PIT BITS: Spring National, Pro GRT at Mountain Creek

With the first World Cup of 2019 in the books and the traditional month-long gap before Fort William, a host of North American riders made the trip to Mountain Creek to see how they will fair on the infamously rocky track. Names like Aaron Gwin, George Brannigan, Caroline Washam and Dakotah Norton (plus many more) are in attendance, and you can bet the times will be tight as the track is pushed to the limit. Stay tuned for the full race report and check in on Vital MTB's Instagram to see clips from qualifying and the main event, Sunday afternoon. For now, dig into some goods from the pits. -Jack Rice

Kiran MacKinnon's newly built up Santa Cruz V10 29er. Giraffe graphics for the tall fella.

George Brannigan's GT Fury 29er. With GT headquarters only being a few hours away and Mountain Creek providing mostly rocky terrain, what better time then to throw on some telemetry equipment and go racing?

Dakotah Norton and Neko Mulally.

Rachel Pageau rinsing off her Pivot Phoenix after a rain storm gave the pro practice a chance to see what they might be up against with the weather being a little unpredictable for the next two days. Freshly back from last weekend's EWS in Madeira, you can count on Pageau to threaten the top step at any East Coast race.

Graeme Pitts's Commencal Supreme. Trials vibes, and oil slick bolts. hubba hubba.

DVO Jade, anodized caps to keep the silver surfer look flowing.

Hand-made brake adapter by Bryan Pagel in Tucson AZ, converting the fork to non-boost to suit his Shimano Saint hubs.

Not every van can look as nice as Jill Kintner's. Sean Kelly and his crew doing what it takes to make it to the races. #dhlife

Nik Nesteroffs KHS 650 Team 29er.

Preparing for the Creek's rock gardens.

FOX's Jordi Cortez and crew testing some new rear suspension with Aaron Gwin today. Making use of the hotel room, turning it into a luxury pit area where Gwin could ride right over after crossing the finish. Sweet set up. Jordi Cortez and Logan Mulally discussing shims and stacks