All fans of bikepacking kit at a reasonable price - and who among us isn't? - will know the Alpkit brand. They have mastered the gear side of things, becoming hugely popular on the scene, and have recently moved into the bikes themselves by creating the Sonder brand.
Bringing fat bikes into the 21st century, Sonder have specced the Vir Fortis with a full carbon frame and fork that flows and curves in stark contrast to the normally staid design of the breed. 4 inch Jumbo Jim tyres shod the 26 inch wheels, while 11 speed SRAM GX1 provides the drive and SRAM Guide R the stopping power.
Although the original spec provides mere 4 inch Schwalbe Jumbo Jim tyres Sonder have built the Vir Fortis to accommodate up to 4.8 inchers - true terrain flatteners. We do like the fours however, feeling they are more of a balance between speed, maneuverability and ground munching.
They are also lighter of course, something than can also be said of the feather weight frame - a pinch at 1550g for the medium. This brings a whole new feel to the normally cumbersome fatty style, and we thoroughly enjoy the change in both long distance travelling and shorter blasts through the local woods. Grip is out of this world, yet a distinct burst of acceleration can be wrung from it - relatively speaking.
Don't forget when ordering that Alpkit also sell dedicated, presized bikepacking luggage for the Vir Fortis (or at least they can easily size their custom luggage to fit their own bike frame with no input from you), so why not get the whole lot off one shelf while you are there? Do that and you will have a thoroughly modern take on the fat bike concept, more than ready for your next adventure. Or just some bouncy fun down your local trails.
