Based out of Island Park, Idaho, Jay Petervary’s Fat Pursuit is one of the most highly regarded winter ultras on the calendar. Covering 200 kilometers of “groomed” trails in the Yellowstone area, the event is notorious for lots of snow, difficult conditions, and extremely cold temperatures. One of the more unique aspects of this winter ultra is the organization’s desire to help people develop winter backcountry experience. They run a camp beforehand teaching winter skills and make sure that the racers in the event have more winter know-how than just the ability to ride a bike fast. Somewhere along the course, all racers have to stop and bring eight ounces of water to a boil using only the gear that they’re carrying on their bike. The Fat Pursuit is more than just a race, it’s a chance for people to test their winter skills in a remote environment with the safety net of checkpoints and a race organization.
This year, eight women are lining up to ride the 200km distance and are ready to face the elements. We were a bit late on reaching out to racers for this piece, but we’re psyched to bring you profiles of three of them. Follow the race starting Friday morning at Trackleaders.com.
Danni Coffman
Bike: Trek Farley 9.6
Tell us a little bit about your snow biking experience. Have you done the Fat Pursuit before?
I rode Fat Pursuit in 2021 when it was the self-supported COVID edition. I finished – though there was no other option really.
What’s your inspiration for wanting to race the Fat Pursuit?
I just really need some extended time alone outside right now.
What’s the best part of winter fatbiking for you?
It’s easy to neglect the beauty of winter because it requires more preparation to be safe outside in the winter. But it’s so beautiful and peaceful. Though sometimes dangerous.
What’s the most challenging part of winter riding for you?
Sometimes it’s just really cold. Also tricky trail conditions can be exhausting.
What sort of challenges do you anticipate having to overcome while out on course?
The trail can get wrecked which makes for very slow going conditions. Also I’m completely out of shape so that won’t make it any easier.
Anything you’re particularly worried about or scared of?
I am worried I won’t be able to pass the water boil test, though I’ve never not been able to boil water before. I should have sufficient gear to be safe even if things go off the rails.
Do you have any tips for staying warm and dry in frigid winter conditions?
Layers are the key to staying warm and dry. Also, sometimes one must prioritize staying warm over staying dry.
What are your favorite cold-weather-proof snacks?
Oreo cookies 100%
Do you have any critical pieces of gear that make a huge difference for staying warm and comfortable?
It’s important to have an “oh shit” coat (as my buddy Jill calls it) in case your body temperature gets low. I have a giant waterproof down coat that is too much for most conditions and hopefully I won’t need it. Hand warmers and toe warmers are also good to have for when fingers and toes start getting super cold. I also can’t live without my Cold Avenger mask since my asthma is triggered by cold.
What tires are you running? Are you someone who’s constantly changing tire pressure throughout a race or do you set them and roll?
I’m running 4.5 inch tires and will probably futz with tire pressure throughout the race.
What would your ideal weather forecast be for the race?
Sunny and 15 degrees – no wind.
Most importantly, how quickly can you deploy your stove and boil water?
Probably not very quickly. However last time I did Fat Pursuit I refilled water once and never needed to stop and boil water. I’m hoping to evade JayP so I can skip this part.
Is there anything we missed?
I hope I can gut this out! But no one should be surprised if I’m a hot mess out there.
Jennifer Hanson
Bike: Binary Gordita
Sponsors: Binary Bicycles
Tell us a little bit about your snow biking experience. Have you done the Fat Pursuit before?
I started riding Fat Bikes last January , I did Jay Petervary’s camp workshop and then did the 200K Fat Pursuit.
What’s your inspiration for wanting to race the Fat Pursuit?
My inspiration for wanting to do the Fat Pursuit is I enjoy the challenge of it and I look forward to seeing the snow goblin trees on Two Top.
What’s the best part of winter fatbiking for you?
The best part of winter fat biking for me is getting to go places I normally wouldn’t go in the Winter.
What’s the most challenging part of winter riding for you?
The most challenging part of winter riding for me is pushing my loaded fat bike up steep hills.
Do you have any tips for staying warm and dry in frigid winter conditions?
Tips for staying warm and dry, pay attention to your body don’t go too hard that you wet out your clothes , don’t be afraid to stop and put layers on and take layers off. I really like using a nose hat and an Avenger face mask when it is really cold.
What are your favorite cold-weather-proof snacks?
My favorite cold weather snacks are cheezits and mini peppermint patty’s and GU Summit tea in hot water and Tang in hot water.
Do you have any critical pieces of gear that make a huge difference for staying warm and comfortable?
A critical piece of gear for me staying warm is large 18hr hand warmers, nose hat and my merino wool base layers.
What tires are you running? Are you someone who’s constantly changing tire pressure throughout a race or do you set them and roll?
I am running 26×4.6 Dillinger 5 studded tires, I do let air out and add air as needed.
What would your ideal weather forecast be for the race?
Ideal weather would be clear sky 10 degrees and no wind.
Most importantly, how quickly can you deploy your stove and boil water?
It takes me about 8 or 9 minutes to deploy my stove and boil water.
Patria Vandermark
Bike: Seven Cycles Highline XX
Sponsors: Ride Headquarters and Seven Cycles
Tell us a little bit about your snow biking experience. Have you done the Fat Pursuit before?
I did the Covid-edition 60k Fat Pursuit on the trails near my home in the Boston area a couple of years ago. Otherwise, I have been intently following those who do Fat Pursuit, I watch all of the videos people post, and am so excited to get to take part this year in person in what looks like winter paradise! I started riding in the snow in the Boston area ~10 years ago. I got a set of studded tires for my gravel bike and one of the best rides first snow rides I did involved riding through the first couple of hours of a Boston blizzard before it got windy or deep. My husband and I rode all over the city streets, through Harvard Square, and it was just magical. We host a First Snow Ride in the Boston area (#rscfirstsnow) that people enjoy looking forward to, this will be the eighth year for this ride to run as long. Boston hasn’t yet gotten its first snow of this season yet!
What’s your inspiration for wanting to race the Fat Pursuit?
I absolutely love riding my fat bike on snow, it’s the best fun there is on two wheels in my opinion. I really love gravel and road cycling, so that says a lot about how much I enjoy winter cycling and riding on snow. I’ve been very inspired by people who have participated in Fat Pursuit in the past, watching their Instagram photos, and then watching them excel in other winter cycling events too. I have enjoyed videos put together by Jay Petervary and Rebecca Rusch sharing their stories and the gear they bring, that’s helped make it more realistic for me to figure out how to prepare and what to bring.
What’s the best part of winter fatbiking for you?
Choosing the best part is hard, there is SO much that is great about it! It’s the best way to be outside at a very cold time of year while staying really warm and having almost no weather or conditions that turns the bike around. When the trails are unrideable in the Boston area for whatever reason (usually in Boston it’s that the trails are wet and would be damaged if ridden); instead I go to the beach and ride for hours. I stay warm, the sand is really fun, in the same way snow is fun to ride, and it’s just so peaceful out there at this time of year.
What’s the most challenging part of winter riding for you?
Overheating is definitely the hardest thing for me. I always start dressed warm since I have major issues if I get cold and I get cold incredibly easily. I overdress and if I am not careful, I forget to take layers off before sweating. I tend to get caught up with chatting with my fellow riders which is so much easier when rolling at 5 mph! Usually it’s not that big of a problem since most rides aren’t more than a couple of hours in length and the cold here isn’t that cold so it’s not a life or death situation. For the Fat Pursuit, I’m going to be very cautious about sweating or getting too warm.
What sort of challenges do you anticipate having to overcome while out on course?
I’m expecting that if I can finish this, it’ll be in over 50 hours. That will be the longest ride of my life by over 3 times. Eating and drinking frequently and convincing my stomach to keep digesting is going to be a major challenge.
Anything you’re particularly worried about or scared of?
I have never ridden through the night by myself before so I can only imagine what my sleep-deprived brain might come up with to scare me out there! I am really looking forward to overcoming this fear. Generally, I’m less afraid to ride by myself in the winter because I doubt that the boogie man has any interest in being out on a cold night nor would he expect anyone else to be out there either. I’m worried that when I stop to boil water, I won’t get the extra layers on in time to stay warm for the time it’ll take to get the water going.
Do you have any tips for staying warm and dry in frigid winter conditions?
My top tip is to oversize absolutely everything. I usually wear size 42 cycling shoes. I’ll be wearing size 46 Wolvgar boots. It seems ridiculous, but room for warm air makes a big difference. My gloves are extra big, everything. I’ve been given good advice about wearing large riding jackets to have room for the hydration bladder under them. Not winning any fashion contests in my Fat Pursuit apparel!
Another important tip is to eat! We generate so much warmth in our bodies, we have to take full advantage of the wonderful heat generator we take everywhere with us! But a hungry body will be cold and generally miserable. What’s the point in that? Winter riders should eat a lot without reservation. The more butter, the better!
What are your favorite cold-weather-proof snacks?
The only thing I know is that Untapped Ginger Mapleaid makes me feel warm inside and it tastes especially good on cold days. Snacks that are good in the cold is entirely new territory to me. It’s been warm back home so all of my training rides that involve food testing for the Fat Pursuit have been well above zero. I’m looking forward to jam and cream cheese on a tortilla along with my favorite savory option of pesto, cream cheese, and tortilla.
Do you have any critical pieces of gear that make a huge difference for staying warm and comfortable?
I got the very warm, cozy Revelate Designs Expedition pogies for the Fat Pursuit and they’re everything hands want when it’s cold: fleece liner and lots of room for gloves and snacks.
What tires are you running? Are you someone who’s constantly changing tire pressure throughout a race or do you set them and roll?
I’m riding 45NRTH Dilinger 5 studded tires. Back home I’m always on the 45NRTH Wrathchild with XL studs because of the New England ice and usual terrain requirements, but I wanted to minimize studs and weight since everything is going to make a 200km ride take extra long that isn’t completely necessary.
What would your ideal weather forecast be for the race?
25 degrees with no wind. I’d imagine this would make for the nicest snow conditions and then all of the stuff I’ve brought to keep warm can be used in some capacity.
Most importantly, how quickly can you deploy your stove and boil water?
In toasty Boston, I’m at about 15 minutes, not that I’ve worked on speed yet. I’d imagine that time will triple on a cold, windy, dark night with a proctor watching over my nervous shoulder!
Is there anything we missed?
I’m riding with my little green, smiling dinosaur, Chompy. Chompy has his own Instagram feed! My husband and I take Chompy on our bike riding adventures and we share photos of Chompy out there with our little 3- and 5- year old niece and nephew. We want to expose them to the world and let them see the joy bikes bring us. We hope that Chompy being in the photos and participating in the adventures is a nice way for us to share all of this with them. I admit that when I’m riding with Chompy and I see that grin of his, it picks me up, makes me smile, and I feel less alone.
Just so you know more about me, I’m a bike shop owner in the Boston area. My Instagram handle is @skinnytires since I was a roadie who never thought I’d want to do anything other than ride and race road bikes. After I moved to Boston 11 years ago, the whole world of mixed terrain riding opened up to me and here I am now with “skinnytires” written on the top tube of my Seven fat bike!
