This weekend we went to South Georgia to ride some red clay dirt roads at the Thomasville Clay Road Classic. I’ve done this ride before, but only the 25-mile route because in 2024, it was raining, and rain and dirt roads make messes. But the weather was amazing for this year, except for the rain the day before. So it got messy, but so much fun! This year we did the 50-mile route, and even dipped into Florida. I think we hit the Florida line in a mud pit section, and I thanked Florida for their hospitality at that point. But besides a couple of sketchy mud sections, the roads were actually great. The rain kept the dust down and tamped them down some, too. It was 80 degrees and sunny for a large part of the ride, and then some periods of clouds, too, so it didn’t get too hot. This is a self-supported ride, but some people in Metcalf actually did a rest stop for us, and it was a welcome sight. We needed water, and there they were! And there was even a porta-potty! I mean, I felt like we were on a civilized ride! The area near Hubs and Hops, the sponsoring bike shop/brewpub was so nice. They have a little amphitheater, a nice outdoor area to hang out in, and they were generous with the beer and food. We really had a fantastic day from the beautiful (and challenging) ride to the fun afterparty. If you get a chance to do this ride, you should! Highly recommend! All photos shot on my Ricoh GRIIIX.
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