Northwoods Reset: Friends, Food, Fat Bikes

I did not drive five-plus hours to Cable, Wisconsin, to write a results recap.

I drove north because I needed a break from Milwaukee, I wanted to meet up with a couple friends, and I wanted a weekend where the plan was simple: take photos, hang out, and let winter do its thing.

Milwaukee was around 50 degrees when I left. Race morning at the Fat Bike Birkie start was 9 degrees. That temperature swing is not subtle but it showed great promise for the race the next day.

The Fat Bike Birkie gave the weekend structure, but it was not the whole point. The point was the reset.

If you missed it, here’s my race-day dispatch with photos and notes from the start line and the expo: https://archive.fat-bike.com/2026/03/fat-bike-birkie-2026/

Loaded van and northbound

Bike. Cameras. Computer. Clothes. The essentials.
Plus a few things I never used but, you know, just in case.

The trip started the way most winter weekends start when you are serious about going: load the van until it feels like you are moving!

Then the first ritual stop.

At the Pine Cone Travel Plaza, I did what I always do on the way out of Milwaukee. A quick refuel, a stretch, grabbed a blueberry muffin and some water and took a moment to mark that I was officially on the way. As my friend says, I needed to “get my Wisconsin Card punched.”

Yep, there was a truck being washed at the ward Winning Truck Wash

A little farther north I did something I do not do often, but I strongly recommend doing at least once. Stop at Laughing Larry’s Lunchroom! There may be other lunchrooms that you have to go through a truck wash to get to but Laughing Larry’s Lunchroom is the only one I’ve ever been to! I ate eggs, bacon and wheat toast.

Hayward Rocks bridge on Highway 63. Updated by the Class of 2026.

By the time I hit Highway 63 near Hayward, I could feel the weekend settling in. I rolled under the Hayward Rocks bridge and noticed it had been updated by the Class of 2026. That is the kind of detail you may miss when you are rushing. I was not rushing.

Basecamp: Lenroot Lodge, and the first round of “race weekend”

Tent, Van or Hotel, I always have my much loved Big Agnes King Canyon UL quilt.

I checked into the Lenroot Lodge in Seeley. Nice rooms, and the loft setup made it feel more like a tiny cabin than a generic stop.

From there the weekend turned into what it usually turns into once you are in a race town. You start running into people.

We ended up at The Rivers Eatery and ran into George Kapitz from Broken Spoke Bike Studio and a few of his racers. It is always good to bump into people who know the scene, because the best fat-bike talk rarely happens on social media.

The Sven sticker has survived several years on the Sawmill towel dispenser.
Spinner’s dollar bill is still on the post at the bar, too.

Later that day I met up with Seeley Dave at the Sawmill Saloon. A couple beers, a solid Italian beef sandwich, and that familiar pre-race feeling in the air. We chatted about how race day would unfold for our coverage and generally relaxed. There were a few racers in the place but it felt a bit thinner than usual.

From there we made a stop at Dave’s place to listen to records on his evolving stereo system while we waited for Spinner to arrive. That kind of night does not happen in a hurry. It is just friends, good gear, and time.

Once Spinner got unloaded at the Lenroot, we did what made the most sense. We went back to the Sawmill for a couple more beers. The lodge being right across the river from the bar is the kind of convenience you do not fully appreciate until you have it.

Race morning: Telemark, “three seconds in,” and the rumor mill

On race day, Dave and I headed straight to Mt. Telemark. We mingled at the small expo, talked to folks, and did a little digging. This is where you learn what is actually happening in fat biking, because people are relaxed and the conversations are real.

I will keep the rumor mill responsible. Some things are ready to talk about because they are public. Some things are not.

One of my favorite “race day” photos I have is from the start of the Half Fat, three seconds into the race. I am using it here as a quick piece of context, then pointing people back to the full race-day report.

The hopeful part: the fat-bike space is not dead

This weekend reminded me that fat biking is not in a hype cycle, but it is not done. If anything, it feels like it is getting a bit more traction again.

A few public, concrete examples:

Revel is making a fat bike comeback with the Big Iron Ti. It is already public, and it looks like a serious modern fat bike.
Billy Flamingo’s Brand had the Big Quill Pig tire and winter traction hardware on display. A genuinely new fat-bike tire and that is a big deal right now.
Even though I did not see one at the event, the new Esker Cycles Hayduke LVS FAT is another new fat-bike design. Long-tail and ready to load up for adventure. The fact that it exists is another data point that the fat-bike category is still moving.

Then there is the not-yet-public stuff.

We saw a bike George was riding that most people probably did not notice at all. All carbon, all black, around 22 pounds, and decidedly fast-looking. I am not naming the manufacturer yet but it was one more sign that real development is happening behind the scenes.

George also gave us one of those lessons you only have to relearn occasionally: do not set up a new bike the day before a big race. He still finished 48th, which is respectable on any day, but not up to his usual speed. Respect, and a reminder that the boring pre-race prep work matters.

bill and miron talking to a racer — Bill and Miron talking with a racer at the expo.

After the finish: the Northwoods circuit

After the race day energy, the rest of the weekend turned into a tour of the places that make this part of Wisconsin feel like its own world.

Bloody Mary at Garmisch Resort, with a reuben close behind.

Seeley Dave and I stopped at the Garmisch Resort on Lake Namakagon and I had a really good reuben at the Bierstube Lounge. I also had a Bloody Mary that came with enough extras to count as a snack. Most importantly, we met up with Berta and Mike Glodowski to talk about their Half Fat experience.

Berta and Mike heading to the Half-Fat starting line.

Their approach is one I respect. The last few years they have chosen to ride behind the main group, stop for photos, chat with volunteers, and enjoy the day. Mike said the conditions were “epically fantastic,” and riding behind the crowd let them rip the descents without having to manage traffic. Berta summed up the weekend with one word that fits: “WOW.”

From there Spinner and I made stops at The Portage in Cable and the Moccasin Bar in Hayward. If you have never seen Cal Johnson’s world record musky on display, it is worth the stop. It is pure Wisconsin.

Back in Seeley, we returned to the Sawmill for prime rib, more visiting with George, and some time talking with a couple guys from Cedar Rapids. At some point Spinner was singing karaoke, which felt like an appropriate way to end race day.

Sunday: breakfast, one more stop, and a “next time”

Sunday morning started with breakfast at R Place Cafe, then checking out of the Lenroot.

Before I left town, I made one final stop at the Sawmill, then pointed the van back toward Milwaukee.

What I came home with

The Fat Bike Birkie gave the weekend a reason to exist on the calendar. The Northwoods did the rest.

The reset came from simple things: real winter air, friends, and the feeling that fat biking is still building, even if it is quieter than it used to be. Between what was on display at the expo, what is already hitting the market, and what people are hinting is coming soon, the category feels more alive than I expected.

Sometimes you just have to drive north to remember that.