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Custom SkiBikes

For some riders, a stock manufactured bike just doesn't make it happen. There has always been a need among humans to express individuality, to attempt to improve upon the status quo, to engineer a form reflecting the imagination of it's creator. As Sinatra would say: "I did it my way"...  

 

If you have constructed a custom bike, submit a photo and description for publication on this page.

I'm looking for bikes that are either ground up custom designs or substantially modified production units.

 

 

 

To exercise the imagination to create

Velocity>>>

Owner & Designer: Rod Ratzlaff

Completed: December 06

 

      I have ridden Brenter C-4's for many years, and own several. To date, I have ridden 16 different skibikes, including most of the current offerings, and I have never found any other bike that handles as well for my purposes. I'm a tree hound and I value agility above all else, and these bikes are masterful in the woods and other advanced terrain. But, like anything else, there's always room for improvement.

     This bike is essentially a complete custom frame and rear suspension setup, with a Brenter front-end, handlebars, seat, skis and rear ski hub.

     The first order of business was the frame. There's a price to pay for lightness, and in the case of the C-4 it's a thin [steel] frame that has been known to sometimes crack and break, although I've never personally had any problems. Aluminum was the material of choice, for light weight, corrosion resistance, and for the fact that it doesn't require painting. I have always admired the single beam construction method, and elected to utilize that design for it's strength and simplicity. Another advantage of the low frame-tall seating platform architecture is an extremely low center of gravity. The dimensions are modeled on the C-4, which I felt were pretty much optimal. It was a challenge to find a competent fabricator with aluminum tig welding capability, but after much searching I found a custom bicycle frame builder to assemble my design. The downside is that good tig welders tend to be very pricey, ouch...

       The rear swingarm is custom milled billet aluminum with oil impregnated bronze bushings. The rear ski hub features adjustable pivot limiter tabs to facilitate the very desirable "floating" ski feature. I now utilize an air shock, instead of the spring version pictured. The stock Brenter rear suspension is quite cushy and comfortable, but is devoid of rebound damping. My objective here was to tone down the "bounce" utilizing a standard rear shock absorber arrangement, and to enhance the overall slope-ski interaction by converting to "ski" suspension instead of "seat" suspension.

       The sliding [aluminum] seat bracket adjusts fore and aft, while the [aluminum] seat pedestal can be sized to accommodate rider-height.

      I added some small foot rests. It's quite convenient and comfortable to be able to rest your legs while gliding across the flats. Brenter is the only European manufacturer that does not integrate this feature.

      I elected to add a brush-swirl finish for visual effect. There is a removable milled plastic cap on the rear of the rectangular tube frame which allows ballast weight to be added for competition purposes.

The complete front-end can be easily removed for ease of transport.

     My objective was to retain the most desirable features of the stock bike, ie: light weight, super agility, adjustable seating, space under the seat for ease of lift loading and collapsibility for transportation. Then  add a stronger [non-rusting] frame, footrests, and a more sophisticated rear suspension arrangement. The end result has exceeded all my expectations. It weighs in at a remarkable 18.8 pounds, complete, which is slightly lighter than the [actual] weight of a production C-4. Turning ability, tracking and stability are quite extraordinary. The lowered center of gravity and suspension alterations have contributed to a noticeable improvement in these categories over the production model, more than I anticipated, actually. All course corrections seem effortless, almost telepathic. For me, she is truly a "magic" bike. I use the older 100cm Brenter straight(er) skis, which I much prefer over the new, short parabolics. They're faster, more stable, and much more predictable for the smooooth power-sliding that I love to engage in. I definitely seem to be in the minority with that preference, though. That's ok...

      This was a very satisfying, albeit sometimes frustrating, project. The result is a smaller bank account and a skibike with enhanced performance capabilities. The best part, though, is the feeling of accomplishment that comes with the completion of a creative endeavor. I really think of this as a work of art, like a painting, or sculpture. Michelangelo, eat your heart out!    ~R.R.

 

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