Tennessee Opens the Bell Built Devil's Racetrack
One year ago Knoxville, Tennessee pulled together a Cinderella story campaign that won the $100k Bell Built Grant. Partnerships with Legacy Parks, AMBC, IMBA Trail Solutions, and Bell Helmets lead to last weekend's opening of "The Devil's Racetrack." Just three miles from downtown Knoxville, the double black flow line sits among fifty miles of single track in the Urban Wilderness. The Urban Wilderness is a public trail system - open to public - free to enjoy - easy to access - and open year round.
Local enthusiast - Mayor Madeline Rogero - Representatives from Bell Helmets, IMBA, and AMBC - all gathered for the opening ceremonies of the newest trail addition. "From the beginning, our goal was to help bring communities together in the name of mountain biking, and to see Bell Built evolve into the impactful annual program it has become. The way that IMBA, AMBC and Legacy Parks have nurtured this project is a great example for any community and we hope other communities take notice and follow their lead. We are proud to be a part of such an amazing project.” says Jessica Klodnicki, Bell Helmets Executive Vice President and General Manager. “We’d like to thank IMBA, Legacy Parks and the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club for all of their passion, perseverance, vision and hard work in bringing the Devil’s Racetrack to life as a wonderful addition to Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness and the Baker Creek Preserve."
When in Knoxville - Rent a farmhouse.
For a nightly rate similar to a west coast hotel, Bell Helmets & IMBA representatives got a taste of southern living for the weekend.
Saturday morning started off with a Bell Joy Ride session lead by local ambassador, Missy Petty.
 | It was such an amazing morning getting to be the Bell Joy Ride Knoxville TN ambassador and hosting my third guided women's only mountain bike ride for all levels! Upwards of 100 women came out ready to get rad and progress in mountain biking. It was an incredible fun and social day of riding with beginner through expert groups heading out on the trails! I'm so lucky to be able to provide different ride groups and resources to women that hopefully inspire confidence in a social and FUN environment. I'm seeing that riding with another woman is the key to progression. I host a Joy Ride once per month here in Knoxville and would like to see every girl in Knoxville come give it a try! - Missy Petty. |
Local Bell Joyride Ambassador Missy Petty.
The day continued with hundreds of local and regional riders enjoying the new trails. The variety of bikes, ages, and riding abilities was far-and-wide, the stoke level seemed high among all.
GT Rider Rachel Throop made the journey from California to check out the trail. Photo - Josh Sawyer
| The IMBA Trail Solutions Team was great to work with. When the project began, we gathered a small group of local DH guys, and the Trail Solutions Team listened to suggestions from them as well as our land manager, Legacy Parks. The process was very inclusive and the end result gave us various options for setting up the track in different ways on different days. A race director can choose to run the track with all jumps through the woods or mix in the rock garden designed and built by Neko and Knight. I would recommend the Trail Solutions Team to anyone that is looking for a great product. - Brian Hann, Vice President of AMBC. |
| The new trail system was meant to add a downhill element to the more than 100 miles of area trail our local chapter Appalachian Mountain Bike Club (AMBC) has influenced through extensive volunteer efforts and community relationships," said Heather Cooper, IMBA's Senior Director of Marketing. The Bell Built grant enabled another partnership between AMBC and IMBA's Trail Solutions team, resulting in a feature-filled jump trail that includes nearly two dozen optional gap jumps ranging from 8 to 20 feet, a semi-truck sized wall ride, a step-up road flyover and a 300-foot rock garden built by Knight Ide. -Heather Cooper, Senior Marketing Director of IMBA. |
Ladies - The beard level is on point in Tennessee.
Some folks showed up broke-off. Others, well... they got their fix.
The weekend was a large step for progressive trail building in the Southeast and a window to what's to come. Start planning your next destination trip to the south's finest -- Tennessee.
MENTIONS: @BellBikeHelmets / @seanleader
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25 Comments
- 10 0
jdeg
(Jun 27, 2016 at 8:38)
Pics of the rock garden? ..."or mix in the rock garden designed and built by Neko and Knight."
- 3 1
trillwill
(Jun 27, 2016 at 11:22)
Check 1:13 in the video
- 2 0
dvbwn
(Jun 27, 2016 at 13:24)
looks like pavers from that height. Probably more rough when you are riding it.
- 6 0
Cboaz
(Jun 27, 2016 at 13:05)
Straight gangsta. Thanks to @seanleader for the excellent write up, and being a killer ambassador for riding #rad in the Southeast!!
- 4 0
norcalp3
(Jun 27, 2016 at 9:04)
holy crap this looks amazing. Great job to all of those ladies that went out and ripped it too. looks like and awesome trail and an even better riding scene down south.
- 2 0
Billjohn6
(Jun 27, 2016 at 15:20)
Hell ya! Great build and thanks to Bell for the grant. Makes me salty seeing how this jump track beats out what our local resort is able to offer...because owner Bob Nutting's net worth of 1.1 billion can't afford to add bike park trails. OK rant over. SICK KNOXVILLE I'm so happy for this development to your city, this makes me even more excited to plan a trip down this fall
- 5 0
Maxxis
(Jun 28, 2016 at 7:27)
The south got something to say! Knoxville, Chattanooga, and North GA have so many great trails.
- 2 0
JLastra
(Jun 29, 2016 at 9:19)
Def right about that
- 5 0
blowmyfuse
(Jun 27, 2016 at 8:34)
Is there a helmet cam with a full run of the DH trail yet?
- 3 0
pinnityafairy
(Jun 27, 2016 at 12:58)
Public trail system - open to public - free to enjoy - easy to access - and open year round. This is what it is all about. FREE FREE FREE and did you read that it's FREE!
- 4 0
Cjcameron7
(Jun 27, 2016 at 12:37)
Ummm, your helmet is jacked
- 3 0
somethingwith69or13init
(Jun 27, 2016 at 11:38)
Way to go AMBC! Y'all are turning Knoxville into a pretty great spot to ride bikes. Props.
- 1 0
slayemf
(Jun 27, 2016 at 12:19)
I am moving there next year with the wife....our daughter's live there...more like hers but they are mine too, We wanna be closer I said and this showed up..so yeah I am moving there...Change is good...RAMFB...
- 2 0
mtbiker4Lyf
(Jun 27, 2016 at 12:42)
my family is going to Gatlinburg for a week in August for vacay, I know where I'm going...
- 1 0
willboulware
(Jun 27, 2016 at 12:11)
I rode here this past Saturday. Well worth the drive. It's an incredibly well designed trail system.
- 2 0
fullbug
(Jun 27, 2016 at 9:06)
congrats to that community. nice. like yer shuttle too
- 3 0
robito
(Jun 27, 2016 at 9:18)
Dirt looks delicious!
- 2 0
bikesoverbritches
(Jun 27, 2016 at 10:54)
Looks ridiculously fun. Also, dat farmhouse tho.
- 3 1
preach
(Jun 27, 2016 at 11:18)
that is a rad looking trail system, nice work peoples.
- 1 0
tophHATESzmbies
(Jun 28, 2016 at 5:28)
Not too shab ..looks like a pretty cool place to ride. I might have to look into a SE trip sometime.
- 2 0
trillwill
(Jun 27, 2016 at 8:37)
Good stuff!
- 1 0
jrlyons21
(Jun 27, 2016 at 10:19)
Super thankful to call this HOME!
- 1 0
sevensixtwo
(Jun 27, 2016 at 12:51)
So impressed by the folks in TN. Seriously. Nice work.
- 1 0
DucatiDavid
(Jun 27, 2016 at 15:53)
Just another cool place to ride in the southeast!!!
- 2 3
nsteele
(Jun 27, 2016 at 10:34)
Nice. A multi-sport dual slalom course!
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