Frozen 40 prerace (Photo credit: RideFatbikes.com)
- The Fatbike Only Endurance Race
The first ever Triple F (Fatbike Frozen Forty) was ON today at Elm Creek Park Reserve Singletrack trail. This event was SMOKIN’! Our turnout was beyond expectations (over 50 registered and 45 raced). Bear in mind, this is a fatbike-only, event, rather than a winter racing event. Seeing 45 fatbike racers on race day is incredible.
Sponsors
Our generous sponsor involvement and support made the event a thrilling success, and from every rider report I heard all day, the trail, the course, the food, the fun, the people were awesome. Trail conditions for this 10-mile, 4-lap trail could not have been more perfect. Nicely packed snow, free of significant ice or major open dirt/mud events.
Twenty2 Cycles
Twenty2 Cycles at Frozen 40 (Photo credit: RideFatbikes.com)
Thanks to our first, primary, and strongest advocate from the inception of this concept, Twenty2 Cycles. Ben and Todd came out from Colorado, packing their truck full of some of the finest looking and most meticulously built fatbikes anyone has ever seen. Twenty2 Cycles is on my list of all time favorite companies, lead by all-time coolest people. Ben and Todd (and Twenty2 Cycles), thanks for supporting this event! Their presence at this event was enough, but these guys brought hand-crafted breakfast burritos to kick-start our 7am set-up. Twenty2 is class. If you haven’t run into them yet, you should, and you will.
Supporting Sponsors
Our other sponsors are incredible as well. Maple Grove Cycling and Trailhead Cycling and Fitness each brought significant components to this event. Maple Grove Cycling contributed music, mechanical support, bike stand, gift certificates, and food. Trailhead Cycling and Fitness brought a heated tent set-up, grill-out, lots of volunteers & support, LOTS of prizes & give-aways, and plenty of food and encouragement. This was a full-featured, fully supported bike race, for fatbikes. Racers had plenty of food, beverage, encouragement, mechanical support, warm-up tent, GREAT trail, handmade in the USA custom fatbikes to test ride, and most importantly, a gathering devoted to fatbikes with an opportunity to race 40 miles, or ride any number of laps a rider was inclined to ride. Whether it was food, support, or good times, our local bike shop sponsors had racers and spectators covered!
Then add on beer from our beer sponsor (the official beer of the 2012 Triple F) – Surly Brewing Co. Peace Coffee supplied the coffee that was donated as prizes and used as our morning brew (coffee, that is). Thanks to Surly and Peace for our beverage support!! It was hard to find a rider who had completed the event without a Surly in hand or close by. At 7am pre-race set-up, many of us were fueled by enthusiasm & Peace Coffee.
Prizes
Fatbike Frozen 40 Prizes (Photo credit: RideFatbikes.com)
Our prize table was something to behold. The best prize was contributed by 45Nrth, a pair of the difficult-to-obtain yet remarkably desirable Husker Du tires. I got the chance to meet David from 45Nrth. He is an accomplished photographer and a knowledgeable rider. Their tires rock in part because they ride what they sell, and are at events talking to racers. Thanks 44Nrth for supporting those who ride fatbikes! Check back here or on FatbikeGallery.com – we hope to post some of the great photos taken at this event.
Prizes & swag were rounded out by great stuff from Bar Mitts, XXCMag, and Cognition Caps. Trailhead had a large amount of swag & prizes, and Maple Grove Cycling added gift cards into the prizes as well.
Thanks also to my friend Matt, who came from Boulder, CO just for the race, and his father, Ray, who made the journey from Brainerd to join Matt in a father-son team. Thanks to riders who came from Sioux Falls (SD), from IA, and elsewhere to support (and have a blast at) a grass-roots first time event. If we had 50 registered this year, might this occur again next year? Hmmm. stay tuned.
Frozen40 racers, thanks for turning out today and supporting this event. Without people to take part in such an event, it wouldn’t be an event. Hopefully you had a great time and will be back again. Let’s keep the fun going – leave a comment below or share your photos from today to post to FatbikeGallery.com. We’ll try to add photos as we can.
The Winner
SO, HOW DID THE RACERS DO? WHO IS THE KING OF THE TRIPLE F? WHO WON THE FROZEN 40 OPEN CLASS? Let’s just say the bike drop with running start was a blast
King of the Triple F (Photo credit: RideFatbikes.com)
for spectators, and some racers crushed 40 miles of snow-covered singletrack in admirable time. Check back here tomorrow for results…
Ride Fatbikes 