Schlick Cycles Northpaw Belt Drive Build

When Dave Schlabowske, of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, was looking to build up his fat bike, he looked local. Wisconsin has a ton of bike talent so to complete his build he started with local builder Schlick Cycle's Northpaw frame. For those of you that have never ridden a fat bike, they are a blast. You have this feeling that you can roll over anything in you path, whether it's on the dirt, sand or snow. It's addictive! The Schlick Northpaw is designed to handle massive 26" x 4.0 tires and features an optional sliding dropout and split frame to run a belt drive. While the Surley Pugsley is well known on the fat bike scene, companies like Schlick are stepping up the design for the next generation of fat bikes.

Sticking with the theme of building with great local components, Dave spec'd out the ride with Fyxation's Gates pedals, Curve saddle, BMX grips and end caps. To round out the orange "cheddar" theme it was important for Dave to find great parts, that matched, to accent his build. The Northpaw is also equipped with Hayes Prime Brakes, Answer Rove stem, Answer bars, and was built with care by the crew at Ben's Cycle.

When it comes to the drive-train, the Gates Belt drive coupled with an Alfine 11-speed internal geared hub. This set up keeps noise down, but most importantly for fat bikes, it keeps crud out. For a bike that's as at home on the snow as it is on the sand, this is critical. You can read Dave's comprehensive review here...

photos by Dave Schlebowske