Riding in Nashville, TN

I recently took my daughter on a college visit in Nashville, TN. While she stayed with a student and checked out the school, I did a little riding.

Nashville was a nice place to ride. I started near music row, wandered downtown, across the Cumberland River and into East Nashville. While not flat, the hills were not bad. Not being in any hurry helps.

I rode downtown and had a light lunch at the Hardrock Cafe. This is mostly because I collect guitar pins from the cities I visit with a Hardrock Cafe. I did have a very smooth Yazoo Sly Rye Porter. After all, gotta get some carbs to ride.

After looping around a few blocks of downtown Nashville and generally scoping out the area, I headed across the Shelby Street pedestrian bridge. Now don't think a little path going across the river. This bridge is designed to move 1000s of people from downtown to LP Field for Tennessee Titans' football games and back. It is the equivalent of several car lanes wide. There is a nice view of downtown even on a cloudy day.

Coming down the east side of the bridge you get a nice view of the stadium.

After exiting the bridge I spotted this bike rack called The Riders.

Turns out is part of a series of art bike racks. I didn't realize this until late in the day so I only spotted one other rack, Emerge.

While in East Nashville I visited two bike shops, the Nashville Bicycle Lounge and Eastside Cycles. I am going to do a separate post on the Nashville Bicycle Lounge. Eastside Cycles was a nice shop with lots on new Cannondales. That is always interesting to me because my road bike is a 1987 Cannondale and I always like to see the new models. I chatted a bit and watched some new cables being put on a nice mixte that was in for a tuneup.

Given how much gas prices have been going up, maybe their sign will strike a cord with some people.

I picked up a Downtown Nashville Bicycle and Pedestrian Map and headed back downtown to ride some of the greenway.

I rode a section of the greenway northwest to Morgan Park and discovered the Fountain of Youth.

Alas the water was turned off, so I was not able to collect any for voodoo potions. There was a cool set of troughs than ran from the main fountain to a little garden area. It looks like a nice place to visit when the weather is warmer and the water is running.

Next time I would like to ride the other direction to Shelby Bottoms Park.

As I started through downtown again I realized I needed a bio-break. Being Nashville I found a place with live music, country of course, leaking out onto the street. I locked my bike outside and went in, rested a while and enjoyed the music. Cowboy hats and denim jackets were more prominent than my bike helmet and screaming yellow rain jacket. I was watching some rain showers come and go and decided to make a break back to my hotel between showers.

Overall I had a good time and my daughter has decided to go to school in Nashville, so I expect I will get to visit and ride there more in the next few years.