An annual tradition and bucket list bike ride is scheduled for Sunday, starting at Lumpkin County High School.
The Six Gap Century bicycle ride is a 104-mile route that passes over six mountain passes. It's one of three rides, the legendary Six Gap, the smaller 50-mile Three Gap Fifty, and the 35-mile Valley ride, Ride Director Joe Coddington said. The 104-mile route goes through Lumpkin, White, Towns, and Union counties.
"The route starts at Lumpkin County High School and then it goes out towards Stonepile Gap and to Turner's Corner and then head out over Woody's, Wolfpen, Hogpen, and Jack's Gap. Eventually you get to see a little bit of Helen, Georgia as well if you're on the Six Gap ride. It's a nice little figure-eight style loop."
Coddington said the loop takes about six and a half hours to complete.
The event is sponsored by Northside Hospital, which is providing medics, among other sponsors like LeMond Bicycles. The event is the only fundraiser for the Lumpkin County Chamber of Commerce and has a charitable element.
"This ride is the only fundraiser that the Chamber of Commerce does, so this accounts for a third to a half of our operating budget every year, and we use it for our leadership programs... and we also use a little bit of the money to help small businesses and do some of our advocacy programs," said LCCC Executive Director Robb Nichols. "We pick a charity every year, we ask riders to donate one dollar or more if they like to become a fundraiser, and this year our charity - and I think it's going to continue to be our partner - is Gallant Few, their patriot challenge specifically. That's the organization that's used to raise money for the U.S. Army Rangers past, present, and future."
Sunday commuters are urged to drive alert and aware if traveling along the route.
"There will be a lot of cyclists, so just anticipate that the roads will have cyclists on them," said Coddington. "Drive safe, drive alert, the same thing you would do any other day... as you're zipping up and down one of the local mountain roads make sure you keep your head up as you're coming around a corner, there might be somebody trying to accomplish some unique feat, like climb Hogpen Mountain up the steep side."
The ride kicks off at 8 a.m. More information about the event can be found here.
