We all knew Rock Shox was coming out with a front boinger, but what we didn’t know was that our Amigos at Borealis have been working with them on the development of their Senator Blutarski (Bluto) fat-suspension fork. I bet just about everybody will have something to say about Bluto. Today we get to talk about one of the first fat-bikes specifically designed around Bluto. Borealis worked with Rock Shox from the beginning and simultaneously developed their suspension specific, carbon, trail bike named Echo. Rock Shox and Borealis are both located in Colorado Springs, so it makes sense that Jed from RS worked closely with Adam from Borealis during the development of their entry into the fat-bike world.

When I talked to Adam this week, he described Echo as a summer specific carbon trail bike. He added that the bike was made to run wide bars with a short stem to help manage the big meats, in ‘black diamond’ terrain and keep the fun flowing. Borealis is going to spec the new RaceFace 35mm bar and stem along with an optional dropper post. This is a fat-bike born to ride and rock the hell out of terrain that pushes the boundaries of what you might traditionally think that a fat-bike can handle.

Adam went on to say – “Our vision with the ECHO was to create an entirely new class of fat bike that provides the rider with nimble shredability they just can’t find on another fat rig.” Named after Echo Park in northwestern Colorado, the new Borealis ECHO takes fat biking to the next level with a frame designed exclusively for the groundbreaking RockShox BLUTO fork. Borealis worked tirelessly to produce the ultimate integration of fat bike technology and front suspension systems. The Borealis design team’s explicit focus was to create a truly year-round fat bike to build upon the current, snow-oriented fat bike reputation. The ECHO has met and exceeded this initial goal with suspension-tuned frame geometry that ultimately fosters the smoothest ride of any fat bike on the market, regardless of where your adventures take you. Borealis has tested the ECHO in every condition imaginable—from the punishing trails of Moab to the backcountry of Alaska, the ECHO bounced with bold confidence. Fat bike technology just changed gears, and Borealis aims to be at the forefront of this innovation.

Here are the specs:



The ECHO can shred in all disciplines in mountain biking.

The ECHO is the first fat bike frame ever to be designed specifically around the BLUTO fork.

Fully guided internal dropper post routing.

Fully guided internal cable routing

Clearance for 4.8” tires on 100mm rims.

New 197mm rear spacing with 12mm RockShox MAXLE thru axle.

Ultra-stiff, fat, and rally-ready carbon frame.

3 water bottle cage mounts for those Epic Adventures!

What will it weigh? – Complete bike with Bluto will weigh approximately 24.5 – 25 lbs

When will they be available – Taking pre-orders now, bikes will begin shipping mid-May.

How much will it cost? – MSRP’s Below

Echo Frame: $1949

Echo Frame/Bluto Fork/headset: $2649

Echo X0X9: $3999

Echo X01: $5199

Echo XX1: $5999

Echo XX1 with Carbondale rims: $7199

For more information about Borealis Bikes check out www.BOREALISBIKES.com.

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