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Winter Fatbike Fun

Fatbikes open up a whole new world of winter (and summer) adventure

By: Troy Lee + Save to a List

In the distance lay the terminal moraine of the Columbia ice sheet, and just beyond that a sinuous flow of ice, hundreds of thousands of years old. Between us was kilometers of hard, wind packed snow on the remains of ancient bedrock, now ground to gravel and dust by glaciers. Sounds ominous even dangerous. Could you ride it? No problem if you have a Fatbike with five inch wide low pressure tires. 

Fatbiking has opened up a whole new world of winter adventure for me. These beast-like mountain bikes float high on the snow and mud, grip like frog's feet and climb like mountain goats. Cross country and groomed downhill ski trails, ATV and snow machine tracks and packed snowshoe trails can be ridden with ease. Furthermore, the large 29 plus wheel/tire diameter enables you to roll over complex micro-topography even off trail under open forests. The question is where can't you go. 

Frozen lakes are fun to ride. Look for animals tracks around the perimeter of a lake or near wetlands.

Load up your fatbike with lunch and survival gear and enjoy a winter day-trip or an over-nighter.

Simply ride your favorite rural road and enjoy the contrast between the sun and forest, wind packed snow and those flowers that dare to poke their heads out on a cold December day. 

This is my first post on the Outbound Collective and you probably don't know who I am. Check out my blog Ride the Wild: Exploring Northern BC by Bike and find out a little more about me and why most weekends you will find me Riding the Wild on my fatbike.

We want to acknowledge and thank the past, present, and future generations of all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands we travel, explore, and play on. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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