BRAG Home -> Events -> Spring Tune-Up
Spring
Ride It. Love It. BRAG About It. |
Registration Form |
"This is my favorite ride of the year!" SPRING TUNE-UP 2012 TESTIMONIALS Download registered rider list - current as of 3/20/13 |
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| Another all-around great cycling and camping weekend. I look forward to it every year! | Madison is a great place to ride and visit. | The town of Madison and the time of year were perfect. The rest stops were GREAT, very friendly, and engaging. | |
| Ride was very well organized. Best I have ever seen. | Organized, laid-back, efficient, delicious, fun, great weekend. | The location is fantastic. | |
| Road markings were excellent and Happy Hour was fun. | Enjoyed the safe, rural roads and the locals were very good about safety! Town of Madison and areas' history a big plus. | The routes were well marked and I never felt lost. | |
| Once more, the best ride ever. | Location, location, location. | Camaraderie, seeing old friends and meeting new ones. | |
The area was very nice. The locale, rolling hills and being able to camp for free. |
I liked all the social events and things going on after the ride to get people talking – especially the S'mores at the campground and Happy Hour downtown. |
Believe it or not, I appreciated the hand sanitizer hanging in the port-a-lets! |
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BRAG 2013 Ride It. Love It. BRAG About It. Spring Tune Up Featured in Lakelife Click here to download a pdf file of the article (large file, please be patient) (provided with permission from the publisher) |
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Come ride with us at the 20th annual BRAG Spring Tune-Up Ride on April 5-7, 2013. BRAG veterans, experience the fun and fellowship of BRAG without having to put up and take down your tent each day. BRAG newcomers, this is a terrific way to experience BRAG without taking a week off from work to do so. Join us for the Spring Tune-Up Ride to clear the cobwebs off your bicycle and shake the winter right out of your legs. Come see what makes the Bicycle Ride Across Georgia so special. It's much more than just another bike ride. Ride for a day or for the entire 3-day weekend. Join us for the fun, the food, the fellowship, and the festival at BRAG Spring Tune-Up 2013! |
The terrain around Madison is flat to rolling hills, with a few surprises. Madison was voted "Best Small Town in America" and is "the town Sherman refused to burn." Madison is located on Georgia's Antebellum Trail and Georgia's Antique Trail and features pre-Civil War and Victorian homes with a charming downtown. There are 14 restaurants on the square, plus an ice cream/chocolate shop, and a candy shop, all just a mile from camp. Find out more about Madison at www.madisonga.org. You can stop by Scoops Ice Cream Shop in downtown Madison and enjoy a banana split, milkshake, or a cone of your favorite ice cream before heading back to camp. You can start your diet Monday morning. |
AGAIN THIS YEAR. On Friday afternoon, we will have a DJ and free Happy Hour beer party downtown at the air-conditioned Conference Center, complete with DJ Ned Mountain. Ned has been spinning mountains of tunes for years at SBL dances. He knows exactly what bike riders want to hear after a long day in the saddle. We'll also have some Cokes, Dasani Water, and snacks to go with the beer. Bring your ID for the beer party. We will be checking them. |
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| Also back this year: Free Pimento Cheese Sandwiches at one lucky rest stop each day of the tour. We're not just BRAGing about our PBJs anymore! | We will also have Happy Hour Saturday afternoon, 4pm - 6pm. Location TBA. | Register online now | |
| Triathletes, the Spring Tune-Up Ride is a great place to get in some training. After riding one of the various mileage options each day, or the century on Saturday, you can swim at the Morgan County Aquatic Center, within walking distance of BRAG HQ. The Aquatic Center is open Thursday until 8pm, Friday, 6am – 5pm, Saturday, 10am – 5pm, and closed on Sunday. After your swim, check with BRAG HQ for a 5-mile jogging route. | BRAG Spring Tune-Up 2013 will begin and end at Heritage Park in Madison, Georgia. At on-site registration, you will receive your obligatory BRAG Spring Tune-Up wristband. You will also receive your maps and route descriptions. You can purchase BRAG merchandise at the registration area. Roswell Bicycles will provide bicycle repair and technical support. A portable shower trailer will be on site to provide hot showers after each day's ride. | All outdoor camping for the weekend (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights) will be at Heritage Park.RVs are welcome, but no hookups are provided. No alcoholic beverages are allowed on park property. There is no indoor camping at Heritage Park. See below for Directions to the Start/Finish. |
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Café Campesino will be back to jump start your morning with the BRAG brew. Optional breakfast items such as bagels and muffins will be available for purchase. Rest stops will be located every 15 to 20 miles along the route. There will be a fully-supported optional Century Ride on Saturday, April 6. Shorter ride options will be offered each day. On-route lunch options are available all three days. Friday's ride features several restaurants in Eatonton. Saturday's route goes by The Blue Willow Inn, and Sunday's route goes to the Rock Eagle Spring Sunday Lunch Buffet. Short option rides may not go past the lunch stops. If you ride a short option, you can ride your bike back to camp, get your car, and still make it to the lunch stop to meet your friends. All BRAG rides are "Show and Go." There is no organized group start. It's a ride, not a race. There will be Newcomers' Meetings each morning at 7:30 am for first-time BRAG riders. |
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MOTELS The James Madison Inn in Madison has again joined BRAG as a sponsor of the Spring Tune-Up Ride and will award one lucky rider with a free night's stay at the Inn. A registration will be chosen at random from all the Spring Tune-Up registrations received by March 31, 2013. This free night's lodging may be used during Spring Tune-Up, subject to hotel room availability. Register for Spring Tune-Up to get your name in the drawing (Register online now). For more information on The James Madison Inn, please visit www.jamesmadisoninn.com. This room is a $234 value. They are offering a 20% discount to BRAG riders staying with them during the ride. When making reservations, make sure you tell them you are a BRAG rider to receive the discount. To confirm your ride registration, check the web site for the updated weekly registration list. |
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THURSDAY, APRIL 4. Outdoor camping available at Heritage Park after 3:30 p.m. (not before). BRAG headquarters open from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m. NOTE: Camping is NOT allowed at Heritage Park on Wednesday, April 3. No alcoholic beverages are permitted at any time at Heritage Park.
SATURDAY, APRIL 6. The Oreo Cow Century Ride.
NOTE: If riding short options, a vehicle may be needed to get to the lunch stops. SOME EVENTS, ATTRACTIONS, AND MILEAGES ARE TENTATIVE AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE AS WE CONTINUE TO PREPARE THE BEST POSSIBLE SPRING TUNE-UP RIDE. Additional details and updates will be posted on this website. |
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DIRECTIONS TO THE START/FINISH GPS Coordinates for Heritage Park • Take I-20 to Madison, GA (I-20 East from Atlanta). Exit at Exit 114, US 129/US 441, Madison-Eatonton Exit. |
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You Can't BRAG if You Don't Ride! |
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Want to stay up to date on all BRAG rides and other major rides in Georgia and the Southeast?
FRIDAY, APRIL 5. The Brer Rabbit Ride. 58 miles (or 30 or 11). HQ open 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Café Campesino, on site with optional coffee, juices, muffins, and bagels. Ride to Eatonton. Optional lunch restaurants in Eatonton will be noted on the route description. Back at camp: hot shower at shower trailer, walking or biking tour of historic Madison, including African-American museum, movies. Downtown Happy Hour from 4pm – 6pm at the Conference Center with DJ Ned Mountain and free beer. Dinner at one of 14 restaurants downtown. Campfire on site with S'mores. No alcoholic beverages are permitted at any time at Heritage Park.
101 miles. Social Circle, Rutledge Loop. FULLY SUPPORTED. Free STU 2013 Century Ride Bandanna to the first 100 finishers, or The Blue Willow Ride 57 miles (or 32, 10, or shorter miles). HQ open 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Café Campesino, on site with optional coffee, juices, muffins, and bagels. Ride through rural Good Hope and Social Circle, GA. Optional lunch at The Blue Willow Inn, voted Top 5 "Bodacious Buffets" in America by the Food Network. Back at camp: Walking or biking tour of Historic Madison. Happy Hour from 4pm – 6pm, Location TBA. Ned Mountain will be back spinning your favorite tunes. Dinner at one of 14 restaurants downtown. Campfire at Heritage Park with S'mores. No alcoholic beverages are permitted at any time at Heritage Park.
