Now in its 11th year, the Fruita Fat Tire Festival is the official portent of Colorado’s mountain biking season. And nothing celebrates the knobby tires like Fruita’s over-the-top festival. New Belgium Brewing’s signature beers keep things well greased in the four-day biking bacchanal, which transforms the sleepy Western Slope hamlet into a mecca of singletrack merriment. This year’s festival (April 27-30) harkens back to its front suspension-only roots with $25 registration and the original parade-style racing format. Group rides during the day, dancing and beery BBQ at night. The fanciful Clunker Crit race on Saturday afternoon is a cycling spectacle that can’t be missed.
Get there — Visit www.fruitamountainbike.com for info on registration, camping and lodging.
