Racers and Adventurers on Rene Herse

Racers and Adventurers

Ever since Rene Herse Cycles started in 1938, we’ve worked with some of the world’s fastest racers and most intrepid adventurers. They test our tires all over the world, from the Flint Hills of Kansas to the forgotten mountain passes of the Silk Road Mountain Race. They provide feedback for our product development. And they are just great people to be around. Here are the stories of just a few of them, some of their results, and their tire and equipment choices in various events.

Brennan Wertz

2025 SBT GRVL: 1^st (700×38 Barlow Pass Endurance)
2026, 2025, 2024 Huffmaster Hopper: 1^st (700×35 Bon Jon, 700×38 Barlow End.)
2024 U.S. National Championships: 1^st (700×44 Snoqu. Pass End.)
2024 UCI Highlands Gravel Classic: 1^st (700×44 Manast. End. Plus)
2024 Sea Otter Classic Gravel: 1^st (700×44 Manastash Endurance)

The 2024 Gravel National Champion continues to ride at the front in the biggest gravel races. He’s probably the most consistent racer today, and definitely one to watch for the future!

Jenna, Inno and the Rene Herse Gravel Team

2026 UCI Highlands Gravel Classic: 1^st (Jenna, 700×48 Oracle Ridge/Poteau Mountain Endurance)
2024 Robidoux Rendezvous: 1^st men & women (Inno, Jenna; 700×44 Snoqualmie Pass End./X-ight)
2024 UCI Highlands Gravel Classic: 1^st (Jenna, 700×44 End.)
2024 Gravel Worlds: 2^nd (Inno; 700×44 Snoqualmie Extralight)
2024 Mid-South: 2^nd (Jenna; 700×44 Snoqualmie Endurance)

When our fav gravel team lost its sponsor for the 2025 season, we decided to step up. It wasn’t as much a business decision as a way to show our appreciation. That’s how the Rene Herse Gravel Team was born, with Jenna Rinehart and Inno Zavyalev as the main riders.

Ted King

2025 Race Around Rwanda: 1^st (700×48 Oracle Ridge End.)
2024 Bon Jon Pass Out: 1^st (700×44 Manastash Ridge End.)
2021 Last Best Ride: 1^st (700×42 Hurricane Ridge Endurance Plus)
2020 AR High Country Race: 1^st & FKT (700×44 Snoq. Pass End.)
2019 SBT GRVL: 1^st (700×35 Bon Jon Pass)

The ‘King of Gravel’ (front) has stood on the podium in gravel races more often than almost anybody. He isn’t just one of the fastest and most skilled cyclists, he’s also one of the nicest and most thoughtful humans you’ll ever meet. When Ted and his wife Laura aren’t ripping across the world’s gravel courses, they are raising their kids in Arkansas.

Meaghan Hackinen

2026 Tour Divide: 1^st and FKT (700×55 Fleecer Ridge Endurance)
2025 Silk Road Mountain Race: 1^st and FKT (700×55 Fleecer End.)
2025 Hellenic Mountain Race: 1^st and FKT (700×55 Fleecer R. End.)
2025 Atlas Mountain Race: 2^nd (700×55 Fleecer R. End.)

Meaghan Hackinen is one of today’s standout ultracyclists: She won and set the current FKTs in the Tour Divide, Silk Road Mountain Race, Hellenic Mountain Race and Arkansas High Country Race. In 2025, she became the first woman to race all three ‘Mountain Races’ in one season—winning two of them in the process. Just as impressive as her speed is her fun-loving attitude.

Sofiane Sehili

2025 Gravel Birds (Portugal): 1^st (29” x 2.2” Fleecer R. Endurance)
2023, 2022, 2021 Silk Road Mtn Race: 1^st and FKT (29” x 2.2” Fleecer End.)
2022 Tour Divide: 1^st (29” x 2.2” Fleecer Ridge Endurance)
2021 Two Volcano Sprint (with Adrien Liechti): 1^st (700×28 Xlight)
2020 French Divide: 1^st (29” x 2.2” Fleecer Ridge Endurance)

Formerly a bike messenger in Paris (France), Sofiane has become a specialist of ultra-long distances and ultra-tough courses. Sofiane’s methodical approach to racing extends to his tire choices. He’s one of the most humble racers we’ve met: Who else would admit to singing during the long solitary hours on road and trail?

Marei Moldenhauer

2025 Atlas Mountain Race: 1^st and FKT (700×55 Fleecer End.)
2025 Munich Milan Gravel Challenge: 1^st (700×44 Snoqual. Xlight)
2024 Bright Midnight: 1^st (700×44 Manastash End.)
2024 Mittelgebirgeclassique: 1^st (700×31 Orondo Std.)
2023 Transcontinental Race: 2^nd (700×38 Barlow End.)

Marei picked up cycling in college when she was gifted an old bicycle. She’s never looked back. After a 2^nd place in the 3900-km Transcontinental Race, she won the Atlas Mountain Race in convincing fashion—the first woman ever to place in the top-10 of this challenging race. Most of all, she finished with a smile and tears in her eyes, happy, relieved—and also sad that the race was over.

Adrien Liechti

2026: Africa End-to-End World Record, 17,280 km, 96 days (700×48 Poteau Mtn. Endurance)
2025 Salida-to-the-Sea: 1^st and FKT (700×55 Fleecer Ridge End.)
2024 Atlas Mountain Race: 9^th (700×55 Fleecer Ridge Endurance)
2023 Hellenic Mountain Race: 1^st (700×55 Fleecer Ridge End.)
2023 Silk Road Mountain Race: 8^th (700×55 Fleecer Ridge End.)

Adrien asked us for a set of tires for the Hellenic Mountain Race. For 4 days, 12 hours and 6 minutes, he traversed the steep slopes of Greece’s Pindus Mountains, enduring rain, snow and knee pain. The former bike messenger pushed on with minimal rest, taking first place less than two hours ahead of second-place finisher Manuel Truccolo.

Francesca Selva

2023 Aarhus Super Cup: 1^st (RH x FMB 25 mm tubular)
2022 Italian Fixed Championship: 1^st (700×28 Chinook Pass Xlight)
2022 Italian Fixed Cup, Stage 3: 1^st (700×28 Chinook Pass Xlight)
2022 Italian Fixed Cup, Stage 2: 1^st (700×28 Chinook Pass Xlight)
2022 Zuricrit: 1^st (700×28 Chinook Pass Xlight)
2021 Italian Fixed Championship: 1^st (700×38 Barlow Pass front / 700×44 Snoqualmie Pass rear)

Francesca races professionally in Europe and the U.S. Her specialty are fixed-gear races, where she explores the limits of traction at incredible speeds and lean angles. “Grip like Moto GP,” she enthused about her Rene Herse tires.

Becca Book

2026 24 Hours in the Pueblo: 1^st singlespeed, 2^nd woman
(29″ x 2.2″ Fleecer Ridge Endurance)
2026 Cross-Washington MTB Race: 1^st, FKT
(29″ x 2.2″ Fleecer Ridge Endurance)
2026 Cascadia Super Gravel: 1^st
(700×44 Corkscrew Climb Endurance)

Becca’s passions include building more sustainable cities and long distance bike races. On and off the bike, she’s one of the nicest (and fastest) people you’ll ever meet. She’s fastidious in the choice of her equipment, making her a perfect addition to our team of R&D riders.

Jimmy Ashby

2024 Tassie Gift: 1^st (700×55 Fleecer Ridge Endurance)

Jimmy has been living on his bike for years, exploring and racing from his home base in Australia. He is one of the most fun people you’ll ever meet, both on the bike and off.

Lauren de Crescenzo

2023 The Rad Dirt: 1^st (700×44 Snoqualmie Pass Endurance)
2023 Mid-South: 1^st (700×44 Snoqualmie Pass Endurance)
2022 SBT GRVL: 1^st (700×44 Snoqualmie Pass Endurance)
2022 Gravel Worlds: 1^st (700×44 Snoqualmie Pass Endurance)
2022 U.S. Pro Championships: 2^nd (700×28 Chinook Pass Xlight)
2022 Tour of the Gila: 1^st (700×28 Chinook Pass Extralight)

Lauren’s story is truly inspirational: She overcame a life-threatening accident to go back to college and get her dream job at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Then she put her career on hold to pursue her other dream: gravel racing. Lauren and her team tested many tires before discovering the speed and durability of Rene Herse.

Lael Wilcox

2023 Tour Divide: 1^st (700×55 Fleecer Ridge Endurance)
2022 Westfjords Challenge: 1^st (700×48 Oracle Ridge Endurance)
2022 Trans-Balkan Race: 1^st (700×55 Fleecer Ridge Endurance)
2022 Migration Gravel Race (Kenya): 2^nd (700×48 Oracle R. End.)
2021 Unbound XL: 1^st (700×48 Oracle / 700×55 Fleecer Ridge End.)
2021 Alaska Pipeline Trail FKT (700×48 Oracle Ridge Endurance)
2021 Hope 1000: 1^st (29″ x 2.2″ Fleecer Ridge Endurance)

Lael is one of the fastest and most fun humans on (and off) a bike in this world. She’s ridden every single road in her home state of Alaska, and she’s raced on many continents.

Kevin Benkenstein

2024 Unbound XL: 5^th (700×44 Manastash Ridge Endurance)
2023 The Rhino Run: 1^st & FKT (700×55 Fleecer Ridge Endurance)

Kevin is a force of nature, enjoying long adventures in his native South Africa when he’s not plotting another trip to the world’s biggest gravel races. After being narrowly beaten in the inaugural Rhino Run bikepacking race across the deserts of South Africa and Namibia, he returned in 2023 to win the race decisively and set a new FKT (Fastest Known Time). Incredible!

Abdullah Zeinab

2022 The Rhino Run: 1^st (700×48 Oracle Ridge Endurance)

Abdullah was persuaded by a friend to enter the Rhino Run, a 2700-km bikepacking race from South Africa to Namibia. Neither of them expected what came next: Abdullah and Kevin Benkenstein set a blistering pace that left the world’s fastest racers in their dusty wake. After more than a week on the (gravel) road, after traversing two deserts, and after enduring many mishaps, Abdullah prevailed to win the race by just 18 minutes. Epic!

Amanda Naumann

2021 Unbound XL: 2^nd (700×48 Oracle Ridge Endurance)
2020 Sugarcane 200: 1^st (700×44 Snoqualmie Pass Extralight)

In 2025, Amanda was inducted into the Gravel Hall of Fame, and for good reason: She raced on gravel long before it became popular, winning the Unbound 200 twice. An engineer in her day job, she chooses her equipment based on careful testing. And then she rides with abandon – and a smile. Together with her partner David Sheek, she organizes the Mammoth Tuff gravel race in the incredibly scenic mountains of the Eastern Sierra Nevada.

JaBig

International DJ & world-traveling bike tourer JaBig is one of the funniest, most positive people you could imagine. His observations are always inspiring and thought-provoking. In 2022, he went on a 6-month, 10,000-mile ride around the perimeter of the United States to raise funds for World Bicycle Relief. (700×38 Steilacoom & Barlow Pass Endurance)

Lisa Pfeiffer (@elza_per_se)

2023 Race Around Rwanda: 2^nd (700×42 Hurricane Ridge Endurance front / 700×44 Snoqualmie Pass Endurance rear)

Philosopher, photographer, bikepacker: Lisa combines many passions on her outings and adventures. She likes to ride fast and far. Her stories are full of insights about human nature—and refreshingly free of numbers like watts and kilometers.

Hailey M. Moore

2022 Ozark Gravel Doom: FKT (700×55 Fleecer Ridge Endurance / 700×48 Oracle Ridge Endurance)
2021 NorthSouthCO Bikepacking Race: 1^st (700×48 Oracle End.)

Hailey enjoys racing and touring in equal parts. She’s discovered bikepacking races as a way to challenge herself and experience what she likes most: cycling in the mountains. Her stories from races and outings are full of fascinating observations about cycling, life and the world.

Sophie Jail

2023 Malteni Bootleggers UltraCX: 2^nd (700×48 Oracle Ridge Endurance rear, 700×42 Hurricane Ridge Endurance front)
2022 The Rhino Run: 2^nd (700×48 Oracle Ridge Endurance rear, 700×42 Hurricane Ridge Endurance front)

Sophie is embarking on adventures the world over when she’s not at home in France fixing old cars and mopeds. After racing the 2,700 km Rhino Run in South Africa and Namibia, she continued riding northward all the way to the equator in Kenya—because she didn’t feel like stopping!

Holly Mathews

2023 Colorado state championships: 1^st (700×28 Chinook Xlight)
2023 Mid-South: 9^th (700×44 Snoqualmie Pass Endurance)
2022 Boulder-Roubaix: 2^nd (700×44 Snoqualmie Pass Extralight)
2022 Mid-South: 4^th (700×44 Snoqualmie Pass Endurance)
2021 Gravel Worlds: 7^th (700×44 Snoqualmie Pass Endurance)
2021 Rift Iceland: 1^st (700×42 Hurricane Ridge Endurance)

The beauty and challenge of the Rift Iceland enticed Holly to return to racing. After winning on her comeback, she joined the Cinch Racing team to ride with her friend Lauren de Crescenzo – and she was rarely far behind!

Geneviève Gambillon

World Champion, Road: 1972, 1974
French Champion, Road: 1969, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976
French Champion, Track Pursuit: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976
French Champion, Track Sprint: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976

In the 1960s, a few young racers asked Lyli Herse for training advice. Lyli took the women under her wing and formed a women’s team that became a dominant force in French racing. Most successful of these unstoppable young racers was Geneviève Gambillon:

Lyli Herse

French Champion, Road: 1956, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1967
Tour de France Féminin, 1956: 4^th & 2 stage wins
Poly de Chanteloup hillclimb race (tandem with various captains): 1^stin 1948, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957
Grimpée du Puy de Dôme, 1951: 1^st & record (still stands today)

René Herse’s daughter Lyli dominated cyclotouring competitions for more than a decade, often beating the fastest men. To this day, she holds the record for the famous Puy de Dôme hillclimb. Then a race promoter persuaded her to take out a racing license. The rest is history: Over the next 12 years, she won eight French championships!

Louison Bobet

1959 Bordeaux-Paris: 1^st

Louison Bobet, 3-times winner of the Tour de France, ordered a René Herse frame in late 1958 and appears to have ridden it to his last win as a professional, in the 1959 Bordeaux-Paris race.

Numerous professional racers had their frames made by René Herse: Louison Bobet, Briek Schotte, Robert Oubron and others came to the shop to have their bikes built. The frames were painted in their sponsors’ colors, but the unique features of René Herse’s frames show who built them, and the racers’ names appear in the order books.

René Herse

1938 Concours de Machines: 2^nd & lightest bike

Our founder, René Herse was not just a talented fabricator and framebuilder, but also a strong rider. In 1938, he introduced his new components by entering an ultralight 7.94 kg (17.5 lb) bike in the Concours de Machines, a competition for the best bikepacking bike. And then rode that bike over 700 kilometers on rough mountain roads at high speed to prove its worth. Only a small technical problem cost him first place: The bottom bracket—one of a few parts he hadn’t made himself—developed play, and his bike was penalized.