Cycle North Carolina Spring Tune-up Tour

We all know that when the first dusting of pollen is seen a spring tune-up ride is soon to follow. Such was the case for the 6^th Annual Cycle North Carolina spring tune-up held April 17 – 19, 2009 in historic Washington, NC. Over 1,000 riders from Colorado, Maine, Canada and other parts near and far converged on Washington for this three day ride-out-ride-back ride. For the many who confessed, “This is the first time I’ve been on my bike this year,” this hub and spoke ride offered a wide variety of options from a leisurely 5 mile slow roll to an arduous 108 miles.

CNC is a top-notch riding group that does an excellent job of organization, planning, registration and orchestration. Several years back, I participated in a Cycle North Carolina week long fall classic ride. An e-mail received in the dark wintry days gave plenty of time to contemplate the ride, procrastinate and still have ample time to register online. The online registration cost of $105 included outdoor camping facilities, continuous hot water showers, porta-potty access, a Friday night fish fry dinner, t-shirt, ferry crossing fee, ride maps and a marvelous opportunity to tour the byways and bergs surrounding the Pamlico River on the eastern shore of North Carolina.

The first and most difficult first part of this ride was getting to Washington. Located nearly 500 miles from our home in Roswell, GA, Washington is on the edge of our riding circuit. We packed our bikes, camping equipment and good spirits into our Prius and made an all day drive on Thursday up to North Carolina. We arrived about 2 hours after the close of registration and found little to no signage to help us navigate the intention of the organizers. However, a spacious spot among the other tents pitched along the river was home for the next two evenings. We also found ourselves a tad ill-prepared for the chilly April evenings. We made a note to pack knit caps and warmer sleeping gear for our next spring tune-up ride.

On Friday morning, Helen volunteered at registration while I took an early work-related conference call. The weather was sunny and the ride options of 5, 11, 23, 30, 56 and 73 miles pulled on our enthusiasm to get on the road. Helen opted for a 30 mile cruise, I selected the 73 mile option. Generally, the courses were well marked. A few more reassuring course arrows on lonely, long stretches of road would have been welcomed, but overall a good job was done marking. The only shortcoming of the tune-up tour was in the selection of some course routes.

Asphalt long ago applied atop concrete slab roadways provided a thump-thump rhythm on those roads. Several of the coastal roads were real workhorses and revealed their stress in cracks and rough surfaces. Also, the shorter 23 - 30 mile courses, typically ridden by less experienced riders, had those riders returning to camp on a busy four-laner. Hopefully a bit more attention in course selection will be included in next year’s course layouts.

Friday night was fish fry night at the town’s old railway station, refurbished and now the civic center. We were also treated to a marvelous Washington street party. We were told the historic downtown district is closed to traffic several times a year and converted into a pedestrian mall. Musical bands ranging from country, blues, rock and roll and good old-fashioned bag pipes filled the air with global tunes. There was dancing, eating, mingling and generally an inviting atmosphere.

Saturday was another beautiful sunny ride day. Options of 5, 11, 23, 30, 35, 67 and 108 were offered.

Helen beamed out on the 23 mile course; I headed out on the 67 mile course which included a ferry ride to visit the Aurora Fossil Museum. Unfortunately, the morning ferry crossing was cancelled, so I picked up the century course. Grandeur of an early season century was dispelled by the constant spring winds and legs growing increasingly fatigued. I clipped the century short and had a wonderful 65 mile ride with my new best hero, Sharon. Sharon, 70 years young, rode like a 20-something hard-body. At the ride’s conclusion, Helen and I chatted with Sharon and marveled as she listed her ballroom dance schedule and her planned biathlon and triathlon competitions. She then headed out for 3 mile run. May we all be so blessed.

The long drive back to Atlanta required that we skip the Sunday ride options of 5, 11, 25, 65 and 73 miles. We are sure all who rode had a wonderful day. In fact, any day you ride your bike is wonderful day! Happy cycling.