Bikes on Skis?

An Introduction to Ski Bikes

By Glenna Kunkel

There’s a quiet revolution happening at ski resorts around the USA.  Skiers and snowboarders may soon have to make room for a recently revitalized alpine sport on their local ski hill.  If  you are not careful, you may find yourself part of the revolution too.  What sport could possibly get skiers and snowboarders attention?  Ski biking.

If you’re saying “What’s a ski bike?”, you’re not alone.   

Background

Ski bikes were first commercially produced in Europe in 1949 by the Brenter family in Austria.  They spread to ski resorts around Europe and were featured in a short segment of the 1965 movie “Help”  starring the musical group The Beatles.  Ski bikes or alternatively  known as skibobs, eventually reached the USA in the 1970’s.  Skibobs had a brief period of popularity in the USA but eventually faded into obscurity and were banned from many U.S. ski areas. 

Several types of ski bikes

Traditional ski bike designs or skibobs have changed little since they were first introduced in 1949.  They have a bow shaped frame with skis attached to the bottom.   The frame has a long moto-style seat that riders sit on while riding the ski bike.  Riders wear short foot skis that can be used as balance outriggers and extra braking power.  Riding a traditional ‘foot ski’ bike is very similar to riding a bicycle. 

About six years ago, individuals with backgrounds in mountain biking, motocross, BMX, and dirt biking decided they were tired of hanging up their bikes for the winter.  In desperation, a few decided to mount skis to mountain bike frames.                                                                               

Thus, peg ski bikes were born.

Peg ski bikes look like downhill mountain bikes with shocks on the front forks and on the back frame of the bike.  Instead of foot skis, peg ski bikers stand on pegs attached to the bike frame where the crankarms would normally be attached.  One controls and steers these ski bikes by turning and tipping the handlebars yet, still using basic skiing and snowboarding mechanics.   The shocks and higher center of gravity of peggers allow a wider range of freestyle maneuvers  and technical riding than the traditional foot ski bike.  Anything that can be done on skis, snowboards, or a downhill mountain bike can be performed on peg ski bikes.  Terrain parks, jumps, half-pipes, bumps, and trees are all fair game.

Safe

Skiers and snowboarders who have never seen ski bikes before often think they are unsafe and uncontrollable.  When I’m asked how they are stopped, I often ask them “How do you stop your skis or snowboard?”.  Ski bikes use the same principles of stopping and turning as skis.  You stop by turning.  Ski bikes can perform quick hockey stops.  I’ve observed that the majority of first-day traditional foot ski bikers are much more in control than many skiers or snowboarders with several years under their belts.  Peggers aren’t too far behind the traditional foot ski bikers.

Learning to ski bike

If you can ski or snowboard, learning to ski bike will be very similar.  One big difference, you’ll experience much less falling and a shorter learning curve.  Traditional ski bikes are just like riding a bicycle.  If you can ride a bicycle, you’ll be comfortable steering one of these in 100 yards with some simple instruction.  Peg ski bikes are a bit more technical and require a few hours of instruction to be comfortable on them.  With either style ski bike you can be cruising down beginner or intermediate slopes on your first day.

Adaptive ski biking

Ski bikes have been used for many years at the National Sports Center for the Disabled at Winter Park Resort in Colorado to help those with physical limitations to get out on the slopes.  Skiers and snowboarders with blown knees and those who find standing up extremely painful will find that ski bikes are the perfect solution to staying pain-free out on the hill.  Ski resorts that normally ban ski bikes from their slopes will issue adaptive permits to ski bikers with a letter of medical limitations from a licensed medical doctor.

Restricted

Unfortunately, ski bikes are now banned from most ski resorts.  Ski bikers face many of the same obstacles that snowboarders did in the mid-1980’s.  Most ski hills require that you take lessons and earn a ski bike license before being allowed to rent one or take one on their slopes.  Ski bike licenses are generally honored between ski resorts that allow them.  More ski resorts are allowing ski bikes as ski bikers work with resort personnel to work through lift loading procedures and any safety concerns.

Where to rent ski bikes

Ski bikes are generally only available for rent by the ski resorts who allow them.  It’s best to call the individual resort and find out if they allow ski bikes and any restrictions.  Major ski resorts are changing their policies so their current policy may not be on their website.

Where to buy ski bikes

The ski bike industry is so small that most ski bikes are bought directly from the manufacturer or the importer.  There are currently two major importers of commercially made traditional foot ski bikes from Europe.  Peg ski bikes are a home-grown American sport.  There are now a few commercial manufacturers of peg ski bikes in Utah, California, and Colorado.  There are a few companies building ski bike conversion kits in Colorado and in Vermont.

Where to get ski bike information and meet ski bikers

http://americanski-bike.org/home.php

http://www.ski-bike.org/

Manufacturers and importers

http://www.lenzsport.com/SkiBikes.html

http://www.koskisnowsports.net/

http://www.gearysnowbikes.com/

http://www.a2xtreme.com/2000/0068.htm

http://bikesonsnow.homestead.com/

http://skibikefun.com/

http://www.skibike.us/

http://www.snowbike.us/w-usa.htm