Spring Into Something New
During spring break in 1980, my friend Dave Johnson and I rode from Atlanta to Panama City, Florida, over a three-day period—a total of 286 miles.
The first day, we faced a torrential downpour and had to stop at a convenience store to buy black trash bags. We each used one to cover our gear and another to make an improvised poncho.
Religious Experience
Sixty-five miles into the trip, we stopped at the Pine Mountain General Store in Callaway Gardens to dry off and use the restroom. I was leaning under the hand dryer to dry my hair when the door opened, and a man came in. When I looked up, I saw that it was the Reverend Billy Graham. I smiled and said, “They told me that this ride could be a religious experience, but this is ridiculous.” He laughed, and we talked for a few minutes about the ride, and then Dave and I got back on the bikes and headed to Florida.
When we finished, Dave rented a car to drive the bikes back to Atlanta. I flew to Orlando to meet Donna, daughter Taryn, and son Lorin at Disney World.
A year later, in 1981, I repeated the Dunwoody-to-Helen route and covered the same ground in 4 hours 41 minutes, about eight hours faster than my time in 1979.
I will always remember this spring ride as the start of my biking journey, which eventually led me to break world records. Happy first day of spring! I hope you are able to welcome the new season by getting outside and challenging yourself with something new.
