Ski Bike Review: Stalmach World Cup

Ski Bike Review: Stalmach World Cup - Stalmach Group was founded in 1992 by four-time World Champion ski bike racer Jacek Stalmach. Since then Stalmach has focused on producing high quality ski bikes with innovative ski bike designs. The Stalmach World Cup is the flagship of the Stalmach ski bike line. It is designed for competitive ski bike racing yet still provides an enjoyable recreational ride.

Pros:
The World Cup is a dream machine. It is extremely responsive and carves on a dime. There is no instability detected at speed on this bike. Combined with the Stalmach SX foot skis, it is an unbeatable combination on the race-course. For the powder hounds, it can eat up deep powder in the trees and on the moguls.

The Stalmach World Cup has many features that most traditional ski bikes lack. It incorporates adjustable dampening air and oil shock absorbers in its full suspension system. This allows the rider to adjust the bike to the day's preferred terrain and riding style. There's no bouncing or instability on this ski bike in the bumps or while carving on-piste.

The ski bike frame is fully adjustable to the rider's height as are the steering handlebars. Adjustments do not require tools or mechanical knowledge. The seat is ergonomically shaped and can be moved forwards or backwards along the frame. The steering tilt can be adjusted to accommodate the rider and riding style preference.

Like all Stalmach ski bikes, the design allows the bike skis to be easily interchanged. The World Cup model comes with Stalmach SX race skis but they can be switched out for the Stalmach 3S skis or Stalmach Powder skis. No need to be locked into any one system!

The beauty of the Stalmach ski bikes is their ease of breakdown and transportability. They are extremely easy to disassemble and transport in even a compact car. All the bike parts can fit into a convenient no mess transport bag.

Cons:
The World Cup is loaded with the latest in ski bike technology. This technology adds weight to the ski bike. The aluminum frame offsets some of the weight but it is probably too heavy for some women riders. Weight will not be a factor while riding but if the chair lift requires the rider to lift the bike, this may be an issue.

The World Cup comes with a footrest hanging down from the frame. It can be used to rest your feet on while on flat trail sections but it is rather clumsy with foot skis attached. Don't try to use the footrest as a platform to stand on.

Suggested improvements:
The Stalmach World Cup is a sophisticated, technological wonder. This technology adds a great deal of weight. It would be wonderful if they could reduce the ski bike weight without compromising quality or durability. The footrest could probably be eliminated on this model.

Model: Stalmach World Cup
Country of origin: Austria
Ski Bike style: Traditional-style foot ski bike
Age range: Adult
Rider weight capacity: Small/Med size - 200 lbs., Med/Large size - 242 lbs.
Sizes available: Small/Med size, Med/Large size
Colors available: Small/Med size - orange, Med/Large size - white or brown
Terrain use: all-mountain, ski bike racing, recreational

Detailed bike specifications:
Ski bike weight: 31 lbs.
Suspension type:
Front suspension: adjustable oil/gas/air shock absorber, front rubber shock absorber on bike ski
Rear suspension: adjustable oil/gas/air shock absorber, rear rubber shock absorber on bike ski
Frame construction:
Small/Med - powder coated steel frame, stainless steel connectors
Med/Large - powder coated aluminum frame, stainless steel connectors
Seat style: ergonomic moto style
Swingarm: multi-part construction
Bike-ski options: Stalmach SX skis for racing
Foot ski options: Stalmach SX foot ski with ski boot binding
Options: Stalmach powder bike skis, Stalmach 3S bike skis, snowboard boot compatible foot skis
Accessories: transport ski bike bag, bag for bike skis, hats, jackets
Features: Easily breaks down for transport, adjustable seat height, front to rear seat adjustment, adjustable height & tilt steering, no tools required for assembly or adjustments
Difficulty to learn: Easy to learn, similar to riding a bicycle
Recommended gear: standard ski equipment
Warranty: unknown
Cost: $1,099.00 - $2,479.00

Manufacturer contact:
Factory Direct Sales
Stalmach Group (Austria)
A-5760 Saalfelden, Leogangerstrasse 51, Austria
Phone: +43 / (0) 6582/75747, Fax: +43 / (0) 6582/70140
email: stalmach@sbg.at

USA contact:
Recreational Transportation, LLC
P.O. Box 3125, Pueblo, Colorado 81005
Phone: (Cell): 719-320-7103
email: stalmachusa@skibike.us.com
Web: www.skibike.us

Website:www.stalmach.com

YouTube videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rigUt54cFkU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3jepJiWsu4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbvBkNvVDeM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpqMhe7_Y1U

Reviewer:
Height: 5'8" (1.74m)
Ability: Advanced skier
Expert snowboarder
Snowboard Instructor - AASI Certification 1
Resort certified to teach traditional foot-ski bikes and "peg" ski bikes
Conditions tested under: powder, packed powder, spring conditions
Terrain tested on: beginner, intermediate, expert runs, moguls, deep powder
Foot skis used: Stalmach 3S foot ski with snowboard boot binding
Boot type used: snowboard