Skibiker Skibike Blog Tour 2014 - Conclusion

So that's the 2014 Skibiker Skibike Blog Tour for 2014 all wrapped up and what a success it proved to be. It didn't kick off till the beginning of February, but from then on it was a roller coaster ride for the best part of eight glorious, action packed and thoroughly exhausting weeks.


Week 1 - Getting back on the horse

The first week was the toughest; in spite of plenty of cycling practice over the winter, it was still testing to switch from a soft office job to riding the mountains for the best part of six hours a day. I spent the first few days hammering myself into shape at my "local" resorts in the Jura mountains, such as La Dole, Le Crozet and La Faucille. It was supposed to be an easy week of warming up and settling in, but the weather made for a tricky time. There was more fresh snow than I would have though possible, it was just a shame that for most part you could only see for a few feet in front of you.

Great snow in February - but poor visibility

Sadly I only managed one day with Carl & Andy in Flaine and that was probably only a couple of hours skibike riding at the most. All too soon they were homeward bound and Mark Bayston had arrived in Morillon.


Week 2 - Anglo French

Mark Bayston rode my black skibike for the week and we had a couple of fun days riding together. It was a better week for him than last year - injury free - well almost, he pulled a muscle in his shoulder walking!
I also managed to get in some solo rides at, Praz de Lys, Combloux and La Dole all of which have remained skibike friendly. I finished the week with a visit to Firem for some website tweaking and a ride at Grand Bornand, including a chance to try out the new VS 614 model.

Firem VS614 - It will put a smile on your face

Week 3 - Riding with Wayne

Wayne Richards returned to France after many year's self imposed exile and together with wife Lucille we got in a good few rides at various places. There was a fun ride with Team Firem VS at Combloux on the Saturday, with Thierry Avrillon on the Sunday comparing three strangely similar skibikes and finally cruising round the Grand Massif on the Monday. There were issues using the Grand Vans chairlift at Flaine, till this is resolved it is Au Revoir to Flaine, my hard earned Euros will be spent skibiking elsewhere.

Wayne Richard skibiking in France - what is the World coming to?

Week 4 - Back to the grindstone

Both refreshed and exhausted, I jumped on a plane for London and spent a few days working on a medical conference, but I did ride my push bike 30 miles a day to stay in shape for the following week's Balkan adventure.


Week 5 - Watch out for the Avalanches

Another plane took me to the spectacular seaside town of Thessaloniki on the edge of the Macedonian highlands where I met up with Team Avalanche. Together we ventured into Bulgaria along with the Real Balkan Spy and I rode Bucephalus at both Bansko and Borovets. We unexpectedly met Clive and Eddie on their SledgeHammer skibikes and made plenty of MacGyver repairs whilst on the slopes. The mountains, weather and the snow were all about as good as you can get and the prices way below normal. But there was something sleazy about Bulgarian resorts that spoiled their potential charm. All too soon it was time to get that flight home and make another quick turn around.

Team Avalanche Downhill Skibikes - I preferred the pink one

 
Week 6 - Three Valleys

Back in Geneva, I re-packed the car for my first visit to the Three Valleys area in two decades and my first time on a skibike there. First I gave my skibikes a shakedown in the Jura mountains before driving down to Brides-les-Bains to establish a base camp and form an expedition advance party. I met up with new boy John Andree and Cédric Sabatte and we found that Courchevel was the place to be. Meribel was a disappointment for many reasons and Val Thorens remained cut off from easy skibike access. 

Ace skibiker John Andree - joined the tour in Courchevel

Week 7 - Skibike Swiss Rolls

Fresh from the Three Valleys and with my salopettes in tatters it was time to pack some fresh clothes and head to Leysin where Carl Day had established a base camp. We braved the technical and icy black run descents from Glacier 3000 and in vain sought out the last fresh powder in Gstaad.

No powder left at Zweisimmen

We further explored Leysin, hot lapping the mountain and gathering some of the best skibike footage of 2014.
There was still time to ride with Kevin Dawson in Avoriaz and the following day skied Morzine in the rain and found the perimeter area where skibikes are allowed.


Week 8 - To The Very Last Drop

I managed an outrageously decadent day trip to BullSkate and rode two of the prototype models for the 2014/15 season. 

BullSkate - prototype models for the 2014/15 season

After much waiting, the NISM skis finally arrived for assessment, just in time for the last few days of the tour. They were put immediately to use on my first visit to Valmorel with "Mr A", it was so good we turned it into a two day trip and since I've been told that we are welcome back next season, yay! We gave the NISM skis a thorough going over and they proved to be the ideal off-piste tool.
On the last riding day we made a back breaking ascent of La Tournette, I had to employ every technique I could use to get both myself and my skibike to the top.


So What Next?

I was sad to reach the end of the tour but also very happy that the even the most hap-hazard of plans all came together so well. Unlike any previous year, so many virtual friends joined in and became real ones and we all got to ride together on the slopes of Europe like no previous season. We had a few new riders jump on and join in the fun too and so many enquiries for information that I had to make a second batch of cards.

A few people and places got missed out, next year I must build in some visits to the skibike friendly resorts in Italy and also those of the Auverne and Vosges mountains in France. We can only hope that mother nature will provide the medium for sliding.

Many, many thanks to all who took part, if you haven't been name checked, it is accidental and not deliberate. If you have read this blog and want to join in next season, don't be shy, all it takes is money to make it happen.

Every season there is one track that you hear played everywhere; in the bars, supermarkets and on the radio constantly. This time it was a cover of Keane's 2004 hit "Somewhere Only We Know" given a pseudo classical makeover by Lily Allen.

Balkan Skibike Avalanche - Nice & Sleazy Does It!

On the first day of my trip to the Balkans, Alex told me that in three days I would be able to make his Avalanche Downhill Skibike dance. Today was day four on the snow, so I should have been up to Tango level by now, right?

Certainly Alex and Manos have all the right moves, their dance is one of the Macedonian highlands, all fast moves, fancy footwork and bottom wiggling. My dance is more that of the red faced and moderately inebriated tourist, but it is still a dance of sorts. I am surprised that, given my three days to become accustomed to this mighty steed, I can now flick the tail into a drift and hold it there, do a bit of a foot down carve to get me down the steep section of the black run and even hit the red run standing on the pegs.

Alex and Manos have all the right moves

On this last day I wasn't bothered about speed, my mission was to achieve accuracy and precision. Someone claimed recently on a public forum that they can tell how a skibike can perform just by looking at a picture of it. I might not have such super powers, but I am starting to work out the principles of skibike design. So I wasn't expecting precision control over a skibike with a high stance, long forks and vast amounts of suspension travel, frankly, I was expecting something that handled like a hovercraft.

Today, spotting a pine cone lying in the snow I swung around it like a slalom pole and left it sitting on the snow where it had fallen. Later I saw a carelessly dropped bottle of water lying on a slope, I knocked it with the front ski and sent it slowly tumbling down the fall line, I then met it with the back ski for the second knock and then beat it down the fall line to stop it with my foot. It hadn't been opened and the brand was called Devin, this is clearly a sign from a higher power.

The brand was called Devin - Holy water?

Going a bit too fast on the flat there was none of the nervous squireling that makes it necessary to always put in a bit of a carve on my own skibikes. The skis went from edge to edge nice and smoothly, with no clonky dead spot on all but the very hardest of snow.

I have to remind myself that this is only the "Barbie" model designed for a petite woman much smaller, lighter and prettier than myself. Avalanche Downhill Skibikes are not for crumbly pensioners or those wanting a lightweight cruiser to make their way around at a leisurely pace. But for a young, fit rider wanting to go fast and in good control whether on or off-piste, they are going to be a hard product to beat.
For residents of the European Economic Area, the absence of the import duties charged on American made products, will also make a not inconsiderable economic incentive to "buy local".

I have to remind myself that this is only the "Barbie" model

This trip has taken me well outside of my comfort zone, I was dreading that I was going to be stuck riding something unpleasant day after day, but on the final run I was sad to say good bye to Bucephalus, I was still hungry for more time on the snow and maybe that is the only fact you need to know.

The question everyone is asking on the web this week is "How Much"? The word from the horse's mouth (not Bucephalus's) is that the price will depend on the choice of ski type and components, such as the forks and rear shock. But €2000 would be a good budget for a moderate performance set up. If the cost is stopping you from taking this route and you have your own components, then discounts would be available for kit bikes. Delivery could be arranged in around a few weeks.

So what of Bulgaria as a skibiking destination? Before this trip I consulted my trusty "Good Skiing & Snowboarding Guide 1998", it had the following pearls of wisdom written on its tattered pages...

A turbulent and often tragic history of occupation by neighbouring powers has left the Bulgarian people at worst suspicious of foreigners, at best unsure of how to deal with them.

Nearly two decades later, it is obviously a country still going through a painful period of transition. Some will gain and some will loose, maybe this is why foreigners are sometimes treated with gruff disdain; that said, disdain is relative, you've not really seen disdain till you've asked for help in your best tourist French from a Parisienne and even French people will acknowledge that fact.

Bulgaria is still amazing value at the moment, this trip cost about half of the price of the equivalent in France, OK it's a bit rough around the edges with a "nice and sleazy" edge to it. But the riding is really good and the resorts have improved out of recognition since my trusty ski guide was written in 1998.

Furthermore, the mountains may not have the mind blowing overkill factor of say Chamonix, but  they do have their own unique charm in exactly the same way as the Cairngorms (Scotland), Pyrenees, Jura or Vosges do. Where the developments have been sympathetic to the environment, the villages have rustic beauty and did I mention the scale of the forests? My Macedonian travelling companions talked about this; but what do they know, they live in an arid seaside town. I now have to concur with them, I have never seen such fecund and verdant woodland outside the North American land mass.

I have never seen such fecund and verdant woodland outside America

As a technologist, I know that nature abhors a vacuum; so do market forces, postulated by Adam Smith in the 18th Century. Baring some form of major catastrophe, it is inevitable that Bulgaria will catch up with the rest of the European Economic Area. Both standards of service and prices will rise in direct relation to each other, so perhaps now is the best moment to enjoy Bulgaria before it becomes unaffordable to.

And finally... in tribute to a band who were a great influence in my formative years and also to those hard working Bulgarian "Food pimps", who with indomitable character, tried to extract Levs from our pockets to eat food and possibly more.... Ladies and Gentlemen, I present: "The Stranglers" and the aptly titled track "Nice & Sleazy". For anyone who doesn't understand the English accent, here are the lyrics...

We came across the West Sea
We didn't have much idea
Of the kind of climate waiting
We used our hands for guidance
Like the children of a preacher
Like a dry tree seeking water
Or a daughter
Nice 'n' sleazy
Nice 'n' sleazy does it
Does it every time.

An angel came from outside
Had no halo
Had no father
With a coat of many colours
He spoke of brothers many
Wine and women
Song aplenty
He began to write a chapter
In history
Nice 'n' sleazy
Nice 'n' sleazy does it
Does it every time.

Balkan Skibike Avalanche - Bulgarian Chic

There was a bounty of snow overnight snow which showed no sign of abating this morning. Our rooms at The Green King were a moments walk from the Ystrebetz Gondola station, which serves as the backbone of the Borovets network of pistes and the only way to reach the top of the mountain.

Ystrebetz Gondola station

Alex had been expecting it to be larger, it turned out to be a vintage fibreglass and perspex clad bubble designed for six small skiers with their skis placed on the external rack and not modern skibikes and their riders. Stood in the lift queue the possibility of getting an  Avalanche Downhill Skibike to fit, looked like a 50/50 bet. Surrounded by a large crowd we decided that "Discretion was the better part of valour" and decided to find a different area to warm up.
Avoiding the nightmare Martinovi Baraki chairlift that had proved such a challenge last night we found the much safer Sityakovo detachable chairlift. It serves an area to the left of the resort map with some pleasant woodland glades and intermediate runs.

Borovets is in the middle of a huge forest with giant fir trees that wouldn't look out of place on the West coast of America, Canada or possibly even Alaska. The runs were pretty much spot on for a start to the day, but the sheer amount of falling snow made it difficult to see where you are going. As someone who wears glasses, I gave up on goggles years ago and find the combination of full face helmet alone adequate for all conditions. Manos was struggling with his goggles and riding without them was too painful, after a couple of runs he decided to call it quits, leaving just Alex and I to continue exploring this area.

I gave up on goggles years ago

Others must have decided to do the same as there was virtually no queue for the Yastrebetz Gondola when we made our second attempt to see if you can fit an Avalanche Downhill Skibike into a vintage six seater gondola. With some good natured much needed assistance from the lift operators, the answer was yes, but only just.

Seated facing backwards, watching the valley below shrink and disappear into the clouds, my reverie was disturbed by a sudden rattle, I was in the top station and made a speedy exit. Heading outside the building and to my horror, I realised that I had disembarked at a mid-station leaving Alex to ascend to the summit alone. I waited in vain for a few minutes to see if he would appear, then continued cautiously down the narrow mountain rack in solitude.
Shortly after, I heard a familiar voice behind me "Hey Malakas", he had made exactly the same error and we continued together back to the gondola for a second bite of the cherry.
 

Heading back to the gondola for a second bite of the cherry

The top station is quite high at around 2000m and close to the highest point in the entire Balkan peninsular. With the cable car nearby I expect it is a popular spot in the summer for; picnics, mountain bike jaunts and hiking, which would explain the disproportionately high choice of mountain eateries for such an elevated and isolated spot.

A high choice of mountain eateries for such an elevated spot

Today it is somewhat bleak in the near white-out conditions, something I am familiar with, but perhaps a little inclement for Alex. Consulting the map and checking with other snow users we soon located Borovets hidden treasure, the Musala Pathway. It is for the most part a mountain road, but sections of which have much more of a boarder cross feeling with banked turns and quarter pipes. What should be noted is that the run is 12 Km in length, yes that's a boarder cross run nearly 10 miles long and I'm not joking. For this reason, the family groups, with tiny tots on skis are interspersed with dudes on boards giving it large.

The Musala Pathway a boarder cross style run nearly 10 miles long

We managed to get in a couple of trips down this delightful run before the end of day and I suspect we will come back tomorrow with Manos so he can try it out too.

We had arranged to relocate to the Alpin Village chalets for tonight's stay. It was a few Euros more than staying at The Green King, but worth every cent to have such a cosy environment located on the side of the piste, with the promise of breakfast at the adjacent hotel in the morning.

Alpin Village chalets - good location

In the evening we took a stroll around Borovets to pick up a few provisions, but like Bansko the endless hawking of the restaurants and other establishments becomes as tiresome as mosquitoes on a humid summer night.

Come inside my friend, best meal in all Bulgaria, waitresses very clean.... You like shooting? My sister make you shoot real quick.... Hashish, Marijuana, Cocaine, Pills?

I try to imagine how Megeve, Les Diablerets, Sorenberg or Aviemore would feel if they had such a bazaar atmosphere. I'm sure in all these places such delights could be obtained, but discretely, maybe it is just my repressive Catholic upbringing seeping through. To me it feels seedy and louche, Borovets has the potential to be so much more than this; with its mighty peaks and majestic  pine forest, packed with trees laden with fresh snow, the air always tinged with the acid bite of wood smoke; it drags down the tone of what could so easily become a resort area to rival any in the Alps.

Balkan Skibike Avalanche - Kalimanku Denkou

This morning we bade farewell to Bansko and hit the road for Borovets, free from the responsibility of having to drive, I set about catching up on my writing. It is the first time I have had the chance to do some in car blogging and was very productive and not in the least bit queasy.

In car blogging

I would glance out of the window every so often, Bulgaria looks exactly like you would expect a former Eastern Bloc country to. The villages are drab places filled with sad faced peasants who wear grim expressions of dejection as if it were a badge of honour. Alex and Manos used to the gay colours of Macedonia; all whitewashed walls, blue sea and clear skies are surprised that anyone could tolerated the muted earth tones that prevail. Even the sunlight here is pale and wan giving no heat, as if it is still set to the Communist era setting.

The road leading from Samokov to Borovets, is no different to France's rural roads with many patches and potholes. It is hard to believe that this is the byway to a major International resort and not an access road for the local quarry. Only two types of vehicles are to be seen, communist era Ladas and army trucks, juxtaposed against the glitziest of vehicles the decadent West can provide, if you can afford the price!

This is more like an "old skool" family vacation

The road didn't appear to climb significantly but suddenly we were entering dense forest and there was snow by the wayside and a sign announced that we had arrived! I normally plan my trips with obsessive attention to detail, wanting to have everything arranged in advance.
For Manos and Alex this is more like an "old skool" family vacation; three people in a rattly car, three skibikes, no GPS, no pre-booking, just a map print out and enough fuel in the tank to get us there. I guess it is one of those "need to know" deals.

Having found the gondola station an exchange took place between Alex and a man who turned out to be from the local restaurant. He steered us toward The Green King taverna, which had rooms free in the loft above. The steep flight of stairs, with a pitch normally only seen on maritime vessels, took us to some cramped rooms that appeared cold, soulless and barren. We certainly pushed the boat out and negotiated an extra room for myself for the exorbitant price of £10.

The Green King taverna - prices from £10 a room

Unpacked and with the heating creaking into life, it wasn't as grim as I had first though, more importantly the wifi worked and though the bed had the thinnest mattress I have ever seen, it was quite comfortable if a bit squeaky. Waves of tiredness overcome me and I drifted into a brief slumber, only to be pulled back into wakefulness by the sounds of other guests returning to their rooms after a day on the slopes.

Team Avalanche reassembled in the area that serves as a sitting room for guests and the discussion turned to night skibiking, which happens every night from 6pm to 10pm here in Borovets.
Alex and Manos's eyes suddenly gleamed like little children on Christmas morning, if we were going to do this, tonight is the night; I love the spontaneity of the situation, these guys are crazier than I am.
Borovets night skiing area is served by two drag lifts and one chairlift, which in my opinion, must hold the record as the World's fastest. In more civilised countries the operator will often slow the chairlift slightly, but we are not given such courtesy here. Instead we are scooped up with gusto and spat out at the top station, blimey that was tight.

Nightmare ride - we are scooped up with gusto and spat out at the top

There are a few skibiker survival techniques to note for such situations....
Watch which way the chairlift swings at the top and make sure you are on the outside of its arc. That way you are not caught by the chair and knocked over when it makes its 180 degree turn. Have your skibike facing forward with the ski tips pointing up, get it on the snow fast and run like you're being chased by a Grizzly Bear. There is a more elegant approach which involves riding off stood on the pegs, but you need to be a good rider and know that there is enough clearance under the chair. Get it wrong and the chair can trap the rear swing arm with dire consequences.
I suspect that with the speed this one was running at, bones could be broken and hey this is Bulgaria after all. We decided that rather than risk such an outcome and possibly get ourselves banned, or worse get all skibikers banned from this place, we would call it a night.

Nice skibike hockey stop Manos

Finally, here is the arts and culture section and the reason this post is appropriately called "Kalimanku Denkou", which I believe means "The Evening Gathering".

In the early 90s those who followed the evolution of New Wave bands such as Bauhaus or Siouxsie and the Banshees were transported into ever darker and moodier territory as their musical styles matured. Many of these seminal groups were signed to 4ad records, who introduced the UK music scene to the beautiful and haunting folk music of Bulgaria.
The album that changed everything was titled "Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares" - The mystery of the Bulgarian Voices. In many ways the arrangements are the ultimate "East meets West" hybrid musical form. The melodies, with their lilting trills, exotic scales and jazz harmonies feel like they will tear your ears off and yet they leave you yearning for more.

For this reason Bulgaria has fascinated me for many years, although I never dreamed that one day I would be sitting in a room above a tavern in the high woods of Borovets and sharing my love with the World.
So turn off the lights, close the curtains and turn up the volume and don't be surprised if you feel ready to shed a tear by the end of the song.

Balkan Skibike Avalanche - Bucephalus

As predicted it snowed a little overnight, this always bodes well for the day. We should have been like race horses at the starting gate, but nothing could be further from the truth. We were all tired and maybe just a tiny bit hung over, furthermore Alex and Manos, both recent fathers and have been working hard to feed hungry young mouths and not sleeping at nights. More importantly poor Manos has been running a fever for many days now and the thermometer checks are as regular as the coffee and cigarette breaks. Should his temperature hit 39 degrees it will be time to find a hospital. Luckily, it remained just below critical and was notably less when he was riding than back at the hotel. I suspect he is putting it in the snow when we are not looking to skew the readings.

In spite of our lethargy, my first ride went really well on the pink skibike, I think I have worked out why. Yesterday, when it was bright and sunny, it was frightened by its own shadow; today in the flat light it does not have this problem. For this reason I shall name it Bucephalus. If you have no idea what I am going on about here's a quick history lesson.

A massive creature with a massive head... his breeding was that of the "best Thessalian strain." Plutarch tells the story of how, in 344 BC, a thirteen-year-old^[3] Alexander won the horse.^[4] A horse dealer named Philonicus the Thessalian offered Bucephalus to King Philip II for the sum of 13 talents, but because no one could tame the animal, Philip was not interested. However, Philip's son Alexander was. He promised to pay for the horse himself should he fail to tame it.
Alexander was given a chance and surprised all by subduing it. He spoke soothingly to the horse and turned it towards the sun so that it could no longer see its own shadow, which had been the cause of its distress. Dropping his fluttering cloak as well, Alexander successfully tamed the horse. Plutarch says that the incident so impressed Philip that he told the boy, "O my son, look thee out a kingdom equal to and worthy of thyself, for Macedonia is too little for thee."^[4]

On a less lofty note we also met up with two SledgeHammer skibike riders on an outing from neighbouring Romania. Clive, tired of life in the UK, set up a business in Bucharest, his friend and colleague Eddie had joined him to ride. Clive has been riding for a few years now, with an all too familiar history of worn knees forcing him off the mountain, whilst skibikes are providing a solution to his addiction for the white stuff.

SledgeHammer and Avalanche skibikes on the piste

Eddie has quite a fear of heights and it is to his credit that he is facing his nemesis; understandably his style errs on the side of caution and he prefers to take his time with lots of traverses. He was also suffering problems with a broken quick release fitting on the ski mounts. Collectively we engineered a quick MacGyver style repair using a plastic bottle cap; it wasn't ideal but it got him to the bottom of the hill in one piece.
I took time out to show Clive and Eddie some nifty skibike survival tricks and hopefully they will enjoy safer skibiking together in the future.

MacGyver style repair using a plastic bottle cap

Slightly better conditions in the afternoon gave me the chance to get to the top of the mountain for the first time, where the snow park is located. There was some really good riding to be had off piste skirting between the shrubbery; for those with bigger clangers than I, there were also jumps and features to attempt.

My relationship with Bucephalus continued to improve, we're not quite dancing together yet, but I am pulling off the same moves I would do on my own skibike and achieving the same results. There might be hope for us yet.

If you want a bit of total Hollywood historical guff, courtesy of Oliver Stone, here is the taming scene from Alexander complete with American actors putting on terrible comedy Irish accents; everyone knows the ancient Greeks spoke perfect received pronunciation.

Balkan Skibike Avalanche - Jungle Shadow

This morning it was time to stop "talking the talk and start walking the walk", this was the moment of truth. Would Alex and Manos's claim that you could make their skibikes dance prove to be true?

We were joined by a novice rider, who I can't name, his work doesn't permit him to leave Macedonia without written permission, in many ways he is the real Balkan spy with this illicit visit, so I will simply refer to him from now on as TRBS.

Our stable consists of four skibikes, all built on a common chassis, but with small differences to the skis and other componentry. In effect this creates a performance range covering beginner through to expert levels. I am assigned the red mid range model, my first impression is that are that these are imposing skibikes, with a high stance and long fat skiboards they occupy a lot of space. The weight is on par for this style of machine, but standing in the queue for the gondola the package feels unwieldy. That said, almost every other high performance skibike manufacturer has a adopted this format. I guess it is too much for me to expect the performance of a Ducati super-bike in something the size of a moped.

  A performance range covering beginner through to expert levels.

From the gondola top station a long green run runs gently through the woods back down to Bansko, it is the ideal route to break ourselves in gently and give TRBS, our novice, a chance to get his first taste of skibiking safely. The riding sensation is similar to other skibikes of this type, the plush suspension floats along and the fat skiboards provide effortless glide. Some might dismiss Avalanche Downhill Skibikes as merely an East European rip off of better known designs; but they do have one (as far as I know) unique feature. The foot pegs are not mounted to the main frame, but to the rear swing arm instead. Riding seated, this can be a little unnerving at first, but you soon become accustomed to it. Standing on the foot pegs gives a lot of control and feedback over the rear ski, quite small variations of foot pressure have immediate results.

The ideal route for our novice skibiker

After a coffee and cigarette break we headed higher up the mountain onto one of Bansko's blue runs. Avalanche Downhill Skibikes are designed to be ridden exclusively on the pegs, predictably riding seated they can feel slow to respond. Stood up they are stable and fast, the performance potential is way in advance of my abilities, but Manos and Alex weren't kidding me with their claim that they could make these bikes dance.

Trying to ride as cleanly and safely as possible on Bansko's busy and novice strewn slopes, my progress is way too slow and I was beginning to become annoyed with myself. Having sampled maybe 10 different designs of skibike why was I taking so long to adjust to this one?
TRBS meanwhile had no such issues, he had been having some monumental falls, with tumbles and back flips, the plan is to get him to do this with the skibike and we will have a potential freestyle champion.

My final steed to ride was the "girly" model

Feeling a somewhat beaten up by the mooring's ride, a lunchtime beer break and debrief is much called for. In the afternoon I have the opportunity to ride the beginner model and immediately feel much more at home. With slight suspension differences and a pair of Salomon SB9 SnowBlades taking care of the sliding, it makes for a much more nimble, but skittish ride.
Jet fighters are designed to be inherently unstable, it makes for faster changes of trajectory and in many ways this model is the same. I was told it was a drifter, but it is more than that, the rear ski seems determined to swap places with the front at the least provocation. I haven't made a 360 turn on a skibike yet, but I think this could deliver it.
I know Salomon SB9 SnowBlades well, this year I have been using them on my feet as skis, it was a revelation to see how much difference fat skis can make to a design.

My final steed to ride was the "girly" model, fitted with a softer iteration of Avalanche Downhill Skibikes own ski and clad in bright pink paint. I am not too proud to admit that this version really started to work for me and offered the best mix for my ability level, let's see what tomorrow brings.

Swiss Army Knife to the rescue

Meanwhile, we had problems when the red bike's rear shock absorber committed near instant spontaneous disassembly, I hope it wasn't brought on by my morning work out. If your friends ever laugh at you for carrying a Swiss Army Knife in your jacket pocket, please direct them to this post for a product endorsement.

Balkan Skibike Avalanche - Move It

My hotel room was not the best insulated for sound, but yesterday's exertions rendered me fit for sleep amidst the sounds of Greece's second largest city's urban hustle and bustle. Yesterday the weather had been worthy of a bank holiday weekend in Manchester (that means, wet, wet and more wetness American readers); this morning I was dragged into wakefulness by bright sunlight and the burgeoning urban sound scape.

It was 06:30 in London, but 08:30 here in Thessaloniki, like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis I dragged myself into the shower and then down to breakfast. For a modest place, the Tourist Hotel does a mean selection of breakfast pastries worthy of at least two more stars than their rating, perhaps sometimes less really is more. This morning Team Avalanche Downhill Skibikes were engaged in another business venture and I had the morning to catch up on the comings and goings of the Internet and ready myself for the journey to Bulgaria. This gave me an hour to check out Thessaloniki's old town, a quaint place reminiscent of so many port areas. not unlike the Portuguese quarter of Cape Town or the meat market district in Montevideo, Uruguay. Some Victorian architects back in the day, must have been busier than a skibiker on a mogulled black run.

Team Avalanche on the road

By 11:30 the sun was really starting to burn into my bald pate and I grabbed some chilled water from one of the many street kiosks that also serve a variety of snacks, newspapers, magazines and tobacco. Just after lunch I made a rendezvous with Manos and we began a gentle circuit of Thessaloniki assembling Team Avalanche Downhill Skibikes. In the afternoon we made a leisurely drive towards Bulgaria and our destination of Bansko. Compared to my usual Alpine haunts it is an easy drive, without so many of the gradients and hairpin bends that anyone who has made the trip to say Flaine would be accustomed to. The high mountain crossing into Bulgaria was more reminiscent of Berlin's Checkpoint Charlie than part of the modern European Superstates. I suspect they don't see many U.K. passports and trying to catch me out as a potential miscreant, quizzed me casually as to whether I supported Manchester United or Chelsea.

Crossing into Bulgaria - I suspect they don't see many U.K. passports

Bansko itself was just an hour from the border, Bulgaria, this far, doesn't seem to be much different from any other European back water. Excluding our convoy, it appears there are only two types of vehicle on the road after sunset, ancient pre-capitalist saloon cars crawling along trunk roads at 30 mph and fast moving Mercedes SUVs. I am reliably informed, that these are the Bulgarian Mafia going about their dubious business. If scenes from the Borat film springs to mind at this point, you would be spot on.

A fistful of Levs

Bansko after dark is a curious place and quite unlike any ski resort I have experienced to date. Part Disney World, Western movie set, Las Vegas, Amsterdam red light district and I suspect part 70s porno movie for the designers of this eclectic mix. It is the only ski resort that has neon lights advertising GoGo dancers within metres of the main lift station. Yes, it's all a bit fake and tacky. Having located our hotel, the brilliantly named "Riskyoff Hotel", we headed for the late night supermarket to stock up on some provisions then straight back to Riskyoff Base Camp.

A leisurely drive towards Bulgaria

My stable mates from Avalanche Downhill Skibikes have even less faith in getting a decent evening meal in Bulgaria than I do, the presence of "Food Pimps" outside the establishments vying for our custom, does little to enhance the establishments credibility. Back at our hotel, we chatted skibikes over the pleasant and progressive demolition of a bottle of Teachers Whisky before calling it a night. Hey we're in Banskoand tomorrow we ride.

Balkan Skibike Avalanche - Balkan Spy

How the heck did I get in this situation, sat in a bar at Gatwick airport at horrible o'clock in the morning after a sleepless night. Hot and tired, wearing far too well insulated snowboard boots, waiting for a flight to a sunny beach destination. It was bad enough doing this sort of thing when I had to fly out to work on conferences, but for my pleasure? It all started with an apparently harmless Facebook message, "Mark would you like to come ride with us?", it came from Manos Kosartis, who as far as I can work out is half of Avalanche Downhill Skibikes.
I did explain that I am no stunt celebrity rider, in fact in every respect I am Mr Average, but perhaps that is what is needed. An average Joe Schmo, to provide honest feedback and appraisal, I am not complaining, it's not the first time that I have played at being test pilot and it's a good game to play.

Right that's me all packed

Avalanche Downhill Skibikes are quite an nebulous company, they certainly have a flair for publicity and presentation. Their Website, though low on hard facts (and prices too!) is beautifully presented. Likewise, their engineering has the appearance of a premium product, something that wouldn't look out of place in Colorado if you catch my drift. They appear to only make two models; standard and army specification. Hang on, does the Macedonian army really have an Alpine Skibike Cavalary to match the Swiss Bicycle Mounted Division?

This week should be a revelation, one worth the sweaty feet, sore head and red eyes. I will be able to see what lurks beneath the surface of the enigma that is Avalanche Downhill Skibikes, find out what makes them tick, why they are making skibikes, how they ride, feel and maybe even how much they cost. Our proving ground is set to be the slopes of both Bansko and Borovets in Bulgaria, a country I have never visited, let alone skied or ridden.
Things are about to get interesting, what's my gate number again?

My vigil and a swiftly consumed pint of St. Miguel at Gatwick ensured that I never even heard the safety briefing on the plane, I was out like a light, I feel sorry for  my co-passengers, no doubt I was snoring and drooling over their shoulders the whole way. I woke towards the end of the flight to a vista of cloud, mountains and snow as we made our final descent to Thessaloniki.
Today is a public holiday in Macedonia, Christians will recognise it as; Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras or just plain old Pancake Day, depending on your flavour of faith and level of piety. I was met at the airport by two of the three brothers that are the core of Avalanche Downhill Skibikes and was swiftly whisked off for coffee then onto a lengthy lunch that merged into dinner.
Thessaloniki is a port on the Aegean sea and understandably a big seafood area, I traded my my regular vegetarian diet for one of a pescatarian bent and set about helping the boys demolish an immense sea food platter of gut busting proportions. Raki, is the choice of local brew for such occasions, it is a strong anisette drink, consumed over ice. If you have ever tasted, Pernod, Ricard or similar drinks you will get the gist.
"We don't do this everyday" they explained to me almost apologetically, I thought it was fantastic that this Eastern corner of Europe could hold on to it's local traditions and flavours against the tidal wave of; globalised, bland Western culture. Listening to the warbling tones of an Eastern love song and engaging with the lads hearty conversations over strong alcohol was verging on the exotic compared to my usual fair.

Accessories for the army specification skibike

To end the day, we paid a brief visit to the discrete basement unit where the three brothers are busily creating their skibike dream. It is as if I have stepped in to some parallel dimension when I am faced with a batch of solid looking prototypes to assess. The current evolution of Avalanche Downhill Skibikes represent an interesting hybridisation of American, Swiss and French design philosophy, mixed with a few unique local variants. They are clearly at the pre-production stage, but the build quality seems well up to the task and I am rather looking forward to giving them a good shakedown over the next week.
But first a good night's sleep is in order for this Balkan spy.