The Radavist

Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic damage to Asheville and surrounding communities in western North Carolina in late September. More recent events have displaced the aftermath of this devastating storm in the news, but the rebuilding is only beginning. Buildings and roads are destroyed, more than 5,000 North Carolinians are still without power, and residents of Asheville still have to boil their drinking water. Wanting to help, Rene Herse reached out to Hailey Moore to help out with a fundraiser effort.

Hailey and her partner Anton Krupicka had already been working on an event in the area most affected by Hurricane Helene. They are now putting those efforts behind the Old Fort Endurance Strong Festival, a fundraising effort hosted by local organizations to rebuild the community. For the next 48 hours, we will donate 100% of the proceeds of Bicycle Quarterly subscriptions and sales of past editions to this fundraising effort. Read Hailey’s story and sign up to help out at Rene Herse.

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, the event and race company Tanawha Adventures has been moving fast to raise relief funds for those affected in Western North Carolina. The just-announced Old Fort Strong Endurance Festival is a 6-, 12-, or 24-hour mountain biking and running event set for December 7, 2024, with aims of raising two million dollars to help the local community rebuild. Read on for the event details and how to participate virtually

Our friend and North Carolina-resident Jared Harber has pulled together a GoFundMe to help out the victims of Hurricane Helene through Beloved Asheville, a local non-profit. Read more below…

Thornhill Bike is launching with a presale of the Kitloader 70, a semi-rigid, collapsible mountain bike gear bag made with adjustable dividers and premium materials in Asheville, North Carolina. Read on for a closer look at all of the Kitloader 70’s organizational details and to learn more about founder James Leath’s obsessive quest to craft products that will keep his (and your) rides more dialed.

Like most towns, ours is full of sprint segments. 

They’re those little spots on the road that only a place’s cadre of cyclists know about, invisible to the untrained eye; from this driveway to that mailbox, this street sign to that intersection, this rise to that tar snake. 

The best group ride leaders will try to organize her or his group before they reach those starting spots, asking anyone who’s not planning to sprint that day to give way in the paceline to those who are. They remind their riders to stay right of the yellow lines, that straying into the oncoming lane, even when there’s no traffic is not worth winning a sprint that is essentially meaningless. 

In 2021, parts and bikes are hard to come by and that’s why fundraising and conservation projects like this are all the more relevant these days. A handful of bike companies, Cane Creek Cycling Components, Industry Nine, Thomson Bike Products, Continental Tires, fizik, and Crank Brothers, came together to put on a fundraiser for The Pisgah Conservancy. Read on below for how you can win the 2021 Pisgah Project Bike Raffle…

Matt Moosa from Moosepacks dropped us a line with an introduction to his new line of made in North Carolina bags, including handlebar and seat bags, as well as custom half-frame bags. All bags come in a variety of colors with custom options available. Head on over to Moosepacks to see more.

Today’s Readers’ Rides coincides with John’s review of the Kona Sutra ULTD. This build was done for the owner, Jason, of Back Alley Bikes in Carrboro, North Carolina. This build was documented by Jared Harber, so you know it’s going to be good! Let’s jump right in!

PEARL iZUMi‘s Go Connection series features stories from all over and this Dig Episode two takes us to the Eastern Band of the Cherokee in North Carolina:

“Cherokee, North Carolina, is home to the people of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee. The Tribe took advantage of their land’s beauty to generate an eco-tourism economy and improve their people’s health through an active lifestyle. They have created a network of trails to enjoy the beauty of their land while riding, hiking and running. The Fire Mountain Trails is a little over 10 miles of trail purpose-built by Trail Dynamics. With wooden features, berms and jumps, any rider of any ability can get out to get connected to their natural world.

These trails have opened the door to the world of mountain biking many only thought about or didn’t know. For some, riding Fire Mountain keeps them focused on progression and improvement not only on the trail tread but in their daily lives. These trails have been a catalyst for reconnecting to generations of stories and harmony with the land.”