Ski Biking or Bike Skiing?

I was flying Southwest Airlines over the Thanksgiving holidays and while flipping through their Spirit magazine I discovered an article on Ktrak Snow Kit.  Here's an excerpt from the article:

"Turn your off-road peddler into a winter wonderbike. Give your mountain bike the ability to shape-shift into a snow-plowing, all-terrain riding machine. Just slide on Ktrak's heavy-duty replacement rear wheel, attach it to your seat post, adjust the included shocks, and enjoy 25 times your normal traction. The kit also includes a ski attachment that replaces your front wheel. Bolt it on and race to the nearest slope. You'll coast through groomed, packed, or fresh powder, where all you'll need is a little pedal power to blaze a new trail."

What a cool idea. Convert your mountain bike into a cross-country or downhill skier (biker?). Keep your front wheel on and add the rear traction attachment to ride on snowy streets; or remove your front wheel and add the ski attachment with the rear traction attachment for downhill skiing.

Imagine using this rear traction attachment on a snowy day in DC to commute to work? Or adding both the front and rear attachments for fun downhill biking (skiing?). I see a new extreme sport soon...

Bobbi Greenberg is the Director of Marketing for Arlington County Commuter Services

Comments

[Allen Muchnick]

In most years, there is no opportunity to use this device in Arlington, especially on roads. It snows much too little here! Year-round bicyclists know that once our roads are plowed for autos (usually from the first day it snows), one can readily bike there (but biking on Arlington's trails is a very different matter). Even during snow storms, ordinary knobby tires are generally more than adequate in Arlington.

Low-tech skiing is safer, simpler, cheaper, and more fun.

[Josh]

I'm wondering how you'd get this thing on a ski lift...