“A Couple Screws Loose” documents three friends’ attempt to ride all the Three Rivers Way Challenge routes in Tennessee in three consecutive days. Watch the lighthearted 32-minute video Cameron Muilenburg put together from the adventure with photos and a short written recap here…

The Three Rivers Individual Time Trial (ITT) Series is a yearly challenge that invites anyone to try to tackle three incredibly scenic and challenging routes in Tennessee in a single calendar year. The routes, designed by Kim Murrell, range from 93 miles to 130 miles and include the Death March Revival, Dirt 130, and Tellico Highlands. There’s no entry fee, and the leaderboard resets annually on January 1st. Matt Schweiker and Luke Swab took the challenge to a new level by riding all three routes linked together by bike in three consecutive days. Cameron Muilenburg followed the pair during their ride and created a video documenting the experience. Watch it below, then scroll down for some words and photos from the ride.

  • a couple screws loose
  • a couple screws loose
  • a couple screws loose
  • a couple screws loose
  • a couple screws loose

Words by Matt Schweiker

Nestled in the Cherokee National Forest are three iconic routes that serve as a diverse sampler of the scenery and riding of Eastern Tennessee’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Kim Murrell has led the charge, developing bikepacking and gravel routes in the region long before “gravel” became the latest cycling trend. Among the dozens of routes that have been created and cataloged on the Tennessee Gravel website, three stand out for their heightened challenge and alignment with the three local rivers that cut through the region. The Death March Revival follows forest roads in the Ocoee River area, The Dirty 130 in the Hiwassee River area, and the Tellico Highlands in the Tellico River area.

Each year, local cyclists take part in a friendly competition to compete in all three “Three Rivers” routes in a calendar year as individual time trials. Times are recorded, but finishing the routes alone is an incredible accomplishment. Over the years, the fastest known times have gotten more competitive, topped off by Pete Stetina and Heather Jackson’s men’s and women’s FKT of the Dirty 130 last year. Other attempts to up the ante have included riding the route on three consecutive weekends, then topped by three consecutive days.

a couple screws loose
  • a couple screws loose
  • a couple screws loose
  • a couple screws loose

Last summer, while trying to keep motivated with large volumes of training in preparation for the Tour Divide, Luke Swab and I devised a route that allowed us to connect the starts of the three routes, adding considerable mileage but eliminating the need for a car to transfer between them. We rented a cabin at a strategic point, which served as our base camp for the first and second nights. Inspired by our idea, our friend and talented filmmaker, Cameron Muilenburg, came along to document the adventure.

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