Global Fat Bike Day

Enjoy everything about biking in the mountains and rough terrain by dominating on two wheels for Fat Bike Day!

History of Global Fat Bike Day

Bicycles with fat tires have been around for more than 100 years, but the more modern versions have been around since the 1970s. The idea for fat bikes is to increase the amount of surface area of the tire which improves the bicycle riding experience. This is especially enjoyed and appreciated by those who spend a great deal of time on mountain trails as the wider tire helps to smooth out the rough terrain, even in sand or snow.

These bicycles were often originally custom designed by refitting bike frames with double wide tires. By the late 1990s, an Interbike convention brought designers together to discuss and make improvements to the designs of these wide bike tires, but they still hadn’t come up with their current name.

In 2001, Mike Gronewald, who was an avid bicycle builder and designer of bike frames, was located in Alaska when he began calling his bike with wide tires a “fat bike”. But the fat bikes were still only custom made.

It wasn’t until 2005 that a company in Minnesota began selling specialized fat bike frames commercially, which they called “Pugsley”. Since then, new brands featuring fat bikes have continued to appear as the industry becomes more popular.

The first Global Fat Bike Day was held in 2012 and, since then, the day has only grown in popularity, especially in places where fat bikes are popular, such as Mexico, Alaska and Minnesota.

How to Celebrate Global Fat Bike Day

People all over the world are invited to celebrate Global Fat Bike Day, so get started enjoying the day with some of these ideas:

Ride a Fat Bike

Those who own a fat bike should, of course, get it out into the rough terrain and take a ride in honor of Fat Bike Day. Whether it’s piling on that winter gear and heading to the snowy mountain trails, or experiencing warmer weather and enjoying some sandy spaces, a fat bike is a great tool.

Buy a New Fat Bike

Don’t have a fat bike but interested in getting one? Well, this is the perfect time to look further into it! Even if you’re still saving up money for the purchase, it’s a great day to do some research to find out which brand or style would be best. Head to a specialized fat bike store on Fat Bike Day and test one out to find out if it would be a good fit. Some of the most popular brands include Borealis, Rocky Mountain, or Giant Bicycles.

Check Out a Used Fat Bike

Not sure if you’ll really love riding a fat bike? The great thing about the fact that fat bikes have now been available commercially for more than a decade is that they can now be found used or pre-owned. The more popular they become, the more likely it is that a pre-owned option will become available in the local area. So check out those online ads on Craigslist or social media Marketplaces and see what amazing options are available.