OLD FORGE– The annual Adirondack Mountain Bike (MTB) Festival is ready to kick off Saturday and Sunday, October 1-2, 2022 at the McCauley Mountain Ski & Recreation Center in Old Forge. The temperatures are cooling down and the fall colors are heating up in the Central Adirondacks, as hundreds of mountain bike families flood to the festival. The free festival is sponsored by the Central Adirondack Association (CAA), the Adirondack Foothills Trails Alliance (AFTA), and the Town of Webb, and features guided rides, races and fun contests, clinics, bike and equipment vendors, food and refreshments, and live music.

Experienced riders, newcomers, and those curious about mountain biking can meet experts, vendors and gear exhibitors on-hand to answer questions and offer demo rides on a few select bikes. There will be guided trail tours and riding clinics open to all riders. There is truly something for every age and every skill level from beginning riders to extreme thrill seekers. The mountain bike trail network features almost 30 miles of professionally-built trails, which have been hand-tuned by AFTA trail builders. There are single and double tracks, cross-country trails, climbing trails and downhill flow trails, and two skills parks for youngsters.

A rider tests out the McCauley Mountain biking trails during an annual Adirondack Mountain Bike Festival. Photo provided by Town of Webb Publicity Director Mike Farmer.

Some of the touring trails connect with the Maple Ridge trail network, and provide access direct to Old Forge Village. New this year is a National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) Race Course Demonstration. NICA develops interscholastic mountain biking programs for student-athletes across the United States. The parking lot at the base of the McCauley Mountain Ski Area will serve as the main staging
area for all events and activities, adjacent to the trailheads for the trail network.

Additionally, the McCauley Mountain Scenic Chairlift will be operating from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. all weekend. McCauley’s summit provides the best fall foliage views over the Fulton Chain of Lakes all the way to Whiteface Mountain and Mount Marcy in the High Peaks Region near Lake Placid.

The annual Adirondack Mountain Bike Festival is suitable for riders of all ages and abilities. Photo provided by Town of Webb Publicity Director Mike Farmer.

Event Schedule:

Saturday, Oct 1:
9 a.m. – 5 p.m. — DJ Ed Tondryk
2 p.m. – 5 p.m. — Live Music
10 a.m. — AFTA-Guided Group Trail Tours
10 a.m. – 1 p.m. — NICA Race Course Demonstration

Sunday, Oct 2:
9 a.m. – 3 p.m. — DJ Ed Tondryk
10 a.m. — AFTA-Guided Group Trail Tours

2:30 p.m. — Mountain Bike Raffle Drawing

Photo at top: Adirondack Mountain Bike Festival, 2020. Photo provided by Town of Webb Publicity Director Mike Farmer.