Rocks, roots, repeat! The 10th Annual Pisgah Stage Race

The 2018 Pisgah Stage Race is in the books! 

Jena and I did this race for the first time in 2017 and we loved it so much, we just HAD to come back.   There are a number of reasons we had to return:


The trails in the Pisgah Forest, located just west of Brevard North Carolina are simply amazing.  They're fun, rough, challenging and have exceptional variety.

• Jena won this event in 2017 and wanted to defend her title.
• Todd Branham and his company, Blue Ridge Adventures, put on an extraordinary event.  Always organized, on time, well sponsored and the food is delicious!
• The PEOPLE and the ENVIRONMENT! Everyone at the event, from the racers to the volunteers and everyone in between, was so kind and awesome
• The weather?!?! It's supposedly in a temperate rainforest, but we got nothing but sunshine and beauty days for a second straight year!
• Timed enduro segments each day!  What more can you ask for?!

This year, we are fortunate to have GearHub Sports and Rocky Mountain Bicycles as our sponsors, and that's great cause we wanted bikes that suited a course like this, and the Rocky Mountain Element is JUST THAT.  With the Fox34 120mm of travel fork up front and a bit more slack geometry, these bikes were PERFECT for the rocky, rooty climbs and descents at Pisgah.

This is a five day race, so it's important to stay on your bike to avoid injury and/or bike damage.  Although Jena and I both took a few minor spills, we were able to do just that.  The stages test you in a number of ways: You have to have mental toughness for those times when things aren't going so well.  You have to be properly trained for long days in the saddle with some monster climbs. And you have to have the technical ability to fly down some gnarly descents and keep it all together when it gets rough and chunky.

This year we were more prepared cause we had ridden these trails last year, and having that knowledge was vital.

There was more competition in both the men's and the women's field this year: Many of the fastest men were very familiar with trails, and could both climb and descend very well.  As for Jena's competition this year, it was much higher and she had to work very hard and stay focused to stay ahead of Trideporte/Tracks Ibiza rider Ada Xinxo of Spain and South Carolina's i9/Liv rider Jen Nielson.

But she did JUST THAT! Jena took home the overall title again this year by racing smart, smooth and confident each day.  Not only did Greaser win the overall title, she also won the overall ENDURO title as well, bringing home some cash and a new Fox fork in the process! It takes a very talented, well rounded rider to win both categories, so hats off to Jena for her performance.

As for myself, I couldn't have been happier with the way I raced.  I beat my 2017 times by a few minutes each day, and ended up in 9th overall in a stacked pro men field.  I finished between Pivot's Elliot Baring of Georgia and local shredder and CTS rider Nick Bragg.  I was happy with my Enduro times as well.  

So that's that!  We had a great time riding some wicked trails surrounded by amazing people, and THAT is what the Pisgah Stage Race is ALL ABOUT.

Racing and podium photo credit: Icon Media Asheville