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Local cyclist still on the move
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| Cyclist Susan Leggett takes a ride on Seed Lake Road near her home. Leggett, 57, has competed in biking races for nearly 20 years and is still an avid cyclist and hiker. |
By Jeremy Styron Staff Writer
Monday morning, she scaled Glassy Mountain on foot.
That afternoon, a reluctant Susan Leggett, 57, was geared up for a photo in her full cycling garb. Unfortunately, her bike needed repairs, so she had to use a friend's.
"Of course, on my road bike, I go way too fast for anyone to get a picture," she said.
She finished suiting up and pulled her friend's bike off the back of her SUV. She likes to stay "under the radar," but she knew it was picture-time.
"This is not me," she said, shaking her head and leading the bike onto Seed Lake Road for a short ride.
Covert or not, her claim to fame in Rabun County began on trails and mountain roads when many people her age were slowing down. But she is determined to burn a different trail than many of her peers.
"I have to exercise to keep in shape," she said. "Keep your muscles working and your joints will work better."
The older a person gets, she said, the quicker their muscles degenerate. "I have taken some time off, and I have found the reason why I do it."
She doesn't compete in cycling events much anymore, but she is still an active rider and hiker. In her heyday, which began near the 40-year-old mark, she had participated in more than 20 events, including triathlons, biathlons and 100-mile mountain rides.
The toughest event in which she has participated was an annual spring ride beginning in Spartanburg, S.C., and ending with a climb up Mount Mitchell. She completed the event five times.
"The last 25 miles is just about straight up," she said.
Other events have included the Six Gap Century, which follows a route through Dahlonega that was traversed by Tour de Georgia cyclists this spring; a 100-mile Grandfather Mountain climb; and a race called "Issaqueena's Last Ride," which starts in Walhalla, S.C., and curves along Lake Jocassee.
She wants people to know that she does more than just play in the outdoors, however. Chair caning, wicker repair and a real estate business occupy her time when she is not taming Northeast Georgia's slopes. But her passion for the outdoors is unquestioned.
Originally from Macon, she remembers coming to Rabun County almost every weekend with her parents, who have owned a house on Lake Burton since the 1960s. She didn't participate in many organized sports as a child, but she did bike, swim in the lake and take regular physical education classes.
As she entered adulthood, she said her interest in serious biking came gradually.
"Like a lot of people, it evolved," she said. "You start off taking aerobics, and you get good at that. You start running, you get good at that, and then it just evolved into biking."
Today, Leggett only rides and hikes for fun, but said she hoped to encourage others to get out and try outdoor activities. Her friend, Corliss Ferris of Grayson, is about Leggett's age and has been heavily influenced by Leggett's example.
"You better believe it," Ferris said about her new biking and exercising habits. "You are never too old."
The aesthetic appeal of hiking and biking compliment the health benefits one can receive from biking.
"This county is gorgeous," she said. "When you are in a car, you don't see things. ... For just beauty, you can't beat a mountain bike ride up the Tallulah River."
She would tell anyone who thinks he or she is too old for biking or hiking to "just do it, just like Nike said. Just get out there, [and] start hiking. Just find you a flat place to ride. There are some around here, believe it or not," she laughed.
That afternoon, a reluctant Susan Leggett, 57, was geared up for a photo in her full cycling garb. Unfortunately, her bike needed repairs, so she had to use a friend's.
"Of course, on my road bike, I go way too fast for anyone to get a picture," she said.
She finished suiting up and pulled her friend's bike off the back of her SUV. She likes to stay "under the radar," but she knew it was picture-time.
"This is not me," she said, shaking her head and leading the bike onto Seed Lake Road for a short ride.
Covert or not, her claim to fame in Rabun County began on trails and mountain roads when many people her age were slowing down. But she is determined to burn a different trail than many of her peers.
"I have to exercise to keep in shape," she said. "Keep your muscles working and your joints will work better."
The older a person gets, she said, the quicker their muscles degenerate. "I have taken some time off, and I have found the reason why I do it."
She doesn't compete in cycling events much anymore, but she is still an active rider and hiker. In her heyday, which began near the 40-year-old mark, she had participated in more than 20 events, including triathlons, biathlons and 100-mile mountain rides.
The toughest event in which she has participated was an annual spring ride beginning in Spartanburg, S.C., and ending with a climb up Mount Mitchell. She completed the event five times.
"The last 25 miles is just about straight up," she said.
Other events have included the Six Gap Century, which follows a route through Dahlonega that was traversed by Tour de Georgia cyclists this spring; a 100-mile Grandfather Mountain climb; and a race called "Issaqueena's Last Ride," which starts in Walhalla, S.C., and curves along Lake Jocassee.
She wants people to know that she does more than just play in the outdoors, however. Chair caning, wicker repair and a real estate business occupy her time when she is not taming Northeast Georgia's slopes. But her passion for the outdoors is unquestioned.
Originally from Macon, she remembers coming to Rabun County almost every weekend with her parents, who have owned a house on Lake Burton since the 1960s. She didn't participate in many organized sports as a child, but she did bike, swim in the lake and take regular physical education classes.
As she entered adulthood, she said her interest in serious biking came gradually.
"Like a lot of people, it evolved," she said. "You start off taking aerobics, and you get good at that. You start running, you get good at that, and then it just evolved into biking."
Today, Leggett only rides and hikes for fun, but said she hoped to encourage others to get out and try outdoor activities. Her friend, Corliss Ferris of Grayson, is about Leggett's age and has been heavily influenced by Leggett's example.
"You better believe it," Ferris said about her new biking and exercising habits. "You are never too old."
The aesthetic appeal of hiking and biking compliment the health benefits one can receive from biking.
"This county is gorgeous," she said. "When you are in a car, you don't see things. ... For just beauty, you can't beat a mountain bike ride up the Tallulah River."
She would tell anyone who thinks he or she is too old for biking or hiking to "just do it, just like Nike said. Just get out there, [and] start hiking. Just find you a flat place to ride. There are some around here, believe it or not," she laughed.
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