Report by Kirsten Nielsen at L.L.Bean, photos by Kristel Hayes, GMOW Planning Team
Interest in Fat Biking is growing as people discover the fun of riding a bike in winter. As part of Great Maine Outdoor Weekend, we held a Fat Bike demonstration on a test track at Discovery Park, where customers were invited to learn more about the sport and try it out.
“The test track was awesome,” says ODS Department Manager Bill Yeo. “A lot of people were involved in constructing it, and it worked really well. About 150 people put the track to good use on Saturday testing Fat Bikes.”
Fat Bikes were originally built for use in snow. Once people discovered what a comfortable, stable ride they offer, they began using them year-round.
“Fat Bikes aren’t as fast and light as trail bikes, but they have great traction, can go just about anywhere and are really fun to ride,” says Bill. “Customers ages 8 to 80 wanted to try them out.”