Fat Bike Birkie

Saturday, February 28, 2026, marks the annual Fat Bike Birkie at the American Birkebeiner Trailhead in Cable, Wisconsin, the one day each calendar year when fat tire bikes are permitted on the professionally groomed American Birkebeiner Ski Trail. The event, presented by Freewheel Bike and operating under the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation, is North America’s premier on-snow fat tire cycling competition, and its 2026 edition delivered fast, frozen conditions from a 9 AM start with temperatures holding between 9 and 13 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the race window. Men’s Big Fat 47K winner Corey Stelljes claimed the top spot for the third consecutive year, beating his own 2025 winning time by more than a minute under a clear sky. Riders from 14 states plus one competitor from New South Wales, Australia, contested the field.

Three Distances, One Legendary Trail

The Fat Bike Birkie offers three competitive formats from the same American Birkebeiner Trailhead start on Cable’s Mc Naught Road. The Big Fat 47K is a seeded-gate race for experienced fat bikers, with placement based on the best result from the prior three editions of the Big Fat or Half Fat; riders without a qualifying result start in Gate 4. All Big Fat participants must be at least 16 years of age on race day. The Half Fat 21K runs as a single-start race suitable for intermediate and competitive recreational fat bikers, with a minimum age of 12. The Fun Fat 10K Tour is an untimed event without competitive pressure, appropriate for first-time fat bikers and families with riders in the 12-and-older range who want the trail experience without a race result. E-bikes are not permitted in any distance. Tandem bikes are allowed but are not eligible for individual awards. Late registration after 7 PM on Thursday February 26 for the Big Fat places riders automatically in Gate 4.

Good to Know: The Fat Bike Expo runs at the trailhead on race day with demo bikes and equipment from multiple manufacturers, providing a rare opportunity to test fat tire setups on actual groomed snow conditions before committing to a purchase. The post-race party includes live music and food from local vendors at the trailhead venue. Course conditions are groomed by the same team that prepares the Birkie Ski Trail and aim for a firm, fast surface, though weather variability from soft powder to hard-packed ice is possible across any given February date. Pre-ride opportunities are tentatively scheduled for Friday afternoon before the Saturday race.

Cable and the Birkie Northwoods Setting

Cable, Wisconsin, is a small Bayfield County community anchored by the Birkie Trailhead and the outdoor recreation economy that the Birkebeiner Ski Foundation has built around it over five decades. The Cable Area Chamber of Commerce and its community partners have invested systematically in the Nordic skiing and fat biking infrastructure that makes the Northwoods trail system one of the most capable winter cycling venues on the continent. Hayward, 25 kilometres to the south on US-63, provides the full-service lodging, dining, and retail infrastructure that Cable’s small-town character cannot independently sustain at race-week capacity. Lake.com lists vacation rental options across the Sawyer County and Hayward Northwoods area for riders and families building multi-night stays around the Fat Bike Birkie weekend.