As our readers know from our regular hiking feature, Sedona Monthly is a huge champion of all things outdoors. Which is why we were excited to read that the Roam Bike Festival is returning to the Red Agave Resort in The Village of Oak Creek from Nov. 8 to Nov. 10.
“Roam Bike Fest is the world’s first and only all-women’s mountain bike festival,” says Ash Bocast, founder of Roam events and director of Roam Bike Fest. This is Roam’s third year in Sedona. Anticipate a fun atmosphere.
“We throw a three-day bike party,” says Ash. Participants can look forward to bike demos, gear vendors, bike-centric workshops, apparel vendors and more than 60 group rides. The festival kicks off with a happy hour on Friday evening where participants can mingle over specialty cocktails unique to each vendor. Roam also includes a No Man’s Land Film festival, an all women’s film festival featuring 30-minute to one-hour long documentaries featuring women in adventure sports like white water rafting and rock climbing. The event is capped at 300 participants to keep the festival intimate.
When we asked why throw an all women’s event? Ash responded with, “Why not?”
“Our company does coed events. But we also saw that there is a need to create an environment that was non-intimidating, and an environment for the industry to really make their mark in the women’s demographic,” says Ash. “We just find that there’s something really special and really great that happens when you do make it all women.”
Sedona is one of just two locations in the country where this festival is held. The reason being that the city is home to gorgeous scenery and world-class biking trails that make for an ideal environment for mountain bikers.
“What I particularly appreciate about the trails, and Sedona is, even if your skill set isn’t there to be capable of riding all the trails, even if you’re hiking your bike, you’ve got stunning 360-degree views. And the community that we meet and greet out on the trails is really great. And just the local bike community, from the Forest Service to the bike shops, and the volunteers that go out and build the trails. The Verde Valley Cyclists Coalition is phenomenal. And that’s a bike culture that we want to support with our event and our business,” says Ash.
When purchasing tickets, buyers have the option of donating to local trails. And Ash says she realizes how special the local cycling community is. Many local residents will lead group rides.
“Sedona is the whole package of phenomenal views and great bike culture. We really enjoy interacting and engaging with the locals. Everyone’s so friendly. The tie in of the Forest Service being so closely aligned with the bike community is something that’s actually quite unique. We don’t see it in a whole lot of places around the country,” she says. “Both The Village of Oak Creek and Sedona have done a really good job in working together and collaborating to make it a world-class bike destination.”
Although the festival is sold out, you can join a wait list. A 2020 Sedona Roam Bike Festival is in the works. For more information, visit roambikefest.com.
