Dear Gail & Mervyn


I have been told that I can’t take my bike as it is “not allowed under local law”. I take that to mean not that ski bikes are banned as such, but rather that they don't know what one is, so don't know whether to allow them or not. The resort in question is Fondo Grande, near to Folgaria in Italy and I am going there 1st week March. I am resigned to not using my bike this year, but my ski club does favour this resort, so it is worthwhile for me to put some effort into getting ski bikes accepted there.
In your experience, what is the best way to go about it? Appeal to the skilift authorities direct? “Sell” the idea to one or more ski hire shops? (How?) Encourage a manufacturer to sell the idea to one or more ski hire shops? (How?) I have considered the idea of taking my bike, with the specific aim of showing the skilift authorities what it is, but I am hesitant to do so, for 2 reasons. 1: I am not very practised, so might not make a good advertisement. 2: it's a lot of effort, for unknown reward. (As a group of disabled skiers, we already have quite a bit of kit to transport so leaving the bike at home is a bit of a relief).

I'd appreciate your thoughts.

Kind Regards,

Barrie Luck.

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Hi Barrie,

It’s not unusual for resorts to ban skibikes purely because they have not heard of them. We usually send the resort a link to our website at http://www.skibikers.tk/ so they can check out the sport for themselves, we think the best way to get their attention is to go into the resorts FaceBook account (most resorts have one these days) and you will find a link to it in the resorts website, and ask them the question! We find this route seems to catch their attention better as FaceBook is quite new and trendy.

We will add your email to our News Blog, there may well be skibike fans out there with a different approach.

If however there "are" local regulations which ban the use of skibikes then there is little that can be done by skibike fans.

BLESMA may also have some ideas for you.  Let us know how you get on.

Regards Gail & Mervyn.