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Ask Aunty Nance FAQ
You've got (so many) questions. Aunty's got (so many) answers.
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Is it weird if I come to the festival solo?Hell no honey bunches. About 1/3 of our participants arrive solo...it won't take long to make new friends! We recommend snagging a Guided Ride pass to up your social calendar during the festival.
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Is this festival brand new/beginner rider friendly?Le sigh. At risk of sounding like an ass, Roam Fest is intended for experienced mountain bike riders; Aunty actively discourages brand-new and underskilled mtb riders from attending. Why? First, we aren't a skills clinic, which is really where newer riders should invest their time and money. Also, the majority of injuries and trailside bungles at Roam can be attributed to new mtb riders (it ain't your fault, you just haven't developed your steeze yet!). The Grand Valley can be a wicked hard place to ride, and our small team does not have the resources to properly and safely support new mtb riders. A lack of skills just ain’t a recipe for a good time - and you bet your ass we’re here for a good time. Please check out our Skills Ratings system and see where you fit: Anyone Skill Level 3 or above is good to go! If you are a Skill Level 2, Aunty recommends working to level-up (clinics, coaching, riding a shitton) before joining us in the fall We’re unable to accommodate Skill Level 1, see above. One more question: I’ve been road/gravel riding forever, should I join Roam Fest as a new mountain biker? Just so we are clear - you are new to mountain biking? See our answer regarding new mtb riders above.
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I’m worried I’m not good enough to join…advice?Smoochie! Read through our Skills & Fitness Rating page - it very clearly spells out exactly what skills you need to be able to execute. Anyone at a Skill Level 3 or above with some basic fitness is going to be juuuust fine. Here’s our typical participant breakdown by Skill Level: Skill Level 1: 0% Skill Level 2: 1% Skill Level 3: 14% Skill Level 4: 22% Skill Level 5: 30% Skill Level 6: 21% Skill Level 7: 10% Skill Level 8: 2%
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How old/young do I have to be to participate?Due to alcohol permitting, you must be 21 to attend. Under 21? Contact us. Our attendee age breakdown is typically as follows: 21-29: 20% 30-39: 28% 40-49: 22% 50-59: 25% 60+ 5%
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Can my super adorable fur baby Fido come to the festival?Not to be crass, but absafuckinlutely not. Imagine if 1000 mtbers brought their 2,726 dogs to the event... If you’re picturing poop everywhere, incessant barking, naughty behavior, and absolute chaos…you’ll understand why we have a zero tolerance policy for pets in the campground and festival venue. And yes, because Fido cannot join, we extend our policy to Felix as well. Check out our camping/accommodation FAQ’s if you need to keep Fido, Felix, or friends offsite while you enjoy the festival.
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How much drinkable water should I bring?Such a helpful thing to ask! Be sure to bring 3 gallons of water per person for drinking and such. The Roam team hauls thousands of gallons of water for refills, but it’s really just swell if you start each day with filling your own water bottles and water bladders before heading over to the festival.
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Are WTFNB folks invited?Yes, absolutely! Anyone who identifies as WTFNB (Women, Trans, Femme, and Non-Binary) and is over the age of 21 is welcome to join us. Please see our Safer Spaces Guidelines for more clarifications regarding our intended participants. And before you jackholes leave dumb/insulting, "Can I just wear a wig and a skirt?" comment – that is old, tired, and completely inappropriate. Do better.
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I’m a pretty masc-leaning WTFNB, is this the event for me?That’s for you to decide, friend. Roam Fest began as a women’s event, and the space is still very femme-oriented. We’ve had FTM, trans masc, and masc non-binary folks attend our event and received feedback that they’ve felt good about attending, but we know that may not always be the case. If it is helpful to know, we’ve got several masc folks on our team who would be happy to chat personally about their experiences. Please see our Safer Spaces Guidelines for more info.
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I’m from Bentonville, Bend, or (insert machine-built glory trail system here), how should I expect the riding to compare at Roam Fest?Expect slow tech pedaling baby cakes. We rarely use words like “flow” or “long descent”...we do use a lot of “punchy” “exposed” and “technical rock moves” when describing our trails.
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How many folks attend Roam Fest?Over 1000 shredders from all over the country, Canada, and beyond join us.
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Shit, that's a lot.Not a question, but I’ll go with it. The Roam team has collectively put on hundreds of events from 10 to 10,000 people. We've very intentionally added a few hundred people to Roam Fest year over year so we don’t get too big for our britches too fast. These raddasses know what they’re doing.
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What are the waitlist, transfer, refund, and cancellation policies?Glad you asked. We wrote it all down here.
I was one of the lucky BIPOC Fellowship recipients this year. I was really nervous at first not knowing what to expect, but Roam Fest really knocked it out of the park! The friends and community I gained from this past weekend was the biggest take away for me. I really felt that diversity, inclusion and fun were at the very forefront of this festival. If anyone is thinking about going to Roam Fest, I highly suggest it!!! I had the best time with the raddest folks!
- Roam Fest '23 BIPOC Fellowship Participant
Copyright 2024 Roam Events LLC
Roam Fest is a Roam Events production
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