We’re a cycling group that’s been riding in the Chattanooga area for more than 25 years. Bubba isn’t affiliated with a club team or shop so you’re welcome to ride with Bubba regardless of the jersey you wear so long as it has sleeves. (If it doesn’t, even your family doesn’t want to see you so buy a TT bike and learn to be alone.) Show up Saturday, get heckled about your stupid looking socks or sunglasses, embrace your new nickname, and BeABubba too!
Whine Like a Man
Team Bubba
Team Bubba Sat. 4/4
This week Bubba will say goodbye to St. Elmo Food City (closing April 6th) with a trip down to the cove and back via the road to hell on top of Lookout.
After party at Tap House.
When: 8:30 a.m.
Where: St. Elmo Food City
Stats: 67.9 miles and 4,892 ft
Water Stop @ Mountain Cove Store (Mile 31.5)
Store Stop @ Cornerstone Mkt. (Mile 55.4)
Store Stop @ Cornerstone Mkt. (Mile 55.4)
Upcoming Special Rides
April 11th: BEagle’s Philly friends come to town (W Road and Back of Suck Creek)
April 18th: Fort Mtn. (Eton to Ellijay and back)
May 2nd: Bubbagrass (Mtn. Cove to Little River Canyon and back)
June 13th: Sequatchie 24
July 18th: Bubba Lake Day
The nature of the ride - Pace ranges from conversational to brisk. There are always a few re-grouping points during the first half of the ride. This is the ride for the strongest cyclists in the club.
Bubba Elite
April 2026
Here are the Elite rides for Saturdays in April. The start time may change during the week of the ride for forecast colder or warmer conditions. Watch this site early on the Saturday of the ride for weather related cancelations and updates.
Special Weekday Event April 23 – See details below.
April 4 – Roll at 9 am from the grass parking area across from River Drifters on Suck Creek Road to ride out-and-back in the Tennessee River Gorge to “Goat’s Bridge” on Mullin’s Cove Road. It’s asphalt all the way and easily manageable on a road bike, but a gravel bike works best for the several patches of rough road. Seems short, but it’s harder than you think. Option to return via East Valley Road and Suck Creek Mountain.
40 miles and 2,300 feet of climbing.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50284294
April 11 – Here’s an old favorite that we haven’t done in over a year. We’ll start at 9 am from the Food City in St. Elmo to ride up Lookout Valley to climb Lookout Mountain on 136. Store stop near Plumb Nelly at about mile 23. Return by descending Nickajack Road.
45 miles and 3,000 feet of climbing.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/54475101
April 18 – Tour de Mowbray. Start from the paved parking lot across from the Falling Water Baptist Church at 9 am to climb Retro Hughes Road and ride around the top of Mowbray Mountain. Store stop at the Dollar General in Lewis Chapel at mile 32.
49 miles and 3,250 feet of climbing.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50474830
April 25 – Start from the old Chapel Hill Methodist Church at 9 am to ride to Pikeville and back. Store stop at the Co-op at mile 23 to converse with the natives. This is the traditional ‘long loop’ that goes South on old-TN-28 to cross the valley on Stone Cave Road. (Yes, it’s a long drive. But, it’s always a treat to ride through this farm country that time has forgot.)
55 miles and 2,800 feet of climbing.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51058690
Thursday, April 23 – It’s Spring, so it’s time to ride River Road at Tellico. We’ll plan on rolling at 10 am from the Oosterneck Creek overlook (35°20’48.5″N 84°14’20.1″W) on the Cherohala Skyway near its intersection with River Road. This pull-off is exactly 5 miles from the Skyway Visitor Center in Tellico (which is a good place for a final rest-room break). Due to school zones and the need for snacks, getting there always seems to take 15 minutes longer than computed by Google regardless of route. Lunch in downtown Tellico Plains after the ride.
This is a 40 mile out-and-back-ride on River Road with the turn at the point the road changes to gravel. This turn is one ridge-climb past the North Carolina line. We always talk about extending the ride with a 8 mile loop at the end up to Turkey Creek Road on the Skyway — but rarely do it. Maybe this will be the day.
May 2 – Are you ready to climb Nickajack? Start from the Food City in St. Elmo. Time TBD.
The nature of the ride - Elite rides honor Team Bubba traditions (lots of heckling) but might be a little shorter and definitely includes more stops and regrouping. The Elite ride is a good entry point to Team Bubba for fit cyclists.