photo courtesy RedbullRampage.com

Downhill skiers and snowboarders have been using helicopters to access backcountry terrain for years – but they aren’t the only ones. Helibiking combines the reach of a helicopter with the rush of downhill mountain biking in places like British Columbia and New Zealand. We recently got the lowdown from Vernon Reid of Helibike.com LTD, a mountain bike guide service provider in New Zealand.

For many Helibike.com LTD clients, the trip is as much about the incredible scenery as it is the rush of the descent. Remember, you’re riding in a helicopter through some of the most beautiful mountain scenery in New Zealand, which in and of itself, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  The routes Helibike.com LTD services are actually located on private land and aren’t accessible via lifts or shuttle vehicles. Heck, even if you wanted to ride up you wouldn’t be allowed!

Vernon points out that helibiking has a lower environmental impact than say four-wheel drive shuttle vehicles or even permanent lift stations. All you need is a clear place to touch down with the bikes and you’re off.

Surprisingly, Vernon estimates that 90% of his clients have never been DH mountain biking before their first helibiking experience. As such, most clients opt to use the GT Sanction 2 mountain bikes on hand for a smooth descent.

Unlike heli-skiing where the aim is to access untouched backcountry areas, most (if not all) helibike tour operators shuttle to well-established trail systems. Initially I imagined extreme DH or freeriders with access to a helicopter looking at a peak on a map and deciding to find a way down but that’s not really practical (or enjoyable either). Nope, it may be possible to make first tracks in snow but on a bike it’s not advisable.

At the end of the day, using a helicopter as a DH shuttle is a fun and scenic way to get to the top of the mountain. In many cases, helibiking can take you to places that are virtually inaccessible via conventional means (other than riding uphill of course)!

Thanks to Vernon Reid and Helibike.com for providing information used in this article.

Some cool notes that don’t warrant a full post:

The most expensive hardtail I’ve ever seen. The Lapierre Prorace 900 retails for a cool $6,999 (at least it’s under 7 grand) and I imagine almost half that cost goes toward the SRAM XX components. See that guy standing behind the bike? I’m pretty sure he just threw up in his mouth a little when he saw the price tag

IMBA is stronger than ever. The annual IMBA breakfast this morning was standing room only and not just because of the free food and coffee. IMBA Ride Centers are in various stages of development all over the country and we got to see a preview of a documentary about mountain bike trail advocacy in Oregon (the name of which escapes me at the moment). Very exciting times for trail building.

Ok, so maybe I’m the only one who is interested in this but the Redline d660 got a pretty sweet new paint job for 2010. Don’t worry, the d660 still rocks the 1×9 drivetrain and 29er wheels.

Cool pics below, from first to last: element22 burning up the trail at Bootleg Canyon on a Yeti ASR 5, the Outdoor Demo DH shuttle, and the sweet snakeskin-like paint job on the carbon Ellsworth Enlightenment 29er.