Birkie Fat Tire Bike Race Wrap

Jeff Hall and Buzzy LaMere at the Birkie Fat Bike Race in Cable, Wisconsin. They were both racing LAMERE Fat e-Bikes, full suspension, carbon fiber custom built bikes.

Shea making final adjustment on Jeff’s bike

Jeff Hall

Buzzy LaMere, owner of LAMERE Cycles

Jeff Hall, Buzzy LaMere and yours truly , MJ Hall

Fat Bike Birkie / 2025 / LAMERE E-Fatbike

 

Kicking the New Year 2017 off on the Fat Bikes / Norpine Fat Bike Classic / Lutsen Minnesota

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A January trip up to Cuyuna for some Fat Tire Biking. The map above is just a section of the entire area.

The trails wind around and alongside the old mining lakes in the Crosby, Minnesota area. I have ridden the trails in the Summer and Fall. The Winter is a great time to be in the woods.

Trails were in very good condition with a fresh coating of snow to cover most of the icy surface. The whole state of Minnesota received rain just after Christmas, then a cold snap moved in from the north and froze all the trails with a coating of pure ice. All our fat bikes are outfitted with 45NTH studded tires, even with that setup it was a bit sketchy for a week or so. The snow gave us a good surface this trip, yet One still needed to be alert for the patches of ice.

Good view of one of the mine lakes.

Feeling the trail...

Some sweet switchbacks gave me a good view from above.

Timed it right for several hours of exploring and checking out the different loops on the bikes as the sun set in the west. This was one of the full day adventures that started about 9:00am and arriving home at 11:30pm. We drove 360 miles round trip, rode for 3 hours. Drove further up the icy backroads to a burger joint in Cross Lake. Then to top it off, we made the drive to the family cabin. We hiked around the cabin and checked out the frozen lake. Then drove the 180 miles home.

This turned out to be a full on adventure day.

Great Lakes Fat Bike Race Series / Lutsen MN

The map is the Fat Tire Bike race course up at Lutsen, Minnesota.

Riders will be riding 24 miles of cross-country ski trails this day. This was full on winter, fresh groomed snow with overnight temps at -12 degrees racing. It was an early -5 degree, 8:00am start. That meant I set the alarm for 4:00am, got up and let Jeff sleep till 4:30. We were staying in a condo that was a stones throw from Lake Superior... yeah the big Great Lake. Awesome!  

Two of the Midwest Mountain Bike Legends...Geno Oberpriller and Jeff Hall.

I met Geno back in about 1986. Jeff was 10 years old. I was doing the racing back then...

About 4 miles into the race with Jeff riding solid in the 1st chase group. A very loaded field in the front of the race. The trail was in very good condition. It was cold smoke snow this day at -5...

Jeff's son, my Grandson Owen and I chased the racers with the truck as they raced in the woods we were able to intercept them several times.

Owen is on the side of the course to hand up a water bottle. This was as Jeff was heading back to the finish, about 6 miles left. Still riding solid, didn't have the jump in his legs to win this day. Jeff was in 5th at this point and this is how he would finish the race, 5th place.

Owen was there to give his Dad a tap on his head to greet him at the finish. Tough conditions for all the racers with the temps. The good part was a great job of groomed trails.

After race time, the 3 Hall guys scrambling around on the rocks along the shore of Lake Superior. 3 generations of Halls having a good time at Lutsen. I am a lucky Man to have these adventures.

Above, Jeff and yours truly...below Owen and me hanging. Still about -4 degrees.

The image of Owen on the ice rocks along the shore of "Gitche Gumee" is priceless...

Adventure on!

Fat Tire Bike / December Recap / Minnesota River Trail / Great Lakes Fat Bike Racing

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Awesome Minnesota River Trail Ride!

Timing is everything in the outdoors. There was a large snow storm moving into the area. We arrived at the trailhead in the late afternoon with snowflakes just starting to float down. The temps were about 15 degrees with a bit of wind, good stuff... 

As we dropped down into the Minnesota River Valley we were sheltered from the wind and after about a mile we pulled over near the river which was chocked with ice flows. It was a chance to adjust clothing and watch the river flow past.   

 The snow was increasing and the trail was accented with the new snow. This is about as good as it gets... Good clothing and our LAMERE Fat Bikes are set for the winter riding conditions.

 The view from the bike bridge over the Minnesota River. Always good to end the ride with a stop and admire the river.

 With snow falling the light lingered into the evening. So overnight we would receive another 5 inches of fresh snow, looks like Winter moving in...

Good to top the ride off with a cold beer and hot pizza.

 The First Race in "The Great Lakes Fat Bike Race Series"

 A solid field of over 200 riders toed the line in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. With full on Winter conditions it was going to be a good test of tires and riders.

Matt Acker and Jeff Hall early on into the race...

 The course had been groomed and prepared the previous week. With the new, 5 inches of powder snow the course would change as the 200 riders packed it in. Temperature was about 5 degrees so there wasn't much pack to the surface snow.

With the early trail conditions, the loose snow, the pack became strung out. The course was primarily singletrack so there wasn't room to pass and it took full concentration to stay on the narrow track.

The course was 2 loops, about 46 minutes per loop for the leaders. As the leaders came through after the first loop Jeff Hall riding his LAMERE was in 7th position. That is where the grooming from the previous week came into play. the top snow was being pushed off to the sides and the hard pack came into play. Jeff was running a 45NTH Dillinger 5 Studded on the front and a 4" Van Helga on the rear. The front studded tire was hooking up and Jeff started picking off lead riders. He was able to work his way up to 2nd place at the finish. Nice come back... 2nd place in the first race of "The Great Lakes Fat Tire Race Series".

Jeff putting the hammer down about 2 miles from the finish.

Frosty after race chat, check out Race results:

Jeff Hall 2nd @ LAMERE, Jeffrey Young 3rd @ Larson Cycles Racing, Matt Acker 4th @ 45NTH

Assistant Race Manager, my Grandson, staying warm with the 5 degree temps.

Plan for staying warm. A pair of choppers, LAMERE winter clothing and pedal your LAMERE Fat Bike on snowy singletrack through the woods for a couple hours... JP LaMere riding and testing his namesake bike. The Boss feeling the ride!

Podium: Cole House @ 1st, Jeff Hall @ 2nd, Jeff Young @ 3rd  

Ride On!!

Fat Bike Birkie 2015 - 47K Lead Pack / Jeff Hall #49 on LAMERE Cycles / 4th place - 800 Riders / National Fat Bike Championship Race

US National Fat Bike Championship Race / Fat Bike Birkie 2015 / Great Lakes Fat Bike Series

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Team LAMERE Cycles is rolling down the road in style with the new van just in time for the Fat Bike Birkie. Jeff Hall is rolling down the trail on his LAMERE Fat Bike and HED Wheels.  

 The starting line is loaded Ned Overend, Brendan Moore, Jesse LaLonde, Jeff Hall, Will Ross, Jenna Reinhartand, April Morgan and Diana McFaddon.

 JP "Buzzy" LaMere was rolling with the Lauf Fork on his LAMERE Fat Bike, having a good ole time in the North woods of Wisconsin. Buzzy had a very good ride today.

 Hollywood would ride to a 14th place today.

 Close to 800 riders out in the woods of the Fat Bike Birkie, good winter conditions.

 This was the lead group of big guns, the top 8 with about 14k remaining. This pack consisted of Jeff Hall, Ned Overend, Will Ross, Brendan Moore, Jesse LaLonde, Justin Piontek, Cory Stelljes and Jason Lamoreaux.

Several attacks off the front from Ned, Jeff Hall, Brendan and Will Ross. With about 10K left, Ned attacked hard and broke the group. It was a race to finish with Ned, Will and Jeff getting a gap. Then Will and Ned got away from Jeff. It became a battle between Will and Ned out front with Brendan making contact with Jeff and those two duking it out for 3rd and 4th.  

 Will Ross with the win in a time of 1:55:30 over a distance of 47K.

 Ned Overend across in 2nd @ 1:55:50.

 Brendan Moore 3rd @ 1:56:04 and Jeff Hall 4th @ 1:56:07.

 Jeff and his family along with Weez at the finish.

 Jeff, Brendan and Ned Overend.

 The Big Man of Wisconsin Mountain Biking since 1983, Gary Crandall hanging at the finish line.

 The Hwood taking it home in 14th place.

 This was also the final race in the Great LakesFat Bike Series.

Jeff Hall took 2nd in the series with 4 wins and one 4th place finish. Jay "Hollywood" Henderson took 4th in the series. That put 2 LAMERE Cycles on the podium with their Podium Wear kits and looking good.

 Owen taking his Dads LAMERE for a ride after the race...

Fat Bike On!!