It doesn鈥檛 matter if you鈥檙e a longtime rider or a total newbie听at these听bike festivals,听the perks of being there are numerous鈥攜ou can stock up on the latest gear (many festivals offer bike demos as part of the entry fee), learn critical skills,听join group rides, or grab a map and head out on your own. When you鈥檙e done riding, return听to the grounds for what听good festivals do best: music, food, and beer.
Sedona Mountain Bike Festival
Sedona, Arizona
Every March, the听 brings together thousands of singletrack fans for a laid-back gathering of riding, beer drinking, and gear testing. Its听three-day event pass grants access to demo fleets from more than 90 top mountain-bike brands, shuttled drop-offs to the area鈥檚 best trails, skills clinics, live music, food-truck fare, and craft beer. Riders get to traverse the scenic trail system within the Red Rock Ranger District of Coconino National Forest, and proceeds from the event go toward听its maintenance.听 (from $169), a 20-minute shuttle ride from next year鈥檚听event location at Posse Grounds Park,听has nine A-frame chalets that sleep up to five听and five two-person studios, plus an outdoor pool and private entry听to trailheads like Bell Rock and Slim Shady.
Sea Otter Classic
Monterey, California
As one of the oldest and most well-attended festivals in the country, the annual , held on the Pacific听coast in April, is a sight to behold. Started in 1991, the four-day gathering has a massive gear expo with over a thousand brands, as well as stunt shows, kids鈥 programs, and road and mountain-bike races for elites and recreational riders, who show up in numbers nearing 10,000. The competitions听cover almost every discipline, from cross-country and downhill to dual slalom, plus noncompetitive races for all ages. Camp on-site (from $70) or rent an RV from nearby 听(from $150) for the full festival experience. In 2017, the event expanded to Europe, too, with the still growing taking place every May in Costa Brava, Spain.
Crankworx
Whistler, British Columbia
is the ten-day mountain-bike party that has taken over this resort town听every August since 2004. Watch as the pros battle it out in downhill or best-trick contests, sign up for a women鈥檚 or adaptive group ride, get the family involved through Kidsworx, or check out the accompanying photo and film competitions. The centrally located听 (from $225) has 192 modern听rooms and a valet bike service. The event has also gone global: you鈥檒l now find Crankworx in New Zealand and Austria, too.
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Portland, Oregon
,听the monthlong tradition that takes place every June,听is as much a worthy bike festival as it is a way to experience the true spirit of Portland. It's听wacky collection of free, volunteer-organized events and gatherings includes听galactic disco rides, a banh mi鈥損owered bike tour of the city, and the notorious local version of World Naked Bike Ride, which sees upward听of 10,000 participants. In true Portland style, there are group rides for every sector of the community, from vegans and听remote workers to human-rights activists and bookstore enthusiasts. The recently opened听 (from $179) has 179 design-forward rooms, plus bikes and film cameras to rent from an on-site gear shed.
Virginia Trail Festival
Stokesville, Virginia
Held over Memorial Day weekend, the听听takes place within the 200,000-acre Shenandoah National Park, which is an easy 90-minute听drive from Washington, D.C.听Organized by local bike-touring outfitter Shenandoah Mountain Touring, it鈥檚 a family-friendly campout at the听听(from $50), where you鈥檒l have access to up to 500 miles of purpose-built mountain-bike trails from your tent and group meals prepared by volunteer cooks. After your ride, take a plunge in the North River, which flows through the campground. At night, post up around the campfire or stargaze from the on-site observatory.
Alyeska Bike Festival
Girdwood, Alaska
More and more听ski resorts are realizing they need to attract summertime visitors鈥攁nd what better way to do that than by throwing a killer bike festival? Alyeska Ski Resort, located an hour by car from Anchorage, hosts the听听at the start of听September to mark the final weekend of its summertime听bike park. Participants can ride lift-accessed downhill mountain-bike trails, sign up for dirt-jump contests and enduro races, or enter more lighthearted events like a tractor pull or pond crossing. Stay at the 300-room, ch芒teau-style听 (from $299) so you can hop on the aerial tram at听sunset and soak in the saltwater pool at the end of the day.
Rebecca鈥檚 Private Idaho听
Ketchum, Idaho
Join professional cyclist Rebecca Rusch in her hometown of Ketchum for听, a bike festival over Labor Day weekend that features gravel races of varying lengths, from 18 miles to a four-day stage race. The event raises funds for bike and trail-building organizations. To counter its growing popularity, Rusch limits听the number of registrants to around 1,000听in order听to keep the vibe more low-key. That said, the festival ends with a raucous beer-guzzling, gelande-quaffing听contest. Many of the group rides start from the听 (from $385), which has 93 rooms and听six suites, and Four Mountain Sports, an on-site听bike shop that offers听demos and rentals from the brands Giant and Norco.
Fruita Fat Tire Festival
Fruita, Colorado
The trail-heavy town of Fruita is a verified mountain-biker鈥檚 hub in Colorado. Many of those knobby-tire enthusiasts unite for one weekend in May every year for the fun-loving听. You can test out new bikes from the demo fleet, listen to live bluegrass from a central beer garden, and join skill camps and guided group rides through听wine country and听Colorado National Monument听and over Douglas Pass. The company听 has a number of vacation rentals, from downtown bungalows to a teardrop camper.