Ben Alter

Although shoulder season is on the mind, it’s worth noting that we wrapped up our UP Fat Bike Series just a bit over a week ago, and I was stoked to take the overall series win, coupled with a handful of day of podiums! This winter with @upcross906 was unique, as we collaborated with @frozentoefest & @ehwinterenduro to build a diverse winter race series in the UP and Canada. As a board member and racer, I was stoked to hear feedback from racers about the opportunities it offered, but also I was stoked to string together some of my favorite races/venues into one series! Anywho. What a hoot! Fat bikes are always fun and we’ve got weeks left of riding them. Many thanks to the sponsors of our Fat Bike Series and our trail clubs for grooming for us! #ridegroomed #mqt #fatbikes #bikeracing #irideenve

Oh hey! Finally got my name on the trophy! Yesterday we wrapped up @upcross906 ‘s fall series after six races spread from September till November. Cyclocross is its own kind of torture on the bike, which usually involves going full gas for an hour. Although not my usual type of racing, I’m stoked to have finally honed in my skills to take a couple day of podiums, and the overall series podium this fall! There aren’t a whole lot of words to describe how each race goes, but it’s a mostly learning how to not blow up 30 minutes in. - Anywho! @icemancomethtcmi is on tap for next weekend, and then the offseason! I’m stoked to have had a solid showing this fall on the bike! Hats off to the entire @upcross906 organization, from the volunteers to the board members and everyone in-between for an incredible season! - #cx #cyclocross #marquette #cycling #irideenve

New episode! I sit down with Ben Alter days before Marji Gesick to talk about his first place finishes at the ultra Salty Marie @thesaltymarie and the RAMBA Shenanigans 24 hour race! 📸 @flolinemedia

Oh my! Barry Roubaix! What a time! - Another year, another trip down to Hastings for the biggest party on two wheels! What a freaking hoot, even with some of the sloppiest weather I’ve seen here in over a decade! - This year was a touch different, instead of heading down Friday to Hastings, myself and @mandykoskela opted to do a circle tour of Lake Michigan. We caught a taping of @waitwaitnpr Thursday evening in Chicago, before heading north to Michigan late in the evening. We stopped over briefly in Holland, had a phenomenal breakfast in GR (@breakfastatwolfgangs ), grabbed coffee at @lyonstreetcafe , and then took off to Hastings for B4 Barry! I got a chance to meet @lambinlycra and her husband Kyle from @envecomposites , which was a treat! With weather looking goofy, we saw lots of friends Friday night, and then settled in for an early evening before race day. - Saturday morning came around before we knew it, and I was up and at it before sunlight for the 100 mile race! It’s still fairly early in the season for us Yoopers, so I had no huge expectations for my race day. I opted for my Enve MOG with @teravail Updraft 700x40c tires! I rolled to the start line around 6:45, and we were off at 7! It was fast and furious off the bat, but lots of good conversation was had before the pack exploded. I tried to keep a pace that was supportive of sub 6.5 hours for a mug, and I was successful! Unfortunately there isn’t too much to say about the actual race, besides how absolutely wicked the weather was. From 60° and rain to 45° and wind, we really got the “all the seasons in one day” thing happening. - It was, as usual, a great time to see friends from near and far. Every year @barryroubaix1 is my favorite race of the season, because there’s something unique in the air of Hastings. It keeps drawing you back in, making you hungry for more. Huge hats off to the entire Pavement Ends team for putting on a stellar event year after year, and another huge thanks to the volunteers/photographers/and everyone else who helps turn Barry Roubaix into the best start to the spring season. - pc: @robmphoto where applicable #mtb #barryroubaix #irdeenve #teravail

Late to the draw, but holy wah, @midsouthgravel was a hoot and a half! This year was special for all, as due to the wildfire in 2025 we didn’t get the chance to party on two wheels down in Oklahoma. As cyclists, we’re always lucky to have the opportunity to visit these places that bring us together on bikes. Last year was definitely a stark reminder that it isn’t all just good times and parties. As for the race itself? I was happy to have a solid day in the saddle! It’s still awfully early for those of us in the UP, so being able to hang with the front ish group of the amateur race for 60 miles hopefully isn’t a bad sign for the rest of the season. Per usual I could work on some nutrition things, nothing like having your stomach leave the chat when it needs to be around haha. Anywho! Here’s to next year! I’m already looking forward to another dusty, dirty season opener in Stillwater! Many thanks to the entire crew at district, the race staff, and of course Bobby for putting on such a fantastic event year after year! - #midsouth #gravel #pavementends #oklahoma

Still picking up the pieces from two weekends ago, but Polar Roll! What a stroll! Same ol same ol, I opted for the mass start on Saturday with the ultra following on Monday! With no expectations, I rolled into the mass start expecting slower then slow conditions. I was treated to exactly what a foot plus of snow does to the trail, a stroll. Luckily I was intentional about my start, and got to ride most of the first ~12 miles (hill st) but then I settled into the same walk everyone else had through the middle miles. Regardless of the wickedly long walk, I still took 8th, which was neat! Following Saturday I groomed South Trails for the Ultra (see attached for how deep I buried the implement, at least 2.5 feet or more) and then took off Monday for the ultra! Having had a wickedly cold year in ‘25, I was hoping for better conditions this year, but to no avail it was slower. Between trail conditions and being sick, I was able to gut it out at the front of the pack for the first 60 miles, and then whatever head cold I had took lead. I hung out at cp1 for a hot minute, and then consciously pulled the plug when I got back to Marquette. No regrets! Anywho! What a jam packed long weekend. It was great to see friends from near and far come visit our winter wonderland, and it got me stoked on what’s left of winter (which is a lot!). Pc: @robmphoto (photo 1) #snowbike #polarroll #mtb #marquette #irideenve

Frozen Toe! What a hoot! Two weekends ago I headed to Sault St Marie, Ontario for @frozentoefest for a second year, and holy wah was it a good time! Unlike last year, this year conditions had freeze/thawed most of the week leading into the event, so trail conditions were setting up pretty great! When I rolled into the parking lot for the race, the wind was howling and it was frigid as all get out. By the time we rolled across the start line, it was about -4°, which had turned the trails to concrete! The race itself was pretty great! Essentially, it was a pack of 6 to 8 of us, who rolled together for most of the race. Things didn’t start getting super spicy until we had left Farmer Lake, where Dusty made a move putting himself first into the single track coming off of Mabel Lake. He held onto that spot for a little, but him and another gentleman blew up, and the lead pack fell apart to three people, myself, Jan, and Ryan! Jan made a solid move leading into the Red Pine headed back to the finish line, which I followed as much as I could! He eventually pulled away, and put about a 1-2 minute gap to the line, where I rolled in for 2nd OA in the 50k! We were moving too fast for me to stop and snag any other photos 🫠 I’m already looking forward to next year! If you don’t already have this race in mind for next fat bike season, or @thesaltymarie for the summer, you absolutely should! Hats off to @redpinetourscanada for putting on such a cool event! Such cool terrain over there, it’s like North Trails combined with Hill St!

oh 2025. what a hoot and a half. a year of a lot of firsts, a decent amount of change, another college degree, lots of miles, and not enough cats. A couple of takeaway I’m wildly proud of: Three overall 1st place finishes (Saulty Marie Trails Fest, RAMBA 24, and our fall series of UPCROSS) Graduated with my masters in education! and published my thesis! Spent more time on the bike! New friends! New pals! Seeing old ones too! And so much more. Here’s to another year of floating around the sun on this big rock in the sky. Cheers, eh! - pc: @robmphoto & @edward.l.rogers where applicable

Oh hey! Look at me I’m an academic (of sorts)! For those who know, or don’t, I spent the better part of the last year in my masters program working on my thesis about student stress levels in the secondary and post-secondary classroom. The entire process of doing a graduate thesis began my first semester in grad school, and it took the full two years of my degree to complete. During my time, I conducted formal research, codified data, identied themes/patterns, and in the last six months of my degree I wrote, edited, and eventually defened my work. All of these steps offically concluded yesterday when I received confirmation of the public publishing of my thesis! I’m incredibly proud of this experience, and beyond stoked to have it finally published for all to read. I could tell you what my thesis is about, but I implore you to go read it! Link is in my bio, or you can look up “NMU THESIS” in the google search bar and tap on the link to the NMU Commons. This isn’t a LinkedIn post (haha) but I have to spread thanks to my thesis committee, Sarah Carlson, Dr. Kristen White, and especially Dr. Sharon Bohjanen (my thesis chair). All of these incredibly skilled and experienced individuals helped guide me through the process, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them! Anywho! Please! Go read it! #highered #nmu #thesis #mastersineducation

Oh Iceman, you never disappoint. If you haven’t already seen the dozen or more posts in your feed, last weekend was @icemancomethtcmi ! It’s my end of season party on two wheels like many others. This year, I opted to swap into the pro/cat 1 race last second, an it was dialed! Consciously I knew I had no business racing pro this year, but it was nice to stretch the legs at full gas for almost two hours! This year there was more singletrack then years previous, which was dialed. Right from the start, it was pretty much all out. I got caught doing some work for the large group before getting dropped like a sack of potatoes 🫠. Eventually a handful of riders grouped together with me, and we worked together to the finish line. I ended up 61/124, so mid pack, which is right where I belong at events like this. It was nice to come into this years race with no expectations. I ended up 1:56:12, which was 2.5 minutes faster then last year on a longer course. Besides the race, it was great to see so many familiar faces on and off course! Anywho! I’m already looking forward to next year! Pc: @robmphoto where applicable #mtb #iceman #cycling #fwends #traversecity #racing

Just a couple of quick moments from the last few weeks. What a great place we get to live in and what great weather! Oh my! Anyways! Back to your regularly scheduled fall now. ~ #mtb #fall #marquette #mnr #upperpeninsulamichigan

12:48:20 A result that is both a hard pill to swallow but is also incredibly admirable! Anywho! Last weekends @marjigesick was another hoot and a holler! This year was only 114 miles, instead of 236 during the OaB last year. I’m stoked to have had a pretty clean run of the race, with no crashes, or tip overs. For the most part, I kept it pretty clean, and made only smart moves all day. The whole race is really a blur until I got to negaunee, where I realized if I put in a burner lap from Jackson park to Jackson park I could maybe squeak a buckle. The timing mats claimed 2:53 from point to point, but without stopping time it was more like 2:45. I don’t think I’ve ever dug that deep that late in a race, but holy wah! The last 15 (19) is where I kinda fell apart. The lack of real calories caught up to me, and the razor thin margin I had to finish before 7:30 disappeared as I stood on the side of the trail and ate real food (many thanks to @laurenhenry for the king sized KitKat and uncrustable, it saved my race imo). From cedar beach to the finish I pleasure paced it, and finished without having to use a light. I’m not over mad, or sad about it, just stoked to have another finish under my belt. Many thanks to the trail organizations for their support, @blackrocks_racing for the team support, @mandykoskela for filling my bottles and during around, and everyone else in between!Till next time! Pc: @robmphoto and @edward.l.rogers where applicable! #mtb #marji #marquette #riding #cycling #ibis #nuerace