Camping and the après ride activities take place at the oceanside Transfer Beach Park in Ladysmith, BC. Ladysmith is a town located on the 49th parallel on the east coast of Vancouver Island. Renowned for its local Summer Celebrations, called Ladysmith Days, it is a quaint community with an abundance of recreational opportunities. It will soon be known for hosting the Vancouver Island Fat Tire Festival. http://www.ladysmith.ca
The Vancouver Island Fat Tire Festival (VIFTF) is the result of a group of people who have a passion for mountain biking and would like to share the exceptional riding of Vancouver Island with others. We have ridden and raced mountain bikes throughout Canada, the United States, Mexico and Costa Rica. We have ridden some exceptional trails, visited some amazing communities, and have participated in other festivals; yet we are always excited to return home and ride the world class singletrack we have right here.
This is a non-competitive mountain bike festival for people who want to explore our local trails in small groups, guided by locals who know the trails. In our travels we have learned that there is great riding everywhere but lacking the local knowledge to piece them all together, can leave you frustrated and missing flow. We’ve all been thereŠriding up the downs, logging gravel road miles, getting lostŠThe knowledge of our guides is key to the memorable experiences you will have.
The cross-country rides we plan to showcase are for intermediate and above mountain bikers (not for beginners) and will require a certain level of fitness. You don’t need to be an elite racer, however, to enjoy our planned rides you should be able to handle 2 to 4+ hours in the saddle. There will be options each day (trails based on distance / expected time in the saddle / technical ability) so if you want an easier ride, something more challenging or a good workout, you can jump into a different group.
After breakfast, the buses will depart for the venue of the day, and wait at the drop-off point for your return. Keep in mind these aren’t shuttles dropping us at the top of a mountain to rip down, they are taking us to a trailhead leading to excellent cross country singletrack. There will be sweat and tired legs at the end of the day, but there will also be great stories, pictures, and uncontrollable grinning as you sip a local craft beer back at the campsite. There will also be the excitement of 2 more days of riding.
Can’t wait to meet you and slay some singletrack with you.