The inaugural Equinox Bike Fest weekend, a collaboration between Moon Cycle and the Golden Cycling Club, packed in two days of racing, riding, and celebrating on September 20-21. The festival combined the second annual GAL Enduro with a new addition, the Golden 50, plus plenty of parties and community support in between.
Saturday saw 70 riders hit the Mt. 7 trails for the GAL Enduro, supported by 25 local volunteers who kept everything running smoothly under sunny skies. The women’s enduro, now in its second year, drew plenty of excitement, with riders already buzzing about next year’s 2026 theme.
Prizes came courtesy of Shimano Canada, Evoc, Muc-Off, Pit Viper, and Blackburn Tools, while local businesses pitched in to fuel and host the weekend. Ethos Café provided lunches, Rockwater Bar & Grill hosted and fed riders, and Whitetooth Brewing created a custom Equinox Sour beer. Tourism Golden also stepped up with volunteer support, highlighting the strong community spirit behind the event.
The Pit Viper after-party and awards ceremony turned Rockwater into a packed house of locals and visitors, with Tracy Mihajic keeping the dance floor alive late into the night.
Sunday’s big debut was the Golden 50, a 50-kilometre down-country XC race dreamed up by Matt Atyeo. “You riders have the misfortune to be the only ones to ride up Kicking Horse’s bike park,” he joked at the start line, hosted by Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. Despite the gruelling climbs, there were plenty of smiles as four youth, three women, and fourteen men tackled Golden’s rugged terrain before finishing at Whitetooth Brewery with beers and pizza.
By the end of the weekend, organizers, riders, and volunteers alike were exhausted but elated. “Our faces still hold the grins we had all weekend,” organizers said. Plans are already underway to expand and improve the event for 2026.
