Cyclists on fat bikes getting ready to travel down an ice road

Four cyclists are gearing up for an epic winter journey in northern Ontario.

Early next month, the group will leave from Attawapiskat and make their way on fat bikes down to Smooth Rock Falls. A fat bike is an off-road bicycle with oversized tires often used in the winter.

Buck Miller is organizing the trip. He says the 600 km journey will take about 10 days. During that time, they'll be camping when stopping to rest.

"Every spot on the bicycle will be taken up [with equipment]," he said.

"The tires are all five inches wide [and] are fully studded. We have top quality gear … we're prepared for sleeping in the cold."

Miller is no stranger to cycling as he used to compete as a professional bike racer.

"I traveled all over the world in a national team I did the whole bike racing thing for a long time," he said.

"I moved up [to Moosonee], I just kind of went back to my roots of just canoe tripping, hunting and fishing, but I always loved riding a bike so I started commuting to work [on a bike]."

During the winter, he put studded tires on his bike to keep riding. He says that inspired him to one day travel from the James Bay Coast down the ice road.

"I've never done specifically anything like this," he said.

"I've rode my bike for consecutive days for many thousands of kilometres but not in the winter, not on fat bikes [and] not carrying all of my gear like this."

Miller says they plan to leave Attawapiskat on Feb. 4.