Rides & Vibes

Behind Grand Junction’s Mountain Bike & Music Fest

In November of 2020, within the first week of his role as Executive Director of the Grand Junction Sports Commission, Ben Snyder received a call from Epic Rides, the event owner and organizer, inquiring about Grand Junction’s interest in purchasing the popular spring-time event. The future of the Grand Junction Off-Road mountain bike race and music festival was uncertain. Although both parties hoped the event would return to Grand Junction in 2022, there were still a lot of post-pandemic hurdles to clear for the organizing committee based in Arizona. Conversations on how to make the event work, requests for increased funding, and other ideas floated around for the better part of the year between the Sports Commission and the outside event organizer. Ultimately, Epic Rides made the announcement in November of 2021 that they had permanently discontinued the Grand Junction Off-Road as a result of financial restraints and staffing challenges.

At that time, despite having only one full-time staff member, the Sports Commission Board voted to move forward with the event per Snyder’s request, allowing Snyder to serve as the event director and invest the Sports Commission’s resources to ensure the event continued under a new brand. “Fortunately, my background is in event production,” says Snyder with a smile on his face, “because if it wasn’t, we had no business trying to take on an event of that magnitude.” Snyder openly admits that planning the first year of Rides & Vibes teetered between nightmare and fatigue, ultimately giving way to some incredibly bright moments.

In less than two months, the Sports Commission moved forward in announcing the event, opening registration, and building a strong new brand through collaboration with Downtown Grand Junction and the incredibly talented artist TJ Smith of Stray Wild. Grand Junction Rides & Vibes was launched, and the first year saw a lot of bumps and bruises getting to the literal and figurative finish line. “My family and closest friends know that I’m not the most sentimental guy,” Snyder added, “but as we launched the first race in the first year of Rides & Vibes, I teared up. It was such a big effort to put this event on, and it was so reliant on partnerships around Grand Junction that allowed us to succeed.” Snyder continued that the partnership with Downtown Grand Junction and their event team, vital support from the Grand Junction Police Department and Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, and the corporate partners that stepped up made it all possible.

Fast-forward to 2025, as the Sports Commission approaches year four of Rides & Vibes presented by Intermountain Health, the data collected from the previous three years leaves little room for doubt in whether this event was a good decision for the community. Since 2022, Rides & Vibes has produced roughly $2.4 million in economic impact through direct spending. This figure is calculated through the total number of visitors brought into Grand Junction for the event and the amount they spend on lodging, restaurants, and other purchases during their visit. Snyder shared that the average cost of producing the event is about $160,000 and the event has steadily grown between the total number of riders, spectators, and the amount of beer consumed. “Don’t underestimate the taste of a cold beer after a solid ride,” Snyder joked. A partnership was established in 2022 with Ska Brewing out of Durango and included Talbott’s Cider Company of Palisade, both groups returning for the 2025 version. Snyder also added, “Ska and Talbott’s came in at the 11th hour and saved us that first year, even if we did get a trailer full of beer stuck in a parking garage the morning of the event.”

Most impressively though, aside from the economic impact, this event has generated over $44,000 in donations to nonprofit organizations around Mesa County, the majority of which are cycling focused groups such as COPMOBA, The Cycle Effect, and Grand Valley Youth Cycling. This year, the Sports Commission is increasing its partnership with both COPMOBA and The Cycle Effect, hoping to raise over $15,000 alone between the two groups. COPMOBA will be pouring the beer at both beer stations during the weekend while the Sports Commission is launching The Cycle Effect Challenge, a fundraising ride with community participation to buy new bikes for their young riders. The 2025 Rides & Vibes Mountain Bike and Music Festival presented by Intermountain Health will be held Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10. Riders can register to ride in the Fresh 15, Dirty 30, or Filthy 40-mile bike races to be held on Saturday. The community can participate in the Kid’s Ride with a Doctor, The Cycle Effect Challenge, and the Community Crit on Friday night, all free to join. Men’s and Women’s Pro riders will compete for a $20,000 cash purse between the Pro Crit on Friday night and the 40-mile race on Saturday. Live music will be provided all weekend free of charge with headliners being Still House String Band on Friday and Black Pistol Fire on Saturday. Outdoor vendors, community partners, food trucks, and other amenities will also be available free of charge to the public, all held on Main Street in downtown Grand Junction. More information on Rides & Vibes can be found online at gjridesandvibes.com. Snyder expects this year’s event to exceed previous marks of economic impact and total participation.

Rides & Vibes

Behind Grand Junction’s Mountain Bike & Music Fest

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