Motion Makers Bicycle Shop has been a hub in downtown Sylva for more than a decade, offering a variety of bikes for all ages as well as expert repair services, quality apparel, bike accessories and local community bike rides.

Shop owner Kent Cranford has a zeal for all types of bikes, which is apparent inside his business.

"From kids' bikes to custom bikes, pre-schoolers to pros, we have it all," Cranford said.

Cranford's father was an avid cyclist and passed down his enthusiasm and knowledge for the sport to his son. As a boy, Cranford had a Schwinn Cruiser bicycle for his newspaper route, and as he got older he grew more adventuresome in his biking pursuits.

"I was a BMX racer in the 1970s and got really hooked, and now it's in my blood. It's a passion," Cranford said.

His passion has been well received as Jackson County's cycling community has a wide range of bikers from college students to hospital employees.

Cranford's shop strives to strengthen that cycling kinship by providing bike rides that encompass many counties. The weekly Tuesday night bike ride has been an ongoing event for years during March through October.

Meeting up at Motion Makers Bicycle Shop Tuesdays at 6 p.m., the ride covers about 25 miles roundtrip, giving cyclists of all levels a little bit of everything from riding flat to climbing, descending and sprinting.

Motion Makers Bicycle Shop empowers people to pedal, and discover the adventures Jackson County can offer for cyclists of all ages.

For more information call 828.586.6925.