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It's time to try... the fatbike!
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Laura Martin, she shares her crushes and discoveries with us for our greatest happiness!
The Bas-Saint-Laurent is a paradise for fatbikers. Its apostles are multiplying, smiling their way past us in storms and disappearing onto white trails every weekend.
What? You’ve never tried a bike with oversized wheels?
Marie-Philippe Pelletier-Parent and Daniel St-Pierre, two enthusiasts and administrators of Club cycliste La Meute, give us all the good reasons to saddle up this winter.
Why is fatbiking the best winter sport?
Marie-Philippe : It lets me live the season to the max, on a daily basis, because I can practice it close to home.
Daniel : I hate routine. For me, road biking or stationary biking are a boring thing… Fat biking is done in the forest. And like the sea, the forest is never the same. I can pedal 12 times in the same place, and it will always be in a different context. One day I’ll see a deer, the next a hare… Cycling in the snow, I feel like I’m 10 years old again! It gives me a great sense of freedom.
What physical benefits does this sport bring you?
Daniel : It’s a very complete leisure activity. As well as maintaining cardiovascular fitness, it stimulates reflexes, motor skills, balance and muscles…
Marie-Philippe : Cycling is also gentler on the joints than running, for example.
Any advice you’d give to someone who wants to take up pedaling for the first time?
Marie-Philippe : Respect your limits. Fatbikes quickly bring you back to your own physical condition. It’s demanding when you start out. If you can’t go up a hill because you don’t have the legs for it, you have to push back on your pride and go up it on foot. You have to be gentle with yourself… and enjoy nature and the scenery.
Is it possible for everyone to get involved in the trails?
Daniel : Absolutely! I started when I was 62. That gives you an idea! Like cross-country skiing, it requires a minimum level of physical fitness. The trails are classified by level of difficulty, so all you have to do is go where your skills and desires take you.
Marie-Philippe : The altitude differences can be frightening, but people need to know that snow softens surfaces. It’s like riding on clouds.
Do you have to invest a lot of money in equipment before taking the plunge?
Daniel : Ideally, you should rent a bike before buying one. After that, you go according to your budget. You can start with an entry-level bike and then invest in a more expensive model with more features, if you’re really passionate about it…
Marie-Philippe : With a bike or ski helmet, a good pair of gloves and goggles, you’re ready to ride!
Where to go?
Some parks and outdoor centers open their trails to mountain bikers. Most sites charge a daily access fee. Bike rentals are also available at some locations. As the saying goes: big wheels, big fun!
Kamouraska
Boisé Beaupré (La Pocatière)
Témiscouata
Centre de plein air familial (Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac)
Centre de plein air GDS (Dégelis)
Rivière-du-Loup
Club cycliste La Meute (Rivière-du-Loup)
Parc côtier Kiskotuk
Rimouski
Parc national du Bic
Sentiers de la Meute
75, rue Frontenac,
Rivière-du-Loup,
Québec G5R 1S6
T. 5813377111
Le Boisé Beaupré
100-124 Rte de Sainte-Anne–Saint-Onésime,
La Pocatière,
Québec G0R 1Z0
T. 4188563394
Parc Beauséjour en hiver
400, boulevard de la Rivière,
Rimouski,
Québec G5L 4L4
T. 4187233313
Le parc national du Bic en hiver
3382, route 132 Ouest,
Rimouski (district Le Bic),
Québec G0L 1B0
T. 4187365035
Parc côtier Kiskotuk
200, chemin de la Rivière-des-Vases,
Cacouna,
Québec G0L 1G0
T. 4188633683
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