Big fan of bike riding? Got nothing going on this weekend?
Then listen up because the Penticton and Area Cycling Association (known as "PACA") is ready to entertain you from Friday night all the way through to Monday afternoon.
It's called "Penticton Bike Fest 2023" and it's intended for any cyclist regardless of favourite discipline or level of proficiency.
As a bonus, folks who join in the fun help support the region's leading cycling advocacy group.
PBF 2023 boots up Friday evening at 6 pm with a "Bike Show & Shine" (basically a take on classic car show and shines) that'll unfold on that little bit of Westminster Avenue East lying between Cannery Brewing and Highway 97 Brewery just off Ellis Street.
It'll be closed to traffic so you needn't worry about you and your hot ride being squashed as you chat it up at what promises to be a highly social (and absolutely free) event.
Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm is the road ride portion of the weekend. Certified road bike leaders will plan the route and lead the group from the Bike Barn at 300 Westminster Ave. W. to points south (likely Oliver-ish).
It'll be a "no-drop" ride, meaning no one gets left behind just because they're not superhuman.
Sunday the action kicks up a notch with the "Shakin' off the Dust Spring Enduro" mountain bike race. Base camp for the event, which starts at 9:30 am and finishes at 1 pm or thereabouts is at Origin Winery on Riddle Road, and most of the ride lies within the "Three Blind Mice" bike trail network.
This'll clearly be the most challenging part of the weekend. Many Three Blind Mice segments are crazy steep.
As a reward for those who survive -- or anyone who wants to join in-- there'll be a freebie movie screening that evening at Slackwater Brewing and an "urban bike crawl" for those who aren't completely pedaled out.
The final day of Penticton Bike Fest 2023 starts at 10 am Monday at the Poplar Grove Pump Track and runs 'til…whenever. There'll be gravel rides, Three Blind Mice descents (the Freedom Bike Shop shuttle van will do all the uphill grunt work), big-air competitions and a party atmosphere throughout.
If you don’t knock back a whole bunch of beers, it shouldn’t be an expensive weekend. Friday night's Show and Shine and Monday's party are totally free. There's no direct charge for Saturday's road ride either, though for insurance purposes all participants must be PACA members ($35 per year).
Rates for the Sunday mountain bike race range from $45 to $65, depending mostly on age and PACA membership status, and the Slackwater movie night will cost members $20 and non-members $22 but entitle ticketholders to registration for cool door prizes (like a high-end Swagman rack) and a freebie brew.
We played devil's advocate and asked PACA executive director Kevin Dyck why peeps should care about his organization, which counted an impressive 667 members in 2022.
"If there's something that’s cycling oriented in the South Okanagan," he explained, "PACA's probably involved. We're about building community, supporting mountain bike trails and helping active lifestyles.
"For road riders, we do two group road rides a week throughout the season and provide a welcoming space for road riders to get involved in.
"For mountain biking, it's super complicated because we have to deal with the City of Penticton, Recreation Sites and Trails BC, BC Parks, private land owners, and First Nations bands. It takes and organization like PACA to move things forward."
Those who want to help PACA move things forward this weekend and have a good time doing so should turn here for more info.
