For the third and final edition of the Squatch diaries we followed staff member Adam as he retraced his footsteps on one of the very first ‘proper’ Mountain Bike rides he undertook as an excitable 11 year old back in 1994, inspired by the legendary Jeremy Ashcroft guide books. Nearly 30 years on, his first choice of bike when looking for a fix of Lakeland tech is still a hardtail. This weekend was no different, he loaded his van with his trusty Squatch Pro, the perfect choice for multiple days of technical riding and headed home.
We'll let the pics tell the story on this one...
Lakeland native Adam has spent 30 years riding these fells. There’s not a trail that’s on the ground in the district that he hasn’t ridden. Most weekends you’ll find him in what he calls ‘the backyard’ high up in the fells on rocky technical Lakeland terrain, usually with his Kelpie, Angus.
The first ride of this weekend was the now infamous 4 passes, a Lakes classic… All off road, touring Great Gable and taking in the greatest hits of the Lakes… Scarth Gap, Black Sail Pass, Styhead Pass and Warnscale. Every descent drops you at the foot of another monster hike-a-bike. It’s only 12 miles in length, but a quick loop will still take 4 hours
The Squatch’s 78 degree seat angle pleaces him in a perfect position for climbing, meaning his legs will be the only limiting factor in winching up the steepest rock strewn ascents when the Squatch isn’t on his back. With the handling dialled, he’ll have all the confidence he needs when pressing send on some of the most technical slab fests on the other side too! Adam’s a huge fan of the 2.6 Maxxis DHF and Rekon tyre set up allowing him to run lower pressures for a larger footprint on wet rock without the fear of compressing the tyre against the rim on all those square edge hits he'll encounter when riding this terrain.
"The Squatch is superb when riding in the Lakes, the agressive geometry provides a perfect combination of stability and control when it gets rowdy. It has glue like traction for a hartail in ascent whilst still being comfortable enough to ride from dusk till dawn."