Fat Is Here to Stay Fat Bike Regional
Fat Is Here to Stay Fat Bike Regional Summits 2016 Gary Sjoquist Quality Bicycle Products 3/25/16 1
ABOUT QUALITY BICYCLE PRODUCTS Distribute parts and accessories to 4, 800 bicycle retailers DCs in MN, UT, and PA – new DC in Reno Opened an office in Taiwan About 700 employees and lots of dogs 40, 000 parts in our inventory And 16 proprietary brands On a busy day, we’ll ship 10, 000+ boxes Advocacy in the DNA of QBP – not just selling bikes, but using bikes. More butts on bikes is our tag line
TODAY’S TOPICS • • Goals/Summit Histories/Fat Bike 101 Shared Trails/Top Ten Riding Areas Fat Biking in State Parks and Forest Service Lands Land Manager Panel Discussion Lunch Guidelines/Trail Layout for Fat Bikes Grooming Techniques – Pullers and Groomers Fat Bike Test Rides/Networking
GOALS FOR REGIONAL SUMMITS • Provide resources and guidance about fat bikes as they interact with other trail user groups • Great resources and success stories to share • Help make case for collaboration: • Fat bikers need to advocate, which means getting organized and working with existing organizations • Understand “negotiated access” means following guidelines (maybe paying daily fees or purchasing a pass • Show latest grooming techniques and resources
FAT BIKE SUMMIT HISTORY • Scotty Fitzgerald, retailer from Victor, ID, approaches Sjoquist with idea for fat bike summit in 2009 • Wasn’t until 2012 that we were able to pull something together • Original reasons for Summits: • Surmised that access would become issue with growth similar to mountain bikes in the 80 s • Ban on fat bikes from National Parks • Allowed bike shops to remain bikes shops over winter • Land managers needed to know differences between fat bikes and mountain bikes • Introduce grooming techniques and procedures
2012 – WEST YELLOWSTONE • Proximity to Yellowstone National Park important • First summit hampered by too much snow! • Passes closed • Airports closed • 20 attendees, including Forest Service • Able to host fat bike ride in parking lot for land managers • Getting back to Jackson a life or death ordeal in snow!
2013 – ISLAND PARK, ID • Moved event farther south to minimize closed pass issues with heavy snow • Still had heavy snow! • Rented large yurts for presentations • Jay and Tracey Petervary gave killer presentations on surviving ultra long distance winter races • Attendees included lots of Forest Service folks and a representative from Yellowstone National Park • IMBA sent Regional Director to present IMBA Guidelines
2014 – OGDEN UTAH • • • Event now known as “Global” fat bike summit 120 attendees, including BLM, NPS, Forest Service Presented fat bike grooming techniques Singletrack for fat bikes next evolutionary step No snow! Barely able to host race on Ogden golf course IMBA Regional Directors and ED Mike Van Abel provided overview of fat bike successes and challenges • Demos included Borealis, newest carbon fat bike manufacturer • Component manufacturers begin to show fat bike products
2015 – JACKSON, WYOMING • • Snow King Resort at base of Snow King Mountain Able to provide a cool short track for test rides 100+ attendees Presented Bridger-Teton Forest Service Unit with Land Manager Award for “enlightened” management practices toward fat bikes (included a donated Surly Pugsley) • Demo bikes included Rocky Mountain, Trek, Specialized, Felt (including e-fat bike), Durango Bike Co. , Salsa, Surly, and Borealis • Fabulous riding – great climbs and flowing downhills groomed for singletrack fat bikes
FAT BIKE SUMMIT HISTORY, CONT. • For 2016, changing to Regional Summits • Crested Butte, CO • Marquette, MI • Ogden, UT • East Burke, VT • Valdez, AK
WHY SWITCH TO REGIONAL SUMMITS? • Switch to regional Summits to accommodate: • Different land managers • Different terrain • Different snow conditions • Forest Service Units vary regarding interpretations of fat bike acceptance • Ultimate goal back in 2012 was to remove prohibition on fat bikes from being used in National Parks like Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park* • Really gratifying to see progress at State Park, Forest Service, and BLM levels
FAT BIKE 101 DEMOGRAPHICS, HISTORY, GROWTH
Tires 3. 7 to 5. 0 inches wide Less than 10 psi
3. 7” WIDE VS 3. 5” WIDE • 3. 7” to 5” is true fat bike tire • Wide, fewer but larger knobs, less than 10 psi • Latest mtb craze is “plus” sized tires • Commonly 3. 0” to 3. 5” wide, but run higher pressures • Used on mountain bikes for mostly summer use • Plus sized tires can be 27. 5” and 29” • Don’t be fooled by plus size tires when allowing fat bikes on groomed Nordic. Plus sized will screw up trail surface due to narrower profile and higher pressures • Only allow 3. 7 to 5” with low psi (4 to 8 psi is sweet spot for great traction/low disruption of groomed surface)
Secret Sauce? Low Tire Pressures Leave Minimal Footprint But Provide Awesome Traction and Stability
Fat bikes fastest growing segment of bike industry For Riders - New Trails, New Terrain For Retailers - Bike Shops Can Stay Bike Shops in Winter For Riders and Retailers - New Season of Riding For Land Managers – New User Group, New Revenue
Fat Bikes Attract New Non-Typical Users
HOW AND WHERE DID FAT BIKES ORIGINATE? • 1987 Iditabike event spurred need for wide tires • Like mountain bikes in the early 80 s, the march of technology drove development • Various Alaskan pioneers had a hand in development, notably with wider rims and crankset width • Requests from different parts of the U. S. drove technological development: • Wider footprint for riding in snow in Alaska • Wider footprint to ride sand beaches in southern New Mexico
QBP DIDN’T INVENT FAT BIKES • QBP brought mass production to fat bike components • We made it possible to purchase fat bike frame, rims, and fork from a bicycle retailer in 2004/05 • Early Alaska fat bike pioneer Greg Matyas launched Speedway Cycles to sell complete fat bikes at retail in 2007 • QBP brands Surly and Salsa owe the innovators in Alaska for developing the fat bike – thanks for what you did!
QBP’s Deep Into Fat Bikes 2004/05 – Surly launches Pugsley frameset, Large Marge rim, and Endomorph tire 2010/11 – Surly and Salsa begin producing complete fat bikes (Pugsley and Mukluk) 2012 - Launched 45 NRTH 2012/13 – Moonlander (4. 7” tire) by Surly and Beargrease (carbon frame) introduced by Salsa 2013 – Cogburn launched 2014 – Salsa’s Bucksaw (dual suspension)
QBP Brands Salsa and Surly
ESTIMATED NUMBER OF FAT BIKES? • • Sjoquist estimate maybe 100, 000 by end of 2016? Salsa and Surly, since 2005, have sold around 50, 000 Trek and Specialized now in (kid sized bikes) 2015 Interbike saw another 22 manufacturers displaying fat bikes • Component makers now producing complete fat bikes • Latest trend for enthusiasts in Midwest: • Buy a fat bike frame and two sets of wheels • Winter – run 3. 7” to 5” tires and Pluto or Lauf fork • Summer – run 3. 5” plus size tires with carbon rigid fork
GREAT DEMOGRAPHICS – SURVEYS FEB. 2014 Sawyer County, WI (Nordic, Trail Runner, Mountain Bikers) • Household pre-tax incomes $128, 000 • 80% had Bachelor degrees or higher • 70% of respondents had professional or managerial vocations Singletrack. com: • Mountain bikers NOT considering purchasing a fat bike, 71% interested in a demo ride, borrowing, or renting • 16% of fat bike owners own more than one fat bike • Fat bike riders average 76 days of riding per year • 2. 2 – the number of mountain bikes owned prior to a first purchase of a fat bike
SINGLETRACK. COM SURVEY, CONT. What are people doing on fat bikes? • 71% report mainly riding traditional xc-style • 52% would like to race fat bikes against other fat bike riders • 64% would pay to ride groomed trails What fat bike riders look for in a trail (rank order, top 4): • Packed snow • Moderate climbs • Groomed snow • Narrow trail
SJOQUIST OBSERVATIONS • Land managers seeking new users see fat bikes as promising for repeat users • Access provided via multi-stepped approach • Initial pilot program – limited access to Nordic trails • Second phase – increased mileage or days offered • Third phase – singletrack or groomed exclusively for fat bikes • Fat biking seems “couple oriented” • Often see couples, more so than with mtb summer • Fat bikes “great equalizer” for strength or fitness • Lower speeds mean quality outdoor experience
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WHAT ABOUT FAT BIKES SHARING TRAILS WITH SNOWMOBILES? • Victor, Idaho shared use for fat bikes with snowmobiles • Retailer Scott Fitzgerald realizes that fat bikes could be ridden on groomed snowmobile trails in 2013 • Wide vistas and wide groomed trail widths could allow coexistence • Talked with Idaho Snowmobile Association District 33, which is the Victor/Island Park region • Negotiated program allows fat bikes to purchase a snowmobile sticker ($50) and use selected trails
SNOWMOBILE ORGANIZATION MONITORING FAT BIKE GROWTH • Prepared by the American Council of Snowmobile Associations, Nov. 2015 • Presents growth and access issues • Doesn’t pass any judgements but simply provides perspectives
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