Cycle North Carolina will begin an all-new route for the 2024 “Mountains to Coast” tour of scenic North Carolina and several local towns, Cleveland and Spencer, are on the biking route.

This is the 25th anniversary of the first Mountains to Coast Ride held back in 1999, running from Murphy to Manteo. This year’s event is scheduled for a Spruce Pine to Ocean Isle Beach trek from Oct. 6-12, with Oct. 5 serving as the check-in day. With beautiful tourist stops along scenic back roads, the “Mountains to Coast” ride 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 Oct. 6 from Riverside Park in Spruce Pine and nearly 450 miles later will arrive at the Town Center Park in Ocean Isle Beach on Oct. 12, with roughly 900 cyclists in tow.

The cyclists represent 42 states plus the District of Columbia, Canada and the United Kingdom. The youngest cyclist to ride for the entire week is 10, while the oldest participant is 87.

Over the course of the week, riders will bike an average of 62 miles per day. Additional overnight stays are planned in Lenoir, Statesville, Thomasville, Pittsboro, Benson and Elizabethtown. The route will also pass through many other towns and communities along the way, including Cleveland, Spencer, Lexington, Linville Falls, Collettsville, Hiddenite, Stony Point, Amity Hill, Franklin, Archdale, Liberty, Silk Hope, Moncure, Angier, Spiveys Corner, Salemburg, Roseboro, Hallsboro and Grissettown as they make their way to the finish.

In this year’s tour, bicyclists will experience numerous instances of North Carolina’s unique topography including mountains, ample farmland, several lakes, creeks and winding rivers. Three to four rest stops are scheduled daily to break up the ride and allow riders an opportunity to take a break from pedaling. Some of the featured rest stops which are planned for the ride include Cleveland Town Hall and World’s Smallest Library, Linville Lodge, Traveler’s Rest, Hiddenite Heritage and Arts Center, Fort Dobbs State Historic Site, Short Circuit Arcade Bar, Richard Petty Museum, Liberty Patterson Cottage, Jordan Dam Visitors Center, Kidd’s Place Sporting Clay/Pistol Range, Angier Depot, Spivey’s Corner Volunteer Fire Department, Downtown Roseboro and the George Henry White Memorial Health and Education Center.

The Cycle North Carolina “Mountains to Coast” Tour 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; 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, three-day options, or first-day and last-day only options. Online registration is still open at www.ncsports.org.

Hosted by North Carolina Amateur Sports (NCAS), Cycle North Carolina was developed to promote North Carolina’s scenic beauty, heritage tourism, visitor attractions, historic sites, state parks, fitness, healthy lifestyles and the benefits of bicycling to individuals and our state. During the past 24 years, Cycle North Carolina has stopped overnight in more than 100 North Carolina towns and visited more than 800 North Carolina communities.

Cycle North Carolina is presented by Retire NC. Partner organizations of Cycle North Carolina include: BODYARMOR, Truist, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC, Capitol Broadcasting Company, Harris Teeter, Fat Tire and the N.C. Department of Transportation.

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