In honor of all the unusual weather this Winter, I have been conceptualizing a binding to hybridize a mountain bike, and a snow board. The idea is to connect your mountain bike to an old used snowboard. The board acts similar to the ski of a snowmobile, in that it would hold up to a bit of wear and tear on the pavement but you would need to avoid it; or just replace the snow board when it burns out. Watch all the study models where the bike and board sit at different pitches and angles to get an idea what it would be like to ride this monster. When the trails have 6" of snow, the snowboard keeps the bike afloat while the bike tire keeps the bike moving forward. I am most interested in seeing what it would be like to ride down hills, trails and groomed runs (like when the ski resort closes after 4pm and a rider could get one last work-out before the sunsets on cat tracks etc). Riding your bike in the snow works, it just doesn't float and the rider falls off. The foot print of the snowboard not only keeps the rider afloat but also provides balance. Rideing down a slope will take an understanding of edge control and how a snowboard works. But in full glory the riding experience would be incredible because, you would be both, controlling the bike, and riding a snow board..
The reason for this posting: I am currently looking for investors and riders to build prototypes and conduct test rides in the Lake Tahoe area, the R & D would ultimately result in a product, a binding, $150-200 retail, for sell in bike and ski shops.
Please email if interested investing or working on the project.
This concept is copyrighted by Curran Starkey,
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