I am looking to do a ride from Raleigh/Cary/Apex area to Wilmington. I do not know if I will be able to recruit anybody, so safety is important.(Obviously) Any help would be great.

There is a 600K brevet from the Raleigh area to Wilmington and back. Do a search for NC brevet series and see if the route has a cue sheet posted.

http://www.unc.edu/~alanj/

http://www.unc.edu/~alanj/600_kilometers.htm

first link is to general page

second link is the 600k cue sheet

There is also NC bike route 5, the "Cape Fear Run", that largely overlaps this route. You can get a free map from the state Department of Transportation at: http://www.ncdot.org/transit/bicycle/maps/maps_highways.html. I almost did this in June, but didn't have the time. Have fun!

take 401 to 421. i took 421 to wilmington last year. its a rolling ride. i know someone who rode from wilmington to the apex area in a day 2 years ago. biggest ride he had ever done so he was tired afterwards.

when are you planning on going?

That'll be a nice ride! You might try the Triangle Cycling forum if you are looking for some company.
Tim

I am looking to go within two to three weeks on a Saturday. I would leave from Apex area, I have some friends in Wilmington and meet up with friends from here. Get a ride home on Sunday from the Lady Friend. If anybody is interested in going, by all means.

That'll be a nice ride! You might try the Triangle Cycling forum if you are looking for some company.
Tim

www.trianglecycling.com

Bump, I'm thinking about doing this May 30th or 31st.

Has anyone ridden the US401 US421 route? it is 20 miles shorter than either the NCBC brevet or the NC bike route. How is traffic, lane width? Are there shoulders?

Bump, I'm thinking about doing this May 30th or 31st.

Has anyone ridden the US401 US421 route? it is 20 miles shorter than either the NCBC brevet or the NC bike route. How is traffic, lane width? Are there shoulders?

Depends on the section. Hwy 421 used to be the only route to Wilmington and I drove it often before I-40 was finished. I still take that route occasionally as I find I-40 to be boring. Once you get past the traffic and crap of the Triangle, it's a lovely country road and the traffic is much diminished. Be warned, though, until you get to Benson it's traffic light after traffic light in heavy traffic.

Some sections were widened and smoothed to accommodate Wilmington traffic when I-40 was delayed in the '80s. In fact the last 40 miles are pretty pleasant. The traffic includes things like tractors and other farm machinery - so for once you get to pass someone and wave. People ask me if I worry about rednecks in pickup trucks. Not really - I worry more about some distracted soccer mom trying to text message while allowing her Honda Pilot to wander all over the road.

The people along the route are pretty nice. Last time I cycled it I stopped at a little country store for a drink and the manager and clients were all Hispanic farm-workers - many of whom had ridden their department-store bikes to the shop on a Sunday afternoon. They oooed and ahhed over my road bike and when I left they clapped me on my shoulder and said "Good luck my friend!"

In Wilmington go by Two-Wheeler Dealer on Wrightsville Ave and check their ride board - they have rides out to Moore's Creek Battlefield and such on most weekends.

Depends on the section. Hwy 421 used to be the only route to Wilmington and I drove it often before I-40 was finished. I still take that route occasionally as I find I-40 to be boring. Once you get past the traffic and crap of the Triangle, it's a lovely country road and the traffic is much diminished. Be warned, though, until you get to Benson it's traffic light after traffic light in heavy traffic.

Some sections were widened and smoothed to accommodate Wilmington traffic when I-40 was delayed in the '80s. In fact the last 40 miles are pretty pleasant. The traffic includes things like tractors and other farm machinery - so for once you get to pass someone and wave. People ask me if I worry about rednecks in pickup trucks. Not really - I worry more about some distracted soccer mom trying to text message while allowing her Honda Pilot to wander all over the road.

The people along the route are pretty nice. Last time I cycled it I stopped at a little country store for a drink and the manager and clients were all Hispanic farm-workers - many of whom had ridden their department-store bikes to the shop on a Sunday afternoon. They oooed and ahhed over my road bike and when I left they clapped me on my shoulder and said "Good luck my friend!"

In Wilmington go by Two-Wheeler Dealer on Wrightsville Ave and check their ride board - they have rides out to Moore's Creek Battlefield and such on most weekends.

Thanks nagsheadlocal for the info. I think I will take NC bike route 5 until I get to Dunn and then take US-421 from there. I have another question. I'm actually heading to Wrightsville Beach and when I do the route on GoogleMaps, it suggests taking NC 133 to US 117 into the east side of Wilmington. Are either of those roads particularly hellish?

The other nice thing about taking 421 is that if I break down (mechanically, physically or emotionally) I can give easy directions to my wife who will already be in Wilmington. I can't wait to arrive and jump in the ocean!

Thanks nagsheadlocal for the info. I think I will take NC bike route 5 until I get to Dunn and then take US-421 from there. I have another question. I'm actually heading to Wrightsville Beach and when I do the route on GoogleMaps, it suggests taking NC 133 to US 117 into the east side of Wilmington. Are either of those roads particularly hellish?

No, in fact the section of 133/74 (MLK Parkway) that runs past the airport is often used for training rides by several local teams. Wide, flat, and not too busy. I see people cycling there just about every time I go.

As you come into Wilmington area on 421, the first road that crosses the river is the new Hwy 17 by-pass. Avoid this at all costs. You want the second bridge, Hwy 133/74, the so-called "new" bridge into Wilmington. The third bridge is the steel girder bridge. You REALLY don't want to attempt that on a bike. Busy, narrow, and it has those lugged steel grates in the center section that are slippery as hell.

Anyway, the 133/74 route was built recently to take some of the traffic out of downtown Wilmington. It runs through the old industrial area on the northeast of town and can be busy, but not as busy as you might think. People in Wilmington still tend to use the old routes because this new route has limited access. You run out through McRae's Swamp, out past the airport, and then you cross the cluster-fark known as I-40/College Road. That takes you around over the other Wilmington cluster-fark, Market Street, and down Hwy 74/Eastwood Rd directly to Wrightsville. Traffic will be pretty heavy all the way to the beach after you cross I-40/College Rd.

That's the main route. Here's my route: after I cross over the 133/74 bridge, I turn right on N 3rd Street and ride through downtown Wilmington. After you cross the cluster-fark of Market Street, turn left at the next corner, Dock Street. Dock Street goes for about 10 blocks and turns into Wrightsville Ave. There's traffic, and the street is not so wide, but it's slow traffic and through a neighborhood. Stay on Wrightsville Avenue until you come to Country Club Rd. Turn right, go two blocks, and turn left onto Park Ave.

Sweet - Park Ave has been turned into a limited-traffic ped/bike route through town. The only place you will have trouble is the crossing at College Rd. After College Road, Park Ave has actually been blocked every couple blocks to allow only peds and bikes.

Park Ave ends at Greenville Ave. You can turn left and go back to Wrightsville Avenue, or turn right and go to Oleander Drive - both take you down to the beach.

Thanks again for that. I actually rode a bit on that Park Rd. bike road last year, so once I get there I will be in familiar territory.

For anyone that is interested, this is the route that we've discussed:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=12542143164313625040,35.561884,-78.775377%3B14922328333122489916,35.554229,-78.777016%3B4082388302941692794,35.524260,-78.755827%3B7140177332805838671,35.447824,-78.748610%3B7681370259122643029,35.374091,-78.723764%3B2422835479694008435,35.340280,-78.699070%3B16029414818817925943,35.328140,-78.669460%3B10002666729012766836,35.314954,-78.642459%3B18195313008013539370,34.280142,-77.961516%3B15980871538889116454,34.234566,-77.944142%3B11412372518651813330,34.235230,-77.935960%3B15023937426887926331,34.234294,-77.923909%3B12308604742069769323,34.223262,-77.912311%3B5698337738174033310,34.213939,-77.891948%3B4944317841592377678,34.210608,-77.860033%3B9071816028334484199,34.212074,-77.838194%3B14681655543300463931,34.212160,-77.819440%3B13707178991901301262,34.204100,-77.798900&saddr=35.732161,-78.850594&daddr=Purfoy+Rd+%4035.554229,+-78.777016+to:Rawls+Church+Rd+%4035.524260,+-78.755827+to:Old+Buies+Creek+Rd+%4035.447824,+-78.748610+to:S+Old+Stage+Rd+%4035.374091,+-78.723764+to:S+Old+Stage+Rd+%4035.340280,+-78.699070+to:N+9th+St+%4035.328140,+-78.669460+to:E+Denim+Dr%2FErwin+Rd+%4035.314954,+-78.642459+to:Francis+Peter+Fensel+Hwy%2FUS-17%2FUS-421+%4034.280142,+-77.961516+to:Dock+St+%4034.234566,+-77.944142+to:Dock+St+%4034.235230,+-77.935960+to:Wrightsville+Ave+%4034.234294,+-77.923909+to:Park+Ave+%4034.223262,+-77.912311+to:Park+Ave+%4034.213939,+-77.891948+to:Park+Ave+%4034.210608,+-77.860033+to:Park+Ave+%4034.212074,+-77.838194+to:Airlie+Rd+%4034.212160,+-77.819440+to:US-76%2FWaynick+Blvd+%4034.204100,+-77.798900&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=13&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16&dirflg=h&sll=35.717528,-78.79858&sspn=0.06216,0.160675&ie=UTF8&ll=35.495338,-78.722878&spn=0.062333,0.160675&z=13

No worries. My usual ride when I'm in town is taking Park Ave down to the beach, over the bridge, then south to the circle at the Coast Guard Station. Back up to Shell Island (oogling the Sweet Young Things of course) and then over the northern bridge back to Wrightsville Ave, back then over Bradley Creek to Hooker Road. Hooker runs into to Rose Ave, which runs into Riegel Road which is the road that runs into UNC-W. Ride across campus (more nice things to look at) to Randall Road, use that to cross the cluster-fark of College Road, and it becomes Randall Parkway which has a bike lane. The parkway takes you back to Wrightsville Ave/Oleander Road and from there you can choose your route back into whatever neighborhood. Of, if you are staying at the beach, just do that ride in reverse. Yep, there's traffic, but if you are not on the tourist roads, Wilmington drivers tend to be pretty polite. I've never had the problems in Wilmington that I have in the Triangle (people buzzing you, giving you the finger, etc).