Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
WINONA LAKE - If you can ride a bicycle, you'll find something of interest at the Northern Indiana Fat and Skinny Tire Fest May 1 and 2.
"Anyone that has a bicycle will have something to do," said one of the organizers and cycling enthusiast Alan Alderfer. "It's for all ages."
The two-day community event stems from the DINO series MTB races that have been held on the old Boys Club trails for the last three years. This year more than 300 participants are expected for the DINO races. The town's trails are consistently ranked No. 1 in Indiana and throughout the region.
The local cycling club KCV - Kosciusko County Velo ("velo" is a French word meaning "to cycle") - along with the Trailhouse in the Village at Winona are sponsors of the event.
Club members Alderfer and Greg Demopoulos said the club began a few years ago to bring local cyclists together.
"We feel the more people on a bike, the better," Demopoulos said.
The Fat & Skinny Tire Fest is designed to showcase all aspects of the hobby.
There will be maps for 20-, 40- and 60-mile tours and folks can just take off on adventure rides of their own.
In town, Billy Firstenberger, director of the Billy Sunday Museum, will conduct a village historic tour from the seat of a bicycle.
Event sign-up times are from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and at 7 a.m. Sunday.
Bicycle manufacturers will have their latest models available for display and for test rides.
The DINO (Do Indiana Off Road) Series races for expert, sport and beginner levels begins at noon Saturday.
In addition to the historical village tours, kids can learn about bike safety at Kids Safety City. A three-quarter-mile course for rides around the lake will be available and a photographer will take pictures of riders with their bikes.
At 2 and 4:30 p.m. Saturday are BMX freestyle shows and at 4:30 p.m., the mountain trail bike trails will open to ride the demonstration bikes.
At 7 p.m. the Summertime Blues Band will perform, and at 8 p.m. guided night tours begin.
Sunday starts with an 8 a.m. "Blessing of the Bikes" and brief church service at Hillside Ampitheatre.
Sunday morning is a hill climb contest up one of the town's steep slopes and a wheelie contest to test competitors' balance and finesse.
Streets on the island - Auditorium, Administration, Esplanade, West Canal, Tennis and Court as well as East Canal - will be closed to traffic while a series of criterium races are conducted.
The Fat Tire Crit, at 9 a.m., is the first Village at Winona Road Criterium. Racers will pedal for 30 minutes and then a horn sounds. The cyclists then race for two laps to determine the winner. The first three racers to cross the finish line place.
At 10 a.m. is the Masters 35+, which is a 50-minute race plus two laps. The prize is $500. The first eight finishers place.
For bikers who want to enter their first race, the CAT 4/5 race begins at 11:30 a.m. and lasts 45 minutes plus two laps. The prize is $250 and the first six racers place.
For fun, the club has extended an invitation to local businesses for a Celebrity Cruiser. Ten teams of four already have signed up for the event. Participants will convey beach cruisers for one lap each.
The winning team will be awarded the soon-to-be-coveted Orthopedic Cup.
At 2 p.m., professional racers will take to the .55 mile course in the CAT 1/2/3, contesting for the $1,000 top prize. The race will last 60 minutes plus two laps.
All races will be conducted under U.S. Cycling Federation rules.
There are fees to enter the criterium races.
For more information, call the Trailhouse, 267-2223.
Participants may sign up and get more information on the Net: www.fatandskinnytirefest.com
