Visit fatbike with its mountain-bike-like double-width tires and low air pressure, is ideal for riding on compacted snow. When temperatures fluctuate, and cross-country skiing loses the conditions it needs, the fatbike along with walking, is a source of revenue for winter activity centers.
Fatbike explained
Introduced in Quebec a few years ago, the oversized-tire bicycle, better known as the fatbike, has established itself as a winter leisure activity in its own right for a wide range of customers.
Mountain bike centers offering trails in the summer receive a valuable helping hand from local communities. In winter, they also contribute to the development of the fatbike by grooming the trails and competing with ingenuity in the techniques used to get there.
Its relatively low speed of progress contributes to the harmonious cohabitation with pedestrians and snowshoers on most trails. To encourage cohabitation, a code of ethics and appropriate signage must be prominently displayed.
Visit fatbike is also capable of riding on sand or any other loosely compacted surface that would make it difficult, if not impossible, to progress with another type of bike.
In the United States, some cross-country and alpine ski resorts have begun to open their trails to fatbikes.
Equipment used
Visit fatbike is a mountain bike in its simplest form, where everything has been designed to integrate the extra-wide tires. Cold-weather use motivates the bikes' mechanical simplicity, although some models offer shock absorbers at the front or rear.
The trails
Despite fatbikes are able to ride on many types of terrain, most users prefer to ride on trails where the snow has been compacted, either by snowshoers or by mechanized equipment. Mountain biking trails, snowshoeing trails and hiking trails are usually compatible with the practice of snowmobiling. fatbike.
Steep slopes are not recommended, as the tires lose traction and sink into the snow, requiring the cyclist to dismount and walk to the top of the slope, at the risk of creating boot prints that will detract from the experience of other users.
Similarly, steep descents are not recommended, as the tire will tend to slide under braking if the snow is not sufficiently compacted.
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