City readies for statewide cycling tour

Mayberry Days and the Autumn Leaves Festival aren’t the only big events unfolding in Mount Airy this fall — there’s also a statewide cycling tour that will begin in the city.

Cycle North Carolina’s 2026 “Mountains to Coast” ride is to start from Veterans Memorial Park on West Lebanon Street en route to Hatteras Island, a trek scheduled from Oct. 4-10.

Roughly 800 cyclists are expected from 38 states and several foreign countries, organizers said, which local officials consider a feather in the cap — or bike helmet as it were — for this community.

“Being the starting point for Cycle North Carolina’s Mountains to Coast tour is a tremendous opportunity for Mount Airy,” Executive Director Jessica Roberts of the city Tourism Development Authority said.

“We’ve hosted the ride in previous years as an overnight stop, but this is the first time we’ve had the opportunity to kick off the entire tour,” Roberts added, “which makes it especially exciting for our community.”

Tourism-related dollars will be a big part of that, she said.

Over the course of the week involved, riders will bike an average of 67 miles per day, according to Executive Director Chip Hofler of North Carolina Amateur Sports, which hosts the Mountains to Coast tour.

It is aimed at showcasing scenic locations in the state along with the benefits of bicycling.

In addition to Mount Airy, overnight stays are planned in Eden, Hillsborough, Henderson, Weldon, Edenton and Manteo.

The route also will pass through many other towns and communities along the way, such as Westfield, Lawsonville, Sandy Ridge, Stoneville, Ruffin, Elon, Oxford, Warrenton, Halifax, Scotland Neck, Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head as riders make their way to the finish.

Among featured rest stops planned for the ride, to give participants a break from pedaling, are Simmons Farm Museum, The Viking Experience, Lake O’ the Woods Estate, Sylvan Heights Bird Park, Doodlebug’s Farm, the Wright Brothers Memorial and Bodie Island Lighthouse.

This year’s course is an all-new route for Cycle North Carolina’s Mountains to Coast tour first held in 1999 from Murphy to Manteo.

The cross-state trek has been completed by riders as young as 12 years old up to age 89, organizers said.

Online registration for this year’s event, with various options offered, is still open at www.ncsports.org

Local boost

Roberts, the Mount Airy Tourism Development Authority official, said this area will benefit economically by being the starting point for the ride.

“With nearly 800 cyclists participating, we expect many riders and their families to arrive ahead of the official kickoff activities on Saturday, Oct. 3, giving them additional time to experience Mount Airy and Surry County,” she explained. “That means more opportunities for our hotels, restaurants, shops, attractions and other local businesses to benefit from their time here.”

“Beyond the immediate economic impact, we’re welcoming cyclists from across the country and internationally who may be experiencing our community for the first time,” she said.

In this way, Mount Airy is expected to be aided in the future from the upcoming race.

“There is something special about being the place where this 450-plus-mile journey across North Carolina begins,” Roberts said.

“We have the opportunity to make that first impression, showcase our hospitality and introduce riders to Mount Airy as more than just the starting line.”

Local officials hope cyclists will want to return here with their families and friends, stay longer and experience even more of what this area has to offer.

That includes more than 500 miles of Surry Scenic Bikeways in the county, according to Roberts.

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