VIDEO:First Fat Bike ride on Elevenmile Reservoir
VIDEO:Allen Beauchamp shows his inner kid
PHOTOS: Gallery from Fat Tire ride at Elevenmile Reservoir

The Ice Man Cometh ... and his name is Al Brody.
The world was reduced to planes of white and blue last week as Brody, a self-described cycling advocate, pedaled onto a 20-inch-thick ice cap at Eleven Mile Reservoir.

He was a pioneer of sorts. An explorer opening new territory for cyclists. He may be the first to ride his bike onto the lake's ice. Two park rangers could not recall another.

"They were a little surprised," Brody said. "I asked the first ranger If I could ride there, and she said 'I don't know.' But she checked and there is nothing that prohibits bike riding on the ice."

Those who know Brody also know he can't sit still. Human-powered transportation is his passion and he searches almost daily for new ways and new places to do it.

The quiet, contemplative vastness of South Park was all the invitation he needed. He found miles and miles of flat riding and he practically had the place to himself.

"There was plenty of solitude," he said."I think there were two or three other fishermen on the lake. And I had to laugh, the ranger tells me 'don't harass the fishermen.' Of course, you don't want to do that. But what she was telling me was they're doing their thing, so don't mess with them."

Brody rolled onto Eleven Mile astride his "Fat Bike," a rugged, but high-tech machine with balloon-like tires.

Eleven Mile Reservoir info here

Fat Bikes are cycling's new kid on the block, allowing riders to cruise in places that a standard mountain bike can't handle. Brody and friend and fellow cycling advocate Allen Beauchamp recently explored Sand Creek - creek bed on the east side of Colorado Springs - on their Fat Bikes. They discovered that riding a surface combination of soft sand and ice there was not a problem.

"It's a whole different story with a Fat Bike," Brody said.

On Eleven Mile Reservoir, Brody was able to fly along trails of packed snow where fishermen had dragged their sleds. But he admits he struggled more when he ventured onto a three-inch layer of crusty snow.

"Once you get some momentum going, it helps," Brody said. "But if you lose that momentum and cash through the crust, you have to work harder."
Will Brody's discovery lead to more cyclists riding he ice.
Motorcycle racing on ice has been a popular at a few Colorado lakes. But cyclists, it seems, have been slow to warm to the idea. That may change. Brody and Beauchamp planned to host the first group ride to Eleven Mile on Monday, January 16. The plan included a Fat Bike tour of the reservoir's five islands (stay on the ice, the islands are off limits to people).
"It's a big lake," Brody said. "There are tons of places to go there. And the Fat Bike just opens everything up."
Eleven Mile Reservoir is about an hour drive on Hwy. 24 west of Colorado Springs. A State Park's Pass is required. Day passes may be purchased for $7.
The ice conditions in January and early February are usually safe. But always use caution and ask the park rangers or the many fishermen about ice safety. It's generally considered wise to avoid crossing the lake's "pressure ridges" where the ice has cracked and moves as it expands and contracts with the day's temperatures.
South Park is most famous for wind, so bring plenty of layers as a calm 20-degree winter day can quickly become a miserable  affair with wind-chills dropping well below the zero-degree mark.