Friday, January 30, 2015

Lets RIDE!



















The race is on folks!
February 28th, 2015
Togwotee Mountain Lodge

Hello Togwotee Winter Classic race fans.  Let me start by introducing myself.  My name is Adam Leiferman and I'm from Casper, WY.  I am the president of Fat Fish Racing mountain bike club and combined with the 27 other members of our team, we host cheap or free races throughout the year in Casper.  I have raced the TWC for 3 years.  The race quickly became my favorite race of the year for many reasons.  In 2012 I rode a fat bike for the first time (beyond 20 minutes).  It was on a borrowed bike from a great friend who couldn't make it to the race that day.  I remember hanging on to Jay's and Bill's wheels for the first hour or so.  They turned to the 35 mile course while I rode the 25.  I soon started the worst bonk of my life, falling often and just walking along my bike instead of riding.  It was a blast!!!  2013 was a record setting year with the lead pack of the 35 mile race looking like a pro peloton.  2014 was my favorite year yet.  Friends from Casper and even my brother and his fiance came to race.  We had a fun night sharing stories and talking tire pressure over beers in Dubois the night before the race.  On race day, the snow was good.  Pretty fast until we turned to the "K" trail.  Soft and deep snow was our battle for the next 10 miles.  Racing side by side with my brother was a first for me and a race I will never forget.

It is with great pleasure that I share with you all that the Togwotee Winter Classic will continue!!

Thank you so much to Dave Byers for your mentoring while all the calls and emails were made to make this race happen.  I am so grateful that you put your trust in me to continue where you left off and I just hope that this race continues to make you proud for years to come.  The race course is the same.  The schedule is the same.  The race is still FREE and open to just 74 racers.

The Togwotee Mountain Lodge is so kind to offer us that huge room to use and they are excited to have the race continue, this year and for years to come.  A big thank you to the rangers with the Bridger-Teton National Forest who I had the chance to talk with on the phone.  These guys are great and nothing but supportive of the event.  

See you at the lodge Saturday morning at 8:15am for the pre-race meeting!!


Wednesday, January 14, 2015

The End.

After seven wonderful years, I have decided to step down as the Race Director of the Togwotee Winter Classic and will no longer organize the event.

My experience organizing the race has been nothing short of amazing and I step away with a huge smile on my face and many wonderful memories.  From the beginning, the simple goal of the Togwotee Winter Classic has always been to help grow the niche sport of fat biking.  It was a small way for me to give back to the sport I love.  The sport has certainly come a long way since eight adventurous racers (seven Surly Pugsleys, and one over-matched Surly Karate Monkey 29er) took the start line on Jan 19th, 2008.

Thank you.

I want to thank each and every participant who has ever attended a Togwotee Winter Classic.

I want to thank Togwotee Mountain Lodge for welcoming our merry band of fat bikers each year and for their generous support of our event.

I want to thank the many sponsors who donated prizes each year and supported my vision.

Lastly, I want to thank my wife Michelle for her unconditional support.

Thank you for sharing my stoke for Fat Bikes!