Is the race happening this year? Route looks great
Can't speak for everyone but most MTB'ers I know/ride with seem to be pretty open-minded people. We're all out on the trails because we like riding bikes so for me, sexual orientation...
The biggest one I've seen in my area (Western NC) is the Ridgeline DH Reroute in Dupont State Forest with 5,097 people as of today. Super popular trail and it's tough to...
Agree with hbelly13. Mason, Honzo, or Fuse would all be great. I just built my girlfriend a Ruze with a paint sample frame. She loves it! Plus tires are great for beginners...
I live/ride in CLT as well and I think continuing on a hardtail would be a great choice for you. In that price range a hardtail will be lighter and less complicated,...
I run about 20psi in the front 25rear in most conditions locally (Charlotte NC) in Pisgah I bump it up a couple PSI to protect my rims so maybe 22f 27 rear....
People like to rag on Strava but for me personally it added a lot of fun and motivation when local trails started feeling a bit stale. It is really fun to set...