Cyclists make quick stop in Wayne County as part of statewide ride

About 1,000 bicyclists gave Wayne County’s economy a little boost this week, spending Thursday night in Goldsboro and taking a rest break in Mount Olive Friday morning during Cycle North Carolina’s annual 7-day Mountains to Coast ride.

The Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce, the Town of Mount Olive and Mount Olive Pickle Company treated the athletes to a mini version of the town’s famous pickle festival. The visitors traded riding a bike for riding the pickle train, sampled pickle soda and of course, ate plenty of pickles!

Rider Ben Popkin of Chapel Hill has participated in the ride several times. One of the reasons he enjoys the event is because it gives people the opportunity to get off the interstates and see parts of the state they’ve never visited.

“This is my first visit to Goldsboro,” he said Thursday night as he enjoyed a cold, locally brewed draft beer and mingled with other riders and locals at The Filling Station. “I’ve passed by it many times on my way to somewhere else, so this is great. It gives us the chance to get off the beaten path and see some of these smaller communities.”

This year’s Mountains to Coast Ride started Sunday in Lake Lure and ends Saturday in Fort Fisher.

The event is organized by North Carolina Amateur Sports (NCAS), a 501c3 non-profit organization founded in 1983. NCAS created Cycle North Carolina in partnership with Visit North Carolina, Capitol Broadcasting Company and the N.C. Department of Transportation in 1999.

Visit https://ncsports.org/event/cyclenc_mountainstocoast_ride/ to learn more about the bike ride and its 2025 route through the Tar Heel State.