Ski Mountaineering Bike ski mounts

[tahoebc]

I came across this ski mountaineering bike set up, sounds like if there is enough interest they will go into production this fall for these ski mounts, if interested you should contact them though there website. Seems like a pretty cool design if you have tech bindings.

They promptly returned my e-mail, This was the response I got

"I'd be happy to answer any questions on the ski mounts. They're super solid. Really, the only possible modifications I might make are room for a longer ski (currently 188 cm is the longest they'll reasonably fit) as well as a wider ski (currently 125 mm under foot is the widest they will fit). Anyway, call me on my cell (303) ***-**** and we can chat a bit if you like."

http://boobicycles.com/ski-mountaineering-bike/

[BillyFromTheHills]

Kind of a niche market? Too funny....

[MattB]

Pretty cool IMO. Definitely a niche market, but there probably is a market.
I usually just ride with my skis on my pack when I do that, but it can be cumbersome. Or with Nordic skis in a DIY PVC pipe carrier.

[BillyFromTheHills]

We used to call them bike racks....they did sell pretty well, come to think of it. You going to buy one?

[MattB]

I have a bike rack, but the skis don't attach so nicely so I put them on my pack. But no, I don't think I'll buy one. I usually have to drive to ski and only get the luxury of bike-served skiing once every few seasons so I don't need a specialized rack. If I lived in Crested Butte I might.

[polemonium]

Interdasting.

Here is a pic of my improvised mount from a recent trip. The idea is pretty simple: old school MTB with a standard Blackburn rear rack, the skis and poles are strapped along the top tube and rack, a bag with extra gear is bungeed onto the rack, I wore the backpack with the ski boots strapped to it. It worked pretty well and the skis aren't too much in the way. The entire set up is a little tail heavy and riding up a steep road with washboard was tough, I had to walk the bike up some steeper parts, but that's life. Even pushing the bike was easier than walking up the same road with everything on my back, and of course coming back down was a blast.



The actual skiing was not to boast about but I may try to get a picture TR put together anyway.

[thornton]

it's a great use of ice screws and means to grind down the tails of your skis on rocks/boulders. plus it'll make your butt look big.

[tahoebc]

I've done up to 9 miles with skis on my back on a bike and really dislike it, I would get one of these in a heartbeat if they became available. I don't think scraping the tails would be much of an issue for me as I'd really only be riding up roads, plus they can work as a big kickstand

[cesare]

I don't always take my bike when I go ski mountaineering, but when I do I prefer to carry two 70 m ropes, a dozen ice screws, a pair of Blade Runners, and a pair of Quarks you know, just in case.

[James]

I don't always take my bike when I go ski mountaineering, but when I do I prefer to carry two 70 m ropes, a dozen ice screws, a pair of Blade Runners, and a pair of Quarks you know, just in case.

Yea but do you have a Salsa seat clamp that matches your rope and carabiners so well?

[thornton]

the axes are permanent (welded), right?!

i think polemonium's mounting style is useful. i've tried a long climb with skis and boots on my back (on a single speed) -> no bueno.

[tahoebc]

In an unrelated note I looked a little more at that AluBOOYAH frame, did anyone else notice that sucker uses Bamboo, they claim It’s stiffer than aluminum, and absorbs shock four times better than carbon fiber.

More info from an e-mail exchange, sounds like they are shooting for production in the fall.

"As far as tail drag on the skis, I haven't done anything serious yet (that's happening in mid-April when I get home and off the road). However, I did take it on a pretty good ride, and I really leaned into all the corners trying as hard as I could to catch skis--I never did. I have the La Sportiva Hang5s in a 188, and they are about 1/2 to 1 inch lower than the pedal is at its lowest point of travel, which means that if the pedal is clipping, my skis are clipping as well. This is potentially one of the changes I will be making in going from prototype to product"

[TheWheel]

BooBikes. Fort Collins born and bread.
Another idea and Ft. Collins Co.http://www.carverracks.com/

[thornton]

In an unrelated note I looked a little more at that AluBOOYAH frame, did anyone else notice that sucker uses Bamboo, they claim It’s stiffer than aluminum, and absorbs shock four times better than carbon fiber.

i'm not on the up with bamboo bikes, though, i have seen them around in the wilds of bay area hipster-ville. an old friend who worked in the industry had one several years back that he seemed to enjoy. he thoroughly enjoyed the koolaid and was not associated with the company (i.e. not pedalling and pushing a product from his company to friends - puns all intended). looking at that aluboo bike and my not too intimate obs of the bamboo bikes that i've seen in person, i'm curious about the joint between the alu and the bamboo. the bamboo bikes that i've seen have what looks similar to a lug at the joints that is bulk and overbuilt-looking. i've never looked close enough into the technology to determine how much of the lug joint dimension and design is function and how much is cosmetics.

you should go for it!

[BillyFromTheHills]

I've got plastic strips that look like bamboo glued to my bike...I get to look like a hipster without those questionable joints.