Thanks for making this a fun and successful winter event!
The leadup to our 3rd Annual Fat Bike Rally was frightening. With a scheduled date of Sunday, February 5, predicted plummeting of temperatures for the days prior had us worried. The forecast turned out to be accurate, with temperatures bottoming out to minus 20 on Friday and rising to near zero on Saturday. Would it warm sufficiently to offer up a comfortable day for fat biking on Sunday? Well, yes! With temperatures quickly rising to the 20s and low 30s the weather was perfect for a day on a bike in the woods. Whew! Once again, Richard smiled upon us.
The Richard Tom Foundation partnered with the Catamount Outdoor Family Center (COFC) to host what has become an annual event. Amanda Preston of COFC was especially helpful in the planning and implementation of this event. Many thanks to Amanda (Program and Event Coordinator at COFC) and John Atkinson (Director of COFC) for offering trails, bikes, and excellent grooming for this event. RTF provided additional bikes and food thanks to Chris Morrissey (aka “CMO”) and his wife Samantha of Cool Motion Outdoor Sports in Bristol. All of this was offered at no charge, with donations accepted and split between COFC and RTF. Thank you to the many who generously donated!
Trail conditions matched the perfect weather thanks to the work of COFC and their snow-dog groomer which was purchased with the help of RTF and many GMBC members. Our Velo Village was occupied by RTF, Vermont Mountain Bike Association (VMBA), Bivo bottles, and Pride Rides. Pride Rides and Tim Post (of COFC) led group rides for experienced and new-to-fat biking riders. Others, who had personally owned bikes, explored the beautiful Catamount twisty trails on their own or with friends. We had a great day with about 75 participants.
This year we introduced a “Sprint Race” whereby pairs of riders or rider versus skier competed head-to-head in a short out and back course. I lost my race! Although only a few pairs raced, the excitement for each race was palpable. We hope to build on this for the 2024 edition of our Fat Bike Rally.
Thanks to everyone who attended our Fat Bike Rally!
