Murfreesboro and Rutherford County are home to a growing number of bike riders, thanks to the area's bounty of places to ride and a biker-friendly community.

Ride the Trails

"Murfreesboro is probably the best place I've lived for bike riding," says local resident Xavier Solis. "People in the rural areas are familiar with seeing bikers, and people are generally very friendly toward them. And there are lots of places to ride, starting with the Murfreesboro Greenway System. It's away from traffic, so it's great for fitness and pleasure riding."

Riders looking for longer rides at high speeds can find great roads in Woodbury, Lascassas, Christiana, Beech Grove and Bell Buckle.

"You can easily do a 30- to 50-mile ride in those areas in a few hours," Solis says.

Lascassas is the host city of the Murfreesboro Bicycle Club's annual H.O.T. 100 Ride, which celebrated its 20th year in 2010. The popular event begins with breakfast at Lascassas Elementary School and leads riders through Rutherford, Wilson and Cannon Counties with food and water stops and historic sites along the way.

For mountain biking, area bikers pack up their gear and drive to nearby areas such as Nashville or Sewanee.

Run Away and Play

Rutherford County is also home to a large running community.

"The Greenway is a great place to run because it's easily accessible, and it has a mile-loop that runners like," says Keith Vroman, president of the Murfreesboro Pacers running club, which has about 80 members. "There are also trails out at the Stones River National Battlefield and up at Barfield Crescent Park, as well as hidden places only the runners know about."

Vroman, who also serves as track coach at Middle Tennessee State University, meets with other members of the Murfreesboro Pacers to run at MTSU's track on Tuesday evenings and at the Fleet Feet Sports store on Saturday mornings.

The Pacers also participate in several local running races and events, including See Spot Run for Habitat for Humanity in May; the RC Cola-Moon Pie 10 Mile Run in Bell Buckle in June; the Smyrna Parks 5K Run in August; the Fenton Payne & Fred Lovelace 5K Run in August; the Run Chicken Run 10K race sponsored by Chick-Fil-A in September; and the Murfreesboro Half Marathon and Kids Fun Run in October.

"The running community is really growing," Vroman says. "We get a lot of local support."