Fatbiking trend growing in Saskatoon

Any Saskatoon drivers hoping the winter months offer a break from sharing the road with cyclists may be out of luck with the rising trend of fatbiking in the city.

A fat bike refers to a bicycle with tires wider than four inches. They are used for riding in snow, sand or other soft surfaces.

“Originally, they were built for riding on sand and beaches in California, then people realized that it was really good for going through the snow. So (it’s) kind of an off-roading winter past-time,” said Cathy Hancherow, a mechanic at Bruce’s Cycle Works.

According Hancherow, a fat bike is usually what someone will buy as a second bike; however, she argues they should be a person’s first choice because of their versatility of being able to ride on streets as well.

“These can go into the bush, into the trees and will go through deeper snow than a regular tire,” she said. “They are great for getting around the city as well — but if you are planning on commuting, we definitely recommend a studded tire.”

For national fatbiking day on Saturday, Hancherow took a group of interested individuals out for a few short rides starting from their shop to show the impact different tire pressures can have while riding in the snow.

The tire pressure for normal bikes ranges from around 35 pounds per square inch (psi) for mountain bikes to up to 130 psi for road bikes. For fat bikes, the typical range is six to 10 psi, depending on the type of terrain.

“Basically, with the tire pressure, its altering the tire contact area; with a higher pressure, you are reducing the amount of contact area and flotation of the tire,” explained Cory Zetterstrom, co-owner of Bruce’s Cycle works.

“Typically, at 10 psi you are usually riding on prepared trails or pavement where you want to be able to roll easier. But the more you want to ride in softer conditions — like snow or sand — you are going to lower that tire pressure; some people get down to as low four psi. It just allows the tire to balloon out a bit more and float over the sand or loose soil that you are on.”

Andrew Groat, one of the riders who Hancherow took out for test rides on Saturday, said he’s used to riding in the winter but the fat bike was a whole new experience for him.

“I had a plus size tire bike, so it’s in between a normal bike and a fat bike, but the fat bike offers way more stability. I can go through a lot more snow, and — even on the ice — it seems like I have a lot less chance of falling over,”  he said.

“If you are looking for a way to get outside in the wintertime in Saskatchewan, it is a great new sport to try — especially for our long cold winters.”