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We had some actual fat-bike news this week. Right on! State Bicycle Co. launched its revised 6061 Trail+ v2, winter events continue to firm up, and there are a couple of gear and trail-information stories worth keeping an eye on.
Let’s get into it.
The Big Stuff
State Launches the 6061 Trail+ Fat-Bike v2
State Bicycle Co. has a substantially revised version of its 6061 Trail+ fat-bike, with a new aluminum frame, thru-axles, UDH compatibility, internal dropper routing, hydraulic brakes and Kenda Juggernaut 26 x 4.5-inch tires.
The interesting part is that State managed to bring those updates in at $1,199.99. The bike still makes some compromises, including a basic 1x8 Shimano ESSA drivetrain and wheels that aren’t tubeless-ready, but that price puts a modern fat-bike within reach of riders who aren’t looking to spend three or four grand to get started.
We already published a full launch story with the geometry, component details, tire clearance and the rest of the important stuff, so there’s no reason to repeat all of it here.
State has also offered to send us one for review, so we should have more to say once we get some real miles on it.
Actif Epica Opens Registration for 2027
The Actif Epica winter ultra returns February 12-14 in St. Pierre-Jolys, Manitoba, with cycling distances of roughly 50km, 115km and 230km.
Winter ultras occupy their own corner of fat-biking, where equipment choices, cold-weather management and simply staying functional for hours in serious conditions matter as much as outright speed. The 50km distance makes Actif Epica a little more approachable for riders who want to try the format without immediately signing up for a multi-day sufferfest.
I’m increasingly interested in the preparation side of these events. What do experienced winter-ultra riders consider essential, what have they stopped carrying, and how much does their gear list change after a few years of doing this?
Gear & Bikes
Paper Roads Takes a Different Approach to Panniers
New Zealand bag maker Paper Roads has introduced the Traverse Panniers, a roughly 20-liter system built around removable dry bags, reinforced rack-mounted holsters and large stretch pockets.
The design is aimed at bikepacking and rougher riding rather than conventional commuting, which makes it relevant to fat-bike touring. The attachment system favors stability over quick-release convenience, and that makes sense when your luggage is getting bounced around on rough trails instead of being removed every time you stop at the grocery store.
The pair is listed at NZ$500, with mid-December delivery currently expected. I didn’t see that they will ship to the US but they go for $395 Canadian.
I’d be curious to know how easy the system is to manage with winter gloves, frozen straps and a rack covered in snow. That’s where a lot of otherwise clever bikepacking gear gets a little less clever.
Revelate Has a Rack-Top Bag Worth a Look
Revelate Designs’ Burrote is a compact rack-top bag with roughly 10 liters of storage, welded construction and exterior pockets.
It isn’t brand new this week, but it came back across the radar and fits the same general theme as the Paper Roads bags: more riders are using racks and smaller modular luggage instead of automatically hanging one enormous saddlebag off the back of the bike.
For winter riding, I tend to like anything that keeps weight stable and makes gear easy to reach without unloading half the bike.
Fat-Bikes in the Wild
Better Trail Information Is Always Useful
BIKEPACKING.com has expanded its Route Alerts system, adding clearer categories for closures, detours, hazards, access issues and sections that need additional scouting.
The interesting part isn’t the technology. It’s the idea of organizing firsthand rider reports into something people can actually use. Winter fat-bike trails change quickly, and grooming, closures and conditions can matter a lot more than they do on a dry July trail.
I’m not suggesting we build a grooming network at Fat-bike.com tomorrow morning, but it’s a good example of community participation being more useful than simply collecting comments underneath an article.
Around Fat-bike.com
The State Trail+ v2 Story Is Live
If you missed it, we already broke down State Bicycle Co.’s new 6061 Trail+ v2, including the revised geometry, new frame standards, 26 x 4.5-inch stock tires and the compromises that come with hitting a $1,199.99 price point.
We’re also expecting to get one in for review, which should give us a much better idea of what State got right and where the price starts to show.
The Events Calendar Keeps Filling In
The winter schedule is getting useful now, with races and ultras continuing to confirm dates and registration details.
Rather than reproduce the entire season every Thursday, we’ll keep the complete list updated at Fat-bike.com and use the Weekly Dose for the events that are especially timely or interesting.
If you’re putting on a fat-bike race, festival, group ride or other event and we don’t have it listed, send it our way.
Quick Hits
Craig Medred Is Back
Alaska outdoor writer Craig Medred returned October 12 after a stretch of silence with a short post titled “We’re back,” promising more to come.
There isn’t any new fat-bike material there yet, but Craig has long been a great source for Anchorage winter trails, grooming issues and the broader Alaska outdoor scene. He’s also simply a good writer, and it’s good to have him back.
Snow Crown Has Its 2027 Dates
The Snow Crown Fat Bike Series currently lists Fatty Shack on January 9, Fat Camp on January 23 and the U.S. Fat Bike Open on February 6.
The registration platform is still showing a later opening date, so I’d check before assuming registration is live.
A Minnesota Trail Closure to Note
The Minnesota DNR has a construction closure beginning October 19 on part of the Willard Munger State Trail, with reopening planned for winter use once snow arrives.
If that route is part of your fall or early-winter plans, it’s worth checking conditions before heading out.
How Much Gear Do You Really Need?
BIKEPACKING.com’s latest Cut List looks at equipment and practices its author has stopped using after years of riding and bikepacking.
That got me thinking about the same question for winter riding. Fat-bikers have a tendency to accumulate gear, and some of it probably stays in the garage for a reason.
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On the Calendar
Long Island Bike Festival - October 17-18
Middle Island, New York
Two days of riding, camping and bike activities at Cathedral Pines County Park, with fat-bikes welcome.
Shelden’s BIG Bang - October 25
Shelby Township, Michigan
Fall mountain-bike racing with dedicated fat-bike categories at Stony Creek Metropark.
Global Fat-Bike Day - December 5
Crosby, Minnesota
Cuyuna Lakes MTB is hosting Intergalactic Fat Bike Day, a free, registration-required group ride from Red Raven Bikes with rentals available and hot drinks afterward.
Fatty Shack - January 9
De Pere, Wisconsin
The opening round of the 2027 Snow Crown Fat Bike Series.
Actif Epica - February 12-14
St. Pierre-Jolys, Manitoba
Winter-ultra cycling distances of roughly 50km, 115km and 230km.
Partner Store
With another new complete fat-bike arriving at $1,199.99, this is a good reminder that the bike itself is only part of the winter equation.
Tires, lights, bags, pumps and cold-weather gear can make a bigger difference than replacing perfectly functional components just because something newer exists.
The Fat-bike.com Partner Store has links to companies and retailers carrying fat-bike gear. Purchases through those links help support Fat-bike.com without changing what you pay.
One More Thing
The thing I’m happiest to see this week is probably Craig Medred writing again.
Craig has covered Alaska outdoor life for a long time, and when winter settles into Anchorage his work often crosses directly into the kind of trail, grooming and fat-biking stories we care about.
There’s no giant product launch attached to this one, and there doesn’t need to be.
Sometimes it’s just good to have a useful voice back in the mix.
That’s the Dose
The State Trail+ v2 gives us an interesting new bike at the affordable end of the market, Actif Epica is another sign that winter event season is coming into focus, and the gear pile continues to produce a few things worth looking at.
We’ll have more on the State once we get one under us, and I’ll keep an eye on Craig Medred as Alaska moves into winter. His reporting has turned up plenty of fat-bike stories over the years.
If you’ve got thoughts on the State bike, winter ultras, rack bags or anything else in this week’s Dose, bring it over to the Fat-bike Lab.
Join the Fat-bike Lab - free, no algorithm, just riders helping riders.
See you next week.
Greg
Fat Dash Bike Dot Com
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