This famous, world record setting, multi-city bicycle parade “Tour de Fat” emphasizes turning off the car and turning on your body (and drinking beer, but not while you are riding your bike of course).

New Belgium Brewing company owners Kim and Jeff have for more than a decade promoted clean energy use and re-use. This is not just hype, but a showcase of real, sustainable systems that set an example for us all. The New Belgium Brewery located in Fort Collins, Colorado is Northern Colorado’s largest consumer of wind energy; the methane gas captured through their own internal water treatment is used to generate electricity; the heat generated by the boilers is recycled to heat the building in the winter; all employees are given a bicycle in reward for two years employment—and much, much more.

The Tour de Fat (Fat Tire label beer, that is) started at 9 am Saturday morning. With an estimated 7,500 people (and at least as many bikes), the parade meandered through Fort Collins for more than an hour. It was visually overwhelming, the creativity in costume and unique bikes astounding. People sat to the front of their homes along the parade route cheering the slow-going riders along. There were 4 bikes pulling an old car, bikes tricked-out as airplanes, bikes over ten feet tall, and in my cousin’s case (who broke both his feet mountain biking six weeks prior), well, he was just along for the ride.