You know that feeling when you just get into mountain biking and, suddenly, the season is over. Or you just can’t bear the fact that winter will be with us for some more weeks with the spring season endlessly shrouded behind snowy clouds and heavy mists…
The problem could be solved by a brand new gadget’s called the Hillstrike. It’s not only intended to strike the steep slopes but also it looks like a trike with little detachable skis instead of wheels. Although there were several attempts to approximate mountain biking to some new activity on snow, most of the solutions lacked the bike-like feeling, geometry, and handling.
Unlike any other machinery from the past, Hillstrike features what we like when it comes to bike control: the handlebars, upholstered seat, and even platform pedals. Even though the pedals wouldn’t spin, each of them is positioned at the same level where you can normally find the crankset so the ride should feel similar to what we know from cycling as it has the same centre of gravity. And also, the pedals are fastened to the elastomers, allowing rider to shift weight more efficiently.
The greatest similarity to mountain bike construction lies within the steel frame. While inspecting it, we couldn’t help not to remember the “SMX” winter tricycle – a similar product introduced a couple of years ago by the Norwegian company North Legion. Maybe the guys from Slovenia have just followed up from the point where the Norwegians ended, with just one major difference: while SMX featured a rear suspension with a coil spring, the new Hillstrike is based on a hardtail frame fitted with pivots enabling the rear axles to lean to the sides for smoother turns on the slope.
For even more comfortable rides, there’s also the suspension fork made by Rock Shox, which helps to absorb bumps and hits. The trike is designed to be used on any kinds of ski lifts. To prevent uncontrolled ride, the system includes safety leash that would stop the trike immediately if the rider bailed from it, so there’s no need to worry about the safety of baby skiers around.
Supported by a Kickstarter campaign, the company has started to produce Hillstrikes in 2016 and this year their product was awarded at the international ISPO sports equipment exhibition. Its weight is close to 15 kg and it’s on offer for 1,900 EUR. You can find more details on the official website: Hillstrike.com
