Midwest MTB Racing Recap: Fat Bike Edition
by Jay Richards
January 17, 2013
Being a die hard skier that has the mindset of "if there is snow, you have to ski" and the ski season way to short as it is, it is hard to do much riding in the dead cold awesomeness of winter despite the love for the bike. The fact of the matter is, there are hard core folks that love to ride year-round. Making things interesting in the what you can't really call "off season" is the introduction of the "fat bike". The fat bike has only made it more enjoyable for two wheeled enthusiasts to keep the wheels moving in the icy and snowy months.
What is a fat bike? A fat bike is simply a mountain bike with super wide tires. The wide tires not only allow for greatly improved traction in all types of surfaces, including glare ice, but also the ability to run crazy low tire pressure which acts as suspension. When fat bikes first came out, I told myself I do not need another bike. The early spring after a few melt freeze cycles the mountain bike worked just fine navigating on the crusty surface.
But my wife and kids surprised me Christmas of 2011 with a Salsa Mukluk. Like a lot of other folks who had their doubts about having another bike, I ventured out to tackle conditions I felt a fat bike should handle. I figured this thing should do things a regular mountain bike can't do so I put it to the test. Not wanting to ride on the ski trails, I headed to the singletrack that had a snow covering of 3-4". The going was tough but completely rideable and I was blown away by the ability to climb short steep climbs even if I was only going a few miles per hour. But what impressed me the most and opened up a whole new world was the ability to ride places not possible other than by foot. I discovered riding on lakes, ponds, swamps and using forest roads and trails to connect the bodies of water. This fall I had one of the most memorable rides, riding the local lakes and exploring areas I've never been to before. The sense of adventure created by the fat bike has been awesome.
I have kept my bike simple and in stock mode but as to be expected, some riders have "tricked out" their rides. Minnesota State Champion Brendan Moore has a nice post on his "fattie" set up. One of the area hard core fat bikers, Ben Doom of Revolution Cycle and Ski in St. Cloud, MN, shares his thoughts on fat biking as he prepares this season for major events this winter.
"Ahh, the Fat Bike…it’s here to stay! Several years ago I read stories of guys in Alaska welding rims together and acquiring special tires to gain more float in the snow. I wanted one. It wasn’t until Surly came out with their Pugsley in Barney Purple that the possibility became more of a reality. I dragged my feet for a few years, questioning if I’d use it enough to justify the cost and add yet another bike in my packed garage. I finally pulled the trigger a few years back and couldn't be more happy that I did. In fact, I have two Fat Bikes, a Surly Pugsley and Salsa Ti Mukluk.
I was one to think that Fat Bikes were for the snow and that was it. While the majority of riding that I do on my Fat Bikes is on the snow they are a blast on regular mountain bike trails or just busting your way through the unbeaten path.
In the winter, the Fat Bikes extend my riding season into areas I don’t get to see during the warmer months. Jumping on a snowmobile trail (Minnesota has around 20,000 miles of trail) and just going is one the most fun things I do on a bike. I look forward to this every fall. I’ve done both the Arrowhead and Tuscobia endurance bike races a few times. Both utilize snowmobile trails as the medium for the route. More and more such races are popping up nation wide. Most recently several shorter Fat Bike races are coming on the scene at regular mountain bike trails.
The trails themselves have been packed down to make passing easier. While the Fat Bike does run a 4” tire, packed trails are necessary to make passage easier and more enjoyable.
Once winter ends, Fat Biking continues. I ride the regular mountain bike trails, explore the river when low, and investigate deer trails into the woods. As a whole, I think a Fat Bike is a great investment for continued entertainment on the bike. These bikes can’t but help make you smile, they are that fun!"
Events
Last season at Maplelag, we jumped on the fat bike race bandwagon in February hosting a winter bike race and had a big loop planned. But ironically enough, over a foot of snow fell in the course of 8 days requiring multiple course changes including the day of, when 6" of snow fell! It made for fun conditions and it was amazing the speeds rider were able to maintain in the fresh powder (results and photos).
There are ton of events throughout the Midwest for fat bikers. We highlight the ones coming in to the Skinnyski headquarters and also a couple of other that caught our attention:
Great Lakes Fat Bike Series combines races in three states with stops at Cuyuna, the Birkie trail, Elm Creek and the Noquemanon World Championships, which will be held in conjuction of the Noquemegon Ski Marathon later this month. Event #1 was last weekend but five events remain.
Excelsior Brewing Company is excited to announce the Arctic Fat Fever race on January 19th, 2013. Taking place at Excelsior Brewing Company, this is a race exclusively for “fat bikes” The event is free of charge and will include men and women’s divisions on a course around 15 miles in length. There will be a heated tent on-site with live music for spectators and racers alike, and Excelsior’s selection of beers available for sale.
The Brrr Winter Classic takes place in Fargo on January 25th. It features a 10K bike race and free brats and beer (or cider) to follow the race at Great Northern Bicycle Company.
Following the Summit Ski Race on Sat, Feb 2nd, the Winter Bike Race is a mass "Le Mans" start at the Big Top Tent area, proceeding through the "bone yard" to the single track, out to Raven, to Jodi Hill, and down to the start. Two laps for best time and you can form one or two person teams. The lap measures approx. 2 miles. On-site registration to start around 12:30pm with race starting at 1:30. Overall race time around 45 minutes. Potluck to follow!
The City of Lakes Loppet Festival has had an Ice Bike race on Saturday for a number of years now, generally featuring mountain bikes with studded tires. This year, they roll out a new Fat Bike Loppet, running in the afternoon on the same trails as the big ski race did that morning. There is even a special "Fattest Athlete" award for the fastest participants that do both the ski and fat bike races.
Hillside Park in Elk River hosts a three race series, the Cold Bear Challenge, over the winter with race #1 complete but two races still on the ticket. The Hillside folks can always be counted on to provide a good time for fat tire enthusiasts.
The second annual Great Bear Chase Snow Bike Race is all set for Sunday, March 10th at the picturesque Swedetown Trails.
That just scratches the surface. There are lots of additional events on the calendar across the region this winter...
The Fatbike Racing site is loaded with a ton of information for fat bikers:
http://ridefatbikes.com/races-and-events/
More calendar links:
http://fat-bike.com/category/events/
And lastly, yet another site to check out:
http://fat-bikeracing.com/
Enjoy winter!
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