This Borealis Crestone overview is a long-term take a look at a motorcycle that has been available on the market for a few years, however nonetheless is delivering smile after smile. Straightforward to maneuver, but nonetheless steady in notoriously free circumstances. Light-weight & gentle feeling, even with these large tires. Not exceptionally progressive geometry as of late, however nonetheless forward of its time to create a flexible journey from snow to gentle leaves to mud to summer season sand dunes…

Borealis Crestone, a benchmark light-weight carbon fats bike

The Borealis Crestone first debuted all the way in which again in fall 2015. And sure, we’re about to put in writing 1000’s of phrases and share tons of pictures of a motorcycle that has been nearly unchanged in additional than 8 years. You wish to know why? As a result of it’s nonetheless an incredible bike, and nonetheless getting higher with the addition of recent fats bike tires and suspension. Oh, and it’s really extra reasonably priced now than it was eight years in the past.

Plus, we’ve spent most of final winter enjoying within the snow on this bike. Winter is again, and it’s getting thrashed within the snow once more. And we realized some classes, that could possibly be useful to move on if you’re considering a fats bike buy.

Now, I don’t know should you actually do want a fats bike (n+1, and all however)? However we dwell within the mountains and completely do.

Let’s break it down

The Borealis Crestone is a light-weight carbon fatbike with huge tire clearance – as much as 26″ x 5” or 27.5″ x 4.5” and even 29″ x 3.0″ – and geo prepared for 100-120mm of fork journey. We by no means stripped the body naked, as a result of a motorcycle with tires this large isn’t gonna break the UCI 6.8kg weight barrier.

However constructed up full with a KS Lev Si dropper publish, an reasonably priced GX Eagle mechanical group, burly alloy cranks, low-cost 26″ wheels however good 4″ tires, flat pedals, and a Manitou Mastodon fork, it nonetheless weighs simply 14.16kg (31.2lb). And with the complete carbon Borealis fork, it’s 1375g lighter at 12.8kg (28.2lb). Certain that’s no ultralight in comparison with a carbon XC hardtail, however with tires that simply vary from 1200-1700g a chunk and tubes that weigh as much as 450g, it’s fairly gentle. And it seems like that out on the path.

Fats bike standards-wise, the Crestone incorporates a BSA threaded 100mm backside bracket, 76.5mm chainline, a 31.6mm seatpost, 1.5″ tapered inner headset, plus 15x150mm entrance & 12x197mm rear thru-axles. It has standard inner cable routing, together with for a stealth dropper seatpost AND a entrance derailleur if you’re nonetheless dwelling in 1999.

Borealis Crestone’s restricted evolution

This fats bike hasn’t actually modified its geometry in a decade, largely courting again to its Borealis Echo predecessor. However in a large 4 measurement vary (S-XL), it really affords longer Attain and decrease Slack on our Small take a look at bike than many more recent fatbikes. Good for out quick 165mm tall take a look at rider.

Outdated Faculty Trendy Fatbike Geometry

The totally inflexible geometry of the Borealis Crestone appears oddly steep in comparison with fashionable hardtails (or some newer fats bikes) with a 70° headtube. However its secret, is that fats bikes are bizarre. And the free terrain you journey them in with heavy tires just isn’t regular. That “faster” dealing with helps counteract the gradual steering you get from 2 kilos of entrance tire & tube. And Borealis balances it on the different finish with lengthy 455mm chainstays, that assist hold the bike transferring in a straight line for stability, when grip is missing. It’s far more widespread to spin out your rear wheel on a fats bike than a traditional hardtail. And I can’t bear in mind sliding many snowy freeride downhills the place I wouldn’t have killed for extra stability.

Oh, and swapping within the 120mm fork… at 30% sag, it does slacken the top angle by 1°, elevate the efficient Stack by 7mm, and successfully shorten Attain by 11mm. It’s at 50% of that suspension fork journey the place the geometry evens out utterly with the complete inflexible setup, which seems like a candy spot suspension-wise, because it’s solely momentary huge hits that actually transcend that.

We’ll additionally ignore the 73° seattube angle somewhat bit, as a result of Attain is a greater measure of match. And with zero offset MTB posts, you’ll be able to often slide the saddle a bit ahead for a steeper ‘digital’ seat angle and improved climbing effectivity, in order for you. The trick right here although, is that you simply really do quite a lot of seated pedaling to energy by free terrain on a fats bike, so that you don’t really need fairly as steep a seat angle as you’d count on on a contemporary path bike.

As I stated, good fatbike geometry is bizarre.

However what tires and what wheel measurement do you have to get?

That is genuinely the largest dilemma within the fats bike debate. And actually, we’re gonna have to really reply it in a separate article. However tires and wheel diameter actually make the fatbiking expertise (as does wildly-low tire stress). Make the fallacious alternative in wheel diameter (trace: 26″is useless) and your fats bike will simply really feel a bit slower than it already is. However get the fallacious tires for the circumstances you journey. And also you genuinely received’t be having a great time.

In ultra-abbreviated style. Fork out the cash for lighter, extra supple tires if you’re actually driving in snow. Should you journey hardpacked or groomed trails – whether or not dust or snow – low-profile treads do roll noticeably faster. But when your terrain is correctly free, be sure you have some structured directional shoulder knobs, as they’ll assist maintain your line.

If it freezes and thaws in any respect in your winter season, severely contemplate light-weight studded tires – their grip is out of the world. And don’t overlook, regardless that larger diameter is best, wider isn’t essentially higher. An extended barely extra slender tire contact patch is probably going a lot simpler to pedal by gentle circumstances, and is less complicated to regulate in a straight line.

It’s much more sophisticated than this. However that may be a respectable place to begin.

And what concerning the precise wheels, themselves?

That’s one other extra sophisticated query. We examined 4 primary wheelset choices. An excellent fancy HED carbon 26″ wheel, and extra reasonably priced ally 27.5″ HED wheels. Then 27.5″ alloy DT Swiss BR2250 wheels, and price range alloy Solar Ringlé Mulefüt wheels in each 26″ & 27.5″ sizes. The carbon HED wheels price $2000 for the pair. The alloy Solar Ringlé pair sells at this time for $420. The distinction in weight of a 26″ wheelset is 614g for the pair. It’s not nothing, and we may discover the distinction a bit, but it surely’s not $1600 of efficiency distinction.

Possibly extra necessary, even sticking with butyl interior tubes, we realized we may save 420g for a pair of wheels simply utilizing gentle 27.5+ tubes vs. 26 fats tubes. For no extra price. Butyl tubes are fairly stretchy, and fats bike low pressures are fairly forgiving. All of our wheels are tubeless suitable, however swapping tires round and fear about sub-freezing sealant efficiency, we by no means set any up tubeless. And had no points.

OK, however how does the Borealis actually journey?

Fats Bike setup and driving model

My (Veronika) important focus is path driving and enduro, then gravel driving, after which in winter primarily fats biking. All of final winter and someday this previous summer season, I examined the Borealis Crestone. It’s possibly my 4th or fifth fats bike, with quite a lot of time spent on a pair alloy Duratec expedition Massive Paws, sooner Fats Jacks, and the extra trail-oriented Cannondale Fats CAAD over the previous few years. All with inflexible forks. Nearly all of my fats bike driving is on arduous frozen surfaces and ice. However I additionally hunt recent powder to journey and lengthen into the melting snow of spring.

Final winter I didn’t get as a lot packed snow as I needed for. However fortunately, we dwell in a mountain move, so I nonetheless received in 5-600km of snowy trails over 25 separate rides. These snow freeride rides usually don’t rack up the kilometers very quick!

Then, in summer season I grabbed the prospect to journey sandy seashores on the Baltic Sea.

Borealis Crestone fats bike’s first rides

My first rides have been on the unique setup that I obtained from Borealis, with a price-conscious mechanical GX construct and a inflexible carbon fork. Suppose a roughly $2500 construct with a dropper and alloy wheels. The dropper is optionally available, however clearly a reasonably key function to have on a fats bike. Like all path bike, it’s good to not cease on the highest of a hill and simply fly down the path. BUT with fats bikes particularly, I discovered it very helpful when it’s essential to get again in your bike after crashing in deep snow, passing a non-rideable impediment, or simply merely beginning to pedal in steep uphill in deep, uneven snow.

Personally, I don’t love the KS Lev iS dropper, as you must press the distant fairly arduous/far to get the “motion”. And as soon as it shoots up, it is sort of a rocket launch, whereas I favor softer, smoother dropper motion.

How does it look, and the way does it examine?

I rode the bike in differing snow circumstances – powder / icy snow / slush / mud / or mud over free leaves. And I used not less than 3 completely different units of wheel & 5 tires, in each 26″ & 27.5″ diameters. At all times searching that greatest combo of weight, grip, steering management & common journey really feel.

In comparison with the opposite fats bikes I rode beforehand – it doesn’t matter what wheel+tire combo – the Crestone felt lighter, dealt with extraordinarily properly and I fell in love with it fairly rapidly. Plus, who couldn’t love the superb color-changing green-tinted uncooked carbon body, that in gentle (particularly in direct solar) actually resembled the Aurora Borealis. I do know it sounds corny, however when the solar shines this bike seems to be nice.

With out direct gentle, the darkish inexperienced body seems to be almost black. However within the gentle, the carbon construction shines in shades of sunshine inexperienced to blue. It’s a easy private factor, however I want all my bikes popped like that within the solar.

Curiously, we did quite a lot of driving inside clouds and in the dead of night. Such is winter within the Czech mountains.

Fats Bike Driving Assessment – Borealis Crestone carbon fatbike

Whereas driving, the Crestone and its curious fatbike-specific geometry is solely responsive and climbed simply. I felt I used to be flying on flats. And I even loved going uphill, as properly. Velocity was particularly pronounced with the bigger diameter 27.5 wheels and narrower 3.8-4″ tires. The mixture of sunshine carbon body, inflexible carbon fork & outsized carbon handlebar felt actually responsive. It’s actually an incredible setup driving smoother packed snowy roads and groomed snow trails. However…

What I really love probably the most on winter driving is the likelihood to go wherever and really feel a freedom of motion, not restricted on roads or outlined paths. I wish to name the idea Fatbike Freeride!

Fats biking in my thoughts is linked with the thrilling alternative to discover off-piste driving in untouched snow. Laying down recent tracks. I can journey in areas which might be almost unrideable in summer season. Or just unpleasantly bumpy attributable to so many roots & rocks. As soon as we get that first 30cm of snow and it packs down & freezes, all terrain smooths out. After which, driving within the subsequent couple centimeters of recent powder is an actual pleasure.

Upgrading for trails to the Manitou Mastodon 120mm suspension fork

Nevertheless, for such path-free driving or fats freeride path driving, the tremendous stiff carbon fork is lower than ultimate paired to the additionally stiff body. Driving full-tilt downhill is feasible. However it lacked a few of the enjoyable. And my higher physique rapidly drained from all of the impacts. So, I swapped in suspension with the 120mm gen 2 Manitou Mastodon Professional fork. Similtaneously swapping the fork, I additionally exchanged the 35mm Borealis bars for a straighter 31.6mm flat Beast carbon bar.

The swap made the Crestone much more enjoyable as a winter path bike. Then, the one factor I needed to care about whereas driving was setting the applicable tire stress. Really a tricky name, usually within the unbelievably-low 4-8psi vary. A shout out to the analog Borealis low-pressure gauge for sorting tire stress!

Now, I can think about utilizing the Crestone as an nearly year-round hardtail with narrower or wider or studded tires, relying on the season. With enormous tires, the bike is kind of heavy to elevate and get correct air time. However it’s nonetheless completely snug with small jumps or drops, as much as say 1/2 meter. It’s nonetheless a carbon hardtail in any case.

Fats Bike Cons

The one actual draw back being that wider backside bracket (3cm greater than a traditional path bike) that makes Q-factor, pedal stance, after which foot & knee placement wider than a extra ultimate setup. Since I journey this bike solely with platform pedals, I can ‘cheat’ my ft a bit nearer collectively. However the broad stance is definitely noticeable after swapping from my enduro bike within the autumn. And I don’t really feel like I’ll do too many 100km rides on the Crestone.

Additionally, it’s crucial to say that uphill pedaling efficacy was higher with the totally inflexible authentic setup. A suspension fork actually depends upon particular person style. For off-road enjoyable path driving I would definitely suggest the suspension fork. However for extremely longer snowy-packed street rides, I’d go together with the Borealis inflexible fork. The one main good thing about the Manitou Mastodon fork although is that it’s (comparatively simply) internally adjustable all the way down to 80mm of journey, which might be a cheerful medium compromise for a lot of fats bike riders.

Bike-to-ski

Wrapping up final winter, we performed with utilizing the fatbike as a commuter bike to go snowboarding, too. Journey to the native elevate, pedal to groomed XC ski tracks, or simply getting as much as a great place to begin for backcountry snowboarding. It appeared to me like a very cool thought. So with some versatile 4″ Cake Eaters, I strapped my skialp skis to my backpack and pedaled as much as increased elevation to achieve deep skiable snow.

It concerned somewhat little bit of ski+pack shuffling to make it work. And pedaling up was gradual going. Largely within the granny gear. And we simply locked the fats bikes up deep within the snowy woods after we couldn’t pedal any additional. However it labored.

We’ll dial it on this winter for a bit extra effectivity, and doubtless some longer strategy rides. As a result of driving to ski is little bit of a enjoyable thought, and a reasonably strong exercise!

Seaside life, too!

Trying on the fattest 5″ broad 26″ Terrene Johnny 5 tires, I struggled slowly with them a bit within the snow. However, on sandy seashores, they made the Crestone quite a lot of enjoyable. That massively fats tire was capable of cowl gentle, deep sand with grip and management.

I don’t often benefit from the relaxed, lazy seashore life. And taking the Borealis Crestone with me to the Baltic seaside was a recreation changer. And, now I/m trying ahead to the following fats bike seashore journey, and exploring sand dunes, simply as a lot as I used to be excited for the primary powder this winter.

Winter returns and Remaining Ideas on the Borealis Crestone carbon fats bike

So the place does that go away us two and a half thousand phrases later about an outdated bike?

Effectively, the Borealis Crestone is a ravishing carbon fats bike that’s genuinely a blast to journey. In all sorts of circumstances. Sure, we’d like to see what Borealis may do by modernizing the bike with barely longer, barely slacker geometry, and possibly even an flip-chip on the dropout to provide the choice for shorter summer season chainstays. And actually, if we hold driving this bike, we’ll kind out a 100mm BB crankset, however with narrower Q-factor.

However ultimately, the carbon Borealis Crestone is a light-weight and versatile fats bike. And it brings smiles each time we journey. Whether or not driving groomed snow tracks within the winter, muddy root-strewn trails within the spring, or summer season sand dunes… we’re completely happy all 12 months spherical.

Oh yeah, and it’s arduous to argue with this URL:

FatBike.com