Phillip Barron
The Herald Sun
June 8th, 2006
MORRISVILLE — Do you have a mountain bike that just sits around while you say to yourself, “I really should go ride sometime?” Have you been looking for an event that will introduce you to the local mountain bike community? Or maybe you’re already tapped in and want to show off your skills to a local audience.
This Saturday, June 10th, says Camye Womble, is your day to ride.
The Triangle Off-Road Cyclists (TORC) are sponsoring their first ever Fat Tire Festival — a day-long ode to the mountain bike.
From 9:30am until 2:00pm at Lake Crabtree County Park, TORC’s members and volunteers will host a series of events for every kind of local mountain biker.
The slate of events is a veritable cornucopia of two-wheeled fun. From your standard events, like group rides for all skill levels and helmet fittings and safety checks, to games a little more unusual, the day is packed with opportunities for everyone.
“It is definitely plannedto be a very kid and family friendly event,” says Bill Camp, president of TORC. Kids’ events include races, a bike toss, and demonstrations on how to ride the teeter-totters and skinnies of Crabtree’s skills zone. Later in the day will be an exhibition of balance and concentration as experienced “trials” riders demonstrate the gravity defying skills their sport requires.
Who should come to the Fat Tire Festival? “Folks who want to learn to climb hills, or make stronger turns; folks who want to learn how to ride in groups or meet new riding partners; folks who want to learn how to cross a log or ride a skinny; folks who want to see the bikes that the local bike shops are bringing as demos,” says Womble.
Advocacy and education are the two main reasons TORC’s putting on the festival. Mountain biking is just about the most fun anyone is allowed to have in the woods, but trails don’t build themselves.
Around the Triangle, singletrack doesn’t last forever either. “Hopefully,” says Womble, “the Fat Tire Festival will make folks aware of how often we lose Triangle trails to development. But what we really want is to tell them that we [TORC] are here to build more.” Though TORC is barely a year old, its efforts to work with land managers and build sustainable trails are already a model of success. They’re establishing trail systems backed by good relationships with park officials and municipal governments.
Helmets are required for everyone, and children under 12 need to be accompanied by their parents.
To play is free, but you may want to bring some money. There will be a swap-meet, a sort of garage sale of bike parts, as well as some wraps, cookies, and drinks for sale.
