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Psst……….Have you ever thought about what fat heaven would be like ? Unlimited beer, candybar trees, bikes and pristine trails right?  Unimaginable???? Not so much if you know where Eau Claire, WI is…

a treasure map, quite literally scrawled on a bar napkin

Let me tell you about this heavenly wonderland where fat bikes, and all things  fat, exist. It’s called Northwest Park. Quietly tucked away, it’s  the ultimate underground riding spot. Local legend and master trail builder Craig Manthe has rounded up his 8 TB posses and really outdone themselves this time. With trails named La Roota and Goat Path you can only imagine the twisty turns, gut wrenching climbs, slippery roots and log crossings he has included. As we climbed from the bare bone bottom of La Roota, Manthe panted out “in two short years, this is the top end of our design/building ability” and I’ll be damned if he didn’t hit the nail on the head. These trails are similar to Manthe’s work over at Lowes Creek, but these are and will be built tougher than that. The mentality is kick your ass and make you beg for more style single track, downhills and punchy climbs. In a nutshell you can tell these trails are build by folks who ride..nuf said.

The utter passion for knock your silly socks off riding has encouraged these peeps to go to the furthest extent of happiness by investing in a Rokon motorcycle and tow groomer. (Don’t be mistaken either, this was a personal purchase by one of the trail builders, not a club purchase) The current 5 miles of single track are manicured for screaming downhills on your fatty. It only took two measly years of planning, a ton of  time and $$$ of course, but damn was it worth it. This IS a fat0bike heaven… Designed for fat-bikes, by dudes who own fat-bikes and have the fat culture running thru their little veins. Its genus actually… check it out and you will agree. If you live nearby  jump in on the Wednesday night group ride. Introduce yourself and your fatty. Bring your favorite local brew or brew.. either way you will be thirsty when your done !

Craig would like to add that “without the city’s support and efforts this wouldn’t be possible.” So all fatties, since there’s no charge to ride it yet, give a big shout out to the City of Eau Claire for feeling the vibe!!!!!  Also, keep an eye out for my follow up story in the spring. This place will be a blast to ride come thaw with four creek crossings and some wicked kettle traversing.

check out flickr for video and more shots .

Trail shots:

 

3 Comments

  1. Big thanks to Mark Anderson, Arlen Beaudette, Jim Chapman, Troy Meives, Sam Hughes and a host of others for getting this trail system built. Thanks to CORBA for use of the excavator and skidsteer and thanks to diesel for powering it all! More miles to come this summer!

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