Bigger can be better

Michelle Barker works for the International Mountain Bicycling Association as a Region Director for the Upper Midwest. Her role is to forward IMBA's mission in Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin. She has been involved in local recreation as the past president of Linn Area Mountain Bike Association, on the board of the Linn County Trails Association, and as a commissioner for the Parks, Waterways, and Recreation Commission.

By Michelle Barker, community contributor

The weather is warming to the mid-30s, the sun is shining, and you grab your bike, ready to take advantage of the day and ride the trail through town.

You are making your way around Cedar Lake when you hear what sounds like a motorcycle behind you. You know the trail is for non-motorized use, and are caught off guard. The sound gets louder and closer, and suddenly a rider on a bicycle rolls by with the biggest tires you have ever seen.

Bikes with four and five inch tires are not the rare sighting they were four or five years ago. Both Hall's and Northtowne sell what are termed 'fat bikes.” The popularity of these bikes is steadily increasing. Now, major bicycle brands have a fat bike model and the industry has designed a suspension fork and a full suspension version.

Riders gravitate toward fat bikes for a variety of reasons. One important aspect is fat bikes can easily be ridden on a wide range of surfaces. Some riders use their fat bikes to commute around town, to ride single-track mountain bike trails, to ride in sand and to ride in snow.

Kyle Moscrip at Hall Bicycle attributes the popularity of the bikes in Iowa, in general, to the fact the bike doesn't limit where you ride.

'There are a lot of places to ride,” he said, listing things like river bottom areas and sandbars.

Cedar Rapids' Max Long, an avid cyclist, rides a fat bike because of the capacity for adventure and agrees with Moscrip. The places to ride are endless.

Fat bikes offer riders a year-round riding experience.

Chris Morris, another local fat biker, notes the bike offers one more thing to do outside and he said it makes him feel like a kid again. The sheer size of the tires allows riders to use a much lower pressure than a traditional mountain bike and to float over surfaces that aren't as conducive to mountain bikes, like snow.

Along with the growth in fat bike sales, there has been a dramatic increase of fat bike specific events.

Morris, Moscrip and Long rode in a 'Global Fat Bike Day” event in Cedar Rapids, which saw more than 20 participants. The Iowa Games has a fat bike race listed as part of its winter events and this weekend many riders will attempt the Triple D Winter Race and Poker Tour on their fat bikes. Other local favorite events include 'World Pugsley Championships” in Decorah and 'I am Fat” in Iowa City.

To learn more about fat bikes, local rides, and how to get your own do-it-all machine, visit your local bicycle dealer.