Skip to Main Content

Austin's Interstate Obed Boundary Commute

December 04, 2020

Austin's Interstate Obed Boundary Commute

It all started with a favor. Austin Sullivan’s brother lives in Atlanta, and, really, it was a simple ask: return his loaned van back to him. Only hang-up: Sullivan lives in Chattanooga, Tenn. —one state and 165 miles away. 

Lucky for him, there was plenty of room in the van for his ride home.

On November 1st, the 31-year-old Sullivan, a bike builder for American Bicycle Group, decided that there was one best way to get back home to Chattanooga: go by bike.  “I was thinking about options,” Sullivan said, “and it came to me: ‘y’know, I’ll just ride back up.”

The decision would make for an unforgettable commute back home. After making a mental checklist of what it would take to make the ride, and how long to traverse the northeastern route from Atlanta to southern Tennessee would take, he got on the computer and started planning. 

ATL to CHA

 

“I’d done long bikepacking events and 150-mile mountain bike events, so I knew what I was in for with a full day of riding,” Sullivan said.

With Google maps, A Kamoot routebuilding app, a cursory check of the weather forecast, he built a plan for his day in the saddle.

He then got his ride—an Obed Boundary—dialed, making sure it was outfitted for a full day of pedaling. That meant having a place for everything, and everything in its place. “I loaded a tool roll to the bottom of the downtube, which held my pump, Tubolito tubes, a multitool and a first aid kit,” he said. The rest of his loadout was to stay fed, and stay warm in the waning days of Daylight Savings Time. “The top tube storage was full of snacks, and my seatbag had extra layers and armwarmers.

The ride turned into just what he’d hoped: an adventure. Kicking off his full day of riding at 6am, Sullivan was joined by a friend on the opening miles outside Atlanta on the Silver Comet Trail. He soldiered on solo headed west along a rails-to-trails path, and simply explored.

“We’d just had a big storm, so I found myself trying to get past downed power lines in the city, and had to get across two bridges that had washed out,” he said. “And the roads, were just beautiful, coming through a rural area of Georgia I’d never been.”

Switching between rural roads and gravel roads, Sullivan saw it all in a day.

“I counted a couple deer in the woods, hit a couple climbs I wasn’t expecting, and just enjoyed a lot of twisting backcountry.”

Collage of Austin and his trip

 

By the end, Sullivan says, “I was ready for it to be done.” With twilight upon him, he passed through the Chickamauga Battlefield, site of a historic Civil War battle between Union and Confederate armies. “ I’d never really had a chance to soak in such a historic place in such a setting,” he said, “but.. I was ready to get home by that point.”

A few more miles and after an early 6 a.m. start in Georgia, he rolled home an hour after sunset at 7 p.m. with 165 miles under his belt in just over 11 hours, with nearly 7,900 feet of climbing in his legs.

And of course, there was a van successfully delivered, and a great story to tell.

 

Austin Sullivan’s Interstate Commute Build

Bike: Obed Boundary

Drivetrain: Shimano GRX 810 Di2, 2x

Wheels: Hed Emporia GA disc, 700c

Tires: Panaracer GravelKing SK, 43mm

Saddle: Shimano PRO Stealth

Seatpost: Easton EA70

Hydration: Wolftooth B-Rad Cage base, two bottle cages

Storage: Rogue Panda Oracle Downtube Tool Bag; Top Tube nutrition bag, Saddle bag

 

Read More Obed Stories
Shop the Boundary


Also in Stories

Ten things Gravel Riders Need to be Prepared For

Ten things Gravel Riders Need to be Prepared For

October 01, 2024

We reached out to fellow OBED employees and ambassadors to get the skinny on what one should be prepared for when venturing into the wild and wonderful world of riding gravel. No surprise, the list of considerations kept growing the more we thought about it... But we’ve narrowed it down to 10 things for brevity’s sake. Check them out below and see if there is anything you might not have thought about!
2024 SBT GRVL: Champagne Wishes

2024 SBT GRVL: Champagne Wishes

August 29, 2024

The 2024 SBT GRVL gravel race was one of the best in the event's short history. But with a short history... can it be considered a classic? We think so! Take a cruise through our weekend in the high Colorado Rockies.
Road Tires and Pressures

Road Tires and Pressures

August 19, 2024

We primarily have two tires on offer, and they speak to how we ride and our willingness to explore some of the less smooth roads in and around our corner of the world.

OBED Exclusive

Size Guide

View our size charts below to see what size is best for you. After purchasing your new OBED, our product team will reach out to you to confirm your order and sizing information to be sure you have selected the optimum size.

If you're on the border of two sizes, the right size may depend on certain body measurements and your riding style. Feel free to contact us at any time regarding sizing questions - our product specialists are experienced with finding riders the right fit by cross-referencing your information with our fit database.  

If you're not transferring measurements from a similar bike, to get completely "dialed in" for maximum performance, we recommend you see a reputable professional bike fitter that can fit you to your new bike.

GVR / Boundary / Baseline / Borough Size Chart

 XS

5'1" - 5'6"

S

5'4" - 5'9"

M

5'7" - 5'11"

5'10" - 6'2"

XL

6'1" - 6'5"

 

RVR / RVR SLi

 XS

5'0" - 5'4"

S

5'3" - 5'7"

M

5'6" - 5'10"

ML 

5'9" - 6'1"

L

6'0" - 6'4"

 

Seclud Size Chart

 S

5'3" - 5'8"

M

5'7" - 5'11"

5'10" - 6'2"

 

* Sizing to be used as reference only