WINNIPEG -- It's a bike built from the snow up.

Created with winter in mind, Surly's innovative Pugsley mountain bike with its super-wide tires gives cyclists some real traction in snowy, slippery conditions whether on city streets or back-country trails.

Olympia Cycle and Ski owner Scot Miller said the Pugsley was built by the Minnesota company around its 10-cm-wide specialized Endomorph tires and Large Marge rims with northern snow races in mind.

"When people come in and see it, they just say 'Wow! What is that?'" Miller said. "People just haven't seem something like this before."

With their lower recommended pressure, the tires -- which are almost double the width of normal mountain bike tires -- allow for great traction and stability.

"It gives you a big footprint on the snow," Miller said.

Miller said clients have most commonly used the Pugsley on snowmobile trails but have even put it to use in summer on soft sand and in boggy areas.

"It's pretty fun for exploring," he said. "For everybody that's bought one, it's opened up a whole other world of cycling."

Models of the Pugsley start at just over $2,000.

For more information on the Pugsley, check out Olympia's website at olympiacycle.com.

Olympia Cycle and Ski is located at 1813 Portage Ave.

jason.halstead@sunmedia.ca