Yes, a timely review, eh?! Well, America so dependent on the automobile it should be relatively soon that, due to all this smog, we'll see endless winters. Then we'll all need these... Since we had such a gnarly winter (don't drive, I'm telling' ya) I was fortunate to log a hefty amount of time on these babies. What they be are double wide single rims (as opposed to two single welded hoops) that are 45 mm wide and weigh 700 grams. The extra width is designed to give a LARGE footprint. Combine the rim width with 5-15 psi and you have the ultimate floater combination. I used big Continental mud tires (the bead was glued to the rim wall to stop tire rotation on the rim) and rode all winter.

Pennsylvania gets some screwy weather so I rode in all types of the white stuff. If the snow was relatively hard-packed, you would stay on top and cruise (while anyone on conventional rims would sink in and work much harder). Traction was remarkable and control was spot-on. Though the variables are snow hardness and body weight, the benefits are great. BUT if your weight overcomes the hardness of the snow, these suckers are hard to push. Still, everyone else has broken through way before, so no one is riding.

So, yes, they are awesome. Snow riding is unbeatable, as are these rims. I did discover some other things, too. They work in the dirt, the wide rim contributing to much less sidewall flex and a great mechanical advantage in the brakes due to the pads relation of swing being changed. Then (sin of sins) I pumped up them Conti's to 85 psi and went road riding. The only disadvantage was the rims wide, flat profile did not slice the wind. E. W. R. Mark would simply roll away on skinny tires, and tires with half the contact patch. You certainly would not take Conti mudders on the road, right?

At $100 a pair they are worth the investment if you ride all winter. They could be good downhill rims (well, off road) as their benefits are also dirt-worthy. I didn't get to do any dirt riding, though, so I don't know their strength. They are available in any drilling, and build up like conventional rims. Price: $100 per pair [AWS note: they were $100 in '94, Today, they're $120/pr]. Contact Simon @ All Weather Sports, 4001 Geist Rd., Fairbanks, Alaska 99709. Phone: 907.474.8184.
- Jay DeJesus