Free Ride

Whether you’re a fixed or a 10-speed, gear up for the third annual Cyclomesa event.Formerly The Great Arizona Bicycle Festival, this two-day affair is a one-stop street fest for all things two-wheeled. Each day features a large-scale race, including a crash-and-burn sprint and the start and finish of the 70-mile...

By Janessa Hilliard

April 3, 2014

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Whether you’re a fixed or a 10-speed, gear up for the third annual Cyclomesa event.

Formerly The Great Arizona Bicycle Festival, this two-day affair is a one-stop street fest for all things two-wheeled. Each day features a large-scale race, including a crash-and-burn sprint and the start and finish of the 70-mile bike marathon El Tour de Mesa. Things get a little more extreme this year when the festival holds qualifiers for Red Bull Ride + Style, a yearly ride competition comprised of top fixed gear bike races and freestyle cyclists. Tempe’s State Bicycle Co. presents the local qualifier in conjunction with El Tour Criterium, a 25- to 60-minute race with a $20 application fee.

For those who’d rather watch than ride, there will be live music, a beer garden, food trucks, and a kids' zone -- complete with a bike rodeo.

Saddle up from 4 to 11 p.m. Friday, April 4, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 5, at the Mesa Convention Center, 263 North Center Street. Admission is free. Visit facebook.com/TheGreatArizonaBicycleFestival for details.

Fri., April 4, 4-11 p.m.; Sat., April 5, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., 2014

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Janessa is a native Phoenician. She joined New Times as a contributor in 2013. You can connect with her on social media at @janessahilliard, and she promises you'll find no pictures of cats on her Instagram — but plenty of cocktails.

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