Rides, Races & Events

Some fairly substantial changes are taking place for this year’s City Streets Criterium series. Races will now take place on Thursdays in June. They will require online payment, and there is a cash payout for all categories in an omnium format. Thanks to FCCT for hosting and to First City Mortgage, Elevations Real Estate, and Trek Bicycles for sponsoring the event.

Event Type: Bike Holiday
Time of Year: Late Summer
Tour de Fat is a free, annual bike parade in Fort Collins, Colorado that takes place around Labor Day weekend. The event features costumed cyclists riding to New Belgium Brewing, where they participate in a party with live music, games, contests, and beer. The 2024 parade will take place on Saturday, August 24.

Event Type: Bike Holiday
Time of Year: February
Winter Bike to Work Day encourages thousands of cyclists to ride their bikes to work (or wherever) each February. Dozens of local businesses sponsor free breakfast stations all over town.  It's like Bike to Work Day but with mittens. 

Event Type: Bike Holiday
Time of Year: Mid Summer
Bike to Work (or wherever) Day is one of Fort Collins greatest traditions. Dozens of free breakfast locations will spring up all over town to treat cyclists as they ride into work (or wherever).

Event Type: Bike To School
Time of Year: Early May
Bike to School day generally takes place on the first or second Wednesday of May.

Time: Spring, Summer Fall @Tues PM
Pace: Conversational Pace
Join us for fun and only slightly spicy rides on Tuesday nights. Expect a 13-14 MPH average pace with 1-2 re-groups per ride. We aim to keep the stoke high and the jerks out.

Event Type: Gravel Stage Race
Time of Year: Spring/Summer
The NCGSR is a free, Strava-based gravel stage race that takes place during the Spring and Summer in Larimer and Weld counties. The goal of these races is to "create a grassroots gravel event that creates a welcoming and supportive environment where people can challenge themselves, explore Northern Colorado roads, and get involved with a community of like-mined riders."

Event Type: Gravel Group Ride
Time of Year: Winter, Spring, Summer
Whit and Zack with Bike Sports are hosting training rides leading into this summer's FoCo Fondo. The series includes a women's only weekend, a beginners clinic, on-your-own rides and gravel group rides. The rides are free, but you must sign a waiver. The Fondo takes place on July 21st, 2024.

Time: All Season @ Sunday AM
Pace: Conversational Pace
Rain, snow, or shine, you can bet we're gonna ride! Join us on Sunday mornings for our weekly gravel group ride. We'll explore 25-35 miles on gravel and pavement terrain. This ride is the perfect opportunity for intermediate riders to get some mile and elevation gains in. The ride isn’t no drop, rather, riders will be able to ride with similarly paced riders. We'll do our best to post the route a few days before the ride to give you time to familiarize yourself with the route.

Time: All Season @ Sunday AM & Wednesday PM
Pace: Conversational Pace
Twice a week gravel group rides and good company. Join us at rotating starting points around town for some rowdy rides and raucous times exploring our NoCo gravel.

Time: May-August @ Monday PM
Pace: Recovery Pace
These are great ways to spin the legs out and exchange war stories after a hard weekend of racing. Be sure to head back to the afterward Rio for a world-famous recovery marg.

Event Type: Gravel Group Ride
Time of Year: Winter, Spring, Summer
Whit and Zack with Bike Sports are hosting training rides leading into this summer's FoCo Fondo. The series includes a women's only weekend, a beginners clinic, on-your-own rides and gravel group rides. The rides are free, but you must sign a waiver. The Fondo takes place on July 21st, 2024.

Event Type: Gravel Group Ride
Time of Year: Winter
The Winter Ralleye is a series of gravel group rides that take place every winter in Larimer and Weld Counites. They are usually held regardless of weather conditions and can be done on any type of bike you are comfortable riding/pushing in harsh conditions. These conditions include but are not limited to; cold, darkthrity, COLD, snow, rain, deep snow, goat heads, wind and 60 degrees and sunny. It's not a race and there are no entry fees.

Event Type: Moutain Bike Series
Time of Year: Each Season
The Four Seasons of Horsetooth Mountain Bike Challenge is a grass-roots un-event with no entry fees and no real start times and is ridden on the two solstices and two equinoxes in Horsetooth Mountain Park and Lory State Park.

Event Type: Gravel Stage Race
Time of Year: Spring/Summer
The NCGSR is a free, Strava-based gravel stage race that takes place during the Spring and Summer in Larimer and Weld counties. The goal of these races is to "create a grassroots gravel event that creates a welcoming and supportive environment where people can challenge themselves, explore Northern Colorado roads, and get involved with a community of like-mined riders."

Event Type: Bike Swap/Party
Time of Year: Feburary or March
RioSwap is one of the crown jewels of the YGR empire. The annual bike swap and season launch party is hosted by YGR in the Rio's Agave Room every year.

Event Type: Time Trial
Time of Year: Early Spring
The Frostbite Time Trial is hosted by Team Rio Grande Racing and historically launches the Colorado road racing calendar each year. The course heads South and then North on the I25 frontage road for 11.4 miles near the Buckeye Power Plant exit. As the name implies, it's usually cold and as the photo shows, it's usually windy.