Mountain Biking: Freewheeling it Festival-Style in Fairfax
It's hot. No, it's freakin' hot. So what goes well with scorching heat? If you answered bands, bikes, beer, and bitchin' trail riding, then you might want to wheel yourself out to Fairfax today and tomorrow for the second annual Fairfax Fat Tire Festival.
Organized by Velo Club Fairfax in conjunction with the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, the festival features a variety of activities, including a noncompetitive "poker" ride on Saturday and the official cross-country race on Sunday.
Saturday's events at the Central Field in downtown Fairfax include a display of classic bikes from the very first Repack mountain bike race, a contemporary bike expo, and live music by Love Rocket, Ruckus, the Tom Finch Band, and Charlie Kelly and Fat Tire Flyer. Twice during the day, MTB wizard Hans "No Way" Rey will dish out some mind-blowing trials exhibitions. All the while, festival goers can wash down barbeque chicken with beer from three different breweries. In the evening, Velo Club Fairfax will show three films: Klunkerz, a documentary on that first Repack race; a new freeride film featuring Rey and Thomas Frischknecht; and Bruce Brown's classic motorcycle film, On Any Sunday.
The crown jewel of the festival though is Sunday's cross-country race. Tamarancho is one of those superstar riding areas so spectacular, it needs only one name. Like Skeggs, Moab, and Ronaldino, Tamarancho is legend. Located within the boundaries of the Tamarancho Boy Scout Camp, it features some of the sickest uphill singletrack you'll ever attack, and it's miles of trails offer endless challenges for riders of all abilities. Though privately owned, the general public can ride Tamarancho with the purchase and display of either a $5 day pass or a $40 annual pass. It's worth it.
Starting at the ranger's house in the main parking lot of the Tamarancho Boy Scout Campground, the race course follows a quasi-figure eight lap over approximately four miles of singletrack and fire road. A steep, early fire road climb will winnow the field before riders hit the tight singletrack where it will be difficult to pass. In addition to Tamarancho's signature trails, festival organizer Chris Lang told SFist that the course will feature sections of fire road normally off-limits to cyclists.
Says Lang, "This is your chance to ride Tamarancho like never before."
The race is completely open, with no field limit and all the usual skill and age classifications. Beginners ride 1.5 laps, Sports 2.5 laps, and Experts 3.5 laps. Same-day registration is $30, and if you don't already have them, you'll also need to purchase a one-day Tamarancho pass and a one-day NORBA license ($5 each). You can get both when you register. Registration starts at 9:00 on Sunday. The race kicks off at 10:00; juniors start at 11:00.
Proceeds from the festival will go to the Downtown Fairfax Beautification Fund. Fund projects include public bike racks downtown, seed money for a sculpture memorializing Fairfax MTB history, and a kid's bike park.
Lang has been putting on mountain bike events such as the Fairfax Festival and Biketoberfest for more than 20 years. He's got some background to draw from. Along with fellow pioneering legends Joe Breeze, Gary Fisher, Charlie Kelly, Otis Guy, and Alan Bond, Lang was on the scene in the 1970s when the sport was born. He rode the first Repack race, he was in Charlie Kelly's living room when NORBA was created, and he helped found the Friends of Tamarancho. Lang's connection to the history of mountain biking brings special relevance to this event, not to mention special guests like Charlie Kelly and Hans Rey.
But connections aren't the only thing needed to pull together a full-fledged two-day mountain bike festival with numerous bands, movie screenings, and celebrity appearances, not to mention ride logistics and race course permits. According to Lang, the secrets to a successful mountain bike event are tenacity, audacity, and cash -- all in generous amounts. And you have to learn from your mistakes. Last year, Lang tried to cook the chicken too quickly and ended up with some unwanted charrage. He also ran into some problems with racer registration and numbering. Another year wiser, Lang looks forward to turning those lessons learned into festival gold.
Last year, about 1,000 people attended the festival and more than 120 competed in the race. This year, Lang hopes that good weather and word of mouth will increase those numbers. He just has to remember to slow down the chicken and speed up the riders.