Forth Fat 2017 – Video by Bruce Mathieson Words and Pictures by Jeff Price
The end of April saw Forth Fat 2017 take place on the trails of East Lothian where Bruce ‘CoastKid’ has been fatbiking for the last 10 years. This was my 3rd trip to the social gathering were its all about chatting bikes, riding bikes and socialising in the pub later in the day.
I headed up with John ‘FreakyChurchill’ and after the 300 mile drive we quickly headed out on the bikes to the Goblin Castle not too far from the campsite in North Berwick. I’d been here a couple of years earlier with Bruce and it was good to ride the old woodland to the mysterious remnants of the castle.
After a few too many beers at the Ship Inn, Friday saw more riders arrive. I hooked up with some other mates and rode some of the local trails. The vibe was chilled and even more chilled after a great tour of the local micro brewery where we sampled a few of the ales.
On Saturday we converged at the celtic cross in North Berwick for the start of the main ride out of town. Over 50 riders made an appearance from most parts of Scotland, England, Wales and a couple from Holland. The trails were familiar to anyone who has seen Bruce’s video’s. Singletrack through the woods followed by the pilgrimage to the subs at Aberlady. Despite the chilled breeze many raised a drink ready for the ride back along the coast. The going was good and riders were well spread out. Some tricky rocky sections caught a few out with just a couple of punctures along the way. More drinks followed into the evening which made the Sunday ride a little fuzzy for some!
Sunday is always the highlight for me as we rode down to SeaCliff harbour under the watchful gaze of Tantallon castle on the coast. A stiff head wind made the going pretty tough as we struggled picking a line through the rock pools. After some dune surfing we headed inland out of the wind for some great singletrack which twisted its way through the woodland on the John Muir way. It was at this point the pace picked up as riders were enjoying the flow of the trail and to be out of the wind.
It was after this ride out that I said my goodbyes for another year. Once again some new friends made after riding some great coastline and trails. Cheers to Bruce and the others for making it a great weekend.
Awesome as usual from the other side of the pond!
Awesome video and report Jeff and Bruce. Forth Fat is a bucket list item. Glad you guys had a great Fat event. Your castles and stunning beaches are a strong draw.
Cheers guys, Its a great weekend of riding bikes and socialising. And yes the scenery helps!