Cycle North Carolina annually hosts three bicycle rides, the Coastal Ride, the Mountain Ride and the Mountains to Coast Ride. Our newsletter comes to you once a month with event highlights, reminders and more. Read below for information on these three “can’t miss” rides!
See More, with visuals, when you CLICK HERE…..
The 2026 Mountains to Coast Test Ride is Officially Underway!
The countdown to Mountains to Coast is on! Before hundreds of cyclists make their way across North Carolina this October, members of our staff are hitting the road to experience the route exactly as our riders will. Over the next several days, they’ll be scouting rest stops, evaluating road conditions, and making sure everything is ready for an unforgettable ride across the state!
We’ll be sharing updates from the road all week! Be sure to follow along on Facebook and Instagram as the crew makes their way from Mount Airy to Hatteras Island!
Meet the Test Ride Crew!
Chris Wicker
Chris has been working with Cycle NC for fourteen years. He was the Parks & Recreation Director for Roanoke Rapids Parks & Recreation Department for thirty years previous to his time with Cycle NC. He is the lead route developer and rest stop coordinator for the Coastal Ride and is responsible for days 4-7 on the Mountains to Coast Ride. Chris has been instrumental in taking the rest stops for all of our events to the next level, by telling the story of each rest stop along the way. His attention to detail and persistence in making the routes as interesting and safe as possible is second to none.
Kent Cranford
Kent has been working with Cycle NC since 2021. He coordinates our bike services for all three Cycle NC events. He was the owner of Motion Makers Bike Shop, with three locations in the NC mountain region. Once he sold the shops, he continued to work with Dave Blodgett and Lake Gaston Outfitters to provide excellent services for Cycle NC. He also joined the Cycle NC staff as a route developer and rest stop coordinator for the Mountain Ride and Mountains to Coast Ride. He is developing the route for Days 1-3 of this year’s Mountains to Coast Ride.
Ken Tippette
“KT” has been volunteering and/or working with Cycle NC for the past seven years, after participating in many Cycle NC events beforehand. He is a forty year bicycle touring veteran and resides in Washington, NC, where we host the Coastal Ride every 3-4 years. He was previously the Bicycle Program Manager for the City of Charlotte for thirteen years. He began working for Cycle NC as a rest stop volunteer and has since become an integral part of our ride staff as a SAG driver and all around “whatever you need” man. His bicycle touring experience and general friendly demeanor make him an invaluable addition to the Cycle NC staff.
Charles Dickinson
Charles has been working with Cycle NC since 2019. He is a bike tour leader for Adventure Cycling and has done a number of solo rides and bike tours over the years. He has also worked other bicycle events as well, adding excellent experience to the Cycle NC staff. He is a SAG driver for all three of our rides and his previous cycling and event touring experience make him an excellent part of the test ride crew and Cycle NC staff.
Tony Clark
Tony joined the Cycle NC staff back in 2018 after riding many Cycle NC events before that. He is a former parks and recreation supervisor for the Town of Cary and currently works at REI. He is an outdoor enthusiast, riding many solo and group rides over the years, backpacking and hiking as well. He was initially a Sweep Truck Driver for our Mountains to Coast Ride and has since worked as a SAG and Rest Stop Truck Driver/set-up man as well. Most recently, he has served as a route developer for our Mountains to Coast Ride for the past 5 years. Like Chris and Kent, he has a knack for finding interesting sites along the way, developing safe and fascinating routes.