 Poster: A snowHead
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I have a friend who can't ski, she has a artificial hip and tried to learn to ski prior to knowing that she had to have her hip replaced, she ended up trying to ski in extreme pain because of the hip. So I don't think she will ever get back in to skis or learn to ski. So I've been looking for a way of getting her on the slopes, but without the need to learn to ski. So I'm looking at Ski bike rental, is there any companies that do this and is there any place you can get lessons on this. Place being Ideally Austral Ski Welt so I can train it from Munich.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@jackcards, What do you mean by a Ski Bike, is it this?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Quote: |
I've been looking for a way of getting her on the slopes, but without the need to learn to ski.
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When a young member of our family had broke his ankle shortly before a holiday and couldn't ski, we had an instructor (whom we knew) take him out on a "handiski". At blistering speeds round the mountain, but he'd have been happy to go much slower if necessary. It was a great success - but just for a couple of separate hours during the week. Same cost as a private lesson. Those ski-bobs look quite scary - and not easy for a non-skier!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Popular here, but not allowed on ski lifts.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@telford_mike, but presumably allowed on the trains, so the runs from Kleine Scheidegg down to Wengen (or from Kleine Scheidegg down to Grindelwald Grund) would be available?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@telford_mike, no brakes no otherwise effective speed control ... every time I've seen something like this I've just thought accidents waiting to happen.
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@rjs I think your are correct. The other things looks scary! 
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@jackcards, Make sure your Insurance covers it. When I last saw those things in action (the pilot had little skis on their feet like in the linked video), it looked like a short cut to hospital admission (either for the driver, or anyone they hit after losing control).
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Alastair Pink, yes, ok on the train, and also the bus to Bussalp in Grindelwald.
@under a new name, we had a race on these things a few years back. To the novice rider (me), they are an absolute death-trap on anything but a very gentle slope.
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I spoke to some guys using modern ski bikes a couple of years ago. They were basically trialling them for the resort but said that they were surprisingly easy to get the hang off and initiate turns but the nature of limited suspension and the fear of falling off limited tendencies to get into dangerous straightlining situations. I still try to give them a wide berth when I see them on the slopes because in general I reckon the sort of person who rents them is likely to be inexperienced or wanting to mess with them for a laff (not unlike seeing a snowlerblader).
There was a woman on here a few years back who was really into them.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Once rented one from a dodgy guy in a carpark in Verbier, La Tzoumaz he had an old Merc and was hiring from the back of his car, me and a mate had the best laugh, great fun but really dangerous and a sure-fire way to hurt yourself, or worse really fast. Never stopped laughing but safe it wasn't!
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I mostly see the owner of the shop in the link I posted using one but other people rent them as well, they don't look out of control.
My one thought would be that you are still using your legs a bit so it might still cause problems for a dodgy hip.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Dave of the Marmottes, Agreed regards snowbladers, or even more so Bigfoots, remember them from the 90's? Myself and Dan had such a laugh, ski boots on, pre-helmet days and banking/ carving around corners on fast open pistes, full-suspension, proper high end racing things - I suspect in hindsight they were likely a bit warm and weren't entirely ligit (cash only please lads etc, can't believe we left our ski's as the bond) but it was a great way to spend 2-3 hours on a late season afternoon rather than cruising slushy blues. No problem on the lifts, and they were proper 40-50  mph fast.....
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Thanks Everyone. That's a great help, I know it can be done, so we just have to get a good teacher. so I can bring her off to explore the mountains!
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Poster: A snowHead
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@jackcards, Not at all sure you’ll find any instructor willing to take those risks!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| under a new name wrote: |
| @telford_mike, no brakes no otherwise effective speed control ... every time I've seen something like this I've just thought accidents waiting to happen. |
I thought a lot of resorts had banned them for this exact reason.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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But wouldn't skiing, demonstrated by an expert, look equally easy to learn?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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But I think ski instructors would be out of a job pretty soon if technique was only
Knees together
Dip ear to shoulder
Look back uphill
Remember basics like balance are taken care of because people know how to balance seated on a bike.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hmm. I suspect it's harder than it looks, especially to stop, unless you already have a feel for edging skis. People know how to balance standing on their feet, too.....
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If you can ski and ride a bike, preferably fast then these are great fun….and highly dangerous. I doubt any lessons are available, they are the ultimate hooning machine and best avoided if of a nervous disposition.
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some of the lifties used them to great effect at Cairngorm in the 70s and 80s. Have hardly seen any since then. I think some of those may have been home made? They used to hook the tbar into the frame to get up the slope 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Peter S, T-bar? What's a T-bar? 
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I have Brenter ski bikes and use them regularly at Les Deux Alpes.
They are easy to ride once you get the hang of them. Much quicker to learn than skiing or snowboarding.
Contrary to popular belief the brenter ones combined with footskis are very controllable once you know what you are doing.
You can bimble around on them as per the moving your head onto the shoulder method but once competent there’s the counter steer speedway style sliding around corners method which is a massive hoot!
They are low impact on the user as well and poor visibility is not such an issue as they are so stable.
Nowadays there are both ski and snowboard boot mounting options for the foot skis.
As mentioned you need to check your insurance specifically covers them.
Not many resorts allow them which is a shame as they are a great option .
If you get a chance to try one do it you won’t stop laughing!
Try ski bike.net for more info
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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That sno-go looks pretty much like skiing with the advantages if always being in an effective stance and maintaining fixed angles on all the skis. Not sure how it would be easier on the knees.
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I’ve never tried one without footskis so I can’t be sure but a lot of the control of speed and stability come from the ability to use the footskis.Also they look quite unwieldy to lug around on crowded lifts
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