Fat Bikes

I guess it is better to have the bike get fat as opposed to me and I'm lucky enough to have a husband who likes biking enough to see that happen.  For years Bryant, the avid biker, has watched the "fat bike" trend, but was reluctant to pull the plug and buy one. I never really wanted to pay the price of a fat bike so I put it out of my mind as running, skiing or swimming indoors are all valid attempts I've made through the winters to keep the pounds from adding up and keep my summer fitness in place.  But seeing as we sold the boat in Mexico, the long Alaskan winters, and Bryant's latest job promotion, he put two winter bikes on his short list and I got my Christmas present early.  This weekend, we tried out our fat bikes.     

The tires are oversized and that allows for floatation on snow and sand.  Since we do live in a climate of 5 months of snow and right out our backdoor is twenty miles of river with glacial rock, sand, and silt, we are in a good position to enjoy what a fat bike has to offer.  This weekend, Bryant and I headed out to explore the Knik River bottom on bike.  While we didn't set any new speed records, we learned that the bikes will plow through just about anything - creek crossings, deep gravel, and sand. All things our mountain bikes would not have liked. 

Riding on the fat bike this weekend brought me back to my college days in 1988 when I finally splurged to buy my first mountain bike, a Trek 830.  Money I knew I could hardly afford, but suspected it was well spent.  I used that Trek for the next three years both winter and summer as I made my way sliding and speeding to campus and on the occasional trail in and around Marquette, MI.  After riding around this weekend, I feel like possibilities where once again opened up.  Along with the river riding around the house, every snowmachine trail that I rode around the property are now potential bike loops. In my brain, I created all sorts of loops and time frames in which they should be complete.  I have even gone so far as to find out when the winter bike races are in Anchorage are so I have a goal to keep me going as the days grow darker.  I am quite convinced that I have joined the group of crazies who are bundled up from head to toe riding fat bikes in the middle of winter.