Vermont Bike Shop Fat Bike Challenge

We’re proud to announce our Vermont Fat Bike Challenge.
Ride as many fat bike places as you can between December 1, 2025 and February 28, 2026.
Top 3 folks win some amazing fat bike adventure prizes!

How it works

Want to cut to the chase? Here’s a link for the whole list of rules or see below, and to sign up, click here or see below.

Ride as many officially sanctioned, open-to-the-public fat bike locations in Vermont as you can this winter.
Ride at least one mile on an eligible fat bike ride. Use Ride with GPS to record the ride, take a selfie on the trail, then email your submission. We will verify and add you to the leader board.

1. Create a Ride with GPS account. Visit RideWithGPS.com and sign up or install the Ride with GPS app.
2. Track your ride. Start the Ride with GPS app or a connected device before you begin. Each accepted ride must include at least 1 mile of an officially sanctioned, public fat bike trail.
3. Take a selfie on the trail. Include you, your bike, and a recognizable feature such as a trail sign or vista. Photos with GPS metadata are helpful.
4. Tag us in a post. Social Media Prize: If you post your selfie and use this tag on Instagram:
   @vermontbicycleshop #vtfatbikechallenge
   you’ll collect bonus points for an additional prize!
5. Submit by email. Send a link of your Ride with GPS ride, the selfie, and a ride screenshot to info@vermontbicycleshop.com. Use the subject format below:

Email subject format

Fat Bike Challenge, [Trail Name / Location], [First Name Last Name]

Example: Fat Bike Challenge, Millstone Trails, Darren Ohl

Prizes

Combined value over $800.

• 1st Place: Wahoo Element Bolt 3 GPS Cycling Computer and Salsa Fat Bike HT Frame Bag 1
• 2nd Place: Thule Rail 12L Hydration Pack (1.5L bladder) and Salsa Fat Bike HT Frame Bag 1
• 3rd Place: Salsa Fat Bike HT Frame Bag 1
• Social Media Prize: Roswheel Off Road Frame Bag and some Vermont Bicycle Shop Swag

Verification and leader board

We will verify each submission against Ride with GPS data to confirm trail eligibility and open access. The leader board will be updated weekly and posted at VermontBicycleClub.com.

Detailed Rules and Eligibility

A note about the Spirit of Fun:
Our VMBA Trail Challenge was amazing. Every participant understood the assignment and made the whole event a genuine pleasure to put on.

We did hear a few comments and emails from people, none of whom actually participated, that did not quite match the Spirit of Fun we built this challenge around.

Competition can be a wonderful motivator, and it can bring a community together in the best ways. This challenge is built on the belief in competing with each other rather than competing against each other.

If cheering on someone who is doing better than you sounds like a great time, this challenge is for you.
If that does not sound like your cup of tea, this might not be the right challenge for you, and that is totally OK.

• Rides must take place entirely inside of the state of Vermont.
• No repeat rides.
  • Each ride submission must be from a unique trail system or location. You cannot submit the same trail or trail system, or unique location more than once.
  • Example: If you ride one mile of Kingdom Trails, you cannot submit another ride from Kingdom Trails later.
  • Linked rides: If you ride multiple distinct areas in a single outing, each may be submitted separately, as long as they are clearly separate locations.
  • Example: Riding Millstone Trails and then a mile of nearby Class 4 roads counts as two separate submissions.
  • If it is unclear whether rides are distinct locations, the ride will be disqualified. To avoid confusion, provide clear details in your submission such as trail names, roads, intersections, landmarks, or GPS screenshots.
  • There are hundreds of places to legally ride fat bikes in Vermont. Make your submissions clear, unique, and in the Spirit of Fun.
  • You can always ask. If you aren’t sure, shoot us an email and ask! info@vermontbicycleshop.com
• Tag us in a post. The person who has the most posts with the correct tags from social media wins the social media prize. Each post must be made within 3 days of your ride. Each post will be cross checked with ride submission where metadata will be present in submitted photos. Users must use these tags:
  @vermontbicycleshop #vtfatbikechallenge
• Eligible riders must ride at least one mile of officially sanctioned, and/or open to the public fat bike trail and log that ride using the Ride with GPS App or upload their ride to Ride with GPS.
• Eligible riders must fill out the 2025 Vermont Bicycle Club Waiver and the 2026 Vermont Bicycle Club Waiver (when it becomes available, we’ll email you).
• Eligible riders must maintain a valid VMBA membership.
• Eligible riders must use the Ride with GPS to submit their rides.
• Eligible riders must wear a helmet at all times.
• Eligible riders must adhere to all (where applicable) regional and state trail organization rules, local laws, and local trails rules and closures wherever applicable.
• Roadways open to car traffic are not permitted. 
• Roadways closed to car traffic but open to cycling recreation are permitted.
• VAST use: Some VAST trails specifically allow cycling, out of abundance of respect to VAST we will only accept rides where permission is publicly available and/or you can provide proof of permission with your ride. If public information is not available that specifies bicycle use, Proof of Permission must come from VAST and be submitted with that ride submission. Even if you own the land, your arrangement with VAST may not allow for cycling, check your agreement before riding! Any rides that violate VAST rules and use will immediately disqualify the rider from participating.
• When submitting, be specific. We need to verify the place you rode is open to bicycle use. The more info the better.
  Example: The top of Smuggler’s Notch, VT 108.
  Example: Riding Poor Farm Rd in Chelsea/Barre Town, intersection of McDonald Rd. and Poor Farm Rd.
• No partial miles of travel will be accepted.
  If you are unable to ride at least continuous 1 mile of trail and/or closed-to-car-traffic route within the state of Vermont, then that ride will not be accepted. The route must be available to the public use for at least one mile and it must be specifically open to bicycles and cannot be open to automobile traffic for the entire of that 1 mile. The entire mile of the ride must be inside the borders of Vermont.
• Eligible riders must be 18 or older.
• Only Ride with GPS ride links will be accepted. Eligible riders cannot submit manual ride activities, rides must be recorded by either the Ride with GPS app or an app or device that is compatible and synced with Ride with GPS.
• Are eBikes allowed? Absolutely, as long as all local rules are followed.
• This challenge will run from December 1, 2025 through 11:59 pm on February 28, 2026.
• Rides must take place between December 1 of 2025 and February 28 of 2026.
• No submissions will be accepted after the final deadline of 11:59 pm of February 28, 2026.
• The leader board will be updated at least once a week on Mondays if new rides have been submitted.
• Rides submitted late on Sundays may not appear on the leader board until the following Monday’s update.
• In the event that a ride violates any rules of the contest, that submitted ride will be disqualified.
• In the event that a rider has 3 disqualifying rides that rider will be disqualified from winning any prizes.
• In the event of a tie, total distance ridden will decide the tie breaker, in the event that the distance is the same, total elevation gain will serve as the secondary tie breaker. When that fails, the tie will be broken by video dance off (further details will be provided to the tied participants).
• All disputes or rule clarifications will be submitted to Vermont Bicycle Shop.
• All disputes or rule clarifications will be reviewed by Vermont Bicycle Shop and when necessary, applicable local organizers and/or trail chapters (ex: if it is unknown a trail was closed, and the local chapter then indicates a trail was closed, that trail chapter has the last say on the matter).
• The Spirit of Fun rule: If at anytime we feel that a communication comes through that isn’t in the spirit of fun for this challenge, we may elect to remove that person from the challenge. This is at our sole discretion and may be done so without explanation.
• All Vermont Bicycle Shop decisions are final.
• Winners must claim their prizes in person. 
• Winners must claim their prizes within 30 days of being notified, or prizes may be passed on to the next eligible finisher.

Questions? Email info@vermontbicycleshop.com or visit VermontBicycleClub.com/fatbikechallenge.

Challenge period: December 1, 2025 through 11:59 PM on February 28, 2026.

Sound good? You can sign up for the challenge right here: