"As easy as riding a bike."
That's the slogan used by the Sno-Go ski bike company. And after just an hour of ski biking during a recent guided tour on the slopes of the Winter Park Resort in Colorado, I had concluded that Sno-Go was absolutely right.
Granted, I hadn't graduated off the green runs just yet. But as I guided my three-skied Sno-Go down the mountain, my turns were feeling smooth, I had ratcheted up my speed and concerns about how to stop had already been replaced by a desire to go steeper and higher. For the most part, I felt like I was skiing.
Ski bikes feature the handlebars of a bicycle but are propelled by gravity and, as the name implies, ride on skis. There's no pedaling involved.
Some ski bikes have one ski in front and one in back. Products designed by Sno-Go, which is the largest player in the market, have a tricycle design, with two skies in the back and one in front. There's no seat or brakes. Riders control the bike primarily by leaning right or left, which puts the skis on edge, similar to the dynamics of a traditional downhill ski turn. The handlebar is used to control the front ski, which acts like a rudder, stabilizing turns via slight counter motions to the back skis.
Riders can easily take Sno-Gos up chairlifts, loading the bikes during normal lift operations with the help of a horizontal arm that extends off its frame, not far below the handlebars.
Ski bikes are still relatively uncommon on mountains around the U.S., but their numbers are growing. Sno-Go currently has ride centers at 21 ski areas across the U.S., where either rental, instruction, tours or some combination of the three are offered. The company expects that number to reach 30 or more next year, said marketing director Garin Fons. Sno-Go also has approximately 30 dealers nationally, with expectations of taking that number up to 100 by next year. The large majority of dealers offer rentals, Fons said.
At Winter Park, half-day introductory and advanced Sno-Go ski bike tours are offered twice daily for $99 plus tax, with a cap of 10 people per tour.
Affordable adventure
A new Sno-Go user gets the hang of ski biking during a beginners tour at Winter Park Resort. Photo Credit: James Barks
James Barks, who guided me and my companion on our recent tour, explained that the price point is one of the tour's primary draws, especially for people making their first foray into mountain sports. Beginning skiers and snowboarders can expect to pay much more for the combination of a lift ticket, lesson and gear rental.
"It's a very inexpensive way to see if you like the downhill experience," Barks said.
Other common tour participants, Barks said, are individuals who want to be on the mountain but who haven't taken to skiing or snowboarding. For many people, ski biking has a fast learning curve. That's especially the case for mountain bikers, since techniques are similar.
A third target market for ski biking is established snow sports enthusiasts who have injuries or have developed medical conditions that either prevent them from skiing or snowboarding or have made those activities uncomfortable.
That's where I fit in. I'm a lifetime skier, but advancing osteoarthritis in my right knee has had me searching for alternatives this year. Traversing the mountain by Sno-Go didn't eliminate the pain; the trikes still require lateral movement for turning, which is what bothers me. But because turns are much less weight-loaded on a ski bike than on regular skies, it did ease the pain considerably -- enough to allow for lots of fun.
Building confidence and options
As we began our tour, Barks explained that many experienced skiers become comfortable on a Sno-Go within a couple of runs. Happily, that was my experience. At first, I struggled with the handlebars, turning them too much in an effort to guide the bike. But I quickly grew accustomed to making just subtle counterbalancing turns with that front ski.
After that, I was off to the races. Relying mostly on my feel as a skier, I pointed the bike more aggressively down the mountain, riding my edges for turns that felt tight and exhilarating. Soon, Barks had us on a blue run called Cranmer, and before our 2.5-hour tour was over, I had begun experimenting in the moguls that line the right side of the run.
I'm pretty determined, so I'm still hoping to find a way to hit black runs this year via skis alone. But now I can also think of myself as a ski biker, with a second appealing option for getting on the snow.