Dahlonega

Casey Braga

In Dahlonega, Georgia, the climbs we did were insane compared to Florida. The climbs are longer and a lot steeper than anything Florida can throw at you. At one point the incline on Brasstown Bald was almost straight up .Well, it felt like it. A couple of times I was going so slow I was almost in a track stand. It was pretty cool to be at the top of Brasstown Bald knowing that pros in the Tour of Georgia ride it, much faster of course. Neels Gap was one of my favorite climbs. On that climb, I put my bike on a small gear and spun all the way up to the top. It was not straight up all the way but still challenging. I also enjoyed Jacks climbs for the same reason.

On the downhill you freeze, but on the uphill you warm right up from your body heat. My feet were numb and my braces could have frozen up it was so cold. The down time was fun because we just hung out and talked and made fun of everyone. It was nice of the hotel manager to put up with us. Even though it was cold and rainy, it was a great training trip and I cannot wait to do it again soon – very soon!