WINONA LAKE - In its seventh year, the Fat & Skinny Tire Festival has grown from somewhat humble beginnings to a marquee event not only for the area but for the cycling community.
Thousands show up to watch both mountain and road bike races, check out expos and enjoy live entertainment.
"It's the first big kickoff event for the start of festival season," said event organizer Alan Alderfer. "It's great to bring outside visitors in to show how great of a county we have."
Nearly 1,000 participated in the events in 2009 while 5,000 were on hand over the 2.5-day event.
But one part of the event that is growing, and organizers hope continues to grow, is the Kosciusko Countryside Tour.
Saturday, the tour will start between 8 and 9 a.m.
Riders will be given a route map and a schedule of events will be provided.
The tour is for riders to take at their own pace and geared for all types of cyclists from novice to expert.
There also will be a historical tour around Winona Lake that is between 3.5 and 4 miles.
There are also 20-, 40- and 60-miles tours but they all allow for people to stop at points and go at their own pace.
"The first leg goes into Pierceton," said Alderfer. "You can ride into Pierceton, take an hour around town and head back."
The cost is $25 and those who pre-register will receive a free t-shirt and water bottle.
Those interested in registering can do so starting today and continuing at 7 a.m. Saturday.
One couple that will be taking the tour traveled a long way to do so.
Bill and Catherine Ruhling and are from suburban Philadelphia and having been coming to Winona Lake for the past six years.
Catherine has family in Plymouth, and the Ruhlings always make sure to take a tour ride while in the area.
"It's somewhere different to ride," said Catherine. "You can see the vendors and see what the manufacturers are selling that's new. You have a lot of bicycle-oriented things to look at."
The Ruhlings ride a tandem bike.
Event organizer Greg Demopoulos said the tours are great family-oriented events.
The Fat & Skinny ushers in National Bicycle Month in May.
KCV Cycling Club, the father of the event, The Village at Winona and town of Winona Lake created the event as an opportunity to raise awareness for cycling opportunities available in the community like the Lake City Greenway.
"It's a great way to show cycling as a way to conserve as well as promote fitness," said Demopoulos.
May 21 is National Bike To Work Day, and the event's organizers are hoping more people in Kosciusko County take advantage of taking a bike to work rather than driving.
The organizers also say the event is a great way to showcase the community as well as bring money into local businesses.
There is also a charitable aspect to the Fat & Skinny. Proceeds from the event will go toward the purchase of bikes for World Bicycle Relief.
The event's organizers are hoping to purchase 12 bikes this year.
Donations can be made at the festival for World Bicycle Relief.
World Bicycle Relief was founded in 2005. The organization helps provide heavy-duty bicycles to people living in impoverished areas thus allowing them to access to things like education and health care.
For more information on World Bicycle Relief, visit www.worldbicyclerelief.org
The Fat & Skinny also hopes to bring awareness to Bicycle Indiana, which is a not-for-profit serving Hoosier bicyclists since 1993.
For more information on Bicycle Indiana, visit www.bicycleindiana.org
And as always the festival will promote bicycle safety both during their events and for when after the festival is over.
To learn more about the Fat & Skinny and KCV Cycling, visit /fatandskinnytirefest.com/
