The annual Tour de Fat, a ballyhoo of bikes and beer, with environmental sustainability at the very heart of it all, is coming to Truckee once again. The cycling circus spins into the Truckee River Regional Park on Saturday, July 28.
[Be sure to check out our video from last year's Tour de Fat at the bottom of this story.]
The Tour de Fat began seven years ago in Ft. Collins, Colo. to increase awareness and participation in cycling as a sustainable transportation alternative. Since then, the Tour de Fat has captured the imagination of communities across the west, bringing people together with fanciful entertainment, contests, art displays and, of course, New Belgium beer.
“Tour de Fat is a one of a kind, must-see summer event,” said Chris Winn, Tour de Fat’s coordinator and event evangelist. “People and bikes parade around decorated in outrageous costumes, great musicians take to the solar-powered stage, and fascinating performers entertain with creative antics, all while we raise money for local organizations that support the two-wheeled lifestyle.”
Tour de Fat is free to participants, but money spent on beer and New Belgium Brewing groovy goods goes towards local charities. The Truckee stop will raise money for the Truckee Trails Foundation, a nonprofit organization working to create a network of bike paths and trails in the Truckee area and the Truckee River Watershed Council, which protects, restores and enhances the Truckee River Watershed.
“The people that come to the Tour de Fat are people who love being outdoors and have a passion for hiking and biking and boating,” said Lisa Wallace, executive director of the Truckee River Watershed Council. “And we love to hang out with people who love the river and are having a good time.”
The TRWC plans to have 10 to 12 volunteers and staff on hand at the Tour de Fat passing out information about Truckee River Day and the their other monitoring and restoration projects.. and partaking in the fun.
“New Belgium Brewing is doing a lot to promote bicycling, and we just really appreciate the fact that they’re doing that,” Wallace said. “They’re promoting people taking care of where they live in every way. And we just want to be supportive of that.... plus it’s just a lot of fun.”
In addition to raising green for local charities and organizations Tour de Fat supports “green” initiatives. Consistent to New Belgium Brewing’s commitment to environmental sustainability, Tour de Fat seeks to leave as small an environmental imprint as possible. Tour de Fat buses are running on B100 biodiesel fuel and New Belgium has a goal of diverting 95+ percent of the waste generated at each stop from landfills by recycling and composting everything that can be.
At a glance: City: Truckee Date: Saturday, July 28, 2007 Venue: Truckee River Regional Park Ride Times: 11 a.m. to noon Revival Times: noon to 6 p.m. Benefitting: Truckee Trails Foundation (www.truckeetrails.org) and the Truckee River Watershed Council (www.truckeeriverwc.org) Bring: Your bike, the wildest costume you can find, and excitement about the whimsical way you will spend they day! More information: Please visit www.newbelgium.com.
New to Tour de Fat this year: • At the Carbon e-Racer Kiosk participants can see how much they will help the environment by making a commitment to join Team Wonderbike. Team Wonderbike members promise to commute by bike at least once a month for a year.
Other annual sustainable gestures include: • The Tour de Fat crew traveling on B100 biodiesel fuel. • Bands play from solar-powered stages that are transported in solar-powered trailers to keep the energy flowing. • Volunteers and staff help compost and recycle waste from each tour stop, resulting in an overall waste diversion rate of 85% in 2006. The waste diversion rate goal for 2007 is 95%.
Bands: • The Asylum Street Spankers (www.asylumstreetspankers.com) and Rube Waddel (www.rubewaddell.org).
Sideshows: • Circus Contraption (www.circuscontraption.com) — A potpourri of circus oddities, including whimsical costumes, original music, baby aardvark ballerinas and a beetle tamer. • Handsome Little Devils (www.handsomelittledevils.com) — This show includes sights you can’t see anywhere else - dueling unicycles, chainsaw juggling and ballet of the flame-thrower pogo sticks. • The Sprockettes (www.sprockettes.org) — A minibike dance troupe from Portland, Ore. It’s a bicycle dance phenomenon you can’t miss.
About New Belgium Brewing Company New Belgium Brewing Company, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, began operations in a tiny Fort Collins basement in 1991. Today, the third largest craft brewer in the U.S., New Belgium produces six year-round beers; Fat Tire Amber Ale, Sunshine Wheat, Blue Paddle Pilsner, 1554 Black Ale, Abbey and Trippel, as well as a host of seasonal releases. In addition to producing world-class beers, New Belgium takes pride in being a responsible corporate role model with progressive programs such as employee ownership, open book management and a commitment to environmental stewardship. For more information, visit www.newbelgium.com.
Check out video from last year's Tour de Fat:
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“Tour de Fat is a one of a kind, must-see summer event,” said Chris Winn, Tour de Fat’s coordinator and event evangelist. “People and bikes parade around decorated in outrageous costumes, great musicians take to the solar-powered stage, and fascinating performers entertain with creative antics, all while we raise money for local organizations that support the two-wheeled lifestyle.” 
“New Belgium Brewing is doing a lot to promote bicycling, and we just really appreciate the fact that they’re doing that,” Wallace said. “They’re promoting people taking care of where they live in every way. And we just want to be supportive of that.... plus it’s just a lot of fun.”
New to Tour de Fat this year: