GTR 2014: May 29-June 1. Athens, Georgiagroup

Athens is one of our favorite places to have GTR and we are excited to be returning for our first GTR visit since 2009. School will be out, graduation will be done, and we look forward to a tandem takeover of the Classic City. It's bikes, beer, books, bars and of course, bulldogs!

bridgeBikes: We have three days of rides planned. Friday's rides go north of the city and feature four options of 28, 40, 50 and 61 miles. There's always a distance for everyone at GTR. Saturday, you will have a choice of four more options from 38-63 miles. The longer options visit Watson Mill covered bridge, one of the few covered bridges left in the state. This year's lunch is only two miles from the end, so eat up. On Sunday, we have "getaway day" options of 28 and 40 miles.

Beer: We are planning a beer event while we are in town. Athens is the home of Terrapin beer, but are there new breweries on the horizon? Stay tuned for details as we get closer to the rally.

booksBooks: Since we are in a college town, we figure that, just like the students, perhaps we should learn something between the bike rides and the social events. Our Thursday party will be at the University of Georgia Special Collections library, where we'll have ice cream scoops while you snoop through some very cool displays.

Bars: You probably have fond memories of your favorite ber in college. Or perhaps you know you were in your favorite bar, but don't remember anything. There are over 100 bars in Athens. We hope to visit one of them during the rally.

Bulldogs: Athens is home to the Georgia Bulldogs. Need we say more?

dogPark It and Leave It
Our host hotel is less than two blocks from the hot spots in downtown Athens, so it looks like we are going to be able to walk to most of our venues. We are hoping that once you park your car in Athens, you don't have to get into it until you leave on Sunday.

Athens Terrain
Like to climb? We've got some hilly parts, some flat parts, and some more hilly parts. And at the end of May, we could have some heat. Look for a few aerobic opportunities sprinkled throughout GTR 2014. Our Floridian friends will have something to complain about. The rest of you will wonder what the fuss is. By the way, Athens is at the highest point of Clarke County, so once you leave, you have to climb to get back to where you started.

Why So Late This Year?
If you want to feel old, GTR Art Director Elliott Strauss is graduating from the University of Georgia in May, 2014. Your ride directors thought it was a good idea to be at the graduation, so we had to push the rally back a couple of weeks. Plus, GTR will be the only game in town in Athens during our weekend, so we get the first shot at all of the facilities and the hotel rooms.

A Registration Note to New Teams
We do our best to make sure everyone who wants to come to the rally is able to do so, but space at GTR 2014 is looking limited due to anticipated demand. If you have not attended the rally before, you will be required to enter our electronic lottery, which you will submit via e-mail. This keeps you from having to send us money until your space in the rally is confirmed. You can read the details of the GTR 2014 electronic lottery process here.

For the purposes of definition, a new team is a team who has never attended GTR together. The key word is "together". If you have attended in the past with a differrent captain or stoker, you are considered a new team. This keeps us from awarding seniority to each member of teams who may have split up. If you registered for the rally and did not attend due to cancellation (even if you cancelled too late for a refund), you do not get credit for that year.

GTR 2014 Registration
GTR Hall of Fame registration begins on January 17, 2014 and lasts for two weeks. General registration begins on February 1, 2014 and also goes for two weeks. You will be e-mailed a registration form if you have attended the rally since 2004 and we have your correct e-mail address. If there is space available, on February 16 at 9:00AM EST, we will hold our electronic lottery for new teams to fill out any room that may be left in the rally. The lottery will go for two days and end on February 18th at 9:00AM EST. After that, GTR registration will end as well. You can read the full details of the GTR 2014 electronic lottery process here.

Estimated GTR 2014 Costs
Athens is an expensive city to hold any gathering. The facility rentals and food costs this year are large, which means the price of the rally will be higher than we are used to. We do not have the final numbers yet, but look for the rally to cost around $250 per couple. This includes all of the social events, your GTR t-shirt, lunch and dinner on Saturday, maps, SWAG and our expertise. The price of the rally does not include your hotel room in Athens.

GTR Host Hotel
And speaking of hotels, our host hotel is within walking distance of the 100+ bars and restaurants in downtown Athens. Even better, your breakfast is included with your hotel room. After you register for the rally, you will be given a link to make your hotel reservations.

GTR Hall of Fame
If you have attended six or more Georgia Tandem Rallies with the same captain/stoker combination AND you have attended the rally three of the last four years, you are in the GTR Hall of Fame. Big deal? Yes, because you get early registration to GTR 2014 and you get first pick of the GTR 2014 hotel rooms. Click here to see who is in the GTR Hall of Fame.

GTR Mailing List
If you have attended the rally any time since 2005 and we have your correct e-mail address, you are automatically on our mailing list. If you wish to be on our mailing list to receive information about GTR 2014, including registration information when it is available, click here to request to be on the GTR mailing list.

GTR Is On Facebook
Our Facebook friends get GTR updates first, and a whole lot more.

GTR Rosters Since 1999
Bored at home (or better yet, using the internet on company time) and looking for something to do? Get busy with our list of everyone who has ever attended the Georgia Tandem Rally! Are you on it? About 400 teams are!

Check out our Tandem Travel Blog!
Still killing time at work? Check out some of the trips we have taken on our tandem in the past year: http://tandempalooza.wordpress.com

We also have a food blog for your Atlanta dining pleasure: http://www.datenightfriday.wordpress.com

usQuestions? We are GTR!
Roger Strauss
Eve Kofsky
GTR creators, organizers and webmasters since 1999. The Georgia Tandem rally is the longest continually operated tandem rally (by one couple) in the USA.

info@georgiatandemrally.com 770-565-4150

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