The FoCo Fondo is adding a Bike and Outdoor Lifestyle Expo to its already jam-packed weekend of festivities. The Expo will happen on Saturday, July 20th, and the Fondo will take place the following day. According to an April 10th press release, “Attendees will have the opportunity to try out a variety of demo bikes from gravel, MTB, e-bike, and adaptive bikes, on a closed demo course on New Belgium property. Additionally, brands from a variety of cycling and Colorado outdoor culture will be in attendance.”
The 2024 FoCo Fondo has route distances of approximately 120 miles, 100 miles, 60 miles, 30 miles, and 12 miles.
Read on for the full press release.
FoCo Fondo Expands with Saturday Expo & Demo Day
FORT COLLINS, Colorado – FoCo Fondo p/b Fat Tire is expanding its event weekend with a consumer oriented Saturday Bike and Outdoor Lifestyle Expo on July 20th, 2024, preceding the ever-growing main gravel event day of July 21st, 2024.
The weekend, which centers around New Belgium Brewing as a venue, aims to connect participants and the community at large with gravel cycling culture, and bike and outdoor lifestyle culture. Attendees will have the opportunity to try out a variety of demo bikes from gravel, MTB, e-bike, and adaptive bikes, on a closed demo course on New Belgium property. Additionally brands from a variety of cycling and Colorado outdoor culture will be in attendance.
Whitney Allison, FoCo Fondo organizer and lead on the Saturday expo, believes this can be a gateway to expanding bike journeys and increasing connection to one another:
“Fort Collins is unique in that it already has a bike culture independent of the more recreational or racing community with iconic events like Tour de Fat and the City of Fort Collins’ Bike to Work Days and platinum-level bike infrastructure. The expo offers the opportunity for our locals to have access to new brands or ideas to expand their experiences in the cycling space and our friends coming in for the event to see the true intersectionality of Fort Collins’ bike space.”
The expo and demo day is also sprinkled with special New Belgium Brewery tours, beer service from the New Belgium Liquid Center, food trucks, packet pick up, and shakeout rides, aimed at a final preparation for the main Sunday event.
The Sunday, July 21st event day experience will see some new routes consisting of approximately 120 miles, 100 miles, 60 miles, 30 miles, and 12 miles. The new courses being the 50 mile route moving up to a 60 mile route, and the addition of a 100 mile route. While keeping with some traditions, FoCo Fondo seeks to make their race routes obtainable by most, raceable if sought after, but an adventure you can be proud of finishing. For the 120 mile premiere event, there will be bolo ties earned upon a specific arrival time that will be as competitive as ever. There will be $9,000 in cash prizes for overall mens, womens, non binary/gender expansive podiums, and age group, para, and single speed prizes up for grabs. Post ride, riders can take in live music, enjoy a post ride free Fat Tire, included meal, and community at the finish festival.
Additionally, FoCo Fondo is not limited to just the event weekend: its extensive initiatives seek to offer access and opportunity to new riders and historically underrepresented groups, and all across the economic spectrum. Bonus events like a winter Zwift Series, free community training rides and low-cost clinics aim to help more people expand their gravel experience: “We want to keep growing FoCo Fondo with a diverse participation base for the right reasons. Our event, who it benefits, who shows up, and how it feels, is all made better by having people of all types participating” says event founder Zack Allison.
FoCo Fondo is a Bike Sports production, hosted by Zack and Whitney Allison, and was founded in 2016.
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