Fat bikes are definitely a thing. I see them being used constantly, not just in the snow or sand, but on perfectly normal singletrack trails. Of course the main reason for having those super-wide tires is to provide float over soft surfaces, much like fat skis provide more float in deep powder. So it stands to reason that a rider should be able to get that “powder ski feeling” on a fat bike. And where better to make buttery turns than at Little Sahara in Central Utah? Our friends, Mike DeBernardo and Jon Gilchrist did just that as they checked out the dunes on their fatties and found that riding smooth sand under huge tires is almost like backcountry skiing.

According to DeBernardo, who shot and edited the video, they timed their trip perfectly to avoid a lot of the usual traffic from motorized vehicles. It’s well known that people get hurt or killed at Little Sahara constantly, as the sign that states, “0 days since the last serious accident” proves. Mike says their choice to go on a less crowded, early-week day worked out well since they hiked slowly with their bikes up Sand Mountain in places where they would not have been visible to high-speed motor vehicles.

Like true backcountry skiers, they scouted out lines beforehand in search of wind-buffed ridges with untracked sand where attempts to make “ski turns” were sometimes possible. It looks like a ton of fun, and this video might just unleash a new style of mountain biking where rogue riders stand off against moto-heads for dune dominance. Check out the video and feel the urge to buy a fat bike of your own. WARNING: the video features music with crude language, so it is not work friendly.

For more videos from Mike DeBernardo, check out his Vimeo Page.