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PHOTO BY CHRIS FRICKS
Nitty GRitty Bke BaND Rioes foR eNjoymeNt
R emember riding your bike as a kid? Those of us
lucky enough to have bikes sped through our
neighborhoods, feeling the wind in our faces, the
sun on our backs and our hearts racing. Bicycles
gave us the freedom to explore places that we
never could go before, meet new friends, and go
on grand adventures. While we rode with our band
of friends, the kids without bikes or on skate
boards would race alongside trying to keep up. A
couple of weekends ago I remembered what it felt
like to be a kid on a bike, I also found out what it
felt like to be the kid without a bike.
The Nitty Gritty Bike Band, a local social
cycling club, began just over two years ago with
Candace Stoughton's quest for a group to cycle
with. After disappointing attempts at riding with
professional cyclist groups, she looked for a less
extreme outlet. She found a loosely knit group of
riders who got together on Saturdays, and today
the group, founded by Stoughton, who recently
moved away, has evolved into much more.
Each month, Mark Dodson and Jim Wright
organize a newsletter and update a webpage
(fivepts.com/nitgrit.htm) listing as many as 16-20
different upcoming
rides at various skill
and endurance levels.
The group stresses that
all rides are recre
ational and not com
petitive events.
"We do this because
we love to ride," said
Wright. Rides range
from 10 to 40 miles
and include shorter
loops. Occasionally the group plans weekend rides
with overnight stops. The band rides throughout
the year; members layer up as the weather gets
cooler.
All r.des have leaders who are chosen infor
mally.
"We get together the second Monday of every
month and whoever volunteers to lead a ride leads
it.' Wright continues. Often ride leaders are the
ones who stay at the back of the pack keeping
company with the slower paced riders.
You don't have to be a professional athlete to
ride with the Nitty Gritty group. As the newsletter
reads: "Alt cyclists are welcome and no one gets
left behind."
Encouraged by this information, I planned to
go for a ride with them. My plans were to join
them for what was described as an easy to mod
erate 20-mite afternoon ride one Wednesday.
Having cycled in my pas*, this originally did not
seem like a daunting task. The closer the nde date
came, the more anxious 1 became. I was badly out
of shape and afraid of how I looked in Spandex.
At five o'clock the day of the nde, l arnved at
the parking lot of Oconee Heights Baptist Church
on Old Jefferson Road—with no bike, no spandex
shorts, just my camera and a notebook. Twelve
people aged 30 to 65 milled around. This was a
small crowd according to Sandra, a regular Nitty
Gritty rider. Usually as many as 15 to 24 people
attend any given ride.
Looking around at the Nitty Gritty Bike Band's
laid-back attitude and friendly faces, I realized my
fears were probably unwarranted. When told that I
wasn't riding with them because I was uneasy
about being out of shape, several members reas
sured me that they never leave anyone behind and
someone always sticks close to the last rider.
"This group is really friendly to new riders."
Gloria, a new member of the group, assured me.
It was a beautiful sunny and cool Wednesday
afternoon as we traveled through scenic country
side outside of Athens, with rolling hills and little
traffic. (In order to avoid high traffic areas, the
Nitty Gritty Bike Band naturally gravitates towards
rural rides.) It was some of the most peaceful land
in Athens, and they rode slow enough to enjoy it.
As I drove along, watching them nde by on such a
wonderful day, my adult fears were reduced to a
childlike desire to be on my bike with them. Don't
get me wrong. The 20
miles was not all easy
nding, and there were
some pretty big hills,
enough to get your
heart racing. But the
wind was in their faces
and the sun was on
their backs and they
smiled most of the way.
After building up an
appetite, the group
made it a point to mingle over a post-ride meal.
In fact, that's how it got its name.
Originally the riders ate at The Grit after every
ride; hence founding member Steve Kramer
dubbed them tne Nitty Gritty Bike Band.
At the tsaditional post-ride meat, still high
from the ride, members expressed their trepidation
about local land use policy. Unfortunately, I
learned that the ride I visited is in an area soon
to be developed.
"We are riding the green space while it is still
there," said Kramer.
Many in the Band have strong feelings about
the future of the land that they cycle through,
and are supporters of BikeAthens, a local cycling
advocacy group. Others are simply enjoying the
ride. "I'm here purely for the social aspect," said
Jeff Walker Many join the group for the joy of
riding a bike with other people, while others are
in it to get in shape.
"This is truly fun and fitness," said Wnght.
Jeanne another founding member, encouraged
me, "next time you should bring your bike. It's a
whole different experience."
Chris Fricks
You don't have to be a
professional athlete
to ride with the
• Nitty Gritty group.
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