My window was cracked to breathe some fresh air into a
stagnant room. The nights’ silence is
usually interrupted by the sound of crickets while the breeze stirs the waning
leaves. For the first time in months I
awoke to complete silence – the day was October 4.
It’s 5:00am, I rub the sleep from my eyes then peek out
the bedroom window only to find that winter is just around the corner – large
wet snowflakes floating heavily, coating the landscape to look like a funnel
cake garden. I’m never sure how to react
to the first signs of winter, I love the snow but it also means my favorite
trails will be nearly impossible to ride; or will they?
From my previous posts you may gather that I have an
unusual love affair with Dirt and the nobby tires that carry me through, so it
should come as no surprise how delighted I was when I first discovered “Fat
Bikes.” The most distinguishing feature
of the Fat Bike is its tires, hmmm.
Usually measuring 26x40, these tires are large enough to keep you above most
sinking terrain. Here in Colorado these
bikes are especially popular in the winter to give us Dirt clods another option
for riding our open space parks in the snow.
Most frames are rigid but you may find front and full
suspension options around. The large
tires increases the weight of the bike so don’t expect it to handle like your
trusty 26er. Suspension will likely add
considerable weight and coupled with the increased tire friction you’ll
certainly need to be fit before mounting up for a snow ride. The drivetrain options should help level off
most trails so have no fear.
I have not had the pleasure of riding one of these personally
but I have my eye on one in particular – the Salsa Mukluk; an aluminum frame,
2x10 drivetrain, Holy Rolling Darryl rims and Avid BB7 disc brakes. Golden Bike Shop, located at 722 Washington
Avenue in beautiful Golden Colorado has demos for rent and are currently
building their fleet with choice options like the Surly Pugsley, Salsa Mukluk, 9:zero:7
and the Salsa Beargrease. Their rates
are $60/day for aluminum and $80/day for carbon. You can find them on the web at
www.goldenbikeshop.com or give them a call at (303) 278-6545 for more
information. The shop is located close
to many open space parks so if you don't have a bike rack find a good parking spot, hop on a Fatty and head
for the hills.
I can’t wait to give them a try for myself. The recent snow has melted but sounds like there’s
more on the way. I promise myself that I will ride during winter regardless of the conditions but I can't seem to keep that promise, perhaps that would change if there were a Fat Bike in the garage. There will be a Global
Bike Summit in Ogden, UT on January 24-25.
I hope to make it out and if I’m able to attend I should have some great
pics. Till then, enjoy the weather and
hope to see you on the trail.
Alan - Dirt Life
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