Dogwood Arts Festival Bike Rides April 9-10, 2011

The Dogwood Arts Festival is ongoing in Knoxville, and as part of it were two bike rides through town for riders to enjoy the views. The first ride took place April 9 from Ijams Nature Center and was cosponsored by the Smoky Mountain Wheelmen bicycle club. It wound through the Island Home Neighborhood, and was the first such ride in South Knoxville. The second ride was April 10, and started and finished at the Laurel Church of Christ and went through the Sequoyah Hills Neighborhood. It was cosponsored by the KnoxRevolution bicycle club, which did a marvelous job at marking the route, as well as having someone point riders to every turn. The Knoxville Police Department kindly provided some support with traffic. Several dozen riders participated in each ride.

Beginner friendly rides like these serve not only to get people introduced to riding, but can also serve as an introduction to the fun aspects of cycling, in addition to letting more experienced riders enjoy a leisurely ride.