Extreme Comfort Biking

Virginia Creeper Trail
   Rating: *****
   Location: Abingdon/Damascus, VA
   Length: 34 miles (one way)
   Finding It:

Take exit 17 from Interstate 81 in southwest Virginia. Go north a few blocks and turn right on Main Street. Go through downtown Abingdon, passing the Martha Washington Inn on the right. Turn right on Pecan Streen. Pecan Street turns into Green Spring Street and the trail starts on Green Spring Street, across from the parking area. More parking areas are described here.
If you'd rather start from Damascus, which is on the trail at mile marker 16, take exit 19 from I-81. Turn east off the interstate and follow US highway 58 to Damascus, about 12 miles.

Points of Interest:

Laughing Dog rents Revive bicycles that you can ride on the trail.
There's a complete list of points along the trail here.

Oak Ridge (Tennessee) Greenways
   Rating: *****
   Location: Oak Ridge, TN
   Length: 3.4 miles + 2 miles (one way)
   Finding It:

From I-40, drive north on highway 58 from exit 356. About 18.8 miles from the exit, you'll pass Melton Lake Drive on your right. Just past Melton Lake Drive, on the right, there's a parking lot for trail users.
The greenway trail runs southeast from the parking area 3.4 miles between Melton Lake Drive and Melton Lake.
At about 1.5 miles down the greenway, a crosswalk connect the Melton Lake Drive greenway to the Emory Valley Road greenway, which runs two miles southwest toward town.

Maryville/Alcoa, Tennessee
   Rating: *****
   Location: south of Knoxville
   Length: 9 miles (one way)
   Finding It:

From I-40 in Knoxville, take I-140 south at exit 376. At exit 11, take US highway 129 south into Alcoa. Follow US 129 2.5 or 3 miles, until you see the signs for Springbrook Park. Follow the signs. The parking area is east of the park, accessed from Dalton Street.
The trail departs from the southwest corner of the park by way of Gilbert Street, passes through the parking lot of a swimming pool, past a duck pond in front of a middle school, and proceeds south toward Maryville.

Points of Interest:

A trail map and photographs along the trail are available here.

Cades Cove, Tennessee
   Rating: ****
   Location: near Townsend, TN
   Length: 11 miles (loop)
   Finding It:

From I-40 in Knoxville, take I-140 south at exit 376. At exit 11, take US highway 129 south into Alcoa. Follow 129 until it crosses US 321, about six miles. Turn left on 321 and follow it east and south to Townsend. Continue through Townsend and follow the signs for Cades Cove.
Cades Cove is a very popular tourist destination and most of the time cars are bumper to bumper around the loop. However, on Wednesday and Saturday mornings before 10:00 am, the loop is closed to vehicular traffic and available only to hikers and bikers.

Points of Interest:

Information about Cades Cove is available here.

Townsend, Tennessee
   Rating: ****
   Location: southeast of Knoxville
   Length: 9 miles (loop)
   Finding It:

From I-40 in Knoxville, take I-140 south at exit 376. At exit 11, take US highway 129 south into Alcoa. Follow 129 until it crosses US 321, about six miles. Turn left on 321 and follow it east and south to Townsend.
The trail parallels highway 321 on both sides about 4.5 miles through town.

Points of Interest:

Townsend Visitor Center — about halfway through town on the south side. Nice restroom, place to relax, interesting information.
Subway — north side toward the west side of town. Our favorite restaurant.

Highway 95, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
   Rating: ***
   Location: Oak Ridge, TN
   Length: 10 miles (one way)
   Finding It:

From I-40, drive north on highway 58 from exit 356. About 10 miles from the exit, you'll see the old guardhouse that controlled access to Oak Ridge when it was a secret city. Park there. The ride is on the shoulder of highway 58, back out to the interstate exit.
This ride is not one of our favorites because it involves riding so close to traffic.

Points of Interest:

The guardhouse where you parked
East Tennessee Technology Park (was the K-25 gaseous diffusion plant)

Your Favorite Ride Here

Send information about your favorite comfort bike ride to "tom dot barron at comcast dot net" and I'll post it here. You see the format I'm following with the ride descriptions. Include all the information you can. Thanks!