Tour De Fat Sponsered By New Belgium Brewery Fort Collins

August 11, 2010 |

Author admin

Clip a card in your spokes and fluff the rainbow wig …Tour de Fat is back for its 11th season! New Belgium Brewing’s traveling celebration of all things bicycle rolls through 13 cities this year, raising money and sharing bike love. Tour de Fat is coming home to “The Mothership” (aka New Belgium Brewing) on September 4 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

For the fourth year in a row, Tour de Fat is looking for volunteers to accept the swapper challenge. One volunteer in each city will give up their car and receive a hand-built Black Sheep (http://www.blacksheepbikes.com/) commuter bike. The volunteer is chosen after submitting a video or essay describing their desire to live sans-car for a year. To submit an application, log on to http://www.newbelgium.com/tour-de-fat.

“The car-for-bike swap is the pinnacle of the day, illustrating one person’s true belief in all that a bicycle can offer,” said Bryan Simpson, spokesman for New Belgium. “Bikes represent freedom, fun and fitness while helping the environment. It’s a way of life that we live and share at New Belgium.”

Tour de Fat is free to participants, but beer and merchandise proceeds from the Ft. Collins stop will go to Overland Mountain Bike Club (www.overlandmtb.org), Bike Fort Collins (www.bikefortcollins.org/) and Fort Collins Bike Co-op (www.fcbikecoop.org). Since its inception, the philanthropic cycling circus has raised more than $1 million on behalf of non-profit organizations.

“When Fort Collins finally receives Platinum level bicycle friendly community status, it will be thanks to the efforts of businesses like New Belgium Brewing,” said Rick Price of Fort Collins Bike Co-op. “The Bike Co-op is grateful for the support of New Belgium and its commitment to making things happen on two wheels – keeping recycled bikes out of the landfill, putting the less fortunate on Earn-a-Bikes, donating bikes to kids and just keeping people pedaling!”

“Tour de Fat and New Belgium Brewing are two of the best things that have ever happened to Fort Collins, Colorado,” said Jeff Morrell, president of Bike Fort Collins. “New Belgium’s outreach to the cycling community through local non-profits allows us to further our bicycling advocacy work for the cyclists of Fort Collins and northern Colorado.”

“The Tour De Fat is the best fundraising bike celebration imaginable,” added Ron Chambers, president of Overland Bike Club. “Besides being a great opportunity to volunteer in the community, the money we raise allows us to introduce 150 kids a year to mountain biking and provide bikes and helmets for some of those who don’t have them. We are also able to develop local trails and assist other community bikes rides with the proceeds.”

What:              New Belgium Brewing’s Tour de Fat
When:             Saturday, September 4, 2010
Where:           The Mothership (New Belgium Brewing)

Tentative Schedule:
9:00 a.m.       Bike Parade Registration
10:00 a.m.      Bike Parade Launch
11:00 a.m.      Performances Begin
12:20 p.m.     The SLOW RIDE
1:30 p.m.        The Great Bike Story Contest for New Belgium Cruiser Bike
2:35 p.m.        Car-for-Bike Trade Celebration
3:50 p.m.        Faux Finale
3:55 p.m.      Faux-Real Finale
4:00 p.m.        Curtain Closes

Acts:
MUCCA PAZZA (http://mucca-pazza.org/)
The Dovekins (http://www.myspace.com/dovekins)
A Honeymoon Cabaret (http://www.daredevilchicken.com/honeymoon.html)
Rob Williams    (http://www.robsho.com/)
Americaine: Stupide
Ben Sollee (http://www.bensollee.com/)
Paper Bird (http://www.paperbirdband.com/)
Judith Avers (http://www.judithavers.com/)

Why Tour de Fat is a Must-Attend Event:

Tour de Fat encourages everyone to embrace their inner-cyclist and ride the streets as a cohesive carnival of creativity. Each show begins with a costumed bike parade that stops traffic and turns heads along the way. (Costumes are highly encouraged!)
Tour de Fat seeks to leave as small an environmental imprint as possible and composts and recycles waste from each tour stop. The waste diversion rate for 2009 was 94 percent.
Tour de Fat is free to participants, but beer and merchandise proceeds go to local cycling non-profits. Since its inception, Tour de Fat events have raised more than $1.25 million for philanthropy.
All musical acts perform on a solar-powered stage with decorations made from recycled materials, trucks and transport use biofuel sourced from recycled waste oils, and all vendors operate off the grid.
This is a pro-bike celebration, not an anti-car rally…non-cyclists are more than welcome to join the festivities.

See http://www.newbelgium.com/tour-de-fat for the Tour de Fat credo, schedules, videos and to submit your entry to swap your gas guzzler for a shiny new bicycle. Also visit our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Belgium-Tour-de-Fat/10150099069050417?ref=ts.

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