A Fat bike in E TN? Whaaaaat?????

Fresh snow at Panther Creek SP

I keep hearing the doubters, they say "fat bikes look pretty fun, but I just can't justify the cost for a bike that you use a few times a year" and "well that confirms it, mountain bikes are still fun in the snow, no fat bike needed".  It's true mountain bikes are fun, no doubt about it, and yeah, it is a decent expense, so if money is tight, it may not be the wisest choice.  But really,  I can't say I regret for one second, my purchase of a fat bike.  It open's up so many doors to have fun in a way you just don't get on a "skinny" tire bike.

Snow covered logs on E TN singletrack...heck yeah its rideable!

Snow is the obvious/go to terrain for a fatty.  Of course it super fun rolling around on the local trails, but wait, there's more.  The local greenways buried in 6" of fluff...super rad.  Hard park on the neighborhood roads, lets you cruise around at high speed while your neighbors stare at you wondering just how many bike do you have. Local neighborhood parks that you'd otherwise never visit...tons of fun to carve and drift around in the fluff.  It's all good.

But what else is there?  You've probably seen those fat bike picts of people cruising along the coast of Alaska on their fatties, riding off into the horizon with endless shoreline to explore. Well you may not know, but we have that here too (at least, part of the year). In the winter, TVA generously lowers the level of many of its reservoirs, which unveils an endless stretch of E TN "beaches".  And it gets better! These aren't just your monotonous sandy beaches, with miles of trudging through the sand. Our beaches have sand, hardpack, boulder sections, baby head sections, logs...you name it. Technical as you want it and as scenic as it gets.

Rocky Beach along Norris Lake

And sand is fun too!

And don't forget the greasy winter trails that we all avoid in the darker months.  With 4" tires, I guarantee you get a big goofy grin from ear to ear when you can go and ride your beloved single track with maximum traction over roots rocks and slime.  And as an extra bonus, the fat tires don't tear up or rut the trails like a 2.3" tire does...sounds like a winner to me.

They say haters gonna hate, but I'm gonna have fun.