Belleayre, NY: Jan 7-8 2023 E-Bike Ski Trip

[tirolski]

I'd like to say that I too enjoy Rumplemintz

That shit’ll make folks do some unusual, albeit interesting, things.

 

[Ripitz]

Kudos sir!

Some friends and I are in the early stages of planning bike to Blue day but our 40'ish round trip pales in comparison, ebike or not!

That’s awesome! I hope you do a trip report or at least take some pictures and share how it went. I’ve done a few local trips with an XCD setup and also with touring gear. Usually just strap the skis to the bike. Being closer to home with a light weight setup makes things a lot less complicated. I’ve even pedaled in my Alpina Alaska BC NNN boots. It all seems cumbersome at first but once you have the system dialed it’s really quite liberating. Good luck!

 

[Ripitz]

That is hardcore. Did anyone stop you and ask you what you were doing with the skis on the trailer and all?

Thanks Track. I got a few looks on the Dutchess Rail Trail. At the Walkway over the Hudson people didn’t even seem to notice. In Phoenicia a few people walked by but they were going to the bar and I don’t think they could care less. At Belleayre a few interested kids came up and asked. When I told them where I came from, they were amazed. So, that was pretty cool. Also at Belle a British guy approached and asked what I was up to. He was a cyclist himself and had even been out riding that day before skiing. It was fun talking with him. For the most part though I was just out there by myself.

 

[MarzNC]

Thanks for sharing with so much detail! An adventure is always worthwhile, whether it's a run down bumps that seem impossible or a trip like this that requires plenty of planning.

 

[Ripitz]

Well done - Goran Kropp would have been proud!

Thanks Tele. I remember when he biked to Everest from Sweden and crushed it without oxygen. What a fucking badass! I had to look him up again and I didn’t realize he had all of those other amazing accomplishments. Also, didn’t realize he passed away tragically in a climbing accident. He was one of a kind.

 

[jasonwx]

The most savage thing I have seen in a while!!
By the way I have the number of a psychiatrist.

 

[tirolski]

I have been meaning to pull off this trip for quite some time. I have a Bulls electric gravel touring bike that I use daily instead of a car. I usually commute 20 miles a day but sometimes it is 40. I ride year round so I am used to being out in the elements...

Life is short. Dream big. Live bigger.

Do ya do any thing special to yer bike if the road’s been salted?
One engineer dude I worked with used to ride his bike to work in The Cuse ~20 mile round trip everyday, year round pretty much.
His wasn’t an e-bike though.

 

[Ripitz]

Damn. Harv is a nice guy and all but I would not put in that kind of effort to hang out with him. Great pics and obviously a great story.
Chapeau

Thanks Brown. To be honest I had already been planning the trip for over three years. In 2020 I rode 74 miles home from Pine Hill on my previous e-bike. We had been up there for a few days of skiing and had brought the bike up with the car. My wife and Peanut returned in the car and I took off on the bike. I made it 68 miles when the battery quit and rode the last 6 without power. I decided I needed a better bike and a backup battery for bigger adventures. I also wanted to make the round trip with skis.

When crossing the Ashokan Resevoir causeway I took these pictures and vowed to return.

Fast forward to 2023 and I finally had things lined up and was about to pull the trigger. Meeting Harvey was the icing on the cake. A big thanks to him for giving us this platform to share our stories.

 

[Ripitz]

Insane trip & very impressive.

I will say that (as someone else with a kid), I only have a limited amount of away-from-the-family time and there is absolutely no way that I would spend that time in this manner, but you described it well when you called it a “mission”. There’s something to be said for completing a mission (and it comes with a greater level of satisfaction).

Thanks MC. I find it helps me appreciate my family even more, in addition to all of the other finer things in life. I hope you are enjoying being a dad. There’s nothing like it.

 

[Ripitz]

Wow. I would think that 50 downhill with that trailer was ten times more thrilling than anything at Bellayre.

Now you can tell your grandkids that, pfffft, I rode to the Catskills on a bike to ski one weekend with all my stuff. At night. Both ways.

Thanks Benny. Great comment. I’m still laughing. Also love the crazy Italian ripping the slopes on his bike.