Chattanooga, TN
Elites will roll with TB from Mike’s Hole in the Wall at 9:30, but that’s where the similarity ends. We’ll head north through the tunnel and basically do the Red Bank Lunch ride up Lullwater, McCahill to Browntown where we’ll pickup the Tuesday night route to Soddy. Loop through the ball fields and back. Hotwater climb is optional. 50 miles and relatively flat.
Lunch at Mike’s post ride for those that want to hang out.
Due to cold temps Elites will meet Man in Black at the Battlefield for a shorter option. rolling at 10am after things warm up.
For those that want to scoot over to Mountain Cove for Sweetie’s bluegrass festival (http://foreverbluegrass.com/schedule/), Bub will set us up with wrist bands to get in. Plenty of good food for purchase but you might want to bring your favorite beverage.
After a couple of lost years, the fall colors are back and there’s no prettier ride than from Mountain Cove Farm through Little River Canyon then back via DeSoto State Park (with a Roadside Viewing of JUNKASAURUS REX!) It’s gonna be chilly and to allow extra driving time, let’s roll from the Manor House just past the Cove Store @ 9am. 994 Dougherty Gap Rd. Chickamauga, GA 30707. Wristbands to getcha in Sweetie’s Bluegrass Festival will be given out by BeelezeBub (along with a few of his Beers…. begrudgingly). It’s worth the price of admission!
Roll from Falling Water at 2pm for basically the Tuesday night ride. Hotwater climb is optional
Weathermen still moving things around for Sat morning but regardless of which you believe it’s gonna be cold which means a late start and route flexibility even if it’s a yawner. Roll from Mike’s Hole in the Wall (Chilhowee Street lot) @ 9:30. Familiar route north with a few twists and a climb up Mountain Road where decisions must be made. For those with less time head down Montlake for 40+ miles and back around noon. Others descend Hotwater and wind back for 54 miles and 3200 feet. (Check the map because we will not go all the way to the store since the less time on top the better – we’ll fill up at the store in Soddy where Sam I Am went “bowling for bikes” a few years ago.) Easy to get this one over a metric by either climbing the front of Signal as we come back through (descending W) or doing a loop at the Bend before or after.
Meet on the Walnut Street Bridge at 8:30 (park wherever) to watch the start of those crazies paddling 31 miles for the ChattaJack SUP race. After that we’ll take the Holiday Route (thru to hood to Missionary Ridge, Hogan, McFarland, etc.) to the Battlefield and then add some of Fly’s roads. 52 miles and just under 3,000 ft of climbing.
Weathermen still moving things around for Sat morning but regardless of which you believe it’s gonna be cold which means a late start and route flexibility even if it’s a yawner. Roll from Mike’s Hole in the Wall (Chilhowee Street lot) @ 9:30. Familiar route north with a few twists and a climb up Mountain Road where decisions must be made. For those with less time head down Montlake for 40+ miles and back around noon. Others descend Hotwater and wind back for 54 miles and 3200 feet. (Check the map because we will not go all the way to the store since the less time on top the better – we’ll fill up at the store in Soddy where Sam I Am went “bowling for bikes” a few years ago.) Easy to get this one over a metric by either climbing the front of Signal as we come back through (descending W) or doing a loop at the Bend before or after.
The Man in Black is leading this weekend. Roll at 8:00 from Falling Water with TB up to Graysville where we’ll have a short store stop and then loop back via Providence (ouch), Poole, May, McCallie Ferry and back to Back Valley. About 53 miles and 2,700 vertical feet. Hopefully it won’t rain.
UPDATE: HARD TO PREDICT THIS ONE SINCE SHOWERS POPPING UP SO QUICKLY. LET’S SAY OFFICAL RIDE CANCELLED BUT MAY BE FOLKS THERE ANYWAYS. MAY BE A DRIER WINDOW LATER THIS MORNING AND IF THAT HOLDS I’LL POST AN ALTERNATE LATER.
We’ll give the St Elmo ants a week to dig out of the new mulch as Bubba heads north this week. Roll at 8:00 from Falling Water for a trip up Brayton Mtn. (I hate that climb but Bones and Persecutor love it and threatened to hurt me even worse on Saturdays if I take it out of the rotation.) Lots of familiar roads but we’ll mix it up a bit to keep things interesting. Around 70 miles and 4000 feet. Shave it to 50 by jumping on in Soddy – check the map because we’ll be rocketing down the main road.
With the tease of Fall in the air the Elites will head to the woods Saturday. Roll from the St Elmo Food City at 8:30 (so we don’t cause confusion with TB). We’ll warmup down the Virginia Ave trail before heading up Guild Trail Rd, past Ruby Falls and out the Upper Truck Trail. Turn around come back and then climb the rest of the mountain past Craven’s House. From there head back down to Refection Riding and do the Lower Truck trail. Back via Old Wauhatchie Pike to Food City. Probably a little more than 30 miles. Upper Truck is doable on a gravel bike, just a little rough at places.