Minooka’s Loss Is Regner’s Gain

The Hugh Jass Fat Bike Series first came to West Bend during the 2019-2020 season and ran three successful races at Regner Park (plus a bonus race at Riverside Park), but the series did not plan to return to West Bend for 2022-2023. GEARS, our local advocacy group for mountain biking, decided to hold a fat bike race at Regner anyway, part of West Bend’s annual Winter Warm-Up. But things have changed, and it’s a big win for West Bend.

Winter in southeastern Wisconsin is off to a warm start. A few very cold days have been more than offset by long periods above the freezing point, and the only snow you’ll find is in a few places where it was piled up by plows or shovels. Freeze-thaw cycles have resulted in soft trails that are extremely susceptible to damage from bike tires and foot traffic. Accordingly, tomorrow’s race at Minooka Park has been dropped from the calendar. At its website, the Hugh Jass series explains, “We regret to inform you that consistent warm weather has led the Hugh Jass Team and Waukesha County Parks to the decision to cancel this weekend’s race at Minooka Park. Respecting the trail systems we use, which are maintained by our cycling community, is something that is just as important to us as having a good time. Inevitably, hosting our normal race and party this weekend would cause major damage to the trails leading us to this decision.”

The January 7 race has been rescheduled for January 21 at Regner Park. Anyone who bought a series pass or who signed up expressly for the Minooka race is now registered for Regner. And being part of the series rather than a standalone event will boost overall registrations at Regner. With only 5 races in the series, everyone who aspires to a high overall ranking will have to come to West Bend.

The big question now is whether there will be snow. The current forecast doesn’t show any, but January 21 is still too far into the future for the forecast to be trustworthy. I suspect most Hugh Jass racers would prefer a snow-covered course, but the race at Regner could go on without it. While the Minooka course relies on singletrack—bare earth that is easily churned into a mess of mud and ruts—the Regner course runs mostly on grassy fields and asphalt paths. Series points and raceday podiums are reserved for fat bikes with tires that are at least 3.7 inches wide, but don’t be surprised if you see just-for-fun racers on standard mountain bikes or even on cyclocross bikes if the course is free of snow.