This is one of the coolest things we’ve seen in a while. Generally, the best way to do some mountain biking in the winter is to grab yourself a fat bike. But what is the snow is to deep? Or you want to try your hand at biking down the local ski resort? Try out a Hillstrike SnowStrike Rev-17.
These kinds of unusual hybrid rides have been getting more and more popular lately. (Remember the DTV Shredder? )This totally rad mountain bike/snowboard/ski combo works like a snowboard or pair of skis – but with pedals. The two rear skis function like skis, while the front ski serves to steer and help it crank out turns on the snow. The downhill pedals don’t actually serve to power you or get speed, but rather provide grip and control that make it feel almost like riding a bike.
The Snowstrike body is made of aluminum, while the three detachable, custom-designed, directional 35” skis have wooden cores with steel edges, and removable urethane pivot stabilizers. There are RockShox Recon heavy-duty shocks on the front to absorb bumps and jars, and make tackling rough terrain effortless, and the rear skis feature an articulating system that helps simulate the action of skiing. At the same time it – kind of – simulates the feel of mountain biking. There’s a safety leash that keeps the ski-bike safely attached and close to you, should you go flying off or take a tumble. Most of the parts (handlebars, fork, pedals, rubber joints, etc) can be replaced over time as they wear, or when you want to customize your ride to your liking.
Learning exactly how to ride it still looks pretty challenging to us, but you can probably learn. You probably won’t be tackling any Double Black Diamond’s on this thing, but it promises to be a heck of a lot of fun.
