The snow is blowing, and temperatures might be dropping, but if you listen carefully, you might hear a familiar squeak from the shed. No, not that squeak, that’s the mouse. Listen close: That’s the sound of your winter bike saying “Hey, did you forget about me? let’s go for a ride!” If you’re like me and your fat bike is covered in more dust than snow, the Cycling Association of Yukon (CAY) has got you covered with two great opportunities.

U19 Winter Mountain Bike Training

If you are an under-19 youth and looking for training over the winter season, join Coach Hudson Lucier and his merry band of winter athletes on Friday evenings. Coach Lucier is working hard to develop an ideal mix of indoor and outdoor training sessions to get everyone in top shape for the approaching race season. Of course, you don’t need to be a competing cyclist to partake. Resistance and cross training have been proven to have immense benefits for all kinds of athletes from improved performance to injury prevention. It’s also very, very fun. If you’re already training another sport, cycling and weight training could be the perfect supplement to your routine.

Training runs until March 31st and follows the school calendar, so if there is no school that day, there is no training. Registration is $200 plus a CAY Membership and can be found under Programs at https://yukoncycling.com. CAY understands that this type of training can often be cost-prohibitive for families on top of the price of equipment so this year we are offering up to $600 in financial aid for participants who need it. Please reach out to info@yukoncycling.com if you’d like to learn more.

The Big Fat Butter Tart

Local man Geof Harries had a dream: A silly dream but a dream none-the-less. He dreamed of a fat bike event where the only measure of success was how full your belly was with food and how full your head was with memories. An event where music would be pumping, and wheels would be turning. An event where riders of all abilities could participate and would equally marvel at the most sacred of desserts: the butter tart.

Join CAY on Sunday, February 19th for a delicious, scrumptious, fun, and goofy good time at the Inaugural Big Fat Butter Tart. This is a low-key fat bike affair where riders run a loop course on Grey Mountain. Every lap earns you a butter tart so do as many laps as you like, at your own pace. The course will be clearly flagged but will not be timed.

This event is open to everyone so bring the whole family down. The Tart starts at 11 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. but show up anytime, start anytime, and make sure to eat your tarts before 4 p.m. Coffee, hot chocolate, stew, and draw prizes will be available for all participants.

Head over to yukoncycling.com and click on the event page to register. $10 for adult CAY members and $5 for youth members.

– Submitted by Steven Biss