{"id":81732,"date":"2020-02-26T18:44:49","date_gmt":"2020-02-26T23:44:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/huntsville.dopperonline.ca\/?p=81732"},"modified":"2020-02-26T19:03:58","modified_gmt":"2020-02-27T00:03:58","slug":"inaugural-muskoka-fatbike-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doppleronline.ca\/huntsville\/inaugural-muskoka-fatbike-race\/","title":{"rendered":"Inaugural Muskoka Fatbike Race draws riders from across Ontario"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The inaugural Muskoka Fatbike Race was eagerly anticipated by local fatbike enthusiasts. After all, how often do they have the opportunity to ride on a snow-covered, car-free Main Street?<\/p>\n

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The Huntsville Mountain Bike Association (HMBA) hosted the Feb. 22 event, which was held as part of Huntsville SnowFest.<\/p>\n

The race brought in 65 racers in four different categories: men’s and women’s recreational, and men’s and women’s competitive. There were both local racers as well as some from as far away as London, Goderich, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and Sudbury.<\/p>\n

The recreational race was 30 minutes plus two laps long, while the competitive bikers raced for 40 minutes plus two laps.<\/p>\n

The course traversed both Main Street and River Mill Park. Foot traffic earlier in the day affected course conditions and, as the race progressed, racers were working hard to stay on track, with some needing to walk their bikes up the hills. Many spectators cheered them on from the sidelines, some commenting that the bikers made it look easier than it really was.<\/p>\n

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The recreational category of the inaugural Muskoka Fatbike Race gets underway (Cheyenne Wood)<\/p><\/div>\n

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The Muskoka Fatbike Race course wasn’t as easy as it looked (Cheyenne Wood)<\/p><\/div>\n

Noah Galt from Riverside P.S. is an avid biker and competed in the recreational category. He said his favourite part of the race was the location as he enjoyed being able to race down Main Street in the snow. The hardest part was the ride itself: he couldn\u2019t believe how hard it was for a course that looked so easy.<\/p>\n

Noah\u2019s father, Adam Galt, raced in the competitive category even though he was under the weather. “The atmosphere around the event was amazing, both as a spectator and as a racer. The location and format was something that I don’t think anyone had ever seen before,” he said. “Most races have a few small sections where riders are cheered on, but having it around the entire course was awesome.”<\/p>\n\n\t\t