2017 Timbersled Snow Bike Race

Timbersled Snow Bike Race

RMAR Tops Timbersled Snow Bike Race at Sledstock 2017

Rocky Mountain Adventure Rentals (RMAR) rider Matt Wohlgemuth took first place overall in the Sledstock 2017 cross-country snow bike race held at Rabbit Ears Pass, located in Colorado between Kremmling and Steamboat Springs on April 1, 2017. Other RMAR riders also had a strong showing, including two female riders who raced with the field for the first time. The snow biking race was a part of the larger Sledstock 2017 at Rabbit Ears Pass event, which included a pro snowmobile race as well as semi-pro, snow bike, vintage, and kids classes. Organized by Mountain States Snowmobile Racing with the support of local sponsors, Sledstock 2017 at Rabbit Ears Pass also featured live music, DJs, and after parties for a festive event held under classic Colorado blue skies.

The Sledstock 2017 at Rabbit Ears Pass snow biking race is believed to be the second-ever organized cross-country race held for the sport of snow biking, also called Timbersledding. The 19-mile loop course covered varied terrain, from snow-covered jeep roads and singletrack to dense pine forests and a wide-open section of motocross-like track that included jumps and natural snowdrifts. Constantly changing terrain added to the challenging and adventurous nature of this course with snowed-in creek crossings and winding, alpine-meadow descents. Riders completed two laps on the loop for a 38-mile race distance.

RMAR rider Matt Wohlgemuth won first place in the cross-country snow bike racing event, beating out pro snowmobile racer Wes Selby, who went on to compete in and win the pro snowmobile race later in the day. Other RMAR racers had a strong presence in the field, including Spencer Brown, Stanton Morris, Nathan Finneman, Dick Payton, Clay Bidwell, and female racers Nikki Sjoden and Sasha Eagen, who are believed to be the first women to race in a Timbersled series.

With a field of 15 riders, the 2017 Sledstock Rabbit Ears Pass snow biking race showed a positive increase in snow bike racing interest and attracted a high caliber of riders in this sport that is beginning to take off in Colorado. Mountain States Snowmobile Racing will be teaming up with Steamboat Powersports in the 2017-2018 winter season to organize a highly anticipated series of seven snow bike racing events in Colorado.

Snow biking and snow bike racing are relatively new sports, and RMAR is pioneering snow bike riding and racing in Colorado while also giving others the opportunity to try it out with Timbersled rentals available from its rental outlet near Vail, Colorado. Snow biking is also called Timbersledding, and the machines themselves are sometimes called snow motorcycles, snowtercycles, or snow dirt bikes. Timbersled is the brand name for a snow bike conversion system that allows dirt bikes to be converted into snow bikes for winter riding on various snow-covered terrain. The Timbersled system results in the creation of a snow bike that has the terrain capabilities of a snowmobile but with the agility of a dirt bike.

Snow biking naturally appeals to dirt bike and snowmobile enthusiasts, but it’s also attracting a wide range of athletes and recreational riders looking to experience the backcountry in a new way during the winter season.

As forerunners in snow bike racing and in Timbersled rentals and maintenance, Rocky Mountain Adventure Rentals is the leader in Colorado’s growing Timbersled rental market. For the 2017-2018 season, RMAR will be renting snow bikes equipped with Timbersled’s new ARO 120 kit that has a redesigned front ski and spindle, making it more lightweight and easier for beginners to ride.

All RMAR Timbersled rentals go out with a fully assembled Timbersled snow bike, a helmet, and a trailer and hitch, if needed. For an additional fee, pants, boots, avalanche gear, goggles, and trail maps are available, but expert advice and depth of local knowledge remains free when renting from RMAR’s staff of pioneers in Colorado’s Timbersled industry.