How We Roll: Getting Rugged W/ Fire And Ice Outdoor Gear

Welcome to the first ever How We Roll, a series focused on telling the stories of everyday Aventon riders who’ve chosen the uncommon path on and off their ebikes.

What does it take to go beyond the casual route? That’s what we wanted to know, too. So we contacted a professional, someone who pushes the limits on all things outdoors to get the answer. YouTube personality, Barry, with Fire and Ice Outdoor Gear, was just the right guy to give us the answers. He’s been putting our ebikes to the test for some time now, including the Aventure and our cargo bike, Abound, to see what they’re made of.

Let’s get rolling.

The Man Behind Fire & Ice Outdoor Gear

Maybe you’ve seen Barry before on his YouTube channel, Fire and Ice Outdoor Gear. It’s hard to miss his iconic beard that has strangers recognizing him when he’s out riding around town, testing the latest and greatest outdoor gear.

Barry resides in Columbia, South Carolina, and says that nothing can stop him from pushing himself to go farther and faster than ever before, even his age. At 45 he’s still spending most of his time outdoors.

“I was raised to be outside. My parents didn't let us go inside. So we'd go outside and build shelters and play.”

When we asked him how long he’s been getting rugged, Barry told us since his kids were around the age of 8.

“I really wanted them to enjoy the outside, go camping and canoeing, and all that other stuff. I really thought of it as character building and teamwork. So I taught them stuff like how to build a fire. Just little things that I felt were important to take with them in life.”

It’s been about 30 years, and there’s no stopping him.

“My kids are all in college, so I just bring my camera now and not my kids.”

Veering Off-Road With Aventon

It’s been nearly a year since we teamed up with Barry for his adventures, and we couldn’t be more excited to see what he gets into next, whether it’s draining batteries on strenuous rides to test how far a bike can go with all the gear he brings with him, or it’s veering off-road with a bike that wasn’t quite meant to.

“Y’all were, and still are, all over the place. Y'all are on reddit, Facebook. You're on YouTube marketing. And I just felt like I would be a good fit for you guys. I could see you were working hard on growing your brand, and I thought we would be a great fit together.”

Barry isn’t gentle on the bikes by any means. He really wants to know what they’re capable of, what the possibilities are. So when it comes to bike maintenance it was extremely important to him to know the brand could handle what he’s getting into.

“The biggest issue with ebikes is the maintenance. Most brands haven't caught up yet. You know, people don’t know how to work on them. And that’s what's so great about Aventon. Y'all sell the parts and components directly. So on the off chance that something does break, it's accessible. I can get derailleurs. I can get tubes, tires, brakes. I mean, y’all thought of so much on the back end. It's just a great company.”

It’s important to us at Aventon, to ensure our riders have everything they need when they hit the road. Along with the accessibility of components and a 2-year warranty, our customer service team can help you walk through simple fixes, and our dealer finder will help you locate the closest shop to get you the maintenance repairs you need should you need them.

Taking The Aventure To Task

In the Fall of last year, Barry took the Aventure to task by attaching a front rack, rear rack, and a trailer in tow and packed 150 pounds worth of gear on it, plus himself and two batteries for a long 66 mile round trip ride.

“It was an old rail to trail that the government turned into a bike trail. They called it Creeper Trail because it's like a 25 or 24 degree angle. It's so steep, that when they were trying to pull the wood out of the forest, back in the 1800s, it was going up this mountain and the train could only go about one mile per hour, so they called it the Creeper.”

Barry rode the Aventure for two days, uphill and through 24 hours of rain. While this isn’t recommended, our ebikes are IPX4 water-resistant and can handle light water sprays and rainfall. The powerful 750W powerful motor and 4” fat tires pushed on with ease as he rode along class three and four rapids, waterfalls and other trail users.

“I feel like you want me to show your customers what this thing can do, and a lot of people are not lightweight backpackers. They're throwing in golf clubs, fishing poles, to three or four pairs of clothes. I wanted it to be as real as possible and extreme as possible.”

After draining one full battery on an intense climb, Barry threw in the second one and cruised the rest of the way home.

Going Abound And Then Some

Most of the time the bike dictates the adventure. But sometimes there’s just something about a bike that makes a rider want to get creative, to see what the bike can do, to see what they’re made of.

“When you sent me the Abound, I felt like you sent me a truck. You know what I mean? So, I was like, I'm gonna bring a saw and an ax, a hot tent, a stove, a cooler. I'm bringing everything. I'm bringing the kitchen,” Barry laughs. “I loved the storage. I took advantage of it.”

Set for a two to three mile off-road exploration, Barry racked, stacked and packed it all on the Abound before taking off into the woods on a Winter day. While the Abound wasn’t made for rugged terrain, much like our 4” fat tire Aventure.2, Barry wanted to see what it could do on an off-road trail with boulder and stream crossings.

“I lost my shoe. I lost my cup. I lost my beanie. But it didn’t stop me. I was gonna get this done.”

After much trouble wading through streams and finding himself on a steep, slanted trail, Barry decided to relent and camp for the night.

“I got snowed on and I'm like, you know what, I'm still out here and I got a hot tent. I've got groceries. It's still beautiful. I didn't get to the waterfall, but let's just still make it.”

A plan B isn’t so bad, after all. And while Abound wasn’t made for rugged terrain, it still has the capacity to bring everything you need in case of an emergency.

“Like my mom always said, ‘Shoot for the moon. Even if you don't hit it, at least you're out there in the stars.’ And if I didn't get to the waterfall, I'm still in the woods, you know?

Cadence Versus Torque

When we asked Barry which sensor he preferred between the two bikes, this is what he told us.

“I think both of them are great. I don't think there's a right or wrong answer. The torque sensor is smooth. The cadence sensor, when you hit it, it kind of gives you that dirt bike feel. Taking off with the torque sensor, it feels like the bike just goes with you. It moves with you. And I think that's only when you're taking off. The cadence sensor has a little jolt to it. Be a little prepared for it. Which is no big deal. Just don't try to take off with no hands or one handed with a camera.”

To learn more about the differences between cadence and torque sensors, check out our blog ‘Torque Sensor vs. Cadence Sensor on Electric Bikes’

The Future Of Fire & Ice And Aventon

As we continue to pursue new avenues in the ebike world, exploring the possibilities of newer technologies and components, we want to bring you along for the ride. We want us all to keep rolling forward. The same goes for Barry.

“There is a route that I've been mapping called the Blue Ghost Trail. It's high up in the Appalachian where the fireflies turn blue instead of white. And the trail is about 530 miles. That would probably take me about 13 days.”

Thanks to pioneers like Barry, we can find the strength and sense of adventure in ourselves to test our own limits, to find new freedoms with the power of emobility.

“I think I can do it with Abound, or even the Aventure.2 because their batteries are interchangeable. I could definitely do 60 miles comfortably on both those batteries. I'm just pushing the limits. I haven't necessarily had a bike big enough to do 500 miles or anything like that. But I feel like I could do it with either of those bikes.”

And when he does, we’ll be rolling right along with him. Follow Barry’s adventures on his YouTube channel Fire & Ice Outdoor Gear and see what he gets into next.

Full Throttle Questions

Road or off-road?

Offroad.

Favorite backcountry snack? 

Slim Jims.

Top song on Spotify Playlist? 

Anything by Tupac.

Traditional bike or ebike? 

Definitely ebike.

What's something you never leave home without? 

My cell phone.