Durham, NC – The 14th Annual Cycle North Carolina (CNC) Coastal Ride will kick-off Friday, April 28th, in Oriental, NC, after reaching its rider limit of 1,400 cyclists. This is the fourth year in a row that the event has sold out, reaching capacity in record time, by the beginning of January. The 2017 participants represent thirty-two different states (AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, SC, TN, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV), the District of Columbia and Canada. The CNC Coastal Ride was last hosted in Oriental in 2014, with 1,317 cyclists participating. Oriental also hosted the Coastal Ride in 2011 and 2008.
In all, this will be the fourth time Oriental has hosted the Cycle North Carolina Coastal Ride. The fun-filled weekend will offer three days of cycling and feature some great Coastal Carolina food, music and historical sites. The CNC Coastal Ride will also include many off-the-bike recreational activities in the Oriental area. Canoeing, kayaking, bird watching, historic tours, wine tastings, local art displays and beautiful sunsets will fill time away from the bike and provide a taste of spring in Coastal North Carolina.
The Cycle North Carolina Coastal Ride is a fully supported bicycle event with support vehicles available to aid cyclists who experience physical or mechanical breakdowns. Rest stops will be set up every 10-20 miles along each route for riders to get off their bikes and explore, while quenching their hunger and thirst. Indoor and outdoor camping areas with amenities will be provided at the Oriental Women’s Club, at Lou Mac Park and at the participating residential properties along the waterfront. Participants will also fill the hotels, Bed and Breakfast Inns and vacation homes in Oriental. Cycling routes will include attractions such as Minnesott Beach, Aurora Fossil Museum, Bayboro, Arlington Place, River Dunes Harbor Club, Joe Himbry Waterfront Park and Pine Cliff Recreation Area to name a few.
Evening entertainment will be provided both nights for participants in Oriental. Friday night is the Coastal Ride Bike Swap, allowing participants to buy and sell new and used bicycles and bicycle parts. Saturday night is the official CNC Coastal Ride Dinner where all participants can enjoy a free shimp, fish and chicken dinner, catch up with friends, and socialize with other cyclists. During the meal, cyclists can enjoy the music of Moore’s Creek Bluegrass band. After the meal, they can attend an Oriental Walking Ghost Tour beginning at Lou Mac Park. Dinner, music and beer will set the scene so cyclists can relax and unwind in Oriental’s historic downtown.
For a full schedule of events for the weekend, click on this link.
The Cycle North Carolina Coastal Ride is presented by Visit North Carolina. Partner organizations of Cycle North Carolina include: Powerade, Capitol Broadcasting Company, Lowe’s Foods, the N.C. Department of Transportation and Cycling Spoken Here.
North Carolina Amateur Sports is a 501c(3) nonprofit charitable organization that annually organizes the Powerade State Games of North Carolina and Cycle North Carolina. NCAS is dedicated to the promotion of the spirit of amateur sports, physical fitness and health to all ages and skill levels through the participation in organized events which enrich the state of North Carolina. For more information on NCAS and its events, please access www.ncsports.org.