$30 Raffle Ticket Could Land You a One-of-a-Kind Gravel Bike, and Helps Repair National Forest

If you’ve never visited Pisgah National Forest outside of Asheville, N.C., you’re missing out on a special place. With rich offerings of hiking, camping, and cycling, it’s beloved by locals for good reason.

But maintaining such a wealth of outdoor recreation isn’t cheap — especially after the widespread damage caused by Hurricane Helene last year.

Luckily, a new nonprofit emerged just 10 years ago to prevent the area’s trails from falling further into disrepair: The Pisgah Conservancy. Thanks to public donations, the group has pulled off several big achievements.

Two years ago, it launched the first paid, year-round trail crew for the Pisgah Ranger District. And last year, it hired the first invasive plant management crew for the area.

Now, to keep that momentum going, the Pisgah Conservancy needs you — to buy a raffle ticket.

Fulfill your love of nature (and sweet biking gear) by entering the annual Pisgah Project Bike Raffle. Sponsored by Cane Creek Cycling Components, the raffle kicked off last week and offers a gorgeous REEB gravel bike dressed up with top-shelf components. Organizers said the raffle (now in its ninth year) is one of the most significant fundraisers for the nonprofit.

“As Hurricane Helene recovery continues, and we continue to work on some major projects for that, this fundraising is really important for the future,” Nina Ardle, chief administrative and development officer for the conservancy, told GearJunkie. “Because it will take several years.”

Hurricane Damage in Pisgah National Forest

So what does the Pisgah Conservancy actually do? Right now, the nonprofit’s trail crew is replacing three foot bridges on a hike-and-bike trail that were washed out by Tropical Storm Fred in 2021. For several years, hikers simply walked around the broken bridges.

But then Hurricane Helene arrived, causing massive damage to downtown Asheville and wreaking havoc throughout North Carolina. At that point, even walking around the bridges was no longer an easy ask, so Pisgah Conservancy tapped its trail crews to finally replace them this summer. And that’s after finishing a year-long project to fix six other bridges elsewhere in the national forest.

The nonprofit typically raises about half a million dollars each year to support those efforts, so the money raised from the Pisgah Project Bike Raffle is a significant help.

“Since the first Pisgah Project Bike Raffle took place in 2017, we’ve completed dozens of major improvement projects, increased the size of our field staff, and so much more,” Ardle said.

REEB Gravel Bike Raffle

The idea for the Pisgah Project Bike Raffle actually started at Cane Creek Cycling Components. The brand’s slogan is “Pisgah Born,” for the brand’s commitment and long-time love of cycling opportunities in the national forest.

“It’s considered one of the nation’s best (and most challenging) areas for cycling, and it influences every product we make,” Cane Creek says on its website.

To that end, Cane Creek has offered a different bike every year for the raffle. This year, it’s a gravel bike built around a U.S.-made steel frame from REEB Cycles, another longstanding supporter of the Pisgah Project. 

The Sam’s Pants frame is paired with Cane Creek limited-edition, 30th anniversary components, along with components from other “premium” partners, organizers said. 

“Following Hurricane Helene, a devastating natural disaster that shook our area, we recognize organizations like the Pisgah Conservancy need our help more than ever to restore and maintain our beautiful natural resource that is Pisgah National Forest,” Jenna Toney, director of marketing for Cane Creek Cycling Components, said in a release.

Bike Specs

• REEB Cycles: Handmade steel gravel frame — custom powder-coated in-house
  • Columbus double-triple butted 25CroMo seamless alloy tubeset
  • Suspension & UDH compatible
  • 3x water bottle mounts
• Cane Creek: Limited Edition 30th Anniversary Components
  • Invert Gravel Suspension Fork 
  • eeWings Titanium Cranks | 8-Bolt 
  • 110-Series Ceramic Headset & Bottom Bracket 
  • GXC Stem
  • eeSilk+ Suspension Seatpost
• Industry Nine: USA-made Solix G – UL250c lightweight gravel wheelset
• Shimano: 1x Mechanical GRX gravel-tuned drivetrain and brakes
• Crankbrothers: Trail- and gravel-proven pedals
• Michelin: Durable, fast-rolling gravel tires 

The raffle opened last week, and runs until 3:30 p.m. ET on October 18. Visit the conservancy website to enter the raffle. There is no limit to the number of entries an individual can purchase.