Mountain biking kicks off in Tahoe and Truckee with three mountain bike festivals in early June from the Truckee Tahoe Gravel Race in Truckee and the Mountain Bike Festival at Sky Tavern, both on June 11, followed the next weekend by the two-day Tahoe Mountain Bike Festival in South Shore on June 18 and 19. Look for the return of the Little Big Bike Festival later this month.
Truckee Tahoe Gravel Race
Bike Monkey and Visit Truckee-Tahoe host the third annual Truckee Tahoe Gravel Race & Festival (previously known as the Truckee Dirt Fondo) on June 11.
Three scenic alpine routes have been mapped for amateur, expert and professional athletes by Bike Monkey’s course designers. The advanced 67-mile, moderate 58-mile and easy, free 26-mile routes follow dirt and gravel roads through the Tahoe National Forest toward Stampede Reservoir, Dog Valley and Sardine Peak. Prizes will be awarded to top finishers in various age and gender categories for timed routes.
There’s also a 4-mile family ride on The Legacy Trail and a post-race festival at Truckee Tahoe Airport with vendors, activities, bands, food and locally brewed beer. The festival begins at 11 a.m. | truckeetahoegravel.com
Mountain Bike Festival
Also on June 11, High Sierra Cycling hosts a Mountain Bike Festival at Sky Tavern from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with clinics, expos, rides, beer from Schüssboom Brewing Co, food, raffles and more. | highsierracycling.com
Tahoe Mountain Bike Festival
Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association (TAMBA) hosts the 10th annual Tahoe Mountain Bike Festival on June 18 and 19 featuring the Corral Trail Bike Demo on June 18; and the Tahoe Triple Crown and the Power Loop rides, and Tahoe Mountain Bike Festival on June 19. All proceeds go to building and maintaining multi-use trails in the Lake Tahoe area. Riders must register online for the rides and the demo day.
The festival starts at 1 p.m. at Tahoe Paradise Park in Meyers on Sunday. It’s a free family-friendly event featuring music by Ten Foot Tiger and Bison Bluegrass Band, local food and retailers, beer and other beverages and a raffle with proceeds to fund area TAMBA projects. | tamba.org
