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Sombrio digs into bikes with the Shovel

North Van brand's first mountain bike is a no-nonsense hardcore hardtail

Sombrio Shovel Photo by: Liam Wallace

Sombrio has roamed the woods of Vancouver’s North Shore for over 20 years on mountain bikes but, until now, the Canadian brand has never made a bike of its own. That changes with the Shovel, a no-nonsense hardtail made to survive and thrive on anything the Shore could throw at it.

The Shovel reflects Sombrio’s approach to its more well-known apparel line. The apparel brand started in 1998 with a free-spirited and relaxed in design paired with functional elements made to survive the hard environment of mountain biking’s most notorious trails.

It’s also an aluminum hardtail that starts at just $730.00. That is a welcome alternative, aimed at new and experienced riders alike, to the waves of high-end carbon wonderbikes with price tags that regularly push five figures, not three.

Here’s what Sombrio says about the inspiration behind these new Shovel bikes:

“The Shovel; commonly known as a hand tool – many of us would have first picked up a shovel as our first foray into trail building. Now the Shovel represents a tool for progression, a cornerstone for the everyday Joe, a foundational element of many great things. The Shovel is purpose-built to be square one. A starting point for entry into the world of mountain biking. Designed to be easy to use, attainable and most of all – fun. Taking heavy influence from The North Shore and the rigors of modern mountain biking – the Shovel is the cumulative result of what you need to get rolling from your first ride.”

What do you need to get rolling? How about 27.5″ tires with clearance for 2.6″ rubber, giving you traction in the wettest weather, progressive trail bike geometry that sits in a comfortable middle ground instead of pushing the extremes of bike design, boost spacing and 140-mm travel forks, and clean internal dropper post routing. In addition to shore-worthy forks, there’s a smart build kit on all Shovel models designed to make it trail-ready right out of the box. And, for a bit of style, a classic-looking big ol’ head tube badge.

Pricing starts from $729.00 for the Shovel 5 and goes up to $1,300.00 for the Shovel 2. All four models are available in Canada only through Sombrio dealers. Hit the brand’s website full details on the Sombrio Shovel.