FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Updated 11-2017
How to ride the Skibike?
We published a training video under /impressions/ which shows you how to learn riding a Skibike .
How long does it take to learn Skibiking ?
We believe that for normally skilled people it takes about one week to become a good Skibiker. If you go mountain biking in summer you should be able to carve a blue to medium red slope right away. To cope with steeper or icy slopes longer exercise is
The model Racer Light - Is it better for me?
It is a classic Skibob which should be run exclusively with foot skis . With the order of the Racer Light you may order foot skis for a special package price. A pedal assembly is not possible with this model. This model has no foot rests at all. Despite other manufacturers we decided to leave them off to further reduce the risk. For riding a Skibike you will have to be encouraged. You need to be ready to trust the gear and be "free in your mind" to go for the ride. As soon as you discovered that it is safe and that all crash scenarios actually do not exist you will enjoy the freedom of not riding with small skis attached to your skis. But if you are an absolute Winter Sports beginner or are seeking for a more easy to learn winter gear, the Skibob is probably your better choice. Due that ridden with foot skis you have more "points on the ground" and by shifting the weight form the main to the foots skis it is more easy to drift the rear ski.
Leash the Skbike?
We strongly recommend NOT to use a leash when riding our Skibikes. This has the reason that you will hurt yourself when falling at high speed and being bound to a gear which then will rotate around you with knife-sharp edges (the skis). If you will be asked for a leash from lift/ resort stuff please show them how far your Skibike will go without you. It will drop immediately and stop. A Skbike has some exposed parts which will dig into snow and even ice and so stop it from sliding. Also the skis will not stay in a line anymore as soon as you get your Hands off the handle bar. They will also hinder the Skibike to slide.
Delivery time
We ship with DPD – Deutscher Paket Dienst- www.dpd.de . Delivery takes place after payment on the following working day . You can count in general with 3-4 working days delivery time in Europe . If you would like to have a tracking number for parcel tracking, please send us an email. If delivery takes longer , do not hesitate to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +43 (0) 2252 909110 – please speak to the tape, we call back for SURE .
How satisfied are the customers?
You can surf the internet and you will notice that our company has been existing for many years, and since then it is in the business of the production of Skibikes and now has more than thousand SATISFIED CUSTOMERS. The reason is that we work on any complaint immediately and try to achieve 100% satisfaction. If you have a problem, please give us a call and we will take care immediately .
I want a mountain bike suspension fork – why does SH only have these ” swing arm forks ” ?
We know that for design reasons mountain bikers would find a suspension fork far more sympathetic, but be advised that we have already tried with the result that those forks are not suitable .
The special construction as a fork arm the suspension of the Freerider mainly contributes to driving safety when riding over rough terrain and jumping . During compression , the front ski pushes forward. By this, the steering angle remains constant, and it prevents that the rider “going” over the bar . This is pretty likely if you use a standard long travel MTB fork in a MTB-Frame with a steering angle over 72 degrees. Because you miss some height of the front wheel the steering angle becomes close to 90° or even above. Then you "highside" which is the most dangerous crash scenario. So we decided to maybe look different but provide extra safety which is absolutely necessary. This is also the reason why our Transformer Kit (Skibike Conversion Kit) has probably the highest adaptors (triangles) on the market.
Transformer 1.1 Mountainbike Conversion Kit
Why we offer such a kit? Easily explained: The guys from Bullskate Swiss developed the best kit and asked us to manufacture it - here we go! With this kit you can transform your MTB in a hardcore Skibike. It consists of the Adaptors (triangles) which have different axle options to choose from. There are 20mm/ 110mm (Downhill fork) and 15/ 100mm (Enduro/ Freeride forks) for the front axle. Also 12/ 150mm and 12/ 157mm to meet DH-Bikes rear axle standards and 12/ 142 to meet the Enduro Standards. Please not that we do NOT offer a Boost Standard Version (front 15/110mm, rear 12/148mm).
The best suitable Mountainbikes being transformed are Downhill-Mountainbikes with a steering angle below 70 degrees, a rear travel of 150+ mm and a Bottom Bracket Height of 330 to 370mm (in relation to the travel). Also some long travel Enduro or Freeride Mountainbikes might be good enough. Please do not go for All Mountain or even Cross Country Mountainbikes. The geometry of such bikes is not suitable and you will end up frustrated.
Please note! Our conversion kit has no ski retention mechanism. Which means that it is not ready for big jumps. The adaptor is hold in position by friction from the axle to the bushings. So if you jump off and get a kick on the ski it will remain in the position also when landing!
Buy a Skibike or convert my Mountainbike?
Well up to your preferences! One myth to be destroyed: It is not cheaper to convert a Mountainbike. You need the kit, a Mountainbike and a lot of work! And please do not choose your beloved carbon rocket. It will suffer a lot when being transported on the lift. Take your old ride and convert it into something individual and cool! We would say Individualism should be the driver to go for such a project. If you want to jump on a well working machine right away: Buy a Skibike!
Stand Up Riding - the new way!
With our new model 5.2 we changed the geometry, lowered the foot rests and made them super wide and biiiig! All this leads to the excellent Stand Up Riding Performance of the new model. So when riding the steep or off piste, stand up! The extra freedom of movement gives you a lot of balance. With short skid turns you can now push the Skibike left and right and control speed easily.
How good is it carving with the Sledgehammer Skibike?
It is the best! Lean in, leave pressure on the outer foot rest, like riding a Motocross Bike end enjoy high speed turns. Even on packed slopes! You just need to trust the gear. As long as you do not steer there is no thread of crashing. The worst that might happen is that you loose the edge grip and slide away. But nothing will happen! Highsiders are a result of steering. Do not make it! Leave the handle bar as straight as possible and enjoy massive cornering forces. You will not start grinning - promised!
Foot skis, yes or no?
We have deliberately chosen to develop a full suspension sports equipment, because it makes no sense to keep a piece of sports equipment with suspended saddle in the hand and at the same time to ski, as it is the case for the devices with foot skis . When riding the Sledgehammer Freerider #5 you stand on the footrests and the shocks will be absorbed in a perfect way by the suspension. Of course, who wants to ride with foot skis can do so. They can be ordered in our shop.
Foot skis help to keep the balance – no question! But they have no impact during cornering, as you might think skis normally do. They only serve as a support and thus give the rider safety. The foot skis offered are high quality wood core foot skis.
If you decide to go with your sledgehammer with foot skis , DO NOT mount the pedals. This can lead to injury. The platform pedals are part of the delivery and should then simply NOT be mounted .
How do you brake ? By pressing the boots in the snow like tobogganing . This is a very efficient method for braking. But you should also have the right boots too! Please do not take boots with smooth soles! Best suitable are soft – snowboard boots. The other possibility is to slide/drift the Sledgehammer like breaking with skis. Please take a look at our instruction video. NEW – We also have now the Skibike brake which is operated by hand and you can use it like on a Mountainbike.
Some details about the Skibike brake ?
We developed this additional brake to better control the speed during carving and to get the Skibike feeling closer to Mountainbiking. Especially when the snow is more icy you can reduce your speed quite fast. While some Skibikers like the pure feeling without a braking system we think it just increases the safety for unforeseen events. Also when the slope is steeper or more icy the brake helps. But be aware that the brake forces are different in every snow conditions.
Is the Skibike brake allowed by the lift operator ?
We tested the brake now for one year in various places and the lift operators in generally were very positive about the brake. Also one lift operator who has a Skibike just bought one. So we are optimistic that there will not be any issues. Don’t worry about the scratches the brake makes into the slope. Every ski carver makes larger scratches.
What is included in the delivery ?
The Sledgehammer is delivered preassembled in a box. Only the handlebars and the skis have to be mounted. To assemble the handlebar and the ski the appropriate tool is packed as well. Close the easy quick release – ready! Also enclosed is a detailed installation and operating instructions.
Can I do jumps with the Sledgehammer Skibikes?
Yes, you can because we sell Skibikes with a very good suspension, super fast ski retention (since the model 5.1) and a very strong frame. Though we strongly recommend not to jump the big park kickers. Please take it easy and start small. We find it best to build you own back country kicker and jump into soft snow. Push your limits slowly and enjoy doing tricks you were ever dreaming off.
Can you go on a T-bar lift?
No problem at all: stay in the track, take the T-bar and hook it into the anchor lift device (see instruction video). But very steep T-bars lifts should not be used because the forces may lift the Skibike upwards at the front. While driving just let your legs grind on the snow and keep the balance, or use the footrests. When you get off, simply release the anchor lift device..
Am I allowed to use Chairlifts?
Because honesty prevails and we want to have satisfied customers we would like to draw attention to the guidelines for the use of lifts in Austria ( and most of Europe).
A Skibiker without foot skis is , according to the Ministry of Transport a pedestrian, and may also be transported by chair lifts who are allowed to transport pedestrians, which means that they have to have an extra pedestrians exit. Approximately 50% of chair lifts have such exits. Nevertheless, it is up to the attendants to allow but also to restrict using the lift with a Skibike. The Skibike must always be hung only on the outside of the armrest chair, and the closed bar should also block the bike. Avoid the side of the chair where it can collide with a lift pillar. Please keep in mind that you hold a piece of sports equipment in your hands!
Never loose the bike on the chair.! If the Skibike falls from the lift it can cause serious injury to people beneath. If this explanation is not clear to you, please take look at the instruction video or contact us before using the device!
For the US Skibikes are permitted in certain resorts. Please find out at American Skibike Association - http://www.americanskibike.org/ - but also contact them on Facebook. As our community is great, you will get an answer to your enquiries promptly. In the US it is common to use leashes (Anti Drop Devices) when using chair lifts).
There is also the European Skibike Association providing lots of information about Skibiking in Europe and also holding events yearly. Please check www.europeanskibike.com
Gondola / cable car Transportation?
The use of cable systems is not a hindrance, but even here the lift attendant has the right to prohibit the ride. Therefore, our experience – and as already mentioned we were never prohibited to the ride – get on the cable car with self- consciousness , coolness and be relaxed. For this you should already know how to do it. Who is afraid of doing something wrong, it is the time to ask the friendly lift attendant to assist you.
Probably there will be no problem to use your Skibike on all your lifts. But according to the regulations of transport, it is finally up to lift operators will.
More questions, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.!
We look forward to every question!
The Sledgehammer Team