A 35-mile mountain bike race, the Sycamore Cycles Swank 65 takes riders on some of Pisgah National Forest’s best trails, including the back bowls known as Pilot Mountain. The race begins at 2,500 feet and consists of a triad of cloverleaf-shaped loops winding around Gloucester Gap. Its course rolls over rugged mining roads, single-track, tough climbs, and hell-raising descents. » Cove Creek Group Campground; Sunday, 9:50 a.m.; $100, $90 September 23-October 29, $80 by September 22; info@blueridgeadventures.net; www.blueridgeadventures.net