This year’s festival was the best one yet. Ten days of parties, bike tours, trail building seminars, more parties, an official Epic Ride For Advocacy, live music, the 18-hour bike race starting at midnight and of course the infamous liability nightmare—the Clunker Crit in downtown Fruita.
out to race their clunkers. It’s a spectacle worth witnessing. As with any good evolving business plan, you can expect a few changes for next year. When asked if he was already thinking about next year’s festival Troy responded “Unfortunately, yes! Trying not to. It will go back to its simpler roots with the rides, expo and the big Saturday Party. Ten days was too much! But it was a great 10-year party and I’m glad we did it, the excitement of all the people makes it all worth while. “There are always folks who say, ‘It changed my life,’ Troy continued, thinking back on those 10 years. “That’s all it takes for me, that’s what mountain biking is all about to me. The people who say, ‘I used to be bitter, addicted, stuck, angry… whatever it is and now I’m a mountain biker and Fruita is my homeland, my place.’ I can think of a hundred of those stories; great trails, great times and great people… what it’s all about. That’s pretty damn cool.”
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Mountain Flyer