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Chattooga a draw for bicyclists
Monday, July 26, 2010
If you go

What: Catoosa Century Bicycle Ride

When: Aug. 14; sign-in begins at 6:30 a.m.

Where: Ride begins at Chattooga County High School.

Cost: $25 by Aug. 4, $30 afterward

Details: Helmets and signed waivers are required.

Chattooga County’s widely varied terrain is an appealing feature for area bicyclists, many of whom will participate in the seventh annual Chattooga Century Bicycle Ride on Aug. 14.

Past rides have drawn bicyclists from as far away as California, according to Mike Jarrett, a member of the host organization, Chattooga Athleltic Boosters Club. Mr. Jarrett has been involved since the first year of the event, which is a major fundraiser for the Boosters Club.

“At first I had my doubts,” he recalled. “But we went down to Rome and watched a ride and talked with people there and decided we would give it a try. Mike Dillard and Bill Moll (county residents and bicycling enthusiasts) were also very helpful early on.”

The ride “started strong” according to Mr. Jarrett, drawing 375.

“I was shocked it was so successful,” he said. “Shocked and very happy.”

Mr. Jarrett said a major attraction for many riders is the course, which includes plenty of flat riding, rolling hills and some very challenging climbs on Lookout Mountain.

Marking the course has started and takes at least two weeks to complete, but Mr. Jarrett said the ride organizers have heard many compliments from participants impressed with how well marked the course is.

The course is laid out in five increments (15, 30, 62, 100 and125 miles). The more mountainous terrain is featured in the 100 and 125-mile courses. Mr. Jarrett said six rest areas will be set up and the riders will have support groups trailing them.

The ride will start Aug. 14 from the parking lot of Chattooga County High School. Sign-in begins at 6:30 a.m.

Safety is major concern, and Mr. Jarrett said EMTs will be on hand and assistance from local law enforcement always has been available.

Riders will need to take heat into account and make sure they are sufficiently hydrated. Water will be available at the rest stops.

Weather for the event has ranged from a cool, autumnlike day to a roasting hot one.

“Even the year is was between 95 and 100 degrees we had a pretty good turnout,” Mr. Jarrett said. “The riders look at it as part of the challenge.”

In its best year the ride drew almost 500 participants, a number Mr. Jarrett hopes to eclipse this year. He said a lot of riders come from Chattanooga, Atlanta and Birmingham, Ala.

“This event has really grown into something the county can be proud of,” he said. “It brings a lot of people to Chattooga County and lets them see what a beautiful place this really is.”

The entry fee is $25 in advance (by Aug. 4) and $30 on the day of the ride. Helmets and signed waivers are required.

To find out more about the Chattooga Century bike ride or to get a ride application, go to www.chattoogacentury.com or call Matt Shireman at 706-859-1054 or contact him by e-mail at mshireman2004@yahoo.com.

by Jeff Harris
There were many hours on the trainer, and many miles on the single speed road bike through the “off season”. People in their warm cars gave strange stares as I pedaled down to 20-degree days. Numerous rides were ended after hours in the saddle by wringing out gloves and pouring rain out of shoes. I was training for Burkhalter Gap, and was pretty well on schedule until March, when the knee pain started. A couple months on the injury/recovery roller coaster, in and out of the orthopedic surgeon’s office, and physical therapy (“beneficial sadism”), and I was back to a semblance of riding form. Though I had the doc’s blessing, it was with reservation: “You won’t do permanent damage, but you’ll limp with that knee for weeks afterward.” I took a week off the bike, strapped up the knee, and headed for Chattanooga.

On the week of the ride, Saturday’s forecast was seventy and cloudy. Friday, riding down Burkhalter Gap (“mountain reconnaissance”), I averaged 44 mph and topped 50 several times. On the way back up, no such luck, but I did ride it without problems (no stopping, tacking back and forth, and no hallucinations). The rain started halfway up, with lightning and thunder directly overhead near the top. On the Chattanooga side, I was stopped on the descent by a police roadblock (wreck). I discovered how poorly my brakes worked going down a mountain in the rain.

Saturday, my personal observation was 50 degrees and cloudy, windy, and drizzling. On the climb out of town, I found friends from Memphis, including several fellow Memphis Hightailers. I hooked-up with my ride partner for this year’s 3/3 (Scott Brumbelow) and we soon reached the Suck Creek climb. Suck Creek was longer—and less steep—than I remembered. The fog on the way up was thick, and even thicker on the downside. My riding glasses broke at the SAG, and this turned out to be a blessing—no fogged or rain-covered lenses for the rest of the ride.

There were at least two detours (due to flooding) on the valley roads between Suck Creek and Sand Mountain. Before Sand, we crossed Ladd’s Mountain, where one of the riders just behind us was trash-talking the climb, thinking it was Sand. When Sand actually started, my ride partner went up the road, I kept cranking, and the trash talker dismounted and walked a bit. Sand was steeper than I remembered. I hadn’t forgotten how the roads went to total garbage in Alabama, though. The top was wind-swept, rain blowing sideways, and chilly. I regretted carrying the extra jacket, vest, and arm warmers—until the top of Sand. The top of Lookout wasn’t any better, save for the rain.

Both last year and this year, the volunteers at the Bryant SAG were some of the nicest folks on the whole ride. (Daisy, please thank them again for me.) I don’t remember much about the ride between the descent of Sand and the start of Lookout, except that we were quite surprised when the climb sneaked-up at 70 miles (at 80 miles on the cue)! Strange, as we approached the climb on Burkhalter Gap road, instead of Creek road—looking at the flat road you’re on suddenly go up into the mountain is like a surreal painting. Ugh! We stopped at the mini-sag (much appreciated porta-potty!) to water the flowers, then headed up the climb. Of course, I was using my secret weapon: a triple chainring on the front with a 12-27 cassette on the back. Gears are my friends. Friday’s climb up Burkhalter Gap was slow, and Saturday’s was slower, but there was no stopping on either day. For some, just a hill. For me, a serious challenge any day, and after a few miles under my wheels, a daunting task—and now an accomplishment, one year in the making.

I discovered later that we were lucky to be allowed to descend Lookout into Chattanooga. Due to weather and extremely low visibility, many were stopped atop Lookout and shuttled down in trucks. We crossed the finish line at 90 miles, then turned around for another 10 in the streets of Chattanooga. My average speed was very low at the end of the ride, but crawling up the mountains and descending slowly and carefully add up to a low average, even with good speeds on the flats and rolling hills. The big surprise, though: at the bottom of Burkhalter Gap, I forgot about my knee pains. At the end of the ride, I remembered. Taking off the brace, they both felt the same—no problems at all. And, a week later, none since. This can only be due to the magical healing powers of Burkhalter Gap. Or is it something in the water?

PRO WALK / PRO BIKE® 2010 REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
THEME: BRINGING LIVABLE COMMUNITIES AND REGIONS TO SCALE SEPTEMBER 13-17, 2010 IN CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE

There is plenty to look forward to in 2010: a new transportation bill; the realization of the Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities and possibly a Federal Office of Livability; increased participation in and funding for Safe Routes to School; a national complete streets policy; health reform; the end to the great recession; and Pro Walk / Pro Bike® 2010 Chattanooga, presented by the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.

The theme for 2010 is, "Bringing Livable Communities and Regions to Scale." Chattanooga and the southeast region will serve up many examples of what can be done in small and mid-size cities and rural regions to make livable communities come to life.

We're looking to showcase good bike/ped projects that were built with stimulus money; trans-discipline approaches to building livable communities; programs and approaches that can demonstrate promising environmental and policy solutions, and ensure meaningful results to the people who are affected; projects that make it possible for people of all ages and abilities to walk and bike everywhere all the time.

The opening reception for Pro Walk / Pro Bike® will be held on Monday, September 13, at 6:30 PM. Earlier in the day there will be some special interest sessions and meetings; more on that in the weeks to come. The closing plenary will be on Thursday, from noon until 2:00 PM with special interest meetings later in the day and on Friday. Conference registration will open in February.

Pro Walk / Pro Bike® 2010 Registration now open at https://center.uoregon.edu/conferences/ ... gistration