Cycle North Carolina’s “Mountains to Coast” bicycle event starts Sunday, September 30. The 14th annual recreational bicycle tour will begin at Brevard College and end at Carolina Beach. Additional overnight stops include: Lake Lure, Shelby, Matthews, Rockingham, Lumberton and White Lake. With many other charming communities and tourist stops along North Carolina’s back roads, this event promises to be the highlight of the year for bicycle enthusiasts throughout the country.

Cycle North Carolina is designed to promote healthy lifestyles, provide economic impact for North Carolina’s charming rural communities and promote the unparalleled cultural and geographical diversity of the great state of North Carolina. Each year the Cycle North Carolina “Mountains to the Coast” event provides tremendous economic benefits to the overnight host communities and numerous pass-through communities. More than 1,000 bicyclists visit these towns each year generating an estimated economic impact of $200,000-$500,000 for host communities.

For the 2012 event, over 1,000 people have already signed up, including participants from 35 states and 2 Canadian provinces. The average age of registered participants is 56 years old. The youngest male participant is 5 years old, while the oldest male is 84 years old. The youngest female participant is 6 years old, and the oldest female is 79 years old.

With wonderful tourist stops scheduled along scenic back-roads, this year’s Cycle North Carolina will showcase many fascinating communities and attractions across the state. This is the first year the cyclists will navigate through downtown Charlotte, using bicycle-friendly roads and the beautiful Little Sugar Creek Greenway. Additionally, Carolina Beach will allow cyclists to camp on the beach at the end of the ride for the first time this year.

Some of the other highlights along this year’s route will include Blue Ridge Mountains, Hickory Nut Gorge, Chimney Rock Park, Herchell-Spillman Carousel (circa 1919), Ellenboro Historic Train Depot, Hamlet Train Station and Museum, Historic John Blue House, UNC Pembroke, Lu Mil Vineyard, Jones Lake State Park, Moore’s Creek Battleground, River Road Park, Intercoastal Waterway and the Carolina Beach Boardwalk. The event will also showcase many other local museums, historic attractions, wineries, street festivals and state parks throughout North Carolina.

Cycle North Carolina is the state’s only cross-state, fully-supported ride. Cycle North Carolina is mostly a camping event, but hotel and B&B accommodations in each overnight town across the state have been sold out for months. Registration is still open for the premier cycling event in North Carolina. Riders can register for the entire distance, multiple-day options, or single-day options. Visit www.cyclenorthcarolina.org or call (919) 361-1133 for more information, or to register.

Hosted by North Carolina Amateur Sports (NCAS), Cycle North Carolina is a fully supported cross-state recreational bike tour of the Tar Heel State. Cycle North Carolina was created in 1999 by the N.C. Division of Tourism, the Department of Transportation and Capitol Broadcasting Company. Cycle North Carolina is designed to promote physical fitness and health, and provide economic impact and publicity to rural communities, while showcasing the state’s beauty, scenic attractions and cultural diversity.