Lethbridge – When Jordan Close decides to sit his butt onto his five-inch fatties, he’s joining a growing a group of people jumping aboard the fat bike trend.
“They originated in Alaska, where people were looking to find a way to ride bikes. They have been around for about 20 years but they have just became popular in the last two years,” says Close.
These aren’t your typical fat tires, a term commonly used for mountain bikes. These are fat bikes, with tires that are purposefully squishy and extremely wide so they float over snow, tree roots and beach sand.
“If you go down in the river valley there are tons of trails . You can ride the same trails you ride in the summer as you do in winter,” explains Close.
Close says you can use the bikes all year-round and as long as you’ve got the muscle, you can climb over anything with this bike.
“You are bouncy off everything. It’s really fun.”
Last year, Bert and Mac’s Sporting Goods in Lethbridge only carried a few of the bikes in stock. They were more of a novelty item but now, sales have exploded.
“In previous years we had two bikes in stock. This year we have about 24 or 25,” adds Close.
Frames are typically made of aluminum or carbon, with prices typically ranging from $2000 to $3000 dollars.
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