This week, Bubba will head west and south to visit Sand Mountain and McKaig Road near Trenton. Start at 9:30 to let it warm up a little.
When: 9:30 a.m.
Stats: 61.3 miles and 3,953 ft
Store stop at mile 31.6
Team Bubba Sat. 1/10 – Washout
Based on the current weather forecast, I’m not planning on posting a ride for Saturday. Come out to ChickenCross on Sunday to race or spectate. The course should be nice and moist.
Team Bubba Sat., 1/3
This week Bubba will roll from the Sculpture Fields parking lot at Montague Park at 8:30 for a trip south through the Battlefield to LaFayette and back. After party at Oddstory.
When: 8:30 a.m.
Where: Sculpture Fields at Montague Park (https://maps.app.goo.gl/9HV5f9wcFgZUN3Hp9)
Stats: 62.2 miles and 3,147 ft
Store stop options at miles miles 21.3 and 53.1
Team Bubba New Year’s Day Ride
Happy New Year!
The Team Bubba New Year’s Day ride will depart from St. Elmo Food City at 10:00 a.m. for a climb up Aetna Mountain Rd in Whiteside, TN. Gravel bikes are recommended but not required. The whole route is paved, but Aetna Mtn Rd is a little rough. After party at Taphouse if they are open.
When: 10:00 a.m.
Where: St. Elmo Food City
Stats:37.9 miles, 2,894 ft, and max grade 17.8%
January 2026
Here are the Elite rides for Saturdays in January. Start times could 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.
Update for January 17 – It ‘s going to be chilly. Let’s hope the sunshine will keep us warm. Given the temps, the route has been changed to remove the cold mountain descent.
Have you set your training resolutions for 2026? We’ve talked about it on rides and General says it’s now official. See the link below for The Sequatchie 24.
January 3 – Roll at 9:30 am from the Patten Community Center to ride down Lookout Valley and climb at Trenton. For those wanting an additional 10 miles, the ride will split at the bridge over Lookout Creek and will go south of Trenton to cross over I-59 on Byrds Chapel Road.
40 miles and 2,300 feet. Climb Sand Mountain.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53433349
January 10 – Ride canceled by rain.
January 17 – Start from Red Bank Elementary on Mountain Creek Road at 10 am to ride to Soddy and back. Store stop at Mile 25.
46 miles, 2,300 feet. No mountain climb.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53729589
January 24 – Roll from the Food City Parking Lot in St. Elmo at 10 am to do a climb that we’ve haven’t done in a year or more. Store stop on 136 on the top of Lookout. Return via Creek Road.
47 miles, 3,100 feet. Climb Nickajack Road.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53610459
January 31 – Roll from the parking lot across from the Falling Water Baptist Church at 10 am. Store stop in Sale Creek at mile 33. Those wanting more can climb Hotwater Road at the way home.
50.4 miles, 2,560 feet. No climbs
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50119282.
February 7 – Will the groundhog have seen his shadow? St. Elmo to Mountain Cove Farms. 50 miles. Time TBD.
February 28 is the early registration deadline for The Sequatchie 24 on June 13/14. The feature event is an ultra 24-hour race. There are 75 and 150 mile race & ride options . Check it out.
https://www.cyclesequatchie.com/ultra
Team Bubba 12/27
For Bubbas who are around after Christmas, Team Bubba will roll at 8:30 from St. Elmo Food City for a Sand Mountain Metric. After party with the Elites at Taphouse.
When: 8:30 a.m.
Where: St. Elmo Food City
Stats: 61.6 miles and 4,217 ft
Store stop at mile 32.5
Team Bubba – Sat. 12/20
WILBUR’S CHRISTMAS CHIMNEY RIDE v15.0
Saturday December 20th at 9:30 from the Rock City Starbucks.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31591376
Get there early to tell lies and enjoy a cup of coffee.
Team Bubba Sat. 12/13
It’s been about six months since we did this route, and it is a good one, a Ringold to Cleavland metric with no major climbs. Post-ride lunch at Farm to Fork.
Next week will be Wilbur’s Christmas Chimney Ride v16.0.
When: 9:00 a.m.
Where: Joseph T. McConnell Kids Park, 41 Catoosa Pkwy, Tunnel Hill, GA 30755
Stats: 61.8 miles and 2,952 ft
Store Stop at mile 40.4 in McDonald, TN
Bubba Sat. 12/6
This week Bubba will head south from St. Elmo Food City for a trip down the valley to the Cove, up Dougherty Gap, and back along the top of Lookout.
When: 9:30 a.m.
Where: St. Elmo Food City
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/
Stats: 70.3 miles and 4,649 ft
Store Stops at Mountain Cove Store (Mile 32.5) and/or Cornerstone Market (Mile 56.4)
December 2025
Here are the Elite rides for Saturdays in December. To honor Bubba winter training rules (among these are: layer until you can’t bend your arms), we’ll be starting close to home and the pace will be a little slower and the distances a little shorter.
End of the month changes: See below for an update to the December 27th ride as well as the plan for New Year’s Day.
Start times could 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.
December 6 – Roll from the Food City in St. Elmo at 10 am to ride south down Chattanooga Valley to Captain Wood Road and back.
53 miles and 2,700 feet. No climbs.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49895195
December 13 – Roll from Red Bank Elementary on Mountain Creek Road at 10 am to ride up to Soddy Lake and back. There will be a group spilt after a break at the Soddy Ball fields so that those wanting more can go a little further north and climb Hot Water Road on the way home.
43 miles and 2,300 feet. No climbs.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53433750
December 20 – We’ll start at 9:30 am with Team Bubba from the parking lot behind the Star Bucks that’s across from Rock City for the traditional Bubba Chimney Ride. Don’t worry about it being cold on top of the mountain. We ascend 500 feet up to Point Park at the start to get our blood flowing.
36 miles and 2,400 feet of climbing.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53451026
December 27 – Start from the St. Elmo Food City at 10 am to take US-41 to Haletown. Return via GA-299. The ride will split where Slygo Road intersects 299 for those wanting more. This longer option adds 11 miles and 700 feet of climbing and goes over Morganville Ridge to return via Creek Road.
36 miles and 2,200 feet of climbing. Half-a-climb over the toe of Aetna Mountain.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53432856
January 1 – We’re going to do our part to keep the W-Road beautiful and spend 30 minutes or so cleaning up around the lower switchbacks (the ones near the nursing home). Meet at Redbank Elementary at 9:30 am to car-pool or cycle to the switchbacks. Immediately following will be two ride options: (1) cycle up the W and come immediately back down (with the option to repeat), or (2) Follow the climb with a loop on top of Signal. The longer option is 30 miles with 2,800 feet of climbing.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53578294
January 3 -Roll from the Patten Community Center to climb Sand Mountain. 40 miles. Time TBD.