A North Eastern Road Trip on the Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt - Video

Mar 28, 2018 at 13:33
by Rocky Mountain  
Views: 14,266    Faves: 104    Comments: 5


Last Fall a group of Rocky Mountain athletes, ambassadors, and friends took a road trip through some of the best riding networks in Quebec and the Northeastern United States. We set each of them up with our new Thunderbolt, to ride the style of trails in which the bike was designed for. Built for technical climbs with the ability to power through the rough stuff, the Thunderbolt is a quick, nimble, trail weapon, meant to excel on demanding trails.

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt
Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt
Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

It’s amazing what you can pack into a long weekend with a solid crew. Our EWS team rider, Peter Ostroski, his sister Sophie, and Rocky Mountain Sales Rep, Sean Rudzinsky, headed north across the Canada-US border to meet up with the Canadians, Christian Gauvin, Kevin Simard, and Ian Hughes. Christian is based out of Bromont and has been a Rocky Mountain athlete for 10 years, Kevin has been with Rocky Mountain for 5 years, and Ian is a coach working for the Centre National de Cyclisme de Bromont (CNCB). Packing up for the weekend, stop one would be at Vallée Bras-du-Nord.

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt
Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

bigquotesI couldn’t believe how hard I could push the Thunderbolt on descents and still make quick work of the climbs. The snappy nature of the bike makes it ride light and is easy to handle, and its maneuverability and quick acceleration allowed me to get creative on the downs!” – Peter Ostroski

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

Action, agility, and acute adjustments, the trails in Eastern Canada and the Northeastern United States demand focus and quick corrections. Often overshadowed by the trail lore of the Pacific Northwest and tales of the endless BC backcountry, the east side of our continent doesn’t seem to get enough credit. Riddled with technical singletrack and daunting rock moves, it pays to ride with purpose and precision.

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt
Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

When we re-designed the Thunderbolt, we brought the rear travel up to 130mm, increased frame stiffness, and lowered the suspension rate curve. We also added the option of our BC Edition platform, accommodating a longer stroke shock to provide 140mm of rear travel. Both the Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt BC Edition have RIDE-9™ adjustments, giving you control over the geometry and suspension characteristics, so you can be ready for any trail.

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

Christian charges hard year-round racing fat bikes in a true Canadian winter, racing XC and enduro in the summer, and helping out with demo days and local ride events. He lives in Bromont, right next to the trails. The mountain biking scene is strong here, and with a passionate drive the community has helped move mountain biking forward through volunteerism, fundraising, and commitment.

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

bigquotesWe have an incredibly strong trail building crew here in Bromont, and there’s definitely no shortage of talented riders. The builders are all so passionate about riding, I think it’s their personal commitment to both building and riding that makes the trails here so fun!” – Christian Gauvin

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

Rocky Mountain has been working with Vallée Bras-du-Nord since they first began developing mountain bike trails in 2007. The trails are the work of an incredibly unique, at-risk youth program where they work in groups of 10 for nearly 6 months at a time, building and maintaining all the trails in their tenure. The vision is that working in nature can be used as a kind of therapy and connecting youth with the outdoors is a way to help them build skills and self-confidence. The dedicated program managers are building out a network that truly represents the riding in Quebec, with trails that breed creativity. The network here is growing quickly, and for good reason.

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt
Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt
Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

bigquotesWe’re truly lucky to get to ride and work in such a beautiful place. We have everything from flow trails to the more classic, technical riding you’ll see in Quebec, and have developed the network to weave amongst the natural features of the environment. It’s pretty epic here!” – Mathieu Dupuis-Bourasssa, Operations Manager at Vallée Bras-du-Nord

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt
Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

bigquotesI love how hard the trail building community is working to grow our sport in Quebec. There’s so many great networks in close proximity, we as riders have seemingly endless choices of where to ride.” – Christian Gauvin

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

Peter Ostroski grew up in New Hampshire, and after a 6-year stint in Alaska, moved back to the Northeast settling in Burke, Vermont. He’s been a member of our EWS team since the beginning, starting with a spot on the original Altitude Team alongside teammates, Kevin Soller, and a young Jesse Melamed. But his history with Rocky Mountain doesn’t start there. He first rode a Rocky Mountain at 12 years old, hopping aboard an extra-small Instinct that he reflects fondly on calling it, “his dream ride”. Peter’s known for his ultra-quick precision and solid power on the pedals, both of which he developed as a cross-country racer charging hard on the tech trails out his back door.

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt
Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

The trails of Quebec and Northeast US don’t get the same level of exposure as the West Coast of North America, but things seem to be working just fine. The trail centres have developed a unique culture that’s helping to shape our sport in a meaningful way, and the riding still offers everything one could want.

bigquotesThe mountains aren't as big as the Alps or BC, but they pack a punch and offer tight, challenging steep terrain if you know where to look.” – Peter Ostroski

Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt

Thunderbolt

Sentiers du Moulin, Quebec
Sentiers du Moulin mountain biking trails

Bromont, Quebec
Bromont mountain biking trails

Vallée Bras-du-Nord, Quebec
Saint-Raymond mountain biking trails

Kingdom Trails, Vermont
Kingdom Trails mountain biking trails


MENTIONS: @RockyMountainBicycles



Author Info:
RockyMountainBicycles avatar

Member since Jan 14, 2011
142 articles

35 Comments
  • 22 0
 Love the east cost coverage !! Gives me a good idea what trail to hit when spring comes.
  • 15 1
 Head to bromont bike park trust me the town is great. Trails are awesome and the entire mountain is covered in unmarked free trails and the locals are easy to spot and more than happy to guide you around! Also has a full water park and weekend massive flea market to keep the fam busy if need be. They do things a tad different in qc just pay at the bike park and go! No videos no lines no waivers. And it's gnarly as fak!
Don't forget to rip the 75 km/hr go carts 5 mins down the highway they are open rain or shine.
Thank me later this trip is one we do several times a year and a no brainer
  • 2 0
 FREE TRAILS !!!!!!!!!
  • 5 0
 @jeff444: the trails arent free...some ''peoples'' work their ass off building those trails so you better pay your
share!
  • 1 0
 @jeff444: The bEAST!!!!
  • 2 0
 @rockymountainbicycles thanks for posting the trail systems up here, can't wait to check this section of the world out in the fall!
  • 16 0
 Wow, a video that shows the type of riding the majority of mountain bikers actually do. No road gaps, 10 foot drops, railing berms at 30 mph, or big air of any kind. Way to keep it real RM! Great video!
  • 14 0
 I don't always drink beer, but when i do i wear my helmet.
  • 7 0
 All I can think about is the fact that this was filmed in 2017 and the model is showed as a 2019 model. So fast it can travel to the future I suppose?
  • 2 0
 Road trip!
The trails may not be as technical or mountainous as here in BC, but they look like a whole lot of fun.
My 2016 tbolt is definitely overkill for these eastern trails, but it is still my bike of choice for flow riding. Who needs a hardtail when your dually pedals this well?
And the food in Quebec is worth the drive....
  • 5 0
 great little piece. Ride the East!
  • 5 0
 Now I’m really excited to go to work!
  • 1 0
 Pretty much perfect east coast bike. I have ridden some rocky mountains. They are so playful and sweet it's like dancing through the woods. I want one. Too bad they cost an arm and a leg, but you are paying people pay checks with it so I guess it is worth it.
  • 4 0
 Burke has some of the best riding on the east coast!!
  • 3 0
 Vallée Bras-du-Nord sounds like a great program.

also, the Thunderbolt has leaped towards the top of "next bike" choice.
  • 2 0
 you'll love it. I am on my second one (sold the first as too many bikes in the stable) and now only 1 and it is setup for AM Trail riding. You definitely cannot go wrong.
  • 3 0
 I have a 2015 750 and I absolutely love it. Even at 120 front and rear, it is *usually* enough to deal with the the gnarliest of trails I find myself on. It climbs like an absolute goat, and overall I just love the geometry. So much fun for XC and trail riding, where you can really work the bike around. I swapped with a friend of mine who rides a Transition Patrol for a couple laps at a local riding spot, and I came away so happy to be on the bike I am, and I'd say he was a bit jealous. The shorter wheelbase is definitely advantageous for a lot of east coast riding, but it can still hold its own plenty fine on brutal descents.
  • 2 0
 @mgltraveler: love my TBolt too. Punches way above its weight class.
  • 3 0
 On a snowy morning in the Rocky Mountains this is exactly what I needed to see. Great video!
  • 3 0
 Thunder! Ahaaahaahaahaah! Thunder! Ahaaahaahaahaah!
  • 3 0
 Is this an article including Thunder buddies....?
  • 1 0
 rented a tbolt from the vallee bras du nord shop last summer and absolutely loved it, the bike and the trails were both so fun
  • 1 0
 the video is too short to be a movie, too long to be an ad, too long for a website...do they make it just for PB ? O_O ..nice marketing RM!
  • 2 0
 Great day.great video.Great Rocky Mountain.
  • 2 0
 Man, sometimes I really miss east coast riding....
  • 1 0
 What are people's thoughts on Vallée Bras-du-Nord? Worth the drive from MA?
  • 3 0
 I was there two years ago. I still say La Neilson is the best trail I've ridden in the east. It's a beauty. Rock, tech, jumps, berms, views.

There is great camping and a river right there. It feels very remote (cell didn't work). It's a very relaxing spot. It would make a great family trip. There are machine build blue level trails there too for less experienced mountain bikers.
  • 3 0
 @Adamrideshisbike: The Neilson trails are some of the best I've ever ridden. Been there a few times and plan to head back ASAP. I'd place them up there with any trail I've ridden in Moab.
  • 2 0
 Wow this little lady can rip a bike!
  • 3 0
 East is Beast.
  • 2 0
 Rustic cabin. Check.
  • 2 2
 Toyota font meme pu le tacoma en orange
  • 1 1
 Le Pipeline orange est beau pour matcher avec le Toyota!
  • 1 1
 Je porte mieux le 29" ,j'ai l'air plus cut en chest
  • 1 0
 Beautiful trails!







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