Minnesota Bike Blog to Check Out-Ride Fatbikes

Minnesota is known as the "Bike Friendly State" and there are quite a few good blogs about biking in this great state to keep you informed.  They cover everything from road cycling, mountain biking, fat tire bikes, bike advocacy, traffic and bicycle infrastructure, cyclist's personal experiences and even the weather as it relates to biking.  I will post a series highlighting some of the blogs that I follow regularly that you may want to check out or subscribe to.

Credit:  RideFatbikes.com

RideFatbikes.com is a fatbike community website by fatbike riders for fatbike riders.  The site was started by Brad Boyd in March of 2011 not long after he purchased a fatbike.  Brad has been biking for fun and transportation going back to when he was a kid in the '80's.  He got into mountain biking in the early '90's and rode through his college years, but took a hiatus from the sport after that.  It wasn't until 2008 when Brad got back in to biking after he "discovered the simplicity of fixed gear bikes".

Brad told me "When I purchased my fatbike in 2011, I realized I could enjoy riding my bike in all kinds of weather, all kinds of terrain, and my fatbike became an adventure vehicle.  The fatbike was so much fun and I had so many questions about it when I rode it that I created a website to spread the word and become more of a cycling advocate."  He also stated his mission, "Ride Fatbikes is a community focused on expanding the visibility of fatbikes and sharing information and resources with others who share the same interest."

Ridefatbikes.com has become a great source of information for riders from all over with its fatbike news, reviews and resources.  This site is loaded with everything fatbike related.  There is a Fatbike Events page that lists upcoming races and rides, a Rent Fatbikes page which puts you in touch with shops throughout the country that rent fatbikes , and a Gear & Reviews page for reading or posting about various fatbike gear.

The Fatbike Library page is a wealth of information to link you with fatbike manufacturers, parts & gear, fatbike-friendly bike shops, websites, blogs, and much more.  Visit the home page to keep up to date on all the fatbike news, advocacy, products and rider's adventures.

Brad's Minnesota-based company, Ride Enterprises, LLC manages the Fatbike Frozen Forty which is a 40 mile mid-distance fatbike endurance race held in Minnesota.  2012 was the successful inaugural running of the "Triple F" and the 2013 race will be a part of the Great Lakes Fatbike Race Series.  The second annual Fatbike Frozen Forty will be held on February 16, 2013 at Elm Creek Park in Maple Grove, MN.

Ride Enterprises also manages or operates several advocacy websites including the Fatbike Galley.  It is the premier gallery for fatbike photos by and for fatbike riders.  It's forum format allows riders to submit their adventure photos, race photos or their fatbike "show and tell".

If you are an experienced rider, new to fatbikes or would like to see what they're are all about, Ride Fatbikes is the website for you.  Keep up to date on all of the latest posts by subscribing via RSS Feed or visit RideFatbikes.com to navigate the site.  Follow on Twitter @RideFatbikes or like on Facebook.  If you have any comments, suggestions or feedback about the site, visit the Contact Us page and let them know.

I found the easiest way to keep up on all of the latest content for the blogs I read is to use a RSS reader client such as Google Reader or Flipboard.  These allow you to put together all of the blogs you read into one convenient place.  There are a lot of RSS readers that work with desktop computers and smartphones so pick the one that best suits your needs.  Soon I will bring to you another Minnesota bike blog worth reading.