If you were around mountain biking in the ‘90s, chances are the Cactus Cup was already on your radar. Back when cantilever brakes ruled, suspension forks were just figuring things out, and bar ends were still considered cutting-edge tech.
Pinnacle Peak in Scottsdale played host to some of the sport’s biggest names. We’re talking Travis Brown, Juli Furtado, John Tomac, Alison Sydor, Tinker Juarez, and Ned Overend. The racers who helped shape modern mountain biking long before carbon trail bikes and dropper posts took over.
Now, the Specialized Cactus Cup is leaning back into those roots, adding a new Vintage Short Track Race and Bike Show to this year’s event lineup. This gives riders a chance to dust off their pre-1999 mountain bikes and actually ride/race them again.
A Throwback Weekend in the Arizona Desert
For 2026, organizers are adding a vintage component to the festival, teaming up with the Vintage Off-Road Bicycle Association (VORBA) to celebrate the bikes and racers who helped launch the sport.
Where? The three-day event will be held at McDowell Mountain Regional Park in Fountain Hills, Arizona.
When? The event starts on Friday, March 13th, and runs until the 15th, and serves as the social kickoff. Riders can expect shakeout rides, demos, vendors, food, and festivities — capped off by the new vintage short track race. The main stage racing runs on Saturday and Sunday, with courses and categories for riders of all experience levels.
Vintage Racing, Vintage Entry Fees
Even better? Entry is just $20 or the price of a beer at a national-level gravel race. Keeping things true to the era, winners don’t get a plaque or medal. Instead, they’ll take home a pro-wrestling-style championship belt.
Following the race, participants can display their bikes at the VORBA tent throughout the weekend. This will turn the area into a rolling museum of mountain bike history, from early suspension experiments to classic rigid race machines.
VORBA founder and longtime industry veteran Mark Salmon says the idea grew from a simple request.
“I reached out about adding a vintage class,” Salmon explains. “The organizers took it further and built an entire event around it alongside the main race.”
Salmon adds that despite the growing number of collectors restoring classic bikes, opportunities to ride together remain rare. “This gives that community a place to connect and actually ride these bikes the way they were meant to be ridden.”
Racing Optional, Community Required
Not interested in pinning on a number? No problem.
Riders can still bring their vintage bikes, hang out at the VORBA tent, watch pro racing, and show off their restored machines. Whether you raced back in the early days or just appreciate skinny tires, narrow bars, and high tire pressures, the weekend aims to bring that shared history back to life.
Racers are also automatically entered into a prize raffle featuring gear from WTB, King Cage, Panaracer, House of Looptail, VORBA, and other vintage-friendly brands. So podium or not, you might still head home with something new for your classic ride.
Mountain Biking’s Season Opener Lives On
The Cactus Cup remains one of Arizona’s premier mountain bike stage races, drawing pros, amateurs, juniors, and spectators from across the Southwest every spring. With vendors, demos, racing, and festival atmosphere packed into one desert weekend, it continues to serve as an early-season kickoff for many riders.
This year’s addition just gives everyone another excuse to dig into the garage, dust off that old hardtail, and remember how mountain biking got started.
