Cyclists line up in the first race of the 2023 Zimmer Biomet Downtown Criterium in this InkFreeNews file photo. The criterium returns this year as part of the KCV Cycling Club’s Fat & Skinny Tire Fest next weekend.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — The KCV Cycling Club is prepping for its 19th Fat & Skinny Tire Fest next weekend.

The event returns to Warsaw and Winona Lake and other nearby areas on Friday, May 17, through Sunday, May 19.

Fat & Skinny kicks off Friday with Bike to Work Day. New this year, there will be two locations for the morning event.

KCV President Mike Cusick and Vice President Greg Demopoulos noted people may now also meet at 7 a.m. near the corner of the Kosciusko County Courthouse to grab breakfast before cycling to work. As in the past, people may meet at the same time at Light Rail Cafe in Winona Lake.

Also returning this year will be the mass community ride from Winona Lake to downtown Warsaw. It will be preceded by the opening ceremony at Miller Sunset Pavilion at 6 p.m., with riders then making their way to Warsaw for events in combination with Main Street Warsaw’s Third Friday.

That includes Fat & Skinny Tire Fest’s first BMX show of the weekend at 7 p.m. and the Zimmer Biomet Downtown Criterium, kicking off at 7:30 p.m.

Cusick and Demopoulos noted the start-finish line for the criterium has been moved this year to Main and Buffalo streets.

Saturday, May 18’s events include the Wildman Business Group Countryside Tour & Century, with the Grand Start at 8 a.m. in Winona Lake, the Do INdiana Off-road races beginning at 10 a.m. on Winona Lake’s trails and the Zimmer Biomet Circuit Road Race starting at 10 a.m. at Claypool Elementary School.

There are also two more BMX shows at 12:30 and 4 p.m., plenty of kids’ activities from 1-4 p.m., including art and the kids’ bike parade, and live music starting at 7 p.m, all in Winona Lake.

Sunday, May 19, has the Zimmer Biomet Road Criterium Races from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Winona Lake, with the Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital kids’ races starting at 4:30 p.m. in Winona Lake and the Ortho Cup Corporate Challenge Cruiser Race finals at 5 p.m.

Demopoulos, who co-founded the festival, called it entering its 19th year “a pleasant surprise.”

Cusick noted the festival’s length has made people grow with it, including cyclist Matt Marsh, who first got involved with it as a youth.

To see a full list of festival events, people should visit kcvcycling.org/events/fat-skinny-tire-fest.

Volunteers are still needed for the festival. People may sign up at kcvcycling.org/events/fat-skinny-tire-fest/volunteer. A volunteer meeting is planned for 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 13, at Trailhouse Village Bicycles in Winona Lake.

“Our mission is to improve our community through bicycling, and we do that through different means,” said Cusick of the KCV Cycling Club. “We do a lot of awareness through advocacy and education, but we also do things such as maintaining the Winona Lake Trails, and we are currently designing and fundraising still for the Winona Lake Bike Park.”

Demopoulos noted KCV had raised more than half of the money it needed for the park.

“Phase 1 is the purchasing of the land, and the design work to be done and that’s $315,000, and we’re just over (half),” he said.

Demopoulos said KCV is working with International Mountain Bicycling Association Trail Solutions on the design, which should happen in “late summer, early fall.”

Cusick said all proceeds from Fat & Skinny “support our programs (including) our maintenance work on the trails, our advocacy work, the Tracey’s Trailer education program and continued fundraising for the bike park.”

People may donate for the park by going to kcvcycling.org/donate.