Kenda Bikefest gearing up for the weekend

The 2008 Kenda Bikefest, formerly known as the Pedro's Bike fest in previous years, will kick off this weekend from July 25-27 in the Berkshire Mountains near Hancock, Massachssetts. Top among the list of attendees for the 14th annual festival are legends Eric Carter, Brian Lopes and Hans Rey.

Eric Carter, a world champion, multi-time World Cup medallist and former national champion, heads to the BikeFest for the first time. He will do a downhill ride at Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort. On Saturday and Sunday, Carter will join Fest-goers out on the trails - leading an Intermediate ride before returning to the slopes Sunday afternoon to take one last downhill trip before the festival closes.

Brian Lopes, a four-time world champion, winner of six World Cups and nine-time national champion, will be both showcasing and sharing his skills with the festival faithful across disciplines - leading a dirt jumping clinic and pump track clinic along with leading downhill rides and cross country rides. Lopes' appearances begin on Friday afternoon with a 1:00 pm dirt jumping clinic followed by a 4:00 pm pump track exhibition and continue throughout the weekend.

Alongside Carter and Lopes, Hans Rey will lead one of the first rides of the weekend, the expert ride at intermediate pace on Friday morning at 10:30 am. Rey, a Trials World Champion, Mountain Bike Hall of Fame inductee and Freeriding and Extreme Mountain Biking pioneer, will share a presentation featuring highlights from his recent trip to Tanzania and his Wheels 4 Life charitable work. Rey will continue to lead rides throughout the weekend with his final ride on Sunday- an intermediate level ride at 11:30 am.

On the women's side the Luna team will send several representatives including multi-time World Champion Marla Streb, former World Champion Alison Dunlap and Jimena Florit.