Tour de Fat Comes to Town: Video

More costumes than a Halloween party… monster tires… multi-colored wigs… 10 foot tall unicycles… an endless sea of cruisers… must be Tour de Fat!

New Belgium Brewery’s tribute to cycling, Tour de Fat, took the streets of Fort Collins, CO by storm this weekend. Dressed in wacky and colorful costumes, over 4,500 participants rode through town celebrating the power of the bicycle. The crowd was so thick they set a new Guinness record for the largest bike parade in the world!

Tour de Fat, besides being a great time, promotes the use of the bike as an alternative to the automobile. For the past seven years, a biodiesel-fueled bus has been bringing the sustainable message of Tour de Fat to cities all over the West. After the costumed bike parade, New Belgium hosts an all-day party where bands play on solar-powered stages and 95% of the waste produced is either recycled or composted. Proceeds from the festivals are given to local bike and environmental charities.

New Belgium is also offering a bike trade this year on the Tour. One volunteer from each city will trade their auto for a custom New Belgium cruiser and vow to live sans car for an entire year. The car will be sold and profits given to charity. Each volunteer will report back occasionally on the trials, tribulations, and rewards of living petroleum-free.

If you live in Flagstaff, Tempe or Austin, Tour de Fat will be rolling through your town in the next few weeks. If you don’t already have a bike, you should get one and join the fun!

Thanks to Kyle Eddy (owner/builder of the monster-tire bike), Brian Lackey (video and photography) and John Yeast (assembly and troubleshooting) for the awesome video!