Originally Posted by
Kapusta
This sidebar conversation concerns when there is snow, not year round use. You are kinda moving the goalpost, here.
I’m guessing you have little experience XC Skiing. Basically none of the arguments you were making against DH skiing apply to XC Skiing.
I do Fat Biking in the snow, XC Skiing, and downhill snowboarding. I can tell you that from a cost, convenience, practicality, and how, when and where they fit into ones life, XC Skiing and Snow biking are very similar - nearly interchangeable - and both are a world away from downhill skiing and snowboarding.
When there is snow on the ground, XC skis are every bit as practical, and more economical than a fat bike.
The initial cost for XC skiing is generally less than a fat bike. $750 gets you a very nice new setup (boots, poles, binding, and metal edges skis). And after that it costs no more to go xc skiing than it does to go fat biking in the snow. I don’t pay anything to ride my fat bike on snowy trails, and I don’t pay anything to XC Ski. And there is way less maintenance (in terms of both time and money) for XC skiing.
Also, when the snow gets deep, it is way easier to ski where it is ungroomed. Once there is a foot or more of snow on the ground, there are WAY more trails I can XC ski on than fat bike on.
Look, if XC skiing does not appeal to that’s fine. But to suggest that a bike makes more sense on the snow than skiis is patently ridiculous.
XC skiis are also a lot smaller and easier to deal with. Folks around here just leave them in their car. You don’t need a bike rack or a big vehicle to transport gear for several people.
I ride my fat bike in the snow when the snow is too thin for skiing, and I ride my skiis when the snow is too deep for fat biking.
There is a reason that there are way more people XC skiing than fat biking in the snow.
I honestly don't see it because there is no difference between DH or XC: both require a significant travel and expenditure which becomes the limiting factor for skiing. The closest place to ski for most people is VERY far and requires a hefty expense including lodging whereas anyone can take a fat bike and start riding it from their house any day of the week. Unless you live very close to a ski resort which only reduces but doesn't eliminate the very high ongoing costs of the sport this won't be true with skiing although the fees for XC are much lower and the resorts tend to be far more lax/liberal with enforcement of the time allotted on the XC trails. But very few of the population lives close enough to a ski resort to make it as convenient (and affordable) as just riding your bike out of your house.
I used to be into auto racing that was another money pit not even counting the fact that nothing good (or cheap) will happen to your car. Same difference. You have to drive a long ways and bring your car to the track, find overpriced lodging (local hotels know and charge accordingly), food. You spend the whole day getting exhausted for at best ~90-120 minutes on track
tops on a given day or event. It didn't last long as I came to my senses and I started seeing how much I was spending both time and money wise vs the limited enjoyment I was getting.