This winter has seen a significant rise in the number of “fat bikes” on local trails. The bikes have wider wheels than traditional bikes that allows them to roll on tires between 3.8 inches and 5.0 inches in width and to run extremely low air pressure, allowing the bikes to “float” on hard packed snow.

Chautauqua County currently boasts of 35 miles of groomed singletrack trails, which ranks first in New York state. What makes fat biking popular locally is the number of trails that are groomed by local volunteers, all of whom are using a “snow dog” grooming machine.

Thom Wright, who grooms nearly 10 miles of trails at Harris Hill State Forest, notes that the snow dog “provides the ability to get into most of the trails and can pull various grooming drags to help consolidate the snow and pack it down to a tight surface.” For Wright, winter fat biking allows riders to “get out in nature, see some wonderful winter landscape, and can alleviate seasonal depression.” As fat biking becomes more popular in the county, Wright is excited to see the Western New York Mountain Bicycling Association and local businesses, such as Loud Performance, “put on races, weekend events, and riding opportunities for those new to the sport.”

According to Jacob Bodway, president of WNYMBA, the county currently has four trail systems that cater to winter fat biking.

“The club has purchased three snow dog machines for trail grooming, two at Harris Hill State Forest and one at Whalen Memorial State Forest. We are also fortunate that Long Point State Park allows us to use their snow dog, and the folks at Loud Performance also groom their trails. The volunteerism and the explosion of riders has been nothing short of remarkable.”

Dee Dippel, the owner at Loud Performance in Bemus Point, currently grooms 8 miles of trails behind his bike shop.

“I feel that Chautauqua County is leading the way in fat biking and in trail mileage,” he said. “The word is definitely getting around that our area is an amazing place for winter riding.”

Travis Saler, who lives in Butler, Pa., is one tourist who frequently visits Chautauqua County specifically for winter fat biking. Saler notes that the groomed trails draw him to the area every winter and that he and his wife enjoy staying at the Comfort Inn in Jamestown and eat at The Landmark and Guppy’s. Travis would love to see “better options for overnight accommodations near the trail systems, such as cabins or Airbnb’s,” but admits that the “groomed trails are the main attraction, especially since the groomed trails are in close proximity to each other.”

Grooming singletrack trails takes time and effort. As such, the groomed trails are intended for fat biking, skiing, and snowshoeing. Boot traffic will “posthole” the trails, making them unsafe for other trail users. Consider hiking alongside the groomed trails and not on them.