The bunny hop competition has become a staple of the Sedona MTB Festival. It always draws a large crowd and, in this case, drew out some festive apparel. Photo: Brittany Jones
The second day of the Sedona Mountain Bike Festival and the first true weekend day brought out an even bigger crowd of excited riders to demo bikes, shuttle rides, and check out gear. Brittany Jones sampled Sedona’s finest red dirt trials on a few bikes from Fezzari, Orbea, and Liv.
I took the 150mm-travel Ferrazi La Sal for a quick spin. With a 78-degree seat tube angle and a 65-degree head tube, the La Sal is a monster truck that plows over or through nearly everything while keeping the front wheel planted and tracking straight on climbs. Photo: Brittany Jones
Another entry into the 29er category is the Orbea Occam. This 140mm-travel trail bike rode well, but I was honestly distracted by the oversized linkage that extruded from the frame enough that I couldn’t really pedal without bumping the insides of my knees. Photo: Brittany Jones
While I didn’t get a chance to take the Liv Pique for a spin, the bike is notable because it’s Liv’s first 29er. Contrasting the other 29ers in today’s queue, the Pique is a short-travel XC bike. A 68.5-degree head tube and 74-degree seat tube, carbon wheels, 100mm of travel and full remote lockouts make it clear this bike is geared for cross-country racing.
Photo: Brittany Jones
Red dirt on the tires of Marin’s Hawk Hill Jr. means that even the groms are getting to demo bikes on the Sedona trails. At 120mm-travel, this legit mini-mountain bike is spec’d with 24-inch wheels but will clear 26-inch wheels, extending how long a growing junior rider can use it.
Photo: Brittany Jones
Not all trail-riding bikes have squishes. Alchemy brought plenty of squish with their Arktos mountain bikes, but they also had a few of their Ronin gravel bikes on hand. The hand-made carbon frame accepts three bottle cages, has bosses for a top tube bag, and clears up to 45mm tires.
Photo: Brittany Jones
If you’re a fan of subscription services, you may want to check out MTB Boxx. The Stitch Fix-style subscription service sends out a box full of gear once every two months. A thorough questionnaire when you first sign up allows the company to curate the contents of your box based on your tastes and riding preferences.
Photo: Brittany Jones
The Sedona MTB Festival is both expo and party, and a great reminder that bike nerds come in all ages, sizes, and styles.
Photo: Brittany Jones
As the demo bikes were getting washed and readied for Sunday, the bunny hop contest was well underway with some impressive height and a roaring crowd. Photo: Brittany Jones
The bunny hop competition has become a staple of the Sedona MTB Festival. It always draws a large crowd and, in this case, drew out some festive apparel. Photo: Brittany Jones
