Global Fatbike Summit Day 1 Brief

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Mark Peterson sent in this brief from Day 1 of the Global Fatbike Summit this weekend in Ogden, UT.

The 2014 Global Fat Bike Summit has begun! It has been breathtaking, I have never seen so many fat bikers in one place before! There is a super positive vibe in the air and everyone can feel it. The stage has been set in Utah at the Summit hotel in downtown Ogden.

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Gary Sjoquist, Advocacy Director for QBP,  started the ball rolling with a great break down of QBP’s growth and participation in the Fat Bike industry, laying the foundations for the afternoons conversations with a candid and interactive flow. This was followed up by passing the mic around to every person in the room to give their name and a brief description of why they were there. I was blown away by the credentials in the room. The last one to share was Ogden’s Mayor Mike Caldwell. I have to tell you Mike is the Coolest Mayor ever! He is championing Fat Bikes, because he is a hard core Fat Biker and cyclist with a pedigree.

Ogden Mayor Mike Caldwell and FB.c correspondent Mark Peterson
Ogden Mayor Mike Caldwell and FB.c correspondent Mark Peterson

The afternoon sessions were focused on where the fatbike industry has been, how it is growing and where it is going to give the land managers in attendance the impression that this is a dynamic and fast-moving trend. Local shops related their experiences with the boom of the market while IMBA and other trail groups talked about the early successes integrating fatbikes into new and existing trail networks as well as the need to address the concerns of other trail users who have been using the trails before fatbikes were invented.  The need to incorporate the fatbike user group is stronger than ever and represents a real challenge but also an economic benefit to areas that embrace our fatbike brethren.

Grooming methods took center stage later in the afternoon with a discussion of both human-powered methods like snowshoeing and pulling light implements while the mechanized discussion focused on larger trail networks and the challenges there.

Poking around the room we spotted this Durango Bikes Hooey.
Poking around the room we spotted this Durango Bikes Hooey.

After the seminar sessions we took a break and convened at the after party hosted by TRP and GOAL Foundation with eats from Lucky Slice Pizza. I’ll have to fill you in on that later!

There is no doubt the cycling industry  is paying attention to Fat Bikes now….Stay tuned for more a more detailed report when this ship comes in for a landing!

2 Comments

  1. If you were there you know what an amazing event this was. If you get a chance to go to a Fat Bike Summit, soak it in and revel in the comradery that Is Fat Biking. Fat-Bike.com Is the Benchmark for Fat Bike coverage. Show them some love by interacting and leaving comments. Get the conversation rolling Fat!

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