Downhill coasting bikes

Someone posted one of these on the ES Facebook, did a quick Google and...they are intriguing. They don't have pedals or a seat, but a BB/seat-mount would be very easy to weld/braze/TIG onto one. Most of the search results seem to have a 20-inch rear wheel, but some of them look to have room for a 24-inch?

They are expensive, and most seem to come stock with a 20-inch front wheel (for lightness and stowability?), but there are many examples with a common 1-1/8 head-tube suspension fork on them, so whatever common front suspension you want is fair game.

Because the basic concept involves popping off the front wheel, and then folding the frame up with the rear wheel curled under into the space we would normally find the downtube...the top tube is reinforced to take all the loads of downhill, and the downtube area is wide open for an enormous rectangular battery (like the motoped?).

Apparently the leading brand in this new category is "Mountain Skyver".

That's different. If you have ever done any trail bike riding you ride the front wheel down hill hence the all front end design of the bike. I did a lot of hiking a long time ago and walking down hill is often harder than going up. I wish I had thought of that. Very clever.

Made to coast downhill, either very slowly or on very nice trails.
This bike has the geometry of a trial: nimble, low and small

A small wheel is a bucking horse when riding downhill on rough trails.
Speding off road requires a slacker head angle and a long travel suspension.

in the picture the pegs look pretty low as well in terms of offroad/ downhill clearance for rocks, logs, etc.. (likely the peg height is adjustable though..)
with the single crown front fork its not much of a serious downhill machine anyways though..
looks like some fun at the ski resort

MadRhino said:

Made to coast downhill, either very slowly or on very nice trails.
This bike has the geometry of a trial: nimble, low and small

A small wheel is a bucking horse when riding downhill on rough trails.
Speding off road requires a slacker head angle and a long travel suspension.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't consider anything for off-road without pedals, but...if there was a very long uphill that was paved?...the lack of pedals and small rear wheel would not be an issue for a lot of fun. Add a 20-inch/18-inch/16-inch Magic Pie, and as big a battery as can be slung under the top tube.

Exit the hotel after a pleasant brunch, ride uphill until the 20-Ah battery wears out. Have a picnic...coast downhill to the hot tub that's waiting in your suite. It would need a seat and a cup holder, though...

http://www.goldenmotor.com/

efMX Trials Electric Freeride said:

looks like some fun at the ski resort

Click to expand...

Exactly what I was thinking, and probably the market they are targetting, like the various snow scooters we are begining to see for rent at ski resorts. Doesn't mean one couldn't motorize one and have fun, but to ride the mountain trails it is much better to build on a DH bike.

That could make a really cool folder... but without pedals, I'm not sure about the legality on streets. Off road, this could be pretty fun!

did you guys see this yet??
[youtube]SygA_ly5H8E[/youtube]
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=56067#p837392
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Trotrx/599699766721292

the concept looks really fun! especially if motored for the ride back up

MadRhino said:

efMX Trials Electric Freeride said:

looks like some fun at the ski resort

Click to expand...

Exactly what I was thinking, and probably the market they are targetting, like the various snow scooters we are begining to see for rent at ski resorts. Doesn't mean one couldn't motorize one and have fun, but to ride the mountain trails it is much better to build on a DH bike.

Click to expand...

MadRhino said:

efMX Trials Electric Freeride said:

looks like some fun at the ski resort

Click to expand...

Exactly what I was thinking, and probably the market they are targetting, like the various snow scooters we are begining to see for rent at ski resorts. Doesn't mean one couldn't motorize one and have fun, but to ride the mountain trails it is much better to build on a DH bike.

Click to expand...

No, But we could motorize something like this.

That Ttrotrx scooter looks great, except I don't like the idea of being tethered to the back pack battery, and maybe it could do with a seat and some pedals! Someone should invent something like that!

The thread title made me think of Safe's bikes, derived from gravity racers. On a paved road, a pickup truck was our way up the mountain, when we gravity raced on steel 10 speeds in the 70's. Pedaling not allowed, so if you ever grabbed your brakes you lost. The road was 10 miles of hairpin turns. 8)

This idea looks fun, but it will never catch on, just like climbing for your ski turns never really went big time. A few kooks like me were willing to slog up a mountain for 5 hours, for a 30 min blast back down, but 9 out of 10 times, I went alone. Even those with the gear for it would rather ride a ski lift. I considered the one backcountry run to be better than days of lift skiing through a crowd of texans, but nobody was energetic enough to come with me. I carried my avalanche beacon, but it was just to help them find my body if I got caught.

Anyway, real fun hogs will stick to DH bikes and ski lift served trails.