| Maintenance.
Skibike
maintenance prior to your departure, and in the ski resort itself
is often over-looked. A skibike like any other piece of equipment
needs to be maintained if it is to perform to it's maximum capabilities
and provide you with a degree of reliability and safety. It has
to be borne in mind that even the gentlest of pistes are not completely
flat and level, and can place considerable stress on all the moving
parts of your bike. A little time spent checking out all the various
bits and pieces prior to your departure can save you a lot of time
in the resort.
The
main points to inspect are ski and footskis for signs of wear on
the soles and edges. Also check for delamination - most modern skis
are made of various plastic laminates that are bonded together -
they are very robust and flexible but have been known to delaminate.
This severely weakens them and also affects the overall performance
of the skis.
All
skibikes have some type of suspension. This may take the form of
mini shock absorbers of the type now found on mountain bikes, leaf-type
suspension which can be seen on some types of Brenter snowbikes,
and Koni-type shock absorbers which can be found on Flashmann Skibikes.
They all play a vital part in the performance of your skibike and
should be checked out thoroughly prior to your departure.
The
skibike is held together by a variety of nuts, bolts and screws.
These should be checked for tightness but remember not to over tighten
the screws and bolts that retain the skis to the frame as this will
crush the ski laminates and severely weaken the ski. We usually
carry a small quantity of similar screws and bolts to the ones used
on the skibikes, it doesn't happen very often but we have known
the odd one to fail. There is nothing worse than having to foot
ski down the mountain carrying your bike over your shoulder because
your front ski came loose.
It makes
good sense to carry a selection of small tools that can be carried
around in a 'bum bag' or strapped to the bike; these are useful
for running repairs and for making any necessary minor adjustments.
Gail
& Mervyn.
Skibike
Travel Bags.
For
security and safety reasons most UK Air Lines require skibikes and
their accessories to be bagged, or covered in some form or other.
You can make your own bags using heavy duty cloth or canvas.
If you
decide to make your own we suggest you avoid using zips of any kind,
they are not durable enough and soon fail, use eye-lets instead
they are cheaper and far more robust.
You
can if you prefer not to go down the DIY route do as we did and
go to your local tent repair/sales specialist who will usually save
you the effort, costs will vary from company to company, but bags
can normally be acquired for a reasonabe fee.
The
purchase of one of the many monthly caravan & camping magazines
will usually provide a suitable supplier.
Another
consideration is how to secure the various pieces of your skibike
within your bag. Ask skibikers how they do it and they will all
come up with different ways of achieving this. Some of the more
popular ways include: electrician's tape, Gaffa tape (Duct tape),
rope and string, they all work but with the exception of rope and
string they are not reusable so a fresh supply has to be packed
ready for the return journey. We prefer a different approach, "Bungees".
The picture shows a complete skibike including footskis plus a spare
front ski, spare pair of handle bars and a bum bag containing tools,
all secured using just 5 bungee straps, total cost £1 from
a high street £1 special shop. Granted they only last 2 or
3 seasons due to the ski edges tending to chafe them after a period
of time. but at that price its not an issue and a piece of card
placed between the ski and the bungee reduces the problem considerably.
Mervyn.
New
From Old.
Normal
skis that have been cut-down in length can, at a pinch, be used
to replace broken or damaged skibike skis. Unfortunately they neither
look the part or perform as well as those designed for skibike use,
they do, however, make " very good foot-skis " Have you
seen the price of new foot-skis these days?" A peek in the
rubbish containers of a resort's ski shops will usually provide
something suitable for our needs. You require a pair of skis that
have a sound and reasonably undamaged front section of approximately
60/70cm (we take a small junior hack saw with a couple of spare
blades on holiday, that way you can cut them slightly over-size
then do the final work and add the bindings on your return home.)
It is also worth looking out for second-hand junior skis that are
for sale; children grow out of them as they do with shoes. They
can be found quite cheaply abroad and the bindings suit our needs
admirably. The pair shown in our picture were bought in a French
flea-market for around £10.
Construction
is fairly simple and not beyond the scope of any one able to use
a saw, tape measure and screwdriver. It may be well to "remember"
though, that when finished, your new foot-skis may not have the
ability to cater for the large variety of boot sizes that commercial
foot-skis have! We suggest you set the bindings to a mid-point size
before actually cutting your skis to size.
It is best to mount your front bindings first - as close to the
toe of the ski as possible, but still on the flat of the ski. When
you are happy with the alignment, drill pilot holes for the screws
using a fine drill. Then screw the binding to the foot-ski using
suitable screws - the original screws will probably be fine but
will be too long and come completely through the ski. This is not
a problem, just carefully file or grind the excess off to a flush
finish.
When
you are satisfied with the mounting of the front bindings and that
they are secure, place your chosen ski boot into the front binding.
Slide the rear binding under the heel of the boot and mark the back
edge of the binding on the foot-ski. Also mark where to drill the
mounting holes. Now cut both foot-skis to this length and finish
by smoothing any rough edges with a small file. Drill the marked
holes and mount the rear bindings as you did the front bindings.
Hey presto, one pair of cheap foot-skis.
There
are some who believe that having footskis which are over-long are
an aid to skibike control. We believe this to be incorrect. If you
are a racer or contemplating it, then consult the appropriate rules
for racing dimensions.
Mervyn.
Water-Proof
Clothing.
When
you go on holiday for two weeks, the ocasional day of adverse weather
is not too much of a problem, a day off the mountain when it's a
white-out suits us fine, it gives us the oportunity to look around
the village and explore even further afield. On the other hand if
we are only skibiking for a week and loving every minute we spend
on the mountain, then a sudden dump of snow can spoil things a touch,
you do get wet, you can get cold, and after an hour or so we usually
wish we had stayed in the hotel bar. You can of course do what we
did, and visit your local "Famous Army Stores" (now Called
Millets in some areas) and purchase a cheap pair of rambler's over-trousers
and a lightweight Kagool, they weigh next to nothing and take up
very little room in the suitcase. They keep you warm and dry in
bad weather, and more importantly save you the trouble of having
to hunt a warm place in your hotel where you can dry your ski clothes,
remember to select a size which feels comfortable when worn over
your normal ski clothes though. There there can be a small amount
of condensation which may occur on the inside due to body heat but
this soon dries out after an hour in your hotel room. After a while
even expensive ski gloves seem to lose their ability to repel water
and even on fine days you do at some point have to handle your wet
skibike. We have found that a can of fabric waterproofer (Grangers
Fabsil) does the trick, a word of caution though, use it prior to
your departure as it is flammable and you are unlikely to be allowed
to tranpsort it on a plane.
Gail
& Mervyn.
Ski
Mittens.
I must
confess I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to extremes of temperature,
and often suffer with cold hands, even when wearing high quality
ski gloves. I found the answer to my problem in Cervinia (Italy),
it was minus 26c on some days. Ski-mittens are the answer - they
are ideal for skibiking, they afford your hands protection from
the cold handle-bars but still allow a comfortable grip. I have
never had cold hands since that holiday.
On seeing
my tip regarding ski mittens, a winter sports addict asked the question
"What do you do if you don't like wearing mittens all the time
but feel the need for them in poor weather conditions? After all,
they can be bulky to keep in your bum bag on the off-chance the
weather turns bad."
Why
not do what I did, buy a pair of high altitude over-mittens, the
type they use on K2 and Everest etc. They are designed to go over
your every-day gloves and are thin and light in weight, but are
water & wind repellent, yet allow your hands to breathe. This
cuts down on moisture build- up around your hands. They cost approximately
£27 in the UK, but if you check out your local camping shop
they can be found substantialy cheaper.
Whilst
we are on the subject of cold weather, you may find it useful to
keep a pair of Hot Gel sacks in your bum bag for emergency use.
They are easy to use, to activate them just click the metal tag,
hey presto instant heat that will last an hour or so. To re-use
them you just boil them in water for 15 minutes and then let them
cool, they can now go back in your bum bag until you are ready to
use them again.
Mervyn.
Handlebars.
Normally
skibike handle bars are around 22" (56cm) in width. Take the
grips off and increase the width to 24" (61cm) (your local
welder will usually oblige.) We have found this to improve stability
in high speed turns and edge stops; whilst you are having this done
throw the old grips away and replace them with the type used on
MTBs, the ones with the raised inner edge, they help to quickly
and accuratly relocate your hand.
I was
recently asked how to remove the old grips without damaging them
so that they may be used again should the need arise. Fill a bowl
with hot water containing washing up liquid, immerse the handlebar
grip for a few seconds then gently push a small diameter rod such
as a small meat skewer (in this case I have used a small pozzy screwdriver)
and gently work it from side to side to allow soapy water to enter
the inside of the grip.Remove the pozzy or meat skewer and then
gently twist the grip which will turn and slide off the handlebars
without damage.
Mervyn.
Foot-Ski
Safety Straps.
Most
modern foot-ski bindings include automatic breaks to stop your foot-ski
disappearing down the piste if it comes off, but they still can
travel a considerable distance and usually end up in deep snow and
prove difficult to find. I use old fashioned safety straps, they
are cheap, and if my foot-ski comes off it is there at the side
of my boot, no digging in deep snow for me.
Gail.
Todays
modern ski brakes have made the use of safety straps by ski enthusiasts
pretty much obsolete which has made them rather difficult to purchase
in ski shops. This is borne out by the number of e-mails we have
had requesting possible sources of supply within the UK. You are
far more likely to find supplies in the ski shops of the resorts,
but "they" no longer see the need for them so supplies
are fast running out (as I found to my cost in the winter of 2002)
- so if you do locate any I suggest you purchase a couple of pairs,
they last for a considerable number of years so two pair will keep
you safe for a long time. My alternative is shown in the pictures.
I broke
a strap in the winter of 2002 and failed to find a replacement pair
in the resort. I failed to locate any in the UK so here is my solution
to the problem. Purchase a pair of dog leads/leashes of the thin
nylon web variety, cut them to a suitable length allowing sufficient
for fixing to the footski; you can cut them with a hot knife or
use scissors then seal the end using a cigarette lighter. How you
attach them to the ski binding is dependent on the type of footskis
you have, in my case I have attached them through a thin slot at
the rear of the footski using a knot. When I have put my footskis
on I pass the the lead/leash round the boot and clip it to the tail
end as shown.
Mervyn.
Handle
Bar Stem.
After
many years of riding Brenter Snowbikes and getting my ski suit dirty
with grease from the stem, I sat down and thought about the problem.
Here is my solution and it works for me. Clean the stem of all grease
and de-grease with a solvent or white spirit, you now can rub the
stem with skiwax block. This works just as well as grease but does
not stain your ski suit. It needs more frequent applications but
that's a small price to pay.
Gail.
Indian
Rope Trick.
Even
the most seasoned of skibikers will at some point have struggled
to negotiate the dreaded Drag-Lift, or T-Bar as it is more commonly
known. We have tried all the more common techniques with some degree
of success but find this to be the best for us so far.
You will need about 1 metre of lightweight cord or rope (the type
used for drying clothes on is more than adequate.) It should have
a small loop at one end and a knot at the other; you attach the
cord to the centre stem of the handle bars with the small loop,
make a loop of around 8" (20 cm approx) and wrap the remainder
of the cord around the right handle bar leaving enough to go over
the handle bar grip, normal pressure is all that is required to
hold it there. The T-Bar pick is placed through the 8" (20
cm) loop by the lift attendant and off you go up the track sitting
on your skibike. At the top where the track flattens out you let
go of the cord with your right hand, this allows the cord to unwrap
from the handle bars which releases the pick. Put the cord in your
pocket and off you go.
Tony.
Over
Night Storage.
After
a good day skibiking it is very tempting to dump the skibike outside
the hotel for the night and head for the nearest apre-ski bar -
bad move, dumping the bike that is (going to the pub we are all
in favour of but it has to wait.)
Apart
from the security aspect there is another point to be borne in mind.
During a day of skibiking a percentage of the snow that gathers
on and around your skibike parts will turn to water. This in itself
is of no detriment but it can reach places where it is not welcome,
then come nightfall when the temperature drops it reverts back to
ice and expands in the process. I had a very uncomfortable morning
skibiking whilst waiting for the rear suspension to thaw out, and
saw a front-ski totally ruined because water had penetrated the
ski mounting holes and froze overnight causing massive de-lamination
of the ski. Store it in the ski room and all will be well.
If you
must leave your pride and joy to the overnight elements then at
least stand it upright so that most of the water drains to the ground
and out of harm's way.
Mervyn.
CB
Radio.
How
many times have you sent a member of your party down the piste to
find a suitable location for some action shots, then waited 15 minutes
to allow them time to set the camera up? We used to but not any
more - many things have become standardised in Europe including
the radio frequencies used by CB radios. On our last trip to the
Alps we found these little hand held Walkie-Talkies to be invaluable
for such an occasion. In days gone by UK skibike instructors were
required to carry pencil and paper to relay messages down the mountain
and a whistle to attract attention in an emergancy - maybe this
is a better alternative. Brian the boarder used his to keep in touch
with us while doing his off-piste explorations, and Lynn found she
could talk to us while soaking in the bath in her hotel room (bruised
knee after a minor scurmish with a mogul) We were at the top of
the Zwolferkogel at the time, about a mile from the hotel and some
900 metres up the mountain.
We found
the range of these devices to be quite good considering the terrain
they were used in and they only needed 1 recharge during our weeks'
stay. They can be purchased individually, in pairs or in our case
a 4 pack which came complete with nicad batteries and chargers (Argos).
Gail
& Mervyn.
Door
Wedge.
On a
visit to the Alps I was asked by a skier what the funny little wedge
on my back ski was used for, "Tele-Cabins" I said. This
tip cannot be used on all tele-cabins I should add, its use is dependent
on the geometry of each individual tele-cabin (the lift attendant
will usually advise you.)
It annoys
us when we have to drag all our skibike into a tele-cabin when there
is a perfectly good ski rack on the outside. The picture explains
it all, the wedge just helps to keep the heavier skibikes in a more
upright position. I have not fitted the wedge to Gail's skibike
because it sits perfectly in most racks without Gail even having
to take the front end off as I have to do.
Ps:
The wedge is a domestic rubber door wedge.
Mervyn.
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