Fat Biking in Sun Peaks, BC

Fat bikes are essentially mountain bikes that have tires that are twice the width of mountain bikes. This is great for use in snow and sand as they offer more grip and traction then a regular bike would. Recently I spent a winter season working in Sun Peaks, BC and unfortunately due to an incident with a tree was told I would be unable to snowboard for a number of weeks. Luckily for me there was a new activity I was yet to try.

When talking to colleagues and friends asking for ideas about how I could spend my down days, fat biking was the most common answer. I made my way to Elevation Snow and Bike, a shop in the village that rents fat bikes by the hour and got fitted to a bike which would suit my height. Elevation offer a number of bike sizes so should have a bike to suit your needs.

Sun Peaks itself has a variety of trails that are all accessible straight out of the village and you do not need a pass to use the trails. You may also use nordic trails, however for obvious reason they must not be taken on the alpine ski trails. This does give you scope to do a good circuit around the town and do some exploring. The trails are marked and have varying difficulties, be warned some can be quite steep in places. I took a trail that had some steep sections which was hard on the way up, but really easy on the way back to the village as it was all down hill. Fat bikes work great on the marked trails which have a firm snowpack however can be more challenging in fresh snow.

For me one of the main highlights was getting away from the resort and out onto the trails where you would rarely pass another soul. It was a great way to be active and yet have the quiet and time to clear your mind. I can see these being a great option for summer mountain bike riders who want to continue participating year round as well as novice riders like myself just out to try something new.