FoCo Fondo

Join us July 21st, 2024! 12-mile to 118 mile gravel options

Registration opens Jan 1, 2024. We get it.
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The FoCo Fondo p/b Fat Tire is a daring gravel cycling adventure that starts and finishes at New Belgium Brewing. What sounds miserable and absurd to one is enjoyable and thrilling to another. A gravel ride, a gravel race, rooted in the insanity of a Fondo with the levity of the Fort Collins community. Whether you’re into racing bikes or all day bike parties in the open range of Colorado. FoCo Fon

do is your adventure.

Event Date: July 21st, 2024
Pre-Event Schenanigans: July 19th-20th, 2024
Register at https://www.bikereg.com/foco-fondo

For more details visit www.focofondo.com

06/20/2024

We want you! We have just a few spots left we're looking to fill for FoCo Fondo weekend, especially on event day. Consider joining us for part of the day to ensure the coziest experience for riders. We believe your time is valuable and essential to the success of the event and offer generous perks to support and honor our volunteers.

Check out the spots we still have available: https://www.focofondo.com/volunteer

06/19/2024

It's been a hottttt start to summer so far and it's a good reminder that heat acclimation is key to successful summer adventures. Remember it takes WEEKS and TIME to acclimate to heat but you'll be all the better for it. And NO, "growing up in the south" is not heat acclimation- it's acute!

In this video below, Source Endurance provides practical tips to heat acclimation but also best practices for what to do on event day if it's hot for the best outcome:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjdPhBTs6Vo&

Photo: Emily Sierra

06/18/2024

We're excited to introduce you to Bar-U-Eat. This trail mix inspired bar is founded and produced in Colorado from ingredients you can see.

But what's more, bothered by the waste of packaging, they set out and created 100% compostable plant-based packaging for their products. We think that's rad.

Try one out on the June 30th training ride and use this 20% off link to add to your summer snack collection: https://barueat.com/discount/FOCOFONDO25?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fshop-barueat

06/18/2024

We're just under two weeks out from the FINAL FoCo Fondo Training Ride p/b Pearl iZUMi.

The June 30th training ride has two very adventurous options, centered around Pennock Pass. Both routes are pretty big with the amount of climbing and altitude and are much more fun with friends. Please note that the shorter route has a suggested Hitch a Ride carpool timeline (please utilize this!) and the longer route will depart at 9am.

The usual support from First Endurance, Bobo's, and Chamois Butt'r will be there. Plus, as a bonus, Bar-U-Eat will also be present. More on them later this week!

This month's laterne rouge is from the Melanated Lovelies. Melanated Lovelies is a Colorado-based cycling collective committed to the development of BIPOC riding and racing. Our vision is to inspire, prepare, and support riders of color as well as the broader cycling community.

Learn more: https://www.focofondo.com/training-rides-events/june-training-ride-2024

06/15/2024

🤙🤙🤙

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06/13/2024

To all our out-of-town friends, Fort Collins is a popular destination in the summer and we recommend getting your housing sorted ASAP! Here are a few we’ve organized for you:

🏕️ Reservation-required camping at a private spot owned by Morning Fresh Dairy Farm ($25!). Just a few spots left.

🏢 Colorado State University dorms! Reservation required. The Landline airport shuttle goes here and it’s a short ride to our venue at New Belgium Brewing - Fort Collins also includes a meal, WiFi, parking, and access to laundry.

🏨 The Elizabeth is less than a mile from the start and a part of the Marriott family, riders have access to 15% off.

See you soooooon! 🤩

Deets: https://www.focofondo.com/travel-resources

📸 Front Range Media

06/11/2024

We wanted to introduce you to over at . Trais has been pivotal to our branding over the years, including this iconic tee 👌 We are really lucky that Bonfire Effect “just gets us” and has provided the opportunity to take those brand visions and turn them into visual fun for the people. More from Trais:

“I have been involved with FoCo Fondo since 2018 when I started working on the brand design. Over the past few years I’ve got to work on the design for everything from the posters, website, promotional materials, and event graphics. I’ve also had the opportunity to ride my motorcycle on the First Aid team slinging fresh water and patching the occasional skinned knee.

At the 2022 Fondo I worked on an Aid station where I got to support the riders with much needed H2o for the thirsty, tequila shots for the bold, not to mention an opportunity for the riders to win prizes by taking a crack at the station’s piñata (which is how I got so good a dodging blindfolded bikers swinging big sticks).

I have loved being able to be a part of something in our community that really underlines what we are about here, coming together around a shared passion, outside, with friends and family, while supporting local breweries and businesses that are distinctly Colorado. In short, amazing people, shared passion, great beer, and all the love that happens when it all comes together. Thank you to FoCo Fondo team for giving me the opportunity to be a part of it.”

06/10/2024

THE RIDER GUIDE IS LIVE 🤩
(And yes, the routes are in there)

We’re just under six weeks away from the ninth edition of FoCo Fondo p/b Fat Tire! It seems like the perfect day to celebrate that with launching the 2024 Rider Guide. In it you’ll find everything you need for an incredibly memorable weekend.

Grab it here: https://www.canva.com/design/DAF4kX3qSc4/Y0IkVC-crA_xK2eamQu31Q/view?utm_content=DAF4kX3qSc4&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor

06/09/2024

The sweetest end to the x Women’s Weekend with 30-50 miles for riders today for riders 😍😍😍

Thanks for the lanterne rouge support today, the for their continuous effort to support women on bikes, and for letting us all p*e before the ride 😅 We’re just 6 weeks away!

06/07/2024

Flying in for FoCo Fondo? ✈️ We wanted to remind you that the Bikeflights.com x Brave New Wheel service deadline is just FOUR weeks from today.

The service includes receiving and building your bike, and then tearing down and shipping it.

Learn more on our Travel Resources page: https://www.focofondo.com/travel-resources

📸 Emily Sierra

06/05/2024

We wanted to give a special shout out to another essential part of FoCo Fondo weekend: “the LC’ers” at , especially their event crew.

A little known fact, New Belgium’s Liquid Center is run entirely by magic humans who can hold onto 8,000,000 event details all at one time, while remembering your groups beer order flawlessly. From plant swaps to ASL nights to to Lost in the Woods, they connect with the community uniquely and consistently and we’re so grateful for them 🍻

📸 .sierra

06/03/2024

Our second annual FoCo Fondo x Fort Follies Women’s Weekend is coming up quick, running June 8-9th. While the Saturday, June 8th clinic is now full, all women are invited to join on Sunday, June 9th for two great route options! Both routes are reflective of what to expect on FoCo Fondo event weekend, and for our clinic-riders, will build on what we learn the day before.

Grab the details: https://www.focofondo.com/training-rides-events/foco-fondo-fort-follies-womens-2024

A special shout out to Akinz, a local and woman-owned business here in Fort Collins, who is supporting the women’s clinic on Saturday and New Belgium Brewing - Fort Collins who is providing access to their short track course on Saturday and opening up the bathrooms for us on Sunday. We are very appreciative of their time and access and we look forward to some post clinic and ride hangs there!

The weekend is for all women, regardless of the s*x they were identified as at birth.

📸 Tyler Phillips

06/01/2024

We admire your style 👊💥

05/28/2024

Ben Delaney from The Ride just dropped a new video on his YouTube channel all FoCo Fondo weekend, highlighting the early b-roads, how the event weekend and expo are shaping up, tips for your first trip to New Belgium Brewing (check out the kinda secret Exclusive Batch menu), and some of our favorite local brands that help make FoCo Fondo it’s own thing.

Check it out through the link below, give it a like, and drop a comment of support for your favorite local brands 🫶

https://youtu.be/aHphz1xL8PE?si=MT4_Y3_OgvPGyAwx

05/24/2024

Have you spotted these perfect little posters around town? 😍😍😍

Where else would you like to see them? Let us know and your wish is our command 🫡

05/23/2024

How we’re feeling learning that is just over 8 weeks away 👊💥

The Ultimate Training Plan + Guide INCLUDES an 8-week training plan from , so consider this your last call to pick yours up in BikeReg under Merch ‼️

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05/21/2024

If you are looking for a little positivity this Tuesday, check out The Engine Inside. This film looks at different stories of how the bike can be transformational. Watch the full length film for free: https://www.redbull.com/us-en/films/the-engine-inside.

One of the stories is on Megan Hottman who is TheCyclist-Lawyer.com, our law partner at FoCo Fondo. One thing we really appreciate about Megan is that she walks the walk (or bikes the bike?), embracing bike culture wholly from competition to exercise to transportation to, most importantly, joy ✨

05/20/2024

And, just to relive the weekend a little longer, here is a little photo love from on the shorter route through Lory 😍😍😍

05/16/2024

Meet (she/her). We’ve been lucky enough to have Jess for a few roles over the years. She currently uses her supreme attention to detail to liaison with timing to ensure timely, accurate results as a fixer and lines up all the podium prizes with the most bananas spreadsheet. Additionally she usually takes on A Project That Is Bothering Her…this year it is a new, revamped Rider Guide that we’ll be sharing with you in the next few weeks 👀 And finally, whisked her away as an account manager a few years ago, but let us keep her as our FoCo Fondo account manager with them for all the rad branding they’ve built for us.

Outside of and fixing, you’ll find using her creative side with custom flower arrangements for private events and special occasions via and planning her own Irish fall wedding with her dog Gracie, and .gavin of course.

We’re so grateful for her time, energy, and attention to detail 🫶

📷 (1), (2)

05/14/2024

Saturday’s training ride is looking 👌 ☀️🤩 There are two excellent, excellent routes to choose from. Grab those essential details and special notes through the link in bio. And a special shout out to this month’s lanterne rouge, 🙏

We’ll come back after for some special hangs at with a guest appearance from . It’s a perfect time, with in hand, to dial in sizes. Riders will walk away with a special one-time 30% off code and win a chance at a new summer kit, plus other goodies Pearl iZUMi has up their sleeves. It’s going to be a perfect early summer day!

05/13/2024

Important update 🚨

Due to overwhelming demand and a desire to offer the same in 2025 (and before more of you tattoo nerds get one), the offer of entries for life has been updated to the average life of a hamster 🐹 (1 year).

All other rules apply. No alterations, no exchanges, no excuses, just badass tattoos. Call to set up your appointment. You must send a photo of your tattoo completed from Scrimshaw Tattoo ahead of the 2024 event weekend (July 19-21, 2024) to Zack at [email protected] to receive a 2024 entry. Offer ends at that point.

05/10/2024

Our official x jersey pre-sales close next Thursday! We have two fun options to choose from- scroll through the carousel for the designs for 2024. Preorder in BikeReg to guarantee your size!

The last photo is the jersey which has overlapping design features but with a navy base. Gives you a good idea of what it will look like— aka fabulous 🤩🤩🤩

📷 .sierra (1), (4)

05/08/2024

We’re just a few days away from our first annual, very full Beginner’s Clinic! And our Women’s Clinic is also full. Across both, we have 84 athletes taking on the challenge of leveling up skills and confidence on the bike 💪

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05/06/2024

The May Ride just leveled up with full treatment from 💅

Post ride they will be joining us at , bringing giveaways, providing a 30%(!) discount code to attending riders that you can take home, and they will be raffling off a kit for one lucky rider 😯

And, with everything being on the internet these days, they will be bringing some fit kits so that if you are one of those in-betweeners, you can figure out what size you are IRL, in hand 💁 From their collections, they will have jerseys, vests and bibs from their Pro, Attack, and Expedition line, along with both Expedition shoes. We really love their commitment to making high quality products from nearly 100% recycled or sustainable materials 🫡

Learn more about the training ride and routes at focofondo.com under Training Rides & Events.

05/04/2024

2024 marks the fourth year of our BIPOC Scholarship Program and second year with FoCo’s own ._j_phd at the helm of the program. This year we have athletes from Nebraska, Arizona, Texas Missouri, California, Pennsylvania, and Colorado, of course! For three athletes, p/b will be their first gravel event- we take that honor very seriously. Jared asked riders why the bike matters to them and below are a few of those responses- what resonates with your own experience?

👉 “Cycling is one of the few ways I’m able to feel free as a Black Man. It’s a great way to feel autonomous and like you’re in control of your destiny.”

👉 “Through my journey I have lost 126 pounds and developed wonderful friendships. Cycling has contributed to my journey of loving myself again. For years I poured myself into my work, family and friends. It took a toll on both my physical and emotional well-being. Emotionally, I didn’t take the time to cope with stress or trauma which [led] to negative coping methods. Physically, I was exhausted and [angry] all the time. I had poor eating and drinking habits. Cycling provided me with a positive outlet. At first it was just being outside and doing something during the pandemic however, it tuned into me challenging myself to be a better version of myself. Each daily cycling challenge of going one more extra mile or 5 extra minutes allowed me to refocus my energy on all of the things I was [capable] of.”

👉 “Cycling - means strength, resilience, community, playfulness, adventure, and access to the outdoors.”

📸 .sierra

05/03/2024

Happy Friday! We have some interesting news for you today, all about OZONE from Simple Steps Better Air 🍃

This Front Range non-profit is working this year to help connect endurance athletes with better, easy-to-access information about ozone levels on the Front Range, especially in relation to exercise. Unlike wildfire smoke, ground-level ozone is invisible and odorless and can contribute to irritated throats and lungs, increases susceptibility to respiratory infections, and exacerbates ailments like asthma.

We’ll be sharing some simple steps you can take to protect yourself and reduce your households impact (don’t worry, the other half of the work they do is focused on policy change!).

Two calls to action for today:
👉 text “BetterAirCO” to 21000 to receive air quality alerts on your phone
👉 take the survey to help them gather info on how you exercise outdoors: https://forms.gle/WJJTTTPvnpaw6pzL6

📷 .sierra

04/30/2024

Tomorrow, May 1st at 8am our x Women’s Clinic registration opens! The women’s skills clinic is limited to 50 riders and last year it filled up in less than 48 hours. The details 👇

Join the Fort Follies and FoCo Fondo for the second year of the women’s gravel clinic led by NoCo gravel pros , , , and .allison. This year we’re excited to be expanding the clinic into a whole weekend filled with bikes and rad women!

Saturday, June 8, will include the skills portion covering bike body separation, cornering, descending, emergency braking and group riding with time to practice in a closed environment. After the skills clinic, we’re providing lunch and two great breakout sessions to choose from. Stick around after for some Q & A time with our amazing instructors and time to socialize with the other participants at .

Come back on Sunday, June 9th, ready to get after one of the FoCo Fondo Women’s Training ride routes. Get ready for a fun weekend of skills work and riding to help you prepare to tackle one of the FoCo Fondo routes on July 21!

Grab additional details and the link to sign up starting May 1st through the link in bio under Training Rides & Events.

04/26/2024

Confucius said the aid station is always one more roller away than where you thought it was.

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04/25/2024

The athletes who applied to the non-binary and gender expansive scholarship program really hit the nail on the head: it’s about more than the race, it’s about the community we create - an intentional effort that we’ve been working towards as a leadership team. We asked folks to tell us why cycling is important to them, and this is what they had to say:

👉 “It is part of my identity. It is pure liberation and joy. It is medicine and healing.”

👉 “It is a place where I can find friends and family and share in joyful movement with them. It is a place where I can both learn and teach, grow and share. It’s good for my mind, body and soul and something I want any and everyone to experience and feel.”

👉 “I feel the most free to be myself, the most like the me that I want to be when I am on my bike.”

👉 “What started as a way to overcome my personal struggles, soon became a way to connect with people and bridge the gaps that divide us. I have fallen so deeply in love with the power of the bicycle and its ability to consistently prove that we are capable of much more than we think we are, both physically and mentally.”

As we close in on 12 weeks until the FoCo Fondo weekend, we are preparing the logistics to welcome five non-binary and gender expansive athletes through our scholarship program and an additional two athletes supported by , and supporting housing all around with .racing.collective. Folks are coming from as far away as Philadelphia (hey !) and Albuquerque (looking at you and ). We’ve also got a few local folks who are Front Rangers coming up from Denver and Golden.

Wherever you’re coming from, and however you plan to participate in the Fondo this year, we hope you remember: cycling is about more than racing, it’s accessing your true and authentic self and connecting with others.

04/25/2024

FoCo Fondo takes place July 21st, 2024, at about 5000 feet and tops out at just shy of 9000 feet on the longest route….it can be hot, it is at altitude.

We chatted with coach and owner , MSED, RCEP about best practices on riding/racing in the heat, heat acclimation, riding and racing at altitude, pacing best practices, and fueling. Obviously it’s tailored towards FoCo Fondo specifics but the practices can be used well beyond FoCo Fondo specifically.

Grab the video: https://youtu.be/yjdPhBTs6Vo?si=sNZhiCFTZGb8LwFW

It makes a great listen too.

📷

Address

New Belgium Brewing 500 Linden Street
Fort Collins, CO
80524

Website

http://focofondo.com/

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Videos

Our Hitch a Ride program is as straightforward as its motto: For climate, community, and cost sharing. By re-thinking our travel to events, we can hit these three C’s and all be better for it in more ways than one. A huge shoutout to @kuatracks, @simplestepsbetterair and @chamoisbuttr for their financial support of this program! It wouldn’t be possible without them, so give them a high five next time you see them (or a virtual one on the internet!). Riders who participate in the program in any of these three ways (in the video) can grab a Hitch a Ride air freshener at registration and enter themselves to win prizes like a Kuat bike rack, $100 gas cards, and Chamois Butt’r prizes! The drawing will take place on Sunday, July 21st, at awards at the main stage at 4:15pm. You must be present to win any large prizes. The gas cards can be mailed if you can’t be there. Grab more details about the program through the link in our bio. #focofondo #doityouwont #hitcharide #chamoisbuttr #kuatracks #simplestepsbetterair #raqc #carpool #driveless

@focofondo is not yer grandaddy’s fondo 🧙‍♂️ We’re taking back the word Fondo. This is not an old, stodgy, leather chamois, road race ride. This is a foot out, flat out, dirt, gravel, mixed terrain, make it to the finish and win a bolo tie kind of event. Ride it, race it, or something in between. We’re just glad you are here. Join us July 19-21st, 2024, for an unforgettable weekend in Fort Collins, CO. Registration is open and filling fast. #doityouwont

@scrimshawtattooing and Ishmael Johnson have been a supporters of @focofondo and endurance sports since the early days. For 2024, FoCo Fondo partnered up with Scrimshaw Tattoo in a bigger way. Ish made a flash sheet of rad FoCo Fondo Tattoo options to paint your tough cyclist hide with. Zack went ahead and got one of the FoCo Fondo tattoos in order to get a rare inside scoop on Ish, the Scrimshaw experience, and also just to get a badass tattoo from the FoCo Fondo sheet. Watch the full video on our YouTube, also linked in our stories. If you get a FoCo Fondo tattoo, from this sheet, from Scrimshaw, you can enjoy free entries to FoCo Fondo for life*. No alterations, no exchanges, no excuses, just bad ass tattoos. Call Scrimshaw to set up your appointment. *You must send a photo of your tattoo completed from Scrimshaw Tattoo ahead of the 2024 event weekend (July 19-21st, 2024) to Zack at [email protected]. Offer ends at that point 👌 #focofondo #doityouwont #gravelbike #gravelride #flashsheet #bikesandtattoos #fortcollins #scrimshaw

We heard that gravel lotteries are super in right now, so we decided to make our own fake a$$ lottery. All currently registered riders, will receive their scratcher in the mail in the coming days...we hope to see you scratching them on the internets. Two lucky dogs will receive a grand prize — either a VIP ticket to FoCo Fondo or a jersey of choice so check your scratcher closely. Don’t worry, everyone’s a winner at FoCo Fondo. We have a small handful of scratchers left, so get registered and we’ll keep mailing them out ‘til they are gone. #focofondo #doityouwont #gravellottery #gravelrace #gravelride #gravelbike #fattire

FoCo Fondo registration is now open! Join us July 21st, 2024, for a weekend you won't forget, full of gravel bikes, community, and a Fat Tire or three. #focofondo #doityouwont #gravelbike #gravelride #visitfortcollins #fortcollins #colorado

Throwback to riding with the Lincoln Bike Club led by Safe Routes to School 🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️

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Our Story

2020 FoCo Fondofest is cancelled due to COVID-19. Your can read our full statement here.

Foco Fondofest offers with multiple rides benefiting Bike Fort Collins Safe Routes to School Program in Fort Collins, CO. We will take you to views wildlife and bliss that you cannot find on paved roads. ~12, 25, 50, and the 100 mile Bite the Bullet challenges will all be on the docket for you to choose your own adventure (mileage is approximate). Home base at New Belgium Brewing will have food, festival, cold brews, giveaways, bike demos and more.

For more details www.focofondo.com