Cycle North Carolina Mountains to Coast Tour Kicks Off Sept 29th

Cyclists Will Ride More Than 450 Miles from Black Mountain to Oak Island

DURHAM, North Carolina, September 26, 2018 – Cycle North Carolina is preparing an all-new route for another “Mountains to Coast” tour of scenic North Carolina. The twentieth-annual ride is scheduled for a Black Mountain to Oak Island trek, from September 29 to October 6. With beautiful tourist stops along scenic back roads, the “Mountains to Coast” route is the highlight of the year for many cyclists from across the nation.

Cycle North Carolina will begin its full-service, cross-state ride on September 29th at Black Mountain Primary School, and will arrive at Middleton Park in Oak Island on October 6th, with 1,000 cyclists in tow. The cyclists represent 36 states (AK, AL, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI, WV), the District of Columbia, England and Ontario, Canada. The youngest cyclist to ride for the entire week is 9 years old, and the oldest is 85 years old.

Over the course of the week, riders will bike an average of 65 miles per day. Additional overnight stays are planned for the towns of Morganton, Mooresville, Archdale, Southern Pines, Dunn, and Elizabethtown. The route will also pass through many other towns and small communities along the way, including Marion, Glen Alpine, Sunnyside, Pleasant Grove, Advent Crossroads, Mountain View, Newton, Witherspoon Crossroad, Mount Ulla, Woodbridge Run, Salisbury, Spencer, Lexington, Thomasville, Asheboro, Seagrove, Robbins, Carthage, Whispering Pines, Johnsonville, Pineview, Barbecue, Bunnlevel, Spiveys Corner, Roseboro, Ammon, Bolton, and Supply.

In this year’s tour, bicyclists will see some of North Carolina’s most breathtaking and interesting sites: Lake James, Catawba River, Lake Norman State Park, GoPro Motorplex, Southern Railway Park, NC Transportation Museum, High Rock Lake, Muddy Creek, Lake Lucas, North Carolina Zoo, Raven Rock State Park, Bladen Lakes State Forest, Jones Lake State Park, the Intracoastal Waterway, and many more.

Cycle North Carolina is the state’s only fully-supported ride. Luggage is transported in vehicles from one overnight host community to the next; rider support vehicles are available to aid cyclists who experience physical or mechanical trouble; indoor and outdoor camping areas with amenities are set-up in overnight host communities; and rest stops will be available every 15-20 miles along the route, with beverages and snacks for all participants. Riders can register for the entire distance, multiple-day options, or single-day options.

Cycle North Carolina is presented by Visit North Carolina. Partner organizations of Cycle North Carolina include: Powerade, Capitol Broadcasting Company, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, BB&T, Lowe’s Foods, the N.C. Department of Transportation and Cycling Spoken Here.

Hosted by North Carolina Amateur Sports (NCAS), Cycle North Carolina is a fully supported cross-state recreational bike tour of the Tar Heel State. Formed in 1999, Cycle North Carolina is designed to promote physical fitness and health, and provide economic impact and publicity to rural communities, while showcasing the state’s beauty, scenic attractions and cultural diversity.

For more information on Cycle North Carolina, contact NCAS at (919) 361-1133, or visit the Cycle North Carolina Web site at, www.cyclenorthcarolina.org.