It's been on my to do list for a while to ride from Cleveland to Mulberry Gap and back. So I loaded up the bike and gave it a go. The weather was awesome. It was in the 30's when I took off Thursday morning and a little windy but warmed up pretty quick. Got chased by quite a few dogs in the first 10 miles so that got the blood flowing. I was familiar with most of the route but the section from old ga 2 to the top of potato patch I had never ridden. It ain't no joke either. This is where my most valuable piece of gear came into play. I knew there was a lot of climbing and my bike is set up 1x10 with a 34t chainring. I decided to bolt my old 24t on as a bailout gear even though I have no front deraileur. It worked awesome. I don't think I would have made the climbs without it. The day went awesome but as I climbed the miles weren't ticking by fast enough. I was never so happy to see the sign at the top of potato patch. All down hill from there, but my shoulders and back were so locked up I couldn't enjoy it. Finally rolled into Mulberry and feasted on an awesome thanksgiving meal. Day 2 started off great with an awesome breakfast and hanging out with some of the other riders down there for the weekend. A couple of them were going my way so we all took off together. Another beautiful day and it warmed up fast. I was glad I wore shorts but my long sleeve wool shirt was too much. About 2 miles up we saw a copperhead getting some sun in the road. Surprisingly the legs felt pretty good and I took some Advil to try and relieve the back a little. The first 3 hrs was pretty much all climbing but once I got over the mountain I started picking up the pace. I was in get home mode at that point. Stopped once to refill water but other than that pretty much kept moving. Tried a few new things this trip. Instead of a water bladder I ran 2 bottles and my 16oz water filter bag. Most of the ride is by a creek so no problem getting water. I also made these PB&J rolls that were easy to eat while ridden and easy to cram in my gas tank bag. I also added the 24t chainring which was a life saver. Another awesome trip and I can't wait for the next one.