That poor, poor bike. The snow fell, and you ran to greet it, skis in tow. But while you’re skiing your heart out, your bike sits at home, alone. Gone are the days of loamy trails and rock gardens, but the fun doesn’t have to end.
Just as your bike gets lonely and bored, your skis will grow weary. Core shot bases and cracked edges take time to heal, and what better way to fill that free time than with a new way to fly down snowy trails.
They say bigger is better. So slap on some fat tires, and get rolling … or maybe sliding. Here are three reasons you need to try fat tire biking this winter:
1. Snow is soft, usually
If you’ve never ridden a bike on the snow before, this one's for you.
The glory of fat tire biking is that falling is fun. No one is expecting you to be good (and honestly it’s more fun to be bad at it). There’s no rush to put yourself on the narrowest, tree-lined, singletrack out there. Just find a hill, some soft snow, and a friend to tag along. Unleash your inner child, and crash like there’s no one watching — there probably isn’t!
This brings us to our next point:
2. A snowy trail is a quiet trail
Do you ever wish you could have the whole trail to yourself? Do you wish you could hike, ride, or ski uninterrupted? For better or worse, there aren’t many people that find themselves biking through the middle of the snow-covered woods. Don’t ask me what that says about you. I’m just stating the facts.
Winter in the Lake Champlain Region is intimate. You’ll find it quite different from the bustling early morning trailheads of the High Peaks. Fat tire biking provides the option to get away from the noise or to bring a group and make it a party. Either way, it’s bound to be a good time.
3. And lastly, commitment issues
Whoa, whoa, whoa. That’s not an attack on your character, but if you’re anything like me, you probably get distracted by every crazy POV-style YouTube video you see.
The good news is that you don’t have to buy a fat tire bike to try it out. We’ve even written a whole blog about renting fat bikes and hitting the Blueberry Hill Trails! That means you can see how you feel about slashing powdery berms and floating through the snow before you go out and invest too much. Then, when your Instagram explore tab is flooded by videos of skydiving and wingsuits, you’ll know you made the right choice to stay here, landlocked.
So give it a shot. The worst you'll be left with is a cold face and a good time.
If you decide to experiment with fat tire biking this winter, make the Lake Champlain Region your place to play in the snow.
