Gear Up for the 2025 Season of Cycling Adventure in East Tennessee

9 Lakes of East Tennessee Region Welcomes Cyclists to Spectacular 2025 Lineup of Events and Two New Places to Play

In keeping with its ascending reputation as a premier cycling destination, the 9 Lakes Region of East Tennessee is pumped up to be sharing  numerous trail-riding and road-cycling events geared toward competition, outdoor fun and new buddy-making for cyclists young and old.

A range of bike events lined up over the coming months will celebrate the challenge and exhilaration of biking Southern Appalachia, featuring gnarly mountain trails, gravel backroads, and a labyrinth of blacktops connecting lakes and mountains. New this year are Aspire Park and linked trails in the Urban Wilderness.

The diversity, complexity and quality of cycling trails, bike pathways and an IMBA Epic surrounding the sprawling mountain-fed reservoirs of the 9 Lakes Region are as good as it gets on two wheels in the Eastern United States.

For rookies and grizzled vets and every rider in between, the 9 Lakes Region offers a flood of terrain options and events for cyclists to experience — so start planning now to attend or participate in one or several of the 2024 cycling events in the region.

The cycling season runs between March and late October, so pack up your bike and let’s go!

Road Events

• April 26 Ride the Plains– Strawberry Plains- 13/25/33/55/66/80 mile options

• May TBD- Tour de Blount– Maryville 25/50/75 mile options

• June 7: Cherohala Challenge– Tellico Plains- 24/62/115 mile options

• Jul TBD: Tour de Rocky Top– Knoxville- 31/53/62/80/86/100 mile options

• Sept 20:  Dancing Bear Annual Bike Bash– Townsend 27/ 38/60 mile options

• Sept 20-21: TN Senior Olympics- Strawberry Plains-5/20/40 mile options

•  Sept 27:  Rugby Roundabout- Rugby–  10/24/40/60/75 mile options

•  Oct 4- Lick Skillet Scramble– New Market- 16/25/40 mile option

MTB

• Mar 12-17: Tennessee National Enduro Bike Fest- Oliver Springs,  Windrock Bike Park

• Mar 18-24: Tennessee National X-Country Downhill– Oliver Springs, Windrock Bike Park

• Apr TBD- Wildcat Mountain Endurance – Morristown- 4/8 hour

• Apr 26: NATS Poker Run– Norris, TN- 15/24 mile options

• May 11-12:   Big Mountain Enduro Downhill Windrock Bike Park

• Jun 6-8: Annual Trail Weekend- Oneida, Big South Fork NRRA

• June 26-30: GONUTS USAC XC Enduro– Oliver Springs, Windrock Bike Park

Gravel

• Mar 30- The Waucheesi- Tellico Plains 63/88 mile options

• Aug 3- Hardford Gravel Grinder – Hartford- 50/75 mile options

Ask us about bike packing experiences.  Cycle, camp, explore.