THE 65 MILE TUNE UP IN DETAIL

Astute readers will remember the profile I posted for the 65 mile Audax Tune Up Ride. Those who haven’t done the ride might appreciate a bit more info on it.

Obviously it’s hilly.

The first leg is approximately 15 miles long. This is the warm up section. We have a brief stop at a store in Palmetto at the end of this leg.

Following the first stop, we head into more rural country. There are a lot of long sight lines, and pleasant vistas as we cut across southern Fulton County. This stretch is mostly descending, as we are headed for a bridge over the Chattahoochee River.

As soon as we cross the river, the ride character changes. We climb away from the river until we reach the turn onto Georgia Hwy 166, at mile 27. We proceed north on 166, riding a course of big booming “rollers.” We will be riding along the western bluffs of the Chattahoochee, and heading upstream. This means that each climb is a little shorter than the one before. The descents are amazing.

At mile 31, the route flattens out for a bit. It will remain relatively gentle until we reach the next store stop at mile 40. We’ll take about a 20 minute break here.

After the second stop, we turn back south, and begin a long step climb away from the river. We’ll slip past the town of Fairburn, riding just a bit south of it. Then we again ride a few gentle rollers through some of the most scenic parts of south Fulton County.

At mile 50, we cross Georgia Hwy 74. At this point we have an optional stop. If anyone is desperate for a “nature break,” we can stop briefly here. Otherwise we will continue through the hills in northern Fayette County, bending again to the west. This last leg is just a bit under 15 miles in length.

Come on along. It's a pleasant long afternoon on the bike.