Fat Tires Make Tracks with Pandemic

By Tammy Leytham
Fat Bike enthusiasts hit the program in the Borealis Fat Bike world Championships, held Jan. 15-17 at the Jackson Fork Ranch in Bondurant, Wyo., near Pinedale.
Snow. Sand. Mud. These are not surfaces bicyclists usually traverse. Unless it’s on a fat bike.

On a sunny Saturday in mid-January with temperatures right at freezing, riders lined up for the 2021 Borealis Fat Bike world Championships, which rolled along a snow-covered path with the Wyoming as well as Wind River mountain varieties looming in the distance.

With 3.8- to 5-inch tires as well as wide rims, fat bikes are produced this type of winter riding.

The pandemic triggered a shift in the 2021 Borealis world Championships, which moved from its house in Crested Butte, Colo., to the 1,200-acre Jackson Fork Ranch near Pinedale, Wyo. because of COVID-19, this year’s event held 75 riders, compared to the 175 competitors in the elite division alone last year.

“In a COVID year, we were delighted with the turnout,” stated Steve Kaczmarek, CEO as well as creator of Borealis Fat Bikes.

“The location modification was great,” he said. “It was all new, so it truly felt excellent to look ahead to a new course, new people, new scenery, new beer sponsor, etc. Pinedale was more than welcoming to all racers as well as truly rolled out the carpet for us.”

One thing that hasn’t altered since the event started in 2015 is the fun, celebration atmosphere.

While most participants wear winter gear, others don tutus as well as animation costumes, as well as Superman capes. participants relaxed in a unique ice bar—a structure developed at Jackson Fork Ranch particularly for the event, made totally of ice as well as snow. Racers included regulars, newbies, as well as even high institution students.

“It couldn’t have been better,” stated Dave Ochs, one of Camiseta TSG 1899 Hoffenheim the founders of the Borealis Worlds. “What an remarkable location. Wyoming is glorious. The backdrop was stunning.”

Fat bikes are not new to Pinedale, which has single-track tracks designated for the wider tires. The city is likewise house to The Drift, a winter race in the Wind River Mountains in which racers ski, bike, or run on a snow-covered groomed trail. This year’s event is set for March 12-14 as well as features a 13-mile half-marathon, 28-mile marathon, as well as 100-mile ultramarathon.

Fat Bike History

The popularity of mountain bikes in the mid-1980s led to the advancement of fat bikes. As riders explored deeper into the winter Alaskan back-country, arroyos of southern new Mexico as well as beaches of Mexico, they needed bikes adaptable for terrains like snow, sand, as well as mud.

In 1986, Jean Naud rode across the Sahara Desert from Algiers to Timbuktu on a prototype bike with low-pressure Michelin fat tires. Those evolved in Mexico with styles for enabling bike tours on soft sand beaches. Alaskan frame makers started utilizing wider rims as well as tires on the Iditarod Trail.

In the mid-2000s, big bike business produced ‘fat tire’ versions available for sale to the public. The phenomenon truly came of age about 10 years later as sales gained traction.

Sport Gains Traction

A hard, flat surface welcomed racers at the Camiseta Tigres UANL Borealis Fat Bike world Championships, held in January on the Jackson Fork Ranch near Pinedale, Wyo.
As the sport elevated to a competitive level with growth in competitors, trails, as well as races, it continues to grow even during a pandemic.

Fat bike sales for Borealis were up 50 percent in 2020, in part because of COVID, Kaczmarek said.

“People are staying at house looking for things to do,” he said.

As people sought exercise, social distancing, as well as transportation options, bicycle sales jumped by as much as 100 percent in some markets, according to the physical fitness tracking app, Strava. But, Kaczmarek stated sales growth is likewise because of increased understanding of the versatility of a fat bike.

“All across America clients are discovering you can trip a fat bike year round, which is proving to be a selling point as bikes get more as well as more expensive,” he said. “With a simple modification of tires, you are prepared for the snow, sand, mud, or whatever. It’s somewhat reflective of the old days when cars and trucks had summertime as well as snow tires.”

Travis Counsell, executive director of the new England mountain Bike association (NEMBA), stated they’ve seen momentum in the sport as well.

“Fat biking is definitely a growing section of the sport,” stated Counsell, crediting the hike to broadened devices availability in recent years.

“Fat bikes utilized to be restricted to Camiseta Atalanta BC those truly devoted individuals who wished to trip all year long, however now we’re seeing it ended up being more prominent across all kinds of riders,” Counsell added. “And, of course, fat biking provides a excellent method to trip during the winter months.”

While NEMBA is not holding any type of specific Fat Bike events thisnull