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Borealis Tejon Review – by A. Amstutz

Alice & the Borealis Tejon

     It’s been a busy summer.  Parts of the family spent time in Central America, others spent time in northern Ontario, and some did the premiere midwest mountain bike road trip.  Between all the coming and going, we still made time to hit our local trails and what’s left of our beaches with our fat and plus bikes. Alice was especially stoked this summer for she got to spend as much time as possible testing her last kid’s fat bike (she’s getting too tall), the Borealis Tejon.  Check out the first look here to get the lowdown on what specs she was enjoying.  

     During the testing period, the bike worked flawlessly.  No adjustments to the hydraulic brakes nor shifting were necessary.  Thumbs up to Borealis for this. Not every parent can torque a good wrench so knowing that out-of-the-box assembly will be minimal makes this kids bike more attractive. 

One thing we have come to really appreciate on a kid bike is adjustable brake levers. The Tejon is spec’d with an easy reach adjustment so you can dial in the levers for those grom fingers.  As usual, the Tejon inspired confidence on twisty single track and loose gravel. But I’m probably preaching to the choir with that statement. We got in two short beach rides and I was quite impressed with the 24” x 4.0 Kenda Gigas tires (which actually measured out to be 3.6”).  I have my doubts on how the tread pattern would perform on snow but as for the beach, Alice had no problem keeping up and every now and again dipping into the shallow surf for a cooling off.  

     The naked aluminum frame and fork are aesthetically spot on and with the option of three accent choices (yellow, purple or green), you can custom-match to your kids kit.  The 8 speed 12-32 cassette proved to provide enough top and bottom end for a 12-year-old to crank downhills and the flats yet clickety click-click to fight gravity going up.  Drive train is kid-friendly.  

    For the price ($596), I really think that Borealis is offering a kids bike that not only won’t break the bank for mom and dad but also will provide kids with a wonderful riding experience.  Shoot, the thing weighs 30 lbs, which for a young lad or lassie, is pretty light as far as kids bikes go. And it’s FAT!! I’ve been advocating for kids on fat bikes for the same reasons I do big kids on them.  Mostly for the fun factor. Alice had a blast showing off her test rig and no matter the size of the human, they all loved it. Even Grandpa. Each rider she shared the Borealis Tejon with was super impressed with the craftsmanship, componentry, and creativity blended together into true fat-bike.  Heck, it even comes with a bell.

DING DING!!

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