Bicycling Tellico Village
Grail, Apr 09, 18:28 Tellico Village is located on the west shore of Tellico Lake (Little Tennessee River) and for eight miles on both the east and west sides of Highway 444 (Tellico Parkway). A detached neighborhood, Kahiate, is located ten miles southeast of the south end of the Village proper.
A drive along Highway 444 will not give an accurate impression of the size of the Village. The 3500 houses, town houses, and condos are hard to spot in the heavily wooded hills and valleys on either side of the highway.
Three golf courses, tennis courts, a wellness center, a hiking trail on the east side of the lake, and of course the lake itself provide multiple opportunity for outdoor and indoor recreation. One thing the village does not have is a bicycle trail. Some residents who are not use to riding in traffic are reluctant to bicycle on Highway 444. The 50 miles per hour speed limit, (often ignored) and wide shoulders make it about as safe for bicycling as any rider will find on a public roadway. Tennessee law requires a bicyclist to ride as far to the right as is practical, and for motorist to allow three feet distance when passing a bicycle. Because of the width of the shoulders on 444, it is possible to ride the entire length of the highway on the outside of the white lines.
The purpose of this section of grailstrails is describe for those who want to bicycle in Tellico Village but are reluctant to venture out on the Parkway what bicycling is available in each of the neighborhoods. I plan to ride all streets in all neighborhoods over time, record the distance that one can cover without accessing the Parkway, and post that information in following entries. The distance given is a result of riding all streets in a logical manner. Because dead end streets require doubling back on many occasions, this is not the actual length of the streets in the neighborhoods. Stay tuned.
In general, the streets have no shoulders, so a bicyclist is sharing the road with the sparse auto traffic in the neighborhood. The main streets are wider than side streets. Speed limits are 35 MPH for main streets and 25 MPH for side streets. There is very little level ground in Tellico Village, so bicycling here will require climbing hills. I recommend either a mountain bike, or a three ring and eight or nine cog power train on any bicycle for this area.
TANASI NEIGHBORHOOD
On October 16 I road the Tanasi Neighborhood. By riding every street in the neighborhood and the two sub-neighborhoods of Tanasi Point and Tanasi Lagoon, a trip distance of 15.14 miles is possible. The Tanasi Lagoon is the only area in the neighborhood that offers streets with no hills. On all other streets you will encounter hills, some of which are steep. Take your time, downshift to a comfortable gear, and enjoy looking at the lovely homes and landscaping. If necssary, don\'t be too proud to get off the bike and push it up a hill.
North entrance to Tanasi Neighborhood
South entrance to Tanasi Neighborhood
Tanasi Point sub-neighborhood
Tanasi Lagoon sub-neighborhood
TOMMOTLEY NEIGHBORHOOD
On October 21 I road the Tommotley Neighborhood. By riding every street in the neighborhood on both the east and west side of Highway 444, a trip distance of 8.83 miles is possible. On all streets on the east side you will encounter hills, some of which are steep. On the west side, by staying on Tommotley Drive, Santee Way, and Huron Place, a ride with moderate elevation change is possible.
West entrance to Tommotley Neighborhood
East entrance to Tommotley Neighborhood
Entrance to Tanasi Cove Sub-Neighborhood
COYATEE NEIGHBORHOOD
On November 12, 2010 I rode the Coyatee Neighborhood. By riding on both the east and west side of Highway 444, a trip of 15.35 miles is possible. There are three sub-neighborhoods on the east side of the highway; Coyatee Shores, Coyatee Circle, and Coyatee Point. To reach all three in succession, it is necessary to ride on Highway 444. The streets in Coyatee Shores and Coyatee Circle have moderate elevation change. Coyatee Point streets are steep.
Coyatee Coves and Hills sub-neighborhood is on the west side of Highway 444 and has a majority of the streets in the Coyatee Neighborhood. The streets west of Okema Way are very steep. By staying on Okema Way and the streets leading off of it, a ride with moderate elevation change is possible.
Entrance to Coyatee Shores Sub-Neighborhood
Entrance to Coyatee Circle Sub-Neighborhood
Entrance to Coyatee Point Neighborhood
Entrance to Coyatee Coves and Hills Sub-Neighborhood
CHOTA NEIGHBORHOOD (East of 444)
On April 3, 2011 , I road the that part of Chota Neighborhood on the east side of Highway 444. By riding every street in the neighborhood, a trip distance of 9.44 miles is possible. The area around the Yacht Club and Chota landing is the only area in the neighborhood that offers streets with minimum hills. On all other streets you will encounter hills, some of which are steep.
East entrance to Chota Neighborhood
Entrance to Yacht Club
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