Bike Transylvania Magazine

LIFESTYL E

What to do when you’re not on two wheels

COMMUNITY

Meet the people that define Transylvania County biking

GEAR

What you need and where to get it

RIDE

Discover the best roads, trails and events in Transylvania

bike TRANSYLVANIA

bike PHOTO BY SEYL PARK

TRANSYLVANIA

DESTINATION TRANSYLVANIA Cycling Capital Of The South Trek Bicycle Treks To Transylvania Bracken Mountain

GEAR

Sycamore Cycles The Hub At Backcountry Outdoors Hot Picks Cycling Essentials

WHERE & WHEN TO RIDE DuPont State Forest Pisgah National Forest Pisgah Cycling Group Rides Races and Events Assault On The Carolinas Great Bike Routes

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COMMUNITY The Bike Farm Carlos Galarza’s Choppers Descend With Clay Sykes BIKE TRANSYLVANIA 2014

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COMMUNITY Matthew Busche – Tour De Force Carmichael Training Systems Brevard College Coach’s Tips Pura Vida Adventures THE AMBASSADORS Todd Branham Woody Keen Shrimper Valerie Naylor Ed Sutton

WHERE TO STAY, WHAT TO DO Lodging For Cyclists Accommodations Listings Beer, Biking & Brevard Nightlife Marketplace EXPLORE THE OUTDOORS Canoeing/Kayaking Horseback Riding Fishing Rock Climbing

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IS A PUBLICATION OF THE TRANSYLVANIA TIMES, INC.

This magazine was made possible by a collaborative effort between The Transylvania Times and the Transylvania County Tourism Development Authority.

Writer - Park Baker Ad Design and Production - David Metcalfe Cover Photo: Courtesy of The Transylvania Tourism Development Association (TDA)

Bike Transylvania Editor - Sean Trapp Advertising Sales - Skip Hirsh and Randy Rowe Design - Leigh Trapp Photos: Contributing photographers B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4 »3

THE CYCLING CAPITAL OF THE SOUTH TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY, NC

PHOTO COURTESY OF TRANSYLVANIA TDA

Transylvania County made cycling headlines in 2014 when Trek came to Brevard to reveal its newest Fuel EX mountain bike, but it’s not the first time the local bike scene has earned national attention.

In January of 2012, BIKE Magazine called Transylvania County "America's best kept secret," and "home to some of the best riding in the country.”

For three weeks during the fall of 2011, the magazine's editors, writers and photographers hammered the trails of Pisgah and DuPont as they tested the latest bikes and equipment for their annual gear guide entitled “The Bible of Bike Tests.”

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Editor and writer Vernon Felton lavished praise not just on the trails – but on the bike-friendly vibe that Transylva-

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TRANSYLVANIA TDA

IN 2012, BIKE MAGAZINE CALLED TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY "AMERICA'S BEST KEPT SECRET." SINGLETRACK’S TOP TEN CYCLING DESTINATIONS CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.SINGLETRACKS.COM /BLOG/MTB-TRAILS/THETOP-10-MOUNTAIN-BIKEDESTINATIONS-IN-NORTHAMERICA.

Editor and writer Vernon Felton lavished praise not just on the trails – but on the bike-friendly vibe that Transylvania County has cultivated in recent years. The county's embrace of the biking ethos has earned it the title, “Cycling Capital of the South.”

“We came to Brevard with an inkling that the trails were good,” said Felton in the article, "but we underestimated them.” He went on to say that the team spent two weeks riding trails that "absolutely blew our minds."

Felton quoted World Cup cyclist and former Olympian Adam Craig about the quality of riding in Transylvania. Craig, who participated in the Pisgah Mountain Bike Stage Race in October, 2011, said, "Pisgah is definitely one of the top three places in the universe that I've ever ridden – and maybe the very best one."

Following the high praise of Bike Magazine, in 2013 the popular blog Singletrack added Brevard to its Top Ten Mountain Bike Destinations In North America. Listed alongside such internationally celebrated destinations as Moab, Utah and Whistler, British Columbia, Brevard is the only listed destination east of the Mississippi.

With 100,000 acres of public lands encompassed within Pisgah, DuPont and Gorges State Park, Transylvania County’s reputation as a mountain bike Mecca has been an open secret among cyclists for years. Trails crisscross the county, ranging from high, craggy single tracks to the Bracken Mountain trail, which connects charming, historic downtown Brevard to Pisgah National Forest.

“We’ve got something no one else can offer, “ said Wes Dickson of Brevard’s Sycamore Cycles.

“You can’t fake this. We’ve got some of the best and most extensive riding trails in the country.”

The Singletrack author concurred, stating, “Brevard is truly head and shoulders above every other potential destination on the East Coast.”

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PHOTO BY PARK BAKER

TREK BICYCLE TREKS TO TRANSYLVANIA Trek Bicycle Company launched its newest line of high-performance mountain bikes on June 11, 2014, on some of the most demanding and diverse terrain in North America - trails that crisscross Transylvania County's DuPont State Recreational Forest and Pisgah National Forest.

Trek invited about 30 writers and editors from around the world to test the bikes, which feature an exclusive shock developed with partners Penske Racing Shocks and suspension manufacturer FOX. The journalists, arriving from Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Mexico, the United Kingdom and several other countries, represented the world's most popular cycling publications and websites, including Bicycling, BIKE Magazine, Bike Radar, Pinkbike and MTBR.

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PHOTO BY PARK BAKER

"Traditionally, most launches in North America happen in Moab or Whistler or other major mountain biking destinations on the West Coast," said Travis Ott, Trek’s global mountain bike brand manager. “But we knew the Pisgah area would be ‘all-time,’ and with Penske Racing's complex located nearby in Mooresville, this was the perfect opportunity to hold a global media event in Transylvania County.”

Ott explained that what really sold him on Brevard was his relationship with Ryan Palmer at Bike Magazine, who came here for the Bike Bible issue in 2012, where the magazine showcases the latest and greatest products each year.

“Ryan told me it was one of his favorite locations; that really solidified it for me,” said Ott. “What we do at the launches is try and provide a story, as well as an experience. These folks are capturing the essence of the sport, and the behind-the-scenes action.”

"What's great about Transylvania County is that you can have two completely different riding experiences between Pisgah and DuPont," said Ott. "Pisgah has that legendary, rugged terrain while DuPont offers more purpose-built, flowy and smooth mountain bike trails. The variety of terrain between Pisgah and DuPont will make it a perfect test for these new bikes and this new technology."

According to Ott, two kinds of journalists were invited to this bike test.

"There are editors who have been to the Pisgah area who are thrilled to be coming back," he said. "And there are those who haven't been here before who are thrilled because Pisgah and DuPont are on their list."

In Transylvania County, Trek showcased a new damping technology it developed with Penske Racing Shocks, which supplies custom suspensions to the world's top automotive race teams, and FOX, an industry leader in the design and development of high performance shock absorbers and racing suspension products. The new shock absorbers, dubbed RE:aktiv, deliver a level of control that's unlike anything else currently available, according to Trek.

The Trek event is just the latest recognition that Transylvania County has received for its outstanding mountain biking trails.

Singletrack, a popular magazine and online resource for mountain bikers, added Brevard to its “Top Ten Mountain Bike Destinations In North America” alongside such internationally celebrated destinations as Moab, Utah and Whistler, British Columbia. In 2012, Bike Magazine called Transylvania County “America’s Best Kept Secret” and “home to some of the best riding in the country.”

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TREK BICYCLE TREKS TO TRANSYLVANIA “The Transylvania County Tourism and Development Authority has been fantastic to deal with, making everyone here feel welcome and putting their best foot forward for the county and Brevard,” said Ott. “Part of our tie to the area is one of our racers. Trek World Racing athlete Neko Mulally has chosen Brevard as his winter training grounds,” said Ott. Mulally is traveling the World Cup downhill circuit for the summer, but will likely be back in the winter to train with his coach, local former professional racer Chris Herndon.

With 100,000 acres of public lands encompassed within Pisgah, DuPont and Gorges State Park, Transylvania County’s reputation as a mountain bike Mecca has been an open secret among cyclists for years. Trails range from high, craggy singletrack to the Bracken Mountain trail, which connects charming, historic downtown Brevard to Pisgah National Forest.

Wes Dickson, owner of Sycamore Cycles bicycle shop in Brevard, said the Trek event "really speaks to the area becoming known as a standout destination in the riding community."

"It's really nice to see how the notoriety of the riding is growing," Dickson said.

Sycamore Cycles just recently started carrying the Trek line of bikes.

Mike Hawkins, chairman of the Transylvania County Board of Commissioners, said the Trek event further confirms Transylvania County's appeal to the global biking community.

"We're proud to have this growing reputation as a biking destination and certainly expect that Trek won't be the only industry leader that recognizes our county and comes here for important events," Hawkins said.

Trek has taken its interest in Transylvania County's riding trails one step further: the company has named one of its rugged gear bags "Pisgah" after the trails in Pisgah National Forest.

"Pisgah is just one of those epic destinations that has meaning to all mountain bikers," Ott explained. “We’re really enjoying our experience, it’s the third time I’ve been here since scouting the trails and it’s been great everytime. I hope we get the chance to come back. Brevard just feels pure in regards to mountain biking.”

auto | home | commercial | life | health

828.883.3121 | www www.brevardinsurance.com .brevardinsurance.com | 800.840.2564 »8 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF TRANSYLVANIA TDA

CITY OF BREVARD TAKES “BIKE FRIENDLY” TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL The City of Brevard’s Bracken Mountain Recreation Area, which features a trail leading from behind Brevard Music Center into Pisgah National Forest, makes Brevard the only city in the southeastern United States to offer multiple trail access into a national forest. Opened in 2012, Bracken Mountain boasts 7.1 miles of prime hiking and mountain biking trails, all built with the help of over 75 volunteers. Like the trails themselves, the story behind their creation has been a long and winding one.

BACK STORY In 2000, the City of Brevard was experiencing a serious budget crunch.

“My first budget season looked gloomy, terrible,” remembers Jimmy Harris who, in addition to owning the local hardware store, has served as Brevard’s mayor for thirteen years.

One night, after another sobering council meeting, a member of city council came up to Harris and said, “I know how to fix our budget problem.” The council member proceeded to tell Harris of a prime city-owned property that was ripe for development and that few people knew about. The council member even had a willing buyer, a local developer. The property, just under 400 acres, took in Bracken Mountain, just north of the city, and adjoined Pisgah National Forest. »1 0 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

Until that moment, Harris hadn’t been aware of the property. He decided it was time to take a walk. He enlisted city council member Mac Morrow as his guide. Morrow was familiar with the terrain and also knew some of Bracken Mountain’s history. He knew that black walnut trees had been harvested from the mountain during World War I to make aircraft propellers. And that some of the property had once been owned by Transylvania County’s first freed slaves.

Morrow and Harris climbed Bracken Mountain. Reaching the summit, they stopped and looked around.

They saw the same thing that had sparked the developer’s imagination. A pristine forest dense with hardwoods and hemlocks, rhododendron and mountain laurel. A prime habitat for wild turkey, deer and bear. And jaw-dropping views. Looking out to the east, the ancient rock monolith Looking Glass Rock erupted from the forest floor. To the south, the cupola of the Transylvania County courthouse gleamed in the sun. Indeed, a prime site for an upscale housing development. And the solution to all the city’s budget problems.

“Just before we were turning around to go home, snow began to fall,” remembers Morrow of that January day. “It was magical.”

With the snow dusting their jackets like a benediction, the men came down the mountain with their minds made up.

Over the next four years, Harris and Morrow preached the gospel of Bracken Mountain – not as a piece of property to be sold to the highest bidder but, rather, as a place preserved for the enjoyment of the community in perpetuity. Harris’ motivation for putting preservation above development was simple.

“I don’t want to be Mayor forever,” Harris says, “But I want to live here forever.”

He realized on that day at the top of Bracken Mountain that any development of the property would scar Brevard’s view shed. And that even though it was owned by the city, the land belonged to the community.

From that moment, saving Bracken Mountain became a community crusade.

“We wanted to protect the property from development,” says Dee Dee Perkins, a former city council member and local business owner who embraced the cause. “But we also wanted to figure out what its highest and best use could be.”

Billy Harris Hesper Dickson Like any true community collaboration, no one seems to remember who first came up with the idea to

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BRACKEN MOUNTAIN TRAIL

LAY OF THE LAND Since the beginning, the Bracken Mountain Trail has been envisioned as a gateway from one world to the next: a dirt ribbon from the small town culture and charm of Brevard to the epic wildness of Pisgah National Forest.

The City of Brevard’s Bracken Mountain Recreation Area, which features a trail leading from behind Brevard Music Center into Pisgah National Forest, makes Brevard the only city in the southeastern United States to offer multiple trail access into a national forest. Opened in 2012, Bracken Mountain boasts 7.1 miles of prime hiking and mountain biking trails, all built with the help of over 75 volunteers. Like the trails themselves, the story behind their creation has been a long and winding one.

BACK STORY In 2000, the City of Brevard was experiencing a serious budget crunch.

“My first budget season looked gloomy, terrible,” remembers Jimmy Harris who, in addition to owning the local hardware store, has served as Brevard’s mayor for thirteen years.

One night, after another sobering council meeting, a member of city council came up to Harris and said, “I know how to fix our budget problem.” The council member proceeded to tell Harris of a prime city-owned property that was ripe for development and that few people knew about. The council member even had a willing buyer, a local developer. The property, just under 400 acres, took in Bracken Mountain, just north of the city, and adjoined Pisgah National Forest.

Until that moment, Harris hadn’t been aware of the property. He decided it was time to take a walk. He enlisted city council member Mac Morrow as his guide. Morrow was familiar with the terrain and also knew some of Bracken Mountain’s history. He knew that black walnut trees had been harvested from the mountain during World War I to make aircraft propellers. And that some of the property had once been owned by Transylvania County’s first freed slaves.

Morrow and Harris climbed Bracken Mountain. Reaching the summit, they stopped and looked around.

They saw the same thing that had sparked the developer’s imagination. A pristine forest dense with hardwoods and hemlocks, rhododendron and mountain laurel. A prime habitat for wild turkey, deer and bear. And jaw-dropping views. Looking out to the east, the ancient rock monolith Looking Glass Rock erupted from the forest floor. To the south, the cupola of the Transylvania County courthouse gleamed in the sun. Indeed, a prime site for an upscale housing development. And the solution to all the city’s budget problems. »1 2 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRACKEN MOUNTAIN

“Just before we were turning around to go home, snow began to fall,” remembers Morrow of that January day. “It was magical.”

With the snow dusting their jackets like a benediction, the men came down the mountain with their minds made up.

Over the next four years, Harris and Morrow preached the gospel of Bracken Mountain – not as a piece of property to be sold to the highest bidder but, rather, as a place preserved for the enjoyment of the community in perpetuity. Harris’ motivation for putting preservation above development was simple.

BRACKEN MOUNTAIN –

BY THE NUMBERS

7.1 Total length of trail, in miles

1,200 Total elevation gain across the trail, summiting at the pinnacle of Bracken Mountain before dropping into the Fish Hatchery in Pisgah National Forest.

1 Rank of Brevard, upon Bracken Mt. Trail completion, of cities in the southeast with multiple trail access into a national forest.

100 Total number of professional trail building outfits in the country. Long Cane Trails, one of these companies, used sustainable building and design principles to lay out and sculpt the Bracken Mountain Trail. Their motto: “Dirt is our canvas.”

1300+ Total number of volunteer hours donated by 75 individuals to complete the trail.

420 Total miles of trails in Pisgah National Forest that the Bracken Mt. Trails makes accessible.

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PHOTOS BY TIM KOERBER

THE BIKE FARM

Located close to DuPont State Recreational Forest, on the corner of Crab Creek and DuPont roads, is an exciting new mountain biking facility: The Bike Farm at the Oskar Blues REEB Ranch. Set among rolling hills, a picturesque barn and a beautiful waterfall, the facility features a new pump track as well as mountain bike guide and concierge services. The Bike Farm is run by Eva Surls and Cashion Smith, Brevard transplants who came here looking for a place to plant roots.

“It is the realization of our dream,” said Surls. “We had a vision of swimming holes, long bike rides, and something to come back to. Part of our vision is preservation, so that our grandchildren can experience the sense of awe that we do with the natural world.”

That vision began several years ago when Smith left a career in medical equipment sales. He and Surls saved all their money, sold their possessions and embarked on a tour of different bicycle tourism outfits around the country. They learned what people had done right and wrong, and have now created what they consider a “greatest hits” facility for cycling tourism.

“We set out to create this bike farm, calling it the mountain bike farm in the beginning, but decided not to be exclusive of anyone. We didn't have the money to pull it off, and we knew we would have to get creative and find someone with the same love of bicycles that we had,” said Smith.

“Then we met Dale Katechis (owner of Oskar Blues Brewery),” he continued. “He is the perfect partner for us. He is an avid mountain biker, and so are all of his employees. Oskar Blues came to Brevard for the riding and the outdoor scene here, so Eva and I started putting bugs in his ear. A year later, here we are.”

Shoals Falls farm was purchased in March by Oskar Blues Brewery, and is now called the Oskar Blues REEB Ranch. The 145-acre farm will serve as a place for the brewery to grow hops, open pasture for grainfed cows, a music and event space and of course the home base for The Bike Farm.

The name REEB Ranch pays homage to Oskar Blues’ hand-made bike company based in Colorado.

REEB (beer spelled backwards) is the line of USA made mountain bikes that Katechis created after his own »1 4 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

mountain bike was stolen. A stable of demo REEB Mountain Bikes & Dirt Jump rigs will be available at the Ranch.

One of the events being held at the Ranch is the Red Bull Dreamline, which will take place October 10 and 11. Dreamline is a BMX dirt jump competition that will draw the best riders in the world to the Brevard area, to compete in the “dreamline” that is the imagination of internationally renowned BMX rider Anthony Napolitan, the first rider to complete a double front flip in the ESPN X Games XV. The same riders that built the jumps for this year’s X Games have been busy working on the line, which can be seen while driving up towards DuPont State Forest.

After the event this fall, the large Dreamline jumps will be torn down, and replaced with a progression line starting from the top of the hill, and mellowed out to encourage new riders to learn how to ride, while still being fun for those with more experience. The REEB Ranch Bike Park will be the only one of it’s kind in the southeastern United States.

“I want people to see what’s going on out here, to see this pump track and say, “Hey. I can do that, my kid can do that, and come out here and experience what we’ve created,’” said Smith. “Long term, these jumps are going to be mellowed out for future generations to enjoy, and the pump track will teach people the skills they need to ride the bike park. It's going to be a great place to hang out, make new friends, and ride the park in the beauty of western North Carolina.”

“Western North Carolina rings true with the same eclectic mountain energy that inspired Oskar Blues to put Dale’s Pale Ale in a can,” said Dale Katechis. “It’s important to us to keep that trail-side camaraderie in the community,” he said. “We’ve been able to integrate our passions of the brewery, farm, restaurants and REEB Cycles into much of what we do, the Oskar Blues REEB Ranch continues that effort.”

The ranch creates a ride-in, ride-out experience with direct DuPont State Recreational Forest single-track access, pump track sessions, dirt jump progression lines and post ride beers alongside the swimming hole.

On-site lodging includes a 1940s cabin at the base of two 43-foot waterfalls and an apartment on the top floor of a venue-perfect barn, while tent camping will also be available.

“Whether it’s brewing beer, building bikes, or creating one of the East Coast’s most impressive bike parks, Dale likes to dream big and enable big dreams for his partners,” Smith says. “We have always wanted a bike park as part of our dream, but we could never have dreamt of having all of this in our own back yard. It’s the dream of The Bike Farm, made possible by Oskar Blues.”

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PHOTO BY PARK BAKER

SYCAMORE CYCLES

The crew at Sycamore Cycles has long been spearheading the cycling scene in western North Carolina.

From trail work to Thursday night group rides, the shop is synonymous with the word Pisgah. Ask anyone who has ever ridden here and they are sure to know, or at least heard of, Wes Dickson and his cycling addiction.

Wes has been riding and racing mountain bikes in Pisgah since he was 15 years old, when his dad used to drag him around the woods on what Wes calls “adventure riding.”

“There was deep loamy soil back in the day and I was pushing a 31 pound steel mountain bike with a rack on the back. For the longest time, we were riding on trails where the signs didn't have bike stickers on them. It was kind of like the wild wild west. We didn't know what we were doing.”

“If we saw someone else on bikes it was a big deal, and we would try and get their number to hook up.

So once we established a group of people, we would meet for rides,” he said.

Wes recalled one of his first mountain bike rides with his dad, straight up Black Mountain trail, and describes it as “one of the most miserable uphill experiences of my life.”

“But going down Maxwell got me hooked. I questioned it at times, but there have been many times in the middle of winter when we would be riding Buckhorn or something and we'd go explore for four or five hours. My dad would just say ‘Where does this go?’ It usually turned out to be some old hunter trail, but that type of adventure got me into riding. We would go to races, sure, but going out and having fun, that’s what made it stick with me.”

The shop has changed a bit since Wes opened in the summer of 2000. Sycamore Cycles was located in downtown Brevard for three years. Then Joe Bryson, who owned Looking Glass Outfitters in Pisgah Forest, wanted a like-minded shop next to his. It made sense for Wes to move, since his store would be closer to the forest entrance. At the time DuPont Recreational State Forest was becoming more popular, so the intersection of 64 and 280 became the ideal location for a bike shop.

Sycamore just started carrying Trek bicycles, adding to their inventory of Specialized and Giant bicycles.

The store carries a large inventory of mountain bikes, due to its proximity to the forest entrance. But it also has a selection of road bikes, and an even larger inventory of road bikes at its nearby Hendersonville location.

Dickson said that both shops are starting to sell a lot of kids bikes and accessories for families. »1 6 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

“Families are coming into the shops now, so we're seeing more and more people coming in and buying bikes for their kids, and I see lots of uncle’s taking their nephews out,” said Dickson.

Dickson says that a place like DuPont makes the sport far more accessible for everyone, and the state forest has really been a gem for families on bikes.

“We've tried to make the scene accessible,” he said. “When I was a kid, if I got a flat, we would have to drive to Asheville to get a tube. I kind of lucked into being at the right place at the right time with regards to how the shop came about. Now, we want to give people the opportunity to enjoy what we've got. I want to make it the best experience for them, get them the right equipment, and get them out there.”

“Our Thursday night ride has really been instrumental also. Sometimes we've had 30 people on our bike ride. I've been telling people for years that we've got great riding here, but of course your local shop owner is going to say that. But it gives Transylvania County some validity when you've got Trek coming here to unveil their products.”

To fill a niche market that Dickson felt was lacking in both the cycling and food scenes, Dickson recently partnered with Scott Unfried, owner of Flat Rock Village Bakery and Hendersonville’s West First Wood Fired Pizza, to open Crank. The new coffee and smoothie bar inside Sycamore Cycles serves smoothies, pastries, tea, and of course many variations of coffee. Sycamore Cycles now opens at the same time as the coffee bar to help serve the riders who want to hit the trails and roads early. During the week and on Saturday, both spaces open at 7:30 a.m., and 9 a.m. on Sundays. Crank has indoor and outdoor seating.

Sycamore Cycles also offers rentals of hardtail, full-suspension and road bikes. If calling to rent a bike, make sure you’re ready with your height, weight and pedal preference. The store also sells off a portion of its rental fleet around November of every year, which can be a great way to get a bike at a discount.

For more information, call Sycamore Cycles at (828) 877-5790 or visit their website, sycamorecycles.com.

FAVORITE RIDES WES DICKSON: Shop – Stables – Buckhorn – Clawhammer – Black – Avery CARLOS GALARZA: Cove Creek – Daniel

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPTURING WNC PHOTOGRAPHY

ART ODELL: U.S. 276 – Parkway – N.C. 215, or in reverse. It's great in both directions.

JUSTIN MILES: Cove creek – Daniel JIM BUCHANAN: Big M BRANDON MILET: The Parkway Loop

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PHOTO BY PARK BAKER

THE HUB AT BACKCOUNTRY OUTDOORS

Mountain bikers pack in like sardines on any weekend afternoon at The Pisgah Tavern. Stories about an epic wreck or getting caught in a summer thunderstorm fly back and forth while the latest micro brews are poured left and right. People are often covered in mud, blood and sweat. Brevard locals can be found a few PBR's deep most days, and your sanity may be questioned depending on which size wheels you ride. It's like that nearly all year: the porch has had to be expanded to accommodate the number of people coming back from their rides in Transylvania County, and the crowds show no sign of slowing down.

The Tavern is located inside The Hub at Backcountry Outdoors, and is the brainchild of Sam and Jordan Salman, both Brevard College graduates with a passion for all things outside. The Hub opened in September 2008, across the parking lot from where it is located now. They're not just a bike shop though, and sell nearly anything you need for a mountain adventure.

“We sell a lot of convenience items for people who have come in from out of town and may have forgotten a sleeping bag, or a rain jacket, or some easy-to-find climbing gear,” said Jon Angermier, college friend and the longest standing employee at The Hub. Both Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education majors, Sam and Jordan decided they were going to take a big road trip after college and find a small town in need of a bike shop.

“We went to Harvey, whose shop we went in while we were in college, and asked him for tips and advice on our journey,” said Jordan. “Harvey told us to just buy his shop. We thought he was joking and we didn’t know what to say, except to ask him if it was for sale. He replied to us saying ‘everything’ was for sale.”

At the time, Sam was working at the middle school and Jordan was working at Keystone Camp in charge of their Outdoor Staff. Jordan said that Harvey was gracious enough to finance it for them, because he and his wife knew they would do a good job. They decided to expand a few years later, as the idea of the Pisgah Tavern started to form in their minds. That required that they move into a larger location as the shop started to do more business.

Jon Angermeier has worked at The Hub since it opened, after a brief stint living in Bellingham, Wash. »1 8 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

Angermeier is in charge of the design work for The Hub, from the t-shirts all the way up to the wrap for the shop Sprinter van and the logo for the shop. They call him the in house “stoke broker.”

“We keep a staff that keeps their eye on the latest and greatest products for the ladies and the men,” said Sam. “There's a constant evolution in outdoor gear.

“One of our goals at the shop is create more of a community in the county, and bring in young couples and families, and get them in the woods,” he said. “It doesn't even have to be about bikes. It can be river tubing, backpacking or anything. We just want to create a scene centered around the mountain lifestyle.”

Jordan leads a community ladies’ ride, which she started hosting from the shop about five years ago.

“Sometimes we get ladies in white sneakers and sometimes we get racers who come in. For the most part it’s a strong group that shows up. I think women are intimidated to get out there alone. We like to encourage women to get on the bike and give them the tools and courage necessary and get them out in the woods. We show them what’s up. I usually decide where we're going to ride on the fly, and it's a no drop ride. Sometimes we meet here to caravan to the Fish Hatchery or to DuPont. It's really interesting who shows up, the women are really encouraging with each other. Usually I ride harder than I want to, and I end up hammering trying to keep up with somebody who showed up that heard about the ride.”

The Pisgah Tavern is a private club, and to drink a beer you must become a member, which is as simple as filling out an application. Then they issue you a membership card that you must bring back with you to drink.

Jordan and Sam strive to have a unique beer selection in the tavern, brews you can't get in Brevard or Asheville even. With so many local breweries, it's hard to pick the ones that will make everyone happy. The Tavern claims to sell more Wicked Weed than the Thirsty Monk in Asheville. Pisgah Pale Ale is also a great seller.

“I try and stock seasonal craft beers and of course local beer, but I still try and bring in the niche market beers,” said Sam. The Hub also offers rentals of hardtail and full-suspension bikes. If calling to rent a bike, make sure you’re ready with your height, weight and pedal preference. The store also sells off a portion of its rental fleet around November of every year, which can be a great way to get a bike at a discount.

For more information, call The Hub at (828) 884-8670 or visit their website, www.thehubpisgah.com.

FAVORITE RIDES

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPTURING WNC PHOTOGRAPHY

JON ANGERMEIER: Depends on the week. Usually BuckhornBlack-Buckwheat-Bennett-Maxwell- Black SAM SALMAN: Clawhammer-Black-Buckwheat-Club GapAvery SHAUNA: Cove Creek to Daniel Ridge.

JORDAN SALMAN Pink Beds-S Mills-Squirrel-5015-Laurel-Pilot TIM KOERBER: Whatever PETER HAILLE: Road riding MEGAN KOROL: I really like Farlow Gap.

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PHOTO BY ERIC CREWS

RIDING IN DUPONT STATE RECREATIONAL FOREST

By Jason Guidry DuPont State Forest Supervisor The trail system at the N.C. Forest Service (NCFS) DuPont State Recreational Forest is a key component of the forest’s growing popularity. With over 80 miles of trails and dirt roads on the forest’s 10,474 acres, there is no shortage of ways to enjoy off-road biking. The linear footage of trails is equivalent to having approximately 52 feet of trail for every acre of land, a ratio that is more than double the trail density to the N.C. State Park with the highest trail concentration, and more than four times the trail density of any National Forest or National Park in North Carolina.

A majority of the trail system was inherited from the forest roads of the DuPont Corporation. Nearly 15 years of cooperative work between the N.C. Forest Service and various volunteer organizations have resulted in numerous rerouting of trails to more sustainable locations and reasonable slopes. Local expertise has been critical in the design of DuPont’s most popular trails, with Pisgah Area Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA) being among the most active. Design specifications have been refined on trails such as Ridgeline, Reasonover Creek, Airstrip, Turkey Knob extension, and most recently Hickory Mountain Loop.

In addition to tens of thousands of volunteer hours, the trail system at DuPont would not be where it is today without the support of the Friends of DuPont Forest (FODF). As of 2014, the FODF has provided funding for trail reroutes, new trails, and maintenance for over 113,000 linear feet of trail. The FODF continues to be integral to the trail system at DuPont and remains committed to working with the N.C. Forest Service to maintain the trails against erosion, over-use, and impacts to the high-quality waters of DuPont State Recreational Forest.

DuPont is also known for having nearly all of its trails designated as multi-use, meaning that anything other than motorized vehicles can access the trail system. Given the variety of trail users in the forest, the multi-use concept has been a success due to the sophistication, courtesy, and awareness of the users as a whole. While there are occasional conflicts between user groups, the overall feedback on the multi-use approach is positive.

Recently the FODF and the equestrian group The Pisgah Trailblazers conducted a clinic to help equestrians and mountain bikers co-exist on DuPont’s trails. This type of collaborative effort helps us educate visitors to expect to encounter other users on DuPont’s trails and for off-road bikers to anticipate anything from hikers, »2 0 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

PHOTO BY TIM KOERBER

tourists, equestrians, mules, llamas, and unicycles around the next corner.

DuPont Rangers will be installing warning signs against excessive speed at key points on some of DuPont’s more popular trails for off-road bikers. The signage is to educate users who may be first-time riders at DuPont and may not be familiar with multi-use aspect of the trail system.

The signage will also emphasize that excessive speed could endanger others on trails, which can be interpreted as a violation of the Forest Rule commonly known as “Disorderly Conduct.” Any Forest Rule violation can result in the offender being expelled from the forest and a citation for a Class III Misdemeanor.

While the N.C. Forest Service and DuPont State Recreational Forest is proud to contribute to the success of the area being known as a biking destination, it is important for our trail users to understand that the popularity of the forest is showing no signs of slowing down. Increased visitation has put a strain on the forest’s facilities, parking lots, and trail systems. Staffing levels at DuPont is roughly the same as it was when forest visitation was less than half of what it is today (roughly 350,000 visitors in 2012 and 2013). As more and more bikers discover the forest, we are likely to experience problems with the trails system that will be difficult to keep pace with. Our hope is that our users take ownership of the trails, just as our numerous volunteers and supporters do by displaying the respect to fellow users and to the Forest we are so fortunate to offer as a recreational destination.

To learn more about DuPont State Recreational Forest visit the N.C. Forest Service at ncforestservice.gov and follow the links. Or give the Forest a call at 828-877-6527.

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THERE ARE A TOTAL OF 380 MILES OF TRAIL ON THE 160,000-ACRE PISGAH RANGER DISTRICT, AND THAT INCLUDES 172 MILES THAT ALLOW BIKE USE.

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PHOTO BY TIM KOERBER

RIDING IN PISGAH NATIONAL FOREST

PHOTO BY STEVEN BARKER/ICON MEDIA

By Derek J. S. Ibarguen Pisgah District Ranger Managed by the U.S. Forest Service, the Pisgah Ranger District provides a variety of recreation opportunities that attract visitors to the area. Sightseeing, camping, rock climbing, horseback riding, hunting, fishing, hiking and mountain biking are some of the activities available to visitors. The Pisgah Ranger District, one of three Ranger Districts in the Pisgah National Forest, is one of the most highly visited districts of the National Forest System. With the high levels of use come challenges in managing facilities and trails. The Pisgah Ranger District continues to work with partners to provide a socially, environmentally and financially sustainable trail system.

There are a total of 380 miles of trail on the 160,000-acre Pisgah Ranger District, including 172 miles that allow bike use and 81 miles that allow horse use. Volunteer partners such as the Carolina Mountain Club, Haywood Knolls, Pisgah Hikers, Pisgah District Mountain Bike Trail Crew, Backcountry Horsemen of America Pisgah Chapter, and Pisgah Area Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA) contribute greatly to maintaining the trail system. Each year these groups devote several thousand volunteer hours performing maintenance on the trails.

Recently a large trail project was completed by the Pisgah Ranger District and SORBA on the Black Mountain Trail near the Pisgah District Ranger Station. Over 150 people participated, volunteering more than 675 hours. This project addressed erosion and sedimentation issues on a section of highly used trail. This project highlights the partnership between the Forest Service and the community to provide excellent recreation opportunities that are environmentally sustainable.

An indication of increased use is the growth in the number of recreation events on the Pisgah Ranger District, the majority being mountain bike races. In the last two years annual recreation events have grown from six to fifteen. While these events bring visitors to the area, they also have an impact on the trail system.

Fees from the events cover some but not all of the trail maintenance costs. To better distribute use and to avoid peak times, these events are not held between Memorial Day and Labor Day, are generally limited to one per weekend otherwise and to a maximum of 200 participants.

Remember that many trails on the Pisgah Ranger District are multi-use trails. Hikers, equestrians and bikers all could be using the trail(s) you select. Practicing proper trail etiquette is the responsible thing to do, especially on multi-use trails. Bikers should yield to all hikers and equestrians and hikers should yield to equestrians. Bikers should exercise caution on downhill portions of trail. Make sure to monitor speed, communicate to trail users you are there and continue to yield to other trail users. Stay on designated trails and only use trails designated for the type of use. As always practice Leave No Trace. Observe other safe bicycling habits and enjoy your visit to the Pisgah Ranger District.

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PHOTO BY CHARISMA ARBOGAST

GO RIDING WITH PISGAH CYCLING

PHOTO BY SEAN TRAPP

Pisgah Cycling is a non-profit social club promoting cycling in and around Transylvania County through education, advocacy, support, and most of all, riding.

The group provides support by volunteering at area mountain and road races and rides, such as the Pisgah Stage Race, the CYMBL series, the Assault on The Carolinas, the Looking Glass Tour, and the Pisgah Omnium. At such events Pisgah Cycling offers necessary support ranging from working aid stations to riding sweep or driving SAG. The group advocates and educates by spreading information about cycling safety and courtesy at area community events like the Kids GO Festival, July 4th Festival, and Halloween Festival.

Additionally, Pisgah Cycling offers its members and the larger community opportunities to practice and enjoy the sport of cycling through organized group rides. Pisgah Cycling hosts a number of rides: •Spin and Grin road ride—every Saturday from the Comporium lot in downtown Brevard (currently 9:00 a.m., but times shift throughout the year) •Ladies’ Mountain Bike Ride— weekly on Thursdays at 5:45 p.m. (during the summer season) and every other week on Sundays at 2:00 p.m. (this is a women’s only ride) •Sunday Mountain Bike Social Ride—every other week at 1 p.m. on alternate Sundays from Ladies’ MTB ride •Dads’ Mountain Bike Ride—last Friday of the month at 6 p.m.

The calendar at the Pisgah Cycling website, pisgahcycling.org, indicates the days and times of these rides and is updated with any changes to the times. The mountain bike rides change locations each time, so interested riders should also like Pisgah Cycling on Facebook to see announcements for those rides. The website also contains membership information for those who’d like to join Pisgah Cycling and get involved with the cycling community in Transylvania County. »2 4 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

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Group rides are the foundational building block for any cycling community. They are the access points for new riders, and the backbone for locals. Group rides allow new community members to find their niche and riding styles or push themselves to go faster, improve skills and confidence, or simply get into shape. Most of these group rides are no-drop rides, meaning no one gets left behind, making them great for beginners. Each of the group rides in Transylvania County is unique in that they attract different members of the community, but with plenty of overlap at each one.

Tuesday Night Ladies’ Ride Meeting at The Hub at the entrance to Pisgah National Forest, the ladies’ ride invites women of all skill levels to relax and enjoy a mountain bike ride without any testosterone. The ride will be cancelled if the weather has been wet. It will usually be announced on the The Hub Facebook page.

Tuesday Night Worlds at Etowah Jokingly called Tuesday Night Worlds, or Etowah Worlds, this long standing ride starts up when the time changes in the spring, and is one of the larger community rides in the area. The Tuesday Night Worlds joke (as in “World Championships”) comes from the pack that breaks off the front soon after leaving the parking lot. Fast riders use a pace line to get a good workout, and cyclists who may be training use the “county line sprint” to gear up for race season.

The ride breaks into different groups, and at the beginning of the ride, a leadership role for each group is established to ensure that nobody gets dropped. The ride totals about 42 miles for the fast guys with varying mileage for the others. Most people meet at the Ingles in Etowah, but some folks ride from home for a few extra miles. The Etowah community is about fifteen minutes east of Brevard on U.S. 64, headed towards Hendersonville. The ride usually meets rain or shine, because it might not be raining ten minutes down the road. It meets at 5:45 p.m.

Wednesday Night Hill Climb Every Wednesday road cyclists meet at the Black Mountain trailhead parking lot in Pisgah National Forest, and ride up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s about 18 miles to the parkway, with about 5 miles of rolling along the Davidson River in Pisgah National Forest before the road turns uphill past Looking Glass Falls. The road is well maintained, with plenty of opportunities to pull over and catch your breath. Some of these guys have been doing this ride for 15+ years, and they know how to hold »2 6 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TRANSYLVANIA TDA

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the turns coming down the hill. The ride usually meets at 5:30 p.m. rain or shine, unless the weather calls for an absolute wash. Meet at the paved lot on the right just before the Ranger Station.

The Bike Farm Wednesday Night Ride The ride starts at the Oskar Blues Brewery in Pisgah Forest, just down the road from downtown Brevard and about a ten-minute ride down the bike path to the entrance of Pisgah National Forest.

A welcoming, no-drop ride, The Bike Farm owners, who are both CPR certified and carry first-aid kits, ensure that there is a sweep on the ride to make sure no one gets left behind, and everyone has a good time on their mountain bike. The route chosen depends on who shows up, but everyone is welcome. The ride may be Maxwell Cove Rd. to Black Mountain Trail, or a seasonal trail like Bennett Gap. The ride may split into two different groups on nights with a big turnout, and new riders will be introduced to an easier, yet exhilarating, ride. The ride starts at 5:45 p.m. at Oskar Blues Brewery.

Thursday Night Sycamore Cycles Group Ride The Thursday night ride from Sycamore Cycles is the longest standing mountain bike ride in Brevard, and is hosted year round. When the time changes in winter, it’s time to break out the lights for some intense night riding. Riders meet at 6 p.m. at Sycamore Cycles in Pisgah Forest, and the ride may leave from the shop depending on which route suggestion gets a “Yay” or “Nay.” They may load up and drive to DuPont, or the Fish Hatchery for about an hour and a half ride, give or take, depending on the crowd that night. All abilities are welcome, and it is a no-drop ride.

Thursday Night Pisgah Cycling Ladies’ Mountain Bike Ride.

This ladies’ mountain bike ride meets on Thursdays from spring through October. Depending on demand, the group also holds a ride on Sunday, alternating with the club’s open Sunday mountain bike ride. Members and non-members of all skill levels are welcome to join this no-drop ride. The ride starts at 6 p.m. Check the Pisgah Cycling Facebook page and website calendar (pisgahcycling.org) for meeting locations and updates.

Saturday Morning Spin And Grin The Spin and Grin is a casual, community-oriented road ride that usually rolls out through the valley along the French Broad River between Brevard and Rosman, attracting riders from all over to come enjoy the views. The no-drop ride is typically a 28-mile loop, but there is often a break-off group for riders who want to get in more miles.

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Riders meet at the Comporium parking lot next to the Brevard Farmers Market on the corner of Johnson and Jordan streets. Start time varies between 8 and 10 a.m.; check the Pisgah Cycling Facebook page and website calendar (pisgahcycling.org) for updates. Before you get all kitted up for the Saturday morning ride, stop in at the Farmer’s Market for a Wild Indigo Catering sausage biscuit and coffee.

Sunday Pisgah Cycling Mountain Bike Social Ride Members and non-members of all skill levels are welcome to join this no-drop group ride. This open ride starts at 1 p.m., and typically alternates Sundays with the Pisgah Cycling ladies’ ride, which starts at 2. Be sure to check the Pisgah Cycling Facebook page and website calendar (pisgahcycling.org) for start locations and updates.

Pisgah Area Southern Off Road Bicycle Association The Pisgah Area SORBA hosts group rides throughout the week. See their updated calendar for times and locations at www.pisgahareasorba.org.

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PHOTOS BY SEAN TRAPP

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As much as cyclists and mountain bikers enjoy a casual ride with friends, every once in a while most bikers enjoy a little healthy competition. Transylvania County is host to numerous road and mountain bike races throughout the year, many of which are organized by Blue Ridge Adventures.

Below is a list of annual races and non-competitive rides in and around Transylvania County from BRA and other area race organizers.

Assault on the Carolinas The Assault on the Carolinas is a highly anticipated road ride that begins and ends in downtown Brevard. If you’ve never seen the start of the AOTC, the sight of 1000 cyclists pedaling down Main St. is something you won’t soon forget.

Cyclists return to Brevard year after year to participate in this beloved, fully-supported ride. A fundraiser for the Pisgah Forest Rotary Club, the AOTC originally got its humble start as an alternative to the club’s pancake breakfast. Since then, it has grown to become a major regional cycling event that has strong support from the local community.

Scheduled for April 11, 2015, this sell-out ride offers three options: 40K, 60K and 100K. The shorter routes take riders through the scenic river valleys of Transylvania, while the longer route leads riders down to South Carolina and back up the grueling 6-mile climb on U.S. 276 to Ceasar’s Head State Park. The ride ends with a celebration in downtown Brevard.

For more information, see the story about the history of the Assault elsewhere in this publication, and visit www.assaultonthecarolinas.com for ride details and information.

The Fletcher Flyer In 2014, The Fletcher Flyer started at Brevard’s Oskar Blues Brewery for the first time in the race’s history. The ride offered multiple levels of difficulty, with 30, 50, 62 and 100-mile courses. The ride followed the river valleys and rolling hills of Henderson and Transylvania counties, allowing riders to enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery without the long mountain climbs. In 2014, the Fletcher Flyer attracted just under 1000 registered riders.

The Fletcher Flyer is organized by the Blue Ridge Cycle Club. For more information, visit fletcherflyer.com Looking Glass Tour On June 21, 2014, BRA put together a loop of Transylvania County’s finest roads for the first annual Looking Glass Tour. The route circumnavigates Pisgah National B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4 »29

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Forest, and features spectacular views, lung busting climbs and hairpin descents. The Looking Glass Tour features chip-timed results with King of the Mountain segments and plenty of racer support with awesome rest stops and SAG Wagons.

For more information about the 2015 event, go to www.blueridgeadventures.net.

Pisgah Omnium The Pisgah Omnium is a USA Cycling sanctioned weekend of racing in Brevard, hosted by Idaph Events.

Held on July 5 and 6 in 2014, the Pisgah Omnium began with a Saturday road race featuring an 11.75 mile loop beginning in Brevard. Each category of rider competed varying numbers of laps, with the Pro category riding 6 loops. Points were awarded toward the overall Omnium competition, which continued on Sunday with a criterium style street race in downtown Brevard. Prizes were awarded to the overall Omnium winners who competed in both events.

Criteriums, or “Crits,” are typically short course races run on closed off city streets. The Brevard loop followed Caldwell St., Probart St., Railroad Ave. and King St. Races were held throughout the day for different categories of riders, including a fat tire mountain bike event and a kid’s race. Criteriums require strategy on the part of riders, and are exciting and fun to watch. For more information about the Pisgah Omnium, visit idaph.net.

Pisgah Stage Race Pisgah has earned a growing reputation for having some of the best trails in the country, and this five-day, fully supported BRA endurance event delivers a taste of our best singletrack. Come sample fall riding in Pisgah National Forest with rhododendron tunnels, picturesque creek crossings, incredible leaf colors, and rooty, rocky singletrack. After spending a week getting to know and appreciate the beauty of Pisgah National Forest, you won’t want to leave.

New for 2014 - Timed Enduro Sections each day! This will showcase the true descenders in the endurance world. The “enduro” section will be included with registration fees and applicable for all participants in the event. We’ll be handing out Enduro awards too! The 2014 Stage Race is scheduled for Sept. 22-27.

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PHOTO BY JEREMIAH REED

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White Squirrel Cycling Classic The White Squirrel Cycling Classic is a classic fall spinner during the crisp fall leaf season. Starting and ending in downtown Brevard, riders will head out on flat river valley roads near the base of Pisgah National Forest. They’ll meander along the French Broad River before heading into Henderson County and then back to downtown Brevard.

These routes will lead riders on a fully guided and supported tour of some of Transylvania County’s finest roads. Chip timing with King of the Mountain segments, fully supported rest stops with medical and mechanical assistance, and SAG wagons. The 2014 White Squirrel Classic is planned for Oct. 4. www.blueridgeadventures.net Couch Potato The Couch Potato is epic. Mountain bike racing on a short enough course to make it doable from “off the couch.” Rolling over rugged logging roads, classic Pisgah single track, cursing climbs and giggling descents, this course will test your skills and desire as you explore the intoxicating terrain of the Pisgah National Forest. Burgers, brews and a campfire will be at the finish to comfort you after a long day in the saddle.

New for 2014 - Timed Enduro Section! We’ll be timing your descent on Davidson River Trail!

This will showcase the true descenders in the endurance world. The “Enduro” section will be included with registration fees and applicable for all participants in the event; Enduro awards will be handed out too! The 2014 Couch Potato is planned for Nov. 1. www.blueridgeadventures.net Sycamore Cycles Swank 65 The Swank 65 Mountain Bike Journey is mountain bike racing at its most primeval, far removed from civilization and polluted air. The race begins at 2500 feet, and consists of a triad of cloverleaf shaped loops winding around Gloucester Gap in Pisgah National Forest. Rolling over rugged mining roads, fun single track, tough climbs and hair-raising descents, the exhilarating course will test your skills and desire as you explore the terrain of the Pisgah National Forest.

New for 2014 - Timed Enduro Section! We’ll be timing your descent on Daniel Ridge. This will allow for safe accountability of riders mid course and showcase the true descenders in the endurance world. The “Enduro” section will be included with registration fees and applicable for all participants in the event; Enduro awards will be handed out too! The 2014 Swank is planned for Nov. 2. www.blueridgeadventures.net CYMBL Series Carolina Youth Mountain Bike League The Carolina Youth Mountain Bike League was started by Blue Ridge Adventures in 2009 to expose kids to the joys of mountain biking, while instilling some friendly competition among the kids, and parents. League races are generally held on summer camp »3 2 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

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properties throughout each season, with a few exceptions like the Brevard College race.

Blue Ridge Adventures has changed the series format again this year. There will be two separate series this year - Spring and Fall. The spring series has already finished for 2014, and the fall series starts up September 6. Each series will be comprised of three races and riders will be required to race all three races to be eligible for the series win. Fall Series: September 6 – Camp Carolina, Brevard; September 12 – Brevard College, Brevard; September 27 – Brevard Music Center, Brevard. For more information, visit www.blueridgeadventures.net.

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The Assault on the Carolinas road race, a fundraiser cycling event for the Pisgah Forest Rotary Club, celebrated its 15th anniversary in April, 2014.

A lot has changed in the years since the Rotary Club of Pisgah Forest decided to hold a bike ride instead of a pancake breakfast. According to Tom Whitesel, a long time member of the club, the pancake breakfast wasn't working, and he was looking for a day-long fundraiser that didn't require members to sell or buy tickets.

“The goal was 100 riders for the first event on April Fool's Day in 2000, but the week before we only had 14 advance registrations. I was very nervous the morning of the ride. We ended up with 48 riders that day and we've never looked back,” he said.

Jay Coan, another member of the club, has been involved in the ride since the early years. To get the word out, fliers were sent to bike shops and clubs within a 250-mile radius of Brevard.

Coan said that when online registration was added in 2004, the ride increased from 100 to 450 riders. In 2011, the event moved from the high school to downtown Brevard, and now includes music, food and a beverage tent.

Although the ride is still only a one-day event, it requires far more preparation than it did in the early years.

“The Assault, or AOTC, as we call it, takes a tremendous amount of work from our members, sponsors and volunteers before, during and after the event,” said John Buford, past president of the Pisgah Forest Rotary Club. “We have well over 1,200 folks with visitors, spouses and friends who accompany the riders to Brevard.

“Our community really shines during AOTC weekend and welcomes everyone," he said. “It's great to see the response from the community during the last few years when we've started and ended the race from downtown Brevard." »3 4 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

PHOTO BY MICHAEL ROGERS

Although it's a fun and signature event for riders and the community, Buford stresses that Rotary is first a service organization.

"The Assault on the Carolinas is a fundraiser that provides funds to allow our Club to make a difference in the community. Through our Grant Committee, we give back to the programs that make Transylvania County a special place to live and work," he said.

This year, the event netted over $40,000 for charities, scholarships and local service projects. Furthermore, between the revenue generated by the ride for local businesses, and the money spent by riders and their families, the AOTC generated an estimated economic impact in excess of a quarter of a million dollars.

"It is amazing to look back and see where we started and how it's turned into one of the premier cycling events in the Southeast over the last 14 years," said Whitesel. "The best thing is that the club members still don't have to sell or buy tickets for a pancake breakfast.�

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HOT GEAR

TOP PICKS FROM THE HUB The Hub Shirt And Jersey All in house brand design is done by Jon Angermeier, the longest standing employee at The Hub. Some of their best selling items are their shirts and jerseys, commemoratives of a romp in Pisgah or DuPont.

Pisgah Pale Pale Ale in a can from just down the road in Black Mountain, Pisgah Brewing can be found nearly everywhere on draft, but there’s something special about beer in a can.

Some prefer the taste, others like its portability. Fits in your pack nicely.

Santa Cruz Bronson C The Bronson is an all-mountain ripper. Available in different sizes, and set up for your weight and riding style, the folks at The Hub will get you set up to test the latest flavor in 650b from Santa Cruz.

Map You may not need the map, or you may intentionally try and get lost so you can flex your navigational skills. Either way, it’s best to have one on you. Many of our trails are not marked, and intersect hunter trails or swimming hole trails which may dead end or keep going. Take a map.

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HOT GEAR

TOP PICKS FROM SYCAMORE CYCLES Marsh Guard Pisgah National Forest is a temperate rain forest. It may not rain all day, but somewhere in Transylvania County, it rains everyday. The Marsh Guard keeps the mud and muck from spinning off your front tire and into your face.

RockShox Pike The Pike made a come back in 2013, and Sycamore has been selling loads of them. The fork is designed to ride in the top of its travel, which means it’s always ready to take a big hit, while staying supple in the small stuff. This Pike is for a 29er, and features 140mm of travel, compression and rebound adjustment, and a lock out.

SRAM SRAM introduced the first 1x11 specific drivetrain a couple of years ago, and it has taken over the mountain bike world. With the same gear range as older drivetrains, in a quieter, simpler and lighter package, the 1x system is the way of the future. Sycamore has been decking out many bikes with this set up, stop by and find out if 1x is right for you.

Trek Fuel EX Trek released the inside scoop on their collaboration with Penske Racing Suspension in Brevard just a few weeks ago, and the public’s reaction to the partnership has been nothing but positive. The new rear shock design provides both efficiency and plushness in the same lightweight package, and the bike just looks fast. Carbon fiber, 650b wheels, and Shimano XT brakes leave little to be desired for the trails out here.

B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4 »37

PHOTO BY PARK BAKER

NOT

YOUR MOMMA’S BIKE

»3 8 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

CARLOS’ CHOPPERS

` Carlos Galarza and his mountain bike buddies in Florida needed another excuse to get together centered around cycling, so they started the Freakbike Militia, a core crew of mountain bikers whose modus operandi is “simple people on stupid bikes.”

The bikes are choppers, and chopper culture is all CARLOS GALARZA about cruising. Perfect for bike paths, Carlos and I loaded SEES AND BUILDS up two of his favorite choppers and cruised the bike path BIKES DIFFERENTLY to Oskar Blues. Not the best pedalers, the bikes are meant

BY PARK BAKER for leaning back and letting go. Cruising any faster than fifteen miles per hour feels too fast for these machines.

Carlos was hooked by chopper culture, and he and his friends started themed chopper rides every four months, and the idea originally was that everyone had to make a new bike for each ride.

The ride themes ranged from Pirate rides to Catholic schoolgirl night and Halloween and Christmas rides. The rides became so popular that they started to amass a huge following, where tons of people would show up on all kinds of bikes, almost a critical mass of chopper culture.

Members of his original crew had names like Kenny Clean, who was immaculately clean and detail oriented. Galarza said that he was one of the few who could appreciate the little details about the bikes that he designs and builds. Another member of the original crew was Dunkin Dennis, who would come next to you on the trail and push you out into the bushes as a practical joke. Jobi-WonKinobi, as Carlos calls him affectionately, is a nod to his riding skills. According to Carlos, he claims that he welded together an aluminum full suspension frame that he had designed, and a well-known bicycle manufacturer stole his design and ran with it.

“When I walk through the hardware store, I see things differently than most people,” he said, pointing to the battery housing on his yellow bike cruiser. He made it from PVC he found in the plumbing section, and two fence post caps for either side, then he wrapped the whole thing in leather, so that it fits the overall feng shui of the bike.

Carlos moved to Brevard about seven years ago, as he wanted to be closer to the trails that draw people from around the world. He got involved in the cycling community and began volunteering at local races and attending trail work volunteer days. He is a certified sawyer on USFS and state lands, so if you come upon a downed tree across a trail, he’s your man.

Stop by Sycamore Cycles if you’d like to meet Carlos and talk about bikes, trail work, and if you’re lucky he may take you on a chopper cruise.

RELAX.

884 -2055

B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4 »39

GREAT BIKE RIDES

The following list of routes provides a sampling of popular rides in Transylvania County. Please note that these cue sheets should be used in conjunction with a map; they are not a map replacement. Mileage provided on road rides is offered only as a reference so riders will be prepared for turns. Due to variances in measurements among different GPS sources and odometer readings, riders may find discrepancies between their own ride and the cue sheet.

In addition to maps, riders should carry a cell phone and/or GPS device, but be aware that cell service is not available everywhere in the county. Riders should also be sure to have plenty of water and nutrition.

Visitors are strongly advised to seek guidance and purchase maps from the area bike shops or visitors centers before heading out on a ride. Not only can they help keep you from getting lost, but they can also help you choose a ride appropriate for your skill level.

These routes are provided as a public service for informational purposes only. Neither The Transylvania Times, The Transylvania Tourism Development Authority or any groups or individuals who have contributed to this publication make any guarantees regarding the accuracy of these routes or the condition of the referenced roads and trails, nor are they responsible for your personal safety or liable to you for any loss or injury incurred while following one of these routes. Keep in mind that Transylvania County is beautiful but it also has many remote areas. Please seek guidance from an area professional to ensure that your visit to Transylvania County is safe and enjoyable.

Reasonover to Turkey Turkey Knob Loop http://www.strava.com/routes/486396

9.9 mi

1,222 ft

MTB

Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

Reasonover to Turkey Knob and Mine Mtn http://www.strava.com/routes/486396

Est. Moving Time: 0:39:30

This mountain bike ride starts at Fawn lake parking lot in DuPont State Forest and goes out Reasonover trail to Turkey Knob extension, then makes it way back to the start by Lake Julia. A great place to start and end a ride, you can finish and jump in Fawn Lake on the way out. This route is kind of a tour of some newer trails in DuPont. The loop is pretty much an all single-track loop and is a suitable ride for newer riders. Ride could take approximately two hours.

Map d DIRECTIONS •Park at the Fawn Lake Parking lot on Reasonover Rd •Proceed right Rd7.0 mi 8.0 mi 9.0 mi 1.0 mi 2.0 mionto 3.0 mi Fawn 4.0 mi 5.0Lake mi 6.0 mi •Right onto Reasonover Creek Trail Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate and may contain sections •Right onto Knob Road of private land and/orTurkey sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and •Left onto Briery Fork Trail property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks •Left onto Joanna Road DIRECTION DISTANCE (miles) •Left onto Conservation Road •Continue Fawn Proceed ontoon Fawn LakeLake Rd Rd 0.0 •Arrive at Finish Proceed onto Fawn Lake Rd 0.0 •Approximately 12 miles

3,000 ft 2,900 ft 2,800 ft 2,700 ft 2,600 ft 2,500 ft

Right onto Conservation Road

0.1

Left onto Reasonover Creek Trail

0.2

»4 0 onto B I KTurkey E TRA N S YRoad LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4 Right Knob

1.4

Left onto Briery Fork Trail

4.5

Left onto Joanna Road

4.9

Left onto Conservation Road

7.6

Continue on Fawn Lake Rd

9.0

9.9 mi

1,222 ft

MTB

Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

Est. Moving Time: 0:39:30

Map d 3,000 ft 2,900 ft 2,800 ft 2,700 ft 2,600 ft 2,500 ft

QR CODE

1.0 mi 2.0 mi 3.0 mi 4.0 mi 5.0 mi 6.0 mi 7.0 mi 8.0 mi 9.0 mi

Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate and may contain sections of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks

DIRECTION

Use the QR Code noted here Proceed onto Fawn Lake Rd to connect with this bike ride

DISTANCE (miles) 0.0

Proceed onto Fawn Lake Rd

0.0

Right onto Conservation Road

0.1

Left onto Reasonover Creek Trail

0.2

Right onto Turkey Knob Road

1.4

Left onto Briery Fork Trail

4.5

MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDES

DIRECTION Arrive at Finish

Farlow and Butter Gap http://www.strava.com/routes/486388

21.4 mi DIRECTION Distance

MTB

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

http://www.strava.com/routes/486388

21.4 mi

3,330 ft

MTB

Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

This mountain bike ride starts at the Fish Hatchery.

Est. Moving Time: 1:25:24 A tour of classic Pisgah trails, Farlow Gap is a destination and what many people consider to be one of the most difficult trails in Pisgah. Fall line rock gardens, stream crossings and mountain coves covered in ferns await the adventurous on this ride that could take anywhere from 3 to 5 hours depending on skill level. Not recommended for new riders.

DIRECTIONS •Park at the Cove Creek Campground Gate •Left onto 475 Map d •Left on Davidson River Trail •Left on 475 to intersection at Gloucester Gap 4,500 ft 4,000 ft •Right onto 229 Pilot Mountain Road 3,500 ft •Go through the gate (229C) 3,000 ft •Right onto Farlow Gap 2.0 mi 4.0 mi 6.0 mi 8.0 mi 10.0 mi12.0 mi14.0 mi16.0 mi18.0 18.0 mi20.0 mi mi •Continue down Farlow Gap •Right onto Daniel Ridgeand/or trailinaccurate (down stairs) Route recommendations may be incomplete andthe may contain sections of private land and/or sectionsold of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous.

Always •Continue down jeep road at bottom of trail use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and •Across theMoving large bridge property laws. Est. Time metal based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks •Right onto 475 DIRECTION (miles) •Come to intersection at GloucesterDISTANCE Gap Proceed onto 475

0.0

Right onto 229 Pilot Mountain Road

2.1

Continue on 229C Deep Gap

Out and Back on Squirr Squirrel el Gap Left onto Art Loeb Trail http://www.strava.com/routes/486034

4.6

DISTANCE (miles) 20.9

Arrive at Finish Est. Moving Time: 1:25:24

Farlow and Butter Gap

QR CODE

3,330 ft

Map d 4,500 ft 4,000 ft 3,500 ft 3,000 ft 2.0 mi 4.0 mi 6.0 mi 8.0 mi 10.0 mi12.0 mi14.0 mi16.0 mi18.0 18.0 mi20.0 mi mi

•Left onto Cathey’s Creek and/or Rd (1338) Route recommendations may be incomplete inaccurate and may contain sections of private land and/or sections of terrain that couldgate be challenging or hazardous. Always •Left onto 471D through the use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and •At intersection ArtavgLoeb Butter property laws. Est. Moving of Time471D, based on your speed ofand 15.0 mi/h over last Gap, 4 weeks stay straight onto Butter Gap DIRECTION DISTANCE (miles) •Hard left to stay on Butter Gap •Left on Long Branch Proceed onto 475 0.0 •At intersection go right down gravel double track Right onto 229 Pilot Mountain Road 2.1 (5095) Out and Back onGap Squirrel Gap •Right onto 475 Deep Continue on 229C 4.6 http://www.strava.com/routes/486034 •Approximately 15 miles Left onto Art Loeb Trail 20.3 mi 2,736 ft Distance Elevation Continue on 229C DeepGain Gap Est. Moving Right ontoTime: 1061:21:20 Farlow

5.5

MTB

5.6

Ride Type

6.0

Gap

5.5

Continue

8.8 8.9

Continue Deep Gap 20.3 mi on 229C 2,736 ft

MTB

5.6

Right onto 105 Daniel Ridge

Distance

Ride Type

6.0

Continue on 5046

10.6

Right onto 475

10.8

Left onto National Forest Road

12.9

Proceed National Road Use theonto QR CodeForest noted here

15.5

Elevation Gain

Right onto 106 Farlow Gap

Est. Moving Time: 1:21:20 Squirrel Continue Gap is the IMBA designated mountain bike 8.8 trail in Pisgah National Forest. This ride is simply an Rightand onto back, 105 Daniel Ridge 8.9 out from swinging bridge to swinging bridge on hand cut CCC trail. The extreme ends of Continue on 5046 10.6 Squirrel have been reworked using machines to Right with onto 475 help drainage, but the middle of the trail is10.8 still the sought after narrow bench cut that mountain Left onto National Forest Road 12.9 bikers crave. This route should take anywhere from Proceed three to onto fourNational hours Forest and isRoad rated very difficult. 15.5

Proceed onto Art Loeb Trail 15.9 DIRECTIONS •Start Turkey PenTrail parking lot Proceedatonto Art Loeb 16.2 Mapacross d •Through the gate down to the river and Left onto 123 Butter Gap 16.4 the swinging bridge 3,400 ft 3,200 ft •Left onto South Mills River Trail Continue on 116 Long Branch 18.4 3,000 ft •Continue on 133 South Mills River 2,800 ft Continue on 5095 19.3 2,600 ft •Right onto Mullinax Trail 2,400 ft •Once at the4.0intersection ofmi Squirrel Mullinax, 2.0475 mi mi 6.0 mi 8.0 mi 10.0 12.0 mi 14.0 mi and 16.0 mi 18.0 mi 20.0 mi Right onto 20.4 stay straight up the hill onto Squirrel Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate and may contain sections of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks

DIRECTION

DISTANCE (miles)

Proceed onto 324 Vinyard Gap

0.0

Proceed onto 324 Vinyard Gap

0.0

QR CODE

to connect with this bike ride Proceed onto Art Loeb Trail Proceed onto Art Loeb Trail 3,400 ft Left onto 3,200 ft 3,000 ft 2,800 ft Continue 2,600 ft 2,400 ft

15.9 Map d

16.2

123 Butter Gap

16.4

on 116 Long Branch

18.4

Continue 2.0 onmi5095 4.0 mi

19.3

6.0 mi 8.0 mi 10.0 mi 12.0 mi 14.0 mi 16.0 mi 18.0 mi 20.0 mi

Right onto 475 •Stay on Squirrel

20.4 you and/or reach the and end thesections trail Route recommendations mayuntil be incomplete inaccurate mayof contain of private and/orswinging sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. at theland next bridge.

Turn around andAlways go use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and back the same way you came. property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks •Back across the swinging bridge •Arrive at Finish DIRECTION DISTANCE (miles) •Approximately 19 miles Proceed onto 324 Vinyard Gap

0.0

Proceed onto 324 Vinyard Gap

0.0

Proceed onto Turkey Pen Trailhead Connector

0.2

Right onto South Fork Mills River Trail

0.9

Continue on 133 South Mills River

1.0

B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4 »41

MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDES Clawhammer to A

eek trail

http://www.strava.com/routes/485501

18.7 mi

2,334 ft

MTB

Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

Est. Moving Time: 1:14:39

Clawhammer to Avery Avery Cr Creek eek trail http://www.strava.com/routes/485501

18.7 mi

2,334 ft

MTB

Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

QR CODE

Est. Moving Time: 1:14:39

Another classic Pisgah mountain bike ride, the climb up Clawhammer Mountain Road is a tough fire road climb on gravel, and ends at Buckhorn Gap. From there, a single-track climb up Black Mountain trail takes you to the ridge, and a burly descent to Avery Creek trail. Rated a difficult ride, it should take most people about 3 hours.

•Park at the Pisgah Ranger Station on US 276 •Make a right on US 276 •Right onto National Forest Road 477 (look for the Map d horse stable signs) •Right onto 5058 Clawhammer Road (at the back 4,000 ft 3,500 of ftthe horse stable parking lot) 3,000 ft •Climb Clawhammer Rd for about 4 miles until you 2,500 ft reach Buckhorn Gap. There will be stairs on your 2,000 ft mi 2.0 mi 4.0 mi 6.0 mi 8.0 mi 10.0 mi 12.0 mi 14.0 mi 16.0 mi 18.0 mi left0.0up Black Mountain Trail •Left up Black Mountain Trail, you make two Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate and may contain sections of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks

DISTANCE (miles)

DIRECTION Proceed onto US 64

0.0

Continue on Pisgah Highway

0.0

Continue on US 276

Map d 4,000 ft 3,500 ft 3,000 ft 2,500 ft 2,000 ft 0.0 mi

2.0 mi

4.0 mi

6.0 mi

8.0 mi 10.0 mi 12.0 mi 14.0 mi 16.0 mi 18.0 mi

descents before reaching Avery Creek your Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate and mayTrail containon sections of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always left use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and •Left Avery Creek Trail propertyonto laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks •At the bottom of Avery Creek Trail, proceed right on DIRECTION Gap trail DISTANCE (miles) Buckhorn •Go left onto National Forest Road 477 (this is road Proceed onto US 64 0.0 you came in on) Continue on Pisgah Highway 0.0 •Left onto US 276 back to the car •Approximately 16 miles Continue on US 276 0.5 Right onto National Forest Road

2.2

Right onto 5058 Clawhammer Road

4.0

Left onto Black Mountain

8.3

Right onto Avery Creek

10.2

0.5

Continue on 103 Buckhorn Gap

12.4

Right onto National Forest Road

2.2

Proceed onto National Forest Road

13.4

Right onto 5058 Clawhammer Road

4.0

Proceed onto National Forest Road

13.6

Left onto Black Mountain

8.3

Left onto US 276

16.2 17.9

Right onto Avery Creek

10.2

Continue on Pisgah Highway

Continue on 103 Buckhorn Gap

12.4

Continue on US 64

18.4

Proceed onto National Forest Road

13.4

Arrive at Finish

18.5

Proceed onto National Forest Road

13.6

“Blue Ridge 18.4 Mountain Tour Co.”

16.2 Aloha, Seven Seas Travel introduces a new division to their company:

Left onto US 276

Continue on Pisgah Highway Continue on US 64 Arrive at Finish

17.9

Customized packages 18.5will be available Spring 2015

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828-233-5877

Contact Blue Ridge Mountain Tour Co. for your next adventure to Western North Carolina

»4 2 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

BIKE RIDES Jim Branch Climb to Ridgeline Downhill http://www.strava.com/routes/482895

7.4 mi

768 ft

MTB

Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

Est. Moving Time: 0:29:44

An easy ride that you could take a new rider on, and one that your kids might really enjoy. The single track is fairly easy, and not very rough. Ridgeline is a great introduction for new riders, as the downhill does not require heavy braking or an advanced skill set.

Should take anywhere from 1 to 1.5 hours.

DIRECTIONS •Start at Lake Imaging •Go through the gate onto Lake Imaging Road •Left onto Jim Branch Trail Map d •Right onto Isaac Heath Trail •Go straight on Locust Trail 2,700 ft 2,600 ft onto Lake Imaging Rd •Left 2,500 ft •Left on Buck Forest Rd 2,400 ft •Continue on Buck Forest Road 2,300 ft mi 2.0 mi 3.0 mi 4.0 mi 5.0 mi 6.0 mi 7.0 mi •Left onto1.0Hickory Mountain Road •Left on Ridgeline Trail Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate and may contain sections Jim Branch Climb to Ridgeline Downhill •Right onto Imaging Road of private land and/orLake sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always http://www.strava.com/routes/482895 use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and •Arrive at Finish property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks •Approximately 7.4 mi 7689ft miles MTB DIRECTION Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

Est. Moving onto Time: 0:29:44 Proceed Lake Imaging

DISTANCE (miles) 0.0

Road

Left onto Jim Branch Trail

0.3

Right onto Isaac Heath Trail

1.5

Continue on Locust Trail

1.9

Right onto Lake Imaging Road

2.3

Left onto Hilltop Trail

2.3

Right onto Grassy Creek Falls Trail

3.3 3.3

Right onto Lake Imaging Road Continue on Buck Forest Road Leftftonto 2,700 2,600 ft

Continue 2,500 ft

Map d

3.4

Hickory Mountain Road

5.1

on Ridgeline Trail

5.9

2,400 ft

QR CODE

7.3

Right 2,300 ft onto Lake Imaging Road 1.0 mi

Arrive at Finish

2.0 mi

3.0 mi

4.0 mi

5.0 mi

6.0 mi

7.0 mi

7.4

Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate and may contain sections of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks

Use the QR Code noted here DIRECTION to connect with this bike ride Proceed onto Lake Imaging Road

DISTANCE (miles) 0.0

Left onto Jim Branch Trail

0.3

Right onto Isaac Heath Trail

1.5

Continue on Locust Trail

1.9

Right onto Lake Imaging Road

2.3

Left onto Hilltop Trail

2.3

Right onto Grassy Creek Falls Trail

3.3

B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4 »43

DI

MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDES

Pr

Laurel Mtn, Pilot Rock, Squirrel Gap

Ri

http://www.strava.com/routes/486083

33.7 mi

4,978 ft

MTB

Co

Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

Ri

Est. Moving Time: 2:14:38

DIRECTION

19.2

Right onto 348 Laurel Creek

http://www.strava.com/routes/486083

33.7 mi

4,978 ft

MTB

Continue on 351 Bradley Creek

Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

Right onto Yellow Gap Road

The classic Pisgah mountain bike ride. A tour of all the single-track that you’ve read about, this loop could take 5 to 7 hours and is considered very difficult. Single-track climbs, switchback descents and beautiful hand cut trail is what has put Brevard on the map as a destination.

Est. Moving Time: 2:14:38

Note: Access to this ride is found at the Turkey Pen trailhead on Turkey Pen Rd., off NC 280 (Asheville Highway) at the Henderson and Transylvania County line. You may need to park at the bottom of the road; it is rough and may be impassable for cars Map d with low clearance.

5,000 ft DIRECTIONS

4,500 ft 4,000 ft 3,500 ft 3,000 ft 2,500 ft

•Start at the Turkey Pen Trailhead •Go through the gate at the back of the parking 0.0 mi 5.0 mi 10.0 mi 15.0 mi 20.0 mi 25.0 mi 30.0 mi lot, down to the river and across the swinging bridge.

Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate and may contain sections •Make a and/or hardsections left after bridge on South Mills of private land of terrainthe that could be challenging or hazardous.

Always use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and River trail property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks •Make a right onto Mullinax Trail •Climb Mullinax trail until it intersects DISTANCE with Squirrel DIRECTION (miles) Gap, stay straight uphill on Squirrel Gap trail Proceed onto National Forest Road 0.0 •Right on Laurel Creek trail, downhill •Left onto Bradley Creek Trail Continue on Squirrel Gap 147 0.7 •Go through a few creek crossings and you will Continue South Mills River come toona133 field on your right. After the field there 2.1 is a Forest Service Rd FS 5015 on the map. Take Proceed onto 133 South Mills River 6.1 this right turn and climb uphill until you reach FS 1206, Yellow Gap Rd. This is a gravel road open 6.2 Proceed onto 133 South Mills River to vehicles.

QR CODE 18.7

Proceed onto 147 Squirrel Gap

Laur Laurel el Mtn, Pilot Rock, Squirr Squirrel el Gap

DISTANCE (miles)

20.7 22.7

Left onto 121 Laurel Mountain

23.9

Continue on 110 Laurel Mountain Connecter

30.1

Left onto Pilot Rock Trail

Map d

32.6

5,000 ft at Finish Arrive 4,500 ft 4,000 ft 3,500 ft 3,000 ft 2,500 ft

0.0 mi

5.0 mi

30.3

10.0 mi

15.0 mi

20.0 mi

25.0 mi

30.0 mi

Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or a inaccurate may contain sections •Make a left on 1206, and after shortand downhill of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always you will Laurel Mountain onand your use your best see judgement about the safety of road trailhead and trail conditions follow traffic and property Est. this Movingright Time based your avg speed ofthe 15.0 mi/h last 4 weeks right. laws.

Take turnon and climb trailoverfor about 7 miles until you come to a three-way DIRECTION DISTANCE intersection. Take the left fork of the trail (Laurel (miles) Mountain Connector), which will take you to the intersec-0.0 Proceed onto National Forest Road tion of Pilot Rock trail •Left on Pilot Rock Gap trail,147 which will end back on 1206,0.7 Continue on Squirrel and you will make a right turn on the gravel road Continue onfirst 133 left South Mills RiverAt gate go straight on 2.1 •Take your onto 476.

S. Mills River trail Proceed onto 133 South Mills River 6.1 •Continue on 133 South Mills River until you reach Proceed onto 133 Southon Mills River the swinging bridge your left. After crossing the 6.2 bridge, make the left turn onto Squirrel Gap trail 6.5 Continue on 147 Squirrel Gap •Stay on Squirrel Gap trail for about 8 miles, until you are back at intersection with Mullinax trail, and stay Proceed onto 147 Squirrel Gap 13.4 straight on Mullinax Proceed •Once atonto the Mullinax bottom Trail of Mullinax, make a left turn 14.0 onto S. Mills River trail Proceed onto Mullinax Trailand back across the swinging 14.8 bridge. Take the gravel back up to the car Proceed onto Mullinax Trail 14.8 •Approximately 23 miles

Left onto 133 South Mills River

15.4

13.4

Left onto South Fork Mills River Trail

15.7

Proceed onto Mullinax Trail

14.0

Left onto Bradley Creek Trail

15.8

Proceed onto Mullinax Trail

14.8

Proceed onto Bradley Creek Trail

16.1

Proceed onto Mullinax Trail

14.8

Continue on South Fork Mills River Trail

16.4

Left onto 133 South Mills River

15.4

Continue on 133 South Mills River

16.5

Left onto South Fork Mills River Trail

15.7

Right onto Mullinax Trail

16.8

Left onto Bradley Creek Trail

15.8

Proceed onto 147 Squirrel Gap

18.1

Proceed onto Bradley Creek Trail

16.1

Continue on South Fork Mills River Trail

16.4

Continue on 133 South Mills River

16.5

Right onto Mullinax Trail

16.8

Proceed onto 147 Squirrel Gap

18.1

Continue on 147 Squirrel Gap

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SEAN TRAPP

Proceed onto 147 Squirrel Gap

»4 4 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

6.5

Le

Co

Le

Ar

B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4 »45

IImagine Im mag ma gin inee It in IIt. t. t.

The Ecusta Trail is the name of a proposed multi-use, 18-mile greenway connecting Hendersonville, Laurel Park, Horse Shoe, Etowah, Pisgah Forest and Brevard. Once in place, the Ecusta Trail will result in significant economic impact to the area in the form of tourism, jobs and commercial and industrial development.

Please visit our website and learn how you can help!

EcustaTrail.org Âť4 6 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDES

South Mills River -> Cantrell Creek -> Sq… Sq http://www.strava.com/routes/485988

13.4 mi

1,893 ft

MTB

Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

Est. Moving Time: 0:53:37

South Mills River -> Cantr Cantrell ell Cr Creek eek -> Sq… Sq http://www.strava.com/routes/485988

13.4 mi

1,893 ft

MTB

Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

QR CODE

Est. Moving Time: 0:53:37

This ride gives a brief history lesson and offers a glimpse of what Pisgah was like when it was still a private holding of the Vanderbilt family. An old chimney remains from one of Vanderbilt’s old hunting lodges; the lodge was dismantled and reconstructed at the Cradle of Forestry years ago, and is open for visitation. Past the lodge, the climb up Cantrell Creek crosses a few streams, and once you reach Squirrel Gap trail you ride the ridgeline back down to the river. About a three-hour ride at medium difficulty, this ride in the heart of Pisgah will show Map d you what it’s all about.

DIRECTIONS •Leaves from Turkey Pen Trailhead parking lot •Down through the gate and across the swinging bridge 2.0 mi 4.0 mi 6.0 mi 8.0 mi 10.0 mi 12.0 mi •Left onto South Mills River trail Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate and may contain sections of private land and/or of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always •Continue onsections South Mills River use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and •You will cross two swinging bridges as you make property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks

3,400 ft 3,200 ft 3,000 ft 2,800 ft 2,600 ft 2,400 ft 0.0 mi

DISTANCE (miles)

DIRECTION

Map d 3,400 ft 3,200 ft 3,000 ft 2,800 ft 2,600 ft 2,400 ft 0.0 mi

2.0 mi

4.0 mi

6.0 mi

8.0 mi

10.0 mi

12.0 mi

your to Cantrell Creek. will see an old of privateway land and/or sections of terrain that couldYou be challenging or hazardous.

Always use your best judgement the safety of road andmake trail conditions andway follow traffic chimney after about a log crossing; your leftand property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks past the chimney uphill following the creek •Continue DIRECTIONon Cantrell Creek trail DISTANCE (miles) •Right onto Squirrel Gap Proceed onto 324 Gap 0.0 •Stay straight onVinyard Mullinax •Left onto 133 South Mills Proceed onto 324 Vinyard Gap River 0.2 •Cross swinging bridge Ridge again trail Cove the Creek to Daniels Proceed 0.4 http://www.strava.com/routes/485548 •Back uponto theTurkey hill toPen theTrailhead parkingConnector lot •Arrive at Finish Proceed onto Turkey Pen Trailhead Connector 0.7 9.5 mi 1,231 •Approximately 12.5ft miles MTB Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate and may contain sections

Distance Right onto

Elevation Gain Ride Type South Fork Mills River Trail

Est. Moving Time: 0:38:03

Continue on 133 South Mills River

0.9

QR CODE

1.0

Proceed onto 324 Vinyard Gap

0.0

Proceed onto 324 Vinyard Gap

0.2

Cove Creek eek to Pen Daniels Ridge trail ProceedCr onto Turkey Trailhead Connector

0.4

Proceed onto 133 South Mills River

Proceed onto Turkey Pen Trailhead Connector 9.5 mi 1,231 ft MTB Right onto South ForkGain Mills River Trail Distance Elevation Ride Type

0.7

Continue on 148 Cantrell Creek

0.9

Left onto 147 Squirrel Gap

Continue on 133 South Est. Moving Time: 0:38:03

1.0

Proceed onto 147 Squirrel Gap

6.6

Proceed onto 147 Squirrel Gap

9.8

http://www.strava.com/routes/485548

Mills River

This mountain bike ride is a great step up for interProceed onto 133 South Mills River 1.1 mediate level riders and consists of a mellow climb up Coveonto Creek trail with a few stream crossings,1.1 Proceed 133 South Mills River then a traverse across to Daniel Ridge on an old Continue on 148 Cantrell Creek 4.7 jeep road that has grown in to single-track. The deLeft onto 147 Squirrel scent down DanielGap Ridge follows the creek, and6.6 there is a good swimming hole down there. This6.6 Proceed onto 147 Squirrel Gap ride is about 3 hours and starts and finishes at the Proceed onto 147 Squirrel Gap 9.8 Fish Hatchery.

DIRECTIONS Map d Left onto River Campground gate 11.7 •Park at133 theSouth CoveMills Creek 3,600 ft •Proceed the gate Connector Continue on through Turkey Pen Trailhead 12.2 3,400 ft 3,200 ft •Just before the campground, on your left, is the 3,000 ft Right 12.4 trailhead 2,800 ft 2,600 ft •Continue up Cove Creek trail until you go through Arrive at Finish 12.5 mi 2.0 mi 3.0 mi 4.0 mi 5.0 mi 6.0 mi 7.0 mi 8.0 mi 9.0 mi gate at1.0the top and make a left Proceed onto Mullinax Trail

10.4

Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate and may contain sections of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks

DIRECTION

DISTANCE (miles)

Proceed onto 133 South Mills River

1.1 1.1 4.7 6.6

10.4

Proceed onto Mullinax Trail Left onto 133 South Mills River

3,600 ft 3,400 ft Continue 3,200 ft 3,000 ft Right 2,800 ft 2,600 ft

on Turkey Pen Trailhead Connector

Arrive at Finish 1.0 mi 2.0 mi

Map d

11.7 12.2 12.4

3.0 mi 4.0 mi 5.0 mi 6.0 mi 7.0 mi 8.0 mi 9.0 mi12.5

Route recommendations may be incomplete inaccurate and may contain sections •Continue on 225B. This isand/or rolling double track, until of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always it dead-ends use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and property laws.

Moving Time based on your speed of 15.0looks mi/h over like last 4 weeks •Make theEst.left where the oldavgcar part a stork DIRECTION •Right on Daniel Ridge to the bottomDISTANCE (miles) •Across the big Proceed onto 809 metal bridge and through the gate 0.0 •Left on 475 back to your car Continue on 361 Caney Bottom Loop 0.3 •Approximately 9.5 miles

Continue on 340 Cove Creek Continue on 225B

0.8

B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4 »47 2.4

Continue on 225 Cove Creek Road

3.2

Proceed onto 809

0.0

Continue on 105 Daniel Ridge

6.5

Continue on 361 Caney Bottom Loop

0.3

Continue on 5046

8.7

MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDES Big M

http://www.strava.com/routes/485612

13.9 mi

1,846 ft

MTB

Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

Est. Moving Time: 0:55:30

Big M http://www.strava.com/routes/485612

13.9 mi

1,846 ft

MTB

Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

Another classic Pisgah ride, it begins with a big climb up a fire road, then you get to ride Black Mountain trail, one of the most popular mountain bike trails on the east coast. Then a short climb up to Thrift Cove and a finish on Upper Sycamore Cove trail. About a 2-hour ride at medium difficulty.

QR CODE

Est. Moving Time: 0:55:30

DIRECTIONS •Park at the Pisgah Ranger Station •Right turn onto US 276 •Right onto National Forest Road 477 (look for the horse stable sign) Map d •Right onto 5058 Clawhammer Road in the back of 3,400 ft theft horse stable parking lot 3,200 3,000 ft •Right onto 5098 Maxwell Cove Rd (becomes 2,800 ft 2,600 ft 5099) 2,400 ft 2,200 •Atftthe top there is a fire ring. This is Pressley 0.0 mi 2.0 mi 4.0 mi 6.0 mi 8.0 mi 10.0 mi 12.0 mi Gap. Make a right onto Black Mountain trail •Continue on Black Mountain downhill to the next Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate and may contain sections

CROSS RIDES

of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks

DISTANCE (miles)

DIRECTION

Map d 3,400 ft 3,200 ft 3,000 ft 2,800 ft 2,600 ft 2,400 ft 2,200 ft 0.0 mi

2.0 mi

4.0 mi

6.0 mi

8.0 mi

10.0 mi

12.0 mi

intersection Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate and may contain sections of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous.

Always •Left onto Thrift Cove, take this trail down to the next use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and intersection with Grassy Rd property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks •Left onto Grassy Road DIRECTION DISTANCE (miles) •Left on Upper Sycamore Cove •Right onto US 276 back to the parking lot on your Proceed onto US 64 Grinder 0.0 Big Ole Gravel right http://www.strava.com/routes/486306 •Arrive atonFinish Continue Pisgah Highway 0.0 •Approximately 15 miles 61.4 mi 5,491 ft Cyclocross Continue on US 276 Distance

Elevation Gain

0.5

Ride Type

Right ontoTime: National Est. Moving 4:05:23 Forest Road

2.3

Right onto 5058 Clawhammer Road

4.0 DISTANCE (miles)5.0

Proceed onto US 64

0.0

Right onto 5049 DIRECTION

Continue on Pisgah Highway

0.0

Continue Black Mountain Right onto on Reasonover Road

11.87.5

Continue on US 276 http://www.strava.com/routes/486306

0.5

Left ontoonto Thrift Cove Proceed Reasonover Road

10.0 13.5

Leftonto ontoPinnacle 364 Grassy Road Road Left Mountain

10.3 15.6

Continue on 143 Sycamore Cove Proceed onto Pinnacle Mountain Road

11.4 15.7

Right onto US 276 Proceed onto Pinnacle Mountain Road

13.1 18.6

Big Ole Gravel Grinder

Right Forest 61.4onto mi National 5,491 ft Road

Cyclocross

2.3

Distance

Ride Type

4.0

Elevation Gain

Right onto 5058 Clawhammer Road

Est. Moving Time: 4:05:23 This is a mostly gravel ride through the south east Right onto 5049 5.0 part of the county, with very little traffic once you’re Continue on Black Mountain 7.5 off US 276.

About 75 percent gravel, this ride could take 3 to 5 hours depending on your fitness, and inLeft onto Thrift Cove 10.0 cludes stretches through DuPont State Forest and Left onto Grassy Roadroad. This loop is out there, 10.3 back on364 Green River but will surely draw you back.

Continue on 143 Sycamore Cove 11.4

DIRECTIONS Right onto US 276

13.1

Continue on Pisgah Highway

13.4

•Start at the Transylvania County Courthouse Continue on US 64 13.8 •Head Seoutheast on US 276 (Greenville Hwy) Map d Arrive at Finish 13.9 •Left onto Elm Bend Road 3,500 ft •Right onto Wilson Road 3,000 ft onto Greenville Highway •Left 2,500 ft •Left onto Becky Mountain Road 2,000 ft •Left onto Rich Mountain Road 5.0 mi10.0 mi •Left onto Greenville Highway Route recommendations may be incomplete inaccurate and may contain sections •Left onto Cascade Lakeand/or Road of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks

»4 8 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

DIRECTION

DISTANCE (miles)

Proceed onto South Broad Street

0.0

Right onto West Main Street

0.0

Continue on East Main Street

0.1

Proceed onto PinnacleHighway Mountain Road Continue on Pisgah

Map d

23.9 13.4

Proceed onto Pinnacle Continue on US 64 Mountain Road

32.0 13.8

3,000 ft at Greenville Left onto Highway Arrive Finish

32.8 13.9

3,500 ft

2,500 ft

Proceed onto Greenville Highway 2,000 ft

32.8

5.0 mi10.0 10.0 mi15.0 mi20.0 mi25.0 mi30.0 mi35.0 mi40.0 mi45.0 mi50.0 mi55.0 mi60.0 mi

Continue on Old US Highway 25

33.9

•Right onto Reasonover Road Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate and may contain sections Continue on Old US Hwy 25 34.4 of private land and/or sections of Mountain terrain that could Road be challenging or hazardous. Always •Left onto Pinnacle use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and •Right on NC 225 (becomes Old NC 25) Proceed onto Old US Hwy 25 34.8 property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks •Right onto Green River Road Right onto Green River Road 36.3 DIRECTIONon Green River Road WestDISTANCE (miles) •Continue Proceedstraight onto Green Road 37.2 •Stay on River Reasonover Rd Proceed onto South Broad Street 0.0 •Left onto Cascade Lake Road Proceed onto Green River Road 40.4 Right onto West Main Street 0.0 •Right onto Greenville Highway all Continue Greento River Road West 46.2 the wayonback town Continue on East Main Street 0.1 •Arrive at Finish Proceed onto Pinnacle Mountain Road 46.6 Continue on West 62 Main Street 0.5 •Approximately miles Right onto Reasonover Road Continue on Greenville Highway Proceed onto Reasonover Road Proceed onto Elm Bend Road Left onto Cascade Lake Road Continue on Wilson Road Right onto Greenville Highway Proceed onto Wilson Road Proceed onto Greenville Highway Proceed onto Greenville Highway

46.6 0.5 48.8 0.7 50.4 2.0 50.5 2.0 55.9 3.2

D

R

P

L

P

P

P

P

L

P

C

C

P

R

P

P

C

P

R

P

L

R

P

P

P

C

C

C

L

DIRECTION

CROSS RIDES

70.7 mi

7,922 ft

Cyclocross

Continue on Ferrin

Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

Continue on Blue R

QR CODE

Est. Moving Time: 4:42:43

DISTANCE (miles)

DIRECTION

42.8 42.8

Continue on Blue Ridge Parkway

http://www.strava.com/routes/486271

70.7 mi

7,922 ft

Cyclocross

Continue on Ferrin Knob Tunnel 1

Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

Continue on Blue Ridge Parkway

Est. Moving Time: 4:42:43

This is the same route as the Monster Cross race from Pisgah Productions. About 20 miles of this ride is on the Parkway, and there are gravel sections in between pavement. It could take anywhere from 4 to 6 hours to finish.

DIRECTIONS •Start at Pisgah Ranger Station •Right onto US 276 •Left onto 475 •Right onto Indian Creek Road •Right onto NC 215 6,000 ft 5,000 ft •Right onto Blue Ridge Parkway 4,000 ft •Right onto 5000 Wash Creek Road 3,000 ft •Right onto Yellow Gap Road 2,000 ft 20.0 mi

Continue on Blue R

http://www.strava.com/routes/486271

Continue on Ferrin Knob Tunnel 2

Monster Monstercross cross Loop

10.0 mi

Continue on Ferrin

Monstercross Loop

30.0 mi

40.0 mi

50.0 mi

Proceed onto US 276 Left onto 475

43.3

Right onto 5000 Wash Creek Road

43.9

Proceed onto 5000 Wash Creek Road

48.7

Continue on Natio

Continue on US 27 Left onto National

49.6

Proceed onto US 2

5,000 ft Continue on National Forest Road

55.9

Arrive at Finish

3,000 ft Continue on US 276

61.7 40.0 mi

50.0 mi

60.0 mi

70.0 mi 62.4

Left onto 69.8 Route recommendations •Left onUS US276 276may be incomplete and/or inaccurate and may contain sections

•Left 477 Proceed onto US 276 70.7and use youronto best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks •Left onto US 276 Arrive at Finish 70.7 •Arrive at Finish DIRECTION DISTANCE (miles) •Approximately 70 miles of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always

Proceed onto US 276

0.0

Left onto 475

4.0

70.0 mi

DISTANCE (miles)

Left onto Yellow G

Left onto Yellow Gap Road 6,000 ft

10.0 mi Forest 30.0 mi 20.0 miRoad Left onto National

60.0 mi

Proceed onto 5000

Left onto US 276

Map d

2,000 ft

Map d

Proceed onto 5000

48.7

Proceed onto 5000 Wash Creek Road

4,000 ft

Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate and may contain sections of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks

DIRECTION

43.2

Right onto 5000 W

Right onto Indian Creek Road

10.8

Right onto NC 215

12.9

Left

20.8

0.0

Left onto Blue Ridge Parkway

20.8

4.0

Continue on Devils Courthouse Tunnel

21.9

Right onto Indian Creek Road

10.8

Continue on Blue Ridge Parkway

22.1

Right onto NC 215

12.9

Continue on Frying Pan Tunnel

34.0

Left

20.8

Continue on Blue Ridge Parkway

34.1

Left onto Blue Ridge Parkway

20.8

Continue on Little Pisgah Ridge Tunnel

37.2

Continue on Devils Courthouse Tunnel

21.9

Continue on Blue Ridge Parkway

37.3

Continue on Blue Ridge Parkway

22.1

Continue on Fork Mountain Tunnel

40.1

Continue on Frying Pan Tunnel

34.0

Continue on Blue Ridge Parkway

40.2

Continue on Blue Ridge Parkway

34.1

Continue on Young Pisgah Ridge Tunnel

41.1

Continue on Little Pisgah Ridge Tunnel

37.2

Continue on Blue Ridge Parkway

41.1

Continue on Blue Ridge Parkway

37.3

Continue on Ferrin Knob Tunnel 3

42.6

Continue on Fork Mountain Tunnel

40.1

Continue on Blue Ridge Parkway

42.7

Continue on Blue Ridge Parkway

40.2

Continue on Young Pisgah Ridge Tunnel

41.1

Continue on Blue Ridge Parkway

41.1

Continue on Ferrin Knob Tunnel 3

42.6

Continue on Blue Ridge Parkway

42.7

B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4 »49

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»5 0 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

DIRECTION

GREATRIDES BIKE ROUTES ROAD

Proceed onto Islan

Caesar's Head Loop

Continue on Walnu

http://www.strava.com/routes/486234

64.8 mi

5,865 ft

Road

Proceed onto Waln

Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

QR CODE

Right onto East Fo

Est. Moving Time: 4:18:51

DISTANCE (miles)

Proceed onto East

5.9

Proceed onto East

6.8

Left onto Old Rosm

6.8

Proceed onto Old

10.0

Proceed onto Old

Proceed onto East Fork Road

11.8

Continue on Moor

Proceed onto East Fork Road

13.4

Proceed onto Moo

Left onto Old Rosman Hwy

13.7

Proceed onto Moo

14.8

Proceed onto Tabl

18.3

Proceed onto Tabl

18.6

Proceed onto Pum

Proceed onto Moorefield Memorial Highway 20.7 5.0 mi1 10.0 0.0 mi 15.0 mi 20.0 mi 25.0 mi 30.0 mi 35.0 mi 40.0 mi 45.0 mi 50.0 mi 55.0 mi 60.0 mi

Continue on Pump

23.4

Continue on Pump

DIRECTION

Proceed onto Island Ford Road

Caesar's Head Loop

Continue on Walnut Hollow Road

http://www.strava.com/routes/486234

64.8 mi

5,865 ft

Road

Proceed onto Walnut Hollow Road

Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

Right onto East Fork Road

Est. Moving Time: 4:18:51 The Caesar’s Head loop is similar to the route the Assault on the Carolinas follows. The long descent into South Carolina is full of hairpin turns, but the road is well maintained, and there is a gas station at the bottom of the downhill. The infamous climb up Caesar’s Head on 276 will test your legs and lungs, and there is usually a head wind coming back in to town on US 276. This ride is a workout for advanced riders only, and could take 4 to 5 hours.

DIRECTIONS •From Transylvania County Courthouse Map d •Go Northwest on West Main St •Right on Oaklawn St 0.2 3,000 ft 2,500 ft on Probart St •Left 0.3 2,000 ft •Right on Cashiers Valley Rd 2.0 1,500 ft 1,000 ft •Stay Left on Cashiers Valley at mi 15.0 miRd Wolf Pen10.0 Cove 2.5 •Stay Left on Cashiers Valley At Lake Sega Rd 3.4 Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate and may contain sections •Left Rosman Hwy of privateon land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always3.8 use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and •Right on Illahee Rd 3.9 property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks •Right on Country Club Rd 5 DIRECTION DISTANCE (miles) •Right on S. Country Club Rd 5.1 •Left ononto Island Ford Rd 6.8 Proceed South Broad Street 0.0 •Right on Walnut Hollow Rd 7.6 Left ontoon West Main Street •Right East Fork Rd (aka Charlie’s Corner) 0.0 11 •Left ononto Pickens Hwy (US 178) 14.6 Proceed Oaklawn Avenue 0.2 •Cross Continental Divide 18.1 Right onto Carver Street 0.4 •Cross S.C. 11 at Stoplight 30.2 •Left on on Table Rock Road (SC 288) 30.4 Continue Cashiers Valley Road 0.6 •Left on Pumpkintown Hwy (SC 8) 36.7 Right onto Trent Road 1.5 •Right on SC 11 40.4 Left on SC 8 1.5 •Left 41 •Left on Greenville Hwy (US 276) 42.3 Proceed 1.5 •Cross Caesar’s Head 48.8 Right onto Trent Road

1.5

Right onto Cashiers Valley Road

1.6

Proceed onto Rosman Hwy

2.9

The Italian Cookie Lady 3.0 Delicious Cookies & Desserts3.3 Right onto Illahee Point for All Occasions Proceed onto Illahee Point 3.3 Agatha Libassi Westerhoff

Map d

Proceed onto Old Rosman Hwy 3,000 ft

Proceed onto Old Rosman Hwy 2,500 ft 2,000 ft

Continue on Moorefield Memorial Highway 1,500 ft 1,000 ft

Proceed onto Moorefield Memorial Highway

Route recommendations may be Divide incomplete and/or inaccurate and may contain sections •Cross Continental 51.5 of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always Proceed onto Table Rock Road 29.4 •Left Rd 61.0 use youron bestBarclay judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and property laws. becomes Est. Moving Time Country based on your avg speedRd of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks •Barclay Club 62.8 Proceed onto Table Rock Road 31.4 •Right on Gallimore Rd 64.1 DIRECTION DISTANCE (miles) Proceed onto Pumpkintown Highway 35.6 •Left on Greenville Hwy (US 276) 64.9 •Arrive Courthouse 65.7 Proceedat onto South Broad Street Continue on Pumpkintown Hwy 37.80.0

Left onto Pumpkin

Right onto Cherok

38.80.0

Proceed onto Oaklawn Avenue Right

39.30.2

Proceed Right onto Carver Street

39.30.4

Left onto Pumpkintown Highway Continue on Cashiers Valley Road

39.30.6

Right Foothills Scenic Hwy Rightonto ontoCherokee Trent Road

39.31.5

Left Leftonto Mulligan Ford Hill Road

39.51.5

Proceed Proceedonto Mulligan Ford Hill Road

39.51.5

Left onto Table Ro

Left onto Cherokee Foothills Scenic Hwy Right onto Trent Road

39.51.5

Proceed onto Tabl

Continue on Cashiers Caesers Head Right onto ValleyHighway Road

40.01.6

Left onto Lakemon

Continue Caesars Head Highway Proceedon onto Rosman Hwy

41.02.9

Proceed onto Lake

Right onto Illahee Road Left onto Table Rock Road Right onto Illahee Point Proceed onto Table Rock Road Proceed onto Illahee Point Left onto Lakemont Road Right onto Illahee Road Proceed onto Lakemont Road

3.0 41.0 3.3 41.8 3.3 41.8 3.3 42.7

Left onto Geer Hig

CTS Brevard.

3.3

Right onto Barclay Road

4.1

Right

4.3

Proceed

4.3

E. Main Street | Brevard NC 28712 Left onto Greenville147 Highway 52.7

trainright.com

Right onto Illahee Road

828.553.5295 Right onto italiancookielady@gmail.com Country Club Road Proceed ontowww.italiancookielady.com Country Club Road

Proceed

Left ontoonWest Main Street Continue Pumpkintown Highway

Serving western Right onto Barclay Road 4.1 Left onto Geer Highway North Carolina for 42.7 Right onto Country Club Road 12 years with skills 44.94.3 Proceed onto Geer Highway clinics, professional 4.3 Proceedonto ontoGeer Country Club Road Proceed Highway 49.0 endurance coaching, Continue on Greenville Highway & training camps. 51.1

Right onto Illahee Road

Right

52.7 52.7 brevard@trainright.com | 828.378.0152

B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4 »51

Left onto Mulligan

Proceed onto Mull

Left onto Cheroke

Continue on Caese

Continue on Caesa

Proceed onto Gee

Proceed onto Gee

Continue on Green Right Proceed

Left onto Greenvill

D

ROAD RIDES

R

http://www.strava.com/routes/569308

20.4 mi

872 ft

Road

R

Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

P

Est. Moving Time: 1:21:27

DIRECTION Left onto Ralph Paxton Road

The Lollipop

Right onto Hannah Ford Road

http://www.strava.com/routes/569308

20.4 mi

872 ft

Road

Right onto Calvert Road

Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

Proceed onto Calvert Road

Est. Moving Time: 1:21:27

This easy spin from town follows the river valley with rolling terrain and no big climbs. It’s a great ride for beginners, featuring beautiful mountain views without any major climbs.

DIRECTIONS •From Transylvania County Courthouse •Go Southeast on East Main St (US 276) •Right on Gallimore Rd 0.8 •Left on Country Club Rd 1.6 •Right on S. Country Club Rd 2.9 Map d •Left on Island Ford Rd 4.5 •Right on Walnut Hollow Rd 5.4 2,240 ft 2,220 ft •Right on Hannah Ford Rd 5.9 2,200 ft 2,180 ft •Right on Calvert Rd 9.9 2,160 ft 2,140 ft •Right on Whitmire Rd 10.3 2,120 ft 2.0 mi 4.0 mi 20.0 mi •Right on US 646.0 mi 8.0 mi 10.0 mi 12.0 mi 14.0 mi 16.0 mi 18.0 mi12.4 •Right on Green Rd 12.6

ROAD RIDES

Proceed onto Whitmire Road

Map d

12.5 12.5

Continue on Rosman Hwy 2,240 ft

2,220 ft 2,200 ft Proceed onto Green Road 2,180 ft 2,160 ft 2,140 ft Continue on C Green Road 2,120 ft

12.8 12.9

2.0 mi 4.0 mi 6.0 mi 8.0 mi 10.0 mi 12.0 mi 14.0 mi 16.0 mi 18.0 mi 20.0 mi

13.0

Continue on Green Road

•Left ononto Hannah Rd and/or inaccurate and may contain13.6 Route recommendations mayFord be incomplete sections Proceed Green Road 13.3 of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always •Left on Walnut Hollow Rd 15.0 use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and Continue on C Moving Green Road •Left Island Ford Rdon your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last15.5 propertyon laws.

Est. Time based 413.8 weeks •Right on S. Country Club Rd 16.3 Right onto Hannah Ford Road 13.8 DIRECTION DISTANCE18.0 (miles) •Left on Country Club Rd Proceedon onto Hannah Ford Road 13.8 •Right Gallimore Rd 19.2 Proceed onto West Main Street 0.0 •Left on US 276 20.1 Proceed onto Hannah Ford Road 15.2 Continue on East Main Street •Arrive at Courthouse 20.9 0.1

C

P

C

R

P

P

Le

Le

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P

DI Le

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13.45.4

Co

13.55.4

Co

13.65.9

Co

Proceed ontoOld Hannah Ford Road 2,300 ft Proceed onto Rosman Highway

14.45.9

Co

2,100 ft Proceed onto Hannah Continue on State Road Ford 1388Road

14.77.3

Co

Proceedon onto Road Continue OldHannah RosmanFord Highway

14.78.4

Co

2.9

•From County ProceedTransylvania onto Country Club Road Courthouse 3.0 •Go Southeast on East Main St (US 276) Left onto Island Ford Road •Right on Gallimore Rd 0.84.5 Proceed Island Ford •Left ononto Country ClubRoad Rd 1.74.5 •Right on S. Country Club Rd 3.05.4 Continue on Walnut Hollow Road •Left on Island Ford Rd 4.7 Map d Proceedon onto Walnut Hollow Hollow Road •Right Walnut Rd 5.65.4 2,600 ft •Right onHannah E. Fork RdRoad (aka Charlie’s Corner) 8.95.9 2,500 ft onto Right Ford 2,400 ft •Right on Pickens Hwy (US 178) 12.6 2,300 ft Proceed onto Hannah Ford Road 5.9 •Right on Main 13.4 2,200 ft 2,100 ft Proceed2.0 onto Hannah Ford Road 7.3 •Right on Old Rosman Hwy 13.8 mi4.0 mi6.0 6.0 mi •Right on Calvert Rd 15.2 Proceed onto Hannah Ford Road 8.4 Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate and may contain sections •Right on Hannah Ford Rd (aka Ralph Paxton) 15.9 of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks

»5 2 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

DIRECTION

11.4

ContinueononEast Walnut Continue MainHollow Street Road

A slightly more difficult version of Lollipop, including Proceed Country Club Road 1.6 one big onto climb up Walnut Hollow, and a beautiful tour along the East Fork of the French Broad River.

Continue on Barclay Road 2.8 Right onto Country Club Road DIRECTIONS

Proceed onto Whitmire Road

C

Pr

0.5

Left onto Country Club Road

10.4

13.24.5

0.5

Est. Moving Time: 1:46:09

Right onto Whitmire Road

P

Proceed Right onto onto MainIsland StreetFord Road

0.1

Ride Type

10.0

C

13.14.5

Continue on East Main Street

Road

10.0

P

Left ontoonIsland FordStreet Road Continue Chestnut

0.0

http://www.strava.com/routes/569328

9.4

P

1.6

Proceed onto West Main Street

W Walnut alnut Hollow Climb Continue on West Main Street

9.4

R

0.8

DISTANCE (miles)

DIRECTION

QR CODE DISTANCE (miles)

Left onto Walnut HollowClimb Road 15.2 W alnut Hollow Continue on West Main Street 0.5 http://www.strava.com/routes/569328 Left onto Island Ford Road 15.7 Continue on Greenville Highway 0.5 26.6 mion Country 1,436 Continue Club ftRoad Road 16.6 Proceed onto Gallimore Road 0.8 Distance Elevation Gain Ride Type Proceed onto Country Club Road 17.5 Est. 1:46:09 LeftMoving ontoTime: Country Club Road 1.6 DIRECTION DISTANCE (miles) Left onto Barclay Road 18.2 Proceed onto Country Club Road 1.6 Right onto East Fork Road 8.7 Right onto Country Club Road 18.4 Continue on Barclay Road 2.8 Proceed onto East Fork Road 9.1 Right onto Gallimore Road 19.5 Right onto Country Club Road 2.9 Left onto Old Rosman Hwy 12.4 Arrive at Finish 20.4 Proceedonto ontoOld Country Club Road Proceed Rosman Hwy 12.43.0

Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate and may contain sections of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks

Continue on Greenville Highway 26.6 mi 1,436 ft Distance Elevation Gain Proceed onto Gallimore Road

Le

The Lollipop

DISTANCE (miles)

Proceed onto South Broad Street

0.0

Right onto West Main Street

0.0

QR CODE

Proceedon onto Walnut Continue Main StreetHollow Road 2,600 ft

Right FordHighway Road Continue on Hannah Old Rosman 2,500 ft onto 2,400 ft 2,200 ft

Map d

2.0 mi4.0 mi6.0 mi8.0 mi10.0 mi 12.0 mi 14.0 mi 16.0 mi 18.0 mi 20.0 mi 22.0 mi 24.0 mi 26.0 mi 6.0 mi8.0

Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate and may contain sections

of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous.19.9 Always Continue on State Road 1388Rd 15.0 •Left on Walnut Hollow use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and •Left on Island Ford Rd 20.4 property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks Continue on Old Rosman Highway 15.4 •Right on S. Country Club Rd 21.3 DIRECTION DISTANCE23 (miles) Continue State Road 1388 15.5 •Left onon Country Club Rd •Right on Gallimore Rd 24.3 Proceed on onto Broad Street Continue OldSouth Rosman Highway 15.60.0 •Left on US 276 25.2 Continue onWest StateMain RoadStreet 1388 Right onto •Arrive at Courthouse 3015.70.0

Continue Rosman Highway Continueon onOld East Main Street

15.80.1

Right onto on Calvert Continue WestRoad Main Street

16.00.5

Proceed Calvert Road Continueonto on Greenville Highway

16.10.5

Proceed onto Hannah Ford Right onto Gallimore RoadRoad Greenway

16.50.8

Continue Ralph PaxtonRoad RoadGreenway Proceed on onto Gallimore

17.10.8

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B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4 »53

P

Everett and Hart Loop

C

http://www.strava.com/routes/569407

ROAD RIDES

21.6 mi

925 ft

Road

P

Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

Le

Est. Moving Time: 1:26:21

P

P DISTANCE (miles)

DIRECTION

Ever Everett ett and Hart Loop http://www.strava.com/routes/569407

P

Proceed onto Cascade Road

10.9

Le

Continue on Hart Road

11.1

P

21.6 mi

925 ft

Road

Proceed onto Hart Road

11.5

P

Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

Left onto Everett Road

13.5

P

13.5

R

14.7

P

16.0

P

16.0

C

Proceed onto Road 17.1 2.0 miWilson mi 4.0 mi 6.0 mi 8.0 mi 10.0 mi12.0 mi14.0 mi16.0 mi18.0 18.0 mi20.0 mi

C

17.7

C

A pleasant spin through Little River farm country.

The Everett Rd. and Hart Rd. sections of this ride are included in the regular Tuesday night Worlds ride. See group rides section for more information.

Est. Moving Time: 1:26:21

DIRECTIONS •From Transylvania County Courthouse •Go Southeast on East Main St (US 276) •Left on Elm Bend 0.7 •Left on Wilson Rd 2.0 •Right on Old Hendersonville Hwy (Old US 64) 4.5 Map d •Right on Everett Rd 5.6 •Right on Crab Creek Rd 8.7 2,200 ft •Right on Cascade Lake Road 9.7 2,150 ft •Stay Right on Hart Road 11.0 2,100 ft •Left on2.0Everett Rd 13.4 mi 4.0 mi 6.0 mi 8.0 mi 10.0 mi12.0 mi14.0 mi16.0 mi18.0 18.0 mi20.0 mi mi •Left on Old Hendersonville Hwy

Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate and may contain sections of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks

DIRECTION Lake Logan Loop

DISTANCE (miles)

http://www.strava.com/routes/486349

Proceed onto South Broad Street

0.0

84.7 mi West6,843 ft Right onto Main Street

0.0

Distance

Elevation Gain

Road Ride Type

Continue on East Main Street

Est. Moving Time: 5:38:24

0.1

This roadonride two really big climbs and two Continue Westfeatures Main Street 0.5 really big descents from the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Continue on Greenville Highway vistas, well maintained 0.5 This route offers amazing roads a Bend circumnavigating tour of Pisgah Proceed and onto Elm Road 0.7 National Forest. This 86 mile ride is for advanced Proceed onto Elm Bend Road 2.0 riders only, and could take anywhere from 4 to 6 hours.

Continue on Wilson Road 2.0

DIRECTIONS ProceedTransylvania onto Old Hendersonville / Old 64 4.6 •From County Highway Courthouse •Go Southeast on East Main St (US 276) Continue on Everett Road 5.6 Map d •Right onto Gallimore Road 0.8 •Left onto Club Road 1.6 Proceed ontoCountry Everett Road 5.6 5,000 ft •Right onto S. Country Club Road 2.9 4,000 ft Proceed onto Everett Road •Left onto Island Ford Road 4.67.8 3,000 ft •Right on Walnut Hollow Road 5.68.8 Proceed onto Crab Creek Road 2,000 ft •Right onto 6.0 10.0 miHannah 20.0 mi 30.0Ford mi 40.0 Road mi 50.0 mi 60.0 mi 70.0 mi 80.0 mi Right onto Cascade Lake Road 9.8 •Left onto Calvert Road 10.0 Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or (SR inaccurate and may contain sections •Left onto Old Rosman Hwy 1388) 10.6 Proceed onto Cascade Lake Road 10.0 of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always •Left Rosman 13.2 use your onto best judgement about theHwy safety of(U.S. road and 64) trail conditions and follow traffic and Right onto Cascade Lakes Road 10.3 property laws.

Est. Moving based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 13.8 weeks •Right onto NC Time 215 (Parkway Rd) •NC 215onBecomes Lake Logan Rd at Continue Cascade Road 10.7 DIRECTION DISTANCE (miles) Parkway 30.8 Proceed onto Wilson Road

3.3

Proceed onto West Main Street

0.0

Continue on East Main Street

0.1

Continue on West Main Street

0.5

Continue on Greenville Highway

0.5

Right onto Gallimore Road

0.8

»5 4 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

Proceed onto Everett Road Map d

Proceed onto Everett Road 2,200 ft Proceed onto Everett Road 2,150 ft

Left onto Old Hendersonville Highway / Old 64

QR CODE

2,100 ft

Proceed onto Wilson Road

Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate and may contain sections of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always Proceed onto Wilson Road 18.5 use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks

Use the QR Code noted here to connect with this bike ride DIRECTION

19.6

Right onto Elm Bend Road

Le

A

DISTANCE (miles) 19.8

D

20.90.0 15.9 16.9 21.10.0 19.4 21.10.1 20.7 21.4 21.50.5

Pr

21.60.5 DISTANCE (miles) 21.60.7 10.7 2.0 10.9

C

2.0 12.1

C

3.3 12.1

C

Proceedon onto Hendersonville Continue OldOld Rosman Highway Highway / Old 64

12.24.6

C

ContinueononState Everett Road Continue Road 1388

12.55.6

Le

Proceedon onto Road Continue OldEverett Rosman Highway

12.55.6

Pr

13.57.8

Le

onto Crab Creek Road Continue on East Main Street

13.78.8

Le

Right onto Lake Road Continue on Cascade Main Street 3,000 ft

13.89.8

Le

10.0 14.0 80.0 mi

Ri

10.3 14.0 JoyandRoad) 46.0 Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate may contain sections of private land and/or sectionsRoad of terrain (US that could be challenging or hazardous. 48.8 Always •Right on Cruso 276) Continue on Cascade Road 10.7 Left onto Main Street 14.0 use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and •Cross Parkway on US 276 63.2 property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks Left onto Old Rosman Hwy 276 14.2 •Right onto US 64;US 78.2 DIRECTION DISTANCE (miles) •Left on Ecusta Road and Get on Bike Path 78.4 Left onto Rosman Hwy 14.7 •Follow Bike Path to Brevard Proceed onto West Main Street Right onto NC 215 15.30.0 •Right on McLean Road 83.5 •Left Railroad Ave 83.6 Continue on NC East215 Main Street Proceed onto 15.40.1 •Left on Probart St 84.2 Continue on West Main Street Right 20.30.5 •Right on Oaklawn Ave 84.3 •Left onto West Main Street 84.4 Continue on Greenville Highway Proceed 20.40.5 •Arrive at Finish 84.6

Pr

Proceed onto Elm Bend Road

Proceed onto South Broad Street Proceed onto Greenville Highway (Old US 64) Lake Logan Loop •Left on Wilson Rd Right onto Continue on West West Main Main Street Street http://www.strava.com/routes/486349 •Right on Elm Bend Continue on East Main Street Continueon East276 Main Street •Right 84.7 mion US 6,843 ft Road •Arrive at Courthouse Distance Elevation Gain Continue West Main Street Ride Type Continue onon West Main Street Est. Moving Time: 5:38:24 Continue on Greenville Highway Left onto South Broad Street DIRECTION Proceed onto Elm Bend Road Arrive at Finish Proceed Proceed onto Elm Bend Road Continue on Lyons Mountain Road

Continue on Wilson Road Continue on Calvert Road Proceed onto Wilson Road Left onto State Road 1388

QR CODE Map d

Proceedon onto Everett Continue Main StreetRoad 5,000 ft Proceed 4,000 ft

2,000 ft Proceed onto Cascade Lake Road Left onto Chestnut Street 10.0 mi 20.0 mi 30.0 mi 40.0 mi

50.0 mi 60.0 mi 70.0 mi

Right onto Road Proceed onto Chestnut Street •Right to Cascade Stay OnLakes NC 215 (Love

C

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C

C

Ri

Pr

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Le

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C

Le

Rightonto ontoNC Gallimore Road Right 215

20.40.8

Leftonto ontoBlue Country Road Left RidgeClub Parkway

32.31.7

Proceed onto Ridge Parkway Continue on Blue Barclay Road

32.42.8

Continue Right onto Country Club Road

32.43.0

Ri

Left onto NC 215 Proceed onto Country Club Road

32.53.0

C

Continue Lake Ford Logan Road Left ontoonIsland Road

32.54.6

Pr

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B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4 »55

DIR

ROAD RIDES

Pro

Etowah Loop

Co

http://www.strava.com/routes/569424

35.6 mi

1,445 ft

Road

Lef

Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

Pro

QR CODE

Est. Moving Time: 2:22:15

DISTANCE (miles)

DIRECTION

11.7

Proceed onto Talley Road

Etowah Loop

11.8

Continue on Pleasant Grove Road

http://www.strava.com/routes/569424

35.6 mi

1,445 ft

Road

Left onto Grove Bridge Road

Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

Proceed onto Grove Bridge Road

An extended version of the Everett and Hart loop, this is a beautiful ride that follows the river valley around Etowah. These roads are also included in the regular Tuesday night Worlds ride. See the group rides section for more information.

Est. Moving Time: 2:22:15

DIRECTIONS •From Transylvania County Courthouse •Go Southeast on East Main St (US 276) •Left on Elm Bend 0.7 •Left on Wilson Rd 2.0 Map d •Right on Old Hendersonville Hwy (Old US 64) 4.5 2,200 ft •Right on Everett Rd 5.6 2,150 ft on Crab Creek Rd •Left 8.7 2,100 ft •Right on Talley Rd 9.2 •Talley becomes Rd 5.0 mi 10.0Pleasant mi 15.0 mi Grove 20.0 mi 25.0 mi 30.0 mi 35.0 mi •Left on Grove Bride Rd 12.3 Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate and may contain sections •Cross U.S. 64 and Continue on King Rd 12.7 of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always •Right onjudgement Blantyre Church 13.0 use your best about the safety of roadRd and trail conditions and follow traffic and property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks •Blantyre Church becomes Turnpike Rd •Right on Brickyard Rd 14.6 DIRECTION DISTANCE (miles) •Stay Right on Brickyard at Stop Sign 16.0 Proceed 0.0 •Left ononto US South 64 Broad Street 16.4

12.5 12.5

Proceed onto New Hendersonville Highway

12.9

Left onto King Road

12.9

Continue on Blantyre Church Road

Map d

13.3

Proceed onto Blantyre Church Road

13.4

Continue on Blantrye Church Road 2,150 ft

13.8

2,100 ft

13.8

2,200 ft

Continue on Turnpike Road 5.0 mi

10.0 mi

15.0 mi

Proceed onto Turnpike Road

20.0 mi

25.0 mi

30.0 mi

35.0 mi

14.9

•Immediate Right onincomplete Old US 64 (SR1203) 16.5 Route recommendations may be and/or inaccurate and may contain sections Right onto Brickyard Road 14.9 of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always •Immediate Left on Etowah School Road use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and Proceed onto Brickyard Road •Right on Est. Pleasant Rdavg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last18.3 property laws.

Moving Time Grove based on your 416.7 weeks •Pleasant Grove becomes Talley Proceed onto Brickyard Road 16.7 DIRECTION DISTANCE23.9 (miles) •Left on Crab Creek Left ontoon Brevard Road Lake Road 16.7 •Right Cascade 25.3 Proceed onto South Broad Street 0.0 •Stay onto Hart Road 26.6 ProceedRight onto Old Highway 64 16.8 Right onto West Main Street •Left on Everett Rd 29.0 0.0 Proceed onto Etowah School Road 16.9 •Left on Old Hendersonville Hwy Continue on East Main Street 0.1 (Old US 64) 31.5 Proceed onto Etowah School Road 17.2 Continue on West Rd Main Street •Left on Wilson 32.5 0.5 Proceed onto Etowah School Road •Right on Elm Bend 3517.60.5 Continue on Greenville Highway •Right US 276 School Road 36.3 Proceedon onto Etowah 18.1 Left onto Drive •Arrive atParkview Courthouse 37.0 0.7 18.7 0.7 18.7 0.8 20.2 2.1 21.2 2.1 21.2 3.8 21.2 4.6

Pro

Lef

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Pro

Rig

Pro

Pro

Lef

Pro

Pro

Pro

Pro

Pro

Pro

Rig

Pro

Co

Pro

Rig

0.0

Continue on East Main Street

0.1

Continue on West Main Street

0.5

Continue on Greenville Highway

0.5

Left onto Parkview Drive

0.7

Proceed onto Parkview Drive

0.7

Left onto Elm Bend Road

0.8

Continue Road ContinueononTalley Everett Road

21.95.7

Pro

Continue on Wilson Road

2.1

Proceed Road Proceedonto ontoTalley Everett Road

22.06.3

Lef

Proceed onto Wilson Road

2.1

Proceed Road Proceedonto ontoTalley Everett Road

23.58.6

Lef

Proceed onto Wilson Road

3.8

Continue CrabCreek CreekRoad Road Left ontoonCrab

24.38.9

Co

Proceed onto Old Hendersonville Highway / Old 64

4.6

Right Rightonto ontoEverett Talley Road Road

24.89.4

Lef

Continue on Everett Road

5.7

Proceed Proceedonto ontoEverett Talley Road Road

25.1 10.1

Pro

Proceed onto Everett Road

6.3

Left onto Crab Creek Road

25.4

Proceed onto Everett Road

8.6

Left onto Old Hendersonville Highway

26.8

Left onto Crab Creek Road

8.9

Continue on Old Hendersonville Highway / Old 64

29.9

Right onto Talley Road

9.4

Left onto Wilson Road

31.0

Proceed onto Wilson Road

31.8

PHOTO COURTESY OF TRANSYLVANIA TDA

Right onto West Main Street

Proceed onto Etowah School Road Proceed onto Parkview Drive Right onto Pleasant Grove Road Left onto Elm Bend Road Proceed onto Pleasant Grove Road Continue on Wilson Road Continue on Grove Bridge Road Proceed onto Wilson Road Proceed onto Grove Bridge Road Proceed onto Wilson Road Right onto Pleasant Grove Road Proceed onto Old Hendersonville Highway / Old 64

Proceed onto Talley Road

»5 6 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

10.1

Co

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Includes: Paddle and Equipment, Zip line and Gear, and all Transportation. !

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DIRE

ROAD RIDES

29.4 mi

2,336 ft

Cyclocross

Proc

Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

Right

Est. Moving Time: 1:57:42

DIRECTION Proceed onto Cascade Lake Road

29.4 mi

2,336 ft

Cyclocross

Proceed

Distance

Elevation Gain

Ride Type

Right onto Cascade Lake Road

Est. Moving Time: 1:57:42

About 50 percent gravel of a 30-mile ride, this ride has two big climbs, one being past Cascade Lake, where the Little River collects after spilling over High and Triple Falls in DuPont State Forest. The climb up Rich Mountain reveals a gravel section at the top, with magnificent views to the west through horse pastures and apple orchards. This ride should take about 3 hours.

DIRECTIONS •Go Southeast from Brevard on East Main St. Map d •Continue on Greenville Highway (US 276) •Left onto Elm Bend Road 3,200 ft 3,000 ft •Left 2,800 ft onto Wilson Road 2,600 ft •Right onto Old Hendersonville Highway / Old 64 2,400 ft 2,200 ft •Right on Everett Road 2,000 ft mi 10.0 mi 15.0 mi 20.0 mi 25.0 mi •Right onto5.0Hart Road •Right onto Cascade Lake Road Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate and may contain sections

of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and property laws. Est. Moving Time based on your avg speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks

DISTANCE (miles)

Proceed onto North Broad Street

0.0

Left onto West Main Street

0.0

Continue on East Main Street

0.1

Continue on West Main Street

0.5

Continue on Greenville Highway

0.5

Left onto Parkview Drive

0.7

Proceed onto Parkview Drive

0.7

Left onto Elm Bend Road

0.7

Proceed onto Wilson Road

2.0

Proceed onto Wilson Road

3.0

Proceed onto Wilson Road

4.3

Right onto Old Hendersonville Highway / Old 64

4.6

Proceed onto Old Hendersonville Highway / Old 64

4.9

Continue on Everett Road

5.6

Proceed onto Everett Road

8.1

Right onto Hart Road

8.1

Continue on Cascade Lake Road

»5 8 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

9.8 10.5

QR CODE DISTANCE (miles) 10.5 14.3

Right

http://www.strava.com/routes/486282

Proceed onto Hart Road

Right

http://www.strava.com/routes/486282

Up and Over Rich Mountain

DIRECTION

Proc

Up and Over Rich Mountain

14.3 14.3

Left onto Staton Road

15.2

Proceed onto Staton Road

15.3

Left onto Cascade Lake Road

Map d

17.8

Right onto Greenville Highway

3,200 ft 3,000 ft 2,800 ft Proceed onto Greenville Highway 2,600 ft 2,400 ft Right 2,200 ft onto Rich Mountain Road 2,000 ft 5.0 mi 10.0 mi 15.0 mi

Proceed onto Rich Mountain Road

15.3

18.2 18.2 20.0 mi

25.0 mi

20.3

Route recommendations may be incomplete and/or inaccurate may contain sections •Right onto Greenville Highway (USand276) Proceed onto Rich Mountain Road 22.0 of private land and/or sections of terrain that could be challenging or hazardous. Always •Right onto Rich Mountain Road use your best judgement about the safety of road and trail conditions and follow traffic and Proceed onto Rich Mountain Road 23.6 property laws.

Est. Moving Time based on your avgRd speed of 15.0 mi/h over last 4 weeks •Right onto Becky Mountain •Right Greenville Highway Proceedonto onto Becky Mountain Road 25.8 DIRECTION DISTANCE (miles) •Right onto Wilson Road Right onto Greenville Highway 25.9 •Left onto Elm Bend Road Proceed onto North Broad Street 0.0 Proceed onto Wilson Road 26.2 •Right onto Greenville Highway Left onto West Main Street 0.0 •Arrive at Finish Proceed onto Elm Bend Road 27.4 Continue on East Main Street 0.1 •Approximately 30 miles

Right onto Greenville Highway Continue on West Main Street Continue on West Main Street Continue on Greenville Highway Continue on East Main Street Left onto Parkview Drive Continue on West Main Street Proceed onto Parkview Drive Right onto North Broad Street Left onto Elm Bend Road Arrive at Finish Proceed onto Wilson Road

28.7 0.5 28.9 0.5 29.0 0.7 29.4 0.7 29.4 0.7 29.4 2.0

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Bracken Mountai

Proceed onto Wilson Road

3.0

Proceed onto Wilson Road

4.3

Right onto Old Hendersonville Highway / Old 64

4.6

Proceed onto Old Hendersonville Highway / Old 64

4.9

Continue on Everett Road

5.6

Proceed onto Everett Road

8.1

Right onto Hart Road

8.1

Proceed onto Hart Road

9.8

Continue on Cascade Lake Road

4 42 2 S. B Broad road St Street reet Bre Brevard, vard, NC 287 28712 12 (8 (828)883-4034 28)883-4034

w www.brackenmountainbakery.com ww.brackenmountainbakery.com

10.5

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LOCAL LODGING ROLLS OUT THE RED CARPET FOR VISITING CYCLISTS (AND THE BIKE WASH STANDS)

After tackling some of Pisgah's legendary single track or the Cat 2 climb up Caesar's Head, there's nothing better than a refreshing shower and a comfortable bed. But these days, Transylvania County's innkeepers aren't content with providing just the basics for their bike-riding guests.

As the area's popularity as a cycling destination has grown, the owners of local hotels, inns and vacation rentals are providing amenities and services that appeal to those with an affinity for two wheel transport.

Lori Roberts, who purchased and renovated the Sunset Motel in 2011, realized early on that her establishment would be a good fit for cyclists. And she's been actively courting them ever since.

"Because of our layout, cyclists can park right in front of their room," she said. "They don't have to go down a flight of steps or down a long corridor to get what they need. They're not interested in luxury. They're looking for a place that is clean, comfortable and moderately priced. And we fit the bill."

During the motel's renovation, Roberts installed a custom-built bike wash. She also leaves out soaps, rags and scrub brushes, which no doubt gladdens the hearts of the motelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most fastidious guest cyclists.

Steven Dugard has seen his cycling clientele grow in his eleven years as co-owner of Ash Grove Cabins and Camping, which is located south of Brevard. He's also seen a shift in the guests who come to ride.

"It used to be just groups of guys," said Dugard. "Now we're seeing more couples, families and even groups of women."

For riders who are looking for route suggestions, Dugard and co-owner Mark Henry have put together a cue sheet of five great rides in DuPont State Recreational Forest, located nearby.

"A lot of cyclists already know which trails they want to ride," said Dugard, "But we do have folks who've never been to the area before and need some advice. Our cue sheet comes in really handy for them."

Thanks to its location at the entrance to Pisgah National Forest, the Hampton Inn has long served as a popular base camp for cyclists. Layton Parker, the Inn's general manager and one of the county's pioneers in marketing to outdoor adventurers of every stripe, goes the extra mile to make sure his two-wheeled guests are well taken care of. Âť6 0 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

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LOCAL LODGING ROLLS OUT THE RED CARPET FOR CYCLISTS "We offer monitored bike parking in the lobby, wash stations for cycling groups and allow guests to keep their bikes in their rooms," said Parker.

Because of its size and the availability of a spacious meeting room, the Hampton also gets its fair share of cycling groups.

"We host several clubs, training events and other cycling groups throughout the year," said Parker. "Our meeting room will accommodate up to 100 people. Some groups even set up shop to maintain their bikes for the group during an event."

The hot breakfast available in the lobby starting at 6 a.m. makes it easy for riders to get fueled up. Parker also offers on-the-go breakfast bags for those who can't wait to mount up and ride.

Owners of vacation rental properties offer their own unique benefits to riders. Varying in size from two to five bedrooms, private cabins and homes are perfect for small groups and are often a great value.

In the case of Clay Sykes, owner of Bear Ridge Cabins, renters receive something even more rare: personal expertise.

Say the magic words “spoke” or “chainring” and Sykes, an avid cyclist, is off and running.

“I try to give our guests personalized recommendations that are a good fit with their skill and fitness level,” said Sykes, “I set up a series of rides for them based on their abilities and interests and then identify subsequent outings based on their feedback of the roads or trails they tried out.”

In addition to providing maps, guidebooks and bike wash stands, Sykes frequently sources repair parts and lends out bike stands.

And if he’s got the time, Sykes has been known to grab his helmet and bike and take guests on impromptu rides, introducing them to routes, roads and trails they might never have known about otherwise.

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PHOTO BY MICHAEL ROGERS

“Folks like talking to someone who has a shared interest, who is knowledgeable about the area,” said Sykes, “I really enjoy making connections with people. If I didn’t know them before, I’m friends with them by the time they leave.”

That personal connection is also important to the owners of the Red House Inn. "Everyone in our family rides," said Tracie Trusler, who has owned the popular bed and breakfast since 2007 with her husband Daniel and their daughter Emily. "It's a real pleasure for us to be able to help cyclists enjoy themselves while they're here."

Daniel, an expert mountain and road cyclist, is always willing to share his knowledge of the local trails and roads with guests.

"Daniel loves to talk cycling," said Tracie, "He'll map out an entire day of routes for anyone who's interested. Our guests really value that."

Additionally, the Truslers keep a bike stand handy for cyclists who need to make a few adjustments or repairs. Daniel has also been known to come up with the odd part that's required to make a fix.

"We want to do whatever we can to help our guests make the most of their trip," says Tracie. "For example, we'll provide an early breakfast for anyone who wants to hit the road or the trail at first light."

Has a local innkeeper gone out of their way to help accommodate your needs as a visiting cyclist? If so, we’d love to hear about it. Email Prentiss at prentiss@brevardncchamber.org

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INSIDER TIPS, ITINERARIES, AND MORE AT AT VISITWATERFALLS.COM VISITWA VISITW ATERFALLS.COM »6 4 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

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PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPTURING WNC PHOTOGRAPHY

BEER, BIKING & BREVARD

BY ALLISON TAYLOR

It's the ultimate trifecta: beer, biking, and Brevard. Hitting the trails or the roads on two wheels is a daily activity for many of our local residents, and visitors flock here for our plethora of trail systems, rural pavement, and growing number of bike race events.

The three “B’s” go so well together, that The Hub at Backcountry Outdoors started the Pisgah Tavern in their bike shop to sell an assortment of local and regional beers - and good ole' PBR, of course. Located right at the entrance Pisgah National Forest, a cold brew is ready to whet your palate post-ride - or even while you wait on a bike repair.

Colorado based Oskar Blues Brewing operates a Brevard location with bike access to several trails.

“Oskar Blues Sole Founder Dale Katechis is passionate about both craft beer and bikes, and those passions infuse everything we do at Oskar Blues. Our motto is Ride Bikes, Drink Beer, REPEAT!” says Anne Fitten Glenn, spokesperson for Oskar Blues Brewery. Heck, they even keep a couple of kids bikes on-site to entertain the little guys while Mom and Dad partake in a cold one. Oskar Blues offers free parking for bikers looking to access the trails, and they also are the meeting spot for The Bike Farm's on-going Wednesday Night Rides - which depart from and return to the brewery starting at 6 p.m. each week. Oskar Blues is currently in the process of building the REEB Ranch (REEB Cycles is an Oskar Blues owned bike manufacturer based in Colorado), which will include a bike park, direct trail access to DuPont State Forest, an event venue, and of course, frosty beverages.

In addition to Oskar Blues Brewery, Brevard is also home to Brevard Brewing, which is located in the heart of our downtown district. Both breweries offer a diverse selection of delicious beers that will appeal to both the craft brew connoisseur and the not-so-adventurous taster.

“Any outdoor activity, cycling included, goes hand in hand with beer,” says Brevard Brewing owner Kyle Williams. “Coming off the mountain, with endorphins flowing, there is nothing better than getting a few tasty, cold, craft brews.”

Local beverages are available at Pisgah Tavern, the breweries, and most of Brevard's restaurants and bars also carry a rotating selection of favorites from Brevard Brewing and Oskar Blues.

It's a common theme, the way that beer, biking, and Brevard are intertwined.

Whether you've been out on a leisurely spin, or on an epic adventure, there is no better way to wrap up a ride than with a cold beer. The camaraderie of fellow bikers has created a strong community of like-minded folks who will be mingling on their bar stools. Show off your mud and battle scars, trade tales of the varying trails, and sample the variety of beverage options. For the bikers and breweries who bet on the trifecta in Brevard, it's been a winning combination.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPTURING WNC PHOTOGRAPHY

TAYLOR NIGHTLIFE BY ALLISON

For what used to be a sleepy small town after dark, it's now the happening place to be. On any given night, there are numerous places to shake what your momma gave ya - and Brevard is home to some world class musicians such as Grammy winners The Steep Canyon Rangers, Jeff Sipe, Shannon Whitworth, Nikki Talley, and John Felty of Jupiter Coyote. You never know who might be joining in to jam when you hit up our local live music venues.

On any given night, you're likely to stumble into a great band at our local breweries, bars, and restaurants. “185 King Street has built a name for itself hosting big name musicians and local favorites, as well as fun events like Stand Up Comedy Night, Trivia Night, dance lessons, dinner nights, open jams, and Sunday Fundays (cookouts during NFL season),” says Kristin Johns, manager at 185 King Street.

The Phoenix is a delicious farm-to-table restaurant that transforms into a music hall by night, and features local and regional talent. Jessica Carson, manager of The Phoenix adds, "The Phoenix boasts a comfortable atmosphere and great live music from local acts and different genres - and drink specials that include our awesome and different house-made infusions that never disappoint."

Our local breweries also bring regular music to the nighttime scene, and both Oskar Blues and Brevard Brewing enjoy presenting live entertainment.

“We love having live music on the patio on warm summer nights while drinking super fresh craft beer as the sun’s setting over the mountains. After the sun sets, folks can wander into downtown Brevard to experience all that this happening small town has to offer,” says Anne Fitten Glenn, spokesperson for Oskar Blues Brewery.

Brevard Brewing even offers an open mic night every Thursday.

“Nightlife in Brevard is great,” says owner Kyle Williams. “Brevard may be small, but it packs a big punch.”

Other restaurants such as The Square Root, Jordan Street Cafe, Dugan's Pub, Marcos, and Hobnob have occasional music too, so it never hurts to check the calendar before deciding where to party down for the night.

Looking for something a little different? The 4th Friday of every month, April through November, our downtown stores and galleries stay open until 9 p.m. for a gallery walk that includes live music, wine tastings, beer tastings, and artistic fun. For a more refined musical experience, check out the summer concert series at the Brevard Music Center.

Brevard has melded over the years into an eclectic hub of rockin' good times. If you're headed into town for some daytime outdoor excursions, it's well worth sticking around to enjoy all that nighttime has to offer. So, pack a change of clothes, book a room, and stay a while - you'll be glad you did. »7 0 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

CYCLING ESSENTIALS

Always carry the essentials when you get out on your bike. These items may seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised how many people get caught in the woods, or on a big road loop, without a spare tube or a pump.

One good rule in cycling is to let the bike carry any extra weight. Saddlebags and Velcro straps allow you to place spare tubes, CO2’s, and multi-tools on the bike, and save your back and shoulders from bearing any extra burden. Your core muscles and sit bones should be supporting most of your weight on the bike, and upper body comfort will ensure that you don’t become fatigued. Mountain biking and cycling in Transylvania County are not easy, and most locals try and put as much weight on their bike as possible.

Road cycling is different than mountain biking in the sense that you are never really removed from civilization for very long. You may be able to crank out a century ride, but in any direction chances are you will roll past a convenience store, and in a worse case scenario, you can knock on someone’s door.

On a big road ride I always take the following items with me: • Cell phone. Most riders these days take their phones everywhere they go. Some people prefer to leave them at home to get away from the world, but if safety is more of a concern, then take it with you. Make sure to put your phone in a Ziploc bag or any available waterproof case. Storms roll through regularly in Transylvania County all year round.

•Water or your preferred sports drink mix. You should know your own body before taking on a really big ride on a hot day, and what drink mixes work well for you. Water is the choice for many people. I personally like Smart Water, an electrolyte enhanced water available in any grocery store.

•Take a few a dollars with you. Mid-ride, you may go past a store and crave a sports drink on a hot day, or a snack. Some people don’t carry much food at all on big road rides, and instead just carry some cash to save the weight of food in their jersey pocket. (continued on pg. 72)

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CYCLING ESSENTIALS PARK BAKER’S

• CELL PHONE

• WATER OR SPORTS DRINK MIX • CASH • A TUBE, A PUMP, CO2, TIRE LEVERS • DUCT TAPE • A MULTI-TOOL • LIGHTWEIGHT JACKET

PHOTO BY SEAN TRAPP

• WATER FILTER, IODINE TABS OR UV LIGHT FOR SAFE WATER

»7 2 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

CYCLING ESSENTIALS

•A tube, a pump, and tire levers. Two tubes are better than one, but at least carry one. Tire levers are essential on a road ride. Road bike tires are difficult to get off sometimes, and should you get a flat you want the tube to be as easy to replace as possible. A good pump, capable of inflating past 100 psi with ease, is also recommended.

•A small bit of duct tape. Redundancy is your friend in the cycling world, and it can save you should one plan fail. Breaking a pencil in half, and rolling some duct tape around it and carrying it with you to patch a tire from the inside is a good idea. Often, patching the tire from the inside with a bit of duct tape, a wrapper, or even a green leaf can at least get you home.

•A multi-tool. A multi-tool has basically everything you need on it. Allen wrenches, a chain tool, spokewrench, a Torx wrench, and a Philips and flat head screwdriver. Things happen, and being able to tighten your water bottle cage or adjust your saddle or bar should you wreck and knock it out place will make your ride that much better.

•A lightweight jacket. This is not an essential item, but keep in mind that the weather can change quickly in the mountains, and rolling storms can bring wind, heavy rain and hail. Getting caught on the Blue Ridge Parkway in a hailstorm will leave you cold and hating life.

On a big mountain bike ride, the following items are essential: •Spare tube and pump/CO2. Most modern mountain bikes come set up tubeless, similar to your car. If this is the case on your bike and you flat, the sealant in your tire may seal up the hole depending on its size. If it seals itself, you may be able to just pump it back up using a hand pump. If it won’t seal itself, then you will have to put a tube in it.

•Summertime in western North Carolina is humid, and you will sweat a lot. Hydration is essential to enjoy your experience here (or anywhere), and running out of water can ruin your vacation.

Many mountain bikers carry a Camel Bak, or a similar hydration pack that comes with a bladder for water, and room for food and tools. The size of your hydration pack determines how much water you can carry, but again, redundancy is your friend here.

We have plenty of running water in Transylvania County, and you are never too far from a creek while out on the trails, but drinking right from the creeks is a bad idea. Some people get sick from Giardia, a microorganism found in the water, and some people do not. It’s best not to test this, so a filter, iodine tabs or UV light is your best bet to make sure you don’t run out of water. ~Since 1989~ Safe drinking found in the forests: The Fish Hatchery has a water fountain, so does the Pisgah Discover A World Of Natural Treasures!

Ranger Station. There is a water fountain at the From precious gems & fine jewelry to fossils, DuPont State Forest Visitors Center, and you can get crystals & mineral collections. water from the hose at the horse stables in DuPont One mile west of Brevard, NC as well. The Pisgah Inn and Pink Beds also have erniesrocks@comporium.net water fountains.

99 Rosman Highway 828-884-2241

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CYCLING RULES FOR SAFELY DESCENDING STEEP CURVY ROADS

»7 4 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

By Clay Sykes

PHOTOS BY PARK BAKER

As someone who hosts many first time visiting cyclists coming up to enjoy our picturesque mountains, I have noticed many share a common apprehension about how to safely enjoy some of the steep, curvy descents that characterize some of the most beautiful roadways in the area. Relying on the experts over at the Pisgah Gravity Research Center, I have come up with the following recommendations for cyclists unfamiliar with our mountainous terrain: •First and foremost, make sure your bike is in good mechanical condition. This obviously includes brakes and tires, but also frame imbalance issues which may not be obvious at lower speeds. Throttle down immediately if you detect any unusual vibration or shimmy.

•Be aware of weather conditions and road hazards, and water or even snow or ice on roadways. During the winter, it is not uncommon to be in warm “false spring” weather on one side of a ridge, only to cross over to the north side and encounter patches of snow or ice.

•Note there is a learning curve to descending mountain roads. Don’t overestimate your abilities. Be prudent and gain experience patiently before you decide to chase those STRAVA records.

•Look where you want to go. The bike instinctively follows your vision, so avoid getting visually fixed on a roadside obstacle. Focus well out in front of you, essentially out at the furthest extent of the visible road surface. In addition, watch the riders out in front of you and you can read their body movement/bike positioning to get an indication of what’s beyond your field of vision.

•Don’t “over run” your sight distance. Similar to driving a car at night where you need to limit your speed based on how far ahead you can see via your headlights, the number one rule descending a curvy road is to limit your speed to give you adequate stopping distance should there be an obstacle that is just outside your sight distance.

•Unless you’re consciously trying to “go fast,” I recommend cyclists who are being introduced to the mountain road cycling keep their head and chest high and even “sit up” on straight sections to bleed speed via body position. While there are clear advantages to keeping your center of gravity as low as possible when riding fast through turns, and there is a marginal increase in control by putting your hands in the drops, I have made many relaxed descents with my hands on the hoods to maximize “air braking.”

•Use body position as your first step in reducing speed, as opposed to locking down the brakes. I am always puzzled by the guy who maintains a low-profile, aerodynamic position with hands in the drops, while pulling hard on the brakes on the entire descent. As a very first step, just “sit up” (particularly on the straightaways) to allow your torso to work like a “sail.” This saves your brake pads plus puts you in a better position to simply see the road in front of you.

•Generally speaking, brake when you’re going in a straight line as you are approaching a turn. Try to use both the front and back brakes, and brake in about two or three second pulls, then let off momentarily. When going in a straight line, the bulk of your stopping power will be with your front brake. Brake primarily on the straight-away’s and strive to ride fluidly and smoothly through the turn itself. If you must brake in a curve, I’ll rely more on the rear brake but you’ve got to be aware of the ease with which the rear tire will slide when/if you brake hard.

•Note that braking during a hard curve actually reduces the speed that you can safely take the curve.

Once again, attempt to do 95% of your braking on the straight-aways before you enter a turn!

•Avoid “riding the brakes” all the way down the hill.

Try to sit up and use body position to “air brake” as much as possible. When you start braking, brake in 2 or 3 second pulls, then let off momentarily. These techniques reduce brake pad wear, but perhaps more importantly, they also reduce the heat transfer to the rims, which very occasionally can over-heat and cause a catastrophic rim or tire failure.

•On a very hot day, if you have any concerns at all regarding “overheating the rims”, there is nothing at all wrong with just stopping half way down and taking a break. My experience is that it rarely gets hot enough for that to be a concern in Transylvania County, and if one uses the techniques described above, rim over-heating should never be an issue.

•When you do have to brake hard, push your hips/center of gravity as far back towards the rear tire as much as possible, which dramatically increases the effectiveness of the rear brake.

•Recognize that you steer a bike more by leaning as opposed to turning the front wheel. And frequently, you will lean the bike much more than you lean your body. In general terms, your center of gravity should stay as close to the point where the tires contact the road as possible. Thus, you frequently lean the bike hard while keeping your upper body relatively upright.

•When you’re curving a turn, transfer much of the weight through the cranks instead of just passively sitting

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SAFELY DESCENDING STEEP CURVY ROADS

on the seat. This lowers your center of gravity and helps the tires really bite into the road surface.

•Position in the road. Generally speaking, as you go faster, you need to gravitate towards the middle of the lane. You just need more room to deal with the unexpected, and typically speaking, you will be descending at a comparable speed to traffic, so there’s no reason to ride the white line. Most cyclists will drift out “wide” approaching a turn, then cut as close to the inside of the curve as possible at the apex of the curve, then drift out wide exiting the curve. This “dampens” the radius of the curve and allows a rider to preserve as much speed as possible through the curve.

•Be aware of the riders around you. Note that many cyclists will use practically the entire lane to “carve turns” as efficiently as possible – particularly if they are carrying speed through the turns. If you don’t know the cyclists around you, give them plenty of room. As you approach cyclists from behind, always shout “Passing” loudly, and give them a wide berth on the left in case they don’t hear you.

•If you detect a shimmy/wobble, you can press the top tube with your knees to dampen it out. Start braking immediately but not radically as this may be the first indication of a flat or mechanical problem.

• Watch out for gravel and debris in curves, particularly after heavy rains and when the road design results in the right-hand shoulder being higher than the pavement itself. Also watch out for those reflector plates that are in the center line of many of our roads.

The above-listed tips are for folks who are new to the mountains, and put more of an emphasis on safety and enjoying the descent, as opposed to racers and those chasing those elusive STRAVA records! Recommendations for some fun descents include U.S. 276 off the Blue Ridge Parkway right back down to coffee at Sycamore Cycles or beer at The Hub! South of town, dropping U.S. 276 from Caesars Head State Park into South Carolina offers a 6-mile rocket ride with very tight switchbacks. The fastest and steepest descent around is the N.C. 215 descent off the Blue Ridge Parkway towards Balsom Grove. This descent offers the smoothest pavement, least traffic, fastest speeds and some of the best views around.

Be kind to motorists and motorcycles – no matter how fast you pass them, they always catch you on the flats!

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Chris Carmichael and Carmichael Training Systems coaches have helped thousands of career professionals, working parents and professional athletes reach their fitness and performance goals.

Between 2006 and 2010, CTS more than doubled its training camp and performance testing offerings, and expanded from its corporate headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., to training centers in the premier outdoor sports destinations of Asheville, N.C. and Tucson, Ariz.. These locally-based coaching and performance centers make the world-class expertise, hands-on coaching, and performance testing available in Colorado Springs available closer to home.

CTS Asheville moved it’s location to Brevard in 2011, and head coach Colin Izzard says that the biggest reason for moving to Brevard was access to the great riding, and the welcoming atmosphere of the town.

“Brevard is a great fit for us, and being close to the riding is what we need to run our camps. We’re excited that the community is really embracing cycling,” said Izzard. “We need to be close to the trails and the best roads so that when our athletes come in for camps, or new athletes are curious about what we do, we can show them the best of the best.”

CTS offers four primary camps a year, each of them lasting four to seven days, and the Brevard cycling camp focuses on climbing techniques and form on the road bike. Riders learn key techniques that help athletes of all sizes and shapes to excel when the road turns upward. And since what goes up must come down, the coaches will also help riders develop the confidence and skills needed to descend quickly, safely, and efficiently. Their camps include a CTS Field Test and review of test data with the coaching staff to determine your most efficient climbing pace. The rest of the time will include longer endurance rides focusing on climbing.

“Our other camps are custom camps, like the guided tours with a coaching twist to it. Our clients design the camps around what they want from a coaching session, from techniques and proper form to descending skills on the mountain bike,” said Izzard.

Izzard said that he hosts hundreds of these individual camps year round.

Nutrition is a large part of performance-based coaching at CTS, and to help athletes reach their potential, clients can receive a comprehensive nutrition analysis customized to each person’s lifestyle, fitness and performance goals.

Coaches work with athletes to determine their current eating habits, and recommend tweaks that will benefit them based on what they are trying to achieve.

For more information about CTS, stop by their office at 147 East Main Street, Suite 101 in the Hollingsworth Building, or give them a call at (828)-378-0152.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARMICHAEL TRAINING SYSTEMS

CARMICHAEL TRAINING SYSTEMS

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BUSCHE WAS SELECTED TO COMPETE IN THIS YEAR’S TOUR DE FRANCE

MATTHEW BUSCHE IS A TOUR DE FORCE Matthew Busche and his wife Lisa moved to Brevard in 2012, but before they did, they spent a good bit of time researching different areas of the country that would suit the lifestyle he was looking for. Busche is the 2011 US National Road Champion, and he needs the right training grounds for each upcoming season. 2014 marks his fifth year racing professionally as the only American on the Trek Pro Tour Factory Racing Team.

Like many cyclists he was a runner first.

“I was running all the way through college and in the fall of my freshman year, in 2003, I got injured and had some knee problems. Riding was supplemental to maintain fitness and to do anything I could when I couldn’t run. Once I ended up on the road bike in the summer of 2004, that was the first real take-off for me,” said Busche.

He started racing locally, and was the Wisconsin State Road Champion twice.

Busche moved to Arizona for a winter and started working and training seriously with a friend, and that hard work paid off.

Busche was chosen as the “stagiaire” for Kelly Benefit Strategies, a former development team, which means he was taken under the wing of a professional team while still technically an amateur, a common practice in professional road cycling. In 2009 he signed a contract for Team Radio Shack and 2010 was his first year as a pro.

For 2014, Busche’s main focus will be to serve as domestique for 2010 Tour De France winner Andy Shleck. Busche has been selected for the Tour road team this year.

Only a handful of riders from professional teams are invited to race, and all teams have a dedicated squad.

Busche says Brevard came on their radar when the USA pro races were in Greenville, S.C. and he started looking for a home base in the U.S. when Lisa graduated from school.

»7 8 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

photo: Jerry Markatos

In the off-season of 2012 we stayed in a vacation rental in the Brevard area,” he said. “We liked it and ended up in a contract negotiation on a home, and we ended up buying it. It all happened quickly.

“We’re both really into the outdoor scene in Brevard. In the off-season I don’t really want to ride my road bike. I love the mountain biking and the ability to ride my cross bike on the gravel roads all through the area. Lisa and I love to ride in DuPont. There’s so many options, we’re going to have tons of spots to explore for many years to come.”

Busche of course has a favorite go to road loop from his downtown Brevard home.

From town: South on Country Club Road past Brevard High School Stay on Country Club when it becomes Barclay Road, bear right on Country Club when it splits Left on Island Ford Road Right on Walnut Hollow Road to East Fork Road East Fork all the way to U.S. 276 (Greenville Highway) Right on 276 to DuPont Road and make a left Take the road all the way through DuPont State Forest to Crab Creek Road Right on Crab Creek to the bottom of Jeter Mountain Road on your left Left on Jeter Mountain and stay on it until it intersects Crab Creek again Right on Crab Creek Left on Everett Road all the way to Old Hendersonville Highway Old Hendersonville Highway back to town Distance: about 65 miles.

Take it outside 828-884-2393 | Brevard, NC | PlattArchitecture.com

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BRADFORD PERLEY

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BREVARD COLLEGE ATHLETICS

BREVARD COLLEGE’S HEAD CYCLING COACH OFFERS RIDING TIPS

The Brevard College cycling team has been in existence for 7-8 years and has grown tremendously since it’s humble beginnings. We now have 38 student-athletes and have won 7 team national championships, as well as 9 individual national titles. Our team is comprised of students from all over the world, competing in road, mountain, and cyclocross racing disciplines year-round.

We are very fortunate to represent the college and town of Brevard, and every team member recognizes and appreciates the tremendous level of support from both the college and local community. The continued growth and development of the team is a never-ending goal. We are proud to live in the cycling capital of the south.

I’d like to offer these simple tips, so that you can enjoy Brevard and how much fun it is to experience the world-class roads and trails here.

1. Since cycling can be an extremely social activity, it is often best to find others with a similar interest and experience level to join on rides. This way, it becomes a fun, social event.

2. Use the correct equipment. Seeking the advice of an expert in equipment selection and bicycle/helmet fit can make or break the cycling experience. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to enjoy riding, but seeking a little advice to help kick-start your riding can go a long way.

3. Become familiar with your local bicycle shop. Just like any equipment, bicycles require periodical maintenance to ensure proper function. Becoming familiar with your local bike shop is a great idea. Local shops are very important to the cycling industry, as they are able to help each individual rider in a very personalized environment. In addition to providing any type of needed mechanical assistance, bike shops are the perfect place to seek out questions regarding bike fit, fitness tips, nutrition, and ride routes.

4. Choose your riding routes carefully. If you are just getting into riding, you want to be aware of where you are riding. It is always a good idea to select low traffic, quiet roads for your routes. If you are riding offroad, it is a good idea to either ride with someone who has knowledge of the area or consult a trail map before taking off on the ride.

5. Bring the essentials. You should always bring a water bottle with you on every ride, especially in the middle of summer. Based on the planned ride duration, you can choose to also bring some food as well, such as a banana or granola bar. You should also always ride with a cell phone in case of emergencies. »8 0 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANSLEY CHAPPELL

PURA VIDA ADVENTURES / JOE MOERSCHBAECHER

Joe Moerschbaecher owns and runs Pura Vida Adventures, an adventure guide service located near the entrance to Pisgah National Forest. Attracted to the mountains at an early age, Joe attended running camp at Brevard College in 1996. He opened the doors to Pura Vida in 2006.

Joe doesn't just lead mountain biking trips. He takes people kayaking, canyoneering, waterfall touring, rock climbing and white water rafting, to name just a few of his skills.

His first trip as a professional guide service was a one-day backpacking trip, and it took a whole year to get his first client. While developing his business, he worked part time at his alma mater, Brevard College, as an adjunct faculty member. With a Masters of Science and Recreation, his focus is on adventure recreation.

Joe taught mountain biking at Brevard College in 2005, before the college started its collegiate for a Healthy Cycle mountain bike team. In the winter, Joe's favorite mountain bike loop is to ride up Clawhammer Road all the way to the top, and climb Black Mountain Trail, then descend Bennett Gap. In the summertime, he likes to stay close by, preferably by the lake in DuPont.

Joe has been a fixture of the outdoor community for many years, and he thinks he'll be here for a while. In 2009, Pura Vida Adventures was featured in National Geographic Adventure magazine for his piPrevent injury | promote recovery | improve mobility oneering of the canyoneering scene in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

“Brevard is awesome in the sense that we've got so much to do,” said Moerschbaecher. “We have great mountain bike trails, but when it’s raining, I can hop in my kayak, and in the winter I can go climbing.”

If you are in town looking for a mountain bike guide, or an adventure of any sort, visit his website, pvadventures.com, for information.

Sports Massage

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THE AMBASSADORS

TODD BRANHAM Âť8 2 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

PHOTO COURTESY OF TODD BRANHAM

Transylvania County has the highest concentration of professional trail builders on the east coast. That says a lot about the area, and why these people choose to call this place home. All five contractors that live in the county are members of the Professional Trail Builders Association, the organization chartered with sustaining the canons of acceptable trail building techniques. Many techniques for trail building have been developed here, and in a temperate rain forest with more users than any other national forest in the country, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to put these techniques to the test to see just how well they work.

PHOTOS BY TIM KOERBER

Todd Branham has done a lot for the cycling scene in Brevard. As the promoter and founder of Blue Ridge Adventures, his race series include The Off-Road Assault on Mount Mitchell and the Pisgah Stage Race. In addition to bringing international attention to Transylvania County as a cycling destination, he also is part owner in a trail contracting company, Long Cane Trails.

Long Cane Trails has designed and built trails on the Bracken Mountain Preserve on city property in Brevard, done countless hours of volunteer trail work in DuPont and Pisgah National Forest and built miles of private property trails in and around the county. Branham and his partner, Bill Victor, are also responsible for the design and construction of one of the most popular trail systems in the southeast, the Forks Area Trail System (FATS) near Augusta, Ga. Some of the trails he designed and built in DuPont are Turkey Knob, Cascade and Micajah.

Branham grew up in Columbia, S.C., and was working at Brian's Outspokin bike shop as the head salesman when he started Blue Ridge Adventures in 1999. Branham says there were no bike races in Brevard at that time. A year later he moved here full time.

“For me, for what I'm doing, this is the center hub of it all. A lot of people move to Asheville, but this is where it’s happening, that's what brought me here,” he said. “When I started here it was me and a computer, now I've got one full time employee, my girlfriend Heather.”

The Swank 65 was his first race. Originally it was 65 miles, but he changed it to a 65K, feeling it was too long to hold at the end of most people’s race season. The race makes a few cloverleaf shapes as it leaves from the Cove Creek campground in Pisgah.

Branham says his business has grown from a “hobby” of putting on races to a full-blown event production company with a state of the art laser timing system that rivals major race production companies.

“We're about to reach the ceiling I think as far as how much we can handle. We've got 13 events, we've got gates and finish line structures and chip timing. We help out eight different festivals, like the White Squirrel, the Mountain Song Festival, Halloweenfest, and the July 4th party. We also handle the timing for the Assault on the Carolinas.”

Branham says he spends about half his time working on promoting races, and the other half designing, bidding, and building trails. Somewhere in there he gets to ride.

Blue Ridge Adventures has officially adopted two trails in Pisgah National Forest, Heartbreak and Kitsuma. Three times a year they do tread work and take out trees to keep it open.

Branham loves living in Transylvania County, and is proud of what he’s accomplished.

“All my employees live in the county, both in the trail company and Blue Ridge Adventures. It’s important to me to build that community and have those people work and be a part of all this. I also try and incorporate as much of the county’s heritage into my races, with names like the Looking Glass Loop, and the Carl Schenck Loop in the Pisgah Stage Race. There’s a lot of pride there for the county and what I've got going on.

“The Cradle of Forestry wants me to start a stage in the Stage Race from there. When they asked me about it, I thought that was big time. I'm proud of what I've done; I love promoting the area. We've got such a unique place here, especially if you live here. It's great to live here and that’s the selling point.”

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF TRAIL WISDOM

THE AMBASSADORS WOODY KEEN

Woody Keen has been doing trail work perhaps longer than anyone in the crew listed here. Keen started doing trail work to gain access to climbing areas in ‘80s, while he was the owner of Misty Mountain Threadworks, a rock climbing gear company which produced the first adjustable climbing harness. His interest in climbing waning, he found himself mountain biking more than climbing in the 1990s. Keen sold Misty Mountain, and went to work for Kona bikes as a traveling sales rep in the southeast. He began volunteering at different trail projects while he was on the road. As he learned more, he found himself leading trail projects, and eventually leading National Trails Day in 1986, repairing a section of the Mountains to Sea trail that had been destroyed by logging equipment near Boone.

Like the other trail advocates who live in Transylvania, what inspired Keen and his wife to move to Brevard from the Boone area was that they wanted to be closer to better mountain biking.

While partnered with Ed Sutton, Trail Dynamics had been influential in about 80 percent of the trail in DuPont State Forest, and led most of the volunteer efforts. They did most of the design work as well, and built Gateway Bike Park in Travelers Rest, SC. He spent many hours working with Upstate SORBA and the Greenville Parks and Recreation department.

Trail Dynamics got the contract to build the new Ridgeline alignment in DuPont in 2008. The company is also responsible for Rocky Knob Bike Park in Boone, a joint project with another trail contractor, and developed the master plan for the Watauga County Tourism Development Authority. According to Keen, 3,000 hours of volunteer labor went in to Rocky Knob Bike Park.

Trail Dynamics has worked in 25 states, two Canadian provinces, Scotland and Grand Cayman. With his many years experience, he’s got a few ideas to help really get the ball rolling in Transylvania County.

“There's a lot of assumption out there that myself as well as other trail contractors want to make things easier. That’s crap. We build trails to specifications. As a trail contractor, you really don't influence the end product that much, particularly working for the USFS. It's like building a house, if you're a GC, and the plans turn out differently, then the customer may not be very happy. We try to build to a certain level of sustainability, »8 4 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

and we're learning and adapting and starting to think about social sustainability, and sometimes they're at odds with each other. We have to compromise and adapt.

“We need some of the money going into advertising Transylvania County to go into sustaining some of the recreation opportunities that bring people here in the first place. The impact in the last ten years with exploded visitation is unbelievable.

“We need a full time trails coordinator and in a lot of places, that position is jointly funded. Here, we have old timber extraction routes for trails, the forest has somewhat healed itself from the old logging processes in Pisgah National Forest, but if you look at successful trails communities like Moab, Bend, Whistler and Tahoe, they're not resting on their laurels. When I first went to Moab, first as a climber, then years later as a mountain biker, the mountain biking was on old jeep roads. It’s not like that anymore, they have fully embraced mountain biking and their work shows. They are a world-class destination. There’s a level of complacency here in the south, and part of that is because we have so much. The communities that are really taking care of their trail systems are the ones that are actually building more trail.

“We, as Transylvania County residents, have a responsibility at the economic and tourism development level to band together and try and make a difference.”

Keen sold his half of Trail Dynamics to his partner Ed Sutton in 2013. Keen now owns Trail Wisdom, a trail consultation and safety management company.

“I do a lot of lawsuit work as an expert witness. I'm realizing that I affect trails more in the consulting than the building. The bicycle has evolved pretty quickly, and the bike has allowed us to develop riding skills. In trail design, we're playing catch up with the exponential growth of rider’s capabilities.

“I like technical trails as much as anybody, but at the same time I have a strong commitment to protecting the resource; that's not going away. The mountains we live in should be protected, the water quality, and the soil. When we have massive soil loss the environmentalist in me says it's a bad idea, we have to strike the balance.

“Building a community and showcasing that we can have demanding trails is something we can do. I hope it continues.”

A commitment to quality built on experience and integrity.

89 Deerwood Lane | Brevard, NC 28712 | 828.862.3587 | gdaniel@citcom.net B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4 »85

PHOTOS BY TIM KOERBER

THE AMBASSADORS SHRIMPER

Shrimper. A fixture on the mountain bike scene and a man well loved and respected up and down the east coast. He and his family, Noelle, Henry and Bergen, moved to Brevard 12 years ago by way of Columbia, S.C. As owner and operator of Headwaters Environmental, his trail building company often gets subcontracted to do work on public lands, including the most recent “Big Dig” project, a community effort to revamp Lower Black Mountain trail and breath some life into the once dirt ribbon that had become a five foot wide sidewalk.

“Brevard has all the trails and it's close to family. It's where Noelle and I honeymooned. We moved here on Oct.16, 2002. Two weeks later our well went dry,” he recalled. “It was still worth staying.”

Shimper’s first mountain bike ride in Brevard was at the Camp Carolina race, “The Memorial Day Massacre,” in 1993.

“The first time I came up here was for the race, and two weeks later I was back to ride.

“The community that we found when we got here reinforced the decision that we made. Ninety percent of my friends are from doing trail work and riding mountain bikes. We came for the trails and stayed for the people.”

The middle section of Squirrel Gap and all of Laurel Mountain trails are his favorites. “The texture is still in the ground,” he said. “One hundred years of erosion has left the best part of those trails. I like rideable hiking trails, that's what I'd like to build, that's what the kids want to ride.”

“My boys, Henry and Bergen, have been doing trail work since they were tiny. At home, they could choose between doing trail work on the back yard trails or doing house work.” His family has a pretty amazing system of hand cut trail as a result of his enthusiasm.

“I'm trying to offer an alternative to park style trails, coming from twenty years of horticultural experience.

When I design trail I'm not a recreational engineer, I manage water. I'm looking for a positive user reaction, »8 6 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

and for me that has as much to do with the environment the trail is in as much as the style of trail. I'm here to be the alternative to those Marsha Brady trails,” said Shrimper.

Shrimper is an outspoken advocate for challenging trails, in a time when a hot topic of conversation in the mountain biking community is the character of mountain bike trails, and the future of trail design.

“International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) style trails are all about progression, and what they're building anymore, the only way riders progress is to go faster, and that's counter productive to one of their missions to managing user groups to maintain a trail. Safety and liability is always hanging in the air when you build trails. There's a certain amount of risk management that goes into construction, but the IMBA mission has been taken too far.

“People are only going to here, to Pisgah, to test themselves; I want to make sure they get that. I think Pisgah gets in people’s heads, it’s the challenge they want. There has to be something more for expert riders other than going faster. I would love to see Turkey Pen Gap re-routed, as a mirror image to Squirrel Gap.” Currently, Shrimper has a few different projects going on, including the re-route of Lower Trace Ridge trail in North Mills River, a private trail in Cedar Mountain, and two more miles at Pleasant Ridge park in Upstate, S.C.

PHOTO COURTESY OF VNTS

VALERIE NAYLOR

“The thing about Brevard is there’s so much variety,” says Valerie Naylor. She moved here from Florida about ten years ago, and has found a way to make a living building trails.

She had originally moved here with the intention of staying, but found herself financially burdened and unable to find-full time work. She was offered a position in Florida as a trails coordinator, and moved back, but she never forgot the mountains and was always trying to get back to Brevard. While she was in Florida, she helped build the Vortex Freeride Area in Santos, a popular mountain biking destination.

She was able to come back after she was offered a job working with Keen and Sutton for Trail Dynamics, and with the experience in Florida combined with what she learned at Trail Dynamics, she has branched out on her own. Now self-employed, Naylor’s trail building company is VNTS, short for Valerie Naylor, Trail Specialist, and is working on a project for a mountain bike club in Knoxville, Tenn. She says she does a variety of things from machine operation to trail planning and design, to instructional classes and volunteer management.

Back in Brevard full-time, Naylor now serves on the Board of Friends of DuPont, and Board of Directors for Friends of Ecusta Trail.

“I feel really fortunate to be where I am, and to have a job that I love and work with some really cool people. We’re all on the same page. The advocacy is really important to me,” said Naylor.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF TRAIL DYNAMICS

THE AMBASSADORS ED SUTTON

Ed Sutton’s story is no different than any of the other members of the PTBA in Brevard. He wanted to move here to be closer to the trails, and raise a family in an environment surrounded by like-minded people.

He and his wife Sophia own Trail Dynamics, which he co-owned with Woody Keen until he bought Keen out a few years ago.

“My wife and I wanted to move to Brevard to be closer to the mountain bike trails. I was an arborist and ran a company for years, but I was exhausted. I needed a break and my family needed a break. We had moved to Asheville first, and then decided after driving to Brevard all the time that this is where we wanted to be,” said Sutton.

Sutton claims that it was never his intention to start a trail construction company, and that his plan was just to do this on the side. But the satisfaction he gets from his work, and the amount of work he has found, have exceeded his expectations. He said he has been mountain biking for a long time, but had never really done a lot of volunteering until he moved to Brevard, but it was a progression from being a volunteer to being a professional.

“I had met Woody (Keen) doing volunteer trail work in DuPont State Forest. We would go out there once a month and work on trails. This was before there was even a staff out there. We had met somebody at Biltmore who wanted to promote mountain biking on the estate, so we decided to go in together and he agreed to do it until he was tired and then I could buy him out. That was in 2002.”

Trail Dynamics did the first professional trail project in DuPont, when they worked on the Corn Mill Shoals Trail and then Ridgeline, Reasonover Trail, Mine Mountain and Laurel Ridge.

Sutton does so much volunteer work in the county, he says the volunteer projects and contract projects are starting to blend together.

“I love mountain biking, and I love seeing people get excited about the sport and I think trail builders have a unique opportunity to create experiences and get kids into the sport, and watch it grow. I love to see families out riding together. I get more satisfaction building trails for families than anything else. The ultimate challenge is to make the trails accessible for everyone, but still fun for the advanced riders.”

Sutton says that to achieve this, he asks what his son and wife think about a trail. Rudy, 15 has been »8 8 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

riding mountain bikes since he was five.

“He's my number one test rider and he's learning to become a trail builder too. If it's going to be a family trail I try and get his impression, and then get my wife’s perspective. Having a family has taught me as much about trail building as much as anything else. Sometimes my wife will remark on things that I would never think about, the same goes for my son. Seeing what they're looking to get out of trail has broadened my knowledge a lot, and it helps me to improve my product.”

Trail Dynamics travels all over building trails. They might be trails being built with grant money from a mountain bike club, or private hiking trails in a neighborhood.

“We have everything from beginners to the expert riders and everything in between. In a perfect world we'd be able to build five different styles in every location. Sometimes a bike club might work for two or three years to get a grant, but every group and every location is different. You have to find out what the local riders are looking for and what they want and then build them the best trail that you can.”

Next on Trail Dynamics list is more work at the Buffalo Creek Park trail system in Lake Lure. Then he’ll load up his equipment and head to Harrisonburg, Va. to work on a project there.

Sutton says that no matter where he travels to work, it’s always nice to come home.

“From a trail builder’s standpoint, DuPont is one of the best places in the country. The trail world and the mountain bike world is one big family. You run into people all the time where your paths have crossed.”

“We run our company like a family. I have employees that have been with us since the beginning, and we always give 100 percent every time. The satisfaction comes at the end, no matter who the trail users are.

That’s what keeps us going. Trail building is the best job in the world for me, but it's also the hardest thing I've ever done. We love what we do, and bring that enthusiasm to every project.

“I'm excited about the way things are going in Brevard. Some people told me I was crazy for starting a trail company. Now look at this, we have the densest population of trail builders on the East Coast. A lot is happening here, and it's all been positive.

“My philosophy is to build trails that get families together, to turn off their computers, video games and TVs. That’s our goal ultimately, to get people outside and get them to fall in love with mountain biking.”

10 Park Place West | Straus Park Brevard, NC 28712 (828) 883-9895 | 800-634-5196 Info@FisherRealtyNC.com FisherRealtyNC.com

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EXPLORE THE OUTDOORS

CANOEING/KAYAKING

There is no lack of opportunity to paddle in Transylvania County, and the paddling discussion must start with the French Broad River, said Joe Moerschbaecher, with Pura Vida Adventures. Believed to be the third oldest river in the world, the French Broad starts on the western side of the county and meanders throughout the river valley as each drop of water begins its long journey to the Gulf of Mexico.

In Transylvania County the French Broad offers both flat water and whitewater paddling opportunities.

Some of the most popular flat-water paddling river access areas along the French Broad River include Champion Park, Island Ford, Hap Simpson Park, Wilson Road and the newly created Penrose access area. A couple of recommendations for half-day floats, Moerschbaecher said, include Hap Simpson to Wilson Road and Wilson Road to Penrose.

“For those seeking the adrenaline rush of a whitewater paddle in Transylvania County,” Moerschbaecher said, “all you need is a little bit of rain, which comes often to the rainiest county east of the Rockies.” A class II whitewater experience and an Aplus river experience can be found on the Lower Davison River as you float along one of Pisgah’s main tributaries right out of the forest gates. Whitewater creek boating can be found on the North and West Fork of the French Broad River, as well as the Upper Davidson and Little River. These Class III-V creeks will have you boating down steep slides and paddling over steeper waterfalls.

The following businesses are available to help maximize your waterway experience: •Pura Vida Adventures, headquartered on the Hendersonville Hwy. in Pisgah Forest, offers canoe trips, kayak trips and instructions. For more information, call (772) 579-0005 or go to pvadventures.com. »9 0 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

PHOTOS BY MIKE ROGERS

G U E S T S T RY T H E I R H A N D AT K AYA K I N G AT H E A D W AT E R S OUTFITTERS

•Headwaters Outfitters, located at the junction of U.S. 64 West and N.C. 215 on the French Broad, offers self-guided canoe and kayak trips, plus tubing. The outfitter provides tubes, life jackets, safety information, shuttles to and from the river, and changing rooms. For more information, visit www.headwater soutfitters.com or call (828) 877-3106.

EXPLORE THE OUTDOORS

HORSEBACK RIDING

In Pisgah National Forest, there are roughly 100 miles of horseback trails. A visit to the Pisgah Forest Ranger Station on U. S. 276 is recommended before hitting the trail, or call (828) 877-3265.

Guided trips are also available at Pisgah Forest Stables which is located two miles into the forest off U.S. 276 on Avery Creek Road. For more information, call (828) 883-8258 or go to pisgahstables.com.

In DuPont State Recreational Forest, there are more than 82 miles of forest roads and trails open to horseback. The DuPont State Recreational Forest office may be reached at (828) 877-6527.

In Gorges State Park, horses are allowed on the 12-mile roundtrip Auger Hole Trail from the Frozen Creek Access to Turkey Pen Gap on the park’s western boundary. Visitors must show proof of a negative equine infectious anemia test when visiting state parks with their horses.

For more information about Gorges State Park, call (828) 966-9099, or e-mail at gorges@ncmail.net The following are some other options for horseback riding in the county: •Holly View Farm is located on Lyday Loop Road in Pisgah Forest. For more information, call (828) 5073763 or go to www.holly-view.com.

•The WhiteWater Equestrian Center is located on N.C. 281 south near Sapphire. Call (828) 966-9646 or go to www.funhorsebackriding.com.

DON’T LET RAIN, SLEET, SNOW OR THE DARK OF NIGHT STOP YOUR TRAINING

1325 N. Country Club Rd.

828.883.3005 www.brevardhealthandracquetclub.com B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4 »91

EXPLORE THE OUTDOORS

FISHING

PHOTO BY MIKE ROGERS

to Avery Creek, are managed under catch-andrelease fly-fishing only regulations. The lower mile is hatchery supported.

With nearly 500 miles of creeks, streams and rivers, Transylvania County is known as one of the top destinations in the state for fly-fishing.

EAST FORK FRENCH BROAD The East Fork of the French Broad River is a favorite destination because of its easy access and large population of trout.

The drop and pool-style river is home to countless brown, rainbow and brook trout. The diversity of the river’s environs forces anglers to either adapt to what the fish are feeding on or get shutout.

Fishing in the East Fork is particularly good from October to June.

The size of fish that can be caught in the river run the gamut, but the average is between 10 and 12 inches.

DAVIDSON RIVER The state-owned hatchery located behind the Pisgah Wildlife Education Center near the headwaters of the river creates ideal conditions for trout.

The hatchery puts nutrients into the river that feed the whole river, which results in the river holding some big fish.

While most of the Davidson River is only a “stone’s throw” from the road, it doesn’t feel that way. Above the hatchery, the river narrows into a smaller stream that offers a true wilderness setting.

Around 14 miles of the river, from its headwaters »9 2 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

NORTH FORK FRENCH BROAD The North Fork of the river is in a rugged location, making it less popular with the average fishermen.

The challenge facing anglers is the limited number of access points.

The North Fork isn’t for the everyday recreational angler looking to land big stocked trout just minutes from the road. For the most part, the river holds rainbow and brown trout, but occasionally a brook trout from one of the small tributaries will wash into the river.

The two most well-known guide services in the county are Davidson River Outfitters and Headwaters Outfitters. For more information about Davidson River Outfitters, call (828) 877-4181 or go to davidsonflyfishing.com. For more information about Headwaters Outfitters, call (828) 877-3106 or go to headwatersoutfitters.com.

ROCK CLIMBING

PHOTO BY ERIC CREWS

Sassy Goose

A top destination for rock climbers is Pisgah National Forest’s Looking Glass Rock, which offers a diversity of climbing styles on its 500-foot-tall granite dome.

When it comes to traditional climbing, North Carolina is renowned for its bold, ground-up climbs that oftentimes tread a thin line between frightening and fun.

While Looking Glass is certainly no exception to the standard, the wide variety of climbing found at the four different areas provide a wide-range of classic climbs of all grades, from 5.5 slabs to 5.13+ testpieces.

For beginners at Looking Glass, the numerous horizontal eyebrows that are the signature feature of the towering batholith lead to some fun, exciting climbs that are a good introduction to the area’s unique style of climbing.

For climbers in search of splitter cracks and Yosemite-like corners to jam and stem their way up, look no further: there are more than a few of those to be found lurking among the expansive sea of granite.

Cedar Rock in DuPont State Recreational Forest offers more opportunities for experienced climbers. The rock type, known as Whitesides Granite, offers similar climbing opportunities as nearby Looking Glass, but can often be less crowded and more ideally suited for warmer weather.

For more information about local rock climbing, contact one of the following businesses: • Brevard Rock Gym, 224 South Broad St. Call (828) 884-7625 or go to brevardrockgym.com.

• Fox Mountain Guides and Climbing School, 3228 Asheville Highway. Call (888) 284-8433 or go to foxmountainguides.com.

•Appalachian Mountain Institute, 21 Cherry Ridge Road. Call (828) 553-6323 or go to appalac hianmountaininstitute.com.

•Pura Vida Adventures, 152 Hendersonville Highway. Call (772) 579-0005 or go to pvad ventures.com.

•Earthshine Discovery Center. Call (828) 862-4207 or go to www.earthshinediscovery.com

Cottages and Cabins BIKE SP

KEN HERE!

A comfortable place to stay and play, DuPont only a bike ride away.

Swimming, Boating, Fishing and much more.

828-966-9493 www.sassygoose.com B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4 »93

THE MARKET PLACE

ACCOMMODATIONS

749 East Fork Road Brevard, NC 28712 828-885-7216

www.ash-grove.com

400 Ray Hill Road, Mills River, NC 28759 828-290-6080

www.bbontiffanyhill.com

(h)(828)862-8434 (c) (770)714-1503 lisamsykes@aol.com www.vbro.com VBRO#s 309725, 462089, and 309729

Start Your Vacation With Deer Ridge 7737 Greenville Highway Brevard, NC 28712 828-862-8134

www.DeerRidgePM.com

275 Forest Gate Dr., Pisgah Forest, NC 828-883-4800 www.hamptoninnbrevard.com Âť9 4 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

ACCOMMODATIONS

Sleep, Eat, Ride, Repeat

266 W. Probart Street Brevard, NC 28712

www.brevardbedandbreakfast.com

RUSSELIN' LEAVES CABINS 828-553-5149 344 Talley Rd. Penrose Cabins daily or weekly, Private RV sites!

reservations@russelin leaves.com

1844 Reasonover Rd. Cedar Mountain, NC 28718 www.sassygoose.com 523 S. Broad St. Brevard, NC 28712 828-884-9106

www.thesunsetmotel.com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

349 Andante Lane Brevard, NC 28712 (828)862-2100 www.brevardmusic.org

THE MARKET PLACE

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

CYCLING SALES & SERVICE

828-333-7250 photos@capturingwncphoto.com

112 New Hendersonville Hwy. Pisgah Forest, NC 28768 828-877-5790 www.sycamorecycles.com

12998 Greenville Hwy Cedar Mountain, NC 28718 828-885-2831 www.hemlocks.com

FOOD/DINING

42 S. Broad St. Brevard, NC 28712 828-883-4034

www.brackenmountainbakery.com

CYCLING SALES & SERVICE

Bikes  Outdoor Gear  Beer

49 Pisgah Highway, Suite 6 Pisgah Forest, NC 28768 828-884-8670 www.thehubpisgah.com

89 Thompson St., Unit N Asheville, NC 28803 828-255-0205 www.mtbsuspensionexperts.com

10667 Greenville Hwy. Cedar Mountain, NC 28718 828-884-5272 www.cedarmountaincafe.com

29 W. French Broad St. #101 Brevard, NC 28712 828-862-6527 www.duganspub.com

1 Market St., Brevard, NC 28712 828-885-3663 www.foodmattersmarket.com B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4 »95

THE MARKET PLACE

FOOD/DINING

The Italian Cookie Lady 828.553.5295 italiancookielady@gmail.com www.italiancookielady.com Utterly Irresistible Delicacies Delicious Cookies and Deserts for All Occasions

265 N. Broad Street, Brevard, NC 828-884-5559 www.pescadosburritos.net

HEALTH AND FITNESS

1325 Country Club Rd., Brevard, NC 28712 828-883-3005 www.brevardhealthandracquetclub.com

147 E. Main Steet, Suite 101 Brevard, NC 28712 828-378-0152 www.trainright.com

CHANLEY A Y TO TO N L AY ROLFING

Integrated Body Restructuring

35 Probart St., Brevard, NC 28712 828.421.9554

www.brevardrolfing.com License #3944 235 Rosman Highway Brevard, NC 28712 828-883-2238

www.LaPetiteSpaBrevard.com Âť9 6 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

HEALTH AND FITNESS

www.oasissport.net/info@oasissport.net

260 Hospital Dr., Brevard, NC 28712 828-884-9111 www.trhospital.org OUTDOOR ADVENTURE

4 Market Street, Suite 4101 Brevard, NC 28712 828-233-8577 www.alohasevenseastravel.com

PO Box 1701, Pisgah Forest, NC 28768 828-384-1494 www.blueridgeadventures.net

Hwy 64 & Hwy 215, Rosman, NC 28772 828-877-3106 www.headwatersoutfitters.com

THE MARKET PLACE

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE

152 Hendersonville Hwy. Pisgah Forest, NC 28768 777-579-0005 www.pvadventures.com

REAL ESTATE

Looking to Buy or Sell Properties?

carrick properties inc.

163 King Street Brevard, NC 28712 828-553-3197 www.carrickproperties.com

Z-Z-Zip!!

Zip Lines Over the French Broad River!! !For zip line tours @ $59 " Call 828-855-7913" PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

10 Park Place W, Brevard, NC 28712 828-883-9895 www.fisherrealtybrevardnc.com

32 E. Jordan St. Brevard, NC 28712 828-883-3121 www.brevardinsurance.com

89 Deerwood Lane, Brevard, NC 28712 828-862-3587 www.gdanielbuilders.com

33 W. Main Street Brevard, NC 28712 828-884-2393

www.PlattArchitecture.com

Steve Owen and Associates 6 East Main St., Brevard, NC 28712 828-877-6006 www.brevardnchome.com

Ann Sharpsteen 6 East Main St., Brevard, NC 28712 828-877-6006 brevardnchome.com/blog/ann-sharpsteen/

B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4 Âť97

THE MARKET PLACE

RETAIL

Get ready for your Outdoor Adventure!

D.D. BULLWINKEL’S 50 S. Broad Street Brevard, NC 28712 828-862-4700 www.DDBullwinkels.com

TRAILS AND RESOURCES Saving the places you love in WNC!

847 Case Street Hendersonville, NC 28792 828-697-5777 www.carolinamountain.org

Discover a World of Natural Treasures!

99 Rosman Highway, Brevard, NC 28712 828-884-2241 erniesrock@comporium.net

542 N. Oak St. Hendersonville, NC 28739 828-692-2450 www.ecustatrail.org

822 Carolina Ave. North Augusta, SC 29841

64 W. Main Street, Brevard, NC 28712 www.spiceittoatea.com

White Squirrel Shoppe

Bike merchandise pillows, decals, scarves & more

2 W. Main Street Brevard, NC 28712 828-877-3530 www.whitesquirrelshoppe.com

»9 8 B I K E T R A N S Y LVA N I A , 2 0 1 4

www.longcanetrails.com 803-645-4520

131 Goldmine Ridge Pisgah Forest, NC 28768 828-966-3934 www.traildynamics.com

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