VAIL, Colo. (BRAIN) — Organizers of the Outlier Offroad Festival have announced additions for the event, which is scheduled for Sept. 28-30 this year.
"We're bursting at the seams and took this offseason as an opportunity to rethink our footprint as well as what we offered to the consumer," said event director Mike McCormack. "The demo sits in the heart of the (Vail) village and is served by two high-speed gondolas. That's a rarity and has proven an amazing opportunity for multiple inventory turns for attending brands."
The year's Outlier will include an expanded expo, an additional day of enduro racing, a gravel and e-bike adventure and a weekend-long vertical challenge.
The event's presenting sponsors are SRAM and Scott Bicycles. The weekend slots in between the end of Interbike and the start of the Outerbike Moab event.
McCormack said this year the Outlier's consumer demo will open to the public a day early, on Friday, Sept. 28. The demo expands its footprint and into Vail Village for 2018. He said the increased real estate accommodates of vendors that wouldn't fit in prior years.
"Increased capacity means greater value for consumers. It also means that we're able to reduce expo fees while increasing amenities (lift tickets and event comps) for attending brands," an event statement said.
The Vail resort plans to reinvigorate its trail network over the summer, so Outlier will offer new terrain. This year's enduro expands from one-day to a two-day affair, with longer courses and better connectivity.
The new gravel ride is presented by Goodyear Bicycle Tires. The 45-mile loop takes riders through the historic mining towns of Minturn and Redcliff before ascending Shrine and Vail Passes via a USFS gravel road. Organizers said the course also includes great e-bike sections.
The Outlier also will include the Scott Bicycles VertiVail Challenge, which will measure how much elevation riders can complete over the weekend, with prizes awarded in six categories each day.
More information: outlier.bike.
