Atlanta to Chattanooga

[BillInGA]

I'm planning a trip from Atlanta to Denver later this summer. In preparation I'll be doing some longer rides to evaluate the bike's and my ability to handle the trip.

My first evaluation ride was yesterday, from Atlanta (actually, Kennesaw, northwest of Atlanta) to Chattanooga.

My plan was to leave Kennesaw at 5 a.m. and ride to Jasper, TN on US-41 and return the same way - a 250 mile round trip. It was an early start, but I had to be back for other commitments that afternoon.

I had about 30 miles since my last fill-up and I wanted to start with a full tank. Stopping for gas (and coffee) delayed my start by 20 minutes. I expected it to be cool - the forecast low was 57F, so I wore insulating layers and put the windbreaker liner in my mesh jacket. As I started I felt colder that I expected. I hadn't ridden in cold weather for a while, so I just figured I wasn't acclimated to cold weather riding.

As I went through one of the many downtowns, a bank sign told me it was actually 52F. The liner of my jacket didn't cover the front zipper and I was getting a lot of cold air through there. Just before reaching Ringgold, GA I pulled in to a truck stop diner. After 80 miles and an hour and 45 minutes I had had enough of the cold. It took a few cups of coffee, a Denver omelet and about 40 minutes before I felt like getting back on the bike.

When I pulled off the road it was still pre-dawn. By the time I got back on the road the sun was fully up and it was noticeably warmer. I was an hour behind schedule, so gave up on Jasper and instead looked at Chattanooga as my turn around point. I had never taken US-41 all the way to Chattanooga and I discovered a neat little tunnel the cuts through the mountain after crossing into Tennessee.

I refueled in Chattanooga and headed back at 8:45. The ride back was much more pleasant with the warmer temperature and I made it back to Kennesaw at 11:30.

Lessons Learned:
* Bring all your gear - I forgot my Camelback and rain gear. They were sitting right next to the bike. Maybe a final run through the checklist before I depart would help.
* Prepare adequately for the weather - If I had brought my rain gear I could have put it on to cut down on the cold air getting in my jacket.
* Don't leave before dawn - I missed a lot of cool scenery an the way up, and it's just generally more pleasant riding in daylight. edit - Plus I couldn't read my GPS until after the sun came up.
* Get a windshield - Even though I never went much above 60 mph, I was a little fatigued from fighting the wind.

Cold temps notwithstanding, I think it was a good first step. The bike performed well the entire trip and so did I once the weather warmed up. When I arrive back home I didn't feel like I was done for the day and was ready for more riding.