Bennett Gap is One Gnarly Trail • Pisgah Mtb • The Duke of MTB

[@benstep2]

Rode this trail this past winter. Started snowing at the field near the start of the trail. My water bottle froze it was so cold and the rocks were icy. But I managed through it. Only other trail in Pisgah that is more technical to me is pilot Rock (cove) after climbing up Laurel Mtn. Trail. Thanks for the videos. Be safe!!!

[@dukeofmtb]

Must have been one sketchy ride down. 😯

[@WarrenLeeds]

My favourite part of the KZbin week.... the new Duke of MTB has arrived. Awesome video as always Thank you Rd and Cory.

[@dukeofmtb]

Glad to have your support as always. Message me when your new skate video comes out. I don't wanna miss it. Hehe

[@alandragicevich2421]

Awesome video! Those technical rock features looked sick. Cory has progressed really fast. She is very confident!

[@dukeofmtb]

She's got bigger balls than most men I know. 🤣😂🤣

[@soyvala7239]

She did great. Also she is really fun to watch

[@1111-t5n]

Thank you for all the videos keeps me ready I took a little time off the trails and now it's time to hit them all and you 2 have inspired my map list of spots to visit some of the trails need days to explore and enjoy yet some are classic trails with a quick pedal they can be rockets most trails in michigan are simple though they are built around family friendly trail ideas. So maybe I will pass you 2 on some trail ripping days be safe on your ventures stay between the bark, cory good progression try not too white knuckle the grips and you can reduce your fatigue and ride the full distance with out pause.Also keep your pedals level when descending. And lead with your dominant side of the body when you place your feet on the pedals just a tip from an old skool trail rider.

[@dukeofmtb]

Glad you love the vids, and thanks for the tips. 👍

[@siTTinLo]

Just as I was getting ready to go to bed...a new Duke vid. Looks like I’ll be up for another 20 min.

[@dukeofmtb]

🤣😂🤣 Sorry to keep you up. 😁

[@siTTinLo]

No need for an apology, I’ve always got time for a new Duke vid :) By the way, All of you guys are getting So Fricking Good on your bikes. That trail looks so sick too... really making me want to GTFO of michigan.

[@dukeofmtb]

Thanks, dude. Take a week off and go on an adventure. You deserve it. 😁👍

[@rollwithmemtb]

Another great video and another reason that Pisgah is on my "must ride" list👍 (It was great meeting you both at RAY'S!)

[@dukeofmtb]

Likewise. 👍😁👍

[@XCBen]

Yea boi! Bennett Gap looks VERY Gnarly. I've down Middle black. Not as gnarly but puckered me right up.

[@dukeofmtb]

Yeah. It's nuts. Do you mean the Black Mountain trail? That's up next. We ride the whole thing. The climbs were crazy hard. Took most of the day to finish.

[@l4x3rj]

Just found your channel. Love the translations for your wife's code switching! So funny. it reminds me of my Filipino family lol

[@dukeofmtb]

Yup, that's Cory. She forgets that there's a camera all the time. 😅 Glad you like it though. 😁👍

[@bryonleche3627]

It’s incredible how much Corey improved last year.

[@dukeofmtb]

It really is. She's riding crazy chunk and doing massive drops now. 🤙

[@Projectnortheast]

One of my favorite trails in pisgah... although pilot rock is nd black mtn are hard to beat!

[@bikingbrothers5360]

Nice vid! We ride this trail a lot and I only hit that drop two, maybe three times now. Gotta be feeling it. Way bigger in person then on camera. Yea Boi!!!!

[@dukeofmtb]

Thanks. It's a scary one. It's technically difficult. So much can go wrong. You're a beast for having done it a few times.

[@pjsanab]

You guys saved me from wanting to do this trail. Not my type of trail anymore. Thank you.

[@dukeofmtb]

😁 Glad we could warn you ahead of time. Haha. If you live in NC, Dupont is a great place to start. Then start riding the natural "Blue" trails. Once you get used to those, then you can start trying the "Black" trails. We just recently started getting a feel for black diamond trails and we still can't clear most of the stuff. It's still fun though. I love riding the chunk. 😁👍

[@ShakaTechnique]

Blind chunks at high speed I like it already!!! (First vid I’ve seen on ur channel)

[@dukeofmtb]

Sweet! I hope you stick around for more vids. 😁👍

[@FOOTLOOSEMARK]

New subscriber, this is a godsend. I am running out of good content and yours is pretty damn amazing! I even created my own channel because I was running out of stuff to watch. Your a nice addition to my collection of mtb videos!

[@dukeofmtb]

In that case, I'm glad you found the channel. I'll be checking out your channel later today as well. 👍😁👍

[@FOOTLOOSEMARK]

@@dukeofmtb thats awesome, thank you

[@isuckatriding1200]

Damn both of you definetly improved in riding.

[@dukeofmtb]

Thanks, dude. Now if we could just clear jumps consistently. hehe

[@isuckatriding1200]

@@dukeofmtb It comes with the time, you just have to be patient, i guess

[@jakerahenkamp8138]

Nice video, Ed u should Flip Corys brakes lever and run the Moto style

[@dukeofmtb]

Haha. She'd still slam both brakes and OTB. 😅

[@ghouse23]

I have the same problem as her, I love my front brake lol. This might sound crazy but try it....I broke my front brake lever last week at windrock (that was scary to say the least) but after a few careful runs it taught me not to use my front brake as much and just opened up my speed and confidence. Maybe tilt hers down so she can’t use it for like a mile and see how it plays out. It’s amazing how many times you don’t realize you grab it to adjust speed and direction lol. Love the vids!

[@dukeofmtb]

Wow, it seems to be more common than I thought. My issue before was that I was too scared to use the front. It made riding steep stuff scary. I used to just skid down with my rear locked out. 😅

[@dreadquarters4487]

If I am worried about my front brake being a problem on a down, I just take my finger off. Before I drop I get my hand firmly on the grip, no finger on the brake, and go. Seems to have helped a lot when I am worried about OTB or a decent rock garden.

[@dukeofmtb]

That's exactly what what I used to do on drops. I'd take my fingers completely off the brakes. Of course, not everyone can override their muscle memory like that. Cory recently learned to tweak her handlebar on jumps. Now she can't _not_ do it, even if she tries.

[@bradthome909]

What kind of bikes are you guys riding? New to the channel, love it! Also new to mtb but come from motocross and want to do similar riding.

[@dukeofmtb]

Cory rides a a women's Canyon Spectral. I ride a Trek Remedy. Glad you found our channel, and congratulations on discovering MTB. If you're looking for a bike for this kind of riding, try looking for aggressive trail bikes or enduro bikes. "Enduro" means something else in mtb. It's practically a downhill bike that can be pedaled to the top.😁👍

[@bradthome909]

Thank you! Bikes seem to be a hard find right now. So I am on the hunt!

[@dukeofmtb]

@@bradthome909 Yup. Out of stock all over the place. Good luck on your hunt. 😁👍

[@billytoth8719]

Good job!

[@dukeofmtb]

Thanks, Bill. 😊

[@zxtenn]

Nice riding and Happy Thanksgiving, thats a ROUGH trail and easy way to get hurt.. I go to a National forest and ride a rough, rocky trail which even has signs warnings about rocks and drops but still rated Blue for some reason but Bennett needs to be rated Triple black and beyond my skill level, i like going down Jim Branch thats enough for me Is she riding a Spectral? i see a Canyon front fender

[@dukeofmtb]

Yeah, the ratings are weird sometimes. And yes...she's riding a Spectral. 😁

[@dlwsports563]

I can go down Jim Branch all day but have never gone up successfully.... I have tried SO MANY times. Today we are going to try Kitsuma. Thank you so much for your content!

[@zxtenn]

@@dlwsports563 Right, i am 65 and in much better than average shape but climbing that is beyond my ability and havent seen too many do it 1st try. I had a 2019 RM Instinct BC so a fully capable Enduro made going down almost easy but falling in those rocks could be hazardous. I sold my bike maybe 3 months ago and might be looking for a high end XC bike 23-25 pounds. Even once clearing the rocks going up the rest of the trail is still tough, i saw LOTS of people holding their heads down while pushing their bikes, need serious cardio and leg endurance

[@dlwsports563]

@@zxtenn Please get that new bike! I am 56 and just now cleaning Kitsuma, Avery and Burnt. Even starting this “late” in life, MTB’g is keeping life interesting, challenging and fun. I am going to go to Breckinridge in a few weeks to give those trails a go! My son honored me by doing av24 hr MTB event with me a few weeks ago where I learned how to ride at night. Mountain Bike riding has made living in Asheville much more exciting than I thought possible. Get your bike and love all the trails available..... except Bennett 😁

[@zxtenn]

@@dlwsports563 I have been looking on PINKBIKE for a high end fresh build possibly an XC bike? Pivot makes some nice shorter travel bikes, i was just checking out the Canyon Neuron LTD, it's FULLY spec with top end parts. I had my 2019 Instinct BC down to 29.7 pounds with Stamp 11 pedals so for an Enduro bike pretty light and it had new 10-52 XO, etc. I got an AMAZING price on it when new so all the upgrades i did were basically free compared to the list price and sold it for a good price so i didnt lose much considering it had it for 1.5 years

[@FoCoFlowShow]

Awesome job on the Devils Staircase. From experience, The left line is actually easier... its a total mind game tho because it LOOKS way jankier - they cleaned up the lower portion of the move and keep your weight back and trust the bike to do the work. Send it!

[@dukeofmtb]

Definitely gonna send it next time. 😄

[@MTBMichigan]

Nice run.

[@dukeofmtb]

Thanks, Rob.

[@MTBMichigan]

@@dukeofmtb I watched it right before bed. You can totally tell by my wordy comment! Haha

[@traceyschofield2576]

Corey - get your brake levers switched over to UK set up - then you won’t be hitting your front brake 😜 Awesome trail!

[@dukeofmtb]

Haha. If only that would solve it. She slams both brakes. 😅

[@pugaks3841]

Man you guys are Awesome. Bennett is no joke lol.. Mga Batak sa MTB

[@dukeofmtb]

Haha. Salamat. 😊

[@teamohlesgars]

Goodddd run 😍😍😍😍😍

[@dukeofmtb]

Thanks, dude. 😄

[@brassmnky33]

Love to see so much passion and excitement. Might want to try more pressure or add a token to her fork when riding stuff like this? I don’t think the fork should be diving so much on slow tech.

[@dukeofmtb]

Thanks. 😁 She has a bad habit of slamming her from brake. That's probably what's causing the diving even though she only runs 20% sag. But yeah, already added 10 psi after upgrading her fork with the latest air spring. We're also running her LSC halfway in. She's so light that the fork can be both too firm and too soft. If I firm it up for the slow stuff, then it hardly moves on the high speed chunk. It's a delicate balance. 😅

[@garydecker3281]

Love that trail!

[@notantosh626]

Yeah boi!

[@punisher9oneone]

Yep. Bruised ribs.... my nemesis lol. If only I could stop getting them, aka crashing lol.

[@finnisgay5056]

Wooh wish I could ride like you.

[@dukeofmtb]

Haha. I think my editing just makes me look cooler than I really am. I say the same thing about other riders. I gotta learn to do jumps properly. That skill still eludes me. Learn it while you're young. It's so much harder to learn anything as you get older. You'll be an MTB god in no time. 😊👍

[@NicoCkling]

Nice vidéo !!!!!

[@dukeofmtb]

Thanks. 😁

[@JesmarDv]

When you guys coming here in north Carolina USA

[@dukeofmtb]

We're actually in Asheville right now. We're gonna be riding Bailey all day today and then it's back to Michigan tomorrow. You should really follow our Instagram. 😁

[@MTBEH]

You could switch the sides of her brakes 😂

[@dukeofmtb]

😂 that's crossed my mind, but she usually slams both. If anything, it would cause even more confusion. 🤣

[@ivybaum9727]

How difficult is this compared to something like butter gap or big rock trail?

[@dukeofmtb]

I'm not familiar with Butter Gap, but Big Rock Trail is easy compared to Bennett Gap. It's still super fun and you should definitely go ride it. You might have to walk a couple sections, but it's nice to come back and clear a little bit more of the trail every time. 😁👍

[@ivybaum9727]

@@dukeofmtb I’ll have to ride it next time I get out there.

[@dlwsports563]

Big Rock is a piece of cake comparatively. Thank you so much for your generous content.

[@Katabatic44]

if you could recommend one MTB road trip to a SE michigan resident, what would it be: UP or Pisgah, or another? Also, for a poor college student which is the cheapest option haha

[@dukeofmtb]

Wow. That's a tough one. They're both great. Copper Harbor has a camping area(to save on cost) and all the trails are in one place. You _will_ need to use the shuttle service to make the most of it though. Pisgah has a ridiculous amount of trails, but you'll be spending more on gas driving to different trails. It's unlikely you'll be riding more than one or two trails a day there though, especially if you don't have a friend with a second car to self shuttle. Pisgah is more "epic climbs" followed by "epic descents." We typically bring our own home cooked food and drinks in a big cooler, and we never eat out. We bring our own coffee, and everything. That saves a ton. Hope this helps. Good luck.

[@dukeofmtb]

You know what...go do Blue Mountain in Ontario first. Do a weekend there. It's the cheapest option for an SE resident that wants to try some great downhill riding. You can also hit up the natural trails south of Blue Mountain. You can find them in the TrailForks app.

[@Katabatic44]

@@dukeofmtb You know, i am canadian and im moving back to ontario (Guelph) this summer for grad school.... i'll be fairly close to blue mountain :) I think ill try copper harbor before i move back to ontario

[@dukeofmtb]

Great choice. It's beautiful up there. Call ahead to find out which days are their regular shuttle days. That way you just pay for the day pass and you don't need to pay extra to hire the shuttle on an off day. Have fun. 😁👍 Let us know how it goes.

[@MrCheckers37]

Gnarliest trail I've ever been on !

[@dukeofmtb]

It's definitely in our top 3 gnarliest.

[@pjpov7151]

Ni Ilocana ni ate.haha.ride safe

[@dukeofmtb]

Ilocano kami amin pardz. Ag eng-english nak lang para ti audience. 😉

[@pjpov7151]

Nag subscribed akon nga dagos tattay.try yo ag tagalog.ad ado viewers jai pinas.introduction lang ba.nag ganas trail ride yo.bassit view na.

[@dukeofmtb]

@@pjpov7151 Koma ah, ngem komi met. Lol. States ti target audience me though. Tsaka nag bobo nak ag tagalog.

[@pjpov7151]

Pards a piece of advice lang.as much as possible.avoid cursing.so that all viewers will not offend i guess or feel uncomfortable.compared to bcpov and awesome mtb.your are much funnier and enjoyable to watch.ride safe na lang always sa inyo.

[@dukeofmtb]

@@pjpov7151 I don't curse much at all, but good luck convincing Cory to not act like herself. 🤣 Most of our viewers aren't easily offended anyway. 🦅🇺🇲🦅

[@sprkplg73]

Dude your wife is a straight up badass!

[@dukeofmtb]

Thanks, broski. She definitely is. 😁👍

[@sonnyodare9338]

Yeah boiii gnarly shyet 😹😹

[@dukeofmtb]

🤣😂

[@arieakaarto]

Looks like some nice Riding... GG csgo was fun

[@dukeofmtb]

Thanks, broski. 😁👍

[@edsee4321]

What helmet mounted camera is she using?

[@dukeofmtb]

She has an Insta360 One X mounted on the forehead of her helmet, under the visor. It's a 360 camera.

[@dukeofmtb]

Look here 👉 0:42

[@GowesSunday]

nice video, nice track bro. btw, why her so many talk😆

[@dukeofmtb]

That's just the way she is, broski. She's the heart of this channel. That's not going away anytime soon. 😉

[@GowesSunday]

@@dukeofmtb i think make this channel different, and make interesting

[@doyablola]

Hey pinoy/pinay mountain bikers!

[@dukeofmtb]

Mabuhay, pardz! 👋😁

[@tedclev]

Y'all never even looked at the real drop. That line on the left is a new B line that's recently been opened. The real drop is off the point on the far right. Impossible to roll and very high consequences for botching it.

[@dukeofmtb]

Someone mentioned the new line on reddit. Hehe. I think I'll stick to the left side. Definently gonna do it next time

[@BrandonLittle]

dude why don't you switch her brakes around?

[@dukeofmtb]

Because she slams both when she panic brakes and she's used to using her right for the rear. If anything, it would make it worse.