Ways to Get Around in the Snow
0 comment Tuesday, May 6, 2014 |
While I've proudly been touting my thoughtful use of cyclocross tires as means of snow travel, Darin Schultz has been working on an alternate solution, his 4D SnowBike. I ran into Darin as I was coming back from a half day skiing at A-basin. I saw something in the trees at the bottom back country parking lot on the Loveland Basin side of Loveland Pass. When it jumped halfway across the road behind me, I decided I needed to stop and investigate.
The innovation is that this apparatus clamps onto any mountain bike, and slots cut into the snowboard part allow the wheel to spin (with paddles on it) and get traction in the snow. According to Darin, it can go uphill too.
Just the other night, Brendan and I were talking about how Surly had all but cornered the "snow bike" market with the Pugsley. I may have to re-evaluate.
Any interested parties can find Darin in between Keystone and Loveland living out of his RV and doing backcountry trials this weekend. He said he'd let people try it out, and will be selling about 20 kits this coming year. I know what I want for christmas.

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