fat bike
fatbike

Kohn clearly remembers his first ride on a fat bike.

He is a fan of the fat bike, which, as its name implies, has enormous balloon tires that call to mind monster trucks.

Most fat bike riders draw a comparison to the feelings they had when they rode their first bike as a child.

Over ten years the range expanded beyond commuter bikes to include road, mountain, cyclo-cross, gravel, kids and fat bikes.

Originally designed for the harsh, frozen wilds of Alaska, the so-called fat bikes can be pedalled through rough terrain and snow.

Martin Kohn, a Toronto architect and lifelong cyclist really appreciates the traction of his Surly Pugsley fat bike.

Budnitz Bicycles - Titanium City Bicycles, Mountain Bikes and Fat Bike.

Once seen only on the snowy trails of the gruelling Iditabike-style bike races in Alaska, fat bikes are now poised to become the must-have vehicle for many riders.

Until last winter, when Surly and Salsa, two Minnesota companies, began offering ready-to-ride fat bikes, the only option for true snow biking was to cobble together expensive parts.

With their massive bump-absorbing tires and unmatched traction, fat bikes are an ideal solution, but until now they have been primarily available from custom builders or smaller specialist bike manufacturers.

Local outfitter BootDoctors offers tours on "fat bikes"-- mountain bikes with oversized wide tires that can be ridden on traditional bike trails but excel in the snow.

Tyler Stilwell from U.S.-based Surly (the first company to produce complete fat bikes) feels that interest in fat bikes is growing.

In fact, Stilwell believes that with their combination of fun and function, fat bikes are a "a practical and affordable cycling option, and not just a pipe dream or a fashionable diversion."

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He helps organize a growing fat bike race series that embraces the cold and snow with the sort of good cheer exhibited by Wisconsinites who don cheesehead hats for Green Bay Packers games at Lambeau Field.

Unlike conventional mountain bikes that have complicated suspension systems that require tuning and maintenance to absorb trail bumps, fat bikes rely on their massive tires (up to five inches wide compared with just more than two inches for most bikes) to smooth out the uneven terrain.

Intrepid holidaymakers can now spin pedals on snow via revolutionary "fat bikes" - broad-wheeled contraptions with four-inch-wide tyres that are ideal for icy conditions.

A dedicated Fat Bike Test Weekend, scheduled for 5-6 March, will see the best cyclists in the sport reveal how it is done.

Fat bikes feature wider tyres than regular mountain bikes, making them the perfect vehicle for adrenaline junkies to get around on snow.