Fat bike sales were a flash in the pan for the bike industry compared to the staying power of other trends, such as gravel bikes and e-bikes. However, mountain bikers who live in the northern latitudes tend to be much more likely to ride fat bikes part of the year since the ground is covered with snow for much longer. This means the popularity of fat biking is now highly regional, with hotbeds (or cold plunges?) in places like the Upper Midwest, Alaska, and many Canadian provinces.
While fat biking may not be as popular in mountainous provinces like British Columbia, in some of the flatter regions, like Ontario, fat biking is a popular form of winter recreation. In fact, the town of Thunder Bay “is widely considered a leader in fat bike sales per capita,” according to a recent article published in the Fort Frances Times.
Thunder Bay has long been a famous destination on the north shore of Lake Superior. The town is one of the primary international border crossings with northern Minnesota, making it easy to access for both Canadian residents and Americans alike. We’ve heard rumors for years of a burgeoning mountain bike scene in Thunder Bay, anchored by the trail system in the Trowbridge Forest, and now, it’s going to get even better.
The current trail system includes about 45km of trails, with about 30km of those trails being bike-optimized. This distance is set to expand thanks to a $510,000 investment from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario and the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission. Five kilometers of new trails are currently planned as a part of the expansion.
However, much of that $510,000 investment will go toward winter infrastructure. Specifically, funds will be invested in ensuring year-round access to the existing bike trails, including purchasing grooming equipment to maintain the trails. The investment will also be used to purchase cross country ski trail grooming equipment and fund ski trail maintenance in the same area.
Paul Pepe, manager of Tourism Thunder Bay, said that this investment is “an opportunity for us to expand our winter tourism offering,” according to the Fort Frances Times article. Whether or not a destination known for posting bitterly cold temperatures can successfully attract fat bike tourism remains to be seen.
