Fat Biking in Colorado

Looking to shred the snow in a different way? Try out a fat bike—a specially designed bike with fat tires made just for snow. Fat biking is the perfect way to get a new perspective on some of your favorite Grand County trails. Fat biking only recently became popular, but these winter bikes were developed back in the 1980s. Now that the demand for this sport has risen, national fatbike-specific events like the Global Fatbike Summit, the U.S. Open Fatbike Beach Championships, and the USA Cycling Fat Bike National Championship are growing in popularity.

Fat Biking is taking the area by storm. Locally, events such as the annual 20-mile Abominable Winter Fat Bike Race, the Alley Loop Fat Bike Race in Crested Butte, and even night-time races by the light of the moon as close as Glenwood Springs and Copper Mountain are rising.

So what's riding one of these bikes like? Well, with almost comically large tires with some serious treds, they aren't speedy. However, they can go just about anywhere since they allow for over-snow exploration. Ultimately, fat biking is a pretty easy activity to pick up for the whole family, regardless of mountain biking experience.

Look for groomed nordic trails designed for these fat tire snow bikes at places like Devil's Thumb Ranch, Latigo Ranch, or Snow Mountain Ranch YMCA of the Rockies. Or explore the trails of "Mountain Bike Capital USA" on a bike rented from Icebox Mountain Sports or Beavers Sports Shop, both located in Winter Park. Whatever you choose to do, there are literally hundreds of miles of Grand County trails to explore on your own, or you can find a local vendor to lead you on your adventure.