Tales from Bike Trails: Silver Comet

I like long distance bike rides. But when I ride, I hate sharing the road with automobiles and their drivers who ignore painted “bike lanes,” resent “Share the Road” signs, and generally consider cyclists as major traffic nuisances. It’s even worse when irritated or mean-spirited drivers use bikers as targets of intimidation or distracted drivers maim or kill bikers out of carelessness.

Thus, when I suit up and clip in for my favorite outings, it’s usually on a paved trail, planning for hours of head-down, butt-numbing, mind-clearing constant pedaling, with one eye on the trail and the other monitoring distance, cadence, speed and heart zone on my fitness devices.  Actual mileage may vary on opportunity, time, weather conditions, physical capabilities and other factors. Generally, my rides range from 20 to 80 miles. My longest day:  101 miles, including an unplanned and unwise lunch of beer and barbeque in a biker – read, motorcycle, not bicycle – bar outside of Cincinnati.  But that’s another story about how bikers of all types get along and generally agree on their dislike of cars and trucks!

Most of my riding is based on my home location.  In the 1990s, that was near Dayton, OH, birthplace of the Wright Brothers who made aviation history from their bicycle business. My favorite trails there included the Great Miami River Trail running north/south through Dayton, the Creekside Connector Trail running east/west to Xenia, and the Little Miami Scenic Trail toward Cincinnati. In the 2000s, my riding was near Tampa, FL, where the Pinellas Trail followed the beaches and the newer Suncoast Trail was built further inland. Now living near Acworth, my favorite trails include the Silver Comet Trail and combining portions of the Noonday Creek and Mountain-to-River trails. (See our blog post about short “fun rides” on these Cobb County Trails.)

Silver Comet Trail

Let’s get this out of the way: I have a dream – but not yet a goal – of riding the combined Silver Comet and Chief Ladiga Trails, covering the 90+ miles in one day. I made the aforementioned 101-mile Ohio ride while still in my 40s, thus covering 95 miles in my early 60s isn’t unreasonable – with the right training, good health and favorable weather.

On my previous Silver Comet rides, I had started in Powder Springs and ridden north, over the spectacular 750-foot Pumpkinvine Trestle. From my bike seat and handlebar view, the specific locations and direction of travel didn’t matter on any of these rides.  My plan and execution were simple: clip in, look straight ahead, pedal consistently and ignore the complaints of my leg and back muscles. That has always been my recipe for successful riding. But at 62, despite 5,000+ miles of actual outdoor and indoor training at the West Cobb YMCA, my average speeds have declined by approximately 2 mph. I’m content to blame that on getting accustomed to my newer dual sport bike and my own failure to replace the original hybrid trail tires with a more road friendly style. (OK, you’re right! Whether 62 or 26, it’s NEVER the guy’s fault, and ALWAYS the equipment!)

I kicked off my 2019 Silver Comet rides with a 42-miler on a cold January day when the high temperature failed to equal my riding distance. Since I’ve always been a fair-weather rider, I had no idea how to dress for success. The best I could do was emulate my snow skiing strategy, layering up with water-wicking fabrics and covering as much exposed skin as possible. The weakness of my plan was my feet, as I learned that even with thick wool socks, my summer-weight, Florida-purchased shoes didn’t protect my feet sufficiently. (Again, with the equipment!)

Starting this time at the Tara Drummond trailhead in Paulding Country, I traveled south to Mile 0, and returned with enough Cajun “lagniappe” to record an even 42 miles.  Why 42?  Well, it’s nearly half of the combined Silver Comet/Chief Ladiga length, and, according to the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, also the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything.

Head Down, Eyes Forward

For solo rides, I don’t need lots of scenery or stops. And while there may have been scenery aplenty along my 20+ mile Southern sojourn, most of the time my head was down and my thoughts focused on achieving my target pedal rpm in spite of a glitchy computer (EQUIPMENT, WHY DO YOU HATE ME?)

Still, several scenic points did capture my attention. Near Metromont Road in Hiram, a thick stand of bamboo shaded the road and branches blown from the tree canopy on the other side littered the trail. The combination caused a childhood flash back to a creepy scene in The Wizard of Oz, and I began to wonder if the Wicked Witch was releasing the flying monkeys to track my trail travels.

Riding high over Nickajack Creek, I paused on the trestle bridge to take in the scenery, munch down a power bar and adjust my coat. As the sun peaked down through the trees surrounding the creek’s mini-canyon, I snapped a few photos while basking in the radiant heat at the center of the trestle. That also prompted me to make a note for a return soon by car or bike to visit the historic covered bridge at Heritage Park nearby.

Passing through several hill cuts where icicles adorned the exposed rock and reflected the morning sun, I commemorated my first-ever winter ride with a photo to tease my Minnesota riding friends and confirm for my Florida friends that I had lost my mind.

I paused, too, at the Mile 0 sign – no, not the famous one on Highway 1 in Key West, but at the Mavel Road Trailhead in Smyrna where the trail officially starts, and the Silver Comet Connector continues into Vinings. That also was my turnaround point to head back North after a snack and stretch.

Thanks and Caution

On the return trip, I gave thanks to the railroad and bike gods that there was nary a curve or steep hill to be found on this rail trail, and preservation of trestles and construction of overpasses made for a largely unimpeded ride home. I counted only seven road crossings over the 20-mile return, including some which were used only for lightly-trafficked commercial and public utilities work areas. Aside from the few road crossings, all of which were traffic-light controlled, not once along the 42-mile round trip was I bothered by a car, minivan, SUV, truck, tractor trailer or other motor vehicle.

Many small parks, rest areas, and bathroom facilities are located along the way and at trailheads, alleviating the Tour de France’s problematic situation of the “au natural” or “arrêt biologique.”

Unfortunately, some portions of the Silver Comet trail have a history of crime, so always be aware if you’re traveling alone. In some areas, video cameras are used for monitoring trail activity, but awareness and avoidance are always better than a fast response.

Looking Ahead

I plan to return to the Silver Comet trail several times in 2019, As I write this, I’m having trail-discovery envy as my niece and a camera crew head out near the Coot’s Lake trailhead for a photo shoot on the trail to introduce a new carbon fiber bike that her company markets on Amazon.  It’s highly likely that my annual “ride-my-age-before-my-birthday” outing – which now, by default, is also a metric century ride! — will take place on the Silver Comet Trail. And each cold or rainy day when I ride a stationary bike at the YMCA, I remind myself that the boredom of indoor riding is essential prep for the day when I tackle the combined Silver Comet and Chief Ladiga trails – which now sounds more like a goal than a dream.

Our Recent “Outdoorsy” Posts

If you enjoyed this post about cycling near Northwest Atlanta, you might also enjoy some of our other blogs about activities nearby:

West Cobb Fun Rides for Casual Cyclists

Walks in the Woods at Red Top Mountain

Short Hikes to Tall Georgia Waterfalls

Hiking Pickett’s Mill Battlefield

Check Out Kennesaw Mountain’s Backside

Cool Hike at Cooper’s Furnace

Or any of our more than 40 posts at:

Our Travel Cafe blog