Snow fell on a Noquemanon trail just outside of Marquette early one January morning. Racers arrived soon after, preparing their equipment for the day's competition. However, these athletes didn't bring skis and poles. They had bicycles.
Wait a minute, you're thinking. Bikes in January? The 80 or so athletes were in Marquette for the inaugural Snow Bike World Championship, showing off what ingenuity and the desire to ride year-round can do. A few inches of snow were no big challenge for these bikes, which have recently begun bringing an Alaska attitude to the Lower 48. Imagine what they can do on the typical snow-covered
roads and trails throughout Michigan.
Fortunately, you can do more than imagine--as many people throughout the state have already done. Many bike shops and outdoor recreational stores have already begun carrying them, making using a bike for transportation a year-round possibility.
"If you want a bike that's absolutely the safest and most stable, one that you can ride through drifts and slush, it's a snow bike," says Jason Lowetz, owner of
Einstein Cycles in Traverse City. "You can ride a regular bike, but it's just more difficult."
The bikes are actually called fat tire bikes--and if you've ever seen one it doesn't take long to figure out why. With a typical tire width anywhere from about 3 ½ to 5 inches, typically with 10 PSI or less of air pressure, the bikes leave an impression both in the snow and on people who see them.
The idea has actually been around for about 10 to 15 years after making their first appearance in Alaska.
"They were originally for people commuting in Alaska," says Jeff Stasser, a co-owner of
Down Wind Sports in Marquette and Houghton. "(They have) very user friendly bike paths and ski trails in Alaska. That's where it really caught on first, and then it started to come down to the lower 48."
Another main difference from mountain bikes is size. Fat tire bikes are typically a bit bigger than normal and also weigh a few more pounds. However, thanks to the low air pressure and wide tires, fat-tire bikes can also be ridden in sand to give them a year-round application.
"They're a little bit harder to get going than a normal skinnier-tire bike, but once you get going you maintain your speed well," says Jill Martindale, of the
Ada Bike Shop outside of Grand Rapids.
The price is also higher than a regular bike. Just starting out on a fat tire bike will run the rider at least $1,600. Stasser says the typical package he sells runs about $1,900, though his shop works with the buyer to do a lot of personalization work for their exact needs. The bikes can run as much as someone would like to pay, into the many thousands of dollars.
Down Wind Sports sells
9:Zero:7 bikes, made in Alaska and named for an Alaskan area code. Other popular models are the Pugsley manufactured by
Surly Bikes of Minnesota and the Spider made by
Sun Bicycles.
Only in the past year or two have the bikes really made a noticeable appearance in Michigan. They might serve as their own best marketing tool, as everyone who sees one has to stop, gawk and ask questions.
Stasser notes that sales have really taken off in the past year in his shop. Still, the number of cyclists who ride fat bikes can be measured in no more than the dozens in most Michigan locales.
Interest has not really picked up yet in Mount Pleasant, notes
Motorless Motion shop manager Allison Quast.
Julia Atkinson of
B-Xtreme Cycle and Sport in Midland says she thinks they're still a couple of years from really taking off.
"There's a lot of interest in them," she says. "They're doing them with even wider tires now. I think they really are becoming the trend."
Stasser and Lowetz both use their fat tire bikes to commute. Stasser says you can add racks or even attach trailers to help get the groceries home from the store, or whatever else you need to do. If you can use your bike for everyday chores during warmer and drier times, there's a good chance you can apply a fat-tire bike to all the same uses.
"The trick is riding in the winter time, a lot of our bike paths and sidewalks are plowed," Stasser says. "Sometimes it's a little sketchy getting into traffic with them. … The last thing you need is to get smacked by a car."
So remaining cautious and being aware of your surroundings takes on even more importance in winter weather.
Another trick is how to dress in the colder weather. Stasser says he uses a thin hat under his bike helmet, but he notes other people choose to use ski helmets because they are warmer. In any case, he definitely recommends wearing a helmet. Cyclists can also choose to attach special gloves--called pogies--to the handle bars as well as special booties that can be worn over their feet.
Pro cyclist Tyler Gauthier of Ishpeming mainly uses his fat tire bike for fun rather than commuting, but says it's important to dress properly for all winter biking. On his Culver's Racing Team
website, he says if you don't hit the trail feeling at least a bit chilly, you're probably overdressed.
The best way to learn more about the bikes is to go down to a local bike shop and ask. Several shops, such as Down Wind Sports and Einstein Cycles, have scheduled rides or groups, as well.
Kurt Mensching is a freelance writer and editor who lives in Marquette. Sadly, he owns just one bike.
Photos by Shawn Malone.