Georgia on Two Wheels: Unveiling the BRAG 2024 Cycling Route with Franklin Johnson

Speaker 1: 1:13

Well, it's time for Road Adventures with Cycling Men of Leisure, the podcast for cyclists who understand that riding is not just about getting to the destination, but the experience along the way. Now here are the original Cycling Men of Leisure Adam and Michael.

Speaker 2: 1:27

Alright. Well, welcome to Road Adventures of Cycling Men of Leisure. Once again Across from Me digitally is my good friend and co-host, michael. Happy New Year, buddy.

Speaker 3: 1:39

Happy New Year to you as well. Finally, we made it another one, Phew 2024.

Speaker 2: 1:44

I hope it's nothing like 2020. So that's my new slogan. So well, here we are. We've been teasing this episode for a month now. We've got something really exciting today really special.

Speaker 3: 1:59

This is fantastic. This is exciting. It's going to be awesome.

Speaker 2: 2:03

So at the end of November we teased that we were going back and we officially made the announcement that we're going back to Georgia, big Bragg 2024. And we have somebody here today with us that's going to help us announce the route.

Speaker 3: 2:20

So we're going to know what the route is, where we're riding today, when this is all over. That's what you're saying.

Speaker 2: 2:26

Well, if you haven't seen the official video that Bragg puts out on YouTube and you get your news from Cycling Men of Leisure, get ready, because you're going to know the route.

Speaker 3: 2:38

That is awesome. That is awesome. So I know who we're having. Why don't you tell everybody who we've got back here on the line with us?

Speaker 2: 2:47

Without further ado. The executive director of Bragg is Franklin Johnson, and Franklin has many rides, including some new ones to Amsterdam and Mexico and all the ones that I wish I could do, but I'm going to Georgia, so, franklin, welcome back we consider you a friend of the show.

Speaker 4: 3:05

Thank you, guys, so much for having me Excited to be here and excited to announce the route, and thank you for all the kind compliments you've given me along the way.

Speaker 2: 3:16

Well, they come from a true place. You've been nothing but wonderful to us, and one of the exciting parts for Michael and I is to say we didn't even know about this, bragg, until we listened to your show and we signed up. We were like what we actually helped with? That that's great. So, no, I definitely appreciate you and all the things you've helped us with. So, anyways, people are here for this special episode and we wanted you to be with us to be able to talk about where we're going in 2024 for Georgia.

Speaker 4: 3:49

All right, so should we just start? How do you want to do it?

Speaker 2: 3:52

Well, I know that April 19th through the 21st you're first going to go to Rutledge and you do your spring tune up there. But then for Big Bragg, let's I'll tell you what, in honor of another ride that we've all done, raghbri they've kind of skipped around a little bit and kind of teased us, and then we'll go back together. What if you throw us a random city, kind of let us guess, along the way?

Speaker 4: 4:18

I can throw you a city in the middle.

Speaker 2: 4:21

Millageville, millageville. Okay, now I've got the official Georgia map here Millageville, yeah. I could have that one what I'd be looking. I see it. It's in the middle of the state.

Speaker 4: 4:35

It's in the middle of the state, it's right in the village of the bill.

Speaker 2: 4:39

I see that and it's now. Is that northeast? Is that pronounced Macon, georgia?

Speaker 4: 4:47

That is Macon, yes, and it is northeast of there, correct?

Speaker 2: 4:51

Oh, all right, so Millageville is in the middle. Oh boy, michael, do you think we're going north or south, or east or west?

Speaker 3: 5:01

I'm going to say we're going south and I'm also going to make a prediction right here. I mean, I know nothing. This is the first I'm hearing about this as well. I'm going to say, perhaps we are going to be spending an extra day in Millageville.

Speaker 4: 5:14

That is true, that is the layover day yes okay. Be, there for two nights. It's a great city. They've hosted us many, many times in the past, right in the middle of the state, right in the middle of the route. But the rest of the route Michael, I know you're history aficionado the rest of the route follows a very famous military march. If that gives you, yes, absolutely.

Speaker 3: 5:39

The end of the way we're going the march across Georgia.

Speaker 4: 5:43

Sherman. So there was actually two marches. We're out on those two planes at the same time. Pardon me for not knowing exactly, but there was an east wing and a west wing. If you look on the map, it's really more of a north and a south, so we're not following, we're kind of blending the two, if you will, but really staying more towards the east side of that march. Okay, yeah, so that's one of our most popular routes, or it has been historically, will be, will be starting in my hometown, where I went to school and grew up here in Atlanta, and then ending our terminus along the way where we all know that that famous march ended in Savannah.

Speaker 2: 6:23

So the route is Atlanta to Savannah.

Speaker 4: 6:27

Yes, sir.

Speaker 2: 6:28

All right.

Speaker 4: 6:29

It's a really great one. One of the most popular ones that was. You know that was my first year. My first rodeo of posting brag was Atlanta to Savannah, so I'm looking forward to doing it again. It's one of my favorites.

Speaker 3: 6:41

Cool that it says exciting. That's a good history along there.

Speaker 4: 6:44

Let me tell you and the best part about that route is when we stay in Atlanta, I get to sleep in my own bed. That's beautiful.

Speaker 3: 6:52

You're not bonus for you, yes.

Speaker 2: 6:55

You're not getting your night of stay in this news box.

Speaker 4: 6:59

Oh, I don't know. That's a good question, but you know I am, you know, full disclosure. This year is gonna be tough for me. We have our third Bun in the oven. Congratulations, thank you, thank you. So baby currently is expected to do on June 16. Oh boy, not one. Close, very close. So I'm not sure what I'm gonna have to do, but I think I am gonna have to bring a couple extra people on and have Stephanie and and and Vicki and some other folks really on their peas and queues and, knowing everything about this year and case that I have to Take off early, which which could happen for sure.

Speaker 3: 7:47

So so if we see you hopping in a truck, head in the other direction from the ride, we'll know coming back.

Speaker 2: 7:52

Yeah, you got the call and you're yeah, okay, cool. I was gonna say on the one wheel with his hat.

Speaker 3: 7:57

So I see you guys gotta go yeah so I don't know and that's we'll see.

Speaker 4: 8:03

So you know, by the time we get to the end of the route it's Vano, the you know four hour all home with Push cuz, does come to show up. But hopefully, hopefully she holds out. I think she, you know, every other time she's been about a day or two before after. So Hopefully she, she makes it.

Speaker 2: 8:19

We'll see well, congratulations for sure. That's, that's amazing. So I, I I have to be honest, I am not familiar with that, with that March, but is this a route that you've done before each town and everything?

Speaker 4: 8:37

It's not the exact same. We definitely switched it up. So we'll be starting in Atlanta, I guess at my hometown. Atlanta is obviously the capital of Georgia, as most folks know. Hopefully it's the biggest city in Georgia, you know, kind of a capital of the southeast really, and I think when we start there We'll be starting at Oglethorpe University, which is one of the older Schools in the in the state. It's a really old campus, has some really old buildings and it's really unique looking and then a fun campus to stay on. What the possibility to stand some dorms there, which is great. And along the route we're standing a lot of colleges so we'll have a lot of dorm opportunities. Folks want to stay there, which is great.

Speaker 4: 9:16

But for folks who have never been in the southeast, never been to Georgia number spent any time in Atlanta, it'll be a great starting point. Lots of infrastructure. If you're flying in from out of town, you know the airports right here. Marta will get you from the airport directly to Oglethorpe's campus. So just super logistically convenient for everybody. And Atlanta's just a great town culturally and you know Culinary hub etc. Anyway.

Speaker 4: 9:43

But then once we leave Atlanta We'll get to go through a lot of landmarks heading down the peach tree road, raised straight down peach tree, which is a fun route and usually you wouldn't want to ride too much on there. I ride on there pretty frequently, but We'll be leaving out on a Sunday morning so there won't be much traffic, which is the perfect time to leave the city of Atlanta. Go through Piedmont Park, which is our big park in the city, you know, similar to Central Park in New York it's our version of that and then we're gonna hop on part of the belt line, which will be fun, and then from there we'll get on the Freedom Park path ahead out towards Stone Mountain. So we'll get to see a mix of the city riding while you're in the city, which is nice, and then also get to see some of the parks and then we'll hop on some of the paths that all the people who commute in Atlanta, or just you know, ride this path to recreation Atlanta get to ride on as well. So get to see a good blend of all those as we head out of the city past Stone Mountain and then that first night we're gonna head all the way out to Oxford, which is just outside of Atlanta. It's about an hour, 45 minutes to an hour by car. We'll ride out there and spend the first night there again, be at the school, so we'll have options for dorms.

Speaker 4: 11:01

Actually started my Education career out at Oxford, so really, yeah, well, I went to school and then, you know, I transferred to Emory.

Speaker 4: 11:11

It's a theater for Emory, so that would be like two homes for me gone from you know we're actually currently live and we're out to school, so that would be me.

Speaker 2: 11:19

Well then, mrs Franklin can't have the baby until at least you get part of your memories, so good.

Speaker 4: 11:24

Well, hopefully we finish the whole route.

Speaker 2: 11:26

Of course, of course. Okay. So Atlanta to Oxford, and Then from, and oh for those doing indoor camping, and With the indoor camping, be at the dorms. Is that what I understand, or is that still yet to be determined?

Speaker 4: 11:44

No, so they'll be the still be Jim's. So if you want to do indoor camping and you do the wristband for the week for indoor camping, you'll be staying in the gym's over, for as a gym, oxford obviously has gym, all places where you're staying out, a big indoor space. The dorms would just be additional on top of that. So if you know cool, you know, if you don't want it, you know it's almost like a hotel. You know I've got shower and restrooms and in bed or me, you bring your own bed, but there's a bed. Obviously it's kind of like your typical dorm room. You'll stay In the dorm. You know it'll be a per, depending on school, you know depending on the cost, but it'll be fairly inexpensive, much cheaper than a hotel, and you can stay in a dorm at your school of choosing.

Speaker 3: 12:26

That's cool. Yeah, I can. Can relive the old college days, all right.

Speaker 4: 12:31

Yeah, you can even so, depending on the dorm situation you know, some will have be like apartment style, will there be you have two rooms to share, a bathroom or whatever. So you guys, you guys could get a dorm together. It'd be cute I.

Speaker 2: 12:44

Mean the IR. Do you get accused of all kinds of stuff?

Speaker 1: 12:48

I'm like I have a wife.

Speaker 2: 12:49

But but I gotta tell you I'm, you know you do a Great thing and you you allow people to register, and so anyone who registered before today got a $75 discount for the week-long ridership. And I have already registered, paid for the bus. But man, I am sitting here thinking maybe I did it wrong. I took the bus from the end town to the start town. Being in Atlanta, maybe I should just get off the plane and put the bike together in a hotel, and maybe not. I'm really thinking now.

Speaker 4: 13:28

So you can still switch buses, that's fine, okay, and we just ask that you do that before the day before the bus round leaves, because every, no, every time, every year, everybody wants to switch buses two days before the ride. While we're trying to get out of the office, we get everything packed up, so you got plenty of time to switch your buses around. No big deal.

Speaker 2: 13:49

Perfect, perfect. I'm just kind of thinking so okay, so we go from Atlanta to Oxford, and then We've already discovered that the overnight town Is is it pronounced millageville?

Speaker 4: 14:04

Millageville yeah, we've got a town in between that.

Speaker 2: 14:07

I Right, and in between there is, is what town?

Speaker 4: 14:10

so we're actually so, when we're at Oxford, lots of stuff to do there. That's actually kind of one of the filming capitals Of the southeast. There's, you know, doots of hazard. Started it way back in the day and then, you know, recently, when, I was doing more boy, oh sorry.

Speaker 4: 14:25

Generally right. So, as soon as you know, hollywood migrated from LA up here to Atlanta. It's funny that Covington, the town, is this right, that's basically connected to Oxford. They are right outside of the limit of not having to pay travel rates for all the unions. So everybody goes out to Covington to get kind of the rule, picturesque views for all their filming. So they film like vampire diaries and A number of other shows. Movies get filmed out there all the time. So if you're a movie buff history, history movie, historical movie buff they have a lot of tours out there you can do while you're there, which is really cool.

Speaker 4: 15:05

And then we're actually gonna head from Oxford and we're gonna jump right over to social circle, which is very close. So we're gonna extend the route. That day it's gonna be. We're gonna go through some cool farms and check out some, some interesting things along the way, because if you're to drive in a straight line It'll be very short, but we're gonna route it, make a little bit longer to get over to social circle, which is a very small town but has a very cute Historic downtown area. We're staying right at the school that is one block off of the downtown so you can you know, when you're done with the ride, park your bike right there at the school and then walk to the downtown area, which will be really fun. You and my mom's actually from social circle, so this is a. I mean, I've born and raised in Georgia, so I got a lot of connection to a lot of cities, but this route in particular.

Speaker 2: 15:55

That's cool. I'm thinking we're calling this. Franklin goes down memory lane. No, just kidding, but okay. So For those paying attention, we're gonna go from Atlanta To Oxford, oxford, a social circle, from social circle to Millageville. That is the overnight town. And just for a second Let me just describe the people who are, who maybe haven't signed up yet. You do something. That's pretty cool. You have what they call Bragg light, so someone could actually say, hey, I can sign up for the first three days and then join you and register in Millageville. Would that be correct?

Speaker 4: 16:32

Yeah. So they say you can do for Bragg, like you, the first three or the last three, either one. So if you can only take, you know, two, three days off, work makes it really easy to ride three days. We got a shuttle that'll be back to where you started from and Something else that you do.

Speaker 2: 16:46

That's really interesting. Interesting to me is you actually have an overnight, an additional overnight town, or a rest day. Maybe someone does laundry or just enjoys a relaxation. But so in Millageville, when we get there on Tuesday nights, physically the route doesn't restart back up until Thursday. Would that be correct?

Speaker 4: 17:07

Yeah, so we. You can either hang out and drink beer and do your laundry and go to the concert we have scheduled for you.

Speaker 4: 17:16

All right and rest your legs, really take it as a nice recovery day, get well fed or, if you want you know you want to do a recovery ride. We'll have like a short 30 40 mile ride that day so you can get out, see some, some cool you know farms along the rest. Stop outside Millageville To still get some miles in for that day, still enjoy a lot of entertainment. So you can do either however you prefer. But it is a layover day, so we're spending two nights in Millageville.

Speaker 3: 17:44

Cool. Well, I'm gonna say that the last two years that we've done it, we have taken advantage of that layover day, rented a car and went and visited a local distillery, so and done laundry. So that's typically what we do on the layover day because, like I'll admit, the first time that we heard about this layover day, both Adam and I were like oh, there's your bottle right there. Yeah, this.

Speaker 2: 18:07

This is from Swamp Fox distillery, and Hold on a second Boyna Vista point of vista. Boyna Vista.

Speaker 3: 18:20

But I've got to admit, the first time we heard about this layover thing, we're like layover, layover for what? What do we got to lay over? But I do have to admit I'm the type of guy that if I can wash my laundry halfway through I don't have to pack as much and flying with us. That definitely helps. But we've we found it fun to find a distillery somewhere in the area and drive out and visit that and see whatever else we might see.

Speaker 4: 18:45

So we're looking forward to that, absolutely yeah and it's just a great way to break up the week. You know I've, I know there's a couple of the rides to do it, but I've never done another ride that does it. But for me it's just like a. It's a good midweek break because if you do, you know a lot of other larger cross-state Rides that do seven days in a row. You know you start to hit day five and day six. It does start to get to be the packing up and packing down gets to be a little Monotonous. So it is a little break that keeps you energized and unless you finish strong, well, I do have a confession.

Speaker 2: 19:19

So enjoy it. No, no, no. This is nothing negative. I enjoyed Big Bragg 2023 last year and then all three of us saw each other out in Iowa. I didn't get to see Franklin as much as I want, but it was just kind of crazy. I mean, there were so many people, but I did. I did see him on the one wheel one day and I was telling Michael. I said, you know, I looked over at him one day. I said Franklin's got something with that day off in between. That is, that is a plus. I could go for that right now.

Speaker 3: 19:47

So well, that, I think, was a day when it was like 98 degrees and we had some crazy you know 97 miles to ride and it yeah that that day off was looking even better. At that point it sure did.

Speaker 2: 20:01

Okay, so we have the, we have the day off in Millageville and then Thursday morning. Guess what if you haven't taken advantage and ridden your bike on the day before time to get back on the horse and and head off town?

Speaker 1: 20:17

and so.

Speaker 2: 20:18

Where are we going from there?

Speaker 4: 20:21

Yeah, so we'll you know you have the day when we get there in Millageville they have the whole layover day. So while we have the layover day, you know we'll have a lot of stuff. Military was actually home to two colleges the Georgia Military College, which is there right off the square, and then you have I used to call it element of pigs. My brother-in-law actually went there was Georgia College and State University and they are there and that's a really great school. They typically host us while we're there. They've got some camps that have looked out too far, so they're not hosting us this year, but we'll. We'll definitely ride through there in. Millageville also has the Central State Hospital, which was once the largest mental institution in the world. It is not anymore. It's not active. We know when they shut that all that, that whole program down in the 70s. It's not there. So there's a lot of interesting things you can do and see. It's really kind of spooky to ride around there. So fun things doing.

Speaker 4: 21:18

Millageville, you know the downtown, areas of college downtown. So it's. You know it's got some stuff to do. But then we'll head out of Millageville and head Southeast into the pine trees where we'll hit the Swainsboro and we're staying at East Georgia State College. While we're there, it's a great venue. Swainsboro is a really cool town. They have an awesome downtown and they I want to say Swainsboro, the county they're in a manual county has more pine trees. They grow more pine trees than anywhere else in the state. They have a huge pine tree festival. Like a hundred thousand people come to every year. So we'll be see a lot of pine trees while we're there, for sure cool, so that seems like a decent day in the saddle.

Speaker 2: 22:06

I mean looking on the map here as you're, as you're speaking, I mean because, truth be told, I'm finding out myself right now. So that seems to be a decent day in the saddle.

Speaker 4: 22:17

Yeah, it is, and we've done that route several times in terms of, you know, millageville to Swainsboro. What I'll say, as it starts to get more rule and certainly you know, outside of Millageville into Swainsboro Is as about as rule as you can get in Georgia other than Super South Georgia. The roads get way less crowded so you can make more of a direct route. Thank you, you could. You know, when we're in places, like you know, going from Atlanta to Oxford for instance, you know to avoid traffic and avoid the rivers and bridges and roads and you know places you don't want to be, you really gotta. You know the route tends to zigzag to escape a lot of those different things, but out there some of the rural areas, you can really make more of a straight shot.

Speaker 1: 23:00

So it's not as bad as it seems.

Speaker 4: 23:01

You don't think we're gonna have Too many long days. I think it's gonna be pretty reasonable.

Speaker 2: 23:09

I was definitely missing your route when we were in Iowa because it seemed like those 90 mile days. We just missed that camaraderie of being able to jump in the shower and meet up with your friends and have something to dinner. It just seemed like we were in the saddle all day long and then and then, by the time you showered and ate, it was like, okay, now it's bedtime, so that wasn't as social as we like to have it.

Speaker 4: 23:30

I think some of those longer days and I made that. I made that mistake With our 40th anniversary, I think. Where our route was, you know, nearly 500 miles long. I just learned that. You know we all we're there to ride the bike, for sure, and we're doing that, but you don't want to be doing it. You know 90% of your time you really want enough to. You know, feel like you've got a good workout in, really stretch your legs, get out there your hammerhead.

Speaker 4: 23:56

You know you can go fast and get as big a workout as you want, but you do want to, at the end of the day, get off the bike, get showered, hang out with your friends, have a beer, you know, see the local sites. You know we've always got fun stuff for you to do. You know we've got rafting trips this year. You know we've got a wine walk again. So I mean there's a lot of fun stuff you can do when you're off the bike and you really got to allow people time to do that, and not only the time, just the energy. You know if you're doing 90 miles a day or you're doing 80 miles a day, that really cuts it down.

Speaker 4: 24:28

So we I have learned and taken the feedback from a lot of folks to just shorten it up a bit Not too short. And I had a professor one time in college says you know you want a woman's script to do that. You know you want a woman's skirt needs to be long enough to cover the subject but short enough to keep you interested. So that's my planning method with routes. Is there you go? Just to keep it right in that range.

Speaker 3: 24:53

Now, now let me back up for a second. Did you say something about rafting?

Speaker 4: 24:57

I said reacting, it's really more tubing, oh okay.

Speaker 1: 25:01

Now, that's cool yeah.

Speaker 4: 25:02

So you got one of the rivers in Millishville, right through town. You can hop on a raft.

Speaker 3: 25:07

We might have to do it. We cycling men of leisure have never, like you know, went to the water yet, so that might, that might have to be our first.

Speaker 4: 25:17

Cool. First trip, it's all confirmed that the bus is going to come pick you up, take you to the spot, let you wrap down, pick you up at the end and bring you back. So, and we, we like to do that wherever we can. There's a little, you know, in the Southeast there's a lot, of, a lot of good rivers that you can do that in, and some of the towns is really conducive.

Speaker 2: 25:35

So that sounds really cool. That's awesome. All right so. All right so, and it's pronounced Swaynsboro.

Speaker 4: 25:44

Swaynsboro, yes.

Speaker 2: 25:45

Okay, all right. So now, looking at the map here, it would only seem logical that you are going to end in Savannah, because I'm following as you're saying. But is there a town in between Swaynsboro and Savannah?

Speaker 4: 26:02

There is. Let's look at the map and see. Let's see if you can figure it out.

Speaker 2: 26:06

Statesboro.

Speaker 4: 26:07

Statesboro. It is Okay, all right, I guess.

Speaker 2: 26:10

All right.

Speaker 4: 26:12

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 26:13

All right.

Speaker 4: 26:15

So there's many towns in between, but I think you know planning a lot of these routes in your overnight towns. You know it can't just be any town. You got to have hotels for the hotel people, you know you got to have indoor camping for indoor camping people and it's got to be nice enough accommodations that's also adjacent to an outdoor camping area that has enough parking for RVs and buses and shuttles and restrooms and then also restaurants. You got to have enough restaurants. So I mean you really got to make sure the town has enough infrastructure to handle the crowds but not too much to overwhelm you. So Statesboro fits that exactly.

Speaker 4: 26:54

That's another college town. They have a George Southern University there, great, nice Southern town. A lot of folks go to George Southern. The campus where we're staying there, we're staying on campus, is beautiful. That would be a great last, you know, full night there, because they have a stage which is going to overlook the camping area we're at. The indoor camping there is really world class. I mean, it would rival any D1 schools, athletic facilities and it's just a great little town. And then when we leave out of Statesboro they've actually got a trail that we're going to get on to get out of town, which would be nice as well.

Speaker 2: 27:35

That sounds exciting. And then somewhere I've never been is Savannah, so now that's going to be fun.

Speaker 3: 27:45

Savannah, I've got to say, is my most favorite city in Georgia and actually one of my most favorite along the Southern Atlantic coast there. I love Savannah. That's my that.

Speaker 4: 27:56

That is a big claim. Tell me about that.

Speaker 3: 27:59

You know, I've been there a couple of times there's a ton of history there. The architecture of Savannah is just fantastic and beautiful and it's just a beautiful city. I just, every time I go there, I'm just always marveled because they have a. They have the old architecture and then they've got new architecture. You know there's a lot of history with the Civil War going on there. It's just I don't know. It's just one of those cities that I'm just like really drawn to because it's just really beautiful, culturally rich, historically rich Love it.

Speaker 4: 28:31

I agree On all points. Savannah is an awesome, awesome place to be Right on the coast, which is amazing. So when we end there, you know, if you want to, if you want to head out to the beach, tybee Island is a short drive where we're going to be ending or you also have, you know, any of the golden aisles that are right there, that are super close. The city itself, like you said, super rich in history. You know if you're walking through Forsyth Park, you're walking along, you know, river Street. They've got the cobblestone roads there that are actual, like you know. You know mini boulders for the cobblestones.

Speaker 4: 29:04

Not something you want to ride your bike on, but that's it's just a great way to see. You know how old the city actually is and how much history it has there, so very vibrant. You know it's one of the I think it's like the third largest city in the state Don't don't quote me on that, but it's definitely one of the larger ones. You know lots of cool stuff going on in Spana.

Speaker 3: 29:26

Yeah, and if we've, if we've got time, adam, we'll have to go out to Tybee Island because it's really cool and there is a magnificent lighthouse out there. So, yeah, that's gonna be fun.

Speaker 2: 29:36

I'll keep the bus how I have it then, because then we'll fly in a day before, like we did in Augusta last year, and do some, do some research.

Speaker 3: 29:43

There we go. That would be awesome. Yeah, it'd be worth well worth the time.

Speaker 2: 29:46

So tell me, when we come into Savannah from a gentleman who's never been to Savannah will you bring us to like a waterline? Will you bring us to a park?

Speaker 4: 29:55

Is there somewhere that you normally go there, or yeah, so we're going to end right near where the Savannah bananas play.

Speaker 3: 30:05

Oh, okay Are you familiar with the Savannah bananas Actually, actually I am. They come to Kansas City every year, yeah.

Speaker 4: 30:11

Have you been?

Speaker 3: 30:12

to a game.

Speaker 4: 30:13

I have not been to a game Okay, I have not either, but it's been explained to me that it's kind of like the Globe Trotters, harlem Globe Trotters on a baseball field. Yeah, exactly, I really want to go. I have yet to go. Tickets actually sell out very far in advance and get pretty expensive, surprisingly, but I really want to go out, kind of, you know, watching YouTube videos and stuff.

Speaker 2: 30:36

Sounds like a recon day for the ride. I mean you got to go and check it out.

Speaker 4: 30:41

Yeah, well, fortunately they aren't playing that day, or else we would not be able to use that venue, gotcha. So fortunately they're not there. There's a park right next door where they play. We'll be ending right there and we're going to be. You know, last time we came through Savannah in 2016, we were we ended at a park that was right off River Street. It was more busier part of the town, but also you know kind of where all the tourists go and flock to a part of town.

Speaker 4: 31:09

This time we're going to be ending near that stadiums, more south of the town. You know, savannah is an old town, lots of railroad, so, and obviously you got the waterway, the ocean, so geographically, there's only so many roads you can get into and out of that city. So one of the larger police presence entering this year working with the city to figure out the best route to get in and out of town, which we have pretty well pegged down now, and then getting into the park will be, you know, outside of the traffic, on a lot of the bike lanes and infrastructure they have there, which actually they've done a lot of investing in their bike infrastructure recently, which I think will show when we pull into the city, so pretty excited about that.

Speaker 2: 31:50

Cool, and so is that park where you were load for those taking the bus from the end town to the start town. Is that where the buses were load? Yep, it'll be super convenient.

Speaker 4: 32:00

We'll keep everybody, you know right where you end. You know we'll have the end of the road party there. You know celebration band. You know we'll give out the awards there and that's where your you know parking will be for long term parking. So if you took the shuttle at the beginning and got the shuttle from Savannah to Atlanta, beginning of the ride, your car will be there. And then if you left your car in Atlanta, you'll pick up the shuttle right there, right where we intend to take it all the way back to Atlanta.

Speaker 2: 32:28

Cool, wonderful. So, repeating the routes we're going to go from Atlanta to Oxford, oxford to Social Circle, social Circle to Millageville, millageville to Swainsboro, swainsboro to Statesboro and from Statesboro to Savannah. You got it. Awesome, that is cool, I'm excited, so yeah.

Speaker 4: 32:56

So doesn't follow Sherman's march exactly, but definitely follows the direction of the march.

Speaker 3: 33:04

Now, that'll be cool. That'll be cool. Looking forward to that. That sounds like a great route. No, that's not.

Speaker 2: 33:09

That's not going to be exciting.

Speaker 4: 33:12

So we'll hit some of the roads that we on that you know social circle of Oxford. They will hit some of the same roads that we get on spring tune up to. So I know you guys have done that ride and although it was wet last time you do it and hopefully this time you guys do those roads and we try so yeah, let's hope so.

Speaker 2: 33:30

Yeah, although it was still an amazing time. Oh yeah, you know you, I stayed at a good friend's house in Marietta on Sunday morning. I said what time should I leave to beat traffic? And he said there is no time to be traffic. He said, but but at least if you left Sunday morning early. So I think I rolled out like at five or six in the morning to go home and I was just blown away how much traffic there really is there. So, but no, that's great. I mean I'm excited. So, franklin, I appreciate this, I'm excited, can't wait. I wish June would get here faster, especially since it's cold here in Michigan. So I know you got a lot of cool stuff going on. Is there anything you want to you want to talk about? I don't know, I mean, if Amsterdam is full, maybe you don't want to plug that, but I know yeah.

Speaker 4: 34:20

So we got a lot. So we're you know, braggs, we're starting to do a lot of international trips. So, depending on when you're listening to this, you know the trip to Mexico was shortly, so probably you can't sign up for that one, but we do have 25 opened up for our trip to Riviera Maya, which is a great trip Super short flight to some amazing roads and amazing time. That is an escape from the winter. So that'll be every January. We're continuing to do that. Our Amsterdam trip is sold out, so we we opened that up, sold out in in 14 days, which is awesome, and I decided to charter another boat and sold out the following week of that too. So we actually that's sold out for for August of this year, but we have 2025 open already. And then in March I'm actually headed over to France, to the La Wa Valley, to get our next tour, which is going to be in the La Wa Valley region of France. Wow, that's cool. We're trying to grow the international version of this as large as we can.

Speaker 2: 35:30

I love it. Well, I you've. You've been gracious and shared some of the pictures of of you and your lovely wife enjoying your scouting trip, and I must tell you that the some of the pictures I was salivating at the mouth, so that was looks like you looks like you had a good time scouting out the trip, so that's, that's awesome.

Speaker 4: 35:51

It's a great life We've tried to build, for sure, and you know, going over to some of those places internationally, their cycling infrastructure in Europe is just world class. You know they really built their roads and cycling paths with, with cyclists in mind, and riding over there is just such a unique experience because you know one the history out of excuse me, michael, if you're history buff they make our history seem like toddler history, you know, oh, yeah, definitely. So that's a really unique aspect to see the history and what's gone over there. Their architecture is phenomenal, the riding is just. You know that that whole bruised Amsterdam trip we do. You know we were on the road for maybe a mile of the entire trip and it is just phenomenal. So we're staying in. You know, great accommodations on the boat meet you wherever you're going to be, so there's no packing down and packing up on that trip. It's amazing. So definitely check it out. Bragg International is a great way to great way to see the world and also ride your bike while you're there.

Speaker 2: 36:58

So if you are interested in finding about any of Franklin's rides, the best place to go is braggorg, b R A G dot org. You can see you can, actually you can register for Big Bragg 2024. The route that was just announced. You can check out his other rides.

Speaker 2: 37:15

The great thing about your site you do a wonderful job, in my opinion, really breaking down all the information. I mean, if I'm and I was first time looking at your site, you know you put a lot of information of what to pack, what to think about, where logistics you know you put a lot of stuff in your rides are well supported. I must tell you that I've never had more peanut butter in my life. So, but then again, when you're out there you need the energy. So definitely, definitely do it right. So I highly recommend checking out the web page and if you haven't registered now, as a selfish plug, franklin, you do something that's really cool. You allow teams of 10 or more that if they, if somebody can gather 10 people or more, you can actually design and create a jersey. And I recommend, when you register there's a drop down box or that says cycling, men and women of leisure, and that's correct. It's for men and women. So I recommend choosing that option when you, when you, when you register.

Speaker 4: 38:16

If you haven't registered yet, so yeah, you guys made the claim that you guys are the biggest team of 2023. Is that correct?

Speaker 2: 38:25

Well, we thought so. I don't know. I mean, that was, if that's a crow pie time for eating, let me get my now.

Speaker 4: 38:32

I think you guys were. I was trying to pull it up I don't want to make too much noise on the keyboard, but I'm pretty sure you guys were. I know there's a team paparazzi that was that had that crown for a long time, but I think with the amazing popularity of the podcast you guys were able to wrangle enough people to be thrown.

Speaker 3: 38:51

It was. We counted it up and from our unofficial count it appeared not to take anything away from team paparazzi, because we're friends with a lot of those folks.

Speaker 2: 39:00

So I don't need Savannah. I don't need Savannah hammering me here, so but she likes to call us cycling men of torture.

Speaker 4: 39:09

So but she likes her own spin, but anyways we thought we just looked it up, we're counting 25 for you guys last year.

Speaker 2: 39:17

Yep.

Speaker 4: 39:18

And 21 for them. So I think you guys to it's official, it's official.

Speaker 3: 39:23

There we go.

Speaker 2: 39:25

We actually could have had more. After people met us and found out what it was all about, I really felt bad. You had some wonderful volunteers. There was a SAG driver and his wife was riding and he was. He was a driver and he said I really want one of those jerseys and I'm so sorry, I don't know, I can't do anything about that, and but I will challenge them this year. If they're going back, sign up for cycling women of leisure, we'll get, we'll definitely get her that jersey. So yeah, so no, cool. So appreciate that. If you haven't signed up, definitely don't, don't hesitate. Definitely a great ride. I just kind of tell you, if you're looking at state long rides, to me it's more of an intimate ride. You can actually see the same people every day. If you've done things like rag briar or some of the others, you know you may not see the same people all day long. You may not seem to get back to camp or we may not even see him then Exactly.

Speaker 2: 40:22

And so your, your size is a perfect, perfect size where you can see the same people, and especially like in the towns, when everyone's going out to dinner and you see each other at the restaurant and bars and like, hey, how was your day? And that's the cool part for us, that's, that's really what the drawback for coming back to Georgia and joining you guys again. So I just want to let you know. So, if you're out there and you're thinking I've never jumped into a to a state long ride and I'm thinking about it, I highly recommend it, do it.

Speaker 2: 40:50

Yeah, do it.

Speaker 3: 40:51

Yeah, it'll be fun.

Speaker 4: 40:53

I appreciate that. I really do, glad you guys do it. We try to build that community and that sense of belonging that you guys feel when you're out on the route and seeing some of the people that you see, and that just lights me up to hear you guys say that. So I really appreciate that.

Speaker 3: 41:14

Well, that was cool huh, that was fantastic and it's nice of him to come on and kind of give us his preview of the route and, yeah, really good.

Speaker 2: 41:27

We consider him a friend of the show and it's always great to see him, but pretty cool to have the route early and, truth be told, this was recorded way before today's date, so holding onto that information is going to be difficult.

Speaker 3: 41:48

So you've been sworn to secrecy we have.

Speaker 2: 41:52

He gave us the official brag oath.

Speaker 3: 41:55

That's right, we took it.

Speaker 2: 41:56

I brag writer will not tell.

Speaker 3: 41:58

I state your name.

Speaker 2: 42:01

Well, great, well, I appreciate all of you listening. If you haven't signed up, highly recommended, get. Get over bragorg. We really are collecting names for our team. So if you're looking, listen, I mean, it was so simple last year, once we had the jersey designed, we actually even invited you to have some say in the jersey which you like better. And so if you are a lady, we can put the cycling women of leisure logo on. If you are a gentleman, we can do both. Or if you want to support women and your man, buddy, I don't, I don't care what you put on there, honestly. So, but real simple Once we get to the starting town. That's when they gave us the box last year and we passed out everyone's jersey and we'll try to do a few pictures If you join the team.

Speaker 2: 42:46

Besides that, just to be clear, no requirements, no requirements. I mean if you, if you're thinking, hey, we do hotels, great, you do hotels. If you think, hey, we're going to do the dorms, now that he's announced the dorms, great, you do dorms, we do camping we. There's no requirement to be part of what we call the team. We did have a few things where we'll try to get together and maybe have a. He said there's going to be a wine walk. Maybe we can get involved in that, depending on what town that is, and but you want to join the team, great.

Speaker 3: 43:18

If you want to go somewhere else, great, but we'd, we'd hang out as much as you want or as little as you want. You want to ride a day or two with us? That's cool. You don't?

Speaker 2: 43:28

That's fine you know, if you're going to be slow, then definitely join me. I mean, I am slow ice, so that's right. You'll have to figure out that on another episode. You can figure out the slow ice, so otherwise I'll tell you in person once you join the team. So anyways, thank you very much. Appreciate everyone being here. Happy new year to everybody. And and then June, what will it be?

Speaker 3: 43:54

It will be a great day for a bike ride, absolutely.

Speaker 2: 43:59

Happy new year, buddy. Happy new year to you.

Speaker 1: 44:02

Thank you for coming along with Adam and Michael on road adventures with cycling men of leisure. If you have enjoyed this, please subscribe to the show on the podcast app of your choice.