If you're a downhill mountain biker who lives in a cold-winter climate, chances are that you switch to snowboarding or downhill skiing once the snow sets in. Matic Hriba and a group of fellow Slovenian cyclists, however, really liked the idea of sticking with the handlebars/seat/pedals format. The result is the Hillstrike.
- First of all, yes, you're right – there are already some similar products, such as the Snogoand Skki. According to Hillstrike co-founder Rok Prašnikar, however, his team's creation has some unique features.
"We wanted to come as close as possible to the feeling you get while riding a downhill mountain bike on the slopes," he tells us. "That's why our geometry is fully unique and by our assessment makes the optimal ride. The difference on our product is also the pedal system that is positioned where the crankset on mountain bikes usually is. That makes the center of gravity of our product similar to the center of gravity that mountain bikes have."
While those pedals don't actually turn, elastomer inserts do let them move back and forth by a few degrees, allowing riders to shift their weight more effectively. Additionally, unlike some of its competitors, the Hillstrike has a seat – although it likely won't see much use while riders are careening downhill.
Some of its other features include a safety leash, a Rock Shox 120-mm front suspension, and a parallelogram system that allows the rear end to carve into turns. The whole trike (or whatever you want to call it) weighs 15 kg (33 lb).
The Hillstrike is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, where a pledge of US$1,790 will get you one if all goes according to plans. The estimated retail price is $2,690.
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