Fat Bike Racing
By Cheri Felix
Never in my life have I ridden so slow and worked so hard.
I had not been “actively” thinking about racing a fat bike. And by that I mean I had not been my usual self about it; obsessive. And then I was. Brian, co-owner of Boulder Bicycle Works texted on Friday and asked if I was planning to race in Fraser the next day. Before I could respond he texted five magic words; I’ll bring you a bike. A carbon LaMere to be precise. Okay, twist my arm. I’ll do it.
So racing a fat bike before really riding a fat bike felt a little bit like going on a blind date. More specifically, like going on a blind date when you’re already happily married, have three kids, a white picket fence and a two-car garage. But off I went to the Fraser Adventure Park for theFrosty Fraser. It was the first race of the season in the Winter Park Fat Bike Race Series. All the cool kids knew how to lodge their bike deep in the snow to leave their bike standing. Not me. I couldn’t figure it out and so I gave up and lay down my bike in the snow. There were about 30-35 people, more men than women. Sports raced a 12ish mile course while the Experts raced a 17-18 mile course. We all took off at 3:30. It started out flat (my favorite) and then headed into a hill that I think many people walked up. I couldn’t tell you for sure. My head was down like I was in labor pushing a baby out. After the hill we landed on a road and made our way slightly uphill until we jumped back on trail which is where we stayed until the last 5-10 minutes of the race.
Now, just because I had not been on a bike in two months and just because I’d never ridden a fat bike doesn’t mean I wasn’t all in. I wanted to do well. But I won’t lie to you. Parts were tricky. The snow just off the trail was thigh deep. I felt like I used my bike handling skills and my balance more than I would’ve on dirt. As I saw a few others wobble and fall and after I picked myself up off the ground a few times, I figured the worse that could happen is that I would need a rescue and would use my packed away emergency blanket. On the downhill I rode with abandon like a 12 year old girl with nothing to lose. However, the uphills were like those first days after a devastating breakup; hard but they didn’t last. I survived.
The people at the start, the check points and the finish were encouraging and kind. And they had cinnamon whiskey at the finish. Jim Simons and crew were everything I needed them to be.
Riding a fat bike is fun. The race was for me, was amazing. The snow, the trees, the trail and the quiet – except for my heavy breathing – was something out of an 18th century poem. Is it more fun than a mountain bike on dirt. I don’t know. Is it great to have another option in the winter? You bet it is. Do we really have to play the favorites game? One thing I know for sure is that racing a fat bike in the snow tested me. I wasn’t sure I could do it. Wasn’t sure I could finish it. And honestly wasn’t sure I was strong enough. Luckily I’m wrong some of the time.
Next race is February 13th. Maybe I’ll see you there!
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