Are you in need of a nice little summer vacay to recharge? Wait, let me rephrase that. YOU ARE IN NEED! It is time to pull the trigger on experiencing a mountain bike mecca of your dreams! I guarantee you will not regret it.
Bang for your buck, MTB festivals are pretty damn hard to beat especially if you want to fly somewhere without having to worry about your bike or just want to try out something new. Most festivals run $100-$200 and include demos, suggested routes, shuttles etc. Using a guide or touring company is also a great way to build your own trip by utilizing proven local knowledge of trial systems without the worry of route planning or going the wrong way on the downhill :(. If I was planning a vacation, these would be my top picks:
- Outerbike Crested Butte – This is the first year for Outerbike in Crested Butte, but don’t let that deter you. Western Sprit definitely knows how to do things right after years of Outerbike Moab promoting. The draw dropping views, incredible singletrack and town vibe will assure you have nothing but FUN!
- Vail Outlier Off Road Festival – Don’t feel like pedaling much? Lifts take you high up into the Rockies for some incredible views especially if fall aspen colors are going off. This is also an event where lots of next years bikes are being demoed for the first time since its happening in late September.
- Singletrack 6 is an incredible tour of some of British Columbia’s best interior riding. This year’s event will be especially rad in Rossland and Nelson – two of our favorite places in BC. There is also the BC Bike Race if you prefer to explore the wetter yet greener/loamy side of BC. British Columbia is the motherload!
- Ibis Cycles Migration – These events are in epic locations and are incrediablly well done! Give Ibis cycles a follow to see where their upcoming migrations will be happening. We will be at tba migration later in the year that we are super excited about!
- Build your own or hire a guide. We’re partial to Chasing Epic (CO,UT, AZ), and Red Wolf (Brevard, NC/Pisgah) but Hermosa Tours (CO,UT,AZ), and Western Spirit (western US) are nice options too. There are countless others out there depending on where ya want to go and how much you want to spend. Riding with a tour or guide is the way to explore new areas for sure.
Grab a buddy or three and have a fantastic vacation!
Did I miss something? I would love to hear from ya if you have suggestions or comments.
