by Andrew Liszewski, Courtesy of GIZMODO

Forget about trying to cram your way onto an already packed subway car when it’s snowy and you need to get to work. Motorcycle maker Christini has applied its expertise in building two-wheel drive bikes to a new snow-thrashing machine called the II-Track Snow Bike system that promises to make wintery commutes actually enjoyable.

Half-motorcycle-half-snowmobile hybrids aren’t a new idea. For years bikers have been able to buy upgrade kits that swap out a motorcycle’s back tire for a spiked tread that digs into snow, and the front tire with a ski, letting them easily ride through deep powder without sinking.

What sets Christini’s AWD II-Track apart from the competition is that instead of only having a ski up front, the company is including a second powered tread with the upgrade kit that sits between the bike’s front forks to greatly improve traction, steering agility, and the motorcycle’s ability to brake in slippery conditions. The front tread will also be adjustable so that riders can ensure optimal traction on hard-packed snow, fresh powder, or even mud and sand. If your morning commute includes traversing a beach every day, you can actually use this setup all year round.

There’s no pricing for Christini’s II-Track Snow Bike system just yet, but since it’s an upgrade kit you’ll need to already have one of Christini’s AWD motorcycles in your garage, which start at around $8,400, to ensure that front tread gets the power it needs to plow through snow.