It’s been a whirlwind
fat biking season here in Michigan, with a banner year of snowfall across most
of the state. In fact, at some of the events this year, snow has actually been
removed from the courses to make them passable. With the deep persisting cold,
the snow hasn’t been very cooperative at times when it comes to packing in firm
trails, which has left some venues a veritable trail of tears for the
participants. In general though, the riding has been fantastic and the options
have left riders and racers alike with options on most weekends and even
weekdays. A great ongoing venue for testing out one’s mettle on a fatbike has
been the Fat Tuesday weekly rides put on by Brent Walk of Fun Promotion at the
Pando Ski Area. For a mere $10 riders have had access to some awesome groomed
trails starting at 5pm until 9pm every Tuesday with the exception of one or two
days the entire season. Grand Rapids Bike Co has been kind enough to send
friendly folks with a number of demo bikes to ride around, and Freewheeler Bike
Shop has ponied up items to give away as prizes to the racers. With the weather
we’ve had it looks like the Fat Tuesdays will be ongoing for some time to come
so get out there, there’s really no excuse not to…
A sweet ice beard is one of the Fat Tuesday prizes up for grabs...
As far as the weekend races have gone,
there are several series to choose from in the Midwest: Winter Rush, Fun
Promotions Fat Bike Series, Great Lakes Fat Bike Series, and Northern Michigan
Fat Bike Series. Being my first season rollin’ a fatty I have chosen to sample
from each of the series and multiple venues to get a feel for what’s out there
and where there’s a good time to be had. Frankly, every race I’ve been at that
involves tires of girth has been a blast! Maybe the courses have been grueling
and frustrating at times, but that is easily solved with a choice beverage and
good camaraderie. Here’s a quick breakdown of what each series has to offer:
Winter Rush:
This series has been great for the
local GR fat bike scene, offering reasonably priced races ($15 pre-reg and $20
day-of) that aren’t too long to scare away new racers (typically around 50
minutes). The biggest challenge of this series has definitely been dealing with
the weather and conditions with a couple of the races taking part during or
just after a major snowfall. The prizes have been good with growlers for
winners and various other swag (Harmony winter hats, Velocity hangers, gift
cards, etc..) which is pretty darn good if you’re only forking over $20!
You too can win a growler of beer!
Fun Promotions:
Brent Walk has long been putting on
good races, so it’s no surprise that these events and venues have been a blast.
The first race of the series took place at Pando Ski Area and the conditions
couldn’t have been better. With a hard pack XC ski trail to blast and great
scenery the course was a pleasure to crank out laps on, and with average speeds
approaching 14 mph it made for a race where there was no walking (a bonus in
fat biking). The entry fees are reasonable and with a cash payout to the A
class it’s one of the few series that forks over dough to the winners. The
timed format (Pando happened to be 2 hours) made for a longer race which is a
nice option to have outside of the shorter ones. There’s a couple more races in
the series so don’t miss out!
Team Freewheeler crowding the podium
Great Lakes Fat Bike Series:
The GLFBS is comprised of several major
races taking place throughout the Midwest. Yours truly has only participated in
a couple of the events in his mitten shaped homeland, but has heard good
reports of the races over the pond. Farmers Fatbike Race was the first GLFBS
race I made it to, and it was a doozy. With heavy rain and warm temps leading up
to the race, everyone and their adopted siblings knew this was going to be a
sufferfest, especially given its 3 hour duration. The Farm Team did a terrific
job salvaging the course the best they could, but conditions were still arduous.
A single fat lane formed in the center of the course, but faster riders were
left slogging through the boggy mess if they wished to advance their lead.
Every lap packed a healthy elevation punch which sapped the already aching legs
of much needed energy. Prizes were good with custom growlers, gift cards and
heavy duty shovels being doled out to victors. The second race I sampled of
this series was the Noquemanon World Championship race in Marquette. This was a
last minute decision which was reinforced with the addition of an epic travel
partner. Adventure was the name of the game, with it being consider a great
feat just arriving at the start venue given the storm conditions and closed
roadways. The ass end fell out of the thermometer in Marquette that weekend and
racers faced bleak sub-zero temps with wind chills dipping to minus 30. At 50K
in distance and plenty of punchy climbs this course was no joke. The scenery
was grade A though, and the miles ticked by more quickly than I expected with
awesome trail conditions and a fast run into the finish. The spoils to the
racers were sweet customized cowbells and a center stage podium. This is
definitely a series geared at the serious fat bike racer.
Shovel Envy
Cowbell envy
Northern Michigan Fat Bike Series:
The NMFBS is a short series consisting
of just 3 races in the general vicinity of Traverse City. I only have the
chance to participate in one of the three, but it was completely worthwhile! My
race of choice from this series was the King Vasa 27K fat bike race, and I chose
it for a number of reasons: I’m a fan of the VASA trail system, I like the
Timber Ridge Finish area and it’s short and fast! Many of the fat bike races
may see average speeds top out at 9-10 mph which can sometimes be a bit of a
drag for the speed freak in all of us, but with speeds touching 16 mph for this
race it was a totally different animal. I used my brakes more in this race than
probably all of the other combined what with the fast descents and turns. The
crowd that was out for the race was awesome too, and the finish venue had that
Iceman air to it. The prizes were good with some sweet custom medals and lots
of swag and free beer. If I’m on a fat bike next season, I plan to hit this one
again fo sho!
King Vasa
GR holding down the podium with Jill and Danielle on the steps!
It wasn’t until this past fall that I even
remotely thought about racing on a fat bike through the winter. When I heard
about the Borealis Yampa and got the opportunity to get my hands on one though I
simply couldn’t resist. While I spend a good portion of my time on the road
bike, I’m a mountain biker at heart. I love cruising single-track, checking out
new scenery and having the ability to cover any conditions I choose. The fat
bike further fuels this passion for exploring on the bike, and opens up a whole
new list of opportunities and venues to ride. Now that I’ve been on one and
have been in several races I think I’ll have a hard time not coming back. I never
planned on doing so many fat bike races and actually contending them, I just
figured I’d bomb around all winter and have fun getting out to show off the new
rig. I have to give a huge thanks to Freewheeler Bike Shop for getting their
hands on one of these for me and getting it built quickly last year so I could
enjoy the full season! I can’t endorse the shop and this bike enough, I’ve had
the chance to ride other fat bikes, and much heavier ones, and the difference is
noticeable.
I'm not worthy
Probably the best part of getting into
fat biking this season has been the new friends and acquaintances I’ve made
throughout the cold harsh Michigan winter. The folks that ride fat bikes are a
truly unique and awesome group of individuals, and the camaraderie I’ve
experienced has been unparalleled at many other events. It’s been an honor to
line up with the Grayling Giant and get to chat with him about racing, bikes and
generalities. Watching GRs own Danielle Musto take on the women of the Midwest has
certainly been impressive, and I take pride knowing that GR has been well
represented at the fat bike races! Duking it out with the Farm Team at the
winter rush races has made for some brutal workouts and good stories post-race.
When traveling to races, I’ve had good company in the form of a bear (Jenny
Scott, not an actual bear…) and a teammate, Bill Shaver. Up at Noquemanon the
racers from GR were kind enough to let us crash at their place in town and
share good company. It’s been the best off-season a racer could ask for, and I’m
sad to see it fading into the sunset with the impending season and training
demands beginning to ramp up.
Even the bears party in Marquette
GR Joe staying fueled with me on an urban adventure
Fat Jimi at Fat Tuesday
Tying the races, equipment, and good
times all together has been the Freewheeler Racing Team. I’m proud to be a part
of such a diverse and awesome team of people. I can count on seeing red and
grey at each and every fat bike race in the form of racers and sideline fans.
These folks come and brave the cold to just shake a cow bell and heckle you if
nothing else. When you’re digging deep in a race it’s always refreshing to have
a friendly smile or chanting teammate to lift your spirits. I can always count
on solid help from all of the guys over at the shop, whether it’s Curt, Pat, or
Tim getting their hands on some random part for me, or Logger, Gordy or Sam
helping me keep my rig in tip top shape. It’s really less of a team and more of
a family.
