Man Turns Bespoke Electric Cargo Bike Into Very Practical Snow Plow

YouTuber Phil Marciniak, who runs the Phil’s Shop YouTube channel, is one of those people who are not afraid of snow riding. On the contrary, he seems to enjoy it, especially since he found a way to pave his own path on snowy roads.

The man lives in Canada, a country that is known to receive heavy snowfall during winter, so to make riding a little bit easier during the cold season, he transformed his bespoke electric front-loading cargo bicycle into a very practical snow plow. This is just another example of how versatile electric bikes can be and how many purposes they can serve.

The snow plow project is based on Phil’s self-built cargo bike that features an extra long wheelbase, and the man provides a tutorial on how to build your own.

This is actually the second e-bike-based snow plow he’s building. He made a first attempt in January 2021 when he built a single-sided plow. He was quite pleased with the result but realized that the initial configuration made the electric bike harder to steer, so he thought of a way to improve it. So this time around, he went for a V-split snow plow for more efficiency.

The hand-built snow plow looks quite simple at first sight, but the construction did require some work and know-how. The contraption comprises the bespoke cargo electric bike the man built back in 2013 to carry tools for his repair service work, a thick wooden frame that holds the snow plow in place, and a pair of hard plastic barrels that form the plow itself. These plastic parts are placed in a V-shape so that they direct the snow outwards and thus clean the path for the rider.

According to the builder, the plow is easy to install and can be lifted above the ground if you don’t need to use it. The man also mentions he used the snow plow for around 15.5 miles (25 kilometers) of riding distance and was able to reach 12 mph (20 kph) while testing it.

Of course, the project is not aesthetically pleasing, nor is it perfect and could definitely be improved, but it’s practical nonetheless and looks quite efficient for the job it was meant to do.

Even if there’s a lot of friction involved during winter rides, the electric bike looks stable enough in the video, which you can watch below. If you think you have the necessary skills, you can build a similar contraption using a standard electric bike as a base. However, make sure it’s a winter bike model and expect some wobbles and counter steering on your rides.