The Tours (
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We have developed the festival single track tours for features they include along the trail as well as the quality of the ride. Much of the terrain can be ridden by advanced beginners (meaning you have ridden single track before but not much and are in fairly good shape.) as well as expert riders with some portaging of bikes for lower level riders. On your journey through the Black Hills you will be amazed by the natural awe-inspiring landscapes that continually change even while traveling relatively short distances. We have scheduled most rides with shorter routes (6-10 miles) into the itinerary so you might experience more trails in different locations. You can catch a ride on the east side of the hills in the morning and one on the north side in the afternoon. Since each trail has it own special characteristics we want you to ride as many as you can in the time you have available. Having shorter rides also allows more time for socializing and experiencing the different areas of the Black Hills, but also time to see and do other activities off your bike if you would like.
If you feel you have the stamina to do a little longer ride, we will also offer rides between 15 and 25 miles. These longer rides can be combined a couple of shorter routes to give you that extra time in the woods.
All mountain bike tours can be done by advanced beginner rider as well as the very experienced rider. Most rides will be a combination of 80% or more of single track, 10% ATV trails and 10% forest service roads. As some riders found out last year, YOU MUST BE IN SHAPE! Even though some of trails aren’t that technical, riders who were coming from lower altitudes found these trails to be very difficult due to decreased oxygen content of our 5000-6000 ft elevations.
Your guides will be members of the local Black Hills Mountain Biking Association. Experiencing the Black Hills with local hospitality is very important to the Fat Tire Festivals’ success. We pride ourselves on our Midwestern hospitality and want to share that excitement with you.
Everyone riding in a tour will be given a wrist band which will have a number listed on it. The wrist band must be worn either on the wrist or on the bike during the ride. The tab on the band will have a corresponding number as the wrist band and this tab can be put into a drawing for prizes. All prize drawings will be held during that night’s event. You must be present to win.
(Note: Registration for all tours will need to be done prior to the ride. All rides will leave and return to the Festival Headquarters. (Festival sponsors do encourage car pooling.) Day of registrations will be allowed at Festival Headquarters only. No registrations at trail heads will be permitted.
On Your Own (O.Y.O.)
Maps of several single track rides in and around the Black Hills will be available to purchase at festival headquarters. If you would like to ride on your own, maps can be purchased for $5.00. We do not guarantee the accuracy of the maps and you will be riding with no support. All proceeds to go to Black Hills Mountain Bike Trail Fund. Note: Because of Forest Service regulations, some rides can only be done during the Black Hills Fat Tire Festival.
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