▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁Al ask an ▁frame ▁build ers ▁began ▁experiment ing ▁with ▁custom ▁components ▁and ▁configurations ▁designed ▁to ▁achieve ▁a ▁large ▁contact ▁patch ▁of ▁t ire ▁on ▁snow . ▁Steve ▁Baker , ▁with ▁I cycle ▁B icy cles ▁in ▁An ch orage , ▁was ▁w eld ing ▁together ▁two ▁r ims ▁and ▁even ▁three ▁r ims ▁and ▁built ▁several ▁special ▁frames ▁and ▁for ks ▁that ▁could ▁accommod ate ▁two ▁or ▁three ▁t ires ▁together . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁Dan ▁Bull , ▁Mark ▁Fr ise , ▁Roger ▁Cow les ▁and ▁Les ▁M atz , ▁rode ▁the ▁ ▁length ▁of ▁the ▁Id itar od ▁trail . ▁ ▁Sim ult ane ously , ▁in ▁New ▁Mexico , ▁Ray ▁Mol ina ▁had ▁commission ed ▁Rem ol ino ▁ ▁r ims , ▁ ▁t ires , ▁and ▁frames ▁to ▁fit ▁them . ▁He ▁wanted ▁the ▁b ikes ▁for ▁his ▁gu ided ▁tour ▁business ▁in ▁the ▁soft ▁s ands ▁of ▁the ▁Mexican ▁and ▁South west ▁ar roy os ▁and ▁d unes . ▁Mark ▁Gr one wald , ▁owner ▁of ▁Wild fire ▁Design s ▁B icy cles ▁in ▁Pal mer , ▁Al aska ▁met ▁Mol ina ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁Inter bi ke ▁convention ▁in ▁Las ▁Veg as ▁and ▁rode ▁one ▁of ▁Mol ina ' s ▁pro tot ypes ▁at ▁demo ▁days . ▁ ▁In ▁late ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁Gr one wald ▁and ▁another ▁Al ask an ▁frame ▁builder , ▁John ▁Ev ings on