Fat Tire 40 returns in force

Are you ready?

There was a time, back in the day as they say, when Fat Tire Bike Week (FTBW) had a famed cross-country race that sent competitors out on a massive tour of some of the world-class single track that surrounds the north end of the Gunnison Valley.

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Kay Peterson-Cook was the FTBW director from 1987 to 1996 and recalls the days when they used 403/401 for the cross-country racecourse. Once Fat Tire Bike Week moved from the fall to July and then eventually June they moved the course to Deer Creek.
“We wanted to make it epic,” says Peterson-Cook.
During the 2000s the “epic” cross-country race disappeared from Fat Tire Bike Week and the local cross-country race was replaced by the Wildflower Rush as part of the Mountain States Cup Series and held in a lap format on Crested Butte Mountain, much like all the other races in the Mountain States Cup Series.
Last year, a group of local mountain bike enthusiasts led by Dave Ochs and Scott Still, events director for the Chamber of Commerce, got together to arrange a way to return FTBW to the days of old.
“Back in the day, it was a rather epic cross-country race,” says Fat Tire 40 co-organizer Dave Ochs. “You came to Crested Butte and you rode the goods.”
The result was the creation of the Fat Tire 40, a race that sent participants on a 40+ mile ride connecting a variety of trails including Upper Upper Loop, Farris Creek, Strand Hill and Deer Creek.
“I’m glad they’re using Deer Creek again,” says Peterson-Cook. “When someone gets tired out there they can’t just bail out.”
In addition, with the recent work done by Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) the Fat Tire 40 included a couple of trails on the resort’s system, making for a comprehensive tour of single track that both the area and the ski area have to offer riders.
“We thought that the race is what brings the masses to town,” says Ochs. “It’s an opportunity to ride 40 miles, 90 percent of it on single track.”
The first annual Fat Tire 40 last summer was capped at 100 riders and filled up immediately with a combination of local Gunnison Valley heavies, as well as a gang-load of riders from out of state and even Japan.
The interest spurned Still and Ochs to include the Fat Tire 40, once again in Fat Tire Bike Week.
This year though, the Fat Tire 40 was added to the Mountain States Cup Race Series as the Wildflower Rush cross-country race, and the cap was increased to 300 riders.
“We talked with Drew Cesati at the resort to combine forces to make it the best Fat Tire Bike Week possible,” says Ochs. “CBMR has been great getting the trails open and the Forest Service has been super groovy hooking us up with a permit.”
To participate in the Fat Tire 40 race, riders are required to hold a USA Cycling license. As a result, Ochs and organizers are offering the Wildcat 40 option—same course—to all riders who do not hold a USA Cycling license.
“We want to maintain a more grassroots-style race,” says Ochs.
In addition, local rancher Michele Veltri is joining in to provide access to the Strand Hill section of the course utilizing the road on his property.
Last year, riders rode up the Canal Trail to start the Strand Hill “corkscrew.”
With the potential for 300 participants, there could be some traffic issues on the Canal Trail so Veltri agreed to open the two-track road section for the initial climb onto Strand Hill on race day.
“Michele does not want to hinder mountain bikers,” says Ochs. “He wants to lend his support for the event and the race. This totally alleviates any two-way traffic conflicts.”
The course starts and finishes at the base of Crested Butte Mountain with the Fat Tire 40 starting at 8 a.m., with the pro men and subsequent classes heading out every two minutes. The Wildcat 40 should start around 8:10 a.m.
Online registration is open until Thursday, June 24 and saves bikers an additional $10 late registration fee. Otherwise they can register at the FTBW Expo area at the base area on Friday, June 25.
As for anyone looking to jump into the Fat Tire/Wildcat 40 fray, Ochs has some sage advice.
“Start slow. If you mess around trying to gain ground on Upper Loop you’re hosed,” says Ochs. “If you blow out in the middle of Deer Creek look at the views, look at the flowers. Just don’t stress people.”