The Bicycle Ride Across Georgia (BRAG) is an annual road-cycling tour across the US state of Georgia. It began in 1980 as an offshoot of RAGBRAI. Between 1,000 and 2,000 riders participate in this great ride every year. The route covers approximately 400 miles over 7 days with options for longer distances. Mid-week, the tour stays two nights in one town allowing riders to either rest or ride a century with lesser mile options. Rest stops are every 8–15 miles and snacks and drinks are provided to registered riders. History BRAG was originally called Georgia's Annual State Bicycling Event (GASBE) when it first began in 1980. The head leader on the idea for this event was Dot Moss. The inspiration originally came from the bicycle tour in Iowa called RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa). The first ride began in Savannah, Georgia, and finished in Columbus, Georgia. The ride was a total of 300 miles. In 1985, the name of the ride was changed to Bicycle Ride Across Georgia or BRAG. Originally the tour was organized by local bike shops and each year a different bike shop would take on the organization and promotion of the event. As the event grew, it became obvious that the event would require a full time staff. An executive director, Jerry Colley, was hired as the Chief Executive Officer and held that position until 2015, when Franklin Johnson took over as Executive Director. Preparation Training For BRAG, many riders start training in January. Bobby Rone, a BRAG cyclist, makes the following suggestions: Beginning in January, try to ride once a week if the weather is above 45 degrees. Do short loops at first - 10 to 15 miles. After time changes and warmer weather begins in April, try to ride 20 or 30 miles, 3 or 4 days a week. Strive for equal amounts of intensity rides, versus distance rides. In late May, around Memorial Day, each ride should be 60 to 70 miles. Rone says that after following his training strategy, the BRAG ride “is very easy and enjoyable.” The Trail BRAG volunteers choose the route each year and when the time comes around, they help paint the arrows and other lines on the pavement. They also post BRAG signs to help bikers out. The volunteers also pre-bike the ride to make sure it is a good route for cyclists from