On an October morning, cyclists will begin gathering outside Dirtbag Ales in Hope Mills. Tires will be checked, water bottles secured and riders greeted. Some will prepare for 100 miles. Others will choose 40. All will be riding through a story that began in Fayetteville 23 years ago.
Cross Creek Cycling Club, known as C4, will celebrate its anniversary Oct. 18 with a free group ride honoring the people who turned a small gathering of cyclists into an accomplished local sports organization.
“Our mission has been to encourage participation without regard to age, experience or ability,” club President Mike Thomas said.
That mission has carried C4 beyond its original circle. The club now has about 100 active members, and nearly 1,200 cyclists have belonged. They have included first-time group riders, endurance cyclists, competitive racers, active-duty service members, military retirees and families searching for community beyond the installation gates.
C4 earned national recognition quickly. USA Cycling named it Best New Club of the Year in 2004, one year after its founding. The organization has since received 13 USA Cycling Club of the Year awards.
Its racing record is substantial. Since 2005, C4 has conducted 35 competitive events, from road races and time trials to criteriums and cyclocross. Its résumé includes the Dragon's Challenge, the downtown Patriot's Criterium and multiple championship weekends. The club hosted the Carolinas Cycling Association road race and time trial championships in 2024 and 2025, followed by the association's time trial championship in 2026.
In 2006, Sports Illustrated selected C4 for a national U.S. Army advertising campaign, recognition that reflected the club's close relationship with Fayetteville's military community. C4 members have also included national champions Dane Pilon and Justin Mathers and world champion Jason Kimball.
Yet Thomas does not define the club by trophies alone. Seven marriages grew from relationships formed through C4. Beginners found mentors. Service members found connections to the city. Experienced riders taught newcomers how to communicate in a group, control pace, stay hydrated and ride predictably.
“Those goals are different, but both riders should feel that they belong,” Thomas said of beginners and accomplished cyclists sharing the club.
The anniversary ride will begin at 8 a.m. at Dirtbag Ales Brewery and Taproom, 5435 Corporation Drive. The century route will travel approximately 100 miles to Chadbourn and back, with planned rest stops near miles 20, 50 and 80. The shorter route will cover about 40 miles to Tar Heel and back.
Registration will take place onsite that morning, and every participant must sign a waiver. One support and gear vehicle will assist the ride. Cyclists should select a distance suited to their conditioning, arrive with a properly maintained bicycle and carry their own hydration, food and repair supplies. Organizers will make a weather decision at 6 p.m. Oct. 17. Riders can RSVP through the club's Facebook group event to help provide an accurate headcount.
Thomas expects about 25 cyclists, compared with 30 to 50 participants in previous milestone rides. The smaller estimate does not diminish the occasion. The route offers something statistics cannot measure: hours in the saddle with people who understand that cycling builds trust one shared mile at a time.
C4 has extended that trust into service. Thomas said the club has contributed more than $200,000 to charitable causes, supporting organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Cumberland County Special Olympics, Bicycleman Community Bike Shop, the Wounded Warrior Project and local public-safety foundations.
In 2018, the club established an endowment with Cumberland Community Foundation to preserve that community impact beyond any particular group of officers. Thomas said it was the foundation's only sports-specific endowment at the time.
The anniversary ride therefore celebrates more than longevity. It honors a club that made room for elite competitors without forgetting the nervous beginner, and one that transformed a shared sport into sustained civic service.
“The club's real legacy is found in the people,” Thomas said, “those who discovered cycling, became healthier, formed lasting friendships, represented Fayetteville in competition and used their shared passion to help the community.”
On Oct. 18, that legacy will leave Dirtbag Ales on two wheels. Whether riders return after 40 miles or 100, each will help carry C4's story into its next year. For more information, C4 can be reached on their website at https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18HgeKFAxv/?mibextid=wwXIfr.

(Photo: Members of C4 gather at Dirtbag Ales for a ride. This year, the club celebrates 23 years. Photo courtesy of Cross Creek Cycling Club's Facebook page)