Winter still has its cold grasp on the mountains of the Oregon Cascades, even as the days get longer, and spring is a mere 3 weeks away the snow continues to fall in the upper elevations, keeping the dirt and singletrack we long for buried for a bit longer. This winter I have spent almost all my time on a bike, riding fat bikes in the snow. it’s been a interesting experience, learning this different style of riding, and finding new enjoyment in my ever evolving mountain bike life.
Guiding fat bike tours has proven equally interesting. Unlike the summer season, most of the clients who have booked tours are first time fat bikers, and as often as not mountain bikers in the first place. Instead they are tourists interested in checking out these strange bikes and seeing what riding bikes in the snow is all about.
Creating first time experiences for people is interesting, and it’s made each of these tours a different experience. Guiding appeals to my personality because I enjoy getting to know new people while sharing my passion for exploring the forest by bike. This is an environment where I can shine, and give people a part of myself and my experience. I love taking folks who have never been to Bend before out into the woods to play. The pace of fat biking is great for creating a social environment while exercising, and provides an opportunity to share some of ourselves while out for a ride.
Group sizes have varied for tours, I’ve gone out with as few as 2 and as many as 10, and each tour has proven challenging while still providing a lot of enjoyment. It’s great watching people do something for the first time, while getting g to help make the experience more enjoyable either through instruction, encouragement, or just leading the way through the experience.
Having the opportunity to create these experiences has made my normal winter dudrums more manageable, and opens up new ideas for how to explore my world on 2 wheels. I look forward to seeing where this fat biking revolution takes me in the seasons to come!
My Mountain Bike Life... 