Motorbikes offer 'super unique' winter sporting in Edmonton area

A new attraction in Sturgeon County is offering outdoor enthusiasts a new way to enjoy winter.

Rural Rivers Rentals is launching its Moonbike experience Saturday in Sturgeon County.

"We were really just looking for something unique and eco-friendly to kind of bring to the area and these bikes came along," said Zack Doroshenko, owner and operator of Rural Rivers Rentals.

Moonbikes are electric snow bikes. With tracks in the back and a ski in the front, the vehicles can go up to 42 kilometres an hour and plow through up to 30 centimetres of snow.

Rural River Rentals is a canoe and kayak company, and Doroshenko was looking for something new to offer in winter. When he and his friend Tyler Madsen saw the bikes on Instagram, they were immediately interested.

"As soon as we got the bikes, we were like, 'Oh, my gosh, everyone needs to try them.' It's super unique, we're the only ones in Alberta to offer these," Doroshenko said.

 They don't necessarily look like bikes, but Doroshenko said they handle like one.

Because they're smaller and lighter than a snowmobile, he added, riders can access and maneuver in more areas.

"They're electric, so they're quiet," he added. "There's no exhaust so you don't smell like exhaust when you finish riding."

There are more than four kilometres of Moonbike trails at Rural River Rentals in Sturgeon County. Rentals open March 2, 2024. (Dave Mitchell/CTV News Edmonton)More than four kilometres of trails have been carved through the woods along the Sturgeon River on the 23-acre property west of St. Albert. 

There's lots of wildlife to see, and Madsen said the bikes are quiet enough for riders to share the land without being too disruptive.

"The other day, I was just riding around and I came face to face with a moose, and the moose, it just stood there," Madsen said. "Typically, if you're on a snowmobile it's gonna scare everything away."

The bikes rent for $65 an hour or $99 for 90 minutes.

Groups of up to four can rent bikes together. Riders should bring winter wear, good boots and warm gloves.

Face masks and goggles are available on site, and helmets are included.

For more information on the bikes or other rental services, visit the Rural River Rentals website.