Tennessee Tandom Rally

East Tennessee played host to the third annual Tennessee Tandem Rally June 3rd through June 5th, 2005. Fifty three teams, mostly made up of married couples, rode their two and sometimes 3 seater bicycles throughout differing areas of the eastern part of the state.

The contestants came from all over the United States and Canada, and Sharon Patterson, from Louisville, Tennessee, co-organizer of the ride, remarked on the speeds and the trust that must be attained by partners on the Rallys. “We’ve gotten up to 62 miles an hour” and “if I didn’t trust him (husband Tim), I couldn’t do that.” They have spent the last 18 years biking all over the United States and started the Rally here so other bikers could also enjoy the unique landscape of East Tennessee and the sense of community and friendship that is shared by other bicyclists.

Many of the couples know each other and keep in touch through an online forum, Double forte, which was responsible for bringing the Dave Seto’s of South Carolina to the Tennessee Tandem Rally. After some mountain bike riding in their home state, the Setos drove 12 hours to participate in the Tennessee Rally.

Friday, the event kicked off with a 37 mile ride from Old Walland Highway in Maryville that wound through the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. Four more rides, ranging from 25 miles to a top of 90 miles were held Saturday and Sunday. Entertainment and good food round out the weekend and plans are already in the discussion stage for the 4th annual Rally next year.