Cross-country ski boots make pretty good winter riding shoes, though you might need larger toe clips. They're warm and have stiff soles; some people ride with them even when they're not going skiing. Bike helmets protect your head from low branches, and a rear-view helmet mirror is very useful on a trail\(emyou can make sure the rest of the group is still there without turning around just before the unexpected precipice or rock. A daypack comes in handy to carry spare wax, bike pump, toolkit, and excess clothing while skiing; a lone bike in a fairly deserted area is fair game for vandals.
I only take my skis on my bike a couple of times in a winter, so this apparatus-less technique has served me well. Other BABC members have ridden as many as 15 miles with skis on their bikes. Next time it snows, I'll see you at the Fells.
published in the January 1986 Boston Cyclist
by Doug Mink, who is now more likely to be seen
skiing in the Arnold Arboretum
or Stony Brook Reservation