Pedal your way to Reveille Peak Ranch’s Bike Fest

DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR

BURNET — With the days warming up and even a few bluebonnets popping out, it’s a perfect time for a little biking. If you’re looking for a place to get the kids excited about biking or just being outdoors, head to the second annual Reveille Peak Ranch Bike Fest.

The Bike Fest is March 20-22 at the ranch, 105 CR 114 off RR 2341 west of Burnet.

“This year, two bike manufacturers — Specialized and Scott — are going to be there, and they’ll have bike demos going on,” said Kathy Duryea of Terra Firma Racing, which along with Richardson Bike Mark, presents the event. “So if you’re new to mountain biking or thinking about it, it’s a great time to come out and try out some bikes. Or, if you’re already mountain biking but want to give a different bike a try, this is a great chance to do it.”

With more than 60 miles of mountain-biking trails — including jeep trails and single track — Reveille Peak Ranch is a great place to really test out a bike.

Duryea said there will be events for riders of all ages and skill levels.

“We’ll have some clinics and even some kid clinics,” she said. “One of the things the kids enjoyed the most last year was riding on the pump track. They loved that.”

A pump track is a circular course built in such a way that riders can propel themselves around it by pumping their upper bodies, not by pedaling.

“There will be some organized rides for the kids,” Duryea added. “We’ll also have a couple of silly games. We’ll do a slow race, which is a lot of fun and a lot of kids participate in it because they have great balance.”

And if your kids aren’t very steady on a bike, Duryea said a few trips around the pump track or on one of the trails might boost their confidence.

“If families come out and spend the weekend camping with us or just come out for the day, then the kids may really find this is a great thing to do,” she said. “And when the next weekend comes around, they may say, ‘Hey, you remember that place we went riding? Can we do that this weekend?’ So, it’s a chance to get kids outside and doing something fun.”

You can also try night riding March 20-21.

“This year, we’ve also added an XTERRA 5K and 15K trail runs Saturday night,” Duryea said. “You can try trail running with a flashlight. The 5K will probably be before it’s dark, but the 15K runners will definitely get to run during the dark.”

Camping and admission is $15-$75, depending on whether you’re staying overnight and participating in certain activities. Go to www.rprtexas.com for more information.

daniel@thepicayune.com