This week, we are offering to buy back the cool trike you purchased directly from RideSouth! We know, that despite our best efforts, sometimes a cool machine gets neglected and needs a new home. Just bring your trike in and we will make you an offer! Please, only bring in trikes you purchased from us. This week only, we are just taking in trikes, so keep riding your cool recumbent bike for a while!

We have a number of used recumbent bikes and Hobie kayaks at the shop, and are in the process of making improvements and updates on them for re-sale. We are adding additional display racks to accommodate the overflow. This would be a good time to look for deals! We have a shipment of the new award-winning Hobie Pro Anglers arriving sometime this week! Be sure to make your reservation for one now!

A perfect Sunday afternoon is a premium anywhere! There are so many activities that call out to us. But here in Mississippi, the 24th most “bike-friendly” state in our great nation, cycling is at the top of our list! The Ridgeland bike trails were crowded with all types of cyclists of all ages. Families pushing their young kids, and adults, feeling like kids, were everywhere! Our long line of Reunion Riders seemed to grab everyone’s attention as we snaked through Old Trace Park just a few feet from the water where sailors, paddlers and motor boaters were enjoying the breezy, 74 degree, sunny afternoon. All types of trikes and bikes were represented, even a tandem!

Bike trail near the Reservoir.

Most of the group pedaled to the Old Craft Center on the trails, while some branched off to tour other parts of the trail network. A few riders had already been riding on the adjacent Natchez Trace . . . another premium cycling area. While some turned back for other activities, many of the large group of riders rode to the west end of the trail and back. The trail leads almost to Clinton and parallels the Natchez Trace. What a great trail to ride with your family!

The real premium, however, is the fantastic group of loyal customers that have been around for almost all of our fifteen years of being in business! We have three tee-shirts, or jerseys, to give away to Jim Lee (2000), Bob McGuire (2003), and David Read (2003). If you were there Sunday and have been a customer longer than these guys, let us know. What a treasure to have folks that continue to care for and support your business all these years! And we have lots of you! Heck, Doug Morgan had just finished a one day, 250 mile ride in New Orleans early Sunday morning, but he and Laura made the effort to show up and cheer us on! Johnny and Beth helped us by being there and making lots of photos. We will load these on the web site soon. Thank you Johnny!

A great group for the first RideSouth Reunion Ride!

Thanks to everyone who made the first Reunion Ride, new and old customers! If you like the ride, couldn’t make it and have suggestions for another ride, please let us know. We are planning a ride to Vicksburg soon, so stay tuned for that date. A possible date is May 5, the day after the Ridgeland Century. Let us know if you are interested. If that date doesn’t work, we will choose another . . . since we hope to be around long after another fifteen years! And . . . with premium friends and supporters like you, we will!

(Please check out the pics in our galleries!)

We have about a dozen bikes and a half-dozen kayaks that are in the used category and need to be sold to make room for new machines! Please come by the shop this week and we will discuss the models and prices with you personally.

Perhaps you have heard the saying “nothing ventured, nothing gained”. Or, if you are like me, you may prefer your motivational sayings structured in a more positive way. In fact, why would anyone try to motivate someone with the negative of an idea? Don’t run! Don’t touch that! Don’t eat too much! You get the idea? So, have you ventured out lately?

At RideSouth, we have accepted the challenge of presenting something new to folks for fifteen years. It has become a little easier over the years, because our customers have done some of the work . . . by being good examples. The thousands of customer photos on our website help as well. Still, occasionally a customer will walk through the shop and walk out, avoiding any interaction with our eager sales staff. Nothing ventured.

We understand it is difficult to change. There are so many things we are comfortable with, even though we know there are alternatives we should consider. Heck, there are even things we are uncomfortable with that we resist changing. The world is filled with medications, and docs that will prescribe them, because we refuse to change our life style, or because we just don’t know how to change. That venture, or education, it appears, is up to us.

How does that relate to RideSouth, you might ask? For those smart folks still in the education process, we offer informative test rides on all our bikes and educational videos on many subjects. We have workshop clinics for our customers and community service talks for local groups. We offer rides like the Reunion Ride coming up on April 21, to encourage you to branch out and meet some new folks, or renew some old acquaintances. We present rides like the Signature Ride that will test your endurance, and we have weekly Bread Rides that test your resolve to venture out early in the morning!

So, the motivational question of the day is – can you find something to venture out on? If it is an informative visit to all of us at RideSouth, we will make sure that you leave with something gained! RideSouth . . . The Way to Ride!

In many ways, the 2013 RideSouth Signature Ride was a test. Even though we have presented this ride for many years, it is still a challenge to select a date, organize riders and support, police the activities, and actually ride the miles. Fortunately, Lane and Louis Reno did an outstanding job of all the hard parts, leaving only the miles to the riders! They were there in every case with forms, waivers, lunch, Gatorade, water, snacks, awesome SAG support all along the way, wine, beer, cheese, sausages at the reception, and transport back to Jackson! Thank you!!!

This year, another test involved Mother Nature. We made a calculated risk to go on with the ride from the RideSouth shop, and it paid off. The weather was cool and overcast with only a slight sprinkle leaving Prentiss. Perfect riding conditions! The excellent MHP officers helped us at every intersection leaving from the shop! Those riders that chose to leave from Hattiesburg on Saturday were not so lucky with the weather and had a couple of heavy showers, we were told. Still, the reception in the hotel parking lot was welcomed and well received. The dinner at Cracker Barrel was excellent and it was good to visit with everyone. Thanks to Tim & Jane for the ride to and from the restaurant!

Many riders tested their limits for mileage and speed. We understand about half of the riders bested their longest ride on the 120 mile trip down! Four riders were on brand new recumbents, less than a week old! John Crews and Rhonda Armstrong were riding a new RANS Seavo Tandem bike! David Read and Johnny Rawls were on new RANS Rifles! Way to go all of you! We understand there were some good-natured tests of speed as well. That almost always happens in the end and the results are mostly predictable. A special thanks to Doug Morgan for helping in the pre-ride planning and to him and Jim Lee for supporting the event every year we have had it! Way to go guys! We had a number of new riders this year. We are always glad to see new faces and hope everyone will decide to repeat next year! We hope Trish has recovered from her skinned knee at a fall leaving the Sumrall rest stop! Thanks to all the riders for your support! Special kudos for Mike Cobb as he was able to catch the group at Harrisville after damaging a tire right at the start . . . and going home for another tube! Special thanks to Pastor Sartin for opening the Harrisville Baptist Church for the riders! This is a welcome stop at the top of a good hill!

There are a few items that need mentioning for everyone’s safety. Please avoid parking at the Jackson Road Gateway to the Longleaf Trace. Rodger’s truck was broken into and a wallet stolen. He had to drive back in the rain with no side window. Best to leave your car at the hotel. Please do not bring headphones on this ride. We want to have open communications with all riders for safety reasons. Some energy gel wrappers were noticed on the Trace. If you use these, please dispose of the wrappers properly. Most everyone was good about bright shirts and jerseys and the lights on the bikes really helped in making us more visible! Special thanks to the MHP officers for an excellent escort to Prentiss! Captain Johnny and Beth organized the escort and the Pinola Baptist rest stop as well as providing some excellent photos. Thank you!!

The ride back to the shop on Sunday was uneventful (kidding) except for the tired legs, cold cloud bursts, and 30-40 mph head and cross winds! The hills also played a part in this test! We had breakfast at the Waffle House in Hattiesburg and began the journey on a cool and foggy morning. The ride along scenic back roads was entertaining with curious onlookers everywhere! We must have been the topic of conversation in many church meetings. After surviving a weak moment after lunch, Doug, Billy Owen and this rider trudged back through the winds and hills, eventually experiencing some warming sun. Then, the winds shifted from the north and turned much colder solidifying the reason we called the shop RideSouth and not RideNorth! Lane met us about 30 miles from home, but we were determined and persevered. Oh yes, the scenery was beautiful and the roads were mostly fantastic! We hope everyone will join us on the ride back next year! Thanks to Chad for meeting us at the hotel before his race on Sunday and transporting our bags back to the shop!

This year, the pre-ride buffet and clinic was well received and we hope to make this a staple of the ride event. Thanks to Richard at Time-Out for the excellent fare to help us prepare for the event. Tests are a part of life whether we like them or not. We put up with them in school and sometimes avoid them in adult life. The Signature Ride is difficult, but rewarding. It’s not the tee-shirt or even the medal that matters, but the fellowship and sense of accomplishment. We hope that confidence gained inspires folks to do more. We can always be better. The real test is choosing to keep improving and learning, and to leave the status quo behind. That is our position at RideSouth . . . The Way to Ride. Thank you for your support!!

The 2013 RideSouth Signature Ride is imminent! We will launch from the RideSouth shop THIS SATURDAY at 7:00 AM! It is 117 miles to Hattiesburg and 109 miles back with a little over 6000 feet of climbing! What a great way to spend a weekend!

Activities during the week include a Workshop Series Flat Repair Clinic on Thursday, March 21, at 6:00 PM. We will have a brief presentation and some hands-on repair tips for everyone.

Friday, March 22, we will have a brief meeting for all riders, SAG volunteers and guests from 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM. We will have excellent riding fare following the meeting catered in by Time-Out, including Chicken Pasta, salad, bread and refreshments. Come and help us finalize transport plans, meet your fellow riders and fuel up for a great adventure! Please register and sign the waiver while you are here. We will give out maps and cue cards for folks that are launching with us at RideSouth that should be turned in at the reception in Hattiesburg for tee shirts and medals (RideSouth launchers)! Remember to bring your clothes bag if you plan to stay overnight and ride back with us on Sunday.

Arrive early on Saturday and be ready to launch on time. Here is a Ride Fact Sheet that Lane has prepared for you. We know you will enjoy the roads to Prentiss and of course, the Longleaf Trace. If you want to preview the ride, just click on the Pre-Ride video in one of our previous posts. You can find that just below this post on our website. Thanks for participating and have fun!

SIGNATURE RIDE FACT SHEET 2013
RideSouth Launch Time: Saturday, March 23 7:00 A.M. Sharp! Arrive Early!
Wear bright jersey. Lights are suggested. Safety is paramount!!
Bring small overnight bag to put in the SAG vehicle. Sign Waiver, pay fee.
NOT a Race! Stay within 3-4 minutes of the next rider until Pinola Baptist Church.
Rest Stops: Texaco, Shell, Harrisville Baptist Church (10-11 A.M.), Pinola Baptist, and New Hebron (Sullivan’s Grocery)
LUNCH: 1-2:00 P.M. Prentiss–Chick-Fil-A
Hattiesburg Reception (Rear Parking Lot) 4:30-6:00 P.M. Turn in cue cards for tee shirts.
DINNER at Cracker Barrel around 6:30 P.M. (No reservations accepted. On your own.)
Arrange Return Shuttle Friday night at meeting. Louis has room for 4; Lane for 3-4.
Launch Sunday by 7:00 A.M at Hattiesburg Holiday Inn.
Johnny will SAG on return trip Sunday morning. (601 955-9212)
SAG Vehicles: Lane (White Outback and RideSouth trailer)
Phone Numbers:
! Lane: 601 992-2490 (shop)
! Hurlon Pierce: 601 315-2453
! ! (LLT Trail Manager IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE ON TRACE)
! Holiday Inn & Suites/Hattiesburg: 601 296-0302 STAY SAFE and HAVE FUN!!!

Maybe you have seen the recently published study of the Happiest States in the USA. Did you notice that Mississippi is in the bottom five? Probably, you know we are also on the heavy end of the stick when obesity enters the conversation. Growing up in the South, the term “fat & happy” got thrown around enough be considered the norm. Argue the point and you just might get shot at! But here are meaningful studies that say what we really know to be true . . . it just isn’t so.

Now, consider a case in point. Unhappy Mississippi legislators, who have been loathe to pass bills to help protect us from texting drivers, have catapulted us to the top of the state’s rights heap by swiftly proposing a bill to ban anyone from even suggesting we should limit our sugar intake. Now that is a ground breaking piece of legislation you can sink your teeth into! Should we call it the “Don’t call me fat” bill?

Now, before you get your back up too high, know that this writer is too fat . . . and unhappy about it, thereby fitting in with both Mississippi surveys. No hypocrisy here! Know also, that there is a general distrust of ALL politicians, and an overall urge to only label them as American congress people, with no further distinction. Furthermore, we should force them all to sit, eat and play together – all aisles removed! How is that for a worthwhile bill?

Back to what can be done in my small corner of the world, riding a bicycle is about the only exercise that comes easily and is really enjoyable. It is totally fun to go somewhere on my bike! However, even on the lightest bike, carrying my excessive weight up hills contributes to my state of unhappiness. But, I find that the more I do it, the less unhappy I am! Here at RideSouth, we have real folks in all sizes coming into the shop daily, who are not happy and want to change . . . and we can help.

Sure, there is traffic out there, and many drivers are distracted, so I do what I can to be visible, yet always ride as if I am invisible. If you consider the study on “How you will die” we published here some time back, bicycle riding is a rather safe bet. And on a positive note, Mississippi has been noted as twenty-forth in the nation for bicycle-friendliness! Let’s hear it for our state!

So, if you are unhappy about your weight, or just want to be better, you can burn several day’s caloric intake on one ride if you want to (see Signature Ride below), and drink all the no-calorie water you care to! And, most importantly, you can have fun! Come join us and get happier! See why RideSouth is The Way to Ride!

The 2013 RideSouth Signature Ride is March 23-24. Last month, Doug Morgan joined me in another pre-ride scouting trip to check out the roads. We took along the trusty Contour camera so you can get an idea of the Signature Ride experience. Click on the pic below and let it begin!

Awesome sky!

Launching from the RideSouth shop, you can see the embedded maps and elevation profiles along the way, highlighting turns and climbs. See the rest stops and excellent road conditions and feel the exhilarating descents! Get chased by a fun-loving herd of young cows just south of New Hebron and see Llama Land on the Longleaf Trace where you can dance with the emus!

The weather for our trip was perfect. The skyline in the video as we rode into Prentiss was worthy of memory. In fact, the Signature Ride might just be your favorite ride, too! If you are already signed up, preview your experience with us. If you haven’t signed up yet, see what treats you are in for when you join us! Here is the sign-up form so you can reaffirm that RideSouth IS The Way to Ride!

The Longleaf Trace is a Rails-to-Trails project presently connecting Hattiesburg to Prentiss. A picturesque biking and walking trail used by folks from all over the country, the trail begins at the University of Southern Mississippi and winds through many small towns and scenic countryside. RideSouth has taken customers on the trail, supported functions and personally enjoyed riding the LLT since its completion in 2000. We have even built a rest stop at mile marker 5.25 outside of Hattiesburg.

Here you can enjoy a short video of portions of the trail that we filmed in February, 2013. We have a longer video in the shop if you need more information. The LLT is a significant portion of the RideSouth Signature Ride this March 23-24. The Signature Ride is an annual event that launches from the RideSouth shop and finishes in Hattiesburg at the Holiday Inn. If you would like more information on the ride, please click here. We hope you will join us this year!