1. Ard Rock is one of our 7 best MTB events to try in 2025, and it’s because of things like this: A new one from last year, Peaty’s Pub Bike GP challenge is properly exciting. A load of top riders race around a daft obstacle course on dinky ‘pub’ bikes with enforced drinking and challenges thrown in the mix. What could possibly go wrong?

Matt Jones leading out the Pub Bike race, on bikes about the size we’d ride in the 90s

This year the Pub Bike Challenge takes place at 19.00 on Saturday, and while it’s pretty new it already feels like one of the established highlights at Ard Rock.

The Hope Academy skills zone is properly good for helping develop kids’ riding

2. Hope Academy kid’s skill coaching is such a cool thing to see if you’ve got kids, watching progression happen right before your eyes. Little ones of all levels get their chance to shine on a custom-designed Hope kid’s skills course. The sessions themselves range from balance bikes up to older kids trying their first jumps and drops.

I’m sure this is mountain bike related too, although I’m no coach

The idea is they build skills and confidence, but perhaps the best result is you get the kids out of your hair and into the capable hands of the Hope Academy coaches… at least for half an hour.

The Hope Academy coaching runs all weekend, but you do need to book if you want a place. There’s a fee, but it goes to World Bicycle relief 

The pump track is always chokka at Ard Rock

3. There’s always a pump track at Ard Rock, but this one’s a bit special because it’s put up for each event before being boxed up and taken away for next time. I love the Pump Track battle too, this time around Specialized is giving away an amazing shiny new P2 hardtail bike to the winner… and I’m hoping it’s going to be me! 

Battle commences on Friday evening at 17:30 in the main arena. Anyone can have a go with timed qualification for the main event taking place all afternoon between 13.00 and 16.00 on the Specialized Pump Track.

There are dedicated womens rides at Ard Rock, away from the racing here in this pic, and you’ll ride some of the hundreds of ks of brilliant trails

4. Ard Rock is a festival for everyone, and Hope goes out of its way to ensure that’s not just words. This year it’s organised a guided Hope Tech women’s ride. There’s amazing local riding around the Ard Rock site to enjoy and you get to practice the trails with girl-only groups.

Guided rides are leaving the event village on Friday at 10:00 and 14:00 this year, but it looks like they’re booked out already.

Joe Barnes, one of the fastest – and most colourful – riders from 2024

5. I hate to call them celebs, but Ard Rock draws in some of the most well regarded mountain bikers and pros in the UK. Last year I saw Jono Jones, Danny MacAskill, Joe Barnes, Becci Skelton, Joe Connell, and Jake Ebdon about the place, and I’m sure I’ll see a load of equally exciting riders this year too. I even put together a top trumps spread of bikes of Ard Rock, from Joe Barnes’ custom HB916 to the 1996 GT LTS. 

Danny Hart will be chatting about all things off-road this year, and giving some tips on the track too

I’m not sure who else will be here in 2025, but I do know double DH World Champion Danny Hart is on the roster, he’s doing a live Q&A on stage with our own Guy Kes TV. Apparently he’s going to relive his incredible winning DH run in Champery, and there’ll be some top trail tips for the course, we’re told.

The Ard Rock giveaways are legendary

6. The giveaways at Ard Rock are unreal. The main prize presentation for the Enduro and Sprint events is when serious guys and gals get their awards for racing, but for everyone else in the huge crowd it’s a chance to grab a load of freebies chucked out. You can also win amazing prizes this year, there’s no Fox Podium Grip X2 fork up for grabs I’m afraid but you could win a Float 38 Factory fork in a raffle draw where all proceeds go to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance Charity. 

Ard Rock is as much a bike show as it is a race, but you’re on a hillside rather than stuck in an exhibition hall

7. Ard Rock is not just a mountain bike race, it’s a proper festival. Forget about wandering round a sweaty artificially-lit exhibition hall, this event is where real UK mountain bikers head for inspiration and get to blast around the hills all weekend before heading back to get hands-on or demo new kit at a huge festival and expo site with over a hundred brands.

I’m told you can demo a bike from over a dozen leading brands this year, including Specialized, Atherton, Forbidden, and Transition. Head over to Orbea to win a fully-signed FMD racing jersey and check out the brand’s all-new Rallon transformer bike that morphs between enduro and DH duties.

E-bikes will be everywhere at Ard Rock, including the Whyte Kado RSX and new bikes from YT and Deviate

8. Ard Rock is the place to come if you want to see new bikes, on display is Deviate’s all-new Kurgan and roumour has it although YT has entered self administration it’s still launching a brand new e-bike at the festival. I’m also excited to see the insanely-powerful 130Nm motor made for Markhor by Bafang and built into an enduro e-bike with up to 190mm travel depending on the shock. Ard Rock is a chance to get eyeballs on the latest Orange Phase Evo DJI bike, and a brand new Kado bike from Whyte. 

Last year’s Ard Rock champion William Brodie, heckle him at your pleasure if you’re not racing

9. Gawping at bikes is one thing, but the riding is why we’re here… or at least why plenty of us are here, the beer is also a pretty strong call. The Bosch e-mountain bike enduro is actually one of biggest e-bike enduro races in the world, with over 900 riders setting off on Sunday morning and taking on all seven stages. Tickets are all sold out for 2015, but the event actually caters really well for you if you’re not riding (music, beer, food etc) – my advice is to head to Heckler’s Woods at the bottom of Stage One and watch the carnage with hundreds of other spectators as e-bikers tackle Ard Rock’s trickiest rocky section. 

There’s riding like this away from the Ard Rock race too… just saying

10. Ard Rock takes place on private land, meaning its amazing trails – honestly some of the best mountain bike routes in the country – aren’t open to the public any other time of the year. There are hundreds of kilometres of trails you can just ride, not to mention the seven massive timed stages come alive once the race tape is laid out. And no matter how knackering it all is, racers can shake out those tired legs out and boogie with DJ Milf and Riff Shop on the main stage until late 22:30 on Friday and Saturday. 

Beer, and lots of it, can be had at Ard Rock

11. I said Ard Rock is about more than just the riding though, because it’s also about beer, which you can get for free at the Continental stall (this year’s new title sponsor). Enter a prize draw to win a full-on Mercedes Benz/Continental off-road driving experience, and have a drink on them. Top tip: booze cruisers can also find free beers at the Specialized stand till it runs out. 

DJ Milf going off

12. Finally, Ard Rock is a proper festival, with live music and DJs on set every day. Red Bull will be showing all the action from the Hardline event on a big screen in its tent throughout the weekend; head over if you don’t want to miss out on all the crazy action. The brand will also be dishing out much-needed Red Bull after Stage Five to get the most done in riders to the finish line.