Nice, snowy day for a ... bike ride?

Archive: Friday

MORE U.P. WINTER RECREATION IDEAS

• Ice climbing: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is named for a 15-mile-long stretch of sandstone cliffs overlooking Lake Superior. During the winter, water seeps from the porous rock and freezes, forming towering pillars of ice that are lovely to behold. Now, try climbing one.

• Birding: Whitefish Point, on the Lake Superior shore in the eastern Upper Peninsula, is a leading stopover for birds crossing the giant lake during migration seasons. Birdwatchers flock to the area in fall and spring. But a smaller, hardier set turns up in winter, when there's a surprisingly rich variety of birds to be seen if you know where to look.

• Winter camping: The campgrounds at Tahquamenon Falls State Park — http://www.exploringthenorth.com/tahqua/tahqua.html — are busy in summer. In winter, there's plenty of room.

Related Photos

Snow biking enthusiast Pat Szubielak prepares for a ride on a "fat bike" along Michigan Tech University's ski trail system in Houghton. Snow biking is becoming a popular winter sport in the Upper Peninsula. The Associated Press/John Flesher

February 10, 2012

Snow bike enthusiast: 'It's a great way to keep your fitness'

By JOHN FLESHER Associated Press Fri Feb 10, 2012, 07:24 AM EST

HOUGHTON — You're not much of a skier, and jouncing through the woods on a roaring snowmobile isn't your idea of fun either.

Is there any other reason to take a winter trip to the cold, snowy Upper Peninsula?

Actually, there are many. The lightly populated U.P. is dotted with villages that cater to tourists, featuring gift shops, restaurants, casinos and B&Bs.

But above all, the U.P. is renowned for its vast woodlands, rivers large and small, and proximity to three of the Great Lakes. The U.P. offers ways to enjoy the winter in ways you might not have considered.

For Pat Szubielak, winter was always a time to take a reluctant break from his cherished sport of off-road bicycling. No longer.

On a recent afternoon, he and a half-dozen buddies cruised along a snow-covered, tree-lined trail on ... bicycles. The oddly plump tires and wide frames are designed for a relatively new sport that's fast gaining popularity in the North: snow biking.

"It's a great way to keep your fitness, so when the early biking season comes you're a little ahead of the game," said Szubielak, who lives near Houghton, where Michigan Tech University opened its cross-country ski trails to snow bikers.

Ordinary mountain bikes, with their deep treads, are unwelcome on most groomed trails. That's where the so-called "fat bike" comes in. This innovative vehicle, which can be used on any terrain but is ideal for snow, first popped up in Alaska in the late 1990s. Mass production and distribution have come more recently.

Its flabby tires can be twice the width of those on a mountain bike and are inflated with only 6 to 8 pounds of air, producing an almost balloon-like effect.

"It's real soft," Szubielak said. "The tire's actually flattening out on the snow and making a big footprint."

Snow biking is easy on trails that have been smoothed for cross-country skiing or snowmobiling. It requires more legwork when you pull onto ungroomed trails, where it can feel a bit like pushing through loose sand. But if you enjoy mountain biking, you should find this worth trying.

Because the sport is so young, finding a way to experiment with it can be challenging. Few if any shops in the Upper Peninsula rent fat bikes, which retail for $1,600 or more. But drop by Lakeshore Bike in Marquette, where demo models are available for test rides.

The 28-mile-long Noquemanon Trail network near Marquette is among those open to fat bikes.