The Val-d'Or recreational forest offers two new interesting activities: the "Fat bike" and the snow scooter. I went there to try these new sports and here is my experience.
Fat bike
Did you know that the “Fat bike” made its debut in Alaska in 1980? An inventor glued, side by side, two mountain bike wheels to pass through the dog sled and snowmobile paths. Hence the expression one is good, but two is better! Despite its arrival in 2005, the fat bike has become more and more important in outdoor sports.
I had the chance to try and ride the bike. Fifteen years ago, I had a bike accident that injured and traumatized me. It was the first time I had ever ridden a bike. Being accompanied, I took my courage in both hands and went. The trail is 5.7 km long and the landscape is very beautiful (you can see a picture of the blog). To get the most out of the trails, you have to wait 48 hours after a snowfall to have a flattened trail. I was lucky because I had hard snow and it rolled well. I advise you not to go on the skate trail but go on the Fat bike trail since I saw someone fall on the way.
Little tip: I got a tip from a person who practices this sport about air pressure in tires. He said that you should divide your weight by 25 and add .5 in front and take .5 in the back. For example, someone is 125 lbs. The weight of the front wheel will be 5.5 and 4.5 for the rear.
Snow Scooter
This sport is a Scandinavian tradition, exercising the muscles of the back and thighs. It is possible to be two adults for one scooter. I was with my boyfriend, who is heavier than me, and it was a big challenge on my side. The hills were hard to climb and left my legs feeling strong. The activity would be less strenuous with a child or a lighter person.
Being on the same trail as the fat bike, the snow was not slippery enough for the activity. With crampons, you would get a much better grip for scooting along. I would advise you to bring some if you have them. This is a super fun activity and I highly recommend it with a more slippery trail. You can use the scooter for training or for a family outing.
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