This file photo shows participants from last year's Three Mountain Madness ride as they climb a hill on Old U.S. 52 in Pilot Mountain.
In 2009, after more than a decade of growing the “3 Mountain Madness” bike ride, Wilson and company now oversee an event which has become a yearly trek for not only local cyclists but enthusiasts from across the region.
This year’s madness will kick off Saturday, May 30 at the Armfield Civic Center in Pilot Mountain at 8 a.m., with registration beginning at 7 a.m.
After starting with just 40 riders 13 years ago to now being forced to limit its numbers to 600 for the 95-mile loop, Wilson said the goal and uniqueness of the “3 Mountain Madness” remains the same.
“There are a lot of places people can ride, so something that has a challenge to it brings people in,” Wilson said. “It’s not an everyday sort of ride you can do.”
Wilson said one of the things the ride has become known for is the tremendous amount of support provided by the organizers and more importantly, volunteers, who dot the winding course offering cold drinks, cookies and a sometimes much needed morale boost.
“The support part comes from the fact that I am a cyclist myself and have been for 20 years now and everybody on our steering committee is a cyclist and we think we know what people would want,” Wilson said. “We know what we would expect when we come to a ride. Over the years we have developed a reputation for very good volunteer support, so hopefully the riders will come here and have a challenging ride with a lot of support.”
Not only just a way for cyclists to enjoy the area, the “3 Mountain Madness” ride also raises money for the Armfield Civic Center in Pilot Mountain.
The ride begins and ends at the Armfield Center, with the full course heading to the top of Sauratown Mountain and Hanging Rock State Park in Danbury before finishing with a punishing climb to the top of Pilot Mountain.
There are more routes than just the 95-mile full length course, with each rider having an option to skip or add mountains into their personal ride as the day goes along.
There are also options for a 75-mile, three mountain route, or a 41-mile rolling loop.
If riders register online before midnight on Wednesday, May 27 or if the group receives a rider’s mail-in registration on or before Wednesday May 27, the cost for the ride is $40. After May 27 the cost increases to $50. A free T-shirt will be available to all that register on or before May 27 with the first 250 registrants getting a free goody bag along with their name on their shirt.
There will be five rest stops on the 95 and 75-mile loops and two rest stops on the 41-mile loop with rest stops offering fluids and light snacks.
Routes will be patrolled by a motorcycle club with pick up vehicles available. There will also be HAM radio support to help speed support vehicles to riders who need aid.
Wilson said the ride is designed to offer all levels of cyclists an opportunity to enjoy the local scenery and to challenge themselves with the security of a strong support system.
“The beauty of this is that every mountain is up and back on the same road so if this is their first time doing a tough mountain and they get halfway up they can turn around and come back,” Wilson said. “That gives people a chance who have never done mountains before and it gives people the option to try different courses, that way it’s a good opportunity to test themselves and have a safety net too.”
For more information visit www.3mountainmadness.com.
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