There’s a day for everything, it seems, so hey, why not Global Fat Bike Day? Around here, we usually just call it, “Saturday”, and get together for a ride.

We’re currently stuck in a freeze/thaw cycle with above average temps for these parts at this time of the year, so all of the official local trails are shut down. Thankfully, there are some “secret dirt” options with old-school, ungroomed trails that are perfect for adventuring.

The terrain varies from marsh/wetland to woods to lakeshore. For much of the year, large portions of it are unrideable. Saturday’s ride was a rare opportunity to be able to hit all of the sections free of snow and ice, water, nettles, and bugs. Even the mud was minimal. Just about perfect. Throw in some friends and you’ve got yourself a good time (and just the right amount of peer pressure to ride the “fun” stuff). Racing is great. Competing for Strava KOMs on the local singletrack can be fun. But, nothing beats chasing friends through the woods just for the hell of it.