We are so glad you are joining us for Walk Bike Nashville’s 19th Annual Tour de Nash, presented by LDA Engineering! Here is your go-to document that covers everything you will need to know as a rider.

Get your bike ready to ride!

Make sure your bike is in top riding condition. See below for a few resources to check your bike. 

How to get your bike ready to ride

How to fix a flat 

How to clean your chain

If you find that your two wheels will need a little more love, Nashville’s local bike shops would be more than willing to help get you back on the road! Be sure to make an appointment with them soon, as they are quite busy during this season and most have waiting lists. Here is a list of some of Nashville’s bike shops: 

Biker's Choice

Cumberland Transit 

Green Fleet Bicycle Shop

Halcyon Bike Shop 

Mac's Harpeth Bikes

Moab Bike Shop

REI Brentwood

Ride 615

Shelby Ave Bicycle Co

Trace Bikes

Packet Pickup 

We'll have multiple times for you to pick up your Tour de Nash packet from the Walk Bike Nashville office (1 S. 7th St., Nashville, TN 37206. When you arrive, look for our tent and enter the alley behind The Turnip Truck from S 7th Street. If you are in a car, please stay in your car -- pickup will be a drive-through so you won’t need to park.

Wednesday, May 17th:

  • 9am-7pm 

Thursday, May 18th:

  • 9am-7pm 

Friday, May 19th:

  • 9am-7pm 

What if I can’t pick up my packet at packet pick-up? 

  • We ask that if you have a friend also riding in the TDN or know someone that lives in town, then please have them pick up your packet for you. Be sure that they have your name, t-shirt size, starting location and that they know which ride you are doing (9-, 25-, or 45-mile ride).
  • However, if there is no way for you to get your packet or have someone pick it up, please contact our Events Manager at [email protected].

Day of the Tour de Nash: What to Expect

When to Arrive

We recommend all riders arrive at Watkins Park 30 minutes before their ride start time to prepare for the ride. 

Ride Start Times

  • Grand Tour (45-mile) Riders: 7:30 AM
  • Local Tour (25-mile) Riders: 7:45 AM
  • City Tour (9-mile) Riders: 8:00 AM
  • Kid’s Tour Riders: 8:30 AM

Ride Start information

  • We are returning to a mass start! Everyone will begin the ride from Watkins Park.
  • There will be security along the route at major intersections.
  • All riders are required to wear a helmet while riding.

What to bring for the ride

Where to Park

  • Free parking is available in the Capitol View Parking Garage at 500 11th Ave N. Please note that Tour de Nash parking is limited to the 2nd floor and above (no parking on the first floor). From there, we recommend walking your bike up the sidewalk along 11th Ave. to cross Lifeway Plaza/Jo Johnston Ave. Then you’ll have a straight ride down Lifeway Plaza/Jo Johnston Ave to Watkins Park (approximately 4 min. ride). A protected bike lane will be provided to the park by NDOT. 
  • IF YOU HAVE A ROOF RACK, REMOVE YOUR BIKE BEFORE PULLING INTO THE GARAGE!
  • For ADA parking, contact Aaron Wimsatt.

Route Maps/ Navigation

  • Markers spray-painted pink on the roadway will indicate turn by turn directions. There will be three markings indicating an upcoming turn, then a confirmation marking after you turn to indicate you’ve made the correct turn. If you come to an intersection and there is no marking, you are to ride straight ahead through the intersection. The road markings look like this: 

  • On the greenways, you will have directional signs, instead of road markings. The directional signs look like this: 

Weather

  • Unless there is a threat of severe weather, Tour de Nash is a rain-or-shine event. We’ll be having fun in the sun or riding through some puddles! 

What to expect along the route

There will be four rest stops along the route: 

  • Edgehill Library hosted by AAA
  • Bringles Smoking Oasis hosted by our Walk Bike Nashville Board members
  • Shelby Park hosted by Friends of Shelby
  • East Park Community Center hosted by Walk Bike Nashville volunteers
  • Rest stops will be along the route every 10-15 miles.
  • Look for the Walk Bike Nashville flags, tents, and Tour de Nash rest stop signs to indicate each rest stop.
  • Each rest stop will have a tent with refreshments, snacks, volunteers to help answer questions, bathroom facilities, hand sanitizer, first aid kits, and basic bike maintenance tools and supplies. 
  • Markers spray painted pink on the roadway will indicate turn by turn directions. 
  • Please be cautious of road hazards. You may encounter gravel, XFinity/Google fiber ruts in the road, potholes and other hazards along the way. Please take caution when biking. 
  • Please stay hydrated! It will be hot on the day of the Tour de Nash, so be mindful of the water you are drinking and be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the ride (not just at rest stops!).
  • Volunteers will provide rider support vehicles if needed. We will also have security and EMS on standby. Call (615) 436-0371 for non-emergencies. For all emergencies, please call 911.
  • Ride support ends at 2:00 PM. Be sure you plan accordingly, as all rest stops and ride support will end at 2:00 PM sharp. 

Celebration Center at Watkins Park

We’ll have a celebration center at Watkins Park for participants and anyone who wants to stop by during and after the ride. We’ll have snacks for riders, community soccer games hosted by Futbar, plus vendors and businesses will be giving away cool swag, and providing fun activities for everyone. Plus the Watkins Pump Track is always open! We will also have a beer garden, with beer (non-alcoholic options available) and food provided by East Nashville Beer Works (don't forget your ID if you want to partake)! Join us for fun, good beer and to support local businesses after your Tour de Nash ride! The Celebration Center is open to anyone, participants and non-participants, so let friends and family know to stop by for some fun.

Order your 2023 Tour de Nash Jersey

There’s still a chance to get a 2023 Tour de Nash jersey this week! You can order online on the Walk Bike Nashville store, and we'll also have some available at packet pick-up and at Watkins Park the day of the event. 

Vendors, Businesses and Organizations that will be at the Tour: 

  • AAA
  • Bringles Smoking Oasis
  • Civic Design Center
  • The Domestiques Cycling Club
  • East Nashville Beer Works
  • East Park Community Center
  • Edgehill Library
  • Friends of Shelby
  • Futbar
  • Greenways for Nashville
  • KCI Technologies, Inc.
  • Kreate Hub Nashville
  • LDA Engineering 
  • Nashville Junior Roller Derby
  • Oasis Bike Workshop
  • Ride615 Bicycle Shop
  • Veloteers Bicycle Club

 

Walk Bike Nashville and MPATH Global

 Recent personal walking stress data in Nashville.

Help us learn where you felt stress along the Tour de Nash route with MPATH! 

Walk Bike Nashville is partnering with Gresham Smith who has created MPATH, a revolutionary, empathetic analytics tool that quantifies human experiences within transportation systems. MPATH couples community shared biometric data from modern wearables (like an Apple Watch or Fitbit) and location to identify where users exhibit stress as they move through the built environment. These pain points are often indicative of safety issues or confusion.

This empathic approach fosters a user-centric transportation design, resulting in increased satisfaction, intuitiveness, enhanced safety, and the promotion of sustainable and accessible mobility solutions. In the case of Tour de Nash, we can learn how to improve the routes of future rides! MPATH can help planners create transportation systems that truly resonate with the needs and desires of the people they serve, ensuring a more connected, efficient, and enjoyable future for all.

Learn more about MPATH on Gresham Smith’s website.

 

Lastly, thank you to our sponsors!

This event could not be possible without your support.

See you Saturday, May 20th!

The Walk Bike Nashville Team