By Rosemary Austin
Special to the Turnagain Times

While cold weather and snow stir most outdoor recreation enthusiasts to grab their skis, snowboards or snowmachines, for a small, dedicated group of people, winter is another chance to explore Alaskan terrain on a bicycle.
From frozen lakes and marshes to the coastal mud flats of Anchorage to snow-covered multi-use trails, opportunities for winter biking abound. You just have to be prepared for the conditions and know where the biking is good.
What some cyclists hope for each winter is a long stretch of cold, snowless weather. Long periods of temperatures below the teens lead to the best conditions for ice biking. Favorites of locals include Portage Lake and marshes along Twentymile River. The opportunity to enjoy perfect conditions may only last a day or two before a change in weather buries the ice in a foot of snow or brings a warm Chinook to break up the ice.
These changing conditions, along with swift-moving currents make biking on ice more dangerous than just hitting the snow trails. However, venturing onto a frozen marsh and weaving between tufts of grass makes for some of the best winter cycling.
The mud flats off the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge offer some exceptional conditions. Besides pedaling through a field of marsh grass, you can weave around and over icebergs, making your way from South Anchorage to Kincaid Park. Hazards here include deep channels, which can be covered in soft snow. Dropping into one of these dips can send you over the handlebars, a good reason to take your time and explore with a friend.
Jim Janssen keeps informed on local biking and skiing conditions as owner of Girdwood Ski & Cyclery. People regularly stop in or call letting him know where conditions are ripe for adventure. According to Janssen, once the snow falls in the valleys that line Turnagain Arm, bikers must wait for trails to be packed by snowmachines or watch the weather and hope for the annual rain-freeze cycles that lead to good crust conditions which are also favored by crust ski aficionados. This is typically closer to March, he said.

For riders looking for more consistently good snow conditions, Anchorage offers miles of multi-use trails, particularly in Far North Bicentennial Park and the BLM Campbell Tract. While many of the trails are packed by the Nordic ski groomer, some narrower trails are packed by snowmachine or by other trail users.
New singletrack trails built in the summer of 2008 by Singletrack Advocates give riders three interconnected, challenging loops which you can access from just south of Hilltop Ski Area or from the Gasline Trail, just below the Prospect Heights trailhead in Chugach State Park. The trails are infused with twists and whoop-de-dos that will challenge any rider to stay on the narrow surface.
The Resurrection Trail, outside Hope, can also make for good winter riding, provided the trail has been packed by other users. Otherwise, it’s best experienced on skis or snowshoes.
The varied conditions call for different equipment. For ice biking, studded tires are a must. Janssen stocks a variety of studded tires that can be mounted on most mountain bikes.
Head to Anchorage to find wider rims such as 44 millimeter wide SnowCats, which are designed in Fairbanks and used by many winter cyclists in light snow conditions.
If you want to hit the softer snow or have better flotation on the crust, snow bikes with 65 mm wide rims are available at several shops in Anchorage. The closest source is Paramount Cycles on Huffman Park Drive where the staff can help outfit you with the right equipment and provide updates on riding conditions in and near Anchorage.

Rosemary Austin is the author of Mountain Bike Anchorage.

Tips On Winter Cycling

• For ice riding, put some sheet-metal screws into the bottom of your biking shoes for when you’re off the bike.
• When on river or lake ice, know the conditions before you go and be aware of deep, fast-moving channels and springs which will make ice thinner and weaker.

• Go with a friend and ride far enough apart that if one falls through the other can help in a rescue. Janssen said he rides with a rescue rope and recommends carrying an ice ax.
• Dress for the conditions by using layers. If you’re riding with a group or on a full-day adventure, bring an extra layer to throw on for rest breaks. Make sure your shoes will keep your feet warm enough.

• Pack chemical hand and foot warmers just in case.