Crested Butte, CO –Crested Butte Bike Week – formerly Fat Tire Bike Week – returns with a new name this year to celebrate the evolution of mountain biking in a town recognized by many as one of the sport’s birthplaces. This four-day event, taking place from Thursday, June 23 to Sunday, June 26, honors the history and the future of mountain biking with an opening party at the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, the Clif Bar Fat Tire 40 endurance race, the Mountain States Cup Wildflower Rush, the Chainless World Championships, a Tech Expo and Bridges of the Butte 24-Hour Townie Tour. Plus, this year organizers have added reggae to the mix, hosting Toots and the Maytals, with special guest The Melodians.
Crested Butte Bike Week kicks off on Thursday, June 23 with a Night at the Museum party at the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, located at the Crested Butte Heritage Museum, to honor past supporters and visionaries who helped discover and further the sport. Racing begins on Friday, June 24, with the fifth stop of the 2011 Mountain States Cup tour, the Wildflower Rush.
Now in its 11th year, the Wildflower Rush draws mountain bike competitors from across the west to race Cross-Country, Downhill, Dual Slalom, and Super-D. The Dual Slalom is a new event this year, featuring racers in a head-to-head battle through gates, around berms, and over jumps. This year’s Downhill event is part of the Pro-GRT series, held on Sunday, bringing the best gravity racers to the slopes of Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) to test their skills in the Evolution Bike Park. The Wildflower Rush continues through Sunday, June 26. For Wildflower Rush registration visit www.racemsc.com/schedule/wildflowerrush.html.
Also on Friday, the Chainless World Championships returns for another year. The race is a true Crested Butte phenomenon complete with townie bikes, costumes, laughs and, hopefully, no road rash – and definitely no chains.
The festival’s endurance race, the Clif Bar Fat Tire 40 is slated for Saturday, June 25, on miles of Crested Butte’s legendary singletrack. Racers circumnavigate Crested Butte Mountain, starting and finishing in the resort’s base area. This race is part of the Mountain States Cup Cross-Country event.
The Tech Expo on June 24, 25, and 26 includes demos and product displays for racers and other mountain bike enthusiasts to check out the latest gear. The Tech Expo will have two locations, one in the main parking lot of CBMR, which will be open Friday through Sunday, and one downtown at 1st Street and Elk Avenue for Chainless racers on Saturday.
The Bridges of the Butte 24-Hour Townie Race also begins on Saturday afternoon. This tour loops through downtown Crested Butte, crossing the town’s bridges along the way. Costumes and townies are required for this unique and fun event benefitting the Adaptive Sports Center. Bridges of the Butte wraps up on Sunday, June 26.
The week closes with a concert by Toots and the Maytals and special guests The Melodians hitting the Red Lady Stage at the Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) base area on Saturday evening, June 25. Doors open at 5 p.m. Tickets may be pre-purchased for $26 at www.crestedbuttebikeweek.com or at The Eldo or the Crested Butte/Mt. Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce. Tickets will be available at the CBMR base area for $30 on the day of the show.
For more information about Crested Butte Bike Week visit www.crestedbuttebikeweek.com.