▁Inv it ational ▁( IT I ). ▁Rak ower ▁started ▁hand ▁making ▁extra ▁wide ▁r ims ▁for ▁participants ▁by ▁w eld ing ▁two ▁r ims ▁together ▁and ▁cutting ▁off ▁the ▁middle ▁r idge ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁snow cat ▁r ims ▁. ▁S . ▁Rak ower ▁produced ▁those ▁r ims ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁through ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁Many ▁rid ers ▁on ▁the ▁Id itar od ▁Tra il ▁used ▁a ▁Ge ax ▁t ire ▁with ▁the ▁snow ▁cat ▁rim . ▁En th us iast s ▁would ▁cut ▁and ▁se w ▁t ire - car c ass es ▁together ▁to ▁maxim ize ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁t ire ▁and ▁util ize ▁all ▁the ▁available ▁space ▁between ▁the ▁seat ▁stays ▁and ▁chain ▁stays ; ▁this ▁t ire ▁and ▁rim ▁combination ▁would ▁maxim ize ▁the ▁b icy cle ' s ▁foot print , ▁increasing ▁fl ot ation ▁on ▁winter ▁tra ils . ▁ ▁So on ▁after , ▁Rak ower ▁decided ▁to ▁design ▁a ▁ ▁rim ▁from ▁scratch ▁and ▁had ▁it ▁produced . ▁Snow C ats ▁revolution ized ▁winter ▁cy cling , ▁as ▁they ▁could ▁be ▁fitted ▁to ▁nearly ▁any ▁commer cially ▁available ▁mountain ▁bi ke . ▁ ▁Mike ▁Cur iak ▁from ▁Colorado ▁set ▁a ▁record ▁on ▁the ▁Id itar od ▁Tra il ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁race ▁to ▁N ome . ▁ ▁Main stream ▁Sur ly ▁B ikes ▁released ▁the ▁P ugs ley ▁frame ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁and ▁began ▁producing ▁Lar ge ▁Mar ge ▁ ▁r