‘Trailfest’ kicks off Friday with off-road fun for everyone

From Sandy Ridge to Forest Park,
Trailfest has something for everyone.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

If you prefer riding off-road and have been curious about Portland’s mountain bike scene, this weekend was made for you. The 2013 Trailfest, an event organized by the Northwest Trail Alliance, begins tomorrow night (9/20) and continues with an entire weekend “dedicated to mountain biking.” Here’s how the NWTA describes it: “Trailfest is the Portland region’s premiere mountain biking festival that celebrates everything mountain biking: The trails. The people. The culture.”

Sounds great to me.

Portland might not have an awesome reputation for easily accessible singletrack trails; but that doesn’t mean we lack a vibrant and fun community full of people who are passionate about mountain biking and all things off-road. The Trailfest is a great opportunity to meet those people and learn about all the mountain biking options in Portland and across the region. And it’s also where advocates can connect and strategize about how to improve local mountain biking opportunities.

The fun starts Friday night with the Forest Park Poker Ride followed by a party at Velo Cult (which happens to house one of the premiere collections of vintage and historic mountain bikes in the world). But that’s just the start. Check the flyer and full rundown of events below (taken from NWTA’s website):

Friday September 20th:

• Forest Park Night Ride Poker Ride – For 25 years we’ve sought for more access to Forest Park. Join us after work and help keep the flame alive. We’ll meet at 6 PM at the Thurman gate entrance to Leif Erickson, and head up the trail by 6:10. Bring a light! We’ll stop at five spots and you’ll get a card. At the end, the best three hands get sweet prizes. All abilities welcome. We’ll head to Lompac on NW 23rd and Raleigh after the ride for a few pitchers of beer on the NWTA. Lead by Tony Daversa

Saturday September 21st:

• Lewis River/Falls Creek Ride and Shuttle (Southwest Washington) – Meet at Gateway Transit Center (205/84) South parking lot at 7:00AM, leave at 7:15
  Lewis River out and back + an optional Fall Creek Shuttle
  Lead by Ted Dodd Click here for details and to RSVP (required).
• Pump Track Play Date with Isla Bikes (Ventura Park, Oregon – SE Stark and 117th) From 10 to 2. We’ll be grilling hotdogs and we’ll have fun prizes for the kids. Isla bikes will be there with a small demo fleet so your little ones can try them out!
• Castle Rock Bike Park Blowout (Castle Rock, Washington) – Kids. Bikes. Cowbells. Free lunch. It doesn’t get much better than this.
  Everyone is invited to attend the Bike Park Blowout at the Castle Rock Bike Park. Adults ride 10AM-12, then Kids rule the park. Stickers and prizes and fun for all. Castle Rock Bike Park on Dike Road. Follow signs from Huntington Ave off I-5
• Trailfest Party: Mini bike time trials, wearable bike bling prizes, free pizza and beer and live music from Ultra Goat and the James London Band! Starts at 6PM at Velocult (1969 NE 42nd Ave), Bands start at 8.

Sunday September 22nd:

• Bike Demo at Sandy Ridge. Shuttle will run from 10 to 4 and there will be plenty of bikes to demo from Kona and Sellwood Cycles. Register in advance below through the website to reserve a spot. Passes are $10 for members and $30 for non-members and it all goes straight to the Sandy Ridge Trail Fund. Need to renew? Go to http://nw-trail.org/join and join today!

For more information, check out the official Trailfest website.