Here are the questions that we get asked the most...
Tell us about your past rides. We started GTR with our first ride in 1999, which was in Madison, GA. We did 2 rallies there and then moved to Athens in 2001, where we did 2 rallies as well. GTR 2003 and GTR 2004 were in Statesboro. GTR 2005 moved back to Madison and GTR 2006 was in Americus. GTR 2007 found us in LaGrange and GTR 2008 was in Albany. Finallly, GTR 2009 moved back to Athens, where we had a blast. We believe that since the ride is the Georgia Tandem Rally, we should take our riders to as much of the state as possible. Those wanting to learn more about our past should check out our history page.
What's the terrain like this year? It's pretty flat out there. The hills are rolling and are very gentle.
Why do you have a rider limit? We limit the size of the rally so that it will be more intimate and personal. We really don't want a rally the size of STR, although some years we are bigger than STR. And our sanity gets tested if we make the rally too big.
What do you do with the profits from the rally? Profits? What profits? Any extra money is used to make deposits on the next year's rally. We have never "made" more than $200 on GTR. Some GTR's have actually cost us money.
Will there be SAG on the course? NO. You and your bike should be in the proper working condition.
What happens if my tandem breaks down? There are a lot of mechanical minds that attend GTR each year. Someone will help to get you back on the road, or we will come and get you if the breakdown is severe. You might have to wait, though.
Are there a lot of store stops on the ride? There are stores at strategic locations on the rides. We have no ride-sponsored SAG stops, but we do have a plentiful snack table before each day's ride so you can bring some snacks along. You should bring some of your favorite snacks in case you don't like our snacks.
Are these loop rides? What about remote starts? On Friday, everyone will remote start from a location about 13 miles from the hotel. All other rides start from our host hotel. We hope that once you get to the host hotel after riding on Friday, that you will be able to park your car for the rest of the weekend.
I'm a vegetarian. Is this a problem? Not at all. Our caterer for Saturday's lunch will have vegetarian sandwiches. There will be enough vegetarian items at Saturday's dinner to fill you up. You should be able to find something to eat at our meals.
Can we bring the kids? Yes. We just ask that you register all children who will be attending so we know they will be there as they take up seating space at our events. We have no child care available, so you are responsible for the kiddies.
Can we bring the dog? Do us a favor and leave Fido at home. He will probably be happier at the "Doggie Hilton"!
Can we bring our custom mega-camper-mobile-cruiser-trailer-home? Yes. There are three state parks very close to the Savannah Lakes area. We suggest you camp there and ride over to the ride starts.
Are there a lot of men with shaved legs on this ride? Can I keep up? We have a few teams where the man's legs are smoother than the woman's. However, everyone rides at their own pace. Some are faster than others, some are slower. An amazing thing happens at tandem rallies: with so many teams, you will always find a team that rides the same speed as you do.
What about the weather? Will it be hot? It's the south and it's the middle of May, so it could be hot. Expect highs in the mid-upper 80's and lows in the high 60's. There will be humidity and perhaps some afternoon thunderstorms. For some reason, GTR seems to happen on the hottest weekend of the year, so drink plenty of water.
Are there day-ride options on GTR? No. You must register for the whole weekend to attend GTR. We do not feel it is fair to those who pay for all 3 days to offer day options.
What time is the midnight buffet? There is no midnight buffet at GTR, but we actually heard this asked on a cruise ship once!
How does Eve's hair look so good after wearing a bike helmet? Good genetics. She really should audition for shampoo commercials.
More questions? We have the answers:
Roger Strauss or Eve Kofsky
E-Mail: info@georgiatandemrally.com
Phone: 770-565-4150