Thanks to its year-round mild climate and diverse terrain, the Upcountry is a hub for South Carolina’s cycling community.

The USA Cycling Pro Championships are held here every year (end of May), and several cycling companies are based in the region including Legacy E-Ride (electric bike manufacturer), Great Escape (regional bike shop), and Pedal Chic (in downtown Greenville, an upscale women’s shop owned by a former Southwest Airlines flight attendant). The League of American Bicyclists has recognized Greenville and Spartanburg as bronze-level cycling-friendly cities because they excel in bike engineering.

And you never know who you’ll see cycling bike lanes and state park trails, or making a gut-busting weekend trek into the mountains. Two of the Upstate’s city mayors—Greer’s Rick Danner and Greenville’s Knox White—are avid riders, and professional cyclist George Hincapie also calls the region home. Greenville honored Hincapie with a downtown parade after he won a stage of the 2005 Tour de France. Today he’s busy at the helm of his local cycling apparel company, Hincapie Sportswear.

Whether shopping for cycling threads or entering a race, bike lovers are always on the go. “It’s amazing for a place this size to have such an overall strong bike culture,” says James Thomas, a cycling activist in the region. Cycling enthusiasts find their niche at clubs in Clemson, Anderson, Greenville, and Spartanburg. Favorite annual events include Greenville’s Wheels for Meals, Anderson’s Tour de la France, Pendleton’s Ride for Raptors, and Spartanburg’s Assaults on Mount Mitchell and Marion.

adapted from an article in Spirit Magazine, May 2011

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