Living Like a Stage Racer

As bike racers, we have a very unique understanding of the sport of cycling. We watch big races like the Tour de France knowing what it’s like to go as fast as you can for 60, 70 even 100 miles. We have a special appreciation for what those pro athletes do on their bikes. Even though we get a glimpse of one day racing now and then, we rarely take the opportunity to ride long distances more than a couple days in a row. Sam, Mel and I got a taste of what it might be like to be a big time stage racer last week when we took part in the David Sutton Memorial Cross State Tour.

The Tour (affectionately known as The Beach Trip) is hosted by the Greenville Spinners Bicycle Club. It’s basically a 4 day ride across SC and GA from Greenville, SC to Savannah, GA. I bring up the stage racing reference above because that’s the feeling you get when you’re doing this Tour. You get up in the morning and ride your bike to the next destination. It’s all you have to do for that day. There is really no hurry, so it’s all the fun of multi-day riding without the pressure of racing. If you think that sounds pretty cool, you are right. It is one of the most fun weeks I spend on my bike all year.

We left Moonville, SC on Wed morning under warm, sunny skies with a good group of friends. The rural route had us pedal south through the SC countryside on lots of pretty back roads. Our group stayed together most of the way, regrouping now and then as various members took their time while others surged ahead for county line and city limit signs. We rolled into Newberry, SC after 70 scenic miles, grabbed lunch on the square and lounged in the hotel pool. That’s pretty much the theme for the week. Ride, Eat, Lounge, Sleep and do it all over again the next day.

On Thursday, we set off for Augusta, GA pretty early to beat the heat. The scenery in that part of the state is quite nice with some rolling hills and lots of pastures and forests along the way. We kept the group rolling steady with just a few efforts now and then to “let the dogs out” as Sam likes to say. 78 miles into the day, we jumped on the Riverside Greenway in Augusta, GA. This extensive trail system connects North Augusta and Augusta similarly to Greenville’s Swamp Rabbit Trail, but this one is bigger and better in many ways. We rolled the last 10 miles along the river through the shade trees right into downtown Augusta. I would have to say that this Greenway is an example of what I hope we can get to in Greenville with our SRT system. I also have to say that it made the 88 mile stage a little more palatable.

After two long rides my body was thinking it was going to get a break. Normally, I would take a rest day after such decent adventures on the bike. This is where the stage race feeling gets cranked up on high. Friday’s ride was a 106 miler from Augusta, GA to Statesboro, GA. Not exactly a normal effort for me at this stage in my career. I’ve done many centuries in my lifetime, but I haven’t done many of them after two 70+ mile days. I was a little worried that this one was going to hurt.

We rolled out of Augusta under cool, cloudy skies hoping that the 90 degree temperatures forecast for that afternoon were an exaggeration. Sam and I were forced to chase the others for the first 20 miles when they left earlier than they had promised the night before. She and I rotated at a pretty good pace, enjoying the cool morning and reveling in the fact that our legs didn’t feel terrible after all the miles we had already covered. We eventually caught up to a great group of folks and settled in for the long day ahead.

Sam was riding like a champ, taking her turns at the front when most people were just looking for wheels. Several of us kept the pace steady as we ticked off the miles. The roads in the lower part of GA are VERY rough and we were all complaining about the nasty chip and seal pavement. Many of the others were very glad that I had shared a trick with them to run lower tire pressure for the day on the rough roads. 100-105 psi helped to take the edge off some of the roads for me, while the lighter folks were down around 80-90 psi. (Most riders put too much air pressure in their tires anyway, so this worked well to soften the ride a little.)

It started getting very hot towards the end of our century stage and we were all very happy to roll into Statesboro, GA. We grabbed a quick lunch before retiring to the swimming pool out back. Man this was the life. Riding, Eating and Lounging was even more fun than you think it was.

Saturday’s ride from Statesboro to Savannah, GA was sort of a formality. The roads were very flat and we rolled along at 24 mph without any trouble at all. I constantly fought the urge to crank up the speed as we enjoyed the unusual terrain. I was very pleased with how my legs were feeling after so many miles on the bike, and Sam was still riding like a champ as well. We rolled into Savannah after a quick 75 miles and hit the town for some lunch.

Savannah was really hopping so we spent some time wondering around the streets of downtown along the river. There was a Tall Ships Festival going on, so we saw some really awesome sailing ships with their 60 foot masts and huge sails. It was fun to imagine what it would be like to see these things docked here 100 years ago. We enjoyed out time in Savannah even with the sweltering heat.

Sunday we returned to Greenville to get back to reality. Overall, we did over 330 miles for the 4 days of riding, so we were not sad that there was no riding on day 5. If you’re looking for a fun, low pressure event that will give you a taste of what it’s like to be a big time stage racer, sign up for the Greenville Spinners Beach Trip next year. You really do get that stage race feel without all the pressure of having to win anything. Well, you can win something actually. They do give out some tour gag prizes and Sam and I won the Best Behind to Be Behind for male and female. Now that’s a no pressure victory.