Marc Kitteringham
I’d clicked into high gear well before the trail dropped. The hill was dark, but the white of the snow was as clear as day. The 1x11 gearing was quicker than I was used to. I pedalled quicker, shooting down the hill through the fog and snow. I could barely see. The snow was sealing my eyelashes shut, and the cold wind brought tears to my eyes. Looking forward I could see the four inch wide tire ripping through the snow, my chest on the seat, ass hanging over the back wheel and arms tucked in. It was fast. Holy shit, it was fast.
Shane and I ripped down the street and pulled off into a park. It’d been snowing for a few days on and off and there were six inches of fresh snow on everything. We ripped around in the park for a bit, skidding and shredding through the powder. It was the first time i’d aired on a fatbike, and the bounce of the big tires was amazing.
Next I took the sasquatch to the trail system in Edmonton’s river valley. The big tires were a bit slower than what I was used to on the flat roads, but that all changed once I got into the trails and on the hill down into the river. The bike ripped down the hill, blowing frigid air into my face and freezing my facial hair. The trail I was on had a quick descent, followed by an even steeper climb. The 1x11 drivetrain took a bit to cycle from the sprinting gear to a more suitable climbing gear, but once I got into the low gear I was spinning high, but climbing was still a bit harder than I was used to.
The sasquatch rips on descents and is grippy like a sonofabitch. However, it is still a big bike, it still takes its time on climbs, and it still accelerates slowly. The best part was that even though it had studded fat tires, I was still able to put it into a mad skid.
I ripped back down the trail, the snow blowing into my eyes and causing me to squint. It was tough to see the trail right in front of me. The studded fat tires humming up through the cold and the wavering beam of my light were basically all I had to see in front of me. My moustache and beard were freezing hard against my face. My speed quickly faded as I climbed up and out of the river valley. I was spinning quickly, straining against the heavy bike. At the top of the hill I had a huge grin on my face. This thing was sick.
I got home, still frozen, and sat down to warm my bones.
Fuckin Sasquatch.