Convert Your Old 26er Hardtail Into A Motorized SnowBike

Convert Your Old 26er Hardtail Into A Motorized SnowBike

I’m all for repurposing an outdated or seldom-ridden bicycle. It seems like every garage has at least one hardtail mountain bike hanging from the rafters that has been replaced by a dual-suspended, large-hooped mountain bike (and even that bike may be in storage while the snow is falling). 

ENVO, a company out of Canada, has come up with a reason to get that bike out of the attic. Their electric-motorized SnowBike Kit can turn that “back-up” bike into your winter wonderland wanderer.

ENVO makes it clear that their $2,100 kit is not for everyone. This is not a plug-and-play product. ENVO explains that “this is a DIY product preliminary launch for early adopters. This concept has gone through all major engineering, prototyping, limited production, testing, revisions, and approval to be released for marketing. However, there might be multiple unknown failure scenarios in the actual use of this product as mobility means in various terrains which are assumed the risk by the users.” 

Got to admit, it is refreshing to read an honest product description instead of the crap so often disseminated by companies. Kudos to ENVO. They let you know what you are getting yourself in for. And if we are being honest here, a fat bike (electric motorized or human powered) would be a better and more simplistic choice for most riders who don’t want to let a little snow get in the way of riding.

Still, if you are handy with the wrenches, live where snow keeps you off your bike and want to be different, you need to check out what ENVO has to offer.

Add your hardtail: ENVO gives you the components to turn your bike into a SnowBike and will extend their expertise, but the buyer is expected to be ready to ad-lib where necessary.
Then add snow: Once you read the SnowBike Kit’s owner’s manual, you should know if the kit is something that you (or a talented friend) can assemble and adapt to your spare bike.
A new adventure: The SnowBike will require some give-and-take to build and then a learning curve to master riding the thing. You would need the leg strength of Peter Sagan to pedal this without a motor.
E-bikes Mountain Biking