Iceman 2025 delivered exactly the kind of day that reminds you why this race owns November in Michigan. Cold enough to feel real, fast enough to stay sharp and dry enough to qualify as a full-on niceman. The wild part? If this race had been one day later, we would’ve been lining up in actual snow. Michigan lucked out…but just barely.
The updated course was a highlight. The added singletrack brought a fresh flow and fun new rhythm without taking anything away from what people love about Iceman (at least for me). It felt intentional and dialed…a perfect mix of familiar iconic sections and new trail that rewarded riders who stayed focused. Not a mud slog, not a survival race…just a clean, cold, honest route that let the best parts of the sport shine. A proper niceman and absolutely worthy of its reputation as the Catalina Wine Mixer of mountain biking.
Kaitlyn rolled into her second full Iceman with friends from the Coyotes and watching that pack of kids tackle the course together was one of the day’s best moments. She rode with confidence, steadiness, and a maturity that shows up more every season. There’s something special about seeing your kid ride a race this big with people they trust…laughing, grinding, pushing and handling the cold with way more composure than most adults out there. It’s exactly the kind of experience that builds great riders and honestly better humans.
You couldn’t look anywhere without spotting a Coyotes or DEVO jersey. Start waves, singletrack sections, the fast open stretches…our riders were everywhere, riding smart and strong, taking care of each other and proving they belong on a stage this big. There’s a different energy when that many young riders take on a race of this scale and handle it with that level of grit and joy. They earned every bit of it.
Seeing the juniors hit Icebreaker or Woodchip is the part that sticks. Frozen hands barely working. Pain faces. Maybe a smile. So many dollar hand ups! That stunned look of “I actually did this.” Parents yelling. Coaches cheering. Bikes falling to the ground in relief after they cross the finish line. It hits every time. That moment is the heart of the whole day.
My own race…well, let’s call it the Life Happened Training Plan (new trademark coming). My fall was a mix of good intentions and some inconsitenct…consistency if thats a real thing. I lined up knowing exactly what kind of legs I brought and spoiler: they weren’t peak-form legs. But that’s Iceman. You race the day you have. You find the trails that remind you why you keep coming back. The new singletrack genuinely made it fun. The cold made it real. Crossing the line tired, slightly undercooked, completely alive…felt like a win.
What makes Iceman special goes way beyond times and splits. It’s the kids riding their hearts out. The families freezing just to clap and yell. The way the whole Michigan cycling community collapses into one big, loud, supportive, slightly shivering family for a day. It’s the tradition, the grit, the shared stories and the feeling of closing the season together in the best possible way.
Iceman 2025 didn’t need mud or misery to be iconic. It just needed all of us…Coyotes, DEVO, parents, riders, friends all showing up, riding hard, freezing a little, laughing a lot and ending the year exactly the way Michigan intended.
Cold. Fast. Fun.
A very good Niceman…the perfect Catalina Wine Mixer of mountain biking to close out the season.
Tobi is a passionate mountain biker and ultra endurance gravel cyclist who thrives on pushing his limits in the great outdoors. He has a deep appreciation for nature, savoring the scenic views and challenges of unpaved singletrack trails and long gravel routes. Tobi’s passion for adventure drives him to constantly seek out new ultra endurance gravel races and mountain bike events that take him on new dirt roads. He has participated in the Iceman Cometh Challenge for over a decade. When not hitting the trails or grinding away the miles on gravel, Tobi enjoys camping trips with his family. He is also actively involved with the West Michigan Coyotes youth mountain bike team, where he coaches and rides alongside his daughter, fostering her love for the sport. The solitude of the trails and the invigoration of conquering an ultra-endurance race is what fuels his obsession with mountain biking and gravel cycling.