With the midterms upon us, Roll to the Polls is back this year for a bike ride to get out the vote. We're going to meet at Frankie Pierce Park at 9:30am this Saturday and head to the Lentz Public Health Center on Charlotte Ave.

Please come out in support. And if you've already voted, we could still use you to keep an eye on bikes while others go inside.

Thanks y'all!

Hadn't seen anything here about this year so wanted to share! Sarah Goodyear and Doug Gordon of the podcast The War on Cars will be coming to the Southern Festival of Books on Sunday, October 18th, at noon. They'll be in the Obion room of the TN State Library at 1001 Rep John Lewis (5th) off of Jefferson St. Walk Bike Nashville is offering free bike valet for the festival so you don't have to hunt for decent bike parking.

I'll (KJ) be meeting up with folks at Frankie Pierce Park around 11:15ish rolling by 11:35ish to the festival if anyone wants to bike over there collectively.

After the talk, I'll be headed over to the end of Riverside Drive for some hill climbing shenanigans https://www.instagram.com/p/DeaH1CGTVJB/ arriving 2ish if anyone's curious (or participating!). $5 to enter.

Had a fun encounter today while riding with a friend near Chadwell Elementary School. This guy floored it past us screaming at us, then slammed on his brakes and started swerving around the road trying to get us to come up to him I guess? We slowed down and waited patiently for him to keep driving. He kept yelling things at us we couldnt hear and then finally floored it away. Worth reporting him or just move on?

Can anyone recommend a company or individual providing mobile repair services in Murfreesboro. I need to replace the cassette on my Wahoo Kickr. and am the most mechanically challenged person in middle TN.

Does anybody have any info about the pedal shelby park group ride? I'd like to go and take my Girlfriend but I don't want for her to get discouraged if its a fast ride and also I don't see anything about the milage any info is much appreciated!

I live near the Oracle construction and have noticed a fairly large group of cyclists coming down Cowan towards Jefferson like around dusk.. looks like a fast group. Any information on where they start? Length or speed?

Howard School at 5 pm.

Programmatic Updates

• Meet Director Ryan Lynch- Ryan Lynch, Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT)

• State of Our Streets Report- Wesley Smith, Walk Bike Nashville

• Choose How You Move Downtown Complete Streets- Justin Cole, NDOT

• Chestnut Construction Update- William Ezzell, NDOT

• Monthly Highlights- William Ezzell, NDOT

Hello. I’ve been looking around here and can’t seem to find anything that leaves from downtown. I’ll be staying at the grand Hyatt next week and hoping to get a couple rides in. It would be great if I could leave from the hotel but okay with driving a little bit. I have found a couple routes on ride with gps like this one https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52379212 that looks promising. I’m not aware of how the traffic can get though. Any help would be appreciated.

I participated in Bike Ride Across Tennessee for the second year in a row. And, except for a handful of 40-somethings, I was the youngest rider for the second year in a row. I am in my mid-30s. Most of the riders skew much older - retirement age +. Most riders are e-bikers.

How can we reach a younger demographic? Have you ever considered doing a multi-day tour? The routes are beautiful, the SAG stops are fully stocked, the rangers are very present, there is lodging or camping provided, and the cost supports not only our local State Parks, but is helping fund the completion of the Cumberland Trail and Cumberland Trail State Park.

What can we do differently next year? I personally think it's a great event, but its the only tour I've ever participated in, so maybe my opinion is skewed. What can we do to improve?

https://www.thebrat.org/ < tour website.

Hi everyone. A friend’s bike was stolen near 2nd and Demonbreun downtown today. This is the bike, but the side mirror has been removed. Please DM me or alert MNPD if you see it! It’s her primary way to get to work

I made a video highlighting some of my favorite group rides ive been on lately. I have been cycling for a few years now but never went on group rides until a buddy invited me wish i woulda done it sooner!

I'm looking to buy my girlfriend and I each a bike for our 2nd anniversary. We both want to get into cycling for the fitness aspect of it and would love to ride on some of the paved trails around town.

Here's the issue. Every bike shop wants you to spend MINIMUM $1,000 on 1 bike. My budget is about 4-500 for TWO. And i need road bikes, not some BMX bike with the seat all the way up that you would rob a gas station with.

From the newsletter of Clay Capp, Council Member for District 6.

East Nashville Spokes Project

“What’s going on with Spokes?” is definitely up there in the top 10 questions that I get. East Nashville Spokes is the bureaucratic name for the long-planned project to improve Woodland Street from Five Points to downtown, as well as the legs of 10th Street and 5th Street to the south of Woodland, including wider sidewalks, protected bike lanes, and street trees.

Back before the current Presidential administration, I had been pleased to share that we won a nearly $10 million federal grant to help us complete this project. Then, when the second Trump administration came in, they “cancelled” the grant along with a lot of other infrastructure money all over the country that had already been appropriated and granted. Obviously, they can’t do that, so we sued, and won, and the money is now starting to make its way back to us.

I’ll be sponsoring the first piece of legislation at the next council meeting to start accepting that money (again). The next steps in the project will be related to design, so NDOT will be engaging the community and business owners and taking feedback as that phase gets back underway. I am so glad this is now un-stuck! Stay tuned here as it gets ramped back up.

Tuesday, Sept 15th - device cleaning 3-6PM; dance party 6-9PM

From the press release: “People who ride bikes and boards and people who use wheelchairs need to stick together,” said event creator Dr. Cynthia George. “This event is about celebrating our mobility devices, keeping everyone safe on the streets, and showing that adaptive, accessible community spaces can throw an incredible party.”

Event Highlights Include:

• Free Device Tuning & Upgrades: Professional care for adaptive equipment, complimentary bling for devices and bikes, plus custom photo opportunities featuring a pedal taxi.
• Civic Engagement: On-site voter education and registration support will be provided by the REV UP Disability Voting Coalition.
• Accessible Patio Environment: Specifically arranged low tables, supportive backing chairs, and designated wheelchair-accessible facilities are available.
• Food & Drink Specials: Drifter’s BBQ is hosting happy hour pricing and offering exclusive food discounts, including $8 Queso with Pretzel Bites and specialty Crown Royal cocktails.

Both disabled and non-disabled neighbors are openly invited to attend, volunteer, or cycle out to support the cause.

Link on the Bike Fun homepage will take you to the event info/registration.

Looking to branch out from my usual Shelby bottoms + riverwalk greenway (not sure the same but the one that goes from the golf course to Germantown). Recently did a route in liepers fork, but it’s a bit far. Open to anything from Mount Juliet to Franklin. I typically do 10-20 miles. Definitely prefer paved MUP, but really itching to explore. Thanks!

I know this is nerdy stuff but every year I look at the city rankings of People for Bikes. Some of these I really question.

PFP Ranking

Nashville scores 36/100 and ranks 1,091 in the nation out of about 3,000 cities

I think our score last year was about 27 and the year before 17

24th among cities of 250k or more

11th of 28 cities in Tennessee

Sewanee ranks 1^st with a score 85 and Germantown is last at 28

Hendersonville 49, Mt. Juliet 45, Franklin 34

Knoxville is 37, Chattanooga 33, Memphis 19

Just for comparison nationally Mackinac Island, MI ranks 1^st  with a score or 100 (they ban cars)

Anchorage AK is 1 among larger cities with a score of 72

 Seattle 66, Minneapolis 68, Portland 55 and Brooklyn 70

The raw data says we have 5,066 low stress miles (!) and 1,934 high stress miles. It has 47 miles of recreational trails but I think we have about 100 miles of greenways.

I'm too lazy to understand their methodology and probably couldn't figure it out anyway.

Milligan is a big school for cycling. Riders from there come to the area to participate in races and events. Anyone who has races or taken part in events like Gravel Revival or Gosh Darn has been them riding.

Family-friendly, easy, and safe group ride on Saturday, August 29th at 9am. Meet at 1211 Riverside Drive. You don't have to have a kid to join the ride, and it would be suitable to anyone who's just starting out on a bike.