What you need to know if you’re looking to start fat biking this winter

Rick Hackett loved to ride his mountain bike. And there was a time, nearly five years ago, when he was resigned to being able to enjoy the sport for only a few months out of the year.

A short season was sort of a fact of life in Colorado for lovers of the outdoors. Those who love to hike the 14ers only had a few months as well, as did elk hunters or skiers and snowboarders.

And then he discovered fat biking four years ago. Now there is no biking season.

“It’s been a game changer for me,” said Hackett, 50, who works in public information for the Boulder County land use department and lives in Longmont. “Now I can go year-round. I used to love snowboarding. But I’d rather go fat biking. There’s no traffic and no crowds. It’s just me and my friends in the woods.”

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Fat biking may be the fastest-growing winter sport of the last five years both among avid mountain bikers such as Hackett and others looking for something to do in the winter other than spending $600 on a ski pass. Here are a few things that will help you get started:

• It’s just like regular mountain biking, but with fatter tires.

Fat biking began around 2007, when the Pugsley came out with comparably huge tires, said Jim Simons, 47, a resident of Winter Park and an avid biker. The Pug wasn’t a good bike back then, as it was heavy and didn’t grip the snow well, Simons said. Other models followed, and the sport changed for good in 2014, when bigger manufactures saw the potential and came out with light frames and big tires on the geometry of a regular mountain bike. Simons believes the Fatboy Crave made it possible for most to have fun, but other models exist now.

• However, there is a learning curve.

You could make a comparison between skiing and snowboarding, although the differences aren’t quite that far apart.

“When you crash in the snow, it’s softer, so it’s easier,” Hackett said. “But it’s not an easy sport to just pick up. There is a learning curve. I’ve had folks try it out and give up.” That’s because …

• The best fat biking conditions are the worst for skiing.

Those same people, like many who love snow, thought a good powder day would naturally be perfect. Nope, Hackett said. Fat bikers need to wait for that powder to get pounded down by hikers and skiers.

“If it dumps, you can’t ride in it,” Hackett said. “You need a packed surface. The best trails are those groomed by feet. The more people on it, the more trails get groomed. It’s great for us.”

• There’s lots of help out there.

Many bike shops now rent fat bikes and are happy to show you how to use them, Hackett said, and there are lots of groups on Facebook, including Front Range Fattys, to direct you to the best trails. Nearly every mountain town has a group full of people willing to help.

You probably want to start by renting, and many of the Fatty members (it’s the group’s name; we aren’t commenting on their weight) recommended Dave Chase at Redstone Cyclery in Lyons because he’s also a rider and busy advocate for fat bikes who coordinates weekly group rides and events and even helps groom trails.

But there are other places as well, including Evergreen Bicycle Outfitters, Alpha Bicycle Company (with locations in Centennial and Littleton) and Pedal Bike Shop, also in Littleton.

Many Fattys didn’t want to name specific places other than Chase’s place, so there are probably many others out there, Hackett said. These places are also good places to buy, and many will let you try out models for at least 24 hours.

“Most good bike shops that carry mountain bikes also carry fat bikes,” Hackett said.

• The bikes aren’t fat. It’s the tires that are hefty.

The bikes aren’t much different than mountain bikes, so you’re probably safe telling the store your bike size. However, the tires are HUGE, and that can surprise you and be a tight fit in your car. You need a big SUV, a truck or a rack that can handle a fat bike, said Sandra Marticio, a member of Fattys.

“They often get the bike to the parking lot and go, ‘Oh, crap. How am I gonna get this thing to the trailhead?’ ” Marticio said.

Source: theknow.denverpost.com

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