Here you will find lots of useful information and links about the latest sport to hit the snow-covered mountains
of the world - ideal for all those who cannot ski or snowboard due to physical limitations or disabilitiies, or just
do not want to ski or snowboard, but still want to experience the delights of freely riding down all the same ski runs as
everyone else, as well as off piste!
All pictures curtesy of Brenter Snowbike®
If you have finally decided that skiing
is just too difficult, or you are just too fearful to carry on trying anymore, but you still want to enjoy the slopes
and everything else that a ski holiday offers, this is the alternative for you. Advantages: very short learning curve of 2
hours, no previous experience needed, no special equipment (just usual ski grear and ski boots), and you can use them in any
resort worldwide, that accepts them. If there is no hire shop in the resort of your choice, but they are accepted
on the slopes and lifts, the bikes can be transported to your hotel, or lodgings, from a central depot for
a small fee. If you want to check out which resorts are bike-friendly, and which offer renting and tuition, go to the English Brenter Snowbike website here . Email the contact first, and check where you can hire from, the costs involved and if the tourist office of the resort you
have chosen, still accepts the bikes - as laws do change! Sometimes the bikes are accepted on chair lifts and gondalas,
but not T-bars and Button drags, so do some research, the tourist office websites usually have contact details for the actual
lift companies and they are only too pleased to help. From our own personal experience, we learnt to use these in Obertauern, Austira, under the instruction of Ski School Koch. Obertauern is one of Austria's highest resorts, with a really good snow record from October to May. Historical records can be found here on snow-forecast.com. In this resort all the lift attendants are very obliging, even slowing lifts down if you are new to biking, but beware
of flat areas, these are labour-intensive wearing small skis, and having a bike to push...but this applies to all resorts!
Although there are other Snowbikes, Ski bikes and Skibobs, we can only recommend the Brenter one as this is the only
one we have personal experience of. It does what it says on the packet, and is very, very easy to collaps down, but we believe
others are not so. Make sure you use a style that has the small footskis, otherwise you will not be allowed to use the
lifts at all. Lifts in winter are geared for skiers, not foot passengers!
Wherever you go to bike, you will
need to produce a license to prove you have reached a safe level of competance using the lifts and on the runs; this
license will be issued on completion of your course. On production of this license, you will able to hire and use
Brenter Snowbikes anywhere in the world.
  These are the 2 types of short Foot Skis that are worn on the
feet; fixed bindings and step-in bindings (like the ones on skis) . These are adjustable to fit any size ski boot.
Obviously the release ski-type ones are easier use. The fixed ones require a strap to be worn around the ankle, as they
do not have any breaks and can run off when released from the foot.
Below are the 4 types of Brenter
Snowbike, including one for children. Each model has an adjustable seat hight, and they can all be quickly collapsed
for transport; even folded into a bag for air transport.
When you book an initial 2 hour intructional course,
you will shown how to all the various lifts in your resort, and how to collapse the bike for using on a gondala. You can also
have more advanced lessons to improve technique, but the basics will get down just about every pisted run you are likely to
want to do.
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Today´s Snowbike is the result of more than 50 years of research and development.
Weighing only approximately 7 kg, the bike has evolved into a high tech product, with remarkable riding performance, and easy
transportation features.
Here is some background information about the inventor and the products:
Founded in 1923
In 1923, Engelbert Brenter starts
his family business in Hallein (near Salzburg Austria) as a cartwright, manufacturing his first skis and sleighs.
Within the Brenter company history, more than 50 major patents and trademarks have been applied for to improve the evolution
of the Snowbike. From the very beginning with the "Sitzski" in 1949 all the way to the moderen active suspension
system, Brenter has always been the leader in this industry.
On March 10, 1949, Engelbert Brenter (born in 1887)
submits his patent for the "Sitzski" which is the origin to the todays Snowbike.
Built in the hometown of the famous christmas song "Silent Night, Holy
Night", the Brenter Snowbike
comes from Oberndorf (near Salzburg), the heart of the European alps.
Erich Brenter (born in 1941), the son of the company´s founder Engelbert Brenter, and his
wife Ranheid grew the company from its modest beginnings to a worldwide operation.
Erich and his Norwegian wife
Ranheid were the leaders of the the Brenter Snowbike Racing team in the 60íes and 70-ies winning countless trophies
and titles. Among them the European and World Championships.
Being not only a successful businessman and victorious
racer, Erich Brenter has always been the mastermind behind the desgin and patents throughout the company´s history.
Not only the Snowbike itself has been improved over the years.
The Brenter team, lead by CEO Dr. Bernd-Eric Brenter, also developed a new and unique teaching method: with the reflex based
"fun to learn" technique the learning curve is very steep. The Snowbike and this teaching method come as one unity.
See a Snowbike Rent & Learn partner station to check it out.
GUINESSTM world records approved
Vertical distance record on C4
GUINESSTM world records approved
SPEED RECORD
1964
in Cervinia, Italy. Erich Brenter sets the world speed record on his wooden Skibob with 166 km/h. This grants him an entry
in the "Guiness Book of Records". For more than 30 years this record was unbeaten.
107.400 vertical feet
62 runs within 11 hours NON-STOP topspeed 112km/h. Harald Brenter and Hermann Koch set up this marvelous record in Obertauern
on March 21st, 2007 both on their C4´s.
Links:
FederationI internationale de Skibob
Skibob Association of Great Britain
Skibob Association of Great Britain (2)
British Skibob Racing
Austrian Manufacturer of the Brenter Snowbike
Skibike Scotland run by Darren Walker
If you need more information, or want to join our mailing list for events & promotions,
e-mail us using the link below. There will be a link at the bottom of every page.
Hypnotherapy & Counselling for
the Nervous Rider. 'Confident Rider Series' of Self-Hypnosis CDs from Here To Listen, produced by Sharon Shinwell.
Dip Couns. Dip HP. Dip Sup. MBACP. Qualified Hypnotherapist, Counsellor, Sports Psychotherapist, Life Coach & Supervisor.
Tel: 0161 7890547. Manchester.
sharon@confident-rider.co.uk
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