Fat Turkey Riders enjoy sunshine after a cold snap.
During Thanksgiving time you cannot escape the turkey. He's on our minds and plates and on our refrigerators as juniors' faithful handprint recreation of the real animal. Fitness enthusiasts wear turkey hats and costumes and attend Turkey Runs, Trots, Waddles, and the like.
Enter the fatbike and you get a whole new animal: The Fat Turkey Ride, which brought together new and seasoned riders at its debut in Brainerd on November 22, 2014.
"I created this event because many of our regular riding areas are closed for deer hunting and we wanted a safe area to bike" said Russel Frey of Acceleration Sports and Fitness in Brainerd.
The ride encouraged fatbike riders to participate, but was open to all bike types.
"I was trying not to put the emphasis on miles and keep it non-competitive. It was about a one-hour ride." Frey said.
The group of 15 started at Frey's shop in Brainerd and rolled to the new trails that connect downtown to the banks of the Mississippi River.
A storm the week before had blanketed the area with a foot of snow. Record lows in the following days had set it hard and trails were packed and very easy to ride.
"The mood was euphoric." said Frey. "We had sunny skies and temps in the 30's at the time we took off."
The ride started out on flat trails, then moved on to climbing and descending hills in neighborhood parks. Near the end, the route crossed the Mississippi River twice and everyone got a look at some spectacular ice formations in the water below.
As the sun heated up the trails, some climbs became more slippery and challenging.
Riders shared stories and made plans for next year's ride over coffee and burgers at the Northwind Grille after the trip. "People were excited and said they were looking forward to our next get-together, even though the ride was a challenge for some, and just a warm-up for others." said Frey.
Looking ahead, Frey wants to keep things fresh and exciting. "I would love to see the ride grow and I have some great ideas for the future."
The next Fat Turkey Ride will be November 21, 2015 at 11 am.
