Kairos Wilderness Resort has become one of the most recognizable off-road destinations on the East Coast, but dirt bikes were never part of the original plan.

Host Steph Vetterly sits down with Kairos co-owner Jared Spencer ahead of the 2026 River Monster Hard Enduro to talk about how more than 1,500 acres of West Virginia and Virginia terrain evolved into a destination for hard enduro, trials, hare scrambles, dual-sport riding, and everything in between.

Jared breaks down how he went from landowner to dirt bike rider and race promoter, why his own progression as a rider continues to influence the trails he builds, and what goes into maintaining roughly 65 to 75 miles of singletrack. He also explains the challenge of designing a hard enduro course that can test top-level riders without making the event impossible for everyone else.

In this episode:

• How Kairos Wilderness Resort developed into an off-road riding destination
• Why Jared started riding after building the first trails on the property
• What goes into building and maintaining miles of singletrack by hand
• How rider feedback has shaped the River Monster Hard Enduro
• The challenge of designing courses for Pros, A, B, and C riders
• Why the 2026 River Monster moved to a shorter multi-lap format
• Hosting the AMA NATC National Mototrials Championship at Kairos
• Working with riders and instructors including Graham Jarvis, Rich Larsen, and Chris Birch
• Why safety and emergency access influence every race course Jared builds
• The infamous White Whale and some of Jared’s favorite trails
• How much of Kairos is still waiting to be explored
• And whether Jared Spencer will ever finally line up and race one of his own hard enduros

About Kairos Wilderness Resort: Located in Glen Lyn, Virginia, Kairos spans more than 1,500 acres and offers trails for dirt bikes, ATVs, side-by-sides, and full-size off-road vehicles, along with camping, lodging, and special events. The property has hosted everything from local riding events to AMA national competition and continues to expand its trail network.

Follow along:

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• Instagram: @onthepegsmagazine
• Kairos: https://www.kairosresort.com/

The On the Pegs Podcast is produced by On the Pegs Magazine.

Three American riders just came home from the Scottish Six Days Trial, the oldest trial in the world, and they sat down with us to talk about it.

Host Abigail Buzzelli catches up with Nigel Parker, Alex Niederer, and Josh Roper just after the Colorado NATC national to break down a full week on the Scottish moors: the no-stop sections, the long road miles, the rented bikes and the mechanicals, the toughest day, and the crashes that kept everyone laughing.

In this episode:

• Who made up the American group, and how many times each had ridden the Scottish
• Renting bikes in the U.K. and the mechanical dramas that followed
• Why the no-stop format and the long miles make this event so brutal
• The hardest day of the week and the sections that would not go
• The best crash of the week
• What it means for the American trials community to keep showing up in Scotland

About the Scottish Six Days Trial: first run in 1909 and based in Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, the SSDT is the oldest and most prestigious motorcycle trial in the world. Each year around 275 riders are balloted from more than 500 applicants to take on close to 100 miles a day, over six straight days.

Follow along:

• Listen and follow on Spotify: https://bit.ly/40PpfKq
• On the Pegs Magazine: https://on-the-pegs.com/
• All podcast episodes: https://on-the-pegs.com/podcast
• Instagram: @onthepegsmagazine

The On the Pegs Podcast is produced by On the Pegs Magazine.

In Episode 5 of the On the Pegs Podcast, host Steph Vetterly sits down with Chris Davis, owner of the newly formed Ohio Hard Enduro Championship Series.

Chris shares how a lifelong passion for motorcycles, years of racing experience, and his background running multiple motorcycle-related businesses led him to take on the challenge of building a championship series from the ground up. The conversation explores what goes into selecting venues, designing courses for both amateur and professional riders, preparing for unpredictable Ohio weather, and managing the countless details behind each race weekend.

Chris also discusses the lessons learned through the series’ first three rounds, the importance of trusting his crew, and his goal of creating challenging but rideable events that welcome experienced racers and newcomers alike.

They also look ahead to the future of Ohio Hard Enduro, including plans for expanded race weekends, stronger payouts, and continued growth within the regional hard enduro community.

In 1984, the very first Trial des Nations took place in Soviet-controlled Poland — and David Pyle, Curt Comer, and Morgan Kavanaugh made up the U.S. team. More than four decades later, David and Curt sat down together for the first time to talk about that historic week.

Recorded at the AMA Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio during Ryan Young's induction weekend, this episode dives into what it actually took to get there: disassembling trials bikes into airline luggage, packing your own pre-mix and tools, navigating customs with a fiberglass gas tank as your carry-on, and being assigned a Polish national escort the moment you cleared the airport. David and Curt share stories of staying with local families, trading every sticker and t-shirt for handmade leather goods, dodging the propaganda on state radio, and the gas-rationed, mud-soaked, eighteen-section trial itself.

We also talk about how organically the team came together (no formal selection process — just Marilyn Wicker fundraising at the nationals with a stack of t-shirts), the through-line from Plonker's Press to On the Pegs Magazine, what it meant to walk into that stadium under the U.S. flag, and how the 2025 Men's Trial des Nations win connects back to the foundation laid in '84.

A rare, firsthand look at where U.S. trials on the world stage really began — from two of the riders who started it.

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Josh Roper takes on X-Trial des Nations solo after his teammate’s injury, and shares what it was like to compete against full national teams. He also talks through a big offseason of changes, including his move to Beta with TrialStoreUSA.com, and his plans for the Scottish Six Day Trial.

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Our guest today is Maddie Hoover. Maddie is a nine-time U.S. Women's Trials National Champion and one of the most successful women in the history of American trials. She's also spent the last decade competing in the Women's Trial GP World Championship, representing the United States at the world stage.

Last September, Maddie announced her retirement from the World Championship Series. In this episode, we sit down and talk about that decision, her ten-year journey competing internationally, and what it was like chasing sections around the world. It's a really thoughtful conversation and a great chance to hear Maddie reflect on her career and what comes next.

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The first-ever On the Pegs Podcast is here, and we’re kicking it off with none other than Pro trials rider and Beta USA Factory standout Cole Cullins.

Hosted by On the Pegs owner Steph Vetterly and Beta USA teammate Abigail Buzzelli, Episode 1 dives deep into Cole’s journey from riding at just three years old to making the leap from Expert Champion to the demanding Pro class. In an honest and often hilarious conversation, Cole opens up about the emotional shock of going from winning to struggling, the mental toll of high expectations, and what it really takes to survive the jump to the top level.

The trio breaks down time management in Pro sections, the importance of finding the right minder, and how family dynamics can shape a rider’s mindset. Cole also shares candid stories about injury setbacks, burnout, and how staying connected to the sport—through coaching and his new role as a Beta trials ambassador—helped him rediscover his love for riding.

Raw, insightful, and full of personality, this debut episode sets the tone for real conversations about trials, growth, and what it takes to keep pushing when the sections—and life—get tougher.

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