As one of the very few rides not on a weekend or a holiday, The Assaults on Mt. Mitchell and Marion must be just about the best way to spend a Monday morning if you are partial to wearing lycra and riding on skinny tires.

The 2017 edition of the Assaults will take place on May 15. It is organized by The Freewheelers Cycling Association.

Destination Mt. Mitchell. Credit: Ian Curcio
In 1974, John Bryan came up with the idea of pedaling from his home in Spartanburg, SC to the top of Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi. John directed the ride for many years until his passing in 2009. This year 900 cyclists are expected to tackle 102 miles and 10,000 feet of climbing of the "Beast of the East" with Greenville Health Systems coming onboard as sponsor.

(Read reports from 2015 and 2016)

Registration is now open with a $10 Early Bird discount until the end of the year. The regular price is $135, which includes a mandatory bus transfer down from Mt. Mitchell after the finish due to the constraints of the mountain-top finish (the same constraints that prevent a weekend running).

Registration for the sister ride, the 74-mile Assault on Mt. Marion, which finishes in Marion, NC, opens on January 2. The cost is $50.

"Now in its forty-second year, The Assaults is a historic, intensive and beloved ride," said Katie Jordan, Ride Director for The Assaults.

"The Assaults have always had a charitable component, with more than $8,000 in proceeds benefiting community organizations in 2016 alone. We are thrilled to have Greenville Health System on board as presenting sponsor, as their tremendous support will help the ride go the 'extra mile' in its 2017 charitable donations."

A portion of the proceeds from the 2017 Assaults will support HUB Cycle, a program of Partners for Active Living. This program increases access to bicycles for those n Spartanburg using them as their primary means of transport i. Additional organizations supported by the ride include FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Palmetto Cycling Coalition, the Spartanburg Humane Society, and the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind.

Winding through the trees. Credit: Ian Curcio
The organization behind The Assaults, The Freewheelers Cycling Association, is a Spartanburg, S.C.-based, 501 (c)(3) nonprofit community service organization founded in 1973. The Freewheelers' mission is to provide education and promotion of bicycle safety and a forum for amateur sports competition and touring.

0 Comments