Fat Bikes + Adventures = Happy Soul

Pedals: I prefer a wider pedal platform for my clipless boots when fatbiking; the trail style clipless pedal allows for easier clearing of snow and clipping in with a big boot and snowy conditions. 

Droppers: Whether riding singletrack or not, I love having a dropper on my fat bike! I don’t think front suspension is necessary as tire pressure is the key factor in smoothing the ride but a dropper allows you to control your body position when descents are steep or snow is squirrely! Furthermore, lowering a dropper can be a trick for getting back on your bike in soft snow, and getting started in loose snow with poor traction! Just sit on the saddle in the lowered position with a foot out on the trail and start pedaling seated with a low saddle until you’re rolling, then pop it up! A long travel dropper like the Resolve V2 will give you all the clearance you can have for getting back on the bike in deep, soft snow. 

Tires/Pressure: Keeping a fatbike rolling is mostly a matter of tire pressure; when it’s soft, air down. When it’s firm, air up. Because conditions can change quickly even on short rides, keeping my pump accessible and bringing one that is easy to use with gloved hands, and quick to add air are important parts of a fun and energetically efficient ride! I carry an Encase Pump 85cc in my frame bag outer pocket. They’re easy to pop on and off a valve and just a couple pumps will usually make the pressure difference I’m looking for. 

Pro-tip - use gloves whenever handling metal in cold temperatures AND make sure your gloved fingers tightened your valve core tightly! 

Bars/Hands: Staying warm is obviously one of the greatest potential challenges in winter riding. Pogies are a great tool (and one I wish I could bring skiing!); from expedition pogies like Revelate Designs to everyday pogies like Wolftooth’s, layer gloves to compliment the warmth the pogie provides. But beyond the pogie, grips and brake lever covers go a long way in adding warmth. I prefer a thick foam grip and use a brake lever cover to insulate my finger from the cold brake levers. 

Gearing: Becaust traction is one of the more challenging variables when Fatbiking; I gear down to a smaller chainring so I can maintain traction with a higher cadence when possible; running a smaller chainring is one way I keep my butt on the saddle. 26T-30T is the range I would consider with my 10-51 cassette! There’s so much resistance riding 5” tires on snow I really don’t ever need a bigger gear to go faster. 

Kait Boyle is a professional backcountry cyclist residing in Victor, Idaho where winters are usually deep, and long. She holds the Fat Pursuit 200k course record but her appreciation for fatbiking is grounded in loving riding snowy singletrack with her dog Hank and getting up high in the wintery mountains on snowmobile trails when high pressure sets in over the Tetons.