulous to see me in Madison now.  Also, I was pleasantly surprised to see some Jasper County neighbors, George and Rita Goodman and George's mother.

The fried chicken at Bojangles' was adequate at best.  I got a Cajun Filet Biscuit.  The flavor of the chicken was OK, but it was dry and rather limp.  It would have gotten 2's across the board on my highly scientific analysis, but I asked for pimento cheese on my chicken biscuit, which boosted the flavor and juiciness scores.  Although the biscuit wasn't part of the official highly scientific analysis, it was good.  It was the typical, greasy fast-food biscuit, but it was better than the chicken itself.

A few years ago, Robert got together for a weekend with some college buddies.  They stopped by Bojangles' on their way to play golf.  Robert says his friends went gaga over the BoBerry biscuits.  So, I had to try one for myself when I visited Bojangles' last Saturday.  The BoBerry biscuit is on the dessert menu.  It has blueberries in it and is covered with glaze - pretty tasty!  I'm sure it had a gazillion calories, but that was OK as part of the day's bike food.

By the way, I have a recipe for Hot Cranberry Biscuits that taste even better than BoBerry biscuits.  Robert and I call them Crack Biscuits.  The original recipe calls for fresh strawberries, but I love them with fresh cranberries, especially in the fall.  They even make a great accompaniment to Thanksgiving dinner.

Hot Cranberry Biscuits

2 cups sifted, unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
6 tablespoons vegetable shortening (or butter), chilled
1 large egg
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup fresh cranberries

Glaze:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly grease a baking sheet, or use parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking power, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Add the rosemary and lemon peel and mix until combined.  With a pastry blender or your fingers, cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Make a well in the center.  In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg and stir in the buttermilk.  Add this liquid and the cranberries to the well, and mix just until blended.  The mixture should be soft and tender; do not overmix.

Turn out the dough onto a well-floured board.  Gather the dough and gently knead it 2 or 3 times, until it is well formed.  Do not overwork it.  Pat the dough into a circle about 1/2-inch thick and cut out biscuits with a floured biscuit cutter.  Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake until golden, about 20 minutes.  Cool slightly.

Meanwhile, make the glaze: Combine the melted butter, sugar, and lemon juice in a small bowl.  Brush over the warm biscuits and serve hot.

Yield: 15 biscuits

Source: adapted from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution


Bojangles' also had the least chicken decor of the three places I visited, but I did appreciate the chicken wire separating the booths in the dining area:

It was nearly mid afternoon, the hottest part of the day.  George and Rita thought I was nuts for riding in the heat.  It didn't ruffle my feathers, though.  I simply thought to myself how much better it was than those cold nighttime portions of PBP a few weeks ago!  In fact, by the time I left Bojangles', I was cold from the air conditioning.  The afternoon heat felt good, at least for the next few miles.

Cold beverages in my water bottles were also pleasant.  Bojangles' serves Pepsi products instead of Coke products (sadness), another strike against them.  However, I do like diet Mountain Dew, and it has the most caffeine among soft drinks.  I had filled one of my water bottles with diet Mountain Dew and one with unsweet tea.  (Don't revoke my Southerner card).  In general, I prefer to eat my calories instead of drink them.  I do drink electrolyte drinks on long rides, but I figured I was getting enough calories and salt from my food that day.

I was definitely drinking more in the heat of the day.  It was less than 30 miles from Bojangles' in Madison to Popeyes in Eatonton, but I had to stop for water again during this stretch.  There were no stores, but I knew I could get water at the B.F. Grant Wildlife Management Area Check Station.  It's a little cabin by the side of the road where we've stopped several times during the BBQ Bass Ride.

Popeyes at last!  Uh oh.  They were out of chicken sandwiches.  That was OK; I got another bone-in chicken thigh.  The server asked me if I wanted a biscuit, too.  Sure, twist my arm.

Not pictured: accompanying hot sauce packets

The chicken was quite good.  I really like the crispy coating on fast-food fried chicken.  The crispiness and juiciness of the chicken rivaled Big Chic.  However, Big Chic tasted a little better.  Therefore, Popeyes didn't score quite as high overall as Big Chic.

I'm glad I got the Popeyes biscuit.  It was better than most fast-food biscuits, almost like homemade.  FYI, Big Chic doesn't serve biscuits, just rolls.  Rolls aren't nearly as exciting as biscuits.

If I had been assessing the restaurants on artwork, Popeyes would have scored well on that, too.  I loved this mural on the wall:

Time to tackle the remaining 21 miles to get home.  They included some of my favorite Putnam County roads.  Along the way, I rode by this place.  I've passed it a number of times over the years and finally stopped to take a picture.  Apparently, Robert has been moonlighting:

Robert had been keeping tabs on me through Find My Friends.  When he saw that I was almost home, he went to the trouble to get off the tractor (he had been plowing) and greet me as I rolled in.  He congratulated me on my long, hot ride.  It had taken me a little over six hours, including stops, to do my ride.  Robert said he had been able to manage only an hour-and-a-half ride.  Sure enough, I was a fried chick; Robert pointed out the salt coating my kit!

Following my fried chicken foray, I wanted something decidedly not fried that evening.  Some vegetable pasta and a fresh, green salad were just the ticket.  We had some sparkling wine with it.  Believe it or not, sparkling wine goes great with fried chicken.  (Remember that for your next picnic.)  Sparkling wine also always makes me think of France; now it makes me a little nostalgic for PBP, too.

The final results