If you follow cycling or get in to your local bike shop, you have likely noticed the increasing popularity of an uncommon looking bike with massive tires. Fat bikes are nothing new, but they are quickly gaining steam in the marketplace. Gomez, the head honcho at fat-bike.com, gives us the basics about all things fat in this edition of Learn Stuff.

What makes a Fat Bike a Fat Bike?

The thing that sets Fat Bikes apart from standard mountain bikes is their wide wheels and tires. Today’s Fat Bikes roll on 3.7 to 4.7 inch wide rubber, mounted to 65 to 100 millimeter wide rims. By comparison, a typical mountain bike uses a 2 inch wide tire with 24 millimeter rims. The gargantuan tires require a special frame and fork to accommodate their mighty girth. We like to say that Fat Bikes are like mountain bikes with snowshoes! The other thing that sets Fat Bikes apart from the crowd is the fun factor! This is the bike that will put the fun back between your legs!

How Do They Ride?

The large volume tires allow ultra-low pressures down to 5 psi. For comparison, standard mountain bike tires are typically inflated to around 30 psi. The flotation offered by the massive tires make Fat Bikes ideal for snow, sand or any other sort of loose trail that would bog down most standard bicycles. There’s just something magic in those big, fat tires that releases the ‘kid’ that lives buried deep inside each and every one of us! A test ride on a Fat Bike is guaranteed to elicit what we affectionately refer to as “The Fat Bike Grin.” Fat Bikes are so hot right now that IMBA is working on new guidelines for their responsible use on public lands. Fat Bikes can go places that no other type of bike could ever imagine. If this sounds familiar, you may be recalling similar statements back in the late 1980s about mountain bikes. First time Fat Bike riders are often surprised at how agile these bikes feel, compared with how they look. Fat Bikes can do everything that a mountain bike can do, and make it more fun!

You may have been trudging through the elements all winter, or perhaps you're just now pulling out your bike for its spring tune-up. No matter the situation, it's always a great time to treat your bike to a makeover. We have several simple ways to spruce up your ride and they won't cost you an arm and a leg.

It’s a bird!  It’s a plane!  No! It’s Captain Safety!  The all new super fun reflective sticker pack allows cyclists to tap into their crafty side and adhere style and visibility to virtually every part of their bicycle. Captain Safety and his stars, dots and stripes work to save cyclists one sparkle at a time.

Our PB cages are a great way to add a pop of color to your bike. This year we've added 4 new colors: Celeste Green, Yellow, Anodized Blue and Anodized Red. With 10 available colors, you're sure to find one that matches your style.

At Planet Bike we have always worked closely with our local champion of bicycling – the Bike Federation of Wisconsin.  And, this year we are proud supporting sponsors of their inaugural Share & Be Aware Ambassador program - a unique partnership between the Bike Fed and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Wisconsin law recognizes bicycles as legal vehicles on its roadways. It is this stipulation that ignited the flame of the Share & Be Aware program. The program’s focal point is centered on safety for all road users. In 2009 alone, Wisconsin reported 1,212 automobile-pedestrian crashes and 1,022 automobile-bicycle crashes.

"All of us are pedestrians and most of us drive cars. More than half of Wisconsinites ride bikes. So whether we're walking, driving, or biking we all need to learn to share the road," said Kevin Hardman, executive director of the Bike Fed.  As a result, learning to better share the road by improving the safe coexistence of pedestrians, bicyclists and motorized users is the underlying goal of this new state-wide program.

As of May 2011, six Share & Be Aware ambassadors fanned out across the state to begin spreading their message. The message is not difficult to grasp; all road users share a responsibility to ensure each others' safety on the highways and byways across America’s Dairyland. 

Ambassadors conduct outreach and education at local community events. They teach classes that highlight “smart” biking and driving techniques that dramatically increase the safety of road users.  A sampling of class themes include sharing the road, bicycle and pedestrian commuting, child bicycle safety and bike handling, and traffic skills for both children and adults.  Further, the ambassadors work closely with local police departments to review bicycle and pedestrian laws.  It may seem like a daunting task, but Wisconsin is on its way to safer and more accessible roads thanks to the work of the Share & Be Aware ambassadors.

A supercommuter rides through every season, in all types of weather, day and night. Choosing the simplicity, health and pleasure of bicycling, a supercommuter simply prefers to ride a bike instead of driving a car.

Jeff Morrell of Fort Collins, Colorado has made commuting by bike a part of his life for over a quarter of a century! As a year-round commuter, he deals with widely ranging swings in the weather typical of a town nestled at the base of the Rockies. From snowstorms and below zero (Fahrenheit) temperatures to flash rainstorms, Jeff rides through it all.

As a child, Jeff cut his teeth on a red Schwinn Typhoon. “I rode it everywhere. I loved the freedom it gave me,” says Jeff. He soon graduated to a Schwinn Continental in the 6th grade. Jeff adds, “That was it. After that I was really hooked.” Aside from an eight year stint in the California Bay area, Jeff has been a life-long resident of Fort Collins. As a Gold-Level Bicycle Friendly City, it certainly is an ideal place to make bicycle commuting a part of your daily regime.

Life has a funny way of guiding us one way or another. It was 26 years ago that Jeff’s car broke down, forcing him to bike to work while his car was fixed. It’s no coincidence that he has been a full-time bike commuter for the past quarter century  years. Jeff recalls, “I noticed how smooth and easy commuting by bike was. I found that I could get anywhere I needed to go more quickly by bike.  And once I get there, I have an easier time finding a parking spot.”

Jeff happily pedals his daily round-trip commute on a singlespeed Surly Cross Check. “When the roads get icy and snow packed I put on my Schwalbe Marathon Winter studded tires,” he says. The only time Jeff doesn’t commute by bike is “when the snow is deeper than my pedal stroke, which isn’t often. As a habit, I don’t drive unless I have to.”

In addition to being a dedicated bike commuter, Jeff is also President of Bike Fort Collins , a 501c(3) non-profit cycling advocacy organization. BFC “promotes safe and enjoyable bicycling in Fort Collins.  We also manage the Fort Collins Bike Library, a place where anyone can check out a bike for free for up to a week.” (fcbikelibrary.org)

Jeff is proud of the city he calls home, and for good reason. “Fort Collins is a super place to ride a bike. Our infrastructure is top notch, our overall cycling organization is solid, and for the most part, the drivers respect our mode of travel and give us room to ride.” Run-ins with animals are another story. “I once had a red fox bolt out from between two parked cars and almost hit me, and just the other day I was dive-bombed by a Sparrow Hawk.” Other than these close calls with nature, Jeff says “bicycling in Fort Collins is pure bliss.” It sounds like it is, and thanks to Jeff’s work with the BFC it’s destined to stay that way for years to come.

Photo credit: Sarah Boyd/Harper Point Photography