There has been a winter sport that has been brewing under the surface for a few years now, and is set to explode on the scene properly this season. Snowbiking is basically the sport of travelling down a snowy piste on a modified bike. Chucking yourself down a ski run on a bike is nothing new, but the hundreds of people who tried it previously didn’t do too well on account of the fact bicycles rely heavily on good ground friction. For many years ski and snowboard fans have been working on advancing designs in the hope of developing something that worked. Sadly, many of the earlier models were bulky and difficult to steer, and it has only been in the last few seasons that a snowbike has been developed that really works.
The best snowbike on the market is produced by a Canadian company, and they are so confident that the sport will be a huge hit, that they are arranging the first even world championship for 2010. Rather than being built for tricks or jumps, snowbikes are normally purpose-built for control and carving ability. This will be reflected in the world championship events that will be based around slalom and speed competitions. Unsurprisingly, the best snowbikes available today take heavy influence from powered snowmobiles. They are lower to the ground than normal bikes and have a blade at the front of the bike attached to the steering column. This enables the rider to turn relatively sharply, but instead of having an engine at the back propelling the device, it of course relies on gravity to build up momentum.
Snowbike manufactures admit that snowbiking is not the easiest of extreme sports to master, but that it is well worth putting in the hours to master. Apparently learning how to snowbike shares similarities with learning to ride normal mountain bikes. Although a very different movement and balance is needed, once you learn the skills, it will be something you never forgot. You can get the snowbikes in a variety of sizes, including smaller bikes for children. A portable fold-up version of the snowbike has also now been made that can fit in a regular backpack.
There will be a temptation for many proficient snowboarders and skiers to tackle the hardest runs straight away, but manufacturers urge people to start of small and build up, no matter how good you think you will be. Snowbikes are much harder to stop than snowboards or skis, and if you haven’t mastered the technique you will not only be risking your own safety, but you may be endangering the safety of other winter sports enthusiasts also.
In fact there have been a number of ski resorts in America who have banned snowbiking from their slopes until they have done their own safety tests. Most resorts however are allowing snowbikers, but recommending that people take care when using them and when around other people using them. Whether ski resorts like snowbikes or not, it seems that the popularity of the sport will continue to increase and we could even see some big extreme sports brands enter the market very soon.
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