Biking through the snow
Cindy Burgess, reporter
February 1, 2012 — Winter usually marks the end of the season for cycling, but not for one hardy group of riders in Muskoka, Ontario.
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Surlys provide more traction in the snow
Bert Schuh and his friends gear up every winter to hit the trails. Not on snowmobiles or skis, but on bikes instead.
"It's just fun. We all love biking anyways, so it's a great complement. It expands our season a lot, gets us outside and you know, you're playing," laughs Schuh.
They aren't your average bikes however, they're called Surlys and they're built to tackle the toughest terrain.
"Snow, sand, rocks, roots, roads, anything," says Matt Todd, co-owner of The Bike Shop.
Matt has been selling Surlys for two years and says the secret is the supersized tired, which offer grip and flotation.
"If you were to ride a regular bike in the snow you get more like a washboard effect, you kind of track all over the place, whereas a snow bike or a fat tire bicycle will track consistently through the snow."
There are now 11 of these bikes in this community alone and more riders are joining all the time. Riders like Randall McGregor, whose son got him hooked last year.
"My wife also rides one of these now too, and it’s become a family affair. We’re having a blast with this."
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