Not to be left out of the RockShox Bluto suspension frenzy at SOC, Rocky Mountain had their reincarnation of the Blizzard on hand as well. Managing to keep their entry into the world of fat bikes surprisingly quiet leading up to the release, Rocky dove right in with an impressive ultra fat bike with a unique frame bag worthy of the Blizzard moniker.
Check out the details after the jump…
Rather than going straight to carbon, Rocky Mountain chose to use their FORM aluminum to keep the price down. The frame has some fantastic Totem pole inspired graphics that pay homage to the heritage and people of British Columbia.
Often, fat bike riders prefer to place their gear in frame bags rather than on their backs. Because of this Rocky took the Blizzard design one step further and created a custom bag that bolts to the underside of the top tube instead of using velcro straps. There is still a single strap on the back of the bag that goes around the seat tube, but the rest of the bag is strap free. Sold separately and manufactured by Porcelain Rocket, the frame bag is a great design and leaves us wondering if we’ll see this on fat bikes from other brands in the future.
At 197×12 at the rear, the Blizzard frame uses a threaded thru axle to provide rear end stiffness and the clearance for up to 5″ tires. Up front there is a low direct mount front derailleur mount which will make adding a front derailleur a breeze. On the few RockShox Blutos currently in the world, each seems to have custom accents to match the builder’s bikes. Rocky Mountain gets a custom touch with a Maple leaf on the Bluto monster.
Considering it is their first attempt at a fat bike, the Rocky Mountain Blizzard looks really good. If the price is reasonable, this could be the affordable option to Borealis’ impressive Echo.
