GREETINGS AND EXCITATIONS
For three years in the early ’90s, Excitebike co-disorganizers Chris H and Don P (along with Joe B) threw a mountain bike hoedown called the Chimichanga Fat Tire Festival in a suburban Chicago forest preserve. Despite the grandiose moniker, it was really no more than a picnic with bikes—an elementally simple, good time as witnessed by the photo carousel at the bottom of this page.
Fast-forward some 30 years to 2023, and the duo—both now relocated to California—found themselves attending a mountain bike advocacy summit at Camp Loma, a historic 4H camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains just a stone’s throw from the most excellent trails of Soquel Demonstration State Forest. It was here they hatched a plan to revive the Chimichanga vibe as a West Coast mountain bike campout weekend.
Not any kind of race, or even an “organized event” per se, Excitebike is really just a gathering of friends and friends-of-friends on the camp/ride/good time spectrum.
THE EXCITEVIBE IS WHAT WE MAKE IT
Camping, riding and festivating are just the starting point. What Excitebike becomes from there is the result of the collective energy, imagination and creativity of the attendees. Which is to say that you can play this however you want—it’s totally acceptable to go the basic route and simply show up and just have fun. At the same time it’s also totally acceptable (and encouraged) for you to send us a note and say “Hey, I’d like to do X”….with X being anything from making Swiftie friendship bracelets to reanimating your college performance art thesis to organizing a game of kick the can. If you’re a crafty small business and want to sell your wares, or you just wanna wow the crowd with some ukelele solos that’s cool too. Camp is spacious and we’d love to see some fun, unique and unexpected circuses. Have an idea you want to execute on-site? Just shoot us an email (or note it on your registration) and we’ll figure out a way to fit it in.
