About the NCC.
The Nelson Cycling Club (NCC) is a voice for cycling in Nelson and the surrounding area, advocating for riders and helping build a vibrant mountain biking community.
Nelson is home to an extensive network of trails, many of which were originally built and maintained by passionate local volunteers. As mountain biking has grown, so has the need for organized trail stewardship, maintenance, and development. Today, the NCC works year-round to support and enhance the region's trail network through advocacy, planning, fundraising, volunteer engagement, and partnerships with land managers and local organizations.
A seasonal professional trail crew carries out trail maintenance, repairs, and improvement projects throughout the riding season, while volunteers contribute thousands of hours through trail days, and community events. Together, these efforts help keep Nelson's trails sustainable, enjoyable, and ready for riders of all abilities.
Since its founding in 1995, the NCC has played a central role in developing cycling culture in the region. The club has supported countless races, group rides, skills clinics, youth programs, trail-building initiatives, and community events. While the legendary Kootenay Fat Tire Festival helped establish Nelson as a mountain biking destination, today's scene continues to thrive through events such as the Sacred Rides Glacier Fresh Ride, the Gerick's Morning Mountain Enduro series, DH league races, instructional clinics, youth programming, volunteer trail days, and weekly community rides.
The NCC remains committed to growing and maintaining world-class trail experiences while fostering a welcoming, inclusive, and engaged cycling community for current and future generations of riders.
The Nelson Cycling Club acknowledges and is grateful for the ability to operate and recreate on the traditional territories and ancestral lands of the Ktunaxa, Sinixt, Syilx and Secwepemc peoples whose stewardship of these lands continues since time immemorial.
Nelson Cycling Club History
Nelson's mountain bike trail network was built on volunteer passion. For decades, local riders have shaped, maintained, and championed the trails that have made Nelson one of British Columbia's premier mountain biking destinations. Like many trail networks across the province, these trails began as grassroots community projects and continue to thrive because of the people who care deeply about them.
Mountain biking arrived in the Nelson area in the late 1980s, when the first purpose-built trails began to take shape. In 1995, a group of local riders came together to create the Kootenay Fat Tire Festival, establishing the region's first organized mountain biking society. The organization became an official non-profit in 1998 as the Kootenay Fat Tire Society.
The need for coordinated trail stewardship, land management, and advocacy grew as the sport took off. In 2002, the Kootenay Fat Tire Society evolved into the Nelson Cycling Club Society, expanding its focus beyond events to include the long-term sustainability and development of the region's trail network.
Today, the NCC remains committed to supporting and growing mountain biking in the Nelson area. While the club continues to host and support events, much of its work is focused on trail stewardship. A professional trail crew and dedicated volunteers maintain hundreds of kilometres of trails each year, clearing fallen trees, repairing and rebuilding trail features, improving drainage, managing vegetation, and enhancing the riding experience across the network.
Supported by hundreds of members, volunteers, sponsors, and community partners, the NCC continues to invest in the trails that connect our community, support local recreation and tourism, and provide world-class riding opportunities for residents and visitors alike.
Masterplan 2019-2021
Check out the vision for NCC by clicking the link above. New master plan coming soon..
Photographer Contributions
Check out the photographers who have generously donated their photos to the Nelson Cycling Club, to spread the stoke of biking in our community.
John Gibson.
Kyle Gorenko.
Instagram: @livestokedphoto
Emily Cameron
Website: https://www.cameroncreativeco.com