Ugigrip-Vallgrip manufactures the studs for the Alpine Snow Bike
Eric Barone, Downhill Mountain Bike World Champion, wanted a 100% French-built bike to further develop his discipline.
To ride down a snow-covered slope at 100–120 km/h and be crowned World Champion in snow MTB, you need equipment that combines safety, performance and comfort. This technical challenge was successfully taken up by Eric Barone in collaboration with the engineering teams at Ugigrip-Vallgrip after more than two years of development.
The resulting product stands out as the ideal solution for hard-packed snow MTB competitions, thanks to a technology designed around Eric’s main constraint: fitting studs to an MTB tyre without piercing its structure. Ultimately, this innovative system makes it possible to achieve both grip and glide at the same time.
Interview with Eric Barone
Snow MTB World Champion
How did Ugigrip-Vallgrip manage to address your product challenge?
The solution is to screw the studs directly onto a tubeless tyre (without an inner tube).
One wheel can be prepared in just 15 minutes, compared with three hours for two wheels using traditional methods. It represents a genuine saving in time and greater independence, as users can stud their own tyres using the studding kit and a screwdriver.
What can you tell us about the bespoke development?
A full series of tests was carried out during the Covid period and at various competitions, confirming the product’s reliability.
This winter, three studding kits in different sizes are available for all upcoming French and international competitions.
A fitting tutorial is even available on the website of Snow Bike.
