City of Lakes Fat Bike Loppet

Once a year, fat bikes take over the groomed ski trails of Theodore Wirth Park for one of the most unique winter cycling events in the country. The City of Lakes Fat Bike Loppet sends riders on a roughly 30K point-to-point course that mirrors the cross-country ski Loppet route — fast parkway sections blending into wooded singletrack — all on snow, all in February, all in Minneapolis.

The race draws serious fat bikers from across the Midwest who come to test their legs and their tires (3.8” minimum, under 10 psi) on trails where cycling is otherwise off-limits all season. Competitive racers battle for podium spots while recreational riders tackle the 18K Puoli or 9K Tour options. The Lake of the Isles neighborhood and Theodore Wirth’s boreal forest backdrop make this one of the more scenic sufferfests in the upper Midwest.

Part of the larger City of Lakes Loppet Winter Festival — a weekend that also includes skiing, snowshoeing, and skijoring — the fat bike race captures something elemental about Minneapolis winter culture: the refusal to hibernate. Instead of waiting for spring, this city rides.