Twenty-five years ago the 563-mile Mountains to Coast Bicycle tour kicked off in Cherokee County. That original tour in 1999 was held over two weeks and stretched from Murphy to Manteo, with more than 500 riders, according to bpr.org.
On Aug. 2-3, cycling enthusiasts celebrated the anniversary with the annual Cycle NC ride in the mountains based out of Konehete Veterans Park in Murphy. The event was hosted in part by nonprofit N.C. Amateur Sports and the Southern Appalachian Bicycle Association.
SABA – with about 160 members in Cherokee, Clay and surrounding counties – includes mountain and road bikers who help maintain many local biking trails. In fact, President Rod Fortney said he moved to the region because of the biking opportunities.
This wasn’t the first time the nonprofit’s work benefitted the area. In 2010, the Town of Murphy started to open the Piney Knob Trail System, which sits on more than 700 acres of Murphy Watershed property, and is where SABA helps maintain about 13 miles of biking trails.
SABA has also developed more than 20 miles of trails near Lake Chatuge with the U.S. Forest Service and Clay County Communities Revitalization Association. The Jackrabbit Trail System is on a peninsula on the Georgia border.
“Recreation is a big part of quality of life in the area. Piney Knob didn’t exist back in 1999, the Murphy River Walk didn’t exist,” Murphy Downtown Development Director Laura Lachance told Blue Ridge Public Radio, adding that there weren’t that many road cyclists back then compared with who’s on the roads today.
A total of 326 cyclists from 17 states came to Murphy for the Cycle NC Mountain Ride. The average age of the cyclists was 61, with the youngest being 19 and the oldest 82. The ratio of men and women was 61% men and 39% women.
While recreational vehicle and tent camping was available at Konehete Veterans Park, plenty of cyclists opted to stay in hotels and rental houses. And they all ate at local restaurants, went out to see local entertainment and shopped at local stores, giving a boost to the local economy.
Thanks to the Town of Murphy for rolling out a well-planned welcome mat for the cyclists, and for all of the volunteers who contributed to the cause. Hofler said “the routes were fantastic and the people were great,” making for a fun weekend – and one that will likely be repeated in the future. That deserves a pat on the back.
– Publisher David Brown