Geof Harries

I've long had a soft spot for grassroots cross-country mountain bike events that take place on or around the same date every year. So much so, that last August I started my own: Yukon Fat Tire Fever.

The name Fat Tire Fever comes from a mountain bike race that was held annually in Whitehorse during the late 1980s. Those original Fat Tire Fever races were organized by Jack MacNeil and Bill Parry every August.

Almost 40 years later, I wanted to bring that same spirit, that local legend, back for a whole new generation to enjoy.

The story of a reborn Yukon Fat Tire Fever starts with the end of my time at Cycling Association of Yukon.

Cycling Association of Yukon (CAY) is the non-profit, volunteer-run sport governing body for cycling in the Yukon. I served as President there for four years, from 2020 to 2024.

During that period, in addition to the achievements we had as a volunteer board - program improvements, membership growth, revenue diversification and enhanced communications - something else I'm particularly proud of is the number and variety of grassroots cycling events we hosted.

While at CAY, I was part of different groups that together ran 25 different cycling events across the Yukon. These ranged from cross-country mountain bike to downhill and enduro, fat biking to gravel biking, and kids and youth-focused events to training and certification courses. We did a lot!

After my tenure was up at CAY - and wildly, after we won Cycling Canada's Event of the Year for the 2023 Canadian Cross-Country Marathon Mountain Bike Championships in Whitehorse - I took a break from hosting and participating in events.

Being front and center as President for four years and doing so much as a volunteer wore me out on a bunch of different levels. I had to disappear. I barely rode my bike in the fall and winter, and if I did, it was usually just me and our dog, Brie (her sprinting, me plodding) around the forest.

Despite my state of mind, I knew at some deeper level I eventually wanted to return to the world of hosting cycling events. The next time though, I would do it my own way.

With Yukon Fat Tire Fever my goal is to inspire everyone to get on a bike and challenge themselves in a friendly, welcoming and inclusive event setting. As such, I wanted to focus much less on racing and way more on fun and friends, both new and old.

In days gone by, I'd myself participated multiple times in some longer-distance cross-country mountain bike events:

• Royalty of the Canyon and 24 Hours of Light in Whitehorse, Yukon
• Test of Metal in Squamish, BC
• Cheakamus Challenge in Whistler, BC
• 24 Hours of Andrenalin in Oro-Medonte, ON
• Ganaraska Gear Grinder, Campbellcroft, ON

Every time, those experiences taught me what it meant to face a challenge, persevere and return home at the end of the day knowing that I'd pushed myself and did something difficult, rewarding and meaningful.

If that sounds like something you'd be interested in (even if you're a little bit scared) join us at the 2nd annual "reborn" Yukon Fat Tire Fever on August 9, 2025, in Whitehorse, Yukon.

Registration is open and you can get an early bird discount for the next while, so I encourage you to grab your spot today.