Fat Tire Bike Week starts Wednesday

Since the 1970s, when locals started retrofitting old Schwinn paperboy bikes with multiple gears, Crested Butte has helped write the history of mountain biking and is home to the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. This June 24-28, Crested Butte will host the world’s oldest mountain bike festival, the 29th annual Fat Tire Bike Week.
“Fat Tire Bike Week is the granddaddy of them all,” said Scott Still, the events manager at the Crested Butte/Mt. Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce, “and the 2009 Fat Tire will have some great new events like the Project Rwanda Benefit Concert and the first annual Fat Tire 40 mountain bike race.”
FTBW has a tradition of live musical performances, Still said. “We thought it would be great to transform one of the music events into a benefit concert to aid Project Rwanda, which is an organization that is helping to improve the lives of the Rwandan people through the use of bicycles. Plus, Project Rwanda is also increasing the awareness of the bicycle as an economical and eco-friendly tool in this country and others all over the world.”
 The new Fat Tire 40 mountain bike race will be a hit as well, explained Still. “This one will sell out fast—the field will be limited to 100 riders bringing everything they’ve got to 40 miles of classic Crested Butte single track.”
The benefit concert is free, but donations will be collected throughout the venue and all proceeds will go to Project Rwanda. The Fat Tire 40 costs $40 and includes a post-race party.
To view a complete Fat Tire Bike Week schedule or register for the race, got to www.ftbw.com.
The site also includes information about other Fat Tire Bike Week happenings like the Bicycle Tour of Colorado Crested Butte layover, group rides, bike expo, and the beer garden.
As the leading business organization in the community, The Crested Butte/Mt Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce and Visitors’ Centers seek to promote the community, provide information for tourists, residents, and business owners, create a strong local economy, provide networking opportunities, represent the interests of business with government, and provide value and benefit to members.