Cyclists Keep Spokes Turning During Midwest Winters

Sean Patrick Farrell examines the lengths that Midwesterners are willing to go to get their bike riding fix during snowy winter months, including a popular new indoor mountain bike park in Milwaukee.

1 minute read

February 28, 2012, 10:00 AM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


Opening just last winter, Ray's Mountain Bike Park in Milwaukee has become an instant success drawing riders from as far away as Chicago to test its ramps, twisting wooden lattice paths and teeter-totters during the seven months of the year it is open, reports Farrell.

Capturing the enthusiasm of avid cyclists and beginners, such indoor parks have spread across the country's winter weather capitals, from Boulder to Syracuse, ever since the first Ray's opened in Cleveland in 2004.

Farrell also profiles all-weather enthusiasts who are utilizing new advances in "fat bike" design that make snow biking possible, proving that cycling in the Midwest has no off-season.

Friday, February 24, 2012 in The New York Times

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