photo by Chris Daisy
Well, it’s our final installment of the Weekly Dose of Fat for Two Thousand and Seventeen and it’s the first full day of Winter! I don’t even know where to start with a recap of this year, so we’ll just stick with current events. There’s a couple of races on the event calendar that go down before the new year and we hope there’ll be some time for folks to get out and enjoy a ride during their holiday, away from the pressures of studies or careers. I can’t say this often enough, the most important thing about cycling is riding. It sounds kinda obvious, but site’s like ours, parade every shiny do-dad and the industry’s latest sexy super-models and then we put every feature under the microscope. That can sometimes cloud the fact that all of that stuff….like what brand or frame material, (that you happen to ride) completely disappears the moment that y’all achieve your balance point by turning the pedal or letting gravity provide us with flight. I’ve been reminded more than once in the last few months, by clearer minded heads, than mine that “It’s (just) a bike”…and bikes are at their best when ridden. Maybe that’s true about us too? We wish you beautifully fun rides during the Holiday and all through the New Year!
The Tuscobia Winter Ultra – WI
The Tuscobia Winter Ultra is an ITI qualifier right here in Wisconsin! You can check out all of the details at – https://tuscobia.wordpress.com/
The Mirror Lake Merry Masher – AK
This is a new event, held in the shadow of Bear Mountain in Chugiak Alaska. The Merry Masher is a membership drive and fundraiser for Chugach Mountain Bike Riders and proceeds will go to support the expansion and maintenance of the Mirror Lake Singletrack. Get all of the details at – https://cmbralaska.org/races/
Advocacy News
2017 women’s fat bike champion Kristina Navarro – photo courtesy of Bike Colorado Springs
Ed~ Borealis Fat Bikes has been supporting an advocacy project in Colorado Springs and you can read about it in a news release below!
Stormwater project to reduce flooding along Sand Creek adds outdoor amenity
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The public will get a sneak peek of a stormwater channel stabilization project along Sand Creek designed to protect the Platte Avenue Bridge and surrounding public and private properties from erosion and flooding and to improve water quality for downstream communities. The project also provides a unique opportunity to incorporate a 2,000-foot navigable fat bike trail in Sand Creek and convert a standard maintenance road into a Tier 1 multi-use trail that will become part of the Sand Creek Trail after the project is complete.
Taking advantage of Global Fat Bike Day on Saturday, Dec. 2 the City hosted an opportunity for people to explore the project area by fat bike and learn more about the project design and benefits.
Kristina Navarro, 2017 Women’s National Fat Bike Champion, joined in the VIP ride and hosted a fat bike skills clinic that morning. Local fat bike company, Borealis Fat Bikes, provided test bikes to attendees who signed up to reserve a bike.
Representatives from the City of Colorado Springs, The Greenway Fund, Trails and Open Space Coalition and Bike Colorado Springs will be on-hand to present project details, discuss future trail connectivity and fat bike opportunities.
“This is an example of the many opportunities where we can capitalize on existing stormwater infrastructure projects that will not only reduce flooding but will also provide an amenity to the public that will not negatively impact the environment. Enhancing an existing project maintenance trail or utilizing naturalistic components can create an environment that is both functional and fun,” said Water Resources Engineering Manager Richard Mulledy.
Wide fat bike tires allow riders to easily transverse different types of terrain including sand while leaving a minimal trace of their presence. The fat bike component is the first of its kind and is being implemented as a trial project.
The Sand Creek Trail, which parallels Sand Creek along the eastern side of Colorado Springs is master planned to connect from the Pikes Peak Greenway near Circle and I-25 northeast to Woodmen and Marksheffel roads making it 14 miles in length. To date, there are approximately nine miles of Sand Creek Trail build and open to the public.
The channel stabilization project at Sand Creek over Platte Avenue, which begins construction in December, will reduce sediment transport down Sand Creek and ultimately into Fountain Creek improving water quality overall. It is one of the eight projects funded in 2017 through the City’s Inter-governmental Agreement with Pueblo County that identifies, prioritizes and funds 71 stormwater projects designed to enhance public safety, provide improved water detention, improve water quality, and reduce flows and the amount of sediment that flows downstream.
Project timeline:
Construction Phase: Winter 2017- Winter 2018
Total stormwater project cost: $5-$6 million
Fat-Bike Event Calendar
We’ve been populating our event calendar with all of the best events from all over the planet. Check it out and if you want to suggest an event for us to add, drop us a line at gomez@fat-bike.com.
Links
Our amigo Tom out in Maine – https://knowth.wordpress.com/2017/12/13/o-tannenbike-o-tannenbike/
A Christmas Fatty Tale from CoastKid – http://coastkid.blogspot.com/2017/12/light-show-christmas-fairy-tale.html
Joboo’s Wraps up The Pie Burner – https://joboo1967.wordpress.com/2017/11/27/the-2017-pie-burner-put-to-bed/
Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/fatbikedotcom/
Fat bikes are fun, and fun is what it’s all about!
Cheers everybody!
all bikes are fun