Ben & the Bully are at the top of the Mahem

Those of you who follow RideFatbikes.com regularly know that Twenty2 Cycles and Ben Welnak (one of the owners) are held in high regard here, in part due to the fact that Twenty2 Cycles makes some great fatbikes, expanding the ever-increasing offerings in the fatbike world, and in part due to their advocacy and sponsorship of the Triple F.  So when we heard that Ben one the Leadville Mahem (the 2nd of 3 races in the Leadville Winter Mountain Bike Race series, we were excited to get the word out.

Ben’s blog, The Front Range Chronicles, is a good read, and can be found here.  The article below is a guest post from Ben Welnak, and is a copy of the same article from his blog.  If you like the article, be sure to check out the rest of the great stories on his site.

SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

Leadville Winter Mountain Bike Race #3 – Mineral Belt Mayhem

I headed up to Leadville yesterday after Amy and I met with some Walk to Remember folks to get on the CBS local news. Amy did a great job talking on air while we were recording – she’s better on camera than she thinks, especially when discussing child loss. It’s a great organization that helps people who have experienced child loss know that there are others out there ready to talk about it.

a lot of snow on the drive up to Leadville

I rolled into town around noon and took a little time to get all my clothes laid out and bike ready to rock.

i know…triple crank with no front der…oops, didn’t order enough and the one went on a customer’s bike. I’ll get that ordered up, but for tonight I’ll be rolling a 1 x 9

A lot of clothes for an hour long race. Gear includes ice fishing mittens with sweet ass Ergon gloves underneath (yes, ice fishing…I am from Wisconsin after all) All necessary though as the temps dropped like a rock down to like 10 degrees after sunset.

Once I was comfortable with everything and it was ready to go, I headed down the street to the City on a Hill Coffee Shop to eat, hang out, and get some work done while I waited for the race.

On the way over I took my time and checked out the skijoring. It sure is something else!

the Leadville, CO main street (the race finishes on this street!)

Around 5:30, I started packing up my stuff at the coffee shop and headed over to the race sign up at the Cycles of Life Bike Shop . $20 later I got ready to roll. My legs were feeling a little sore, so i took a good amount of time warming up to get ready for the cyclocross-like 12ish mile, 1hour+ effort (the time varies a good bit from year to year depending on the snow conditions).

just happened to get Number 22 to go on the Twenty2 Cycles Bully.. a good sign perhaps

It was good to get back. After a hiatus from last year’s race, it felt good to be back, waiting in the coffee shop, looking out the window at like 1,000 people lining the streets. A lot has changed in those two years, wow. I’m definitely a different person than the last Mineral Belt Mayhem.

So, the race…

We’re all ready to go.

Headed away from the shop down the main drag, Harrison Ave, on to 8th Street

It started off with a neutral rollout from the shop down the snow packed street. Then once we hit 8th street, a cop continued to lead us out until we hit the Mineral Belt Trail just on the edge of town. The total starting pack was probably around 50 (waiting on the results as of writing this to get the actual numbers).

The Mineral Belt Trail is a 12 mile all-season trail designed for bikes and walkers. In the winter it’s a nicely groomed cross country ski trail for both classic and skate skiing. It was packed for the race, but there is only so much packing will do with a lot of new snow.

The cop pulled off as we approached the start of the trail and the race was on. Throughout the rollout, I wanted to stay near the front so I could take a stab at pushing the pace early on and see where I could take it. It was all good as I looked over and saw a couple people and the rest of the pack not too far behind. I didn’t want to be “that guy” by blowing apart the rollout, so I let off to not go crazy.

The race was on and you could hear the changing gears. I pushed the pedals, hit the trail first, and hopped up over the little ridge of snow. Crap…the chain jumped off. I had to stop and get it back on. I was now suddenly in chase mode only 1 minute into the race. Not good.

I hopped back on and put my head down. It didn’t take long to catch up to a lot of the people on regular mountain bikes because the snow was soft and it was hard to navigate. The leaders were not far up ahead, so I knew that if I could keep it steady that I could put it on over the last couple mile uphill section.

The snow didn’t get much harder. There was a small section on the right of the skate ski deck and a sliver of space next to the classic tracks that were enough to carry some float. But once you tried to venture out from those spots and pass, it was like hitting peanut butter. The tires would just punch through and drag.

Five of us continued up the initial climb in the lead. It was strung out maybe 30-45 seconds from the leader back to me at 5th. I stuck on the wheel of a guy on a 29er knowing that he’d probably fall off the pace, taking advantage of the extra packed tire tread. It’s just too hard to maintain a good pace, going up an incline on “skinny” tires, so it was only inevitable. I tried to pass him a couple times, but when I swung out to go by, the soft snow sucked me in. It wasn’t worth trying to put so much into it so early on. I got tired of following him though, so I finally just punched it and grinded through the slow snow.

The leaders weren’t getting out any further, so I just maintained a good pace and focused on catching the next guy. I got him and we see-sawed for a bit before I started pushing the pace and moving the Bully faster. We reached a downhill section and I let it rip with the second place rider in my sights.
After closing the gap on the second place rider on this section, I passed him on a short road crossing and the race was on to catch first.

I kept him in my sights, which was around 30 seconds up-I would continually pick sections that I saw him pass and then countdown, just to know where I stood. Knowing that the last couple mile would be a tough gradual uphill, I anticipated that he’d get tired given the pace he was pushing. After we popped out of a sweet downhill section through the trees, the 1st place rider was closer than I thought. He seemed to struggle through a rough patch of snow leading up to the Highway 24 crossing and I knew it wouldn’t be long. I hit a short road crossing and sprinted for about 20 seconds until I caught and passed him.

The last section was pretty loose and had some deeper snow. There was one spot that I decided to jump off and run. I took a quick look back and saw two lights – the third place guy was catching second. I looked back a couple minutes later and saw him pass. At that point, I stood up and pushed to the end of the trail. Once I heard the cowbells of the volunteers at the right turn onto Harrison, I knew it was done. I just pushed over the hill and got to sprint it home on the snowpacked Harrison Avenue for a 1st place finish.

I love the end of this race – racing down through the center of Leadville at night with a good gang of people hanging at the bike shop.

A good group of people hung around after the race, both at the shop, as well as the mexican restaurant next door. We were waiting to see how others were doing. Some people were have some big issues with the snow and took 2-3 hours to finish. As of right now, the results aren’t posted yet, but I will update this post when they are.

The Leadville Winter Mountain Bike races never disappoint. It’s a great chance to get out and gain a little race training, have a post race Oskar Blues beer, and meet some cool people.

Thanks to the Cloud City Wheelers for the opportunity to race in the dead of winter above 10,000 feet of elevation. Thanks to Cycles of Life for hosting this race. Groomed race course, cheap entry, plenty of schwag, free beer, and cool people – can’t really ask for much more.

The Twenty2 Cycles Steel Bully handled the course well. The “mountain bike-like” geometry really is fun. It allowed me to really rip the downhills with quick handling and was very balanced when I was slowly going up the hills. I really dig the sturdiness when I stand and put the power to the pedals. I know that I should feel this way, since I am an owner in the company, but I can’t argue with the result.

I won’t be hitting up the last race of the series on April 7th because I have some bigger and longer fish to fry – April 7th is AntiEpic day. So, it’s a bittersweet end to my Leadville races for the year. It’ll be a year until the next, but it also means that spring is right around the corner.

Fatbikes All Year (by Ben Welnak, guest author)

The article below is by guest author and friend of RideFatbikes.com, Ben Welnak.  Ben is an avid mountain bike enthusiast and racer, and is an owner of Twenty2 Cycles.  His personal blog is well worth reading, and you can check that out at BenWelnak.com.  Ben’s cycling and racing perspective and insights can also be found at XXCMag.com, as Ben recently joined Jason and Zandr to do the weekly XXC podcasts ( http://xxcmag.com/xxc-podcasts ).   At RideFatbikes.com, we’re fortunate to have Ben contribute some of his insights and thoughts to issues such as the one below, which is likely on the minds of many of us “fatbike afficionados” as we enter the spring riding season.

If you want to discuss the issue Ben raises, feel free to leave a comment here inline with the article, and we can get the discussion rolling.

Big Betty tire in Twenty2 Cycles Bully fatbike frame

Fatbikes All Year

by Ben Welnak

This winter has been a very interesting one in the mountain biking world. Fatbikes have stormed the scene and left a wake of a whole new range of frames, components, wheels, clothing, races, and other accessories. Many riders have taken advantage of several new options to take the plunge into buying a full new bike for the offseason. They’ve realized the change in mindset that the fatty tires bring. Now, snow, paths, frozen lakes, rocky shorelines, sand, and any other type of riding is just plain fun.

It’s March, daylight savings time starts next weekend, and spring is right around the corner. You have big heavy fat tires and 80mm rims that you bought to prepare for the frozen months, which didn’t seem to appear in a lot of the country. Now, with thawing dirt, are you going to hang up your brand new bike? Or…will you get it rigged up a little different so it’s ready to rock on your regular riding haunts too?

They are great in all conditions, but I understand how all of us think. If I could just have a lighter setup with these big wheels, I could keep the fun and make it a little quicker and easier to get through the hills. We’re always looking to upgrade – if this frame was a little stiffer, this wheel a little lighter, these treads not so much of a drag on the ground. There are talks of “skinny” fatbike tires out there and I’m sure that, after this booming year, there will be plenty of options coming on board at some point in the future.

I thought it would be cool and (hopefully) helpful to try out some different tire options to give you an idea of other options out there to drop weight and make your rig a little faster for the summertime singletrack. This isn’t meant to be the most technical discussion or a specific gear review article. There are plenty of other great people doing that kind of thing already. Rather, it’s meant to be a look at what options are available, try them out, and share the information. I’m not sure how many pieces I will write or where this will even lead. Maybe nowhere and maybe it kicks off a little discussion. We’ll see.

I’ve started out with Schwalbe’s Big Betty freeride tires. At a claimed weight of 870 grams and a width of 2.4 inches, it seemed like a good option to test out. I mounted them to 65mm wide Surly’s Marge Lite rims and kept the pressure around 20 psi. The tires stretched out to a little over 2.6inches, with the tread a little bit narrower than the sidewalls. Not enough to be any issue, but should be noted I tend to start with a fuller tire and then go down from there. Mounted on my Twenty2 Cycles Bully, which is designed for the “traditional” fatty tires, it was an over fun ride.

Big Betty rear tire in Twenty2 Cycles Bully fatbike frame

I’ve only done a little riding on them so far, but it was on some frozen singletrack. The pavement ride to the trail was relatively good. It wasn’t a smooth road tire or a regular 29er tire, but it’s not meant to be. It rolled good for a fatty tire, although it did seem to pick up a lot of small stones. To be expected with a tire with such tread, but it’s noticeably more than you’re probably used to with the other fat tire options.

I definitely have plenty more testing to go on these to feel the full effect. Stay tuned to RideFatbikes.com as I do more testing and writing about these Big Betty tire setup. I will continue to try these out on the Bully and see what I think as I hit more thawed out mountain singletrack. I’m interested in trying some of the new tires later this year and see what is possible with some of these setups.

Feedback is definitely welcome. I’d love to hear what everyone else is running and what ideas you have. Feel free to contact me directly at ben@twenty2cycles.com.

Triple F Results – and the winner is…

Photo of Frozen 40 open champion Jeff Colbert by RideFatbikes.com

In our last post, we hit a few of the highlights of the exciting and successful 1st year of the Fatbike Frozen Forty (Triple F).  The post ended with unanswered questions (leaving you, our dear reader, in suspense for today’s post).  The questions were:

• who won the Frozen 40 open class?; and
• who won the King of the Tiple F?

We’ll answer those two questions below.

The Fatbike Frozen Forty Open class was filled with strong and fast riders, fighting until the very end to complete 4 laps of ten miles in the fastest time.  While lead changes occurred throughout the laps, in the final lap it became a horse race between Dave Hoglund and Jeff Colbert.  In the end, Jeff Colbert came out on top, completing the 40-mile Triple F course with a 1st place victory in 3 hours, 52 minutes, 5 seconds.

The second place finisher was Dave Hoglund, rushing through the final stretch of 40 miles just over 2 minutes later.  His final time came in at 3 hours, 54 minutes 23 seconds.

Photo of Frozen 40 2nd place finish Dave Hoglund by RideFatbikes.com

Just over two minutes later, CJ Smith finished the Frozen 40 in 3rd place (at 3 hours, 56 minutes, 54 seconds) .  Fourth place was cinched by Jeff Young, who finished in 4 hours and 38 seconds.

Photo of Frozen40 open class 3rd place finisher CJ Smith by RideFatbikes.com

In all, a total of 19 riders completed a full forty miles of the Fatbike Frozen Forty in the individual open class.  That is an accomplishment in and of itself, regardless of finish time.  Some riders finished less than forty miles due to mechanical failure, personal choice, or desire to get right to the beer and grill-out part of the event!   Two riders were left potentially stranded by equipment malfiunctions.  One rider had an internally-geared hub fail, leaving him with a singlespeed (by accident, rather than desire).  He was fortunate to get back into the race with a Moonlander demo, courtesy of our sponsor Trailhead Cycling and Fitness.  Another rider found himself with a brake problem, only to find Maple Grove Cycling’s mechanic team tuning him up and getting him back into the event in a hurry.  Our sponsors helped keep riders on course.

It’s worth noting that we had something of a fatbike endurance athlete celebrity in our midst at the Triple F.  Erv Berglund, has a contagious smile and enthusiasm, determination and a fun-seeking attitude that few can match.   He completed the rigorous/daunting Arrowhead 135 ultra endurance fatbike race this year (2012), becoming the eldest member of the fatbike community to complete such an endurance challenge.   When he finished his third and final lap at the Frozen 40, he took time to look around and smell the roses.  He chatted with other racers and spectators, and wasn’t bashful about the fact that the secret to his good health is that he keeps pedaling.  We should all be so lucky.

How about the King of the Triple F?

King of the Triple F CJ with Triple F organizer Brad

For those who don’t already know, King of the Triple F was awarded to the racer who logged the most laps on the frozen singletrack trail at Elm Creek Park, in the 6-hour race time. The winner received a pair of Husker Du tires donated by Triple F spnosor, 45Nrth.  Since we’re writing this race report on the night of the Academy Awards, the appropriate way to introduce the King of the Triple F is in the form of the Oscars.  And the winner is…

CJ Smith!  CJ finished 3rd in the Frozen 40 Open Division, with a time of 3 hours, 56 minutes.  He then went on to complete a fifth lap, pushing past exhaustion, to complete a full 50 miles on frozen singletrack trail.  By doing so, CJ logged more miles than any racer on the course, and earned himself the title “King of the Triple F“!  Congratulations to CJ for showing that sometimes it pays to push past the hurt.

We also had three teams enter the Fatbike Frozen Forty.  For those who are not interested in riding 40 miles on a fatbike on frozen singletrack (or if you don’t have your own fatbike), remember in future years that you can form a If others are looking for their own personal results, they can email us directly.

Giving credit where credit is due.

We’ve said it several times and we’ll say it many more.  While the Fatbike Frozen Forty was conceived and designed by

Headline sponsor of the Triple F - Twenty2 Cycles

Brad Boyd and implemented by his company, Ride Enterprises, LLC, it would not have come together so successfully without the early and tremendous support of Twenty2 Cycles (a company that designs and handcrafts USA-built fatbikes in titanium and steel from their headquarters in Vail, CO).  Twenty2 Cycles and Ben Welnak were the first sponsor to collaborate with Brad in getting the Fatbike Frozen 40 off the ground, and played an instrumental role in the event, with Todd and Ben travelling from CO for the pre-race meeting and event itself.  Thanks guys, you’re the best!

Fatbike Frozen 40 sponsor Trailhead Cycling (photo credit: RideFatbikes.com)

It’s all important to credit our other sponsors (all of whom can be found on the event website, Frozen40.com).  Trailhead Cycling and Fitness went through tremendous effort to have staff and support ready and able to help with prerace set-up, grill-out for racers, supporters, and volunteers, creating an enclosed and heated registration and warm-up tent, donating a generous array of prizes and give-aways, and more.  We appreciate everything they did to help this go smoothly.

Similarly, Maple Grove Cyclingsupported our event through pre-event planning discussions, mechanical support on the day of the event, a grill-out, pre-race marketing and promotion, prizes and music that kept the event atmosphere upbeat during the race.

Fatbike Frozen 40 sponsor Maple Grove Cycling (Photo credit: RideFatbikes.com)

We also had many other sponsors in a somewhat less visible role, that deserve to be recognized.  Without Surly Brewing and Peace Coffee, our pre-race and post-race beverage consumption would surely have been less exciting.  Without 45Nrth, we would not have had the amazing Husker Du tire give-away for “King of the Triple F” and we would be missing some of the amazing professional photos taken by David.

Without BarMitts XXCMag.com, and Cognition Caps our swag and prizes would have been far less exciting and complete.  Without PreRace.com our preregistration system would have been far less efficient.  And without Adam Turman, our event flyer/poster would have been much less dramatic and amazing.  Thank you to all of our generous sponsors.

Photo credit: 45Nrth (45Nrth was a 2012 Triple F sponsor)

Finally, without the racers, an event is purely an interesting concept, lots of hard work, promotion, investment and a venue ready for an event.  Until racers register, show up, and race, an event is simply a possibility.   Every event organizer likes to see an event come together successfully, and for that we need participation, enthusiasm, and help spreading the word if people enjoyed the event we put on.  Thanks for showing up, thanks for your support, and please spread the word!

We plan to soon have a large series of awesome photos on this site, showcasing some of the memorable highlights of the Triple F.  If you have photos you’d like to display, contact us and maybe we can include them here or on FatbikeGallery.com.  A special thank you to David from 45Nrth for spectacular event photos he took while attending the Triple F as a sponsor.  We hope to share his photos with you here.

It’s on!

Photo credit: RideFatbikes.com

Fatbike Frozen Forty update 2-23-12.  We’re on.  Barring some unforseen change in circumstances, it appears the Frozen 40 will occur as planned at Elm Creek Park.  All the details, maps, and most of the info you can envision needing can be found at Frozen40.com.  I’ll be thanking our generous and wonderful sponsors many times over, but I can’t say enough positive things about: Twenty2 Cycles, Trailhead Cycling and Fitness, Maple Grove Cycling, Surly Brewing, Peace Coffee, Bar Mitts, XXCMag, PreRace, Cognition Caps, Braaap Energy, 45Nrth, and Adam Turman.  Thank you all!   Also, a special thank you goes out to our gracious venue/trail host, Elm Creek Park.

Over 20 riders are registered currently, with more anticipated to sign up.  Remember, this is fatbike only.  Ride your fatbike, ride your friend’s fatbike, form a fatbike team, or rent a fatbike.  That’s all that’s allowed at this event.  4 laps of 10 miles will make for a 40-mile event.  Do them all if you can, or ride 1, 2, or 3 laps – it’s up to you.

Bring water and any trail energy snacks you need, but we’ll have other food/snacks, a TON of prizes & give-away items, a grill, a heated tent, mechanical support, awesome demo bikes (including handbuilt Twenty2 Cycles “Bully”) to see and try, and loads of fatbike fun.  Plus, Trailhead Cycling and Fitness will be having a huge open house soirée at their shop in Champlin (very close to the event venue).  Stop by and tell them hi and thank them for their involvement.  http://trailheadcyclingandfitness.com/

At $20 for pre-registered riders ($15 per team member) the price is great when you see what this event has to offer.  Wait until last minute and you’ll be paying $30 (still a good value).  Pre-register here: http://www.prerace.com/races/event/31789/Fat-Bike-Frozen-Forty—Triple-F—Edina-MN-Cycling

See you Saturday.  Stay tuned to this page or the event site (Frozen40.com) and Twitter (@RideFatbikes) for the latest announcements, news and posts from the race.

You don’t want to miss this (Triple F update)

Fatbike Frozen Forty (Triple F) - Details at Frozen40.com

You ride a fatbike?  You live in or near Minnesota?  You don’t want to miss the Fatbike Frozen Forty.  The Frozen 40 is only two weeks away.  See all the details at Frozen40.com.  Whether the weather is warm or cold, snow or no, the show will go on.  We’ll either have a 40-mile endurance ride on singletrack (4 laps of 10 miles each means people can ride in teams or choose as many or few laps as they are comfortable with), or we’ll ride on the paved trail if the singletrack is closed due to thawing conditions.  If we ride on the paved trail, we’ll open a race class and a recreational class.  Either way, fun will be had.

What do you get out of this event?  An amazingly strong prize to rider ratio.  We’ll have prizes like Husker Du tires from sponsor 45Nrth, pogies from Bar Mitts, laser-etched “Frozen 40” glasses, Frozen 40 winter beanies, t-shirts & gear from various sponsors, Braaap Energy Bars, handmade caps from Cognition Caps, Surly beer and more!  Believe it or not, right now it appears we have more prizes and swag to give away than we have registered riders to give them to.

Be sure to register today at Prerace.com, as you are almost sure to walk away with a cool prize, and you’ll get free beer, coffee, snacks, socializing, and fun riding either way.  Your low registration fee ($20 until day before the event) is a great value, considering everything below.  Here’s some cool things you can expect, and some notes about our amazing Fatbike Frozen Forty sponsors:

1. Cool fatbikes to see and demo.  Our “numero uno” and headlining sponsor is Twenty2 Cycles.  Their motto, “Born, tested and perfected in the Colorado Rockies” describes their beautiful bikes, their philosophy, and their riding.  Ben will be coming out to ride, talk fatbikes, meet riders, and talk about Twenty2 Cycles and fatbikes in general.  He’ll be bringing 3 “Bully” fatbikes, the flagship fatbike of Twenty2 Cycles.
2. Heated tent and grill-out.  Whether you are coming to ride, supporting a friend/family member, just coming to take a look at what fatbikes or a fatbike ride is all about, or you want demo a bike and chat, you’ll be able to warm up in the heated registration and warm-up tent, generously provided by Platinum sponsor Trailhead Cycling and Fitness in Champlin, MN.
3. Mechanical support.  Both of our amazing bike shop sponsors, Trailhead Cycling and Fitness and Maple Grove Cycling will have mechanical support as necessary on site.  If something mechanical happens during the race, you will have some help available to get back into the running.
4. Food & beverages.  If you’re riding the 40-mile event, you’ll need to bring whatever water and snacks you need to get you through.  You’ll need to be mostly self-reliant, as everyone has their own preference for what it takes to get through an endurance ride/race.  However, we’ll have some food and beverages, including coffee, hot chocolate and grill-out from Platinum sponsor Trailhead Cycling & Fitness.
5. Beer.  Yes, we know beer is technically a beverage.  Surly beer, however, from local Surly Brewing Co. is more than a beer.  It’s an experience.  A revolution in memorable hops-based beverage delight.  It’s lots of things, but in short, it’s damn good beer.  So, the fact that Surly Brewing is a sponsor of the Fatbike Frozen Forty and we’ll have some of their beer there for post-ride enjoyment is amazing.  Come out to the event, ride your tail off, and a Surly beer will await you and the finish line.
6. Prizes and give-aways.  As mentioned above, we’ve got some great prizes to give away.  To highlight a few, we’ll have some swag from our primary sponsor Twenty2 Cycles.  We’ll have pogies from Bar Mitts, swag from XXCMag.com, energy bars from Braaap Energy Bars, Frozen40.com winter hats, coffee to give away from Peace Coffee, and much more!

Low cost registration at PreRace.com.  The registration fee is only $20, until the day before the event.  It will be $30 on the 24th & at the event (on the 25th).  If you don’t sign up before the day of the event, bring cash or check only, and be prepared to sign the waiver that everyone else had to sign in advance.  Want an extra special deal?  If you and a friend register together and contact us to let us know in advance, you can each get 1/2 price registration (register for $10 each), until February 24th.  

Right now, this is a fatbike-only event.  However, we encourage other riders to come out to be part of the fun, demo a fatbike, talk fatbikes, or just encourage the riders who are going to try to log 40-miles on a fatbike in a short one-day event.  We’ve got riders coming from Colorado, Sioux Falls, Brainerd, St. Cloud and elsewhere, so it’s an event worth travelling for!  Come out and check it out!

Fatbike Frozen Forty (Triple F) moved to Feb 25, 2012

Complete the form below (in this post) to be on the preliminary registration/early sign-up list.

Photo credit: RideFatbikes.com reader Craig S

For everyone who has been following or expressed an interest in riding in or sponsoring the Fatbike Frozen Forty, it has now been moved to Saturday February 25, 2012 (the Fatbike State Championship Fatbike Rally).  It was originally set for February 11th, but the Cold Bear Challenge (the 3-race fatbike series at Hillside) has its last race on February 12th.

In an effort to avoid conflict with the riders and organizers of the Hillside Cold Bear Challenge series, many of whom might be interested in riding at Fatbike Frozen Forty, I’ve arranged to have our event moved.  This way, people who want to race on the 12th, and those who want to test their mettle at the 40-mile middle distance endurance event (Fatbike Frozen Forty) can do each, on separate weekends.  Their event has been around a long time, so we’d like to keep a cooperative energy between these two events.

We’ve also planned around QBP’s Frostbike weekend, so dealers, bike shops and mechanics who might be interested in coming out to sponsor, display product or ride can do so without missing any of the Frostbike festivities (which are the weekend before the 25th).

Consider this the capstone fatbike event in Minnesota for the winter – the Fatbike State Championship, if you will.  While this won’t be a race, the “state championship” is a chance to ride with people you’ve seen at other races throughout the season, and test your own endurance or just come out for a fun ride in a 40-mile singletrack snow ride.

So, if everyone who is interested in riding in, cross-promoting, sponsoring, or supporting this event can reserve February 25h, 2012, we’ll be off to a great start.  It will be held at Elm Creek Park in Maple Grove (http://www.threeriversparks.org/parks/elm-creek-park.aspx)  on the singletrack (newly developed and opened this past summer).

Next, we need to assemble a preliminary list of riders and sponsors.  There are going to be event costs, such as insurance, food, etc. that we need your help with.  We’ll be asking sponsors to contribute what they can, and likely asking for a small registration fee to offset event costs (perhaps in the $15-25 range) depending on rider numbers (we don’t plan to profit from the event, but simply recover some of the costs).  Use the contact form at the top of this page to provide your name and confirm your interest in the event.

Our flagstone sponsor is Twenty2 Cycles, from Colorado.  Please take a moment to check out their website and their beautiful titanium fatbikes, here: https://www.twenty2cycles.com/.

We have other sponsors who will be involved in various capacities as well, and are still looking for bike shops, fatbike and component companies, and others who might be willing to donate help, dollars, or product (or even to exhibit at the event).  Please thank and support Twenty2 Cycles for their role as the first sponsor, as they have offered a great deal of help and going support.  They may even have one of their beautiful titanium frame “Bully” fatbikes on display at the event!

If you can’t make it to the Fatbike Frozen Forty, submit photos of your fatbike or your event, letting us know where you’ve been riding this year, and we’ll place it on the Fatbike Gallery (www.FatbikeGallery.com).

We’ve heard from lots of possible riders, but need to get a more certain list of who will be riding (to be able to plan accordingly) so please take a moment to complete the pre-registration form below.

Name(required)

Email(required)

Will be riding for sure

Likely to ride, but not for sure

Not riding, but want to sponsor (details in comments section)

Website

Comment(required)

Submit

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Keep an eye on the Bully

When the Bully comes storming in, heads will roll.

Twenty2 Cycles Bully (pic1)

Our friends over at Twenty 2 Cycles in Colorado (www.Twenty2Cycles.com) have been working on some amazing new bikes, beautifully handcrafted in titanium in the good ole US of A.  Of particular interest is the Bully, a titanium fatbike that appears to be ready for a fight with the snow.

The fine-looking ti Bully featured here is a 1 x 10 version lots of clearance – Big Fatty Larry’s are welcome.  The finish features custom bead blasting, with a 44mm headtube, Cane Creek Angleset Headset, BFL’s on 80mm Rolling Darryls.  Total weight?  27.8 pounds.

I think my first BMX bike was about 27.8 pounds, so that’s amazing for a bike with 4″ wide tires that conquers snow, sand and trail.

Twenty2 Cycles Bully (pic2)

Looking for a custom fatbike built of titanium with the specs and parts you want, built for the long-haul?  Be sure to check out Twenty 2 Cycles.  Want to see one in person in Minnesota?  Be sure to check out the Fatbike Frozen 40 on February 11, 2012 (more details coming soon).   If titanium is more than you are looking for, Twenty 2 Cycles indicates they will be launching steel fatbikes soon too.

What is the story on Twenty 2 Cycles?  Here’s what they have to say…

Twenty2 Cycles Bully (pic3)

Twenty2 Cycles is fabricating handcrafted titanium and steel bike frames in the heart of the Rocky Mountians.  All Twenty2 Cycles frames begin with careful selection of the highest quality tubing available.  Our Vail, Colorado-based team transforms these USA-made raw materials into the finest frames on the market.  We have innovative frame designs to cover most aspects of cycling, which currently includes 29er and traditional 26 inch mountain bikes, cyclocross, road, bmx, and our two “Bully” fatbike/snowbike models. Whether it be full custom or one of our existing designs, at Twenty2 Cycles we are passionate about our product and take great pride in crafting dream bikes that are “Born, Tested, and Perfected” in the Rocky Mountains.

Find a video about their Bully, here: http://www.youtube.com/user/Twenty2Cycles

Or, check out their fatbike events and rides calendar: http://twenty2cycles.com/events

Lots of new fatbike products & developments

Photo submitted by Twenty2Cycles.com (RideFatbikes.com reader)

In checking out a few recent posts and updates from Surly, Salsa, Speedway Cycles (home of the Fatback in Alaska), Twenty2 Cycles (handmade fatbikes in Vail Valley, CO) and elsewhere, it appears the 2011-2012 fatbike season is going to showcase significant new and redesigned products.

New Developments.

• Surly has a new colored (powdercoated) red, white or green Rolling Darryl rim, to add to their new Clownshoe rim, their Big Fat Larry tires, and their other recent developments.  They’ve got a new Black Ops Pugsley, the Moonlander, and some cool new tire options.  Check out Surly’s parts section of their site here.

• Salsa has a Mukluk 2 complete, a Mukluk 3 complete, and a Ti Mukuluk, so the options for someone looking for a ready-to-go fatbike or those who want to build from a frame are plentiful, even if you look no farther than the Salsa brand.  View the Mukluk options here.

• Other brands, like the Fatback, continue to revamp and improve their line, and the Fatback blog (here) has some great information about their newly redesigned fatbike frames, photos, and explanation of the benefits of their chosen geometry.

• Twenty2  Cycles (a sponsor of the upcoming Fatbike Frozen 40, February 11, 2012) has a beautiful titanium fatbike they are just launching, called the Bully.  They’ve just dropped all the new low-down on this amazing looking ride at their site, which you can view here.  These guys are hitting the fatbike world hard, and were just mentioned in a recent Outside magazine blog, here.  The stunning ti fatbike you see featured in this post is the Bully from Twenty2 Cycles (more at Twenty2Cycles.com, on Facebook at http://Facebook.com/Twenty2Cycles  and Twitter: @Twenty2Cycles).

One of each, please.

If any of the above companies are reading this, I’d like one of everything, please.  It all looks awesome.  For readers of this site, please let us know what new bikes and products you think are the most significant developments or of the most interest to you.  If you’re already rocking some of the new stuff, feel free to leave a comment to let others know.  Or, if you don’t want to send me the products for free but would like to get the word out, feel free to send some photos of your new fatbikes or fatbike products to Brad At ride Fatbikes dot Com, or drop me a line letting me know you’d like to sponsor the site.

Where should you go looking for a fatbike? 

If you are in Minnesota, I highly recommend a few local shops.  Milltown Cycles (in Faribault, MN), Angry Catfish (in Mpls), and Freewheel Bike (in Mpls and Eden Prairie) are all “fatbike friendly”, knowledgeable, and good folk.  If you are looking somewhere other than MN, I’d recommend you take a look at the Fatbike Library (FatbikeLibrary.com) and look at the listed shops.  If you don’t see your favorite listed, leave a Comment.

Gear and Reviews page now available!

As the RideFatbikes.com readership continues to grow, I thought a gear and reviews section might be appropriate.  Check out the new Gear and Reviews page, and feel free to post a comment or mini-review of your own.  Or, if you’ve got gear you’d like to see featured here, let us know.

For the first review, I’ve featured the very nicely handcrafted Salsa Mukluk frame bag by Errin Vasquez.  Check it out.

Milltown, Mukluks & Adventure Rides

Mukluk 2 - Photo credit: MilltownCycles.com

Milltown

On Tuesday evening, I had the fortune of meeting Ben and Curtis, the good folks at Milltown Cycles in Faribault, MN.  Unless you go there, you won’t believe what kind of amazing bike shop can be found within a town of 20,000.   Both Ben and Curtis are helpful, friendly, and extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic about bikes, and his knowledge and enthusiasm are evident in only a short visit.  They’ve also got a great blog, here: http://milltowncycles.com/racing.html.  Best of all, they actually ride fatbikes, so their recommendations and suggestions come from experience.

On Tuesday night, I went to Milltown not only to check out this great shop I’d heard and read about, but to join on a ride they were hosting (an informal night trail ride).  There was a group of about 8 riders, primarily on fatbikes (though the group did not discriminate and was lead by a gentleman who was riding a singlespeed 29er so smoothly and easily that you’d think the bike had its own motor).

We cranked out about 10 miles that felt like 20 (hilly singletrack in the dark turns out to be challenging).  Not only was the ride awesome, but I got to meet some great folks, and found out more about this great shop I’d heard several people suggest was worth a visit to Faribault.  Thanks to Ben and Curtis at Milltown for the great ride and for showing me around your awesome shop.

Mukluks

Many of you have heard about the new titanium Mukluk, the Mukluk 3 (a nicely outfitted but fairly entry level aluminum fatbike), and the Mukluk 2 (an upgraded stock Mukluk with Rolling Darryl rims, eThirteen cranks and other niceties).  They’ve started rolling into local bike shops.  I was in Milltown on the 11th, and they were expecting 10 or so Mukluks on the 12th.   At least half of them were already pre-sold though, so if you want one you should call them or go check them out soon.   One of the gents we were riding with had a nicely outfitted Mukluk 2, and it looked pretty sweet.

For more photos and a description of the new Mukluk 2, check out the post by Milltown here: http://milltowncycles.blogspot.com/2011/10/salsa-mukluk-2.html.  Mlltown was also getting the new Salsa frame bags (designed by Revelate) and various other fatbiking goods.  While it’s hard to believe Faribault could be a fatbiking Mecca, it’s certainly not far from that, with a bike shop and bike shop owner that are very big fatbike advocates.  Check them out!

Adventure Rides

I like the “Full On” blog (deathrider.blogspot.com).  As it turns out, he’s organizing a fatbike adventure ride on Saturday October 15th in Eagan, MN.  While I won’t be able to be there, I’d like to be.  If you have a fatbike and are in or near the twin cities metro, you might want to check it out.  Find details here:  http://deathrideradventure.blogspot.com/2011/10/fat-bike-adventure-ride.html.  If you are organizing a fatbike ride, and can give me a few days’ notice, I’ll try to get it up on the Rides & Races page on RideFatbikes.com.

Until then, enjoy the ride.