The Southern Application Forest Coalition will be attending the next SORBA-Chattanooga meeting to discuss a proposal to designate additional portions of the South Cherokee National Forest as Wilderness Area. Land given the Wilderness designation is protected from future development and restricts access, including mountain bike access.

The meeting is scheduled for July 14, 2008 @ 6:00 p.m. at Qdoba, at 5900 Brainered Road, Chattanooga, TN, and anyone who has any questions, comments or concerns are encouraged to attend.

Following are a few maps provided by the SAFC regarding their proposal. Please review and post comments, questions and concerns. Also, you are invited to attend our meeting to ask questions and discuss concerns directly with members of the SAFC.

Click here for map to the meeting location.

The Middle Tennessee Chapter of SORBA will be hosting a free mountain bike festival at Hamilton Creek Metro Park in Nashville. The June 21, 2008 festival, will feature clinics, group rides, a poker run, general games and kids specific events.

The Hamilton Creek Trail Network, was recently expanded and is maintained by the Middle Tennessee Chapter of SORBA.

For more information please visit the SORBA-Mid TN website.

Download event flier. (pdf file)

Download an Event Schedule. (pdf file)

Google Map directions: Hamilton Creek Metro Park

The Chattanooga Chapter of SORBA (SORBA-Chattanooga) will be celebrating National Trails Day by opening an new beginner level trail on Raccoon Mountain. In addition they will be hosting rides and a cookout for mountain bikers.

The events will take place on National Trails Day, June 7, 2008 in the Laurel Point area on Raccoon Mountain. The events will start at 9 a.m. EST with mountain bike rides for various riding levels followed by a cookout at noon.

The events are free and open to the public. No membership required, but membership applications and information will be on for anyone who wishes to join.

The 20 mile Raccoon Trail Network, was constructed and is maintained by SORBA-Chattanooga. It is located just outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee. When complete the trail system will boast approximately 40 miles of singletrack mountain bike trail. The trail are also open to foot traffic.

A poster advertising the event can downloaded from the SORBA-Chattanooga site.

If you or someone you know had their bike stolen, in or around the Cleveland, TN, you might want to contact the Cleveland Tennessee Police Department. It appears they had lady luck shine on them and were able to bust an alleged bicycle theft ring that focused on expensive bikes.

If you had a bike stolen you should review your paperwork for serial numbers or contact shop were you purchased the same so that you can provide this information to the Cleveland Tennessee Police Department. Hopefully, you will get your bike back.

Cleveland Daily Banner Article

Chattanoogan.com Article

The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew will be stopping in Knoxville, Tennessee, on the weekend of May 24th and 25th.

The Trail Care Crew will be working with the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club (AMBC) to provide hands-on instructions to help develop skilled trail workers and trail work leaders.

Specifically, the Trail Care Crew and AMBC will be building new trail at Hastie Park. The session is FREE, and interested trail volunteers, land managers, trail advocates, and hiking/mountain biking enthusiasts are welcome to attend.

Sponsored by Subaru of America and directed by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), the Trail Care Crew works with IMBA-affiliated mountain bike clubs, land managers, and other trail user groups to build new trails, maintain and restore existing trails, and solve trail management challenges. The program is now in its ninth season.

Event schedule TBD. If you plan to attend this event AMBC is requesting you register on line.

For more information contact Josh Tally.

The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) recently listed Chattanooga as one of fourteen Flagship Riding Areas in the United States, in a mailing seeking donations for its 2008 Trail Building Fund. SORBA-Chattanooga attributes this designation to the thousands of hours members have volunteered to construct the new 17.5 mile Raccoon Mountain Trail Network and expand the trails at Booker T. Washington State Park.

“This designation recognizes the thousands of hours of trail work our members have volunteered to expanding mountain biking opportunities in the greater Chattanooga-area”, said SORBA-Chattanooga Advocacy Director, Jeffrey Schaarschmidt. “This is an especially impressive feat considering Chattanooga had only 7 miles of legally accessible singletrack mountain bike trails just three years ago.”

The Tennessee Mountain Biking Alliance (TN MTB Alliance) urges all mountain bikers to support new singletrack in the Warner Park in Nashville, Tennessee.

Nashville Metro Parks is currently accepting comments in connection with updating its Master Plan for Warner Park, which currently does not provide for any new mountain biking opportunities.

Nashville Metro Parks presently has 113 properties on over 10,570 acres, however only one Metro Park, Hamilton Creek, provides mountain bikers with an opportunity ride on natural surface singletack trails. According to their website “[i]t is the mission of the Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation to provide every citizen of Nashville and Davidson County with an equal opportunity for safe recreational and cultural activities within a network of parks and greenways that preserves and protects the region’s natural resources”.

Take Action! Tell Metro Parks you support the construction of new mountain bike trails at Warner Park and request the current Master Plan be modified to provide mountain biking opportunities.

Additional Information

The environmental impacts of bicycling are similar to hiking and considerably less than other uses.

The Middle Tennessee chapter of the Southern Off-Road Bicycling Association (SORBA-Mid Tn) stands ready to work with Metro Parks in constructing a new mountain bike accessible trail at Warner Park.

SORBA Mid Tn has been a long history of providing volunteer trial labor at local parks with provide mountain bike accessible trail. SORBA-Mid Tn has worked with the park manager at Hamilton Creek Park and has completed hundreds of hours of trail maintenance at the park. Additionally, SORBA-Mid Tn successfully worked with park managers at Long Hunter State Park and was responsible for constructing a new mountain bike accessible trail and working with park staff to expand its current mountain bike accessible trail.

Email your comments to Jackie Jones or mail them to the Parks Department in care of Master Plan Update, Post Office Box 196340, 37219-6340.

The Appalachian Mountain Bike Club (AMBC) has received permission to construct a mountain bike trail at Hastie Park in Knoxville, TN, according to AMBC President, Randy Conner.

Hastie is an 80-acre City of Knoxville park located in South Knoxville. AMBC worked with the City Parks and Recreation department to make the deal. Says, Conner, “Fortunately, City Parks and Rec recognizes the MTB community as good land stewards, and they are eager to work with us on this project.”

AMBC has also worked with the Lake Forest Home Owners Association on this project. Both the City and the Home Owners Association are eager to turn the park into a positive piece of the community.

A portion of the trail has already been flagged, and March 2nd has been proposed as the first official trail work day. Trail volunteers should check AMBC section of the Knoxville Cycling Forums for details.

The Department of Environment and Conservation is inviting Tennesseans to submit nominations for the Governor’s 2008 Environmental Stewardship Awards. The awards recognize Tennesseans who go above and beyond to protect the state’s diverse environment.

“Tennesseans continue to make great strides in protecting our environment and in recognizing that how we live our lives today affects future generations,” said Environment and Conservation Commissioner Jim Fyke. “Our environment impacts everything we do from recreational activities to ensuring healthier communities, so it’s important that we acknowledge the people and organizations that work so hard to protect it.”

Any individual, business, organization, educational institution or agency is eligible, provided it is located in Tennessee and its projects were accomplished during the 2007 calendar year. Nominees must have a minimum of three years of environmental compliance with the Department of Environment and Conservation to be eligible for consideration. Self-nominations are encouraged.

A panel of judges representing agricultural, conservation, forestry, environmental, and academic professionals will select award recipients based on criteria including on-the-ground achievement, innovation and public education. The deadline for nominations is March 31, 2008. Award recipients will be announced in May 2008.

For more information about each category, judging criteria and nomination forms, visit the Website or contact Meg Lockhart at: (615) 253-1916.

The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) announced the hiring of of a new couple for the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew program. Kelly and Collins Bishop hail from Chattanooga, Tennessee, where they made huge contributions to the local riding scene.

The Bishops worked with both SORBA-Chattanooga and Scenic City Velo, Chattanooga’s largest racing club. They served as Program Directors for SORBA-Chattanooga’s 2007 Summer Ride Program, and worked as volunteer leaders on the trail crews. Off the trial, Collins contributed to the SORBA Fat Tire Times, wrote grant and project proposals and reached out to the public on behalf of SORBA-Chattanooga.

Kelly is the founder and director of the Scenic City Velo’s Kyrstal Chiks Women’s Cycling Program. The Kyrstal Chiks are a developmental cycling program designed to introduce women to the sport of mountain biking, encourage development of cycling skills and promote healthy and active lifestyles. She has promoted and organized dozens of Krystal Chiks cycling clinics and led numerous group rides.

Collins serves on the Scenic City Velo Board of Directors and assists with teh club’s mountain bike programs, which promoted the inaugural Booker T mountain bike race in Chattanooga.