A lot’s happened since last we spoke….

Sooooooo I’ve been a little negligent about keeping up with this blog, but in all honesty it’s partly because I’ve been waiting for the remaining parts needed to complete this masterpiece.  One of my coworkers, Chris, also works at a bike shop and hooked me up with some handlebars, a repacked headset, and a different seat and some new front shocks that are way better than the Rock Shox that came with the frame.  The idea I had for a banana seat was a good one, but it was going to take a lot of modification and I didn’t feel like getting that involved in something so trivial.  After all….I don’t think I’ll be doing much sitting while riding anyway.

SkiBike v1 minus skis

Just when I was about to go crazy from the suspense, I received got word from Matt Hanson that he had finished the conversion kits and would be shipping them out to me early December.

Hanson Ski-MX Conversion Kit

They arrived, as promised….front and rear fork mounts and foot pegs to replace the bikes bottom bracket.

Rear Fork Mount of Matt Hanson's Ski-MX Converstion Kit

The pre-drilled aluminum mounts match perfectly with the 4×4 pattern of Revel8 skiboards.  The mounts came with double-sided tape (?), which clearly wasn’t going to be enough to keep the boards attached.  A trip to Home Depot was in order.

Machine Screws Not Included

Loctite Thread Locker Blue

I also picked up a tube of Loctite Blue to help insure that the screws don’t loosen from the normal vibrations and/or periodic crashes  Make sure that you use the Blue though if you ever want to get the screws out.  Loctite Red will permanently lock those screws into their threads.

Right-angle Screwdriver

I also picked up a right-angle phillips screwdriver.  Clutch.

A few flicks of the wrist and my KTP’s are securely mounted.  I also found a taller set of BMX handlebars on eBay and decided to swap them out to give me a little bit more of an upright riding position.  Viva la SkiBike!

SkiBike

SkiBike

Now all we need is some snow!  Stay tuned for some action shots!

One More Piece of the Puzzle

That’s right, congratulations!  Shot in the dark as to whether this banana-style seat is actually going to fit and work properly on The Swine Flu Rider (aka bike1n1).  The key is going to be the actual length of the seat and if it will extend out over the top crossbar far enough.  I suppose if it’s a complete failure I can always strap it to Max and ride him around my livingroom….

First Step: Acquisition

The idea to build a SkiBike was a good start…..but obviously not enough to get me on the snow.  I needed parts.  One thing I knew…I was going to use my Revel8 KTP skiboards that I already owned as the skis for the bike.  These 101cm skiboards have wider bases and an extra set of inserts which should give me a lot of flexibility to handle almost any terrain.

I found a full-suspension Trek VRX 4000 mountain bike frame w/ front fork on Craigslist that was well within my budget.  It’s going to need some work, but hey, this IS a project, right?  The frame itself is actually in pretty good shape as is.  I may mess around with different coils for the rear shock, but that won’t be till after I get out on the snow and see how the rear suspension handles.

First priority was cleaning up the front fork, which was covered in rust and, not unlike Amy Winehouse, was in desperate need of some rehab.

Luckily, it wasn’t as bad as I thought.  A little Naval Jelly rust remover, some emory cloths, and a good amount of elbow grease had it shining like new again.

After polishing it up with the Fine emory cloth, I sprayed it down with some rust inhibitor to protect it from the beating Mother Nature is sure to give it this winter!

And so it begins….

What is a Skibike you may ask?  Merriam-Webster’s dictionary definines bike as: bicycle (which is annoying).  They in turn define bicycle as: “a vehicle with two wheels tandem, handlebars for steering, a saddle seat, and pedals by which it is propelled.”  They also define skis as: “a pair of narrow strips of wood, metal, or plastic curving upward in front that are used especially for gliding over snow.”  Now…use your gifted senses of imagination and smash the two of those thoughts together in your head.  This is a Skibike.  Or just look at the picture above.

Inspired by riders such as Brandon Schmit, skiboards from Revel8, and a Dr. Frankenstein-like urge to create, I have decided to build my own Skibike.  This is my story.