Bikes, Beers, and Stuff I like: Freedhem 76

The Freedhem 76 - The Fastest Fatbike

I've gotta start at the end ... my first podium photo, top step and all!

Photo Credit Markman Outdoor Photography

OK, a little correction to the first sentence, I was the top step of the 2019 Filthy 50 podium as the fastest fatbike ... but it was so cold, there were no other riders available for the picture.

The Freedhem 76 starts/ends in the tiny town of Freedhem with one general store and a handful of houses located in central Minnesota. Freedhem was named by the Swedish settlers, Freedhem translates to "peaceful home".

The Freedhem 76 is the brain-child of Donald Griggs - this is his "one-man-show" with wonderful community support and volunteers. We've shared many miles together on other gravel riders and he had invited me to the Freedhem 76 over the last few years and 2021 was the year when the stars finally aligned.

The race is an 80-mile course that's mostly gravel with some MMR (minimal maintenance road) and a couple ATV trails. I brought my drop-bar Pugsley to race, I'm training to ride the Pug on The DAMn in August and need to get all the training miles I can get to be successful on that DAMn ride! I'm riding a 2015 Pugsley that's mostly stock, with Salsa Woodchipper handlebars, Gevenalle GX shifters, and Fat

B Nimble tires.

As we gathered at the start line in front of the Freedhem general store, I saw so many good friends, it was good to be back to 'normal' gravel rides as this pandemic eases.

Start line selfie

The first 2 miles are a neutral rollout with race Donald leading us out on the paved road. That first couple miles was interesting for me, my Garmin flaked out and said that I'd finished the route while we rolled out. So I was heads-down for a while getting the route reloaded. When I finally got the Garmin sorted out, I realized there as a gap forming and I wanted to be closer to the lead group. I picked up my pace and rode the gravel shoulder to get around some riders and up to the back of the lead group, I think the Fat B Nimble tires on the gravel shoulder freaked out some of the riders as I passed. As soon as the route turned right on to gravel roads, Donald pulled off and the race was on!

It didn't take long for another gap to form separating the lead group from a small chase group. I put in another big effort to bridge to the lead group of 30-40 riders. I was slowing closing the gap, pushing my Pugsley at 20+ mph. But after 3-4 miles of this effort, I was no longer closing the gap on the lead group, and a look over my shoulder to find nobody behind me. At mile 9, I started wondering if I was going to ride the next 70 miles solo.

A few miles after I eased off the pace, a small chase group caught me. It was 4 riders with fatbikes, and 2 riders on gravel bikes. Funny enough, I recognized 3 of the bikes in this group, I'd followed their car on the drive up. This group worked together for many miles, everybody take pulls on the front. I wasn't paying attention when we lost 3 of the riders on fatbikes. One of the gravel bike riders pulled ahead of us. The three of us remaining became my main group for the day; it was Bryan (with a fatbike), Scott (with a gravel bike), and me. I got to know Scott earlier this spring when he hosted a fun gravel ride around his area near Annandale; and Bryan is Scott's friend too.

Getting close to the first ATV trail
Photo Credit Markman Outdoor Photography

Around mile 25 I was dropped by Scott and Bryan, spending a few more miles solo. At mile 30, I entered the first ATV trail that was peppered of large gravel & rocks and many massive puddles. Thanks to my fat tires, I was able to ride this 4 mile ATV trail with ease, passing many riders along the way ... including one rider walking his bike out after a wreck that likely broke some bones - he was OK walking himself out and had a ride coming to get him at the ATV trail exit.

Great rest area hosted by local volunteers ... with BACON!!

I caught up with Scott and Bryan coming out of the first ATV section (mile 34), we continued to work together for many miles including a break to enjoying the bacon at the aid station around mile 40 and we cooled off with some spotty heavy rain over the miles after the rest stop.

Around mile 65, we all agreed to drop the pace, we were all feeling the fatigue. A couple miles later, we took a right turn into the sandy ATV trail. I ended up leaving Bryan with Scott in this sand trap; Scott was struggling to ride the soft sand with standard gravel tires. My Fat B Nimble tires ate up the sand sections without any stress ... I had somebody call me a cheater in the sand trap as I rolled through while they walked, but they admitted I did have to mash those massive tires for 80 miles just to be able to ride 1 mile of sand ... LOL!

In the sand traps, I passed my friend Dana, but didn't recognize him at the moment. He caught up with me when we got back on the gravel roads and we worked together for about 5 miles. Dana asked me if I was the lead fatbike, I said that I thought there must be one or two in the lead group. Dana let me know that he'd been in the lead group and hadn't seen a fatbike up there. I was excited to hear this, it helped me continue to push hard to the finish. Dana started cramping up and he let me ride ahead, so I rode the last 5 miles to the finish solo.

Finish line smile
Photo Credit Markman Outdoor Photography

I was greeted by Donald at the finish line and instructed to get my prize: Panaracer GravelKing SK tires (they won't fit the Pugsley - LOL! - but I have a bike that will be great with these tires) and a mason jar of gravel as a trophy!

A really nice touch at the finish line was volunteers walking around with platters of fresh watermelon - that was a great treat after a long ride! Plus there was a wonderful after party for everyone to enjoy some shady, music, tasty food options, and cold beers.

The results for the men's fatbikers: