I was happily informed by my employer that we would be having a furlough in the Spring of 2009. I wasn't disappointed in the loss of my salary for a week. I saw the opportunity as a chance to ride my bike. Also, being pragmatic about the whole thing, I did still have a job when I returned from my week of unemployment.
Consistent with my turn of good luck, was a business trip my wife would be taking to Atlanta. She generously offered to drive to Atlanta, saving the company money, otherwise spent on airfare, and we loaded up the bikes, our durable old Trek's for the trip. We drove to Rockmart, Georgia. The weekend rides would start in Rockmart, heading west toward Cedar Town the first evening, and then east toward Atlanta the next day. As I recall, we arrived on Saturday afternoon, and set off to enjoy easy riding on the paved trail. This would not be a distance ride, and we set a leisurely pace. The trail is wonderful, and runs for 61.5 miles between Atlanta and the Alabama Georgia boarder where it becomes the Chief Ladiga Trail, which continues on for another 33 miles. The Silver Comet Trail is a wonderful ride the scenery is much different than the re-purposed rail-beds of Ohio.
On Monday, I would be setting off on my own. NJ, would be at a business conference lasting all day. My trip would be a longer ride than on Sunday. We had an event to attend Sunday afternoon, so our ride was timed to get us to the hotel in Atlanta. We needed to check in and shower before leaving for "Stone Mountain", with the business group.
On Monday, I loaded my bike and headed to the trail head in Smyrna. The trail seemed to originate near a shopping center, where the interactive map says that you can park in the "Publix Shopping Center". I managed to "ruffle the feathers" of a bank manager when getting ready to ride. I had parked in the banks designated area, along with a couple of other cars with bike racks. She seemed fairly tough, and seriously upset by my choice of parking spots. Also, the manager was unimpressed by the fact that I was from Ohio, and unfamiliar with the Atlanta area. I co-operated with her, when she told me there was a trail parking lot with facilities just down the street. I preferred the parking area with facilities idea anyway, having put away a few cups of coffee at the hotel. I thanked the bank manager, still trying to be nice. She was very serious throughout the conversation, as if I looked like the type who would go radical at any moment.
The Mavell Road lot is very nice, and busy. This would be a much better place to leave the car, than the shopping center lot. So, having loaded up the bike with handlebar bags, day panniers, food and electrolyte, I set out on the beautiful "Silver Comet Trail" for the day. This is a really wonderful ride. The temperature in the spring was comfortable, but this far south, I would imagine the heat could get intense in the summer months. The trail is boarded on both sided by lush vegetation, and trees. Even though initially you may be riding through the Atlanta suburbs, the feel is somewhat remote. Riding on, the feeling of the backwoods grows, as well as the forest and wilderness. Past the "Rambo" Trail Head, (recalling the movie character "Rambo", I hoped to not get shot), the "Silver Comet" is very isolated. Be sure to bring tubes and tools!
Close to the "Rambo Trail Head" I felt an impact just over my right eye. Shortly after the impact I felt a slight stinging sensation, and then a very intense stinging pain. I quickly grabbed at my glasses, never actually seeing what type of vicious bee or wasp type insect had done the damage. Just the act of loosening the shades released the bug that was trapped and quite "pissed-off". Now I was "pissed-off". The bug had injected it's poison just under my right eyebrow. It was throbbing and stinging, and would no doubt swell. GREAT! I was supposed to have dinner with my wife at the conference that evening. I imagined myself mingling in the crowd with my giant red swollen eye. Not a good image. After a good venting of appropriately explicit verbiage, I took a look up the trail. I wasn't about to let a swollen eye stop me from riding in this beautiful place. I continued on.
At the 33.5 mile mark is the "Brushy Mountain Tunnel", this is somewhat the highlight of the trip. It is a truly beautiful area, with park-like surroundings and bench pullouts on the bike trail. Shortly after passing through the tunnel for the second time, (NJ and I rode to the tunnel on Sunday from Rockmart), I turned for the trip back to Atlanta.
There is only one thing that distinguishes my trip back to Atlanta. Somewhere near Hiram, I had a flat. Being the experienced cyclist that I am, I was prepared with 2 extra tubes which I purchased at the same time as the bike. I confidently stopped and removed the wheel. My eye swelling and throbbing continuously at this point. It took the tire off the rim, and removed the tube. Having the right equipment is always important. I unpacked the new tube, and began installing. This is when the shock hit me. Not from the bee sting, but the tube!! The bike shop had sold me the wrong tubes. The valve stem was not long enough. I tried every way I could imagine to inflate the tire. The fact remained the valve stem was not long enough.
I reassembled the tire with its original tube. This was not going to go well. I was not only angry, just absolutely furious at the shop from which I purchased the bike. There is just no describing how miserable the next ten miles were. I cursed the bike shop in every possible permutation of foul mumblings I could concoct. My eye throbbing and my wheel thumping put me in a state of anguish to lousy to describe in terms of words. I flumped into "The Silver Comet Depot" after what seemed to have been hours on my crippled bike. My eye now massive and bright red, I walked into the shop.
After the initial shock of my appearance, the bike mechanic grabbed a tire for me and a fresh tube, I saw no reason to take chances at this point. The mechanic made me feel better by telling me he had seen it all. Two customers in the store gawked at me and asked if I could still see out of my bad eye. That worried me a little, not having a mirror on hand to survey the damage the bug had done to me. Along with my purchase was a valve stem extender, an item I need to remind myself to always keep on hand. The tire on the bike was ruined by my riding or thumping on the trail for ten plus miles, I felt lucky that I had not ruined the rim as well.
My spirit picked up with the new tire, and the pace at 14 miles per hour rather than 6 or 8 miles per hour. I was quickly back to my car, and then the hotel. The days ride totaling near 70 miles, 50 of those miles with a swollen throbbing eye, and ten miles on a flat tire. That evening, due to my swollen eye, NJ went to the cocktail hour without me. We opted for a quiet dinner at a local restaurant. The next day, I had planned to ride once again, but chose hiking on the Chattahoocee River instead. This was one of the few days I didn't want anything to do with riding a bike. It had taken me about half an hour to get my eye open that morning. The Silver Comet is a great ride even with one good eye!
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