Slogging around a tradeshow is one thing, but when you can check out the bikes in person and demo them on lift-served, groomed mountain bike trails outside, in the fresh air? That’s something else entirely, and it’s the new face of Interbike that we’re stoked to see surfacing. For 2018, Interbike is starting off with an open-to-the-public event called the Northstar Freeride Festival, held at (yep) Northstar resort in California.
Starting September 14, the event runs through the weekend and includes demos from major brands. Plus a full expo to see components and gear from many more, and it’s all free! They’ll also have skills clinics, group road rides, mountain bike races, kids events, live music and more.
Which brands have demo bikes at Interbike?
Compared to last year’s demo (which was industry only), the list has grown dramatically and includes top players. If you’ve been wanting to demo the latest Pivot, Marin, Cannondale, Jamis or Raleigh, now’s your chance. Plus, several newcomers to the US market like Canyon and Mondraker will be there, too. And lots more, check out that poster up above.
In addition to the bike brands shown on the poster, you’ll find brands like Crank Brothers; Handup Gloves; Kali helmets; Continental, IRC and Maxxis tires; Osprey packs; Ritchey; TRP and more. Check out the full list of 75+ brands here.
Why it’s a great deal
First of all, it’s free. But if you want to get on the lifts to take full advantage of the mountain bike demo, you’ll want the three-day Festival pass for $195. That includes lift tickets to give you full access to 50+ miles of singletrack from beginner to expert, plus the Wine Walk on Friday night, Pub Crawl on Saturday night, and entry to the Red Bull movie screening on either night. Considering the park’s daily lift pass is regularly $58 (for adults), that’s like getting the movie and drinks for just pennies more.
If you’re a local and already have a season lift pass, the three day Festival Pass w/o lift access is $65, which gets you all the rest of the stuff. Either pass also gets you discounted entries into the races and other events. BTW, the Wine Crawl gets you wine tastings from area restaurants and shops, and the Pub Crawl gets you free beers at bars and restaurants throughout the resort…as long as you’re over 21.
What you need to know:
- WHEN: Sept. 14-16, 2018
- WHERE: Northstar California Resort
- WHAT: Demo road, gravel, cyclocross and mountain bikes (and yes, e-bikes, too) for free on the trails and around beautiful Lake Tahoe.
- WHY: Because riding new bikes is awesome.
- BONUS: Bikerumor will be there.
Links & Resources:
- Freeride Festival homepage
- Press Release for Festival and Outdoor Demo
- Outdoor Demo exhibitor list
- Get tickets on this page
- Northstar Resort homepage
This article is brought to you by Interbike, but we wrote it because we’re pretty excited that Interbike has improved the outdoor demo and that more brands are back for it. And the fact that anyone can go demo the bikes on killer trails makes it even better. See ya there!
