When you get stuck - what do you do?

[The_Average_KZ_male]

Two typical situations:

1. you go steep uphill on the heavy spring snow... on the summer road. The track start to dig and eventually the bike stops. No reverse what do you do?

2. You go traverse the hill, loose balance and fall downhill (handles lower than engine). What to do?

Thanks from a noob

 

[Ben 500RR-S]

Simple, roll the entire bike over and get it pointed downhill and GO!!!

Not really any different from getting a sled un-stuck, just that with the bike it is a lot harder to get stuck in the first place and 2. it is a little easier getting the bike rolled over, especially if the bars are already lower in the snow-you'd be halfway there.

Other than having my track dug down to ice, I have not been stuck too many times but then I'm here in the East where we are lucky if the base gets to 40" deep.

And do not worry, last year I was the noob. The King D!@# of the noobs. Now I'm a seasoned Vet.

 

[dooman92]

Stuck

Situation 1, if when you lose all momentum you let off gas, before digging the rear to near vertical and avoiding a deep hole, you can sometimes get moving with a ski pull from your strong partner. It is also much easier to lean or turn the bike if not buried in a deep trench. Leaning/forced leveraging while deep in a hole has been known to bend and break the rear suspension arms. Sometimes a shovel is unavoidable.

Situation 2, bike flipped down hill. In this situation you don't want the bike to lay upside down very long as the oil could drain out the breather system. I am in my seventh decade and can no longer lift the bike up hill. I find with the bike laying on its side I can pull on the ski or rear and rotate/spin the bike until the track is downhill and the top of the bike is uphill. Then I can lift the bike up. Digging a hole under the track so the bike falls/leans into the hole makes picking the bike up easier also. I also have a strap that goes from just above the foot pegs from one side over the seat to the other side with just enough slack to get a hand under it for lifting as the bikes have limited places to grap and lift. Now, just don't add trees. :eyebrows:

 

[The_Average_KZ_male]

Simple, roll the entire bike over and get it pointed downhill and GO!!!


.

How do I roll it over? I tried to put it on the side (with the motor off) and pull the ski - very hard to do alone.

Or do I do it with spinning the track?

 

[simbatheking]

Lot of swearing. Only about 62% as much swearing as when I get stuck on my sled since the sled is such a pig to get out.

 

[eric82930]

If the bars are down hill just grab the track or ski and throw it over the seat. Do it quick before you leak a lot of oil or gas. It's pretty easy. If the snow is hard you can grab the ski handle pull down hill and spin the bike around a foot peg instead of fliping it.

 

[TreewellDweller]

I have a foot long strap attached to my ski loop. If bike flops over with handlebars downhill, grab ski strap and spin bike 180 degrees and then stand it up.
If stuck going up a hill, dig out down hill side of track (or one side of track) and grab ski strap to spin bike parallel to hillside. Fire it up and take off.
The strap does not bother the ski or handling in any way. It just flops around waiting to be used. The strap is really handy if you just need to spin the bike sideways, like in the parking lot. You can pull the strap with one hand and reach the handlebar to balance the bike with the other.
To stand up a snow bike is not to bad but to flop one over is a bit much. I’m not that tall and older than most.
Have fun!

 

[M5-]

We carry sewn loops of webbing about 4 feet long. Loop them through the ski or handle bars or where ever they need to go then pull using your legs. Most days they don't even come out of our pockets. The more you ride the less you get stuck plus the new kits don't get stuck as much as the old TS kits the Camso/Yeti track powers out of a lot of holes on its own .


M5

 

[CATSLEDMAN1]

what a day

in hard spring snow yesterday I got stuck more times than the rest of the year.

spring conditions tempted us to go up some steep climbs, problem is unlike powder riding could'nd turn out of the hard side trench, oh I did more than once and didn't get stuck, but had my first downhhill fall in a few years. Oh well it was warm and nice day.

By 2pm we dropped on some steep south facing hillsides, some soft pockets of mush to the handlebars, no sticks but close. Think I will stick to the shade today.

 

[Norma Stitz]

If in a trench that you dug the first thing I do is rock the bike side to side aggressively. This gets some room and keeps the sides from dragging which will prevent any hope of driving out. Stomp snow down under and in front of the bike so that it has less angle to climb and more dense snow to consume. After that it’s all swearing.
The tip above if the bike is on its side about stomping down a hole for the track and ski to pivot into as you lift helps me a lot too. I’m not as strong as some and my bike is heavier than most.

 

[POLZIN]

Just stuck or February in Colorado stuuuuck?


if its just stuck pack it out and reset the track or roll it down hill. If it Colorado in February stuck start shoveling. The stuck in this photo took well over an hour !

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

Just stuck or February in Colorado stuuuuck?





if its just stuck pack it out and reset the track or roll it down hill. If it Colorado in February stuck start shoveling. The stuck in this photo took well over an hour !

Looks familiar.

 

[TreewellDweller]

Oh, Wow!!!!
Time to walk home and come back next summer with the wheels!