Big Bear Cycling Festival Itinerary

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The Big Bear Cycling Festival does the hard work of organizing the rides and for this year, SoCal MTB legend Tinker Juarez has joined as the grand marshal of the MTB festivities.
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Your guide to the week-long festivities of the Big Bear Cycling Festival running July 30th -August 7th.

The namesake Big Bear Lake provides a central hub for glorious and scenic road rides around the lake. At 6,752′ of elevation, the region provides a cool climate to escape the summer heat of the flatlands.

FRIDAY July 29 REGISTRATION OPENS

On Friday, July 29 3:00 pm, meet at Nottingham’s Tavern to pick up registration for the Big Bear Mountain Bike Gran Fondo and Grizzly 100. If you’re not riding in these races, Nottingham’s is worth a visit. The family-owned restaurant was established in 2003, but the lot has been the site of local restaurants for decades. In this location stood the Robinhood Inn in the 1960s, Friar Tuck’s in the 1970s, the Rusty Anchor in the 1980s, and Mongolian Palace in the 1990s.

SATURDAY July 30 MTB Gran Fondo | GRIZZLY 100/75

The festival week officially kicks off on Saturday with the Big Bear MTB Gran Fondo and the Grizzly 100. Grand Marshalls David ‘Tinker’ Juarez and Freddie Rodriguez will be riding many of the routes throughout the week starting with Saturday’s events. The Grizzly 100/75 is one of the most challenging mountain bike races in Southern California, and offers a $5,000 purse for the Men’s and Women’s Open, Masters and Single Speed divisions. The 75k Over the Top offers a $1,000 purse.

SUNDAY July 31

Recover from your day of riding the mountains of Big Bear with the Gran Fondo and Grizzly recovery ride at 9:00 am on Pine Knot ave. at 572 Social. By the time you get back to restaurant, the kitchen will be buzzing with chefs preparing food for lunch. If you stay for lunch, we hear very good things about the Egg Burger.

MONDAY August 1

Your training commences on Monday with a ‘Altitude Acclimation Ride’; recreational riders will take the 25 mile route (9:00 am), while intermediate riders can participate in the 50-mile route(10:00 pm). Meet and finish at The Copper Q, a family owned and operated ‘culinary experience’ with a full-service Espresso and Pastry Bar. Grab a shot of espresso shot before you start your route to get the heart pumping. At 3:00 pm grab your chains (required) and head to Snow Summit for a day of mountain bike adventures.

TUESDAY August 2

If the intermediate riders are feeling advanced, there’s a 70 mile options for the ‘Altitude Acclimation Ride’ at 3:00 pm on Tuesday. Recreational riders will take the familiar 9:00 am 25-mile route starting at the usual meeting place, The Copper Q. Join Tinker as he leads a nighttime single-track ride starting at the North Shore Trading Company at 7:00 pm.

WEDNESDAY August 3

Get to know the professionals during Wednesday night’s Dinner with the Pro’s at Knickerbocker Mansion, but not before the Knickerbocker Mansion Bike Biathlon (Road & MTB) begins at 4:00 pm. The Knickerbocker Mansion is a treat for your historical senses and a scenic reprieve from suburban life. Check out the views from this three-story log mansion that rests on two and a half acres of land above Big Bear Lake.

THURSDAY August 4

After another round of acclimation rides and a shot of espresso at Copper Q, there will be some opportunity for you to adventure on your own. If you’ve got little ones, the kids riding event, Cyclefest, starts at 3:00 pm in the Knickerbocker parking lot. If you’re flying solo, join back up with your fellow cyclists at the community concert and beer garden at 6:30 pm. Soak up the beauty of summer nights in Big Bear.

FRIDAY August 5

Go easy on Friday night especially if you’re riding the Tour de Big Bear the following day. Return to Nottingham’s Tavern at 4:00 pm for the Road Bicycle Concours, a competitive event where judges score your bike in categories such as uniqueness, cleanliness, staging style, and more.

SATURDAY August 6 Tour de Big Bear

The Tour de Big Bear presented by REMAX is a great way to reach your elevations goals during the summer months. If you’re riding the century route, you can expect to be climbing towards the sky at elevations of 8,000′ ft on the KOM segment called Onyx Summit. Alongside the Tour de Big Bear is the Big Bear Cycling Expo at Village & Pine Knot from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Ride into the festivities after your Tour or cheer on the finishers as they come in.

SUNDAY August 7 Last Day

Spend your last day riding slow enough to appreciate the beauty of Big Bear – or fast enough to be a time trial champion. The Tour de Big Bear recovery ride begins at 8:30 am at Copper Q. If you’re participating in the Big Bear Cycling Time Trial, head over to North Shore Drive & Highway 38 at 9:00 am.

 

Big bear lake near Los Angeles
Trails wind across the ski slopes and fire roads of the Big Bear area and provides opportunities for many different disciplines of mountain biking. The Big Bear Cycling Festival does the hard work of organizing the rides and for this year, SoCal MTB legend Tinker Juarez has joined as the grand marshal of the MTB festivities.

Visit BigBearCyclingFestival.com for the most current schedule.

 

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