In Finland Exploring Mountain Biking A New Way

Описание: (30 Dec 2017) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus089841

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Forget snow mobiles or skis, the latest way to explore frozen arctic landscapes is by bicycle - a fat one.
A trend for so-called "Fat Biking" has spread to the frozen forests of Finnish Lapland, becoming a hit with thrill-seeking winter tourists.

STORY-LINE:
These tourists are getting kitted out for a mountain-biking trek with a difference.
From the frozen roads of northerly Finnish city Rovaniemi, they're headed to Lapland's snow-covered forests, riding on fat bikes.
Once a fringe novelty, fat biking is fast becoming a popular element of modern mountain-biking.
It's thought to have been developed by mountain bikers hoping to pedal Alaska's frozen landscapes, but also New Mexico's sand dunes.
There are no prizes for guessing where it gets its name - the off-road bicycles are fitted with oversized tyres, typically measuring around 3.8 inches (9.6 centimetres) and more.
The tires, designed for low ground pressure, allow riders to conquer soft, unstable terrain, such as snow and sand.
"Fat bikes (are) good when you're riding on soft surfaces," explains Johannes Perkkio from Rovaniemi-based mountain biking tour operator 'Roll Outdoors.'
"It's like riding on snow or soft sand and things, but also it's really good, for example, beginner riders who want to get more traction on the road, on the single tracks. It softens the rocks and road when you ride in the forest."
Experts say fat bikes mean there is no end to the mountain biking season.
Most mountain bikers live in locations where snow and ice make year-round riding impossible, but not anymore.
Perkkio claims it's preferable in comparison to other arctic mobility options, such as snow mobiles, particularly because there's no environmental impact.
"You can do it in many ways, but mountain biking is good because most of the people have been riding bikes back home, so it's the easy way to go anywhere you go naturally," he says.
"It's like you're not using any fuel or anything, just riding a bike. That's good for the environment too."
Mountain biking tour operator 'Roll Outdoors' conducts fat bike tours from its city centre office in Rovaniemi, the capital of Finnish Lapland.
Morning rides take tourists along snow-covered mountain bike trails, as the winter sun slowly rises in the sky.
They finish at the top of the city's nearby hill, named 'Tottorakka.'
It's a two-hour, eight-kilometre (five-mile) trek, which also includes scenic views of sprawling forests on the edge of the Arctic Circle.
"We have got really good feedback, but this is for everybody this is really new," says Perkkio.
"And there isn't really many people who are coming here, they don't know you can ride fat bikes here, but yeah, they really like it."
Tourist Stefano Di Cola is visting Rovaniemi from Rome. He hadn't heard of fat biking before, but jumped at the chance to explore Finnish nature on two wheels.
"I heard on the internet, I was looking for something special in Finland," he says.
"And then we decided to do the fat (biking) because we are in contact with the nature, so it's beautiful."
According to Lapland tourist board, House of Lapland, the arctic region registered 2.66 million overnight stays last year, a 13 percent increase in comparison to 2015.

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