This year's Keswick Mountain Festival will have more for mountain bikers than ever before, including the chance to quiz Ian Weatherill of Hope Technology, Adrian Carter from Pace Cycles and Orange Mountain Bikes' Michael Bonney. 

There'll also be talks by endurance racer Paul Errington and sports writer/photographer Steve Razzetti, plus a 'bike village' with a demo area, guided rides, skills courses and stands from manufacturers including Merida, Cotic, Nicolai, Pace, Hope and Kona.

Three cycling films will be shown: Take A Seat, which follows Dominic Gill's attempt to cycle from Alaska to the southern tip of South America on a tandem, picking up strangers as stokers; Look To The Ground, the story of blind mountain biker Bobby McMullen; and One Hell Of A Day, which covers Peter Lofthouse's unicycle descent of Helvellyn, the third highest mountain in England.

For the competitive types there'll be a mountain bike orienteering event, the Epic Trailquest, and a sportive that takes in three of the most spectacular Lakeland passes. Bike Night, which includes the industry Q&A session and films, takes place on Thursday 20 May from 7pm. For more information about the festival, visit www.keswickmountainfestival.co.uk.

Director Lucy Benett said: “The Lake District is a stunning area to explore by bike so we've put together an extensive programme to reflect the range of riding there is in the area. We hope the whole family will get involved as it's a great way to get kids active and interested in the outdoors. We're also delighted to be able to include local speakers in the Bike Night and expect that it will be a fascinating evening for all biking enthusiasts.”

As well as all this there are a whole load of guided rides being run by the very excellent Keswick Mountain Bikes over the festival weekend. Thes include rides like the classic 'Skiddaw Loop' and the challenging 'Borrowdale Bash'.

for more info on the guided rides contact Amos at www.keswickbikes.co.uk