Fat Tire Festival offers grand finale for season

Mountain bike fanatics will once again descend upon the tiny desert hamlet of Moab, Utah for the wild and crazy Canyonlands Fat Tire Festival Oct. 12-16. Event headquarters will be at the new Moab City Park during the event.

Registration fee for a 5-day pass is $95.00, 1 to 4 day passes start at $45.00. The festival features guided group rides departing each morning from Moab City Park. These rides cater to different ability levels, from a "mellow" pace to a "hammerhead" pace (once off the pavement, there are no "easy beginner" rides in Moab). Veteran Moab-area guides and first aid responders accompany participants on these rides.

Ongoing during the festival is the DemoExpo, a daily demonstration expo in the park. Festival participants can test ride 2000 model bikes on some of the world's most famous trails. The expo features numerous bicycle product manufacturers featuring full suspension bicycles to helmets to suspension forks to cycling wear.

A full schedule of afternoon and evening post-ride activities are planned. These include: opening social; Outdoor Apparel Fashion Show; Night Ride; Super Descent Time Trial (mostly downhill off-road time trial); mountain bike chariot races; bicycle parade; Slick Rock Poker Run; and the Grand Finale Costume Ball with a live band. Tickets for some evening activities will be available for purchase to locals and others not participating in other aspects of the festival.

Other events include a canoe/bike adventure tour for an additional $35 per person and "Paint-the-Slickrock Trail" volunteer day, Thurs., Oct. 14 that celebrates the 30th anniversary of the trail. Shuttle service is available for some trail rides for an additional $10 per person.

New for 1999 is the first ever Moab Rim Downhill mountain bike race, using the new Moab Skyway chairlift Sat., Oct. 16.

Back to Home Page