Road Share is a prime example of local gov- ernments actually creating a friendly environ- ment for cycling. The City of Good Hope was the first step and the Road Share Project in Social Circle has been funded, planning is underway and it should be completed by mid summer. Eventually there will be network of routes along low traffic, scenic roads planned throughout Walton other Northeast Georgia counties for recreational cyclists to enjoy in as safe an environment as we can make pos- sible.
Recently, Shawn and Kelly Bilak have been teaching driver training students at the New
amples and see what is pos- sible to do in your own com- munity. None of these take huge amounts of money to do and can make a real differ- ence for all of us.
Frankies Ride to the Border
By Jerry Colley
Last November, I rode on the Silver Comet Trail, then had lunch at Frankie’s Italian Restaurant in Rockmart, GA.
Frankie Pence, the owner, mentioned that she wanted to do something to thank the cyclists who stop at her res- taurant every day. She said that if it is a sunny day, she does a great business. If it is raining, she may as well close up because she knows the cyclists will not come by.
After several meet- ings over pizza and breadsticks, we came up with a plan to have a bicycle ride on the Silver Comet Trail and a social afterwards in her backyard. That’s how “Frankie’s Ride to the Border” and the “Bicyclists Just Wanna Have Fun” social came to be.
The date was set
London Driving School about traffic law as it applies to cycling and how to interact safely with cyclists on the road. We have been able to lend them some support and hopefully this will lead to a training session at this year’s Georgia Bike Summit, so that this idea might be applied around the state. The TSCR has been a past sponsor of the Bike Summit and we will continue that this year.
I hope that riders will take a look at these ex-
for Saturday, March 31, 2012, to kick off the spring and summer cycling season. New Belgium Brewing Co. quickly came on board and agreed to provide delicious ice-cold Fat Tire Beer for the riders, as well as Dig and Ranger Beers. Southern Bicycle League agreed to head up “Frankie’s Ride to the Border” to the Alabama state line and back on the Trail, 48 miles round trip. Bicycle Ride Across Georgia, Georgia Bikes, Bike Roswell, and SBL agreed to set up booths to tell the rid-
ers about their organizations and upcoming rides. Frankie agreed to serve free breadsticks to all comers, plus All-You-Can-Eat pizza for $7 in advance. BRAG provided the free Pow- erAde. Walt Massey provided the boom box music for the event.
The City of Rockmart totally supported the event by opening rest rooms, giving out free water bottles, closing the street in front of Frankie’s, and having EMS on site and on the Silver Comet Trail. Frankie had 12 volunteers help her check IDs, hand out wristbands for pizza and for beer, serve pizza and breadsticks, and to clean up.
The weather cooperated and we had about 500 cyclists attend. Riders were still coming in after the beer tent closed at 3 pm.
Picture credits, clockwise from upper left:
Italian Fest - Andrea Hinda, FrankiesRide - Doug Fallon, Serrano - MaryAnne Hinkle.
May 2012 39
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