Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
Reader’s Rig: Michael’s Stooge Dirt Tracker
In this unique feature-edition Reader’s Rig, Michael O’Dwyer in Sweden showcases the Stooge Dirt Tracker frameset he won in one of our Collective Reward giveaways and built into a capable ATB for a year of monthly overnighters with his son. See Michael’s Stooge and learn about his family bikepacking project here…
PUBLISHED May 22, 2026
Imagine my surprise when I opened an email from Lucas here at BIKEPACKING.com telling me I had won a steel frame and fork from Stooge Cycles. The Dirt Tracker Collective Reward was mine, and it would be shipped directly to me in Sweden. I’m lucky to already have a few bikes, so the obvious question was, “What should this one become?”
Around that same time, my son Vidar and I came up with a challenge for 2026. We called it “12 Adventures in 26.” The rules were straightforward. We had to sleep outside at least once every month for the entire year. Simple on paper, perhaps, but winter in Sweden doesn’t negotiate. From January through March, sub-zero temperatures are guaranteed, daylight is scarce, and conditions can turn serious quickly. If this challenge was going to work, we needed to plan carefully to keep it fun and safe all year long.
Our first overnight of the year set the tone. We headed to central Sweden to search for the wreckage of military airplanes rumored to be scattered across remote marshland. We camped in an open cabin that once served as an army observation post overlooking the bogs. After hours of searching, we located fragments of an aircraft just before the first snow of the season began to fall. Adventure number one was in the books.
When we returned home, the Stooge frame was waiting. The timing could not have been better. The build became part of the adventure. Vidar and I teamed up with our friends at Fix My Bike in Hammarby Sjöstad, Stockholm, and began piecing the bike together. I had a set of American Classic rims and hubs from an old build, which became the foundation. We added a SRAM GX 1×12 drivetrain and SRAM G2 brakes to keep things simple and reliable. The result was a bit of a Frankenstein, mismatched parts from different eras, but it felt right. Honest. Purpose-built. A proper adventure bike for a teenage rider.
To make it winter-ready, we mounted 27.5 x 3.0-inch studded Suomi tires. In Sweden, studs are not optional when ice is involved. They are insurance. February arrived cold and clear. Everything was frozen solid. Lakes became highways.
We decided to head north to Kloten on the border of Dalarna and Örebro counties. I know the area well from previous trips. Kloten is also the starting point for The Miner’s Trail, a bikepacking route I designed and published here on the site. In winter, though, the region transforms completely. The dense forest and maze of lakes become a vast white expanse of frozen opportunity.
Our plan was uncomplicated: establish base camp in a free, non-bookable log cabin deep in the forest, then spend the day exploring the interconnected frozen lakes by bike. The hut was basic, just a fireplace and a few wooden benches, but it was perfectly positioned for what we had in mind.
Before heading out, we stopped at Nordic Adventures, the local outfitter in Kloten. Michael, the owner, shared invaluable knowledge about ice thickness and safe passages through the labyrinth of lakes. His team runs bike and canoe rentals in summer and wildlife tours in winter, so they understand the region year-round. Armed with local insight and a few extra supplies, we pedaled toward the cabin.
Michael’s Stooge Dirt Tracker Build
- Frame/Fork: Stooge Dirt Tracker
- Rims: American Classic / Fatlabs
- Hubs: American Classic / Fatlabs
- Tires: Suomi Tyres 27.5″ Fast Freddie, Studded
- Handlebars: Junker Bar with 100mm of rise
- Headset: FSA TH 857
- Crankset: SRAM GX Eagle
- Pedals: XLC PD-M12
- Cassette: SRAM GX Eagle 10-52
- Derailleur(s): SRAM GX Eagle
- Brakes: SRAM G2 RE
- Shifter(s): SRAM GX Eagle
- Saddle: Selle Royal Vivo Ergo
- Seatpost: Giant alloy
- Stem: XLC alloy
- Front bags: Revelate Designs Terrapin Pronghorn harness and Challenge Ultra 200 UHMWPE roll bag
- Frame bags: Revelate Designs Ranger
- Rear bags: Revelate Designs Terrapin
As we approached, it became clear we would not be riding all the way in. The snow was knee deep and untracked. We hauled our gear the final stretch, breaking trail and laughing that we felt more like porters than cyclists. Skiers might call it a bluebird powder day. We called it hard work. Then the cabin came into view, painted in classic Falun red and tucked among the pines, and it was all worth it.
Back at the trailhead, we loaded the Stooge for the lake mission. The setup felt dialed. A Revelate Designs Ranger frame bag held our food and cooking kit, fitting neatly within the steel triangle and leaving space for a large thermal flask. A Terrapin saddle bag carried spare layers, and a Revelate Pronghorn harness and roll bag up front stored a down jacket and extra gloves. Everything had its place.
When we finally rolled out onto the frozen lake, the mood shifted instantly. Smiles all around. The wind had scoured most of the loose snow from the surface, leaving just enough texture for grip while maintaining that magical smoothness that makes you feel like you’re gliding. We pedaled north across a landscape that felt untouched. Towering cliffs rose directly from the ice. Waterfalls hung frozen in mid-cascade. Snow-covered pines framed the shoreline. Out there, it felt entirely possible that we were the first people to ride bicycles across those particular lakes in winter.
One highlight came when we spotted otter tracks cutting across the snow. The pattern told a story. A few quick paw prints, then a long belly slide, then prints again. Over and over. It looked like nature’s Morse code, playful and efficient at the same time. Even in the harshness of winter, life was thriving.
We stopped for lunch at one of the many wind shelters scattered along the lakes. Despite temperatures well into the negative double digits Celsius, we found a sun trap that offered surprising warmth. Sitting there, passing around hot drinks from the thermos, joking and replaying the best moments of the morning, it struck me that this challenge was not about suffering through the cold. It was about stacking memories.
Eventually, the sun dipped lower, brushing the tops of the tall pines with gold. In February, daylight fades quickly, and we still had the return crossing ahead of us. The ride back felt faster. Familiarity breeds confidence. Soon, we were hauling the bikes back toward the cabin.
Evening in a remote winter hut follows a timeless rhythm. Gather wood. Split kindling. Strike a match. Coax flame into fire. We had brought a generous supply of dry firewood, knowing that morale in winter often depends on heat. Soon the cabin glowed orange, boots steamed dry near the hearth, and dinner simmered on the stove.
Outside, the temperature continued to drop as the Stooge leaned quietly against the wall, ice crystals still clinging to its steel tubes. It had already proven itself, stable on ice, capable in snow, and perfectly suited to this kind of understated adventure. Adventure number two was complete.
The Dirt Tracker may have arrived as a prize, but it quickly became something more. A catalyst. A reason to head out when staying home would be easier. A platform for a father-son project. A machine that turns frozen lakes into playgrounds. Many months remain in our 12 Adventures in 26 mission, and the Stooge is just getting started.
You can follow Michael on Instagram.
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