Don't have a fat bike? You can still race a fat bike

With the increasing popularity of fat bikes - usually hard-tail mountain bikes with heavier steel frames but always with low-pressure balloon tires at least 3.5 inches wide - comes a plethora of fat bike-specific races, even race series.

The organizers of many of these events understand, however, that there just aren't enough fat bikes in circulation yet to result in large fields for races. To address that, they brilliantly offer team events and relays that only require one fat bike per two to four riders. And to shake things up further, a few events require teams to be formed at the race venue shortly before the start.

That adds an element of surprise to the competition as well as opportunities for people who don't own a fat bikes, don't know anyone who does own one but nevertheless want to try racing one.

For example, the website for the Team Snowbike Enduro in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, on January 26 describes this approach: "Teams can share a snow bike or ride their own. Teams are formed the day of the race or you can bring your own team. If you bring your own team, you may have to put a teammate into the draft for other teams to acquire in the rider draft. Riders that bring a snowbike sign up as team captains or be part of the rider pool. Team captains pick riders from the rider pool to form a team. Three people per team minimum. Captain's draft order determined by pre-race derby."

If that sounds complicated, know that the Team Snowbike Enduro is at it's essence a straight-forward, three-hour race. The team with the most laps wins.

Teams at the Sweaty Yeti Bike Race in Levis, Wisconsin, on March 3 can also be formed via a same-day draft. "Team captains pick riders like in fifth-grade gym class."

Rather than conjure up horrific flashbacks to grade school, the organizers of the Eau Claire (Wisconsin) Bike and Sport Powder Keg on January 26 encourage the formation of two- and four-person teams at their two-hour lapped relay this way: "Multiple bikes per team are allowed, though we'd love to see fat bike owners recruit those without fat bikes to get them in on the fun."

For that event, teammates can be recruited through the Chippewa Off Road Bike Association online forum at chippewaoffroad.org."

Relays are a main feature of the January 20 BLBBRBK in the Afton Forest Preserve near DeKalb, Illinois (a three-man, three-hour fat bike relay race on a three-mile course, one bike per team); the February 16 Abominable Fat Bike Race in Tomahawk, Wisconsin (two-mile course, one- and two-hour races, solo, duo or team); and all four races in the Michigan Fat Bike Series, see below, have lap course and two-person team divisions.

Several race series, in which racers can accumulate points and compete for series awards, have taken shape, too. They include exciting new events, such as the Fat Bike Birkie on March 9.

So if you're curious about the fat bike racing scene, its doors are open to you. Don't wait to be drafted. Throw your helmet in the ring.

Upper Midwest fat bike races

WISCONSIN STATE FAT BIKE SERIES
fat-bikeracing.com

Jan. 20: BLBBRBK, Afton Forest Preserve, DeKalb, IL
Jan. 26: TEAM SNOWBIKE ENDURO, Lake Geneva, WI
Feb. 2: SHELLTRACK, Manitowoc, WI
Feb. 9: SNOWBOUND IN THE UNDERDOWN, Merrill, WI
Feb. 16: ABOMINABLE FAT BIKE RACE, Tomahawk, WI
Feb. 23: SWEATY YETI, Levis, WI
Mar. 9: FAT BIKE BIRKIE, 18K & 45K, Cable, WI

MICHIGAN FAT BIKE SERIES
fat-bike.com

Jan. 6: MICHIGAN FATBIKE SERIES RACE NO. 1, Hanson Hills Rec. Area, Grayling, MI
Jan. 19: MICHIGAN FATBIKE SERIES RACE NO. 2, Rolling Hills Park, Ypsilanti, MI
Feb. 16: MICHIGAN FATBIKE SERIES RACE NO. 3, Shore Acres Park, Saugatuck, MI
Mar. 3: MICHIGAN FATBIKE SERIES RACE NO. 4, Pando Winter Sports Park, Rockford, MI

NORTHERN MICHIGAN FAT BIKE SERIES
northernmichiganfatbikeseries.com

Jan. 20: FAT CHANCE, Crystal Mountain Resort, Thompsonville, MI
Feb. 12: FAT TUESDAY, night race, Traverse City, MI
Mar. 2: ST. FATTY'S DAY, Marsh Ridge Golf Course, Gaylord, MI


GREAT LAKES FAT BIKE SERIES
greatlakesfatbikeseries.com

Jan. 12: FARMER'S FAT BIKE RACE, Cannonsburg Ski Area, Belmont, MI
Jan. 26: NOQUEMANON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SNOW BIKE, 50K, 24K, 12K, Marquette, MI
Feb. 16: FAT BIKE FROZEN 40, 40 or 20 miles, Elm Creek Park Reserve, Maple Grove, MN
Mar. 01-02: CUYUNA LAKES WHITEOUT, Cuyuna Lakes, Crosby, MN
Mar. 23: BARRY-ROUBAIX, 36 miles, Middleview, MI

OTHER FAT BIKE RACES

Iowa

Jan. 20: TRIPLE D WINTER RACE, 13.1 & 26.2 miles, 50K, 100K, 10 a.m., Dubuque, IA; tripledrace.blogspot.com

Wisconsin

Jan. 26: EAU CLAIRE BIKE & SPORT POWDER KEG, Eau Claire, WI; chippewaoffroad.org

Minnesota

Jan. 28-30: ARROWHEAD 135, 135 miles, 7 a.m., International Falls, MN; www.arrowheadultra.com

Michigan

Feb. 9: MICHIGAN TECH WINTER RONDEVOUS SNOW BIKE RACE, 20K, Houghton, MI; jjhaggen @mtu.edu; www.mturonde.org