Warm Hands

Hi all,
If you have read the Hints & Tips page of our website you will be aware of the problem I have keeping my hands warm on those cold days when the snow is falling and the sun is hiding behind the thick clouds. You will also have read my solution to the problem, "over mittens" as used by climbers of the Everest kind, not very glamorous but they do work.

A recent Christmas present leads me to believe there may be a more glamorous alternative in the form of "North Face" ski mittens, the type without inner fingers are the ones recommended. Couple these with a pair of pure silk inner gloves and you are ready to roll. I'm advised that this is a winning combination, or so the sales girl in our local ski shop would have me believe, she is a seasoned skier/boarder so I've no reason as yet to disbelieve her. However a few test runs to work on my motorcycle will be a stern test, 0 degrees centigrade at 40 miles an hour on my bike = a wind chill factor of around -54 degrees centigrade.
Both these items can be purchased from the winter sports clothing company Ellis Brigham.
http://www.ellis-brigham.com/
http://www.thenorthface.com/
I'll keep you informed of my tests and conclusions. A happy and prosperous New Year to you all.
Regards Mervyn.

Do It Yourself

Hi all,
If you wish to try skibiking in an unconventional way and happen to have an old bicycle lurking in your garden shed then this may be the answer you've been looking for, an element of DIY is called for though. How does it ride? Well you will have to contact Oblongata for the answer to that question. What will the European ski lift attendants think of it? Probably not a lot!
http://www.instructables.com/id/EIPRYOA60REV2Z4M07/
Regards Mervyn.

Looking for Something Different?

The Snow Carving Tri-Ski System.
After five years of testing on ski slopes in Switzerland and Austria, this three ski glider is available for the first time in the U.S., enabling skiers of all levels to slalom down slopes with minimal practice and without the need for bindings, boots, or ski poles. As you turn the padded handlebars that control the front ski into the direction of a turn, the positive cambering of the back skis provide a wide base for side-to-side movement, allowing you to lean into each turn without the fear of falling that accompanies snowboarding or traditional skiing. The elevated platform ensures your feet are positioned correctly to create a wide skiing base, while the handlebars keep your weight forward and your shoulders facing downhill to provide optimal center of gravity. Unlike snowboards or traditional skis that are tethered to your feet by bindings and rigid boots, this snow glider can be ridden with snow boots or hiking shoes, providing more control by allowing you to dismount or mount at any time. The device rests comfortably between your legs when riding a ski lift and you can walk between the two tail skis while pushing the handlebars to easily navigate snow trails and ski lodge traffic. The frame is made from a lightweight yet durable aircraft-grade aluminum and the skis are Euorpean-made, wood-core shaped. The unit folds to fit in an included bag for ease of travel and storage. 48" H x 75" L x 26" W. (29 lbs.)
http://www.hammacher.com/

Video Online

Hi all,
Have you ever wished you could publish highlights of your favourite skibike video online, so that all the world can view it, but you do not want the hassle of creating a web-site to show it? Then head on over to http://www.motionbox.com/, where you can do so for free, you will need to register but this also is free. There is already some skibike footage in the site.
Mervyn.

Jet Power Rules OK

Hi all,
Sliding down a mountain on a skibike takes some beating, but this guy seems determined to do just that. Head on over to http://www.jet-man.com/ for a closer look.
Regards Mervyn.

Season's Greetings

Hello to you all,
We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, we hope all your ambitions are realised in the coming year and all your skibiking exploits are memorable ones.
Gail & Mervyn.

Magic

Hi all,
I'm sure we've all done it, slide down a mountain with the MP3 player blaring out the latest flavour of pop music into our ears. I know I have, and I'll bet there's more than one of you out there listened to ELO in such circumstances, I certainly have, and what am I leading up to you ask? "Magic" is the answer; the tribute band Magic who mimic the band Queen so well have hit the road again with their new tribute to ELO, and if past performances are anything to go by they must not be missed. The show is called "A kind of ELO" and they are currently touring the UK so keep an eye on the local press for gigs near you, you will not be disappointed.
Mervyn.

A thought

Hey,
Just visited a site that claims a bad days skiing is better than a good day at work, after a micro second of thought I concluded I would reluctantly have to go along with that statement.
Mervyn.

Tony & Sheila Goodridge

Hi all,
Gail was talking to Tony Goodridge yesterday evening. Tony & his wife Sheila are good friends and seasoned skibikers; Tony is a founder member of the Yorkshire Ski-bob Club and was for many years an active member of the SAGB committee. We hope to meet them in the near future to catch up on old times and hear all the latest news, so we may have a new picture of them for the Blog very soon.
Gail & Mervyn.

Links Clean-up

Hi all,
We've added a few more websites to the Links Page in our site, but while doing so we found a few links that go nowhere, so probably now will be a good time to have a clear out and clean the page up a bit. If you have spotted links that are defunct, or know of new ones suitable for inclusion then drop us a line.
Regs.
Gail & Mervyn.

Is it goodbye

Hi to you all,
Over the years we have had great fun compiling our website, our only regret is the lack of feedback, so we thought it would be a great idea to make life a bit easier. Now you can reply to articles (posts) on this blog site, and in the near future probably post articles under your own name. This begs the question, if we were all able to add to this site so easily, would you feel the need for the News and Views page in our web-site to continue? Does it go, or does it stay? The choice is yours.
Gail and Mervyn.

Speed Skiing

Hi all,
We have added a few more web-sites to our links page at www.skibikers.tk/ , although they may not be directly related to our sport, we believe they will be of interest to you. The new links are about speed skiing and in fact our own sport has a champion in this field, "Romauld Bonvin" (Switzerland) who is the current world record holder in skibike speed skiing. Romauld can be found in the Records Page of our web-site. The new links can be found under Speed Skiing in our Links page.
Gail & Mervyn.

Hello Cutie 1975

Hi to you all,

While doing a little pre-Christmas clearing out (why do we get the urge to perform such tasks at this time of year?) Gail & I came across this old post card buried at the back of an old writing desk, its dated 1975 and the message is in German, but other than that we have no information on its history, and we cannot recall how it came into our possession, do any SAGB members, or FISB members have any recollection of it?

A larger version, including the back face can be viewed in our Nostalgia page at www.skibikers.tk

Regards.
Gail & Mervyn.

Snow Cams

Hi everybody,
Do you prefer to see for yourself what the current weather conditioins are in your chosen resort?
Then Snow-Eye may be of interest to you, we have added a link to the site in the weather reports section of our Links page at www.skibikers.tk
Regards.
Mervyn.

Snow at last

Hurrah!
The snow's arrived in Europe today! It's been a long time coming, but it seems to have hit in force, and the good news is that there's even more forecast for the weekend.
The Edge.