Wide tires open chilly new vistas for cyclists

MAT-SU — More than a decade ago, veteran cyclist Tony Berberich climbed aboard an exotic, plump-tired prototype bicycle his friend, Mark Gronewald, had designed especially for snowy conditions.

“Behind his house Mark made all these phenomenal trails and he let me go out and try the prototype,” said Berberich, who, with his wife, Julie, now owns Backcountry Bicycles in Palmer. “It felt like this big, cushy bike that rode on the trails really well, like a Cadillac.”

Now, manufacturers both here in Alaska and Outside are busily building fat-tire bikes, most of which are strikingly similar to Gronewald’s prototype.

Fat-tire bikes are bicycles specially equipped for better “flotation” and performance on snow. They generally have disc brakes rather than caliper-style brakes, and fat tires inflated to very low pressures — usually between 5 and 10 pounds psi. Some fat-tire bikes can accommodate rims that are nearly 4 inches wide. Fat-tire bikes differ from snow bikes; snow bikes are devices equipped with ski-like runners.

“Fat-tire bikes are more efficient because the tires aren’t digging down into the snow, trenching, with the back tire spinning out,” Berberich said. “With a skinny-tire bike you’re putting about 200 pounds on one little spot. If there’s triple the space on the ground, per square inch there’s less weight. You’re spreading out the weight.”

Fat-tire cyclists can take their rides on glaciers, frozen rivers and swamps, and even on a dog-sled course to Nome.

Some fat-tire enthusiasts drill out large circles from the wheels of their bikes to further pare down weight. Gronewald crafted his Wildfire Designs FatBikes until a year and a half ago. Other fat-tire bikes that can be found in Alaska include Greg Matyas’ (of Speedway Cycles) Fatback, Surly’s Pugsley, Chain Reaction Cycles’ 9:Zero:7 and the Salsa Mukluk. Prices for a complete bike start at approximately $1,500.

Fat-tire bikes are most fun to use on frozen snowmachine and cross-country ski trails that are designated multi-use, and should stay off freshly groomed trails that are soft or set aside just for skiers.

“We’re trying to keep positive relations with all the other user groups,” Gronewald said. “I think [fat-tire cyclists] have been pretty good around here, not tearing up multi-use trails when the trails are soft.”

In Mat-Su, the Moose Range north of Palmer — between Wendt and Buffalo Mine roads — has a network of groomed-snow trails almost tailor-made for fat-tire bikes.

Willow is another great place to take a fat-tire bike. Valley Mountain Bikers and Hikers has scheduled a group outing there for fat-tire bike enthusiasts at noon tomorrow.

Cyclists interested in participating may contact Arctic Cycles’ Billy or Erica Koitzsch at (907) 351-8545 or arcticcycles@hotmail.com to see if they still have fat-tire bikes available to rent for the Willow Winter Carnival-based event. The cost for renting one of those bikes is $35 for the excursion west of Willow, which is expected to last approximately three hours.

People with their own fat-tire bikes are welcome to participate as well.

“It’s meant for people who know how to bike,” said Patricia Owens, secretary and cofounder of Valley Mountain Bikers and Hikers. “It’s not for the faint of heart.”

Owens says the group began going on winter outings and having winter bike races about five years ago.

“Last year we did a winter bike class, a one-day clinic,” Owens said. “It was a huge success. We didn’t have enough bikes; we had to borrow bikes from other people so we could fulfill our goal. We thought we’d do a couple of clinics this winter. That’s really kind of our goal. We want to increase winter biking.”

That’s why VMBAH has worked with Koitzsch’s company. While the interest in winter biking has increased in Southcentral,the supply of bikes has not kept up with the demand. And, people who might be interested in trying the sport may want to rent a bike first before spending well over a thousand dollars for their own new fat-tire bike.

Owens credits Gronewald with getting fat-tire cycling launched among VMBAH members.

“It was really helpful to have him mentoring,” Owens said.

Anyone interested in heading out on a trail with a fat-tire bike should keep in mind that fat-tire bikes sometimes need to be pushed if snow is deep or has softened in warmer conditions.

“They do have their limitations,” said Gronewald. “They won’t go through virgin powder snow. There needs to be a base underneath. But you can actually let a lot of the air out of the tires, down to 5 psi, and you can go in soft snow faster than walking and often faster than cross-country skiing.”

Conventional mountain bikes handle on snow, up to a point, Gronewald said.

“But fat bikes definitely rule,” he said. “They tend to track a lot nicer, smoother and straighter, it saves a lot of energy that way. They handle really well at speed. Fast would be 10-12 mph and on average, on variable snow, they’ll go 5-6 mph. A lot of people also ride them year-round on hard-packed dirt trails.”

Sometimes skiing isn’t good because of a thaw or wind storms that leave debris on the trail, but that’s when fat-tire biking is a great option.

“They complement each other if you’re trying to stay fit through the winter,” Gronewald said. “You can do both.”

As with any outdoor activity in Alaska, cyclists should be prepared when they head out on the trail with a fat-tire bike. Berberich recommends that cyclists carry an inner tube and pump. They should also bring and know how to use a multitool with Allen wrenches, chain breaker and chain connector, because rutted snowmachine trails can sometimes result in a broken chain during an outing. Berberich says a patch kit likely wouldn’t be useful.

“It doesn’t work well in the cold,” he said.

A bright headlight and taillight are key, especially when winter cyclists run into unanticipated delays on the trail. It’s important to be able to see and be seen, so reflective clothing and reflective strips on a bike are also good to use.

Cyclists should dress in layers — including long underwear, fleece and outer jacket and pants that are waterproof, breathable and/or windproof, depending on weather conditions. It’s also a good idea to bring along a packable down jacket either in a rack bag or backpack, Berberich said.

Hands and feet rapidly feel chllled while biking on a winter day, so it’s important to keep them protected. Berberich favors Neos overboots, sold at 6th Avenue Outfitters or AMH in Anchorage, because they do a great job keeping feet warm on a cold ride. He wears running shoes under the overboots.

Pogies — also known as Bullwinkles — slip over a bike’s handlebars to help cyclists keep their hands warm while riding in frigid conditions. They look like oversized oven mitts, but are useful because they enable a cyclist to wear thin cycling gloves underneath rather than awkward thick mittens or gloves.

Chemical warmer packets for hands and feet are easy to bring along as well.

It’s crucial to have plenty of water and high-energy foods — Berberich prefers peanut M&Ms for sustenance on the trail. Hydration packs and tubes can freeze in very cold conditions, he said, so he favors bringing water in Nalgene bottles, kept inside an insulated Nalgene holder.

“You lose a lot of moisture just by breathing, in cold conditions,” Berberich said. “Stay dry, stay hydrated, stay warm.”