Off-Road Exploration Guide Vol.I: Fat Bikes @ Imperial Dunes

images & words by photographer Jeff Olsen (@jeffreymolsen)

On behalf of State Bicycle Co. I am so excited to welcome you to our brand new off-road division! We've been busy testing and shooting some killer new product and I'm about to show you what we've been up to in the first installment of our Off-Road Exploration Guide series.

For our first adventure, we took team rider Bryan Harding and legendary Drunk Cyclist, Chris Reichel, to the Imperial Dunes in southeastern California armed with two Monolith fat bikes for just about the most fun I've experienced on a bicycle. Postpone your exfoliation treatment and harden up for some brutal climbing – we gonna make yo skin soft. Deflate those tires and get ready to float!

Must go down to go up

More climbing than I could have ever imagined

Ok, we're almost there

The fruit of our labor.

Production cameo? BTS banger?

OK Bryan, get delicious!

I think he likes the fruit. Work on

Do work

Work

About as fun as running in your dreams

Almost there!

Perfection in design is achieved not when there is nothing left to add, but nothing left to take away.

Saxon...so soft right now.

The Tatooine scenes in Return of the Jedi were shot here. Chris would be Luke Skywalker.

Into the Sarlacc

Sorry dudes, we didn't budget for that hover ship tow with R2-D2/bicycle magnetic extraction. Come on back.

You never remember the pain.

Not a bad way down to the next climb

Bryan is going to demonstrate effective coaster braking... wait, Bryan. Not like that...

It only works with your feet on the pedals, man.

In Drunk Cyclist, We Trust.

Warren Miller said, "People weren't made to fly. That's why we made kickers." Well, that's why we made fat bikes too.

Your learning is swift, Padawan.

Bryan wanted me to show you something.

You don't even look like her, Bryan.

"Just let me do the Princess Leia scene."

Ok.

Now that we have some sand checked off the list and fantasies fulfilled, it's time to venture north to Salton Sea and Slab City. The terrain is gonna get a little weird. Check back in with us for Part II of our fat bike adventure and thanks for coming along!