Michigan’s predicted tough winter with lots of snow has not deterred the plans of a group of guys I have occasionally ridden with out at Sony Creek Metro Park.
Bruce Mack's Surly at Stony Creek Metro Park
Several will be riding bikes with four inch wheels.
Called the Pugsley and manufactured by Surly, these $1,500 iron horses make easy work of snow and, as the picture shows, even sand.
“I was looking for a bike to ride year round and especially in the winter when everyone else is cross country skiing, I wanted to ride,” said Bruce Mack, who got his Pugsley a few weeks ago and has racked up 250 miles on it before the snow even started to fall. “Even though the Pugsley is heavy and you might think it would be a dog, when it gets rolling, it handles very well. I ride a 29er on the trails and I have no problem taking the Pugsley on the trails because the large tires grip the ground and just plain roll over rocks and roots. And when it comes to sand, it just floats over it.”
Mack says he key to the performance of the Pugsley is the tire pressure which can be run very low, in fact somewhere around 10 PSI for packed snow, sand and wet rocks, depending on your weight. I have not found the sweet spot for myself yet, but I keep adjusting the air.
George Lombardi is another one of the Stony Creek riders who has a Pusgley. He plans winter riding with the group but got his to explore the sandy two-tracks that go for miles across the state and national forests of Northern Michigan.
“The Pugsley is an expedition type bike that can ride in snow or sand with in reason,” says Lombardi. “The fire roads of Northern Michigan is a new frontier for exploring. The loose sand up there on the seasonal dirt roads makes it almost impossible to ride on a normal bike tires. I was up on the power tower sand roads off the Vasa trail last week and did reasonably well if I picked the right line.”
There are lots of cyclists who ride in Michigan’s wintertime. Many swap their flats and MB rubber for studded tires. But the guys on the Surly out at Stony Creek are betting the low tire pressure and extra width will give them more and easier rides.
Meantime, what advice do you have for winter riding?
What’s the best way to keep your hands and feet warm?
How about clothing?
Pass your tips under comments below.
Tags: witer bicycling, pugsley to heavy, biking in Michigan
Order up a snowmobile hand protector for your handlebars
I’ve seen those. What are they called? How do you mount them? Isn’t there something similar for the pedals and your feet?
They are called Poggies They act as a wind barrier that cover the handlebars which your hands slip into
You can find them at certain bike shop that are especially made for bikes and yes you can get the snowmobile version that work OK.
Check out the big outdoor outfitters for those types.
For real cold weather I would go with over boots and skip the cleats and ride flat pedals.
You can use the Pogies or Moose Mitts or Snowmobile mitts or???? and they are reasonably priced thru Cabelas.
I use Pogies and Mittens and insert the hand warmer packs. They are again reasonably price thru Costco or Sams clubs.
If you only use them for a short time they can be reused by putting them in a ziploc bag but not the zipper bags.
Place them in and roll the bag to the zip squeezing out as much air as you can to stop the chemical reaction. Then Zip..
Always have a new pair around just in case you have used the old one up.
As far as feet you can also use the toe warmers these can be saved as well but not near so long.
I use hiking boots and toe clips and straps but do not strap in.
I also duct tape the toe clip to help block air flow.
Then you can skip all of that and just hike.
The pogies come with velcro fasteners attached and just zip to the handlebars. Getting you hands in and out will take some getting used to. Pick a soft spot to land.
I can’t afford a Pugsley. But what about studded tires? How much snow can my MB 29er ride through with studded tires? Do they really help?
Studded tires work better than a fat tire on ice. There are no advantage with fat tire bikes on ice. I have crashed with the Pugtley on slick ice. Studded tires have no advantages in deep snow on the other hand. Ride studded tires on plowed dirt roads with the shiny white patches …STILL BE CAREFUL