Join AMBC’s Joy Ride for a morning at Concord Park with ride options for New Rider through Intermediate! Grab a friend or make some new ones at this event for female, female-identifying, and non-binary riders. If you are new to mountain biking, looking to feel more comfortable on dirt, or just want to try out new trails with a fun group, this ride is for you!
This event is free, but please register and complete your 2026 AMBC Waiver here by Thursday, August 13th.This helps us ensure we have enough volunteers and supplies.
Joy Ride is here to help women feel comfortable in the woods. No one gets left behind, and everyone leaves with a big smile. We make sure every rider is comfortable with the group’s pace and that no section of trail is beyond the ability level of the group. We have options for all skill levels, so come party on single track with us!
Bring your helmet, shoes, ride snacks, water, a spare tube if you have one, and a way to carry it on your ride. Please arrive at 9:00 AM for sign-in!
Meet at 11805 S Northshore Dr. Knoxville, TN 37922, which is the parking lot for Baseball Field 3 and across the street from The Cove at Concord.
Every year we celebrate National Trails Day for an entire weekend at Big South Fork! Join AMCB and BSF Bike Club this year from June 5-7 for volunteer trail work, group rides, free food, and a great time with friends! ALL ARE WELCOME!!!
Camp: We have reserved Group Camp E1 at Bandy Creek Campground in Big South Fork from Friday afternoon (2 pm) to Monday (noon). Camping is on a first come, first served basis. There are no hookups, but plenty of sites to choose from, and all are a leisurely stroll to the campfire, pavilion, and bathhouse.
Work: We’ll meet at the Bandy Creek Visitors Center at 9am EST, our good friends with the Big South Fork Bike Club will have our work projects ready, and AMBC will have all the tools you’ll need for the day. Bring a friend, sturdy shoes, safety glasses, and water! At noon we’ll meet back at Bandy Creek for lunch and drinks.
Eat:
Saturday lunch: Following our Saturday Work Party, lunch will be provided by the Big South Fork Bike Club.
Saturday dinner: We’ll have a potluck Saturday night at the group site pavilion! Tennessee Valley Bicycles will provide the protein/main, and everyone else should bring a side for 10 to share with the group. BYO plate, utensils, etc. for dinner!
All other meals will be on your own.
If you’re going on the EPIC ride, you’ll want to pack a lunch or bring $20 for refreshments at Charit Creek Lodge.
Ride: We’ll offer several ride opportunities this weekend!
Social Ride — Saturday afternoon. Casual co-ed ride; all are welcome!
Joy Ride — Sunday at 10 am. Women’s ride for Beginner through Intermediate Riders – sign up here!
EPIC Ride — Sunday at 9 am. Long ride, around 30 miles. Led by Shawn McCann (Harper’s Bike Shop) and Scott Smith (TN Valley Bikes).
Thank you to BSF Bike Club, TVB, Harper’s Bike Shop, Randy Conner, and everyone else who is making this weekend a success!!
POSTPONED DUE TO RAIN IN THE FORECAST – CHECK TN Highlander for news on a new date.
The Echoes group is organizing a ~30 mile group ride along the TN Highlander railbanked corridor on Sunday, May 24th at 1 pm.
This ride will not be on the rail bed, but instead will be adjacent to the corridor on portions of New River Hwy, Straight Fork Rd, and Norma Rd. The ride will be a recreational pace, no-drop ride and expected to be approximately 30 miles (best suitable for gravel bikes, mountain bikes, or e-bikes). Much of Straight Fork Rd is gravel and not suitable for a pure road bike. We will take many opportunities to view the rail corridor and visit some of the notable features. Unfortunately the rail corridor is still the rail ballast and is quite rough for bike traffic. The selected route parallels the corridor and is very close (within feet) for most of its route. Here is a similar route for comparison.
Meet at: Ligias Fork Cabins – 5901 New River Hwy, Briceville TN
Please email Doug Ferguson ([email protected]) if you have any questions or plan to join for the ride.
Some other news about the Highlander Rail Trail:
The rail corridor has been railbanked!!! The agreement between RJ Corman, the Trust for Public Lands, and the National Surface Transportation Board to operate an interim trail was reached at the end of April. This was the first big step towards securing the future of the rail trail.
Our efforts now turn towards fundraising. Our goal is to raise the purchase price of the corridor so that we may officially transfer ownership by early 2027. If you would like to take a larger role in fundraising please contact us at: john.mccracken@echoesoftnrail.org or virginia.bruce@echoesoftnrail.org
Veterans are invited to join the Dirt Ops Chattanooga at Baker Creek Preserve on Sunday, July 12 for their No Drop July Group Ride. They plan to arrive at Baker Creek around 10 am, but message them on Facebook to get connected for final details!
Join us at Meads Quarry for the Big Fun Tuesday celebration as we kick off the season with a Trails and Tacos Night with an AMBC Social Ride and some tasty tacos by TVB.
May 5th from 6-9 pm. Save the date – Big Fun Tuesdays are the first Tuesdays of the month from now through the summer!
Donate Now AMBC’s work gets done by volunteers and donations from our incredible mountain biking community. Help continue the
development and improvement of our trails with your secure donation.
