Four men will be braving the elements in a unique way this month by biking down the James Bay Coast.

Buck Miller, Ted King, Eric Batty and Ryan Atkins will be riding Fat bikes built for winter travel as they start their expedition.

The men will start in Attawapiskat First Nation and then will be crossing into the Territory of Nunavut at Akamiski Island. They will be riding through the communities of Moosonee and Moose Factory, finishing in Smooth Rock Falls.

The entire trip is expected to run 600km and take 10-12 days.

“This is all for a great cause,” Buck Miller said, “We’re trying to raise five thousand dollars for the Timmins Native Friendship Centre’s Moosonee office.”

 

The Moosonee office of the Friendship Centre closed due to financial problems a few years ago and has since re-opened.

“I saw the effect of it being closed in the community,” he said, “so when I heard that the Timmins office opened a sub-office in Moosonee, we were happy to try and help as best we can to bring attention to the cause.”

Miller, who used to live in Moosonee, said he would commute everywhere on his mountain bike.

“Year round, all winter long, summer, I would ride everywhere,” he said. “I didn’t drive my car around, I would ride my mountain bike around. And I realized that, with the snow and icy roads, it was great terrain for winter Fat Bike riding. I didn’t have a Fat bike at the time, but I just kept it under my hat that one of these days I would love to ride from Attawapiskat down.”

Miller says he and his friends were excited to raise funds for an organization that meant a lot to Miller.

“When they re-opened, the team and I were really keen to pick those guys as a fundraiser,” Miller said, “to try and showcase this beautiful land and raise money for a good cause.”

The team decided to end the expedition in Smooth Rock Falls, where Miller is from.

“I’m from the area, spent a lot of time here. I really enjoy it. It’s home to me. So I called my three closest buddies that were crazy enough to do this and we all agreed.”

One of the men on the trip, Ted King, is a 2013 Tour de France professional road cyclist.

While travelling, the men will be pitching a teepee and using a wood stove for warmth and cooking.

“We’ll just be sleeping in the bush, or on the ice. Trying to avoid polar bears,” Miller said.

Anyone who wants to contribute to the funds being raised for the Timmins Native Friendship Centre can go to the James Bay Descent Gofundme page here. 

The group also has a Facebook page here.

The four men will be making updates to their Facebook page every night via satellite, so head there to track their progress.

 

Filed under: Local News