Throughout this blog series, we will delve into the complete transformation of the Surface604 Boar Explorer, elevating it from an already sturdy and reasonably priced bike to a high-performing machine that surpasses even my wildest expectations! We are grateful to The Death Projects for joining forces with Surface604 and taking a leap of faith in this great adventure!

The first component we knew had to go was the fork. Although, the rigid fork was functional with its rack mount points, we aimed to take the bike to the next level, and that required a suspension fork. Naturally, we turned to the top fat bike fork brand in the market, Wren Sports! With a prompt email to Kevin Wren, a new fork was swiftly delivered to the shop and eagerly awaited the installation on the Boar.

Why add a suspension fork to a fat-tire 'commuter' bike? Why not! Doing things differently is what we're all about, and turning a bike into something unique is also our specialty. Plus, we tinker with everything!

The fork swap wasn't a difficult process. We used a Wolftooth Premium headset with a standard fair: EC44/40 lower and ZS44 upper. The Wren fork was a 110mm travel, 150mm x 15mm tapered steerer Fat Fork, all of which we carry in stock. We left the steer tube uncut to ensure enough room, and it worked out just fine!

The verdict? We love the fork! It's super slick, and the carbon stanchion covers are a great touch. It adds even more 'plush' to the ride, than the big 27.5 tires alone. We would typically keep it locked around town, but it's a great addition for off-road adventures, providing more control and ease of handling.

Taking any Surface604 bike to the next level is what we do best here.

And as always, stay tuned for more updates and safe shredding!

Complete upgrade list:

Wren Sports Fat Fork

110mm, 150x15mm, tapered steerer

Promax Stem, 60mm

Supernova stem w/light mount

ProTaper carbon 2020 bar

'comfort' flat bar that I use on everything.

Supernova lighting

M99 Mini Pro front light and M99 2 Taillight

Drivetrain

SRAM NX Eagle 12 speed cassette, GX Eagle AXS Wireless upgrade, GX Eagle Fat Bike Crankset, 4", Wolftooth CAMO Ring with 38t, 0 offset chainring, SRAM DUB BB

Tektro Auriga+ brakes and TRP R1 2.3mm rotors

4 piston for just more stopping power...even though the Tektro 2 piston are pretty darn nice!

Dropper post and saddle

ISM is the go to for saddles!  Super comfy and it comes in all sizes.  And the dropper, for now, is an external PNW Pine 110mm variant.  Soon to be replaced with a Rockshox Reverb AXS. 

Terrene Tires