About the Mountain Ride
Come join us for the most popular road biking event in Western North Carolina! The Cycle North Carolina Mountain Ride is a perfect weekend getaway for any outdoor enthusiast and their family. Enjoy a 3-day cycling festival featuring a variety of route options each day that focus on showcasing the beautiful landscapes that Western North Carolina has to offer. The campsite is spread throughout downtown Sylva along Scotts Creek, offering easy access to this quaint Mountain town. Indoor camping and RVs are welcome on the ride plus there are multiple hotel and rental property options as well. For more information about the campsite, CLICK HERE. (photo credit: Nick Breedlove)
What Does My Registration Fee Include?
- Official Mountain Ride participant shirt
- Indoor and outdoor camping facilities
- Electronic cue sheets & route maps
- Access to Ride with GPS premium membership features including voice commands and GPS downloads
- Rest Stops with a variety of snacks & beverages including bottled water, BODYARMOR Sports Drink, apples, bananas, Clif Bars, Kind Bars, pickle cups, fig bars, sodas, Sweet 'N Salty trail mix and Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches
- Clearly marked routes
- SAG (Support and Gear) Support
- Catered meal at the Mountain Ride Social
- Beverage gardens and local entertainment & activities
- Portable restrooms at rest stops and at camp
- Shower facilities at camp
- Mechanical support at rest stops and camp
- Access to the Cycle NC mobile app
CLICK HERE for more FAQs!
Routes & Format
The Mountain Ride is a loop ride event, with routes beginning and ending in downtown Sylva. The event begins on Friday afternoon with a 15-20 mile warm up ride that is available from 1pm-5pm. Once your legs are warmed up, you'll be all set to spend Saturday and Sunday meandering along the valleys and/or climbing the mountains on one of our various route options ranging from 10 miles to 62 miles. The best part is that the routes begin and end from the same location, so there's no hassle of moving camp each day! The beautiful thing about Sylva is that some of the routes will take you alongside the Tuckasegee River. The river riding will allow us to offer some flat routes this year but don't worry, we will have plenty of climbing options available as well. We encourage you to come experience this unique location from the seat of your bicycle!
For more information on the routes, CLICK HERE.
About Sylva
Sylva is the county seat of Jackson County. The downtown area is lined with a collection of eclectic restaurants, breweries, and shops that are open year-round. Sylva was also named one of the "Top 10 Cleanest Cities in the US" by Expedia.com, due in part to its green and eco-friendly initiatives, including being a certified Tree City featuring a stunning Tree Walk that showcases over 50 different species. Sylva also boasts some of the most challenging hiking trails in all of Western North Carolina in the 1,400-acre Pinnacle Park, with elevations exceeding 5,000 feet. Jackson County is proclaimed NC's Trout Capital and Sylva is a major part of the county's famed WNC Fly Fishing Trail. Scotts Creek runs through the heart of downtown and provides ample opportunity for reeling in trout. Sylva also as four local breweries on the Jackson County Ale Trail, that are walkable from the campsite. Sylva's charming downtown earned its role in the Hollywood motion picture Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, which utilized West Main Street for most of the movie. The Fugitive and Deliverance also had scenes set in Sylva. (photo credit: Nick Breedlove)
For more about the area, CLICK HERE.
About the Organizers
The Mountain Ride is organized by North Carolina Amateur Sports (NCAS), a 501c3 non-profit organization founded in 1983. NCAS created Cycle North Carolina in partnership with Visit North Carolina, Capitol Broadcasting Company and the N.C. Department of Transporation in 1999. In addition to the Cycle North Carolina Mountain Ride, NCAS organizes the Cycle North Carolina Mountains to Coast Ride, the Cycle North Carolina Coastal Ride and the BODYARMOR State Games annually.