Top Tips for Your First Mountain Bike Festival

• Before you go, check the event program to see what time you can get to the event to set up and what the schedule is for the weekend so you don't miss any activities. For some events, you'll need to sign up for the weekend activities on the Friday afternoon when you arrive at the event.
• Plan your Food - check what food options are available, set a food budget, and plan which meals you’re going to buy and which you’re going to make yourself. Take your own snacks, coffee/tea, and pre-make overnight oats for an easy breakfast to bring with you that'll keep you fuelled for the mornings' activities.

• Accommodation - check what the accommodation situation is for the festival. Is there camping and van camping, or do you need to book accommodation offsite? Some festivals have limits on the size of vehicles able to get into the event and restrictions on motorhomes and caravans, so if you've got a big vehicle, be sure to check that out with the event organisers beforehand. If you want to camp with friends, make sure you check before you go whether you can save a space, or if you need to arrive at the same time to camp together. If you haven't got your own tent or van, Tentshare is a great site to rent tents and camping accessories. Make sure you check it out to see if there's an option that suits your needs and budget. 

• Going solo? Heading to a mountain bike festival solo can be intimidating, just remember that everyone is there to ride bikes and have fun! Signing up to a group coaching session during the event is a great way to meet people. If you’re feeling anxious about going solo, try posting in some Facebook groups to see if there are any other ladies going along that would be happy for you to join them.

• Grab a bargain! Check out which brands are there beforehand so you can make a plan of the bits you need to buy or bikes you want to demo. Normally the brands have big discounts for events, games where you can win products, and use events to release new products. 

• Bring some cash. Mountain bike festivals are normally held in places that don't have good phone signal. This means that brands and food stalls can find it difficult to take card payments as their card machines run on the phone network. It’s getting better with each event, but always handy to have some cash as backup.
• Pre-organise meeting places with friends in case you don't have phone reception during the event. This isn't a big deal with smaller events, but with larger events like the Malverns Classic, or Ard Rock, its always a good idea to be able to find each other later as it can get a bit chaotic. 

We hope you found this guide helpful and that we see you at an event soon! Make sure you check out our events page to see which events we’re heading to this year, we’re always more than happy to make new friends! Let us know in the comments if there’s anything you’d add. All photos in this article are by Alan Pilkington at Unbound Fest 2024.