The Cotaco Backroads 40 ride is 40 miles. The first half is rolling with several long grades, nothing steep. The second half is relatively flat. It travels on mostly good pavement thru beautiful quiet farmland, with rest stops at 17 and 27 miles.

There's a 31 mile option, shortcutting back from the second rest stop, bottom right.

 Directions to start: This ride begins and ends at the Cotaco-Florette Road intersection with AL-36, south of the Tennessee River. Travel South from Huntsville on US-231 (Memorial Parkway) across the Tennessee River. Three miles after the bridge turn Right on AL-36 at the flashing yellow light. Travel 8.3 miles to the intersection with Cotaco-Florette Road.

You'll pass the Cotaco fire station on the left before reaching the intersection. There's a convenience store with parking on both sides of the road, and the Cotaco School is located just to the west.

 Turn Leg  Description Mile
South 0.9  on Cotaco-Florette Road 0.0
0.9  on Red Oak Road x
0.2  on AL-36 at "T" x
1.6  on Herman Bailey Road x
4.2  on Antioch Road (no sign) x
2.2  across Upper River Road onto
 Sharp Ford Road		 x
2.8  on Charest Road at "T" (no sign) x
0.2  across Upper River Road onto
 J Henderson Road		 x
4.1  on Center Springs Road (no sign) x
0.2  on Main Street / Bluff City Road x
Rest Stop -  at convenience store in Somerville,
 next rest stop in 9.4 miles		 x
0.6  South across AL-67 onto Cut Off Road x
1.4  on Old 6 Mile Road x
0.1  on AL-36 at "T" (no sign) x
1.7  on S Old 6 Mile Road x
0.8  on 6 Mile Road at "T" (no sign) x
Note -  The Cotaco 40 route diverges from the
 metric here		 x
1.0  to stay on 6 Mile Road x
3.5  on Peck Hollow Road (sign hidden) x
0.5  on All Jersey Road (sign hidden) x
0.1  across AL-67 onto Jenkins Road x
Rest Stop -  approach convenience store in Florette
 from behind, 13 miles to the finish		 x
   
 Turn Leg  Description Mile
0.3  East on Jenkins Road (behind store) x
0.2  on Florette Road x
1.5  across AL-67 onto Blue Springs Road x
0.3  on AL-67 at "T" x
0.2  on Rock Creek Road x
0.7  on JT Gurley Road x
0.4  on AL-67 at "T" x
0.3  on Entrekin Road x
2.4  on Crawford Bottoms at "T" x
0.4  on Pines Road at "T" x
1.3  on Beavers Road x
0.1  on Pines Road x
1.0  on Fowler Road x
2.2  on Fowler Cove Road x
0.4  on Dotson Road x
0.1  on Guyer Cove Road at "T" (no sign) x
1.3  on Cotaco-Florette Road at "T" x
Finish -  at AL-36 in Cotaco x

31 mile option

 From the rest stop in Florette, at mile 27:
 Turn Leg  Description Mile
4.0  North on Cotaco-Florette Road 27.0
Finish -  at AL-36 in Cotaco 31.0