In recent years, fat bikes have become a popular option for mountain bikers. A fat bike is a mountain bike equipped with tires ranging from 9.3 – 10.1 cm wide, twice as wide as a traditional mountain bike tire (Barber, 2014). This allows them to be ridden at an inflation pressure as low as 27579 Pascal (4 PSI). The wide surface area, and low inflation pressure, of these tires allows for excellent handling of the bicycle while riding over sand, mud, and snow. It is difficult, if not impossible, for a traditional mountain bike to ride over such surfaces.
The study concludes that performance differences aside, the present study shows that snow biking through the use of a fat bike can be completed at a very high exercise intensity.
The HR response suggests potential for similar aerobic training adaptations with ST vs. ET riding, however V̇O2 should be measured in future research to verify this. In a practical sense, competitive mountain bikers may use snow biking as a training method to maintain or improve aerobic fitness during winter months. Additionally, snow biking may help maintain or improve technical skills related to dynamic bike handling, whereas this is not conceivably possible through typical winter training methods completed on a stationary bicycle.
Published August 2015
Why Trails Matter: Outdoor Learning
posted Sep 10, 2023
Getting outside can help you learn, and trails play a critical role in accessing natural places and learning to love them.
posted Aug 23, 2023
What would it take for all Americans to be able to go out their front doors and within fifteen minutes be on trails that wind through their cities, towns or villages and bring them back without retracing steps?
Market Research: Equity of Access to Trails
posted Feb 21, 2023
This study has been conducted in response to the imperative offered by the JEDI Task Force.
Public Lands and the Continental Divide Trail Study
posted Feb 14, 2023
The primary goal of this study was to understand who uses the Continental Divide Trail (CDT), how they use it, their preferences, and the economic impact of the CDT in the region. Additional data were also collected regarding protecting public lands and using the Continental Divide Trail in Colorado.
