Charleston is a Cyclist’s Dream Destination

Charleston, W.V. January 22, 2025 – The Capital City is embracing its status as a cycling destination with a new “Bike City USA” designation.

Officials at the Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau say the branding is ideal for the city, which began hosting the USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships in 2024. The world-tour riders, world champions and Olympians who competed on the city’s streets learned what locals have known for years: Charleston is a cyclist’s dream destination. The bike-friendly state capital hosts nearly 170 miles of road and gravel cycling trails and a BMX park. Nearby parks and a state forest provide dozens more mountain biking trails – all just minutes from downtown.

“With road cycling, mountain biking, gravel, BMX, and other biking activities available here, there is no better cycling destination than Charleston, West Virginia,” said President and CEO Tim Brady. “Combine that with our proximity to amazing hiking, rafting, and kayaking opportunities, we’re really the epicenter of outdoor recreation in West Virginia.”

To promote these cycling resources, the CVB created a website for cyclists to explore Charleston, bikecity-usa.com. This website hosts information to plan a successful ride, including a map with parking locations, bike shops, routes, and links to AllTrails, a trusted platform for outdoor exploration.

‘We saw the energy that USA Pro Roads brought to our city last year, and the enthusiasm for cycling after they left town, and wanted to come up with a way to harness that.  Bike City USA isn’t just an idea, it’s an identity.  We want locals and visitors to embrace it, young and old.  Ride our roads, ride our trails and experience Bike City USA for yourself,” Brady said.

Charleston is ready for cyclists to roll on through. Visit bikecity-usa.com to start the adventure.

The USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships return to Charleston May 20-25 and will debut the Under-23 Women’s Road Race as a standalone event. In addition, Para-cycling will be added to the competition.