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!
