Hi everyone! In a few weeks, I’m flying from Europe to the US and arriving in Charlotte, NC. As an avid bike rider, I’ve checked out some options in the region and found that Pisgah is a popular mountain biking destination, so I’m considering bringing my mountain bike with me.
I don’t know what to expect, but I think I have up to five days to spend in the area. I’m open to recommendations on where to stay and where to ride. I would also love to find a local community (if they exist).
I’m also open to other suggestions – maybe you think gravel riding would be much better there, or maybe it won’t be worth bringing my own bike? Just post it here!
I’ve got nothing but roadie’s, but have travelled to Pisgah from Ohio twice now for a charity ride they done every April. The always feels like the whole town is involved and supporting it and it covers some great tarmac, scenery and climbing. 100k, about 1800m elevation.
Assuming you aren’t interested in the event, if you search assault on the carolinas you’ll be able to access the route which could get you started, and contact the group sponsoring it for some recommended MTB tracks.
Brevard is the home base you want. There is mtb and gravel available straight from town, but there are much better locations to gravel ride than pisgah and it has extensive mtb that people travel from all over to ride. In general pisgah mtb it pretty tech and rarely flat. Trail bikes are a much better choice over xc bikes. If you want tamer xc riding, then dupont is the place to go, which is right there too.
Thank you Jon. I live relatively near Apls so trail riding is nothing new to me. I’m considering gravel because I think it would be easier to transport and carry with me during my trip.
J_L offers good points. The gravel and trail/all-mountain riding in the forest is world class. Brevard will have it right out your doorstep, but Mills River is close to the airport and will also offer convenient access. Closer to Bent Creek will set you up for more hotels and better access to the city, but the riding is a little more limited to XC-style and smaller gravel loops unless you go over the gap and into North Mills River area of Pisgah.
Perhaps bring the gravel bike and rent an MTB. There are no shortage of shops between Asheville and Brevard that have MTB rentals. Between gravel and MTB rides, you’ll have numerous of options over five days - even if you stay in the Ranger District, which is the section of Pisgah National Forest that most think of as “Pisgah.” The stretches of forest along hwys 191, 280 and 276 offer multiple trailhead areas and is the most popular with the most riding.
Mills River is close to the airport
Am I right in thinking that you need a rental car anyway, so the exact location won’t be an issue?
>Perhaps bring the gravel bike and rent an MTB. There are no shortage of shops between Asheville and Brevard that have MTB rentals.
At first I thought just to rent a bike, but then I saw the prices (100 usd/day not including insurance!). If not that price I would just rent a bike all the way! Maybe I’m looking the wrong places?
Also, a factor, that for mtb I have to bring protection/shoes (I ride flats on MTBs and clipless on dropbars).
But maybe I should re-consider that option, because I will be traveling for more then a week after that (my original idea to post by bike after I’ve done riding to my end location – Orlando, FL)
Yes, you’ll need a rental car as there is no real public transport that serves these areas, and ride share doesn’t really go further south than the airport.
Epic Cycles by Bent Creek shows $75/day on their Full Sus rentals. Not as “convenient” as the Hub or Squatch in Pisgah Forest/Brevard for Pisgah access, but cheaper than $125-100.
The gravel option still leaves a ton of riding on the table, and if you do that, remember to pack a light… some of the best gravel loops include the Blue Ridge Parkway, and lights are a neccessity up there for the cars and more importantly, the tunnels.
Keep in mind, the Dirt Diggler route (mentioned above) as posted on the site starts and stops on private property. No pre-riding, so you need to tweak the route a bit to accommodate for that.
And since you are coming through Charlotte, while it’s no Pisgah, we have a fair amount of local trails to choose from. From fast flow, to jump lines/features, to gnarly XC tech.
If you’re doing gravel in WNC, the Wilson Creek area in the Grandfather District has more to offer than what we call “Pisgah Proper” (the Ranger District) IMHO. Here’s an 85 and 58 miles option:
wow, thank you everyone, so much local insight! I’m really waiting forward to ride both famous American gravel and trails (we don’t have much trails in the near, it’s mostly bike parks)
For gravel, am i good with 45mm schwalbe one rs or should I better go full “90-s mtb”-mode with 27.5 Virttoria barzo?
Also, a climate question: now I see that temperature drops from 15c/59f to freezing point in a day, is it a normal thing or I should prepare to the lower 10s/50s?
You would need to take a quick look at this route:
You can park at one of the lots on Staton Rd and pick up the route from there. Towards the end of the route, just stay on Sky Valley Rd to DuPont Rd and you will be able to navigate around the private property (the part I circled). It would be an easy reroute.
I would say pisgah and DuPont are great areas and you don’t necessarily need to worry about private land if you are in them.
I would also second that you will need a car, charlotte is about 2 hours away but it’s an easy drive. If you’re into exploring the area I also agree with bring a gravel bike and rent a full sus mountain bike or vice versus. There are so many great shops, shout out to the guys at Gravelo. I used to live in the area and miss the great people and riding there
For gravel riding also consider a bit further north in the hotsprings area. Probably 30-40 min from Asheville/mills river area. Hotsprings gravel routes may be a place to start.
I can’t add much but I’m in Asheville NC right now. I came down from Chicago for the riding and love it here. Next time I come I’m bringing the gravel bike too and staying for longer. I didn’t make it to Pisgah this year because it rained yesterday. I will say this about Pisgah get a route ahead of time. It can be treacherous.
On this trip I have ridden Kanuga, Berm Park, Dupont and Cherokee (Fire Mountain?) and had fun at all of them. If you want a taste of NC trail riding vs park definitely stick to Pisgah, Dupont and suggestions from the locals.
As for the weather, it has been all over the place. From t-shirts to snow very quickly.
Pisgah and rain are like peanut butter and jelly… you just have to be ready for it… but man, today is a big departure in weather from the past week, don’t blame you for not getting out. Nice dusting of snow at my place in Mills River.
I recommend picking up the relevant Pisgah Map Co available from bike shops and outdoor stores. Map has good detail and suggested mtb ride loops with terrain descriptions. The maps are good enough to plan your own gravel loop. The only info I would add is that their maps label some roads ‘unmaintained.’ This can mean ‘was a road 100 years ago, and has not been maintained since.’ In which case it is more appropriate for 50mm+ tires and suspension.
Cell service is limited or nonexistent in areas so preload the route onto GPS or bring a map.
Old Fort, NC is nearby as well and has enough trails or gravel for a full day of riding. Some portions of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville are still closed due to hurricane damage. Use caution if that is a required connector on a gravel route.
