Stetina Cycles into a new Prospect

Ever heard of the Pine Nut Mountain Range in northwestern Nevada? Us either, that was until Poppy & Vine caught up with pro cyclist Pete Stetina to learn more about his upcoming Stetina’s Paydirt Prospect! It’s a whole new course starting September 20th and here’s what you need to know.

Prospecting for Paydirt

It’s a new year, a new name, and with that comes a new adventure. As Stetina describes, “everything has changed regarding the course. We are going down to Carson City, NV at the base of the Eastern Sierras and are going off-road on unknown gravel and 4×4 roads”.

The new adventure keeps true to the essence of prospecting, in that “the Prospect is ever evolving, the only constant being a unique and challenging adventure and forging new frontiers,” Stetina says. This rang true personally for Stetina as well as he “began racing in the burgeoning Gravel scene this year; it’s a unique and fun adventure. It made sense to have the Prospect follow my career trajectory and passions”.

Pioneers of the Paydirt Prospect

The three day, September 20th Paydirt Prospect is an all inclusive preview to the May 2020 race. Paying homage to the pioneers of the Silver and Gold Rush from the 19th Century, the Pioneer Camp is, “our early settlers; those who went with us from the beginning! They’ll be honored with a lifetime status that includes custom cycling kit, casual clothes, and lifetime entry into all subsequent Prospect rides! That’s in addition to a rad weekend of gravel fun”, Stetina describes.

So what does this “rad weekend of gravel fun” include? Pioneers will enjoy that ‘Suite Life’ at a newly finished hotel near Carson City… (the name was hush hush… exciting!), along with the unveiling of several Paydirt paths in the unknown Pine Nut Mountain Range that will be utilized in May 2020. Daily bike wash and massage services are available, along with communal fire pit night caps, and a big surprise one evening but Stetina couldn’t say anymore.

To keep everyone in top form, Chef Biju Thomas will be in the kitchen all weekend, creating nutritious and delicious meals. Segafredo Coffee is returning and bringing with them the all important shots of espresso. Meeker Winery will also be returning with a paired dinner, highlighting their varietals and releasing a custom red blend just for our Pioneers! And after all that, you can sit back, relax, and wash it all down with the re-release of Pete’s Secret Stache, a hazy IPA from Revision Brewery… FYI, if you see this at your local grocer, grab it (and share it with us), as Stetina said, “it sold out within 20 minutes of hitting stores last year.”

But most importantly Stetina wants to, “highlight this route, NO ONE knows this land and it took multiple trips and multiple failures but we finally got it, it’s a very special ride, a true adventure”.

Prospecting towards the Future

The big race is May 2020 and as Stetina emphasized “this is a bold change. This event will put us in the forefront of adventure in the Sierras. I want this event to become a mainstay in people’s calendar and with Bike Monkey’s hospitality we have the bones to do it”.

Prospecting Home, Sonoma County

While Stetina calls the Sierra’s home for part of the year, so is Sonoma County and cruising the Wine Country roads and trails is a little different from the mountains. A few rides Stetina is particularly keen on this year are the freshly paved “Harrison Grade, Bohemian Hwy, and Green Valley road”. Launching from Occidental, Stetina says, “that is a blissful iconic west county road ride loop. Enjoy the ferns and redwoods.”

But if you don’t catch Stetina at the Prospect or along the Bohemian Hwy, you may catch him at local watering hole or eatery. A few current favorites of Stetina’s are:

Cheers and Happy Riding!