Afterbike is back! Last month, after taking a few years off, the 2021 Afterbike Southern Utah mountain bike gathering took place in Hurricane.
Afterbike has been going on since time-immemorial; or at least since the Interbike tradeshow moved to Las Vegas in the late 90s. Every fall, after Interbike finished up, bike industry folks would make their annual pilgrimage to Southern Utah. Originally, this was a natural migration with people stopping for a quick ride on Gooseberry Mesa or camping for a few days to relax and explore the mesas. When Over the Edge, Hurricane opened in 2007, Interbike escapees started stopping by the shop to hang out. That’s when Afterbike formally became an informal yearly event. The general itinerary was a mellow group ride on Saturday followed by a BBQ at the shop. It was a great way for bike industry people to wind down after the tradeshow and hang out with friends without worrying about meetings or sales goals.
When Interbike died, Afterbike just sort of disappeared. We missed it, though. Fall riding conditions in Hurricane are the best and we love a good party. So we decided to bring it back and make it regular event from here on out.
This was our first Afterbike since Interbike in Las Vegas ended. The weather was gorgeous and it was great to see everyone and play follow-the-leader on the slickrock. We had a big group ride at Little Creek on Saturday and then met at the shop for a BBQ dinner. Thanks to everyone who came out to ride and join us for the post-ride festivities. Scroll down for a big gallery of Afterbike 2021 photos.e 2021 photos.
If you missed Afterbike this year, plan on it for 2022 – we’re bringing it back for good. To keep the bike industry connection, Afterbike 2022 will be on September 23rd and 24th. That’s the weekend before Outerbike so if you’re driving through Utah on your way to Moab just leave a few days early so you can come hang with your friends in Hurricane. Put it on your calendar now. We promise you won’t regret it.
