Winter isn’t quite done with us yet! Heck, we just had a blizzard in Wisconsin that dumped 30-plus inches of snow in some places. That said, trails are going from hero snow to mashed potatoes, race calendars are still popping, and access news is hitting both sides of the spectrum. This week we’ve got legalized singletrack, paused fat-bike ops and a stack of gear picks to keep your rig adventure-ready. Toss in a couple of wild-card items and you’ve got a solid excuse to procrastinate work for a few minutes.

Racing this winter or just riding for fun? Hit reply and tell me.

Boneyard Trails: Farmington’s Desert Tech, Legal at Last
BLM‑approved New Mexico trail system reopens after years in limbo.

Singletracks reports that the Boneyard Trails at Piñon Mesa near Farmington, New Mexico, have been fully legalized and reopened to bikes after being shut down for years following a reported ricochet bullet incident. The network offers about 15 miles of bike‑legal, rocky, technical singletrack, chunky slabs and desert arroyos that contrast with Farmington’s usual fast-and-flowy vibe. Local group FAST notes the BLM has approved the system, with new connector trails, maps, and trail markers going in.
https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/the-popular-boneyard-trails-were-closed-for-years-now-theyve-been-legalized-and-reopened-to-mountain-bikers/

Warm Temps Shut Down Fat-Bike Trails (For Now)
Operator pauses grooming and riding as spring slop moves in.

A recent Facebook post from a trail operator announced that they are closing fat-bike trails and pausing operations as of March 4, 2026, citing forecasted warm temperatures and soft conditions. If your local snow has gone from corduroy to mashed potatoes, consider this your gentle nudge to check trail reports before you drive, and maybe swap to gravel or dirt instead of trenching the groom.​
https://www.facebook.com/100068332247075/posts/we-have-decided-to-close-the-fat-bike-trails-today-march-4-2026-and-pause-our-op/1213537494267314/

A few weeks ago, the Fat-bike Lab was a quiet little experiment with a handful of founding members. As of this week, we're over 65 riders strong - and the conversations are exactly what I hoped they'd be. Members are debating whether titanium makes sense for fat bikes, swapping wheelset strategies for different conditions, posting trail reports from Wisconsin to Alaska to the UK, and jumping into our first Question of the Week. It's the kind of real, unfiltered rider-to-rider talk that gets buried by algorithms everywhere else.

If you're already in the Lab, you know what I'm talking about. And here's my ask: think of one person you ride with - or want to ride with - and invite them in. Share the link, text it to them, drop it in your group chat. The best communities grow by word of mouth, and every new rider who joins makes the conversations better for all of us. If you haven't joined yet, it's free and takes about 30 seconds: fat-bike.com/community. No algorithm. No spam. No catch. Just riders helping riders get better rides.

Weekly Dose of Fat — Thursday, March 12, 2026
Last week’s full scoop in case it slipped past you.
The March 12 issue covered Fat Viking survival, Birkie buzz, Alaska wildness, and gear for riders still chasing winter, so if you skipped it, there is plenty of season-still-on content to mine. Great companion read to this week’s late-March shoulder-season vibes.​
https://news.fat-bike.com/p/weekly-dose-of-fat-thursday-march-12-2026

Club Ride Winter-Weight Riding Pants
Softshell comfort that looks normal off the bike.

Club Ride’s winter-weight pants (think Fat Jack / similar softshell pieces) are great for those late-season rides where snowbanks linger but you still want to hit the brewery afterward without looking like you walked out of a ski film. Winter-ready upgrade for slushy commutes and sunset dirt laps; ships quickly from Club Ride’s AvantLink link.​
Check them out at Club Ride (AvantLink link affiliate)

Wolf Tooth Components Fat-Bike Drivetrain Refresh Kit (cassette + chain + ring combo suggestion)
Quiet, crisp shifts before the spring mud arrives.

If your winter miles have your drivetrain sounding like a gravel grinder full of ice, now is a great time to refresh with a new narrow-wide ring from Wolf Tooth Components. They are It is a simple way to make your fat-bike feel new again before shoulder season; in stock now via Wolf Tooth’s AvantLink partner page.​
Use their Bottom Bracket Finder. Yes, they have 100mm sleeves! (AvantLink link affiliate)

Amazon Storefront: Studs, Pogies, and Shoulder-Season Bits
One-stop shop for the small stuff that keeps you rolling.

From bar mitts to emergency lights to that last set of studs you swear you do not need (until the next refreeze), the Fat-bike.com Amazon Storefront keeps the little upgrades easy to grab. Great place to scoop up odds and ends while they are still in stock; ships quickly via Amazon.​
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/shop/fatbikedotcom

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The Trio 2026 -- Talkeetna, AK (March 21)
20-mile and 32-mile fat-bike courses on XY Lakes singletrack. A bonfire "time out" stop that doesn't count against your time. Post-race food and beer from Denali Brewing Co. Registration closed March 18, but if you're in Alaska, spectators welcome.

Fatty Patty 50K -- Leadville, CO (March 21)
Solo and team fat-bike racing on the Mineral Belt Trail at 10,000 feet. Organized by Cloud City Wheelers. Solo starts at 8am, teams at 9am.

White Mountains 100 -- Fairbanks, AK (March 22-23)
100 miles through Alaska's White Mountains by bike, ski, or foot. 40-hour cutoff, 8,000+ feet of elevation gain, checkpoints every ~20 miles. One of the most formidable winter endurance races in existence. Pre-race meeting Saturday at UAF.

Melting Mann Gravel Race -- Vandalia, MI (March 28)
Not a fat-bike race per se, but 23/39/58-mile gravel courses that kick off the Michigan Gravel Race Series. Some of you will ride fat tires on this. We see you.

The Iditarod's richest footnote.
A 66-year-old Norwegian billionaire arrived in Nome before the actual race winner

He paid $300K+ for special "expedition" status, had a private vet and support crew, could swap dogs between teams, and wasn't bound by mandatory rest stops. Craig Medred's take: "He now has the liberty to tell his wealthy friends, 'the Iditarod? I don't know what the big deal is. I went to Alaska to do it, and I beat everyone to Nome. And I wasn't even racing.'" Whatever your opinion, the writing is absolutely worth the read
https://craigmedred.news/2026/03/18/last-leader/
https://craigmedred.news/2026/03/16/iditarod-record/

Soft Trail PSA: Be Nice to Groomers
Closing note on spring etiquette before we all rototill the base.

With operations pausing at some groomed networks due to warm temps, this is the season to double-check reports, respect closures, and ride in the cold morning window instead of post-lunch sludge. The more we treat spring snow like a shared resource, the better your trails will be when next year’s first storm hits.​
https://www.facebook.com/100068332247075/posts/we-have-decided-to-close-the-fat-bike-trails-today-march-4-2026-and-pause-our-op/1213537494267314/

Thanks for reading and riding along for another Weekly Dose of Fat—whether you are still on snow, already on dirt, or trying to do both in the same week. See you next Thursday with more big-tire goodness.

What race or trip are you eyeing next snow, sand, or something in between? Hit reply and tell me.

If you have a friend whose fat-bike has been gathering dust, forward this and drag them back into the herd.

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