No plan, just an evening ride
This was one of those rides where the entire plan was basically just to ride. The day had been extremely hot, around 105°F, and by about 7:00 in the evening it had finally started cooling down enough to make getting outside sound good again.
I started from Camp Jordan with no particular destination in mind. It was a short local ride, the kind of ride that is easy to skip when you are thinking only in terms of big routes or planned adventures.
Talking e-bikes and fat tires
Along the way I met another e-bike rider and ended up having a good conversation about the bikes. He gave me some recommendations on fat tires for the M2 Pro, which is exactly the kind of useful little interaction that can happen when you are actually out riding instead of researching everything from a screen.
I did not head out looking for tire advice, but that conversation became one of the things that made the ride worth remembering.
Back to the train bridge
From there I rode over to the railroad bridge that crosses South Chickamauga Creek. I had not been back to that bridge in years, so seeing it again ended up being the highlight of the evening for me.
It was not some major destination or difficult ride. It was just a familiar local place that I had not seen in a long time, reached because I happened to be out on the bike with enough time to wander over there.
Why this ride belongs here
KAPPIN RIDES is not only about long routes, major trail systems, or trips that need days of planning. This is another side of why I like having an e-bike. A 45-minute ride after a hot day can still turn into a conversation with another rider, a useful recommendation, and a visit to a place I had not thought about in years.
That is enough of a story for me. Then I headed back to Camp Jordan and called it a night.
Around Camp Jordan
This ride stayed on the road and was very easy from a terrain standpoint. The bigger thing to watch around Camp Jordan and the nearby commercial area is traffic. There can be plenty of cars and pedestrians, especially around the park, restaurants, and stores.
If you are in the same area, Jonathan's Grille and Pizza Bros East Ridge are both right around Camp Jordan for food and drinks. Bass Pro Shops is also nearby if the ride turns into an excuse to look at outdoor gear.
If you ride around Camp Jordan
- Expect vehicle and pedestrian traffic around the park and nearby businesses.
- This particular ride was very easy and stayed on paved roads.
- A short evening ride can be a good option after the worst heat of the day has passed.
- Keep an eye out for other riders. A quick conversation can sometimes be more useful than another hour of online research.