Kevin's versatile Atlantis in "Winter mode"!

click on photo for larger size

I chose the Atlantis so I could have one bike that could pretty much do
it all, and do it well, in all seasons. It's worked out very well so
far. I rode all spring, summer, and fall, did the century ride in the
Fireweed 400, commuted to work, rode the trails in the Chugach, did the
complete Arctic cyclocross series, and am now aiming for the Susitna
100 this upcoming February. It's a great bike and impressive for its versatility.
Please find attached
8 photos of my 61cm Rivendell Atlantis in winter mode. Actually, it's
not in complete winter mode. I still have to add the M-bars. Maybe
there are other winter Atlantis riders out there whom would enjoy
seeing them. Anyway, here's the story. Riding on snow covered trails up
here in Alaska requires very low tire pressure; 15 psi or lower at
times. To prevent pinch flats, wide rims have become the standard by
those riding the frozen trails and rivers in races such as the
Iditabike and the Susitna 100. My winter-wheel setup is a set of
SnowCat rims (44mm wide) with WTB Nanoraptors (one side glued). The
hubs are nothing special, just XTs, and a matching 12-34 cassette.
SnowCats can be difficult to find, and there are other (better?)
options such as the 700C/29" unicycle rims you can find on the web.
Because flotation is such an important issue, it's an advantage to use
the widest tire possible. And, the wide rims flatten wide tires out
even wider. WTB this year introduced the 2.3 Exiwolf tire in a 29er
size. I was very hopeful it would work on the Atlantis! I've heard from
others that they do indeed fit w/ regular-width rims, so says Sean
Hickey of Madison, WI. He's running them. Unfortunately, when mounted
on the SnowCats, the Exiwolf tires are wider than the Atlantis
chainstays allow. Thus, I had to drop down a size and use the 2.1"
29er Nanoraptor. So far, so good. I've had them out a few times w/
great success. They provide good flotation, though they're quite bouncy
at high cadence. Oh, and they're heavy...if that matters. Some suggest
that the larger hoop size of the 29er rims provide a longer contact
patch than a 26" wheel. Thus, the theory is that while you can't get
away with using a 26" 2.1 tire on snowy trails, a 29" 2.1 will do it.