Fat Bike Birkie 2026 Race Day Dispatch: Nine Degrees, Perfect Snow

Fat Bike Birkie 2026 Race Day Dispatch: Nine Degrees, Perfect Snow, and a Whole Lot of Grins

I left Milwaukee in fifty-degree weather and drove five-plus hours north to Cable, Wisconsin, to photograph the Fat Bike Birkie. The next morning at race start, it was nine degrees.

Race day delivered.

Close to 500 riders started across three distances at the American Birkebeiner Trailhead in Cable: Big Fat 47K, Half Fat 21K, and Fun Fat 10K. If you remember the early peak years, the crowd was smaller than that era. Compared to the last three years, it felt about the same, maybe slightly down.

What stood out most was the trail.

The course was as good as I have seen it in several years. The area had solid snowfall leading into the weekend and the surface was near perfect. Firm and fast, with enough grip to let people carry speed and settle into a rhythm.

Berta and Mike Glodowski heading to the Half Fat start.
They tend to let the race roll ahead, take photos, and enjoy the day.

The start: three seconds in, it is on

There is a specific kind of noise at the start of a winter race: cleats slipping, freehubs buzzing, riders trying to hold position while still pretending they are relaxed.

Then the clock hits go.

Start of the Half Fat, three seconds into the race.

Three seconds into the Half Fat, the pack is stretched and moving. The sorting starts immediately, and by the time the field clears the first minutes of trail, everybody is committed to their pace for the day.

On course: fast trail, good vibes, plenty of stories

Out on the course, the day looked like a fat-bike event should look. Riders at all effort levels. Some racing the clock. Some racing their buddies. Some racing the daylight, in the fun way.

A good example is Berta and Mike Glodowski. The last few years they have made a point of hanging back, taking photos, chatting with volunteers, and keeping the day light. Mike described the conditions as “epically fantastic” and said riding behind the main group let them enjoy the downhills without having to thread through traffic. Berta called the weekend “amazing” and credited Mother Nature for the weather and trail conditions.

That is Fat Bike Birkie in a nutshell. It can be serious racing, but it still leaves room for people to have a memorable day outside.

Josh Rizzo of thenxrth.com leading a group near the OO turnaround,
roughly halfway through the Big Fat 47K. Photo: Seeley Dave

Spinner Ryerson of Decorah, Iowa on his Salsa Beargrease.
|He finished the Big Fat 47K despite a shifting issue.

Robert McKlillip on his way to a second place age-group finish.

Ed Kohler near the OO turnaround. Slow shutter speed to lean into the feeling of speed.

Jonathan Thralow mid-race. The smile says it all.

Dustin Marsh and Claudia Schwartz on the only tandem I saw in the Big Fat field.
They have been racing this orange machine at the Fat Bike Birkie for several years.
Photo: Seeley Dave

The gear: what showed up says something

Drop bars were common this year. This rider went further with aero bars and a forward-set seatpost.
Photo: Seeley Dave

We saw quite a few drop-bar fat-bike setups this year. One rider went all-in with aero bars and a forward-set seatpost. It looked unusual, but it makes sense if you are trying to stay comfortable and fast over a long, steady effort.

Expo notes: a few reasons to feel optimistic

Mt. Telemark had a small expo, but it was the kind of small expo where the interesting stuff is easy to miss if you do not stop and ask questions.

A few standouts:

Billy Flamingo’s Brand had what many of us have been waiting for: a genuinely new fat-bike tire after several quiet years for fresh rubber. They also had studs and stud tools. Worth noting, Justinas Leveika of Lithuania won the Iditarod 350 on Big Quill Pig tires.

Details on the redesigned Big Iron Ti, including cold-formed titanium and sliding UDH dropouts.
Photo: Seeley Dave

Revel Bikes is making a fat bike comeback with a redesigned Big Iron Ti. Photo: Seeley Dave

Revel Bikes is making a fat bike comeback with a redesigned Big Iron Ti. The details are the kind of thing fat-bike nerds want to see: cold-formed 3/2.5 titanium tubing, internal cable routing, CNC machined 6/4 titanium parts, sliding UDH dropouts, and inserts.

Custom pogies from Apocalypse Design in Fairbanks, Alaska. Photo: Seeley Dave

Apocalypse Design out of Fairbanks, Alaska had custom pogies that looked built for real cold.

The bigger takeaway is simple. Fat biking might not be in a hype cycle, but product development is happening, and that is a good sign.

Results

If you want the full list, here it is:

https://results.pttiming.com/2026-fat-bike-birkie/live

This dispatch is not a results recap. It is a report from the start line, the course, and the expo. The story of the day was winter showing up, trail prep being dialed, and a solid group of riders getting a proper Northwoods race day.

We also photographed one of the most unique bikes I saw all weekend: a one-off frame built for Josh Uhl by Chris Schmidt of Good Grief Bikes in Colorado Springs called the Scorched Earth Advanced Research (S.E.A.R.). Full gallery coming next.