The Bicycle Ride Across Georgia’s US Bicycle Route 21 is covering 160+ miles from Chattanooga to Atlanta September 29 – October 1, and is coming to Summerville’s Dowdy Park this Friday.

The City of Summerville will host the cyclists in Dowdy Park on Friday, September 29 for the second year. The group of cyclists will be arriving in Summerville at their own pace between 12 noon and 3 PM and have a weekend of activities planned. Each day participants will have a ride in the morning that continues into the afternoon, followed by entertainment in the evening.

Riders will begin their journey at Tennessee River Park on Friday morning, where they will travel just under 60 miles from Chattanooga to Summerville at an elevation of 2,416 ft. Riders will spend the day in Summerville and camp out in Dowdy Park. During their stay, they will have the opportunity to tour Paradise Garden, enjoy an educational class on Tips & Tricks for Long Distance Riding, board a shuttle to local restaurants, and enjoy a concert on Dowdy Park.

Summerville Main Street will present award-winning Adam Searan in concert at Dowdy Park at 7 PM. The concert is free to the public. Concert-goers are suggested to bring a lawn chair. Searan’s songs have been featured in prime-time hit series such as Cold Case, Miami Ink, Days of Our Lives, All My Children, and many more. Adam has shared the stage with a variety of acts such as Ray Scott, Rae Lynn, Cassadee Pope, Casey James, and Aaron Lewis (formerly of Stain’d).

For spectators and photographers, a police-escorted group start is scheduled on University St. Saturday at 8 AM. Cyclists will continue their journey just under an additional 60 miles from Summerville to Rockmart, and camp at Skydive Spaceland Atlanta. On Sunday the cyclist will complete their ride by traveling 43.1 miles from Rockmart to Atlanta/Mableton.

BRAG began in 1980 under the guidance of Dot Moss and was inspired by Iowa’s RAGBRAI. Georgia’s event started out as the Great GASBE (Georgia’s Annual State Bicycling Event), and the 1st ridewent from Savannah to Columbus.

“The Bicycle Ride Across Georgia (BRAG) is a not-for-profit dedicated to providing affordable, quality bicycle tours in and across the state of Georgia. Now in its 38th year, BRAG is the second oldest across-state bicycle tour in the world and attracts riders from across the United States. It has covered thousands of miles and touched hundreds of towns through the years. Along the routes, Georgia residents open up their towns and communities to participants, making for a truly memorable experience. The fellowship and spirit that comes along with all of BRAG’s rides keeps many riders coming back year after year. BRAG is a bicycle ride, not a race. Its about the journey.”