I’ve never written a review before, but lets give this a shot.
My journey started with a my buddy buying an analog fatty and encouraging me into following him. I’m 63 years old, live at 8,400ft elevation in Eastern Sierra, been riding eMTN bike several times a week for just over a year, and it seams like everything I ride is uphill. I tried my buddy’s bike and I could not climb my normal route (1,000ft/7miles). I began researching fatty eMTN bike and quickly found Borealis Keystone. I lamented for several weeks and pulled the trigger early November 2024.
I had questions on choosing the right tires/wheels. The staff was very helpful discussing my riding style/needs and helping me select the right combination (26”, 4.8”).
The bike arrived 3 weeks later (delayed at my request d/t travel). It was meticulously packed and I assembled it on my workbench/clamp. It took about 4 hours (I’m kind of slow and it was the first time. I had not changed my own tire in 50 years). I called the shop for assistance in assembling/sequencing the rings at the head tube. They were quite helpful and got me back on track. I was surprised to learn the bike did not include pedals and it took me several days to acquire some. [Recommendation to Borealis, give options to choose pedals/opt out during the purchase process, just like tires and wheels].
This bike has exceeded every expectation. It handles soundly. Shifting and breaking were flawless without any user adjustments. I can travel uphill/downhill with confidence.
Regarding the battery/range. My ride last week (1hr:43min, 2,746ft elevation gain, and 14 miles) left me using 40% of the battery. I failed to charge that night. I followed this with a longer/steeper ride/climb (3 hrs, 3,865ft, 25 miles) and ran my battery dry in the last 1/2 mile. I mostly ride in ECO mode and occasionally use TRAIL and seldom use BOOST. I can conclude that if you need more than 5 hrs and 6,600 elevation gain, and 40 miles, on 3-5 psi, then you might consider carrying an additional battery.
Regarding versatility, during these two rides above, I traveled on snow, ice, sand, rock garden, slush, hard pack road base, gravel, asphalt, and 12” deep creek. During these two rides, I only lost control when crossing the creek and found an unexpectedly deep rut. This caused me to step off my bike. On other rides, I went down when hitting ice as I did not opt to put studs in the tires (live and learn).
There is truly no terrain this bike cannot handle (however, I recommend considering studs for ice, I have not tried this option).
Today, I noticed my rear brake was soft and the lever pulled back to the bar. I had to stop my ride. I’ll take it locally for a bleed tomorrow morning and hope to ride in the afternoon.
If you want to HAVE A BLAST on the mountain or just want to expand your riding season to 12 months a year, this bike is for you!
Customer Reviews
Tire is great but David is the man . He is very helpful and competent in his job. The company deserves a 5 star rating
Love these tires! Made such a difference from my 4.5”
Update to my earlier review. 4/10/24 rode at Bradbury Mt State Park in Pownal, ME. The local forecast was off and I found myself riding hard Rooty technical trails in a drenching 43 degree rain. The FBF and FBR were aired down to 5 and 6 psi respective and grabbed to everything, mud, wet leaves and especially wet raised roots. Not one slip or slide, many granny gear climbs and off angle approaches. Never came off the clips due to tire slippage, happy about the heavy sidewall protectiion. A few pics included.
I purchased these tires to allow me to ride on technical trails during mud season after blowing out my snow tires on rough granite. These minions are phenomenal excellent grip on wet Rudy trails. Great traction, and the side walls are very tough. I heard a rumor MAXXIS may discontinue this tire. I hope not if that’s the case I’ll purchase another pair for the future. They are phenomenal. I have them mounted tubeless on a Farley EX-8.