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Designed and Testing in The Blue Ridge Mountains!

June 04, 2021 3 min read

When we say our gear is designed and tested in the North Carolina mountains, that's not just a marketing phrase to get you to buy from us. We say that because it truly is. Every piece of gear that comes out of our shop is dreamt up by mountain bikers living and riding here in Western North Carolina (WNC). And maybe you think our mountains are less rugged than the granite peaks of the west, and you may be right on some level, but let me tell you about our rolling landscape and why we make some of the best gear for all-mountain riding.

We call The Blue Ridge Mountains home, a section of The Appalachian Mountains that spans from Northern Georgia to Pennsylvania. The highest peaks of the Blue Ridge are found here in WNC, most notably Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. The rugged mountain landscape has created something quite special, a Temperate Rainforest, making our weather some of the most wildly varying in the Southeast.  

Our gear is made to battle the elements because we face such extremes here, from snow to soaking rains during our wet summer season to extreme heat and humidity. Oh, and throw in a hurricane or two. One of our key pieces of gear that gets the most design time is jerseys; as you can see, they have to stand up to our ever-changing environment.

Though our riding season is all year long (reasons why I love the south!) I want to focus on our wet season, summer, because it's truly wild. We center our attention on jersey fabrics because they are essential protection during our summer months. Our summer months are known to be WET! Our Temperate Rainforest landscape is warm and humid, and thunderstorms build daily because of it.

Now picture this: you and your buddies are out in Pisgah for the first time, and it's RAAAAAD; you're shredding the Gnar like never before, and just like that, a thunderstorm pops up. You crouch into lightning position (Pro Tip: if you don't know what this means, you should learn before you visit), and it rains.... I mean, pours those big, big drops, and you are now drenched to the bone, and then you realize you're somewhat cold. You look at your watch, and the temperature has dropped 10-15 degrees. All that warm humidity is gone; you look at your buddies, and nobody thought to bring a jacket because why would you bring a jacket riding in the summer in the south? It's supposed to be hot (Pro Tip: always pack a light rain jacket when riding in the summer in WNC, you'll thank me later.) Pictured below is me (it was July, it's hot in July) after sitting in lightning position for over an hour. Without a lightweight rain jacket and proper moisture-wicking gear, I would have been chilled to the bone. The temperature swings that occur during our summer storms can leave you feeling unprepared, and it is best to err on the side of caution when you spend long hours in the saddle here.



How do our jerseys play into all this? Moisture management is the key! We design, test, and build all our technical clothing around those two words. If you and your buddies are caught in a rainstorm and not well equipped to handle it, know our jerseys are made to manage it.  Check out some of our jersey designs below and our two moisture-managing fabrics, Rev Pro™ and our "OG," Pro+ 2.0™.  


 Rev Pro™ Fabric



The Rev Pro™ fabric has a smooth, clean look made from 100% performance poly material. This fabric has a soft, almost silk-like feel that also breathes and dries exceptionally well. It has a very high durability factor.

 

 Pro+ 2.0™ Fabric


The Pro+ 2.0™ fabric has a dual-layer open mesh made from 100% performance poly material. This fabric is ultra-soft and is our go-to for best all-around performance for breathability and moisture management. This fabric is used for all our Tech 2.0 Jerseys. 


It is vital to our company's mission to emphasize just how much we care about the gear we sell! We are diligently working on improvements and tweaks daily at the office, things that will make you better equipped to handle whatever mountain biking in the backcountry or mother nature may throw at you. In addition to our two awesome moisture-managing jerseys currently in stock, we are developing a new, even more refined moisture-wicking MTB jersey set to hit this summer.

Know that you're getting gear that has been through the testing ringer when you shop with us and If our gear can survive the temperament of Pisgah, know it will prevail anywhere!

 

Rachel Wood

Brand Development Manager

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