Follow These Tips for a Better Fat Bike Ride

The snow continues to fall at the ranch, giving us a great end to winter with conditions perfect for all of our outdoor activities, including fat biking. The ability to bike in the snow still catches some guests off guard.

We’ve got a few helpful tips for those who are coming to ride at the ranch that translate well to wherever you might want to ride in the snow.

Flat Pedals a Must

If you’re used to clipping into your pedals, forget it when you’re fat biking. You’ll be putting your foot down much more often than in other riding conditions. Plus, the snow tends to accumulate on the bottom of your shoe, making it difficult if not impossible to clip into a pedal.

Layering a Must

Fat biking, like any other winter activity, requires layering of clothes to keep you warm and dry. This is probably even more important with fat biking where one moment you’re producing plenty of heat from a climb and then moments later dealing with the chilly temps during the descent.

You’ll want to start with a base layer to wick away the sweat and then add on from there. Pay special attention to your hands, feet and head.

Keep the Gearing Simple

We run 1x drivetrains at the ranch because you really don’t need the same high and low gears you do when mountain biking. This set up gives you plenty of gearing to ride comfortably without the over torque and spin outs.

Modest Goals

If you’re new to fat biking, don’t use your normal riding distances as the benchmark. The bigger tires and snowy terrain will likely translate to a shorter rider. The fun, however, will be the same if not more.

Go Low

The more rubber you get on the snow, the better the ride. That means going low with the tire pressure. If you’re getting bounced around and the ride isn’t comfortable, let the air out.

Find Your Cadence

Pedaling in snow requires constant focus on your cadence. Pedal too fast and with too much torque and all you’re going to do is spin the tires and tear up the terrain, neither of which will get you anywhere or endear you to your fellow riders.

Concentrate on the grip of your tire and find that point of maximum output with minimal slippage and then lock into that rhythm.

The Ranch Ride

Fat biking at the ranch will give the beginner and experienced rider plenty of terrain to carve out an epic ride. The 20 km of groomed trails that is spread across seven connected loops provide a perfect surface for getting out and exploring the land round the ranch.