by 
4:30am on Saturday morning found me lugging my packed singlespeed through the airport once again. I really have no idea how people function sober at this time of day. I board my 6am flight for Nashville and the last thought that goes through my head before I fall asleep is “this better be worth it”
The plan was to get to Nashville, ride some bikes, see some live music, then ride bikes some more. So directly from the airport we headed to Hamilton Creek to stretch the legs. This is a nice city park with some cool loops of singletrack snaking through the woods. Its a real treat to have something like this right in the middle of town. It felt very similar to Fantasy Island down in Tucson but with more trees and no giant vampire jackrabbits.
I got a quick 10 miles in on some super fun and buffed out trails. Then headed on over to Nashville Bicycle Lounge to scrounge for some small parts that were lost in transit. Gone forever, never to be seen again, in some baggage claim black hole. The boys down at the Lounge were the real deal and got my night started with a couple cold beers. Thanks guys!
The night quickly degraded into a blur as we tried to drink all of the whiskey in Tennessee at a Lucero concert. They are a band that I probably listen to a little bit too much but I was pretty stoked to see them perform in their home state. It had a much different feel than when I have seen them in Arizona. It’s some damn good music to drink whiskey to. I highly recommend it.
I spent the better part of the next morning curled up in the fetal position calling for my mommy with what may have been the most intense hangover I have ever had. Luckily, it didn’t ruin a day of riding since it was pouring rain outside. We took Sunday as a rest day and motored on down to Chattanooga to see what that was all about.
I had asked our facebook page what trails I should hit when I am there and everybody said Raccoon Mountain was the place to go. They were right. That is one cool trail system and we zig zagged all over that damn hill. I would have to say that Small Intestine and Chunky trails stuck out among all the others, but everything I rode was top notch. It isn’t hard to tell that SORBA does a lot of good work down there. The trails were perfectly constructed and optimized for mountain bike flow.
Unfortunately, the trip was way too short and I get the feeling that I only scratched the surface of the riding there. I’m going to have to get back sooner than later. Yeah, this trip was totally worth it. Tennessee is no joke when it comes to mountain bikes, Rock ‘n Roll and whiskey. Keep it dirty…
by 
Sounds like a blast!!! I’m craving some Tennessee whiskey, myself :) Hope I get a chance to get out there!
0430? Fuck, I’ve been up for an hour. But I work for a living.
seeing you balled up from drinking has gotta be a sight. after the massive assault on whiskey, beer, tequila, whiskey, whiskey and beer that took place in Colorado and NOT seeing any one of us in that state….you musta made a serious run for it. good on ya!
another great report!
Bike riding = good
Whiskey = good
Bike riding + Whiskey = GREAT!
Lucero = not so much.
Sorry buddy
@ JTE: I work plenty but I don’t punch in until 7am. In my world, 0430 is a time you stay up until. Not a time you get up at
Good ridin’ in Chatta-fuckin-nooga.
I’m not a person that writes on this forum but I wanted to share this for my birthday. I hope it inspires someone to ride today. Because Dirty’s stories inspire me to get up and pedal everyday.
So yeah, I know I talk a great deal about bicycles. On my birthday it has special meaning. When I was just a tike in Bluewater New Mexico, I got my first bicycle. A red Diamond Back BMX bike. I had ridden the other kids bikes on the farm but this was my birthday present, my first bike. I was so excited. I started riding down the gravel road and felt totally free, but a little nervous, I had only ridden once or twice before that. I didn’t have training wheels. I started going really fast and my Mom yelled out something, Which I later found out was “Watch out for that Rock”. Which I was watching out for until she yelled at me causing me to turn my head around to see her. I hit the big rock at full speed. I went flying and landed head first on a gravel road. Split my forehead open. The rest of the day was a collage of memories of people using egg whites, hairspray, and a hair dryer to patch up the quarter size hole in my forehead. It worked and everyone got a good giggle. I just remember one feeling, the same one I get daily now. I need to get back on my bike and go ride. I need to feel that exhilaration again, that freedom.
So when everyone asks me what I want for my birthday I would say “go ride a bike. Remember back to when you were a kid, and that scared feeling you got the first time Mom, Dad, Aunt, Uncle let go of that saddle and you were pedaling on your own. At that moment in time you were for the first time your own free person. You had control of your route, destiny, and destination.”
Virgil,
Thanks for the great story. It moves me t o no end to know that I could inspire just one person to go ride. At the end of the day, I’m just a self absorbed guy that has strategically arranged his life around riding and traveling. I am just fortunate enough to be able to share my stories with all of you here because Big Jonny gave me a login one day. I never imagined it would impact anything at all. I am going to keep riding and sharing, I hope you guys will keep enjoying it
…you should see what’s coming down the pipes for this winter!
Ejoy the holiday..and as always, enjoy the ride
virgil +1.
…props, virgil…
…hadda great laugh at that scenario though…(been there, done that)…
…focus, focus, i gotta miss that thing…‘hey, watch out for…’…what ???…wham !!!…owwwhhh !!!…followed by – ‘i told you to watch out for that rock’…
…“go ride your bike”…best advice in the world…
truly jealous, smoky mountains mountain biking and lucero?!
Uh, how can anyone claim to like whiskey and not Lucero? Lucero is whiskey. Regardless sounds like an awesome trip. Makes me miss the south. Alittle.
I live vicariously through DB, keep it up!