North Legion SMX snow bikes

PB Forum :: Canada - Central
North Legion SMX snow bikes
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Posted: Nov 23, 2008 at 11:43 Quote
Well considering that a while ago when snowboards just came out, they weren't allowed anywhere but now look at where snowboarding is. It blew up and I don't know of any ski hill that doesn't allow snowboards so I can bet money that the same thing will happen with the North Legion SMX within a couple of years!
flag ceff
Posted: Nov 23, 2008 at 12:56 Quote
... I don't even think it will take a couple years to reach the resorts in Ontario. If anything Blue MIGHT have them next year as far as I know with strict restrictions (don't get your hopes up). As for smaller resorts like Lakeridge or Dagmar it could take longer as I haven't gotten any replies from them.

If there is enough interest in the sport, I'm assuming resorts would start bringing the sport in.
flag lucky-7
Posted: Nov 23, 2008 at 13:01 Quote
dirtjumper25 wrote:
kk. I might have to email them though.
One of my friends baught one. He called and emailed almost all of the resorts in Ontario/Quebec region. Let me talk to him and Ill tell you who allows them
flag cmarwood
O+
Posted: Nov 23, 2008 at 14:25 Quote
I'm not sure if i posted this already before but I emailed mt washington and they said that they are looking into allowing them
flag laurie1
Mod
Posted: Nov 23, 2008 at 14:50 Quote
The main problem that resorts are dealing with in regards to snow bikes is the lack of a braking mechanism. For example, if a skier falls and the ski pops off there are brakes that automatically deploy when there is no heal locked in. The ski may slide for 50 feet but it will come to a stop after a minute or so of gliding. Snowboarders have leashes (or, at least they should have leashes as they are pretty much mandatory everywhere if you have step-in bindings) and on regular bindings, it is next to impossible for a runaway snowboard event to happen unless the snowboarder is riding it like a toboggan which will get your season's pass revoked for x amount of days or lift ticket cut and you escorted off the mountain.

With a snow bike, because of the tricks (spins), a leash cannot be connected to the rider. How would one stop a runaway snow bike like the SMX weighing in at 45 pounds when there are young skiers that weigh about that much skiing and snowboarders that sit on the mountain to take a break and are literally, sitting ducks? There is also no braking mechanism on these to my knowledge but I have not seen an SMX in person. I just know what I see in the annual safety reports put forth by the people in charge of the day-to-day operation of the mountain and these are concerns that have to be addressed. There are also issues with liability and how to get them on a chairlift without impeding the people who are on the chair with you. Ski resorts always want to keep the lines moving with full chairs when it is busy and when there is a snow bike; one less passenger can be sent up. Also, there are concerns about the safety bar not being able to be put down with the snow bike on the chair causing a liability issue in addition to the liability of having people ride them with skiers and snowboarders. There also would have to be a way in which to tie the snow bike to the chair in order to prevent them from falling. I am not saying this will happen but it is a concern. After all, ski patrollers’ toboggans have to be tied off to the chair before it exits the station/passes the lower safety bar sign and can only be undone when you are at the top unloading station and inside the roped off area under the chair. Finally, a lot of resorts are trying to limit the amount of severe trauma issues they see and the snow bike doesn’t seem to contribute to that mentality. Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR) has replaced all of its tables with small kickers (they are pretty much like a little bump in the snow) and all the raised rails are now just inches off the ground. This was done because the parks are where most of the incidents involving ski patrollers to respond are isolated to. I would say close to 70% of all calls involve an injury in the park. Get rid of the parks and focus on teaching kids how t do stunts rather than just going big or going home will apparently reduce the number of injuries.
flag ceff
Posted: Nov 23, 2008 at 14:58 Quote
laurie1 wrote:
SNIP!!

With a snow bike, because of the tricks (spins), a leash cannot be connected to the rider. How would one stop a runaway snow bike like the SMX weighing in at 45 pounds when there are young skiers that weigh about that much skiing and snowboarders that sit on the mountain to take a break and are literally, sitting ducks? There is also no braking mechanism on these to my knowledge but I have not seen an SMX in person. I just know what I see in the annual safety reports put forth by the people in charge of the day-to-day operation of the mountain and these are concerns that have to be addressed. There are also issues with liability and how to get them on a chairlift without impeding the people who are on the chair with you. Ski resorts always want to keep the lines moving with full chairs when it is busy and when there is a snow bike; one less passenger can be sent up. Also, there are concerns about the safety bar not being able to be put down with the snow bike on the chair causing a liability issue in addition to the liability of having people ride them with skiers and snowboarders. There also would have to be a way in which to tie the snow bike to the chair in order to prevent them from falling. I am not saying this will happen but it is a concern. After all, ski patrollers’ toboggans have to be tied off to the chair before it exits the station/passes the lower safety bar sign and can only be undone when you are at the top unloading station and inside the roped off area under the chair. Finally, a lot of resorts are trying to limit the amount of severe trauma issues they see and the snow bike doesn’t seem to contribute to that mentality. Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR) has replaced all of its tables with small kickers (they are pretty much like a little bump in the snow) and all the raised rails are now just inches off the ground. This was done because the parks are where most of the incidents involving ski patrollers to respond are isolated to. I would say close to 70% of all calls involve an injury in the park. Get rid of the parks and focus on teaching kids how t do stunts rather than just going big or going home will apparently reduce the number of injuries.

How is it done in B.C? Don't they just hang the bike by its front or back wheel on a hook on the side or back of the chair? This would definitly work for a snow-bike only weighing what? like 35-40 pounds? you could still fit 3 people onto the chair without having to worry about loosing that precious "valuable space".
flag laurie1
Mod
Posted: Nov 23, 2008 at 15:03 Quote
The rim on a bike acts as a good anchor for a hook. Where is a good anchor point on a snow bike? There is not a loop to hook it on.
flag ceff
Posted: Nov 23, 2008 at 15:07 Quote
laurie1 wrote:
The rim on a bike acts as a good anchor for a hook. Where is a good anchor point on a snow bike? There is not a loop to hook it on.

The frame...

Also...

With ski resorts bringing the SMX snow-bikes into the limelight, there will be ABSOLUTE strict restrictions on the use of them. Helmets, goggles, and some sort of armor are definitly going to be enforced and without following these precautions the resort would have full authority to suspend you from their slopes for the remainder of the season and possibly even charging you with endangerment to others on the mountain/hill/resort. I was talking with the manager of a local resort today and he also said that riders above the age of 16/17 that take AND PASS WITH 70% OR HIGHER a special skills/technical test will only be allowed onto the mountain. Therefore this will ensure that proper cornering, stopping and rules and regulations are met while riding at the resort.

Jeff.
flag laurie1
Mod
Posted: Nov 23, 2008 at 15:18 Quote
gibson243 wrote:
The frame...

The frame is made out of a rounded tubular material which makes it difficult to hang compared to bikes. There are also a lot of younger people who ski/board compared to riding and sometimes, the young ones require a lot of time to get on to the chair limiting the time an operator has to hook a snow bike on to the chair and making sure it is secure. Most ski resorts only have two lift attendants per lift one at the top and one at the bottom. Sometimes, there is a temp that will fill in for a bit so you can warm up, go to the bathroom, or take a quick nap/get food and bevvies. Adding snow bikes would require a minimum of three lift attendants. One to deal with the chair (slowing it down, stopping it, etc.) and another to hook on the very limited amount of snow bikes. The queuing stands (metal barriers) would also have to be adjusted so that a ski bike would fit through them and this might cause people to be lined up incorrectly when the chair swings around as they might completely miss the chair because they aren't lined up directly for them. Don't get me wrong, I am all for bringing them on board once they figure out the answers to all the concerns/questions that were posed by employees, managers, ski patrol, and the operations crew.
flag ceff
Posted: Nov 23, 2008 at 15:28 Quote
This is true. But what is a wheel? Is it not basically a round tubular device? The SMX has many points at where it could be "hung/mounted" onto a lift. Looking at the SMX right now i could spot at least 4 different mounting positions to where a ski resort could move these snowbikes up the mountain on the lift. Have you seen the amount of workers at ski resorts doing nothing? I sure have, and even adding two more people to a specific lift area is not hard. If that worker/lift attendant has proper training and the knowledge of how to mount the SMX onto the lift there should be no problems with anything. The lift might be a little slower, their already crazy fast anyways. Therefore if all the attendants know that their doing the process could and should move along perfectly smooth without any problems. And before I get the "...what if the resort doesn't have enough time to train them" speech I would like to point out they have an entire three seasons to figure that out. Whenever it may be.
flag guancho-libre
Posted: Nov 23, 2008 at 15:35 Quote
ok laurie you just got beat, and they are designed with a leish and i don't see how it would get tangled.
second they are designed to go on chairlifts safley, end of that
third there is an emergincy brake system to keep them from sliding down the hill if you bail
flag lucky-7
Posted: Nov 23, 2008 at 15:45 Quote
If you have ever seen how snow chairs for handicaps go on the chair lifts, its the same thing for the smx.
flag laurie1
Mod
Posted: Nov 23, 2008 at 15:55 Quote
The wheel/rim is like an oblong shape making it easy to hook on. The tubing on the SMX is perfectly rounded and therefore, a lift attendant would have to make sure it is secure as it will more than likely be a very tight fit around the SMX’s frame. Also, a regular bike will lay flat against the chair when it is hanging and the SMX has a weird design (basically like a GT snow racer) that may cause one of its skis to interfere with a passenger on the lift. As well, hanging these on a chair has to be done in such a way that it won’t impede rescue efforts if people have to be rope rescued/repelled down if the chairlift breaks down. I know this doesn’t happen often but when it does, it will have to be dealt with. Most resorts plan for massive worse case scenarios so they are prepared anything and everything. I am well aware of how much employees at resorts do/don’t do as I have had the pleasure of working at them as an instructor and patrol. Snow bikes have not really caught on. I remember when they were at Sunshine Village and Norquay (the kind where you wore snowblades with them) and they had huge rental fleets of like 20+ bikes and they never caught on. Even on free demo days, there were still lots of them sitting on the racks. The idea simply didn’t fly. Training the staff isn’t an issue at all. It is getting the ok from the CEOs in charge and the panel of board members that have the ultimate say.
flag guancho-libre
Posted: Nov 23, 2008 at 15:59 Quote
xt-shreder wrote:
ok laurie you just got beat, and they are designed with a leish and i don't see how it would get tangled.
second they are designed to go on chairlifts safley, end of that
third there is an emergincy brake system to keep them from sliding down the hill if you bail
flag dirtjumper25
Posted: Nov 23, 2008 at 16:04 Quote
To get on a lift with the snow bike, you lift the seat up and put it where you would sit and then you sit on top of that. Also, I got a defineit yes for edelweiss in Quebec and Someone told me something about Calabogie renting em but I dont think thats true.

 


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