Fat Bikes are the rage this winter
When you think of the Rocky Mountains in wintertime the first thought that comes to mind is skiing, rightfully so, but there is another chilled option that is rapidly gaining fans, Fat Biking, and damn it’s fun.
First spotted in Alaska in the 1990’s the big-wheeled behemoths have steadily made their way across the globe and currently are the newest biking rage. If you have ever ridden one then you understand why people love them: they can handle any terrain, any season, and extend biking into regions unthought-of.
Winter is the perfect time to take one out for a spin, head to one of these areas while the powder is still around.
“If you are looking for an area that offers trails for every level of rider all winter long look no further than the Bear Creek trail system west of Colorado Springs,” says Greg Herrman Director of International Sales for Borealis Fat Bikes. “Stop in at Pro Cycling at 600 S 21st St to rent a bike and get expert advice on trails to hit.”
Head to the top of Cheyenne Canyon and make the parking lot your base camp. From here you can ride five miles up the closed portion of Gold Camp Road for an easy-ish beginner ride (you are at 8500ft) or head out on Buckhorn trail for some intermediate single track riding before hooking up with Captain Jacks for a bomber down hill run.
If you are going to ride all day then you should have fun at night, Salida is the perfect place for both. “The Cotopaxi Loop is a favorite amongst the locals looking for a long winter ride,” says Ryan Knobbe of Absolute Bikes. At roughly eighty-miles long, the route takes you up Ute Trail road on a fifteen-mile climb through the San Isabel Forest past Cameron Mountain before rewarding you with a long downhill run into the town of Cotopaxi. From there you head back up Big Horn Sheep Canyon to Salida and well-deserved drinks. Stop into Absolute Bikes at 330 W Sackett Ave for rentals, gear, and local beta before heading out.
On January 23-25th the 4th Annual Global Fat Bike Summit is being held in Jackson’s Hole and you should be there. This annual gathering of industry leaders is sure to attract unseen demo bikes, epic rides, and all around fun. If that doesn’t work then plan another weekend in the region and head to the Cache Creek Trail System just outside Jackson. There are over 800 miles of groomed snowmobile trails open to bikes all winter long, just make sure you equip your bike with blinking lights on the front and back to alert snowmobile riders.
If you are looking for an epic ride with no chance of fuel injected flyers ripping by head to Grand Targhee resort and their Nordic center that is completely open to bikes. New this year is a ten-mile loop dedicated solely to the knobby tire set that will be groomed year round. Stop in to Fitzgerald’s Bikes at 20 Cedron Rd in Victor, Idaho (where the locals live) for advice and directions.
So throw on some warm clothes and join the growing cadre of riders attacking the slopes on two wheels.
