Photo discovermuskoka.ca.
Fat biking is a fun way to stay active in the winter months.
I’m still mourning the November that wasn’t. If that wretched November weather did anything for us, it prepared us for the next four months. And, like my Christmas shopping, I may even get my end of season moping done early this year. Though, if I’m being completely honest, I’m really hoping to put off at least one of those things until the 24th, or later. Come back fall!
So, how does someone who is obsessed with life on two wheels deal with snow, ice, and extreme cold weather? Here are some options.
Give up until spring. It’s okay, really.
Work with what you’ve got. Your existing mountain bike is capable of riding on frozen dirt, thin snow cover, and some amount of cold and firmly packed snow.
Fat bike. Fat bikes, with their 4”-5” wide tires, are great in limited depths of soft snow and even better when the trails are packed and frozen.
Studded tires. Our winters are icier than ever. If you don’t choose option 1, strongly consider studs.
I bought my fat bike back in 2011 after lusting over them for some time. They are quirky bikes. Basic and unpretentious with funny proportions, certainly not anything pin-up worthy. But, those big fat tires were the things of dreams. Oh, the places I’d go. A never-ending season full of glorious powder days, I wouldn’t even need trails.
It quickly became apparent that they are not the all-terrain snow monsters they may first appear to be. Like a lot of winter activities, there’s a finite snow depth that you can work with before that new bike glee fades.
Some major trail centers (eg. Durham Forest) machine groom their singletrack trails. This makes for incredibly consistent and predictable trail conditions. Smaller networks, like ours, rely on a variety of different trail users collectively working together to keep the trails packed and useable (thank you snowshoers and dog walkers).
Combine fluctuating snow depths with freezing rain and frequent freeze/thaw cycles and it can become fairly challenging to find ideal fat biking conditions, at least for more than a few consecutive days. However, when conditions are good, it is a lot of fun.
Anyone new to the sport should seek flatter terrain to start, keep their tire pressures low (<10 psi), and stick to subzero temperatures. Unfortunately, the beautiful unseasonably warm days, as tempting as they may be, are some of the worst for winter riding. Melting snow makes for very slippery conditions.
Studded tires are worth considering regardless of your chosen tire size. They allow you to relax more, forget about unexpected ice patches, and may even have you seeking out ice and venturing to places you wouldn’t normally go (eg. frozen lakes).
The grip is impressive but they can be expensive, especially for fat bikes. There are some DIY options (eg. Grip Studs) but most off-the-shelf studded tires offer the best balance of simplicity and cost.
This month’s trail tip: Dress like a cross-country skier, not a downhill skier. Cycling in snow is a great aerobic workout and you will get warm.
A Singletrack Mind by David D’Agostino
