Global Fat Bike Day is an annual celebration of fat bikes. It falls on the first Saturday of December each year and brings with it group rides, get togethers, adventure coffees, baked treats, and great times.
Like true Minnesotans, we have to start by talking about the weather. We had temps in the upper 40’s this year and well… it was weird. Questions arose like “Is Global Fat Bike Day cursed in the Twin Cities?” “Is the first Saturday of December just too early?” But the warm and dry weather allowed our little group to ride a little over 25 miles total with zero frozen appendages and cover a whole lot of unsanctioned single track in the MPLS/STP area. It was all the magic Global Fat Bike Day always is despite the lack of snow.
We started the day at Minnehaha Falls and headed out across the big Mendota Bridge with pumping fists; begging any semi truck to honk (it’s the little things that get you across that mile long bridge.) Once we got across the big river, we dropped into the River Bottoms to see 100+ of our best friends at the MPLS Bike Parks X Bonesaw X ACF Global Fat Bike Day adventure coffee meet up. Every year there is a big group of folks by the over turned car, a bonfire, coffee from Northern Coffeeworks, and of course Baker’s Wife donuts.
After mingling for a while, we hopped back on our bikes and headed toward Crosby Farm and Hidden Falls for some 45º fat bike fun. Train track scrambles, downed tree roll overs, and a fence jump were all happily involved. The trails were in perfect condition despite the warm temps and we covered as much bandit single track as we could.
All in all, it was a perfect Global Fat Bike Day. But the questions remain: Is it cursed? Is it just too early? Sure, snow would be really fun for a day like that but that is the beauty of the cycling community: No matter the conditions, we show up and have a great time. Enjoy a gallery of photos from the day below!
Arctodus – Built for Winter Exploring
Big adventures require a bike that can rise to the occasion. Arctodus is named after Arctodus simus, an Ice Age behemoth that was the largest bear to ever walk the Earth. Like its namesake, Arctodus the bike is versatile, strong, and ready to explore. It has adjustable geometry, a durable frame, a massive front triangle for a frame bag, lots of cargo mounts, and can clear the biggest 26″ and 27.5″ fat bike tires on the market. We also make Arctodus Ti, which has all of the same features as its steel counterpart but with the added benefits of titanium. Arctodus is ready for afternoon exploration, polar expeditions, and everything in between.
Voytek 2 – Fat Bike Performance Evolved
Voytek 2 takes what the original Voytek started and makes it better. This is a fat bike that rides like a mountain bike on snowy trails. We overhauled Voytek geometry to give you a fat bike that lets you go even faster with more confidence. Voytek 2 has adjustable geometry via the patented Tuning Chip dropout system like all Otso bikes, as well as the new GeoChip head tube system that alters geometry at the front end of the bike. It has clearance for 26″ x 4.6″ or 27.5″ x 4.5″ tires, suspension correction for a suspension fork, internal cable routing, lower standover, and several more updates. When the snow melts, swap in a 29″ plus wheelset to keep the party going all year. Voytek changed the world of fat bikes when we announced it in 2016. Voytek 2 is here to do it again.
Voytek – Changing the Fat Bike Game
The Voytek changes the fat bike game. It is fast, lightweight, agile, and can handle even the sharpest turns of your local singletrack with ease. Think of it as a mountain bike that can fit fat tires with adjustable geometry. We paired a narrow pedal stance—aka Q factor—with aggressive XC race geometry to build a fat bike that can intuitively handle snowy trails like your mountain bike can handle summer singletrack without sacrificing ride quality. When the weather turns and the snow turns to dirt, swap out the 26″ fat wheelset for a 29″ MTB wheelset to keep the party going all year.
