Category: Team Bubba

Fredonia!

Roll at 8:00 from boat ramp across from River Drifters on Suck Creek Rd.  80 miles, 8000 feet.  Bailout turns left on East Valley and climbs the back of Suck.

A bit chilly again this Saturday so as we voted in the parking lot last week we’ll delay takeoff while the planet warms.   (Pump, I promise it wasn’t just me whining even if I have been under an electric blanket all week.)   Roll from Mike’s Hole at 9:00.   Dry Valley, Marble, 136, and Scenic.  (Someone let me know if the intersection of Happy Valley and Battlefield is still closed – – if so we’ll work around that section.)   Normal regrouping places INCLUDING AFTER THE BIG HILL NEAR THE BEGINNING OF SCENIC (don’t make me scream at you).   It’s a metric and 4200 feet but lots of ways to ease the pain including avoiding Scenic by dropping off 136 and riding Creek Rd.

Roll at 8:00 Saturday from Falling Water for a Bubba favorite – Leggett, Ogden, Cranmore.   Yes it’s early.  Yes it’ll be cold.  But this one is longer than usual and we want to get it in one last time before winter tapering, not to mention it’ll be good training for you know what.  75 miles, 4100 feet.   Easy to shave 20 miles by jumping on at the Soddy ball fields around 8:30, and also easy to shave 20 or more by dropping down Brayton Mtn instead of going across the mtn for the Cranmore loop.

Roll at 8:30 from the St Elmo Food City aka Steady’s Campground.   Mapped route includes the climb up Daughtery (ouch) which puts the ride at 71 miles, 4200 feet.  (A bit longer than usual but we’ll need it as we begin to think about the upcoming ride of which we will not speak.)  Turning at the store and leaving off Daughtery shaves it to a metric, and easy to chop it to like 45 or so by turning on Captains Rd off W Cove and then picking up with Hog Jowl headed home.   Here’s the full map:   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40992851

“Official” TB route for this one will be the “80” miler with the Lee Station climb which makes the ride 86 miles and 5500 feet.   IF YOU ARE ON THE CLIMB AND SEE OTHERS HEADING DOWN, YOU SHOULD TURN AND DESCEND IF YOU WANT TO STAY WITH THE GROUP.  There will be a 2-3 minute regrouping period at the bottom after the climb and the group will then roll whether everyone is there or not.  Count on hitting several sags.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41010855

For those using this as training for the ride of which we will not speak, we’ll do the “50” miler with 3 climbs in the following order: Lee Station, Pitts, Henson.  (That’s out of order from the website route but since we do Henson often we’ll save it until last as a throw away if the legs are gone.)  With all 3 climbs it’s 74 miles and 6500 feet.  Similar format to the official TB route (above) on the climbs: 2-3 minute regrouping at bottom after the climbs to cram down a cliff bar and then roll (in other words, if you see folks coming down you should turn and head down if you want to stay with the group).   Count on quickly topping bottles at the sags on top and one longer sag stop (maybe).

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41010845

SPECIAL NOTE: SINCE BOTH ROUTES BYPASS HENSON ON THE WAY OUT AND BOTH CLIMB LEE STATION THE PLAN IS FOR BOTH TO ROLL AT 7:30 CENTRAL, 8:30 EASTERN.

SHANNONDOAH ASKS US TO TAKE IT EASY ON THE DESCENTS PARTICULARLY LEE STATION SINCE THERE IS NO CENTER LINE AND FOLKS MAY BE CLIMBING WHILE WE ARE COMING DOWN.   

Howdy Bubbas.   Some concern that the route to the Cove may have higher than normal traffic since Sunday’s ironman travels much the same route.  So we’ll push the Cove route until 10/8.

THIS SATURDAY (9/24) ROLL FROM MIKE’S AT 8:30 FOR A RIDE WITH BASICALLY THE SAME METRICS.  Head north for a climb up Montlake, down Hotwater, Back Valley to Bakewell, Stormer, Lullwater.   68 miles, 4100 feet, and lots of ways to short it or add on.

FINALLY the weatherman is cooperating and Saturday looks great for the Cleveland Circuit Ride.   Only a short drive for sweet tarmac and to support a great cause – Family Promise – which helps families transition from homelessness.   (And heck, the $40 fee is less than most of us spend at Mike’s post-ride most Saturdays!)    There will be some Bubbas taking the express, but a solid group will do the ride using the typical Saturday format and regrouping at sags (30k and 72k).    100k ride begins @ 8:00.  There is day of registration, but the organizers request folks to sign up online and ONLINE REGISTRATION CLOSES WEDNESDAY NIGHT SO SIGN UP NOW.   Make sure you sign up for Team Bubba!   Here’s the link:   https://circuitride.org/

 

RAIN DELAY: ROLL AT 9:30

Roll Saturday at 9:30 from Stormy’s house (4915 Bal Harbor Circle, Chattanooga TN 37416) IF you will join the after-ride party,  or 8:30 from the parking lot next to the Highway 58 Zaxby’s (Zaxby’s address is 4815 TN-58, Chattanooga TN 37416).  (Please leave the parking around Stormy’s house for folks who are staying for the after-ride party since they will need easy access to their cars after they break a hip wakeboarding!)  Both groups will roll from the parking lot at 8:30.   A metric and 4000 feet (no climb) with lots of ways to short it.  Here’s the map:  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40810338

Yep, Labor Day Ride is cancelled.  Dad-burn weatherman.

Roll at 8:30 from Romeo’s house – 6532 Forest Park Drive, Signal.  Please park on Romeo’s lawn inside the gate if there’s room and it’s dry, and if not on Romeo’s side of the street as close to his drive as you can to keep neighbor complaints down.  (They’ll have enough to complain about when nekked Bubbas start roaming around.)  We’ll go through the Marshall Creek Gorge (Sawyer) then off the back of Signal toward Dunlap.  At the bottom decisions must be made.  Go right on East Valley for a metric and 5200 feet (ouch).   Go left on East Valley for a loop that shaves 10 or so miles for a total of around 52.   Both routes climb the back of Signal and go back through the Gorge.  Tough route with not much flat so it’ll be best if we keep restrictor plates on at least until the climb.      Here’s the full map: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40680673

Here’s the 10-mile loop map – remember, turn left at the bottom instead of right like on the full map:   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40677808

And for those wanting even more park at Red Bank Elementary  and ride up the W for the start!  Romeo’s house isn’t too far from the top.

WE’LL SWIM IN ROMEO’S CLIFFSIDE POOL AT THE END. (THIS WILL BE THE FIRST BATH SOME BUBBAS HAVE HAD IN MONTHS.)  SIGNIFICANT OTHERS AND KIDS WELCOME.  BRING WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DRINK IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE GET FROM NEEDLES HOMEBREW, AND GIVE ME CASH AT THE BEGINNING OF THE RIDE IF YOU WANT PIZZA AT THE END – I’LL ORDER WHATEVER AMOUNT OF PIZZA WE HAVE CASH FOR SO NO CASH, NO PIZZA FOR YOU.