I’ll admit it. I was a little tired of hearing about fat biking before I even tried it. People just seemed SO into it. See: Waking up to a fat bike and coffee…Finns go wild for the fatbike – perfect for biking in the snow…Minnesotans complete the Iditarod — on fat bikes…A Fat Bike For Kids (and parents, too)…Why my dog loves fat biking—and you should too! Ok, that last one I made up.

But, I decided to try it anyway.

Last weekend some friends were headed up to the mountains and I hitched a ride with them to try to find myself a fat bike.

Turns out Frisco was a great place to end up. I rented a bike ($29 for two hours) and the guy at the shop told me there are plenty of trails starting at the edge of town and assured me it is “pretty much impossible” to get lost.

I started off on the multi-use trail that runs along the edge of town—wide, flat, and covered with packed snow—perfect for getting started. All of the biking I typically do is on the road (and the one time I tried mountain biking was something of a disaster), so cycling on the snow took a little getting used to.

Once I got the hang of it, though, it was incredibly fun. Can’t-stop-smiling type fun, actually. The scenery alone was awesome. And despite the fact that it was an absolutely gorgeous day, I came across few other people on the trails.

A couple things I learned along the way:

1. For someone who doesn’t like skiing all that much (I know, blasphemy!), fat biking is a great winter-time activity.
2. Even four-inch tires can be stopped in their tracks when you veer into deep powder.
3. If you stop in the middle of a steep uphill, you should pretty much just plan to walk the rest of the way up.

I was honestly pretty bummed to turn the bike in at the end of two hours. It was an excellent way to spend a morning.

I also can’t help but mention that fat bikes, along with other kinds of bicycles that have recently gained popularity—like electric bikes—are contributing to the expansion of cycling and the bicycle industry in our state. Back in 2000, a study showed that bicycling had $1 billion of economic impact in Colorado. It’s likely much higher today.

If you haven’t yet given fat biking a try, I definitely recommend it. And if you have, please share your story in the comments below!