Mountains To Coast Day 0

Cycle North Carolina(CNC)

Mountains to Coast(M2C)

Day 0 9/30/23

Hey y’all. 

What would otherwise be considered junk mail was delivered in the mail a couple years ago. For some reason it was not discarded with the other unsolicited mailings. Rhonda read it and out came “I have an idea!”  

We signed up for last years event; a fully supported bike ride across North Carolina beginning in the Blue Ridge Mountains and finishing on the coast 7 days later. Unfortunately hurricane Ian arrived and our trip was cancelled and credited. 

Last year’s plan was good training for dissembling and packing  packing bikes for air travel. Rescheduled for 2023 I started preparing our road bikes for the the 2023 M2C. New tires, new tubes, tune ups, etc. Then Shimano announced a recall on a series of cranks which were part of Rhonda’s bike. A quick trip to the shop revealed her cranks and chainring were defective and now await a lengthy replacement. Fortunately we had a backup plan. So I quickly tuned, prepped, disassembled the Salsa Cutthroats just in time to board a plane yesterday at 5am and fly across the country. 

Landing in Raleigh/Durham, all our gear and bikes arrived! Thank you Lord for answered prayers. 

Because of all my practice with shipping bikes, I surprised Rhonda with my efficiency and mechanical prowess.  The bikes are running as they should. 

This morning we woke up in the hotel and began meeting 800 new friends. David, Harish, Alan, Bob, Charlie and Howard,  and others are our new mates. CNC loaded our bikes on trucks and we boarded buses for a 4 hour drive to Banner Elk in the Blue Ridge where we pitched our tents, ate spaghetti at the Presbyterian Church and await tomorrow’s take off.