Made 70 of these rooster tie-dye "bibs". The number of current riders planning to attend the Grumpy Grind on Sunday is up to 74. About 30 of those people have contacted me in the last week. I'm guessing the 10 day forecast finally presented itself and people finally decided to commit once they saw the weather for Sunday looked decent. If this ride is like many others gravel grinds I've attended, I'm guessing there will be about 15 no shows from that list, with possibly another 30 riders coming to take their place. I guess that is directly related to the psychology of having nice weather, combined with offering a free event. My goal of offering this event was never to make it the biggest ride out there, but simply to make it a great experience for those who do choose to ride in the early spring. I sincerely thank all of you who have committed to ride and I look forward to meeting you on Sunday.
A nice false flat section of the ride. Stark, yet beautiful.
Here are a list of things to remember for Sunday's ride.
YOU ARE COMPLETELY RESPONSIBLE FOR YOURSELF: At the registration area I will provide you a number to call to let me know if you are bailing out, but you are responsible for arranging your own ride back to the start.
REGISTRATION: Registration is over at 8:45 and the ride will start promptly at 9:00. All participants will register inside the barn and must sign an event waiver. Cue Cards, bibs, and event water bottles will be given to riders once the waiver has been signed. A port-a-potty will be available behind the barns, and a bathroom will be available at the farm house if there is overflow.
CHECKPOINTS: The one and only checkpoint is at mile 37.5. You are required to check in with one of the volunteers before you continue or you will be considered a DNF. A toilet is available at this checkpoint.
FOOD/WATER/CONVENIENCE STORES: There will be snacks (cookies, gummie bears, bananas, grapes, etc.) at the checkpoint. Water will also be provided at the checkpoint, with a Gatorade powder option. There are no convenience stores/gas stations along the route of the ride. Come prepared to go the distance.
CUE CARDS/TURNS: Cue cards are the gospel for this ride. The mileage should be accurate within a tenth of a mile or better (keep in mind that Garmins are not always perfect). The roads are marked with standard road signage. Roads with no signage will be listed as "Unmarked", and a pink flagged stake will be posted indicating a turn needs to take place.
DON'T TRUST THE INTERNET: This years route has not yet been posted. The routes you may have found posted on the internet are not correct. So please don't download them and plan to follow them.
RIDE SAFE and "RIDE RIGHT": Please ride safe by not riding more than two abreast, and NEVER ride in the center of the road when you are cresting a hill. Riding bikes is about having fun, so please don't put yourself in a dangerous position. Remember, the first place finisher gets the same prize as the last place finisher.
POST RIDE EATS: I am prepared to feed 90 riders. That would quadruple last years numbers. If the number of participants blows up at registration, that is great, but consider bringing your own post ride snacks just in case. BBQ, beans, pasta, chips, and beverages will be provided. If you are a vegetarian or a picky eater, please come prepared with your own post ride fuel. Sorry.
CAMPING: You are welcome to camp out at the farm the night before. Please keep in mind that Milledgeville is a small town. There is a Casey's General Store, but no grocery store. There are some small places to eat and some bars, but that is about it. So be prepared to bring most of your own supplies. Refer to a prior blog post for more camping information.
ODDS AND ENDS: I'm sure I'm forgetting to provide some sort of information to you. So if you have any questions please email me.
YOU ARE COMPLETELY RESPONSIBLE FOR YOURSELF: At the registration area I will provide you a number to call to let me know if you are bailing out, but you are responsible for arranging your own ride back to the start.
REGISTRATION: Registration is over at 8:45 and the ride will start promptly at 9:00. All participants will register inside the barn and must sign an event waiver. Cue Cards, bibs, and event water bottles will be given to riders once the waiver has been signed. A port-a-potty will be available behind the barns, and a bathroom will be available at the farm house if there is overflow.
CHECKPOINTS: The one and only checkpoint is at mile 37.5. You are required to check in with one of the volunteers before you continue or you will be considered a DNF. A toilet is available at this checkpoint.
FOOD/WATER/CONVENIENCE STORES: There will be snacks (cookies, gummie bears, bananas, grapes, etc.) at the checkpoint. Water will also be provided at the checkpoint, with a Gatorade powder option. There are no convenience stores/gas stations along the route of the ride. Come prepared to go the distance.
CUE CARDS/TURNS: Cue cards are the gospel for this ride. The mileage should be accurate within a tenth of a mile or better (keep in mind that Garmins are not always perfect). The roads are marked with standard road signage. Roads with no signage will be listed as "Unmarked", and a pink flagged stake will be posted indicating a turn needs to take place.
DON'T TRUST THE INTERNET: This years route has not yet been posted. The routes you may have found posted on the internet are not correct. So please don't download them and plan to follow them.
RIDE SAFE and "RIDE RIGHT": Please ride safe by not riding more than two abreast, and NEVER ride in the center of the road when you are cresting a hill. Riding bikes is about having fun, so please don't put yourself in a dangerous position. Remember, the first place finisher gets the same prize as the last place finisher.
POST RIDE EATS: I am prepared to feed 90 riders. That would quadruple last years numbers. If the number of participants blows up at registration, that is great, but consider bringing your own post ride snacks just in case. BBQ, beans, pasta, chips, and beverages will be provided. If you are a vegetarian or a picky eater, please come prepared with your own post ride fuel. Sorry.
CAMPING: You are welcome to camp out at the farm the night before. Please keep in mind that Milledgeville is a small town. There is a Casey's General Store, but no grocery store. There are some small places to eat and some bars, but that is about it. So be prepared to bring most of your own supplies. Refer to a prior blog post for more camping information.
ODDS AND ENDS: I'm sure I'm forgetting to provide some sort of information to you. So if you have any questions please email me.
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