Think of America’s hallowed cycling grounds, and you probably conjure images of Colorado, California, Hawaii, Arizona, and Utah. But on the East Coast, snaking through a mountain range that is older than the rings of Saturn, are some of the best cycling routes, some of the toughest and most rewarding climbs and their thrilling descents, all tucked into the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North and South Carolina.
I recently had the opportunity to ride 270 miles through Appalachia as a guest of the Arthritis Foundation's Carolina Hills Classic, and experienced it all: the undulating, never-ending rollers, the fearsome grades, and the hush-quiet farm roads that seem to stretch endlessly in the valleys between the mountains.
