Mountain Biking In Louisville

By Mary Craighead

I’m getting ready for my favorite long race of the season. For me, it’s a 65-mile mountain bike adventure in Ducktown,TN - there’s also a 100-mile option, but I’m not ready to tackle that beast just yet. The race consists of about 35 miles of winding, flowing and well-marked I might add singletrack that leads riders up to breathtaking summits and then back down, literally right along the powerful rush of the Ocoee River. This is my favorite race in part because it is my favorite trail system and in part because of the time of year.

It is about this time of year that I receive my annual reminder of how much I love riding trails. Hokey as it may be, there is absolutely something to being out on a bicycle, protected from the concrete impatience of our daily lives. This month, Dirt Rag magazine features a celebration of the 20 years of mountain biking’s history. One article mentions the challenge in finding trails that are beginner-friendly, but still provide terrain that inspires the thrill of winning little victories with rocks, and logs and roots. I moved to Louisville about a year ago, and I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that this is one area where the city really bedazzles the competition even nestled here in the Midwest.

Louisville, the city of parks, is really lucky to have such phenomenal resources within city limits. One such trail system is that of Cherokee and Seneca Parks. Cherokee Park is an excellent resource for beginners and experienced riders alike. One of the greatest parts about this trail system is that it is segmented; that is, it is virtually impossible to become truly lost. If a rider stays on the trail, she will find herself out of the woods and back out on the parkway before she even has a chance to feel lost. The parks also offer some decent elevation changes and built-in technical options for those daring souls, which make it excellent training grounds for the technician in the group.

If elevation changes are your thing, Waverly Park is an excellent way to chase that dream. Famous for the Montana climb (and for sitting in the shadow of the Waverly Sanatarium), Waverly is best navigated with a guide, or a clear afternoon and a good supply of patience. Unlike Cherokee/Seneca, it is not segmented quite as well, and it is easy to find yourself out in unfamiliar, but very fun and exciting territory. These trails are super flowy and undeniably rewarding for those who can stay off the brakes or are learning to do so.

If you feel like you’ve graduated, head a little farther south to Fort Duffield, where riders will find steady climbs with fast, rewarding descents that yield glorious views both on the way up and down if you have time to look anyway. Duffield is as close as you can get to a real mountain biking experience all without skipping town. We actually have precisely the kind of stuff that they dream about in magazines.

Mary Craighead is the retail manager of Mountain Bike Depot & ’Cross Supply. She is actively involved in the promotion of women’s cycling, and she rides for Chrysalis Ventures Racing in Louisville.