"Cold Rolled," Chapter 1
In "Cold Rolled," photographer-filmmaker Aaron Peterson tells the story of snow biking in Michigan's Upper Peninsula – and a trail in Marquette just for the specialized bikes. See the full film at www.vimeo.com/clearcoldcinema.
Wondering what goes on in Marquette when the snow is high and the cold is deep? Folks go for a bicycle ride, of course. This weekend marks the Noquemanon World Championship Snow Bike Race. Local photographer-filmmaker Aaron Peterson talks with Lake Superior Magazine about this rising, wild sport of riding bikes in snow:
“Not all that many opportunities come along where people in the Midwest get to define the entire sport.”
So says filmmaker and photographer Aaron Peterson of Marquette, whose 20-minute documentary about fat-tire biking was recently released and can be viewed in full on Vimeo.
Working with Dan Englund and Ryan Stephens as Cold & Clear Cinema, Aaron tracks the beginnings and innovations of the sport of snow biking. “Cold Rolled” features some great shots of snow bikers and also conversations with some of the region’s trailblazers for the sport. Aaron, an avid skier just entering the world of snow biking, says that he’s tickled that our region is on the development edge of this recreation.
“It’s something that’s coming out from ‘fly-over land,’” Aaron says, indicating the thoughts of East and West coast residents about the Midwest. Biking in the snow was a natural extension of an already popular recreation. Aaron points out that with a population of a bit more than 20,000, Marquette supports four “serious” bike shops.
Basically, Marquette-area bicyclists decided there was no reason to hang up the bicycles when the snows fell. Like any “good Midwesterner,” Aaron says, these fellows build their own equipment, first using innovations like using screws as studs in the mountain bike tires. Snow bike enthusiasts were thrilled when manufacturers such as Salsa Cycles (a Minneapolis-based partner in making the documentary) produced fat tire bikes – really fat tires, up to 4 or 5 inches – to handle snowy trails.
The newest innovations are in grooming trails specifically for bikes, which have needs much different than cross-country skiers or snowmobilers. For example, hairpin turns in the snow just don’t happen for bikes. The right berming and avoiding 90-degree turns makes for a smoother ride – though it still takes muscle to pedal along these trails.
Aaron, who had taken up summer bicycling, learned more about the sport as he spoke with those featured in the film. “Bicycling culture was new to me, and this is a niche within a niche within a niche.”
The documentary, also sponsored by TravelMarquetteMichigan.com, will be showing at the Global Fat Tire Bike Summit in Utah this weekend.