Ice-cycles: Bicycles adapted for ice quickly gain traction in bitterly cold Buffalo, New York

If it is possible for anything to be hot in Buffalo, New York, this winter, it's the newfangled "ice bikes" that debuted at an outdoor skating rink.

The bicycles on ice skates were an immediate hit when they glided onto the Ice at Canalside rink the day it opened on the city's waterfront.

Since that December day, the bundled riders who have ignored breath-taking cold to rent them have convinced inventor Lisa Florczak that she's onto something. That, and the inquiries from several other cold-weather cities who want to roll them out next year.

Ice bikes ride like a regular bicycle, only without the need to balance. They sit on a rectangular base with a blade replacing the front wheel.

The bikes rent on weekends only for $10 a half-hour.