Winter trail grooming for fat bikes is a process that takes trial and error. GetGetting the Here we give an overview of the process as well well as tips for grooming and choosing the best equipment.
This guide is written in collaboration with the WinMan trails grooming team.
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A perfectly groomed fat bike trail is an art form that's dependent on a lot of different factors. Temperature, snow depth, moisture content, and the natural curves of the terrain all play huge roles in the groomability of your singletrack trail under the winter snow..
In this guide, we'll talk about the process of grooming snow, types of groomers, tips for tricky situations, and the best groomers for singletrack trails.
3 Parts of the Trail Grooming Process
1. Remove the Snow
If the snow is deep and dry, your first step is snow removal which not all trail grooming equipment does. Deep dry snow just isn't going to compact no matter how many times your run over it, so you'll want to plow excess snow off of the trail to get ready for compacting your base.
2. Compact the Snow
To make a long lasting trail, you'll need a firm base that isn't going to smoosh like mashed potatoes or be prone to ruts. Compact the snow with with a heavy groomer, weighted pan, or weighted DIY tire pull.
3. Shape the Snow
This is optional but separates great trails from the rest. Shape the snow using a grooming pan with manufactured wings or DIY tire pull with handmade wings. This creates a beautifully concaved trail that is a blast to ride on rollers and berms and helps the whole trail profile to hold up better.
Types of Fat Bike Trail Groomers
Here's what makes a trail groomer. Some of these are types of groomers while others are components of a groomer. For example, an all-in-one groomer might have a plow in the front, a main pan that can be weighted down, as well as a corduroy scraper to texture the snow in the back.
Rollers
Rollers are best for creating a new, basic trail in the snow rather than going over an already built trail or a trail with features. They work best in flatter areas since they aren't great for slinging them up a berm. If you're trying to use them on berms, they just slide down and don't usually stay in the desired path. But if you're looking to pack down a few inches at a time, rollers do a great job.
Corduroy Scraper
Corduroy scrapers are usually an additional component of a trail groomer rather than a stand alone groomer. They drag on the back to further compact the snow and remove air. Some would consider corduroy scrapers to be unnecessary. But when there isn't very much snow, they add traction and can help prevent slipping around and causing further icing.
Plow
Pretty straight forward, plows remove the snow and if you have a deep snowfall, these are non negotiable. Before you can event start compact or shaping your base, you'll first need to make a pass or two with the plow to remove excess snow.
Pan
This is the flat part of the groomer which is often behind the plow and in front of the scraper. You can add weight to the pan to help compact the snow.
Sno-Blaster
Sno-Blaster is a brand, but it's a popular brand and deserves mentioning here. They're really customizable and have several of the necessary components (but not all) of trail grooming. If you want to establish a compact base with minimal snow, this will probably do everything you need. But if there are undulations in the trail, sloped corners, or berms, you'll need a DIY tire draft to get those rounded corners and create a bobsled chute.
DIY Tire Drag
It might seem like a DIY tire drag is a low-class way to make a fat bike trail, but a correctly built tire drag creates that heavenly concaved bobsled chute that no other single track groomer can come close to making. In deep snow, you'll still need to make a few passes with a plow, but then the tire drag can work its magic. The reason they're so great is because they're so customizable. You can add 50-100 pounds to the tire, bolt a scraper to the back, add a fin on the underside, and create wings for the perfect concave trail. When you sling it around angled corners, you can create amazing berms that make other trails jealous. See below for an example form WinMan trails.
How to Pull a Fat Bike Trail Groomer
You've got two options for pulling a singletrack trail groomer. You can use a traditional snowmobile which is most common or you can save some money and use a Snow Dog but it comes with tradeoffs.
Snowmobile
Fast, powerful, and versatile, a snowmobile is the number one way to pull a groomer. If you have means to get a snowmobile, there's likely no need to consider other options like a Snow Dog. But if you need several machines in several locations, you might need to consider options like a Snow Dog. If you're creating trails in deep snow, make sure that your first pass is with a groomer that has minimal weight since you could get start and snowmobiles will quickly start creating ice if you slip.
Snow Dog
The Snow Dog is a popular tool for ice fishing but can also be great as a dedicated trail groomer, albeit with some limitations. A Snow Dog is cheaper than a snowmobile, much lighter, easier to transport, and works differently as well. To operate it, you either stand in a sled or a grooming pan behind the Snow Dog and hold onto the handle of the machine and get pulled behind it. You can use this to create and compact trails but it doesn't remove the snow which will prevent you from building a strong base if you're dealing with deep dry snow.
Tips for Grooming in Fat Bike Trails in Every Condition
Deep Snowfall
If there is a deep snowfall with a lot of fresh snow, it's going to take several passes before the trail is ready. One pass on any kind of trail groomer won't get the trail ready. Remove as much snow as possible using a plow groomer and then make another pass (or multiple passes) with a weighted pan or DIY tire groomer to create a sustainable base.
Lots of Dry Light Snow That Won't Pack Down
Start with an unweighted Sno-Blaster (or other plow) to remove snow, then put weights in Sno-Blaster. After snow removal and compacting, switch to the tire drag with minimal weight because you might get stuck and snowmobiles quickly create ice if they slip and create heat. Your main priority is to move the snow. After enough snow has been removed, add a bunch of weight in the tire and make another pass. Even after all of thewse passes, you still might not get that firm base you're looking for, especially if the snow is really dry and there is no humidity and no sun. It might just take time for the snow to set and start to be compactable.
Wet Packy Snow
This snow is great for grooming. The snow sets up fast as long as it freezes at night. You likely won't need to use a plow. Just groom the trails with a weighted pan to to create a firm, long lasting base
Regular Daily Freeze/Thaw
The most most important thing to do here is to delete all of the imperfections in the trail before the wet melting snow freezes at night. After a warm sunny day when the snow is getting wet and heavy, groom in the afternoon or evening to clean up the ruts and the hike-a-bike holes. Then when it re-freezes at night, you'll have given the trail a fresh smooth surface that will harden again
Best Fat Bike Trail Groomers
1. Sno-Blaster
This is a very popular groomer that you'll want in your quiver. If you get a lot of snow, using a plow like that on a Sno-Blaster is a requirement for achieving a clear trail with a solid base. Learn More.
2. Yeti's Revenge
Built to last with 304 stainless steel and aluminum, this groomer is made for navigating tight trails. Its angled shape diverts and packs snow, while the slightly rounded bottom mimics a seasoned single track groove. It has a spring-loaded, removable rear corduroy rake and optional Bat Wing accessory to help manage snow drifts and build berms. Learn More.
3. Snowdog with Singletrack Groomer Attachment
As mentioned above, this is a great way to create new trails in areas with minimal snow. This will create a trail and compact the snow but it won't remove snow which is a limiting factor if you dealing with deeper snow falls. Learn More.
4. The DIY Tire Drag
After plowing away excess deep snow, this will be your most important trail groomer. It takes some work to build it but you can tailor it to your specific trail system. Add wings, a fin, a corduroy scraper, and as much weight as you want and you'll be creating beautiful concave chutes over undulating trails and up high berms.
One of Most Important Things: Riders' Tire Pressure
A painstakingly groomed trail is instantly ruined if riders go over it with too much tire pressure. Make sure that your community is airing down their tire pressure in softer conditions and staying off trails completely if the snow is too soft.
