Outdoors

Minimalist snow-bike concept looks cool as ice

Minimalist snow-bike concept looks cool as ice
The Snoped is an upright single-track snow-bike
The Snoped is an upright single-track snow-bike
View 8 Images
The Snoped is an upright single-track snow-bike
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The Snoped is an upright single-track snow-bike
The Snoped's body is 6 inches (15 cm) wide
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The Snoped's body is 6 inches (15 cm) wide
The Snoped has a full-height LED headlight
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The Snoped has a full-height LED headlight
The Snoped has a 90 cc engine
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The Snoped has a 90 cc engine
The Snoped's LED headlight was chosen for its brightness and low voltage
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The Snoped's LED headlight was chosen for its brightness and low voltage
The Snoped has a 76-in (193-cm) long aluminium chassis
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The Snoped has a 76-in (193-cm) long aluminium chassis
The Snoped is inspired by stripped-down café racer bikes that were designed for speed
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The Snoped is inspired by stripped-down café racer bikes that were designed for speed
The Snoped's LED headlight is hidden behind a vertical grille
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The Snoped's LED headlight is hidden behind a vertical grille
View gallery - 8 images

Snowmobile and bike combinations come in all different shapes and sizes, but few are as dramatic as Joey Ruiter's new Snoped (pronounced "snow-ped"). Created as a "mash-up between art, design, fashion and lifestyle," what it may lack in conventionality, it makes up for in style.

Ruiter has form for designing the outlandish. We featured a curious aircraft-cum-boat concept of his all the way back in 2007 and, like that, his latest project is aimed at asking questions rather than providing answers. He describes the Snoped as a concept for generating discussions about design.

One look at the vehicle is enough to show this. There's no sculpted aerodynamic chassis or wide base for stability, as you'd find on a production snowmobile. Instead, the concept has a rectangular slab of a body, 6 inches (15 cm) wide, with a dramatic full-height LED headlight behind a vertical grille. The rest of the minimalist design features a perfunctory cut-out seat, handlebars protruding from the body, an exposed engine and a Chrysler Sno Runner track at the rear to propel it, with a ski for steering at the front.

The Snoped has a full-height LED headlight
The Snoped has a full-height LED headlight

The Snoped can be characterized as an upright single-track snow-bike. It's inspired by stripped-down café racer bikes that were designed for speed, and mimics their upright seating position. Ruiter tells Gizmag this makes it better for leaning into corners. He also says that it's a little more difficult to ride than a snowmobile, but more than anything that it simply feels "different." A 76-in (193-cm) long aluminium chassis helps to keep the weight down, and the Snoped is powered by a 90 cc engine.

Ruiter started work on the Snoped in January and completed it early last month. He says he has no plans to commercialize it, but that he is open to selling his creations on a one-off basis.

The video below shows the Snoped in action.

Source: Joey Ruiter

SNO PED

View gallery - 8 images
7 comments
7 comments
zr2s10
Looks like Hydra standard issue for troops in the secret base in the Alps...
KevinBowers
that is funny. That is literally a 80's Chrysler Snorunner with a bunch of sheet metal on it. Look up Chrysler Snorunner and you will see what I mean. Not to mention that the snorunner can collapse to fit in the trunk of a car, this does not look like it can do that, plus that looks so uncomfortable to ride. http://snorunner.com/p/history
AliciaRussell
That's someones idea of "Cool"? If that's the case, cardboard boxes have been "cool" for decades.
Fairly Reasoner
No thanks. I'll just keep my nuts.
Bob Flint
How does it perform in more than 6 inches of snow, & what is the range?
Charles Barnard
Style? Hmmmph!
Robert Gilley
Looks like the vehicle Rey was driving at the beginning of the new Star Wars movie.