WOW! Can the Fat Bike Birkie Race get any Bigger and Better?
Well, this year’s 2016 version was all that and more than the great race I have enjoyed the last two years! It wasn’t just that it has grown to over 1000 racers … the whole weekend experience was enhanced by the new Start/Finish location and venue right in the heart of Cable, Wisconsin, USA. The locale created a fun ‘carnival’ atmosphere, allowed for more sponsors space (wow – do they have a ton of sponsors – Fat Biking continues to explode!), access to local businesses and a seriously long straight racers line-up and roll out …
While we racers were all a bit nervous about the roll-out road conditions (very icy on the pre-race day), it all turned out well thanks to 3 inches of fresh snow that night and lots of sanding (thanks American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation staff and volunteers).
The actual Birkie trail conditions were near perfect this year, but big lugged tires (like my Surly Bud/Lou combo) gave excellent control on fast downhills/corners and the traction you needed to stay on your bike on the steep climbs …
I enjoyed the ride and all the characters out there (big props to “Viking Man” who impressed again this year with him garb and moxie at staying just ahead of me on a super fat downhill – I was at 58.5 kph/36+ mph!).
Lots could be said/pictured about the whole Birkie weekend experience, but that’s for another video/post. For now, I’ll just say it was a blast and here’s a few pics to show you what you missed …
These four pics credit to Christine Kysely:
These four pics credit to the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation:
Good times on and off the race course:
P.S. Thanks Amigo Gomez for the video share on Fat-Bike.com:
Check it our HERE AT FAT-BIKE.COM:
Fat Tom K Productions 
Reblogged this on FatBikeManitoba.com.