Fat tire biking is emerging as a way to get outside in all kinds of conditions
By Phil Brown
As much as I love backcountry skiing, I have come to realize that Adirondack winters are unreliable. Frustrated by the frequent lack of snow needed for skiing, I took up two fallback sports, Nordic skating and ice climbing. For those who shudder at the idea of recreating on frozen water, there is another option: fat biking.
Fat bikes are not really fat, but their tires are, enabling cyclists to ride on soft surfaces such as snow and sand that would bog down ordinary bikes. Some people also ride them on mountain-bike trails: the wide, low-pressure tires float over rocks and other obstacles.
Companies started making fat bikes in the early 2000s. They enjoyed a surge in publicity and popularity about 10 years ago. The craze abated, but fat bikes command a dedicated following and global sales are expected to rise in the years ahead.
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WHAT’S A FAT BIKE?
Fat bikes are designed for riding in snow, sand and other soft surfaces. They differ from mountain bikes in three major respects: tire width, tire pressure and a lack of suspension.
Tire width: Fat-bike tires typically range from 3 to 5 inches wide. Mountain-bike tires are usually 2 to 2.5 inches wide. The tires of gravel and road bikes are even narrower.
Tire pressure: Varies with conditions, but in packed snow it might be as low as 2 pounds per square inch (psi). A mountain-bike tire is usually inflated to 20-30 psi.
Suspension: Modern mountain bikes have front suspension or both front and rear suspension to soften the impact of riding over rocks and roots. Fat bikes rely on their wide, low-pressure tires to cushion the ride. Because they lack suspension, fat bikes can weigh about the same as mountain bikes.
A local perspective
Justin Oliver, owner of Silver Birch Cycles in Saranac Lake, rides his fat bike year-round. In summer, he takes it on bike-packing trips. In winter, he rides the trails at Fowler’s Crossing on the edge of the village.
“Fat biking in winter is one of my favorite things,” he said. “When conditions are good and nobody’s around, it’s just so peaceful.”
Even a fat bike can get bogged down in deep snow, so aficionados prefer to ride on trails where the snow is packed down by snowmobilers, skiers, hikers or other bikers. The surface of the Adirondack Rail Trail, which stretches from Lake Placid to Tupper Lake, is ideal as the trail is heavily used by snowmobilers and skiers. Of course, fat bikes also perform well if there isn’t much snow to begin with.
Related reading: Adirondack Rail Trail: Biking, hiking from Lake Clear to Floodwood Mountain
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Testing the experience
In January, I took a ride with Oliver to test the fat bike in a variety of conditions. Starting from his downtown shop, we biked a few blocks to the rail trail and followed it a mile to the Jackrabbit Ski Trail. We took the Jackrabbit into a piney woods and got on several other trails, including a former snowmobile trail and mountain-bike trails built by the Barkeater Trails Alliance (BETA).
As expected, the rail trail posed no difficulty. Nor did I have much trouble on the woods trails, which had been compacted by skiers and other users. I fell once when I squeezed the brakes and the front tire spun sideways. Luckily, the snow cushioned my landing.
Oliver then advised against using the front brake. We later came to a short, steep hill that I have climbed many times on my mountain bike in summer. On the fat bike, I lost traction halfway up and had to dismount. Oliver, however, went up the hill with ease.
Photo by Phil Brown
When we returned to the rail trail, Oliver headed back to his shop. I went in the opposite direction toward Fowler’s Crossing, where the trail crosses Route 86. My intention was to ride the new BETA trail on the other side of the highway. This trail was not nearly as packed.
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In the soft snow, I often lost momentum and came to a stop. I then struggled for traction to resume pedaling. I improved as I continued down the trail, but the experience taught me that biking in snow is an acquired skill.
Related reading: DEC and BETA advise mountain bikers to avoid trails during mud season
Fat biking’s growing appeal
Oliver rents six to eight fat bikes a week during winter. He also collaborates with St. Regis Canoe Outfitters on bike-packing trips to ponds near the St. Regis Canoe Area. Guests stay in canvas tents heated by small wood stoves.
There’s a reason fat bikes are sometimes called snow bikes. For cycling diehards, they offer a way to pursue their passion in winter. Volunteers even groom the mountain-bike trails for winter riding at Wheelerville, in Caroga, and the Peck Hill State Forest, which lies south of the Adirondack Park. Updates on winter conditions are often posted on Facebook.
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“I fat bike in the winter, and I think the trails are fun to ride when packed in,” said Rich Williams, president of the Adirondack Velo Club, which maintains the Peck Hill trails. “There are probably a dozen locals who are fat bikers.”
Community interest
Another indication of the sport’s popularity: the town of Queensbury has held fat-bike races on its Gurney Lane trails since 2019. About 30 riders compete each winter, according to Steve Lovering, the town’s director of parks and recreation. Both the Gurney Lane and nearby Rush Pond trails see bikers throughout the season.
“Fat-tire bike riding has been a popular pastime for the past six or seven years and has grown each year.” Lovering said. “We have trail counters set up at both locations to track trail use, and they show a steady increase, but it is very much snow and weather dependent.”
The future of fat biking
If snow biking seems here to stay, it remains a niche sport. Brian Delaney, owner of High Peaks Cyclery in Lake Placid, said fat-bike rentals have been steady for several years, but he has not seen a surge in business. In recent years, he has groomed trails at Craig Wood Golf Course for snow bikes.
Many who rent the bikes are seeking a novel way to enjoy winter, according to Delaney. “Fat biking is a great way to get out, get a workout and see nature,” he said.
Kenny Boettger, owner of Placid Planet Bicycles, stopped renting and selling fat bikes three or four years ago. “There’s a small enthusiastic following, but I don’t think it’s very large,” he said. “Of the hard-core riders around here, there aren’t a lot of fat bikers. They all ski.”
Nevertheless, Boettger recognizes that fat bikes serve a purpose: “When the skiing is crappy, the fat biking is pretty good.” The corollary is that when the skiing is good, the biking isn’t.
Nick Calogero and his buddies learned this when, at the peak of the fat-bike craze, they tried riding snow-filled trails around Old Forge. Videos show them plowing through deep powder and often sliding out of control. They still fat-bike when conditions are favorable, but for the most part they stick to skiing in winter.
“Without consistent, dedicated bike-trail grooming, areas with lower annual snowfall will be best for winter fat biking,” said Calogero, a member of the Adirondack Foothills Trails Alliance. “Unfortunately—or fortunately for skier—those conditions are not typically found in the western Adirondacks.”
But for those winters when snowfall is sparse, you might want to add a fat bike, Nordic skates or a pair of ice axes to your gear collection.
Top photo: A winter triathlon took place as part of the 2024 Empire State Winter Games. The race featured a run, fat bike and Nordic ski. Fat tire biking is gaining in popularity across the Adirondacks. Photo by Nancie Battaglia
WHERE TO RIDE
In winter, seek out trails with little snow or compacted snow. Here are some suggestions, but keep in mind that conditions will vary greatly depending on snowfall.
Adirondack Rail Trail: This 34-mile route from Lake Placid to Tupper Lake is usually packed down by snowmobiles. Any other well-used snowmobile trail might be rideable as well.
Groomed trails: Craig Wood Golf Course and the Wheelerville, Peck Hill and Gurney Lane mountain-bike trails. Check Facebook for conditions.
Popular trails: Trails packed down by snowshoers and/or cross-country skiers are another option–for example, the Heaven Hill and Henry’s Woods trails outside Lake Placid.
Low-snow trails: Many trails can be biked if there isn’t much snow. When the snow is deep in the Adirondack interior, try trails on the periphery of the Adirondack Park, such as the Ausable Chasm Trails near Keeseville (parking fee).
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