I reserve ... the right to swerve

Life's too short to color inside the lines.

For years, it has been fun to be an Alaskan out there on the fuzzy edge of a fringe sport. I mean, did any of us really expect fat bikes to catch on in a big way outside frozen places like Alaska and Minnesota?

But huge technological leaps have the masses wanting Fatbacks, Mukluks, Pugsleys and 9:ZERO:7 bikes. Alaska's shops are shipping their frames all over the freakin' place. If you walk into a shop and see a fat bike you like, you'd better buy it or it very well might be gone the next day.

But I was still surprised to learn that so many are people riding fat bikes, IMBA felt the need to come up with a list of "best practices." 

I know IMBA means well, but I'm not so sure I like this "legitimizing" of my beloved winter activity. And I definitely have some problems with rule No. 4: "You are able to safely control your bike and ride in a straight line."

When fresh snow and flask rides are outlawed, only outlaws will ride in fresh snow and carry flasks.