More than 70 cyclists make the 285-mile trek between Athens and Savannah for annual bike ride
Though fall colors may not have been at their peak, enjoyment was high among riders during the 24th annual, Athens to Savannah 285-mile bicycle ride. While a few opted for the four-day, fat tire gravel route, most chose one to three days riding the road route. The final day of the adventure boasted more than 70 riders setting out from Statesboro to Savannah, rolling through country roads of pine trees and cotton fields down to the Hostess City.
The morning’s starting point, Statesboro Main Street Farmers Market, offered ample parking and assembly hall. Though most stayed in nearby hotels and bed-and-breakfasts, about 20 cyclists opted for tent camping at 7th Mile Farm, an education facility that provides opportunities for local at-risk youth. The farm’s converted school bus—re-imagined as “Cool Bus” — reunited riders with their bikes, secured in the assembly hall, in the morning.
At 6:45 a.m., a team of mobile caffeine-istsas from Athens-based Java Joy got coffee going and set out a variety of pastries. It was still dark. Only a few riders stirred.
As the sky grew brighter, more riders arrived, and the scene became a palpable glow of excitement. From the coffee stand to the bike repair van and across the parking lot, bursts of laughter, intermittent squeals and bellows bubbled up among the riders. If any of the previous 200+ miles had left painful marks, there was no trace now.
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A little after 7:30 a.m. Steve Hine from Georgia Southern’s Center for Wildlife Education arrived with, Freedom, the bald eagle who serves as the university’s well-loved mascot. Hine brought the raptor near the shoulders of anyone wanting a selfie, and between camera clicks, he explained how Freedom’s beak injury makes it impossible for him to survive in the wild. Since 2004, Freedom has been Georgia Southern’s institutional symbol as well as a national wildlife ambassador.
After a few announcements and encouragement from Mary Charles Howard, ride coordinator and executive director of the Georgia Hi-Lo Trail, riders set off around 8 a.m. pedaling to Savannah.
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From Statesboro we headed southeast to tiny Brooklet, Georgia, by way of way-back country roads. The scenery was beautiful—mostly flat, with few people, lots of acres of commercial pine and fields of cotton. The stillness and repetition—especially the in and out of breathing—became a meditation, being in the moment. I took in what seemed simple and rolled it into a mantra of presence, observing the foliage, listening for birds, feeling wind on my nose and cheeks, breathing in the stench of road-killed armadillo. These wove themselves into a complex tapestry of experience, perception and understanding until I was just another presence moving in the ecosystem.
Brooklet is home to a cute downtown with a Mexican restaurant, coffee shop, bridal shop and antique store. There’s also a locally-owned IGA a couple blocks away where I bought a much-needed box of allergy meds. The business reminded me of the small-town Indiana grocery store where my grandma shopped when I was a young child.
In fact, much of the ride from Statesboro to Guyton reminded me of ways and places long lost in childhood memories.
Mom-and-pop, Zip N Food Gas, somewhere en route to Stilson, Georgia, reminds me of my great Uncle Lowell stopping at a one-pump station in rural southern Indiana to buy sunflower seeds and peanut M&M’s. On the backroads between Statesboro and Guyton, shack-sized convenience stores, tiny cemeteries, and one-room Baptist churches hold more real estate than homes, front yards and sprawling subdivisions.
And it’s comforting, the peacefulness of but a few, one-story buildings revealing their small mark of human presence within a non-human-nature dominant landscape.
On the outskirts of Guyton, Georgia, the landscape changes quickly. Forests of cultivated pine trees give way to land cleared a century or more ago for agriculture and homesteading. Live oaks and their attendant Spanish moss become dominant. And then, rolling closer to Pooler, more homes, newer homes, picket fences, subdivisions and recently de-forested acres quickly become the visual norm.
As the distance between towns decreases, traffic increases. My mantra of staying in the moment remains, but I shift focus. I’m now keenly aware of the sounds of trucks and the rush of wind as they pass by. Beyond the immediate sound of vehicles near me, I hear heavy sounds of tractor-trailer engines approaching unseen and receding somewhere in the distance. I focus on being visible and embrace the potential of course adjustments necessary for safety.
Louisville Road is part of the final stretch into the Hostess City. Thankfully, since it’s Sunday, most of the dump truck and tractor trailer traffic on this roadway is noticeably, safely, absent. As we pedal down Louisville Road and this very industrial part of Savannah, cars and trucks kindly give us wide berth and safe passage. To be clear: this heavily-used road lacks a designated bike lane and a safe shoulder.
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Then, a quick set of left turns to Fahm Street and a right on Indian Street to arrive at Service Brewing where craft beers and a food truck await. At Service, riders re-connect and prepare for the next step—loading bikes and personal gear onto shuttles that will deliver them back to Statesboro and Athens.
Since 2019, the Athens to Savannah Ride has functioned as fundraiser for the Georgia Hi-Lo Trail. Proceeds from all Savannah to Atlanta entrance fees go toward constructing the landmark biking and walking path. The Georgia Hi-Lo Trail aims to connect Athen’s 39-mile Firefly Trail with a second 200-mile section that extends to Savannah. When completed, it will be the longest, contiguous paved bike and pedestrian pathway in the eastern United States.
For more information about the Georgia Hi-Lo Trail, check their website at georgiahilo.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: 24th annual Athens Savannah bike ride raises funds for Georgia Hi-Lo Trail
