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What is Plaid Goat? It’s a 3-day cultural celebration reveling in the mountain bike stoke of the Canadian Rockies. A fun-first festival, Plaid Goat offers activities for bikers and non-bikers alike, including shuttles, group rides and coaching, a kids hub, bike demos for wristband holders, bike rodeo, craft beer hub – and kms on end of great Canadian singletrack!
Demo-licious Days: sample the tastiest bikes of the season from the best mountain bike brands in the industry. Add-on required ($35/Fri & Sat). Limited tickets available.
Local craft beer hub: sample handpicked high quality beverages from seven hand-picked regional brewers and two distilleries. We’ll also have a free photo booth and other activities.
Bike Rodeo hosted by the Flannel Crew: this event features fun spectator events like huck-to-flat comps, adult tricycle races, costume crits and other ridiculous behaviour … you get the idea!
Family friendly non-race activities: check out group rides, shuttles and coaching clinics (coaching clinics are additional, fees direct to coaches)
Kids-only Hub: the kids will love face painting, digger pits, a skills & drills area, colouring and more! Find out more.
Secure bike parking: leave your car at home! We’ll keep your bike safe while you test bikes and participate in activities.
Representation from grass-roots mountain bike associations across the whole region
Wildlife safety and anatomy of a trail sessions demonstrating our commitment to responsible riding
Collaboration with partner-run, fun & friendly events like TransRockies Race Series’ Rundle’s Revenge.
Ride the Rockies Regional Trails Fund
Plaid Goat will donate an annual contribution to mountain bike associations; the groups dedicated to caring for the mountain bike trails across our region. This will be done by creating the Ride the Rockies Regional Trails Fund and distributing grants to qualifying mountain bike alliances. Learn more.
Plaid Goat Mountain Bike Fest is a new mountain bike tourism experience that will break down barriers, while breaking new ground. It will close gaps in our area to attract a growing market, which will enhance culture, economy and mountain bike infrastructure around the region.
The activities at this three-day festival will be different from any other event in Western Canada as it will align to the following pillars:
General Admission // $10 per adult
Massive thanks to Outside Bike & Ski who generously sponsored 2018’s admission tickets!
Admission includes access to: Plaid Goat’s Expo, Regional Craft Beer Tent, Group Rides, Secure Bike Parking, Kids Hub and more.
Admission for kids and youth is free [however, you’re welcome to give a donation to the Ride the Rockies Society to invest in the region’s trails for the future of your family’s riding!].
Add on: Demo Shuttle Wristband // $20 per day or $30 per weekend
By adding a Demo Shuttle Wristband to your admission, you’ll get to sample the sweetest bikes of the year back to back for an insanely low price AND be able to grab shuttles throughout the weekend! [just think of the average daily cost to rent a bike alone ($75-$150) – hello savings!]
Demos will run Sat and Sun, though bike brands will be onsite Fri evening so you can plan out your weekend of demo awesomeness. There will be a limited number of bikes available and as such, a limited number of Demo Shuttle Wristbands up for grabs.
A limited number of demo wristbands will be available for purchase, but capped to ensure the best ratio of bike to person availability.
Add on: Coaching Clinics
Coaching clinic info will be announced soon!
Thank you for supporting Plaid Goat by getting your passes in advance. People like you help us plan out the best program possible!
PLAID GOAT KIDS HUBKids can enjoy Plaid Goat by donation to the Ride the Rockies’ Regional Stewards Program
Plaid Goat is a family friendly event that will host an in-event Kids Hub; a free access kid-centric space for families to come play and relax.
Old goats only — 18+
Plaid Goat’s Regional Craft Beer Hub won’t be your everyday beer tent. Expect entertaining activities, a rider-centric atmosphere and a handpicked shortlist of regional craft beverages to quench your thirst.
The criteria for vendors are based on festival values and include:
Entry to the Beer Hub is free with festival tickets and is old-goats-only / 18+ / ID required.
Beer Hub hours:
Besides our careful selection of regional brewers + local distillers and wine providers, here’s what else to expect:
Add a Demo Shuttle Wristband to your ticket to test out this season’s tastiest bikes
Though you can bring your own bike to Plaid Goat, you can also add a Demo Shuttle Wristband onto the standard ticket to test the Fest’s bikes and catch a lift to the trailhead. Just think of the average daily cost to rent ONE bike ($75-$150). The wristband will save you money, provide access to way more than one bike, & give you shuttle love to trailheads throughout the valley!
Friday will be the Demo “Sneak a Peek” so you can select your tick list, get sized up and have your weekend all organized to get the most out of your demo time. Saturday and Sunday will be the actual Demo-licious Days.
While there will be a lot of bikes at the event, they are on a first come first served basis. So, if there’s a specific bike you’d like to try – please come early. Each vendor will determine how long you can take a bike on a ride for, but the most common duration will be 1-2 hours. To help ensure everyone has a chance to try all of the bikes, we ask that you don’t hold onto a bike while you get lunch or take a break.
What to bring if you’re demo’ing bikes:
VISITING THE ROCKIESCheck out details on where to stay, recommended bike shops & more!
Never been here before? Want some local beta?
If you’re coming to the Canadian Rockies to ride for the first time, here’s some info to jump-start your planning.
No matter the season, remember that this is a wild area in more ways than one. We have deep respect for our wildlife neighbours and encourage visitors to follow suit. Please make noise when riding, carry bear spray (and know how to use it) and ride with your canine pals leashed. If you’d like more info on recreating in the Rockies, please click here.
Summer
The style of mountain biking in our area is generally all mountain or cross country. Though there are a couple of shuttle-able areas [Moose Mountain (West Bragg Creek), Reclaimer (Canmore), etc.] we mostly ride up to get our downs here.
Canmore and area (Kananaskis and Banff included) have a reputation for steep ups. The level of technical difficulty will vary depending on your riding style and experience. There’s a great deal of intermediate riding with varied distances. In Canmore, shorter to mid-length loops can build into long endurance laps (Nordic Centre) and in Kananaskis Country you’ll be sure to enjoy some phenomenal lung busting alpine gems. Riding in Banff National Park is its own awesome experience and though this is less km of trail in comparison, the variety of riding experiences is sure to satisfy most any rider.
One thing to note is that the signage in the area is improving and seeing ongoing developments… bare with us as the area’s mountain bike groups continue working with the many land managers to enhance way finding. Trailforks is surely to be your preferred weapon of choice or feel free to pop by any of our local bike shops to inquire into scheduled group rides.
If it rains, be sure to enjoy some of our awesome culinary options or check out our quaint local shops. In our climate, trails tend to dry out quickly so if moisture comes, you’ll generally be back at it in no time. Note: exposed tree roots can be very slippery here, so heads up if it rains.
Winter
Fat biking has exploded and enabled the two wheel obsessed to ride all year round. If you don’t have a fat bike, be sure to rent one at any of our local shops and keep an eye out for group rides to tag onto. These happen year round in our area! Note: where riding all winter long is possible, we do suggest studded tires for best traction.
Where should I ride?
Though you can always check out Trailforks, we strongly recommend coming into the shops for some mountain bike specific beta and local riding tips! Here’s who to talk to depending on where you’re riding:
Canmore:
Banff:
Lake Louise:
Kananaskis:
Jasper:
What should we do when we’re too tired to ride? Connect with Tourism Canmore, Banff Lake Louise Tourism or Tourism Jasper to get some ideas.
Where to stay? Canmore
During Plaid Goat, these hotel partners are looking forward to hosting you and are offering an array of discounts and packages. Please contact them directly to inquire or book and be sure to think of them again when you visit next time. Support those who support riders!
Holiday Inn Canmore
Discount: $270/room
How to book: call 403-609-4422 and say you’re with Plaid Goat
Paintbox Lodge
Discount: BOOKED OUT DURING FEST WEEKEND – for stays before and after weekend receive 25%
How to book: say you’re with Plaid Goat
Where to stay? Kananaskis
Before, during or after Plaid Goat, sneak out to Kananaskis and stay at the foot of the trails in one of Alberta’s most spectacular gems. Not only will you enjoy the mellow vibe of K-Country, but the trails will knock your socks off. Be sure to book your stay with Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge, which is a uniquely situated hotel and they love mountain bikers (therefore, we love them!).
While in Kananaskis, check out Prairie View/Jewel Pass, Cox Hill, Jumpingpound Ridge or Baldy Pass and if you need riding supplies or other recommendations, Kananaskis Outfitters has got your back. They’ll have whatever you need; winter or summer.
Where to stay? Camping
There’s not a ton of camping right in the town of Canmore, but you’ll find more close by. Here’s a list across the immediate Bow Valley:
Canmore and area:
Banff National Park:
Managed by Parks Canada, ride and stay in Canada’s first National Park:
Kananaskis:
Managed by Alberta Parks, here are some beautiful campgrounds to consider:
Peter Lougheed Provincial Park
Kananaskis Valley
How to get around?
Though some people prefer to be independent in their own car, if you want to freewheel it, remember the Bow Valley has one of the best local airport shuttle companies going. The Banff Airporter will pick you up in style and does drop offs in Canmore and Banff, all with great Canadian Rockies customer service. Can you tell we’re big fans? Click here to check them out.
Once you get here, the regional bus service is fantastic and you guessed it, is bike friendly. The name of the transit service is Roam and it will easily and comfortably move you around the Bow Valley. Click here to learn more.
