November 20, 2020 - As winter approaches, many people are planning to continue cycling year-round for both transportation and recreation. A growing winter trend has been to enjoy snowy trails by fatbike, something that will likely see a boost this year as people seek more opportunities to get outside amidst the COVID-19 pandemic – and dogs love tagging along.
While not exclusive to winter, the wider tires on fatbikes are built to traverse diverse terrain like snow. With the availability of e-fatbikes, even more riders could be encouraged to give this popular activity a try.
Last year, there were more than 20 fat-tire biking events across Canada and even more across the USA. While the COVID-19 pandemic has 2020-21 events in uncertain territory, there are still many options to get out there. And there’s one event that still plans to move forward – Global Fat Biking Day.
In 2020, Global Fat Biking Day is being celebrated on Saturday, December 5th. A grassroots event, it has always had a virtual element to it and organizers are encouraging people to get out there this year and share photos online of rides that comply with regional COVID-19 regulations.
Many venues celebrate the event locally, so check to see if something is happening near you. If you’d like to join in the celebrations, there are many possible trails to explore as part of Global Fat Biking Day.
If you’re in Canada, Narcity Media put together a roundup of 11 places to ride a fat-tire bike earlier this year. Many other resorts, venues and parks also offer fatbiking and a good number of sites offer several kilometers of fat-tire exclusive trails as well as fat-tire bike rentals, including many around Québec City.
There are maps available of fat-biking trails across the province for both Québec and Ontario. Not surprisingly, Northern Ontario communities such as Thunder Bay and Sudbury are promoting their fat-tire biking trails and bike rentals, which are currently open with COVID-19 precautions in place.
In the United States, Global Fat Biking Day is being celebrated in at least 10 different locations subject to local COVID-19 restrictions – check here.
Electric fat-tire bikes are also available to help give you an extra boost of support. According to multiple vendor websites, e-bike batteries are built to handle the winter, although there are some recommended care tips to follow. This includes ensuring the battery is above freezing before charging it, and bringing the battery inside whenever you’re not riding.
For other winter fatbiking events if COVID-19 doesn’t intervene, the Borealis Fat Bike World Championships are planned for January 15-17, 2021 in Pinedale, WY. The Fat Bike Birkie is also planning to go ahead on March 12 & 13, 2020 in Wisconsin. However, please note that e-fatbikes are not permitted as part of these official races. They are allowed on the Birkie course during the pre-ride on Friday and e-fatbike demos will be available at the Birkie’s Vendor Fair.
