The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Outerbike, one of the premier events in the mountain biking industry, will be held in Crested Butte for the first time ever this August. The event is an opportunity to test-ride the cutting edge in mountain bike technology and it will bring the latest and greatest in biking for testing in the very birthplace of the sport.
Lift-served cross country riding on Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s Evolution Bike Park will allow for quick laps on demos so that many models can be tried. Short loops from the base of Mt. Crested Butte to the town of Crested Butte will be assisted by the town shuttle.
Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association executive director Dave Ochs told the Mt. Crested Butte Town Council last week that the event is tailor-made for the area. “These people come online early; the bell goes off and they’ll knock over their own mother to get the bike they want. It’s a hotel-and-go-out-to-dinner crowd. They’re looking at $10,000 bikes. They’re comparing these bikes. They’ve got money.”
Since the beginning of the sport more than 40 years ago, CBMBA, the oldest organization of its kind in the world, maintains more than 450 miles of trail in the north end of the Gunnison Valley alone. Bring in the south end of the Gunnison Valley and there are more than 750 miles of singletrack biking.
The Outerbike events will kick off on Friday, August 18 at the base of Crested Butte Mountain Resort. The CBMR parking lot will be closed for the event starting Monday, Aug. 14. Three levels of entry allow participants to get the package they are looking for. The Full Demo includes demo bikes, lift passes, lunches each day, parties, beer, and contests. For those who aren’t in the market for a new bike, BYOB (bring your own bike) includes everything except demos. The Social Pass includes all of the parties, beer, and lunches for the non-riders out there.
With more and more bike manufacturers moving to a direct-to-consumer model, Outerbike is the best way to find the perfect fit.
A special event liquor license was approved last week by the Mt. Crested Butte Town Council for a CBMBA-hosted beer tent at the upcoming event in Mt. Crested Butte.
