With the ongoing rise of ebikes, the uses for them are bound to expand. Enter snowboarders Jeremy Jones and Elena Hight. The two are using ebikes to access snowboarding terrain in early winter and spring. And ebikes may be the perfect tool for the job. Jones is known for his environmentalism. He’s the founder of the non-profit group, Protect Our Winters, which works to reduce the effects of global climate change. In 2010 he chose to forego the use of helicopters and lifts and started to access higher elevation with hiking alone. Until of course he started to use the ebike.
This isn’t the first use of the ebike as a ski/snowboard shuttle. Back in 2019 Scott bikes introduced the Sk-eRide. The inspiration was the same as Jones’. Approach the ski tour by bicycle rather than combustion engine.
“Satisfaction lies in starting your skitour at your doorstep. Doing the approach of a skitour by bicycle rather than public transport or your own car extends the adventure, while lowering your carbon footprint. When I did my first one I was looking for a way to combine my two passions : cycling and ski touring. For this project we wanted to use a Scott ebike as a base in order to make the bicycle part more fun, but also to enable you to go deeper into the mountains. Especially in springtime approaches by foot can be long-winded, with an ebike full suspension bike they actually become fun. The engine also easily equalizes the additional weight you carry with your ski equipment.”— Christian Holweck, Product Designer, SCOTT Sports SA
With ski passes heading towards the $200 per day region, many are looking for ways to make a day on the slopes cost less. Is a $10,000 bike that answer? Great question.
Obviously no one is accessing the top of Mont Tremblant by ebike. But in the west, with the right logging road, the right conditions, the right sense of adventure, this would be one fun way to access some laps.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…