Third Time’s The Charm - TNGA 2025
This was undoubtedly the most challenging ride I’ve ever undertaken. I’ve attempted the TNGA twice before, and each time, I’ve had to abandon it. Upon discovering the reverse route this year, I had hoped it might be slightly easier due to resupply options, but I was quite mistaken.
Before embarking on this entire journey, Cedar, Clint, and I shipped out our bikes to Silver Comet Cycles and took the Amtrak train to Atlanta on Friday morning. Upon arriving at the bike shop, Jeph, the owner, and his team had already prepared our bikes. I had to make a few adjustments to my bike before setting off, but after packing up the bikes, we rolled down the Silver Comet trail to Cedartown, Georgia, which was approximately 50 miles. I could have easily spent the entire day at Silver Comet Cycles; they are truly exceptional bike shop!
On the morning of the start, Cedar, Clint, and I rode about 10-12 miles to the starting point from the hotel. I initially thought this would be a nice warm-up, but I soon realized that my goal was to ride within my limits and avoid pushing myself too hard. At the start, I kept my promise to myself and maintained a steady pace. Once we entered the single-track section, things got a bit faster. When we emerged from the single-track near Cave Springs, I found myself in the front group, which was a bit concerning because I knew I had no business being there. Nevertheless, I decided to ride with those guys to Coosa, stopped at the store to replenish my fluids, and continued on my way.
As soon as I hit the rail trail, a stick lodged itself in my rear mech mid-shift, snapping my chain. I stopped to fix it and ended up removing four bent links. I managed to get it running just enough to keep rolling, but it started getting hot. Cedar caught me on the wall up to Taylors Ridge around mile 50, and the heat was starting to take its toll on me. I finally stopped 10 miles later in a shaded spot to address the drive train issues and poor shifting. I got things working well-enough again, but it was just enough to continue after adjusting my b limit. However, I was completely drained. My head was throbbing, my skin felt like it was on fire, and whenever my heart rate dropped into the low Z2 zone, I felt dizzy. Despite drinking four-plus liters of fluids and a tall Coke, I was getting dehydrated and heat exhaustion was setting in. I knew there was a possible creek up ahead, so I pushed on to it.
Upon reaching the creek, I sat down, filtered two bottles of water, and drank them immediately. I filtered two more bottles, had some gummy bears, and kept moving.
The saving factor of the day was around mile 80ish, where we cross a river. I sat in the river for about 15 minutes, drank some water, and cooled off. Many riders behind followed suite before moving forward. This reset me and made moving much easier afterward. We had some great single-track after this, and I was loving ripping all the downhill sections on the Pinhotti. A group of three of us kept moving, and we made it to the parking lot before the Snake, which drops you into Dalton right as the sun goes down. It looks like an airport terminal pick-up, with people getting in cars and dropping out. I kept moving.
The initial climb up was a breeze. My legs had come around. However, once I hit the ridge, it became slow. I crashed a couple of times, and the last seven to eight miles seemed to take an eternity. I left the parking lot for that last stretch at 8:30, thinking it would take three hours at most. It took four.
I arrived in Dalton around 12:30 am and headed straight to McDonald’s. I had already booked a hotel from the ridge, hoping it would motivate me to keep moving. The McDonald’s was slow, and all I wanted was a Sprite. I had been out of water for about an hour. Finally, I got a Quarter Pounder, a shake, a large fry, six chicken nuggets, and that life-saving large Sprite. I went straight to the hotel, ate my food, and took a shower. I didn’t even plug in my stuff to charge or set an alarm. I went straight to bed.
The next morning, I woke up to some animal noises (metaphorically speaking) in the next room. It was 7:30 am. I figured I should call Alyssa and figure out how to get home. I was done. So, I called her, and as I was talking to her about the day, I was packing my bike and getting things ready to roll. I thought, “Well, if I can make it to Mulberry Gap today, I’ll at least have ridden the entire route in multiple attempts.” So, I packed my bike, went back to McDonald’s, and had breakfast. I ordered four Mcmuffins, but they gave me eight because of a “buy one, get one” promotion. I packed them in my vest and ate them on every hike I did on my bike during Saturday.
I don’t want to ever see another McMuffin in my life.
I rolled out of Dalton around 8:30 am.
After reaching Dennis Mill, the pace slowed down as I ventured back into the woods to ascend Mulberry. This segment between Dennis Mill and P0 was my absolute favorite. The single track was breathtaking, and the forest exuded an enchanting aura. I swiftly made my way to Mulberry Gap, but instead of turning left, I veered right and skipped it, knowing that I would likely get scratched if I encountered comforts at Mulberry. As I rolled over to P1, Eric Henderson caught up to me. He was out riding mountain bikes like a normal person, and we engaged in conversation for a while. This encounter provided a significant morale boost, and I continued my journey with renewed vigor. I was aware that Cedar and Clint were just ahead of me, and I was confident that I would catch them. Indeed, right at the end of Bear Creek Trail, I caught up with Cedar and Jared. We rolled onto the Potatoe Patch climb together and started talking. However, as I glanced back, both of them had disappeared. Undeterred, I pressed on. Near the overlook, I caught up with Clint, and we had a relaxing sit-down for a few minutes before continuing our pursuit of P0.
P0 was a complete mess. I’ve never ridden through so much mud. It was raining, and the entire trail was a mess. It didn’t take long to get through it, and the road between P0 and Mountain Side Market was quick. Clint and I arrived at Mountain Side Market around 8 pm and spent an hour there to refresh our gear, wash our bikes, and eat some food. Cedar, Shaw, Jon, Jared and a few others caught up with us there and a few of us rode together through Cherry Log and up to Stanley Gap. The Stanley Gap hike-a-bike wasn’t too bad, and once we reached the top, we tore down the single track. The downhill section off Stanley was a dream or a delusion… or both. I couldn’t tell if it was real or not until I second-guessed a line choice and accidentally hit my toe on a root, cracking my big toe nail.
We continued our ascent and crossed Green Mountain, but I was feeling really tired. It was the most challenging part of the race. The section from Stanley to Coopers Creek store was probably the toughest. Rolling into Coopers Creek around 4 am, I wasn’t sure what to do. I had some fluids, charged my gear, took a shower, and crawled onto a cot to try and sleep. They were having a rave out back, so I didn’t get much sleep. Cedar and Clint rolled out early, and I managed to get a bit more rest.
After rolling out of coopers my legs woke up at the bottom of the gravel climb and quickly made my way up. Shaw caught up with me about a third of the way up and I scared a bear out of the road. I figured if I didn’t stop between Coopers and Helen, I would catch up with Cedar and Clint again, so I kept moving. Hogpen Gap is much steeper in the opposite direction, and I found myself walking a few times. I think I was getting tired of the road, and I knew it was getting hot because as I rolled into Helen, I was completely exhausted. All I wanted was a beer and to float down the Chattahoochee River on a tube the rest of the day.
I reached the gas station and sure enough, Cedar and Clint were there. I told them I was scratching, and Cedar gave me a verbal smackdown that got me back on the bike. The next section would be tough.
The massive Gravel climb out of Helen up Tray Mountain was challenging. Somehow, I developed acid reflex on the way up, and the heat began to take its toll on me once again. I had to lie down on the side of the road and let my heart rate decrease. I lay there for about 15 minutes, allowing Cedar and Clint to continue on ahead of me. I knew I wouldn’t want to push through the night like they planned, so I was okay letting them go. I essentially slogged through the rest of the day, feeling exhausted and lacking energy. I didn’t want to eat. Finally, I reached Moccosin State Park and searched for the vending machine, which had unfortunately been removed. So, I sat under the picnic shelter, had a breakfast biscuit from Coopers, and drank some water. I called ahead to Hostel Around the Bend and informed them that I would arrive around 8 pm before continuing on. About halfway to the Hostel, it started raining heavily, but it didn’t take more than an hour to arrive.
Once there, Shaw caught up with me about 30-45 minutes later. He had deviated from the route to obtain medication for his Poison Ivy and had managed to catch up. It was probably the best decision to make during the hottest part of the day. We made plans to continue our ride together the next morning after a Pancake Breakfast at the Hostel.
The next morning, after a restful night’s sleep at the Hostel, I felt rejuvenated. Shaw and I quickly headed off to Dillard, which didn’t take any time at all. Everything felt like home. We caught up with Jared and Jim, who we had been Yoyo’ing with since Dalton. They had pushed through the night. Jim was about to bail due to mechanical issues, but somehow, I managed to keep him moving. We had approximately 26 miles left to the finish line. Shaw and I headed towards Darnell Creek, which was breathtaking this time of year. I always love this small pocket of the woods. After Darnell Creek, the terrain became predominantly downhill. The final climb was quite challenging, but I managed to make quick work of it and roll down to the GA/SC boarder on the Russell bridge. Shaw came in right behind me.
I’ve DNF’ed TNGA twice before, but I’m determined to get it out of the way this time. I’ve never experienced such a range of emotions, from exhilarating highs to crushing lows. I genuinely enjoyed most, if not all, of the Single Track. However, I’m certain that the reverse direction is more challenging. The climbs from Coopers Creek back home are steeper, and that first day was incredibly tough. I’ve completed this one, and I don’t think I’ll ever go back. But I needed to finish it to know that I have the stamina to tackle other events. TNGA was unfinished business. Now it is not.
