By Jenn March
See version published for the Glens Falls Post-Star here.
My snowshoes plunged through an icy crust into slushy granular as I struggled across the terrain of Gurney Lane Bike Park in Queensbury, New York. The sky was a gloomy grey and there was a damp cold that snuck up on you. It was hard enough to navigate on the snowshoes, and yet the racers of the 4th annual Gurney Lane Fat-Tire Bike Day zoomed by me with child-like grins plastered to their faces.
Bob Underwood, who has organized both the fat-tire bike (known commonly as fat bike) race and the summer race for mountain bikers over the last four years estimated that some racers for this year’s fat bike event were deterred by forecasted rain. By the start of the race, there were 52 registrants, several of whom registered the day of the event. Underwood says, however, that of the 52 registered, only 40-45 showed up to ride. It has been more of the same in previous years with registered riders being in the 50-60 range, approximately half of whom are local to the Queensbury or greater Capital Region areas. The Fat-Tire Bike Day provides two races for bikers: a five mile (short) and ten mile (long), both at midday. Rick’s Bike Shop of Queensbury and local franchise Grey Ghost Bicycles provided bike support and rentals throughout the event. Snowshoers were also invited to participate in a 5K event prior to the bike races.
Peter Gobel of Clifton Park, who attended the winter race for the first time this year, finished second place in the long for his group of men ages 30-39 and third overall. His father, Mark, of Oneonta, also raced. “It’s a family affair,” said Peter, whose wife and child also came to cheer them on. “I come here to do some riding on the weekends, so it helps knowing the trails.” Gobel reported having concern for the trail conditions after seeing the predicted rain and above-freezing temperatures. “I thought it would be slushy and sloppy, but the trails held up pretty well.”
But Gurney Lane’s fat bike race attracts riders from all over. Brian Galletta and his “teammate” Thomas Pellegrino traveled all the way from Long Island for his third and Pellegrino’s fourth time riding in the race. German-born Andreas Wilke came with his wife and two children from their North Country home in Potsdam, about three hours away from Lake George. “We came up yesterday and stayed the night,” Wilke said as his young daughter bounced playfully around him. “I just need to go outside in winter. Summer is road cycling season and gravel and cross-country and the fat bikes bring me outside a little bit. It’s my little life insurance; physically and mentally.”
Luckily for the riders, the rain held off until the final riders were crossing the finish line. Many who finished the race packed up their gear and bounced. But those who stuck around reaped the benefits of complimentary Pabst Blue Ribbon and IPAs. Prizes were also provided by Northeast Promo of South Glens Falls for first, second, and third place finishers. Bob Underwood announced prizes to them in the pavilion as their supporters either huddled around a small yet mighty firepit or cascaded down the sledding hill on their sleds. There is nothing quite like the camaraderie of participating in a winter sport, especially one as niche as fat-tire biking.