A party with a cause: What a beautiful mechanism—pretty as a bicycle. People gather—as they are wont to do—warmed by a cause and with added reason to celebrate.
They party hardy, and their gathered energies (and gathered monies) are then disbursed like confetti over a cause, greening our land in glorious after effect. In this handsome example, the cause is Marin trails upkeep, and the party is Biketoberfest.
Biketoberfest… Unscrew that portmanteau—it joins “bike” and “Oktoberfest.” This festival has 21 breweries and substitutes Germans for bike enthusiasts of all ages in the town of Fairfax, under smiling Tamalpais—where modern mountain biking was born.
This year, celebrating its 20th year of fun(d) raising, Biketoberfest has changed hands to a new generation of producers: Tommy Breeze and Alejandro “Sanchez” Sanchez, the co-owners of Tommy Breeze hats (lately seen topping the dome of suspected Marin resident Lady Gaga).
Sanchez brought me notice of this hip happening. I admit I was a bit surprised. I stopped eating my burrito. Like many others, Sanchez is better known as the dreamboat lead guitarist of Novato rockers, The Happys. The Happys are known for upbeat surf-grunge songs about coming up out of the dark—addiction, jail, depression, the long climb back. And they are perhaps best known for their viral approach to marketing, which involves scrawling “Listen to The Happys” on mounted pieces of garbage they find on the roadside as they tour. (Perhaps one has seen a cardboard or a bedsheet sign lashed to a fence. It’s delightful.)
Well, sometimes someone surprises a person by revealing a whole new dimension of themselves. It fits though. Both Sanchez and Breeze are rockers and love to throw parties. And Breeze is the son of Joe Breeze, whose creation of the world’s first mountain bike is hallowed in a permanent Smithsonian display (the legacy lives on).
This free festival will center on their hat studio, in the retro gas station lot they share with Splitrock Tap & Wheel. Fun rides on those Marin famous trails begin the day. And the wholesome fun continues with safety and repair demos, tabling, a kid zone, beer, a ticketed VIP experience, food trucks and music curated by these hip young bucks, suited to many tastes and ages. And of course, not listed on the poster, they’ll be the spirit of community, bonded over a post-ride brew dog and a worthy cause.
So one may ride in the morning, drink in the afternoon, dance till six—and wake on Sunday to find their good time has gone back into the dirt, as trail, as bridge, as switchback cut by hand. That is the mechanism. One may pedal hard and cruise on through.
Cincinnatus Hibbard: Sanchez, what is your favorite Marin trail?
Sanchez: Alamere Falls. It’s one of the most magical things in the world to watch a fresh water fall empty into the ocean. It’s only one of two waterfalls in all of California where you can see fresh water empty into salt. It’s a long hike … and lots of people like to do it nude (laughs).
Didn’t The Happys film a music video in the old druid heights commune near Muir Woods?
Yes. The music video for ‘I Don’t Know.’ It’s one of my proudest works with The Happys (The Happy’s Youtube: bit.ly/happys-locals).
Learn more: Biketoberfest, Saturday, Oct. 10, downtown Fairfax. Group rides 9–11am, festival noon–6pm, music 2–6pm (The Pulsators, Sunhunter, Loma Alta). Free, all ages; beer tasting $45 presale, VIP $90. marintrailstewards.org/biketoberfest. Hats at tommybreeze.com. And listen to The Happys: thehappysofficial.com.
