MOAB, Utah (BRAIN) — The Outerbike consumer bike festival opens this week in Utah, with skills clinics and guided rides scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, followed by the Demo Days consumer expo from Friday through Sunday. Organizers also have announced two new events for 2015: A spring expo in Moab, March 13-15, and one in Whistler, British Columbia, June 4-7.
Event organizer Ashley Korenblat said this year's event, the fifth annual, will feature 45 exhibitors, including major bike brands like Specialized, Trek, Santa Cruz, Niner, Rocky Mountain, Kona, Cannondale and GT, as well as boutique brands like Yeti and Ibis, and component and accessory brands from SRAM to Kitsbow.
On Monday Korenblat said attendance pre-registration numbers were ahead of last year's event. She expects more than 1,000 this year.
The expo is held at the Brand Trails, which has 20 miles of singletrack and is adjacent to a paved path for road bike demo's. The event also runs shuttles up to more far flung trails in the area. New this year is the concurrent 5Point Film Festival, which will include a special Outerbike selection of films for two nights at Moab's Star Hall. Racer Rebecca Rusch also os making Outerbike the final stop on her "Gold Rusch Tour," leading rides and clinics for women.
Kelty, Salsa and Thule are hosting "Camping and Biking" clinics, and the event's evening party on Saturday evening, sponsored by SRAM MTB, will feature the heavy metal mariachi band, Metalachi, with cocktails made with Utah-distilled gin from Beehive Distillery.
More information: Outerbike.com.
