Rusty Rides: Impromptu Ride in Music City

Fall is my busiest time of year. As football season cranks up, I find myself on the road most weekends cheering on the mighty Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. For the last couple of years, I've combined football getaways with bike rides as much as possible and have experienced many new trails. In addition to following Georgie Tech in Atlanta and select road games, I try to join my brother in Columbia once a year for a South Carolina game. These trips have yielded some pleasant rides such as riding in Columbia to the tailgate, exploring the Three Rivers Greenway, and a detouring to the nearby North Augusta Greenway. My schedule didn't allow for a game in Columbia this year; however, I received a special invitation to join my brother and two old friends in Nashville for a South Carolina - Vanderbilt game. With the promise of S.E.C. football, live music, and a chance to catch up with old friends, my answer was a quick yes!

The gang picked me up late Wednesday morning, and we headed out on a six hour drive to Nashville, TN. We checked in around 4:00 local time and headed down to Music Row and the honky tonks on Broadway. We lucked into prime seats just feet from the stage at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge. After catching a full set from Jake Maurer and his band, we took off for a night of music, catching a song or two in just about every spot on Broadway and a few spots off off Broadway. After a picture with an Elvis impersonator, we capped the night off with a gourmet Southern meal at Merchants.

After breakfast the next morning, I took my coffee to go and explored the area immediately around our hotel. It was Thursday in Nashville, a work day for most, and I noticed the people waiting at the bus stop, and then I noticed the bike racks on the buses, and then I noticed bike commuters, and then I noticed a greenway, and then, I knew what I was going to do. I was going to find a bike shop and explore the city by bike! When I pulled up Google, the first result was for a Bike Share, and there just happened to be a stop just 5 blocks from the hotel. I encouraged my travelling companions to join me, but they saw no need to bike when there was plenty of gas in the S.U.V. Undeterred, I headed out solo. I'd never used a bike share and wasn't sure what to expect, but I had cash and was excited to get moving. And the day got better. The bike share was free. And not only free but a nice bike with fenders and a basket. My goal was recreational, but the Nashville Bike Share provides a valuable transportation option for its citizens. I met a gentleman who didn't drive and used the bike to fill his prescriptions. My new friend headed off to the drug store, and I headed down the Music City Bikeway. I didn't have a plan nor a map, but the bikeway was well marked, and maps were posted frequently along the route.

Greater Nashville is home to several greenways and many miles of bike paths. I started at the Riverfront Transit Station (Broadway and 1st,) and followed the Music City Bikeway north past city hall and out of downtown. The Cumberland River was to my right. I could see LP Field across the river and several barges docked along the bank. The trail quickly left the skyscrapers and turned through a working river front district with storage tanks (grain and fuel,) concrete plants, and docks. The Music City Bikeway turned inland, but I took the fork right and continued along the waterfront on the Cumberland River Greenway. The trail was gravel but being paved and ran along the levy beside the bends of the Cumberland River. I rode this a couple of miles, crossing under I-65, enjoying the river while dodging the paving crews. When I turned around, I was struck by the Nashville skyline in the distance. I pedaled back toward the city and took a slight detour on the Morgan Park Bikeway which ran about half a mile and joined Morgan Park and its surrounding residences to the main bike network. I noticed later online that the Nashville Bike Network has many spurs such as this that make for a more robust, connected bike transportation system. I've enjoyed many linear park type greenways, but by branching out from a main line, Nashville's system is more functional that those others. Back to the Cumberland Bikeway and then to the unexplored fork of the Music City Bikeway. This area had a nice mix of office, light industry, and residential development. After about half a mile, I came to Tennessee's Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park and adjoining Farmer's Market. I enjoyed a few minutes looking around here at the monuments and landscaping. The state Capitol rose impressively on a hill several blocks away. After the Mall, the Music City Greenway took to the streets ,mostly bike lanes but an occasional sharrow. I felt quite safe and rode maybe another mile in traffic before heading back to the transit station. Later that night as I tailgated by Centennial Park near Vanderbilt, I learned from many passing cyclists that I was probably less than a mile from where the Music City Greenway joins up with the Vanderbilt area. With some better planning, I could have scoped out the campus and surrounding areas before the game. But the morning ride was a success, and I turned the bike in after 2 hours with 11 miles logged. Nashville has quite a bit going on with bike infrastructure, and I hope to visit again soon to explore the rest of their network.

And if you're wondering, South Carolina pulled out a close win over Vanderbilt.

Walk / Bike Nashville

Nashville Greenways

Nashville Green Bikes / Bike Share

Singer Jake Maurer