G. Kunkel
It took a loose band of skibike enthusiasts in Colorado, Texas, California, and a Colorado Ski Country USA media event to return skibiking to Eldora Mountain Resort just west of Boulder, Colorado. Great job everyone - it worked.
Eldora Mountain Resort used to have guided ski-bob lessons, rentals, and tours on their hill awhile back. Due to lack of demand or the lack of skibike innovation by manufacturers - Eldora dropped their program, sold their rental fleet, and banned skibikes.
Due to the surge in popularity of skibiking in the USA from recent innovations like full-suspension peg skibikes, there's now a demand for ski resorts permitting peg skibikes and the older style traditional ski-bobs.
Ski resorts with a downhill mountain bike trail system, communities with active mountain bikers, and bike parks are going to reap the benefits. Boulder, Colorado is a hub of mountain bikers and has the new and very popular Valmont Bike Park.
At a chance meeting with Rob Linde, the Chief Marketing Officer at Eldora, at a media-event before the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Expo in Denver, I let him know that many of my skibike lessons at Winter Park Resort were filled with people from Boulder. Most were frustrated that they couldn't skibike at Eldora.
Rob explained the history of skibikes at Eldora and then issued a challenge. Show the demand and he'd open the joint up. Get at least five skibikers to contact him and say they were coming to his resort this ski season.
The skibike troops responded and called Rob or sent professional emails. Got the green light yesterday.
Eldora Mountain Resort is now open to full-suspension peg skibikes and to traditional ski-bobs. I don't have all the details yet but I'll get them as soon as I can. I'm not sure if homemade bikes are allowed, leash requirements, license requirements, or terrain park access.
In the meantime, show some respect on the hill. Follow the Responsibility Code. People are also going to ask questions about your ride - lots of questions. You may get jealous looks or comments or hateful glances. The haters have mostly stopped at Winter Park Resort and don't exist at Arapahoe Basin. I expect most people at Eldora will want to hijack your ride.
Challenge to all skibikers out there - let's show this local ski hill some skibiker love. They opened the door - let's keep it open by giving them the business. Buy passes, buy lift tickets, buy food, patronize that awesome bar they have.
© 2011 G. Kunkel and A Colorado Skibiker Goes Skibiking. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to G. Kunkel and A Colorado Skibiker Goes Skibiking with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Buying a new ski-bob style skibike
by G. Kunkel
There are essentially two types of skibikes manufactured today - the traditional ski-bob style skibike and the peg style skibike. One requires foot-skis while the other does not. Which one you ride usually depends upon bike preference, age, medical conditions, physical fitness, or which style is allowed at local ski resorts.
There is an extensive list of manufacturers of ski-bob style skibikes in the world. You don't have to settle for the mass-produced, poorly made yellow ski-bobs found in most ski resort rental fleets when purchasing a personal ski-bob skibike. Many people have complained to me they look like lawn furniture too.
Check around and you'll find more durable and comfortable ski-bob models from manufacturers in the USA and Austria. Many can be found in new and used condition. You won't need to continually buy replacement parts from SkiBikeFun.com or other parts supplier either.
Great European ski-bob manufacturers include: Stalmach, Sledgehammer, Flachsmann and Crighton. USA ski-bob manufacturers include ShroomBob, and Lenz Sport. Some of these builders also build peg skibikes.
Stalmach website: http://www.stalmach.com/htm/skibob-snowbike.htm
(USA) Lenz Sport website: http://www.lenzsport.com/
(USA) ShroomBob website: http://www.shroombob.com/ShroomBob_Home.html
Sledgehammer website: http://www.sledgehammer.at/home.html?&L=2Flachsmann website: http://www.m-flachsmann.ch/
Don't let price be the entire deciding factor when purchasing a skibike. Spending a couple hundred extra dollars may give you a skibike with better suspension and be less prone to breakage out on the ski hill.
© 2011 G. Kunkel and A Colorado Skibiker Goes Skibiking. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to G. Kunkel and A Colorado Skibiker Goes Skibiking with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
There are essentially two types of skibikes manufactured today - the traditional ski-bob style skibike and the peg style skibike. One requires foot-skis while the other does not. Which one you ride usually depends upon bike preference, age, medical conditions, physical fitness, or which style is allowed at local ski resorts.
There is an extensive list of manufacturers of ski-bob style skibikes in the world. You don't have to settle for the mass-produced, poorly made yellow ski-bobs found in most ski resort rental fleets when purchasing a personal ski-bob skibike. Many people have complained to me they look like lawn furniture too.
Check around and you'll find more durable and comfortable ski-bob models from manufacturers in the USA and Austria. Many can be found in new and used condition. You won't need to continually buy replacement parts from SkiBikeFun.com or other parts supplier either.
Great European ski-bob manufacturers include: Stalmach, Sledgehammer, Flachsmann and Crighton. USA ski-bob manufacturers include ShroomBob, and Lenz Sport. Some of these builders also build peg skibikes.
Stalmach website: http://www.stalmach.com/htm/skibob-snowbike.htm
(USA) Lenz Sport website: http://www.lenzsport.com/
(USA) ShroomBob website: http://www.shroombob.com/ShroomBob_Home.html
Sledgehammer website: http://www.sledgehammer.at/home.html?&L=2Flachsmann website: http://www.m-flachsmann.ch/
Don't let price be the entire deciding factor when purchasing a skibike. Spending a couple hundred extra dollars may give you a skibike with better suspension and be less prone to breakage out on the ski hill.
© 2011 G. Kunkel and A Colorado Skibiker Goes Skibiking. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to G. Kunkel and A Colorado Skibiker Goes Skibiking with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Sipapu Skibike Rally - Save the date
There's a new skibike festival in town. This time in New Mexico.
The Sipapu Skibike Rally will be held at Sipapu Ski Resort February 4-5, 2012. Bring your own skibike and then try out the free demo's. Skibikers are welcomed with open arms at this New Mexico resort.
Randy Kimball is hard at work arranging everything. Riders will get lift and lodging package deals. Details will be firmed up as the dates get closer.
Need more information? Contact Randy through SkiBikeFun.com. SkiBikeFun is the largest used skibike retailer in the USA. He sells many different brands and models - new & used. He has a variety of new and used replacement parts too.
Learn more about Sipapu at http://www.sipapunm.com/
© 2011 G. Kunkel and A Colorado Skibiker Goes Skibiking. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to G. Kunkel and A Colorado Skibiker Goes Skibiking with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
The Sipapu Skibike Rally will be held at Sipapu Ski Resort February 4-5, 2012. Bring your own skibike and then try out the free demo's. Skibikers are welcomed with open arms at this New Mexico resort.
Randy Kimball is hard at work arranging everything. Riders will get lift and lodging package deals. Details will be firmed up as the dates get closer.
Need more information? Contact Randy through SkiBikeFun.com. SkiBikeFun is the largest used skibike retailer in the USA. He sells many different brands and models - new & used. He has a variety of new and used replacement parts too.
Learn more about Sipapu at http://www.sipapunm.com/
© 2011 G. Kunkel and A Colorado Skibiker Goes Skibiking. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to G. Kunkel and A Colorado Skibiker Goes Skibiking with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)