Promising to be the premier mountain biking outfitter in the Southeast, the Hub and Pisgah Tavern will open the doors to its newly constructed shop on Friday, February 12 in Brevard, North Carolina.
The bike shop has big plans for its state-of-the-art, 9,000 square-foot building at the entrance of the Pisgah Ranger District.
The Hub will offer clothing, multi-sport gear, guides, mechanics, a Carmichael Systems training center, and a bar, stocked with local brews like Oskar Blues and Sierra Nevada. Sierra Nevada is currently at work developing a speciality batch dubbed Pinch Flat IPA to commemorate the Hub’s first season in the new shop.
Brevard food trucks, including Velvet Cup, Chameleon, and Blue Smoke, will frequent the parking lot, especially when Pisgah Productions begins staging all of their races out of the shop.
“We just love people hanging out and having a good time” co-owner Sam Salman said.
Salman, who has owned the Hub with his wife Jordan since they graduated from Brevard College in 2008, began looking to expand as he saw more and more customers packing into the shop to chat and sip post-ride beers. A 72-acre parcel was available across the street, and once dividing the land became an option Salman jumped at the opportunity and purchased eight acres.
Salman said he has had some critics scrutinize the size of the store and its position at the forest entrance, but he believes his bike shop will have a positive impact on the community and is a good alternative to another dollar store.
“Anyone could have bought it,” Salman said. “They could have built a strip mall. People should be thanking us. Not one tree was cut down.”
Nearby fly fishing shop Davidson River Outfitters will move into the Hub‘s old store, while Pilot Cove is developing a glamping destination, including cabins, an amphitheater, and trails, directly behind the new Hub.
Starting Friday, the Hub will be undergoing a soft-opening phase in preparation for their grand-opening in March.
[divider]about the author[/divider]
Since boyhood Phil Morgan has loved maps, adventure, travel, culture, history, and good stories. He studied the liberal arts at Hillsdale College and has since worked as an ocean lifeguard, a staff writer for Eastern Surf Magazine, a newspaper editor, and a raft guide. He currently lives in Hendersonville, North Carolina, where he teaches English, writes, and explores the surrounding wilderness. His favorite authors are Jon Krakauer, Jack London, Mark Twain, Paul Theroux, and William Shakespeare.
