Ski Bike Leashes

By: R Kimball Albuquerque, NM

The type of ski bike leashes I am going to cover in this article is the type that are required by some resorts to tether the bike to the lift while in transport up the mountain. This is different then the type used by board style bikes to tether the bike to themselves as a retention device should the rider become separated from the machine on the hill. I will out line a few different possible ideas. This by no means covers all the creative knowledge and ingenuity I have seen from seasoned bikers and the devices they have come up with over the past years. It is a quick glance to get some of the creative ideas flowing.

To leash or not to leash....that is the question. Having to report to corporate America 4 days a week, safety is a major part of the way we do things. Do it safe or not at all. Not a bad idea if you ask me. With that said, several resorts do require leashes when riding the lifts. Some resorts can change their policies on any given day which can cause some grief for the unprepared rider. Simply said, you should always have one available and it would be a really good idea to use one if only to ensure a bike is never dropped off the lift adding a black eye and a I told you so to our emerging sport.

The Foot Ski Leash

While doing a ski bike demo at Sipapu Ski Resort in New Mexico, the lift manager pointed out to me that due to forest regulations my bikes would need leashes. He was very accommodating and supplied me with 6 of them for my demo bikes. Their system was a simple one. The used the nylon leashes that are used with most blades these days with non-releasable bindings. The leash as seen in fig #1, is easily attached around the neck of the bike (see fig #2) or on the frame. Once on the lift, simply clip it around the chair or cross bar to ensure the bike stays where it needs to. Sipapu resort actually tested it by swinging the bike off the chair. The bike hung there very well. This is my most favorite system as it is not to expensive and when you purchase them you get two of them. (Split with a friend)  I also like it because it is light weight and no metal parts to clank around on the bike while shredding it!