Cycle North Carolina 2009

The 11th annual Cycle North Carolina (CNC) “Mountains to the Coast” tour took place September 27 to October 3. If a cross-state ride is not yet on your calendar, you may want to consider setting aside time next year to savor a week of unhurried cycling. Cycling several hundred miles may appear as a daunting challenge, but this NC state tour and other similar cross-state tours are well-organized and well within reach of cyclist of all calibers. These tours are not races. On the contrary, cyclists are encouraged to ride at their own pace, take in the sights, chat with the locals and generally enjoy just pedaling their bikes down the road.

Approximately 1,100 riders participated. Riders in these fall classics tend to be older than the summer tours like the Bike Ride Across Georgia (BRAG). The oldest riders on this tour were in their eighties. Participating was a range of riders from retirees, middle agers down to youthful twenty-somethings and even a few riders not yet 10 years old. Suffice it to say, age was no barrier to those with a heart to cycle.

The tour started in the enchanting mountain hamlet of Blowing Rock. The course then traversed 425 miles as it meandered westward through small towns and scenic countryside ending in the coastal town of Surf City. Stops along the way included Lenoir, Statesville, Thomasville, Sanford, Dunn and Kenansville. Both the “over night” and the many “pass-thru” towns went out of their way to provide welcoming Southern hospitality.

At the over night stop in Thomasville, for example, the staff at the campsite at the Baptist Children’s Home just gushed with hospitality. Food stalls were plentiful, live music was provided and an outdoor movie was shown in the evening.

The pass-thru town of Warsaw lined the incoming streets with welcoming signs, offered

free snacks and lemonade in an old historic home converted

into the Duplin County Veterans Museum.

And where else except in Spivey’s Corner, Hollerin’ Capital of the Universe, can one hear an authentic “sou-eeeeee” holler?

Add in opportunities to visit the Richard Petty NASCAR museum, watch a display of Revolutionary War musketry firing at Fort Dobbs, amble the Averasboro Civil War battle ground, sample Muscadine wines at the Duplin Winery and other self-invented side trips and you have yourself one fine cycling tour.

On top of the great adventures, the weather for the ride was nearly perfect. Th

e heavy rains that had so battered and flooded the Atlanta area followed us north and complicated activities on registration day. However, once the ride began, sunshine and temperatures in the 70’s accompanied us each day. Even the “wind gods” bestowed their favor upon us by providing mostly tail winds that swept us to the coast. Ahhh……

To be totally frank, some honest cycling was required. Even though we had a net drop of over 2,500 vertical feet on day 1, we still had some pretty long, switchback climbs. Aware of the climbing challenges, the organize

rs provided two options this day. One option took riders up to the Blue Ridge Parkway and a chance to ride the winding Linn Cove Viaduct. That option included additional climbing. The other option, still with some climbing, was a bit less demanding. Both options provided an exhilarating 11-mile downhill run.

Days 2 and 3 had their share of rolling hills, but it was clear we were riding out of the mountains

to the piedmont. Day 4 was the most demanding distance wise. Two ride options were available: 75 or 100 miles. Either way, you were going to be in the saddle a bit this day. I had anticipated more flat runs and was surprised to find the century ride was really a roller coaster of ups and downs. Even though we had a 550 foot net drop in elevation from start to end, this was a “pay as you go” day when it came to hill climbing. Some downhills gave a boost to pop over its mirror-imaged uphill counterpart. However, whatever we rode down, we had to pay back into the kitty with some uphill climbing gears. So how hard could it be?

With adroit down-shifting and a steady spin pace, no hill was too tough for my 58 year-old body riding a 16-geared bike. I was feeling pretty good; top of my game…until a rider on a single gear bike shot past me. I later discovered that there were three riders with single gear bikes. Admiration just has to be extended to these riders.

Buck Hefner, 61, from Berkley Springs, WV, representing the Winchester Wheelmen Club, has been riding a single-gear bike for more than four years. Inspired by turn of the century Tour deFrance riders with their single gear machines, Buck cycled his 50:17 gear ratio bike embracing an earlier era of cycling. Delacy Blair Chavis Jr., 59, from Gibsonville, NC, better known by the signature on his wheels “Joe Velo” cycled his 53:16 gear ratio bike to savor the unencumbered joys of cycling. No gears, no computer, no gadgets. Sometimes it is about the bike. The undisputed hero of the single-gear riders was David Goodwin, 16, also from Gibsonville. David, a top notch student, was on his third CNC, but his first on a 46:15 geared cycle. David’s adoption of the single-gear bike, which he built himself, was inspired by “Joe.” H

owever, unlike Buck and Joe, David’s single-gear was a fixed single-gear. That is, when the wheels moved, the pedals moved. When asked what was the hardest part of the tour, David responded, “The 11 mile downhill!” Hard not to admire such cycling purity.

By day 5 we were moving off the piedmont plateau onto the coastal plains. The soil changed from rich dark brown to light sandy coastal soil. The distance between rest stops started to stretch from the 12–15 miles of the early part of the ride to 18–22 miles. Although pace lines are not encouraged by the ride organizers, there is some invisible attractive force inherent in long, flat roadways that lead inevitably to single file drafting of riders. I hopped on the wheel of the last rider in a 20+ mph pace line zipping by and discovered my dinner partner of the previous evening, Ted Higgins. Ted had traveled down from Canada for the ride. Ted is 70. Another admired rider.

Day 6 was a 61-mile run from Dunn to Kenansville. Dark morning clouds hung with us this day. We saw some rain showers near the end of the ride, but those passed rather quickly. The road surface this day alternated between silky smooth new roads to jarring shake and bake of well worn-roads. There was also evidence of a long-ago love affair by the NC DOT for concrete slab roads that was spurned for a new love of asphalt. Unfortunately, the long-ago concrete slabs would not go quietly. Our high pressure, thin bike tires were like tuning forks on the slab seams, providing a rhythmic thump-thump as we passed from slab to slab hidden beneath the asphalt. Overall, the road selection for the tour was very good. The vast majority of the roads were low traffic, most surfaces were good and when there was a need to cross a busy intersection, local police officers were present to block traffic allowing a safe crossing.

I also encountered my first and only bike breakdown on day 6. Three bike shops Trek, Cycling Spoken Here and Liberty Bikes provided expert, dedicated and seemingly around the clock bike repair services. Bike mechanics were found at many of the rest stops to provide as-needed care. For more extensive support, the bike shops set up at the over night campsites. Also found in camp was Rosie’s Café that supplied a never-ending source of coffee, tea and other hot drinks for the tour riders.

With the threat of rain still present when I arrived in Kenansville, I opted to forego my regular outdoor camping for an indoor camp spot in the cavernous Duplin County Event Center. The CNC tour offered a wide variety of options for the non-cycling aspect of the tour. I prefer to pack things in a duffel bag, throw on luggage truck, retrieve, camp outside, throw duffel bag back on truck, repeat. Others selected a motel option. In between, services were provided by private outfits like Bubba Pampered Pedalers, which supplied and set up your tent, provided daily clean towels and after-ride amenities such as a social tent with cold drinks and rich conversation. Cycle Logistics offered similar services, though this option was BYOT (bring your own tent) and set up. For the truly hearty, you can self-SAG as Seth Schmidt, 45 from Glen Allen, VA did. Preparing for some longer, self-contained rides, Seth came prepared to be fully independent with packed panniers. His advice; pack less then you need, take your time and enjoy your cycling experience.

The downside of indoor camping is that this crowd tends to be early risers. At 5:30 am, a wave of commotion in the event center began that continued until all in the arena were stirring. Part of the early commotion is a desire to get in the breakfast line. For those selecting the meal plan, breakfast starts at 6:00 am. Dinner is usually served at 6:00 pm. I typically do not opt for the meal plan because there are ample opportunities to purchase meals on the road. Each over night town is keen to have you visit their downtown restaurants. Welcome tables are set up at the campsite in each town and free shuttle service provided. To each his own with regard to meal planning.

The final day was a pleasant 53-mile spin into Surf City. We found shake and bake and thump-thump for the first 15 miles, but then it was perfect road surface with sunshine, wind at our back and a warming sense of accomplishment as the miles ticked by on the way to the coast.

Shower services from the Bush Fire Services team was with us at every stop including this last day in Surf City. Connected to nearby fire hydrants and equipped with instant hot water generation, there is always a nice, clean hot shower waiting for you at the end of the day.

A post-ride meal of catfish and fixins’ was provided. For some making their way back to Blowing Rock or Cary (another return point), pedals were removed, handle bars turned and bikes loaded onto transport trucks. The riders then took a CNC arranged bus to their return point. Others did this journey in reverse so their cars were waiting for them in Surf City.

Slowly, the luggage, bikes and riders melted away from the finish point. Reminiscences of the

tour’s challenges will surely be repeated. My favorite observations of the ride’s challenge comes from little Eleanor Morris, age 5. Eleanor, along with her sister Claire, age 8, and mom and dad, Laura Benedict and John Morris from Durham, NC rode the whole tour as a family. Claire and Mom were on a tandem and Eleanor was perched on a tagalong behind Dad. The Morris’s have several CNC family tours behind them. I asked, “So Eleanor, what was the hardest part of the whole cycle tour?” Eleanor stretched her arms up in the air and having reviewed in her mind her well-considered answer she replied, “Nothing.” You go girl!

See ya next year.