Mountain Biker Nate Hills on why Silky’s BigBoy is Always in His Pack
Yeti Cycles ambassador Nate Hills is one of the most accomplished mountain biker racers in the sport. An Arizona native who now lives in the Colorado Rockies, Hills loves riding bikes and he loves working on trails.
Yeti Cycles ambassador Nate Hills is one of the most accomplished mountain biker racers in the sport. An Arizona native who now lives in the Colorado Rockies, Hills loves riding bikes and he loves working on trails. A former cross-country, 4X, dual slalom, dirt jumping and enduro competitor, Hills is also famous for his “Follow Cam Friday” videos, where he follows other mountain bike athletes down gnarly trails.
Hills says he is as passionate about trailwork as he is about riding because the two go hand in hand. “Part of the culture of mountain biking is trail building and maintaining existing trails, and there’s no better tool than Silky.”
Hills lives in Dylan, Colorado, where beetle-kill trees fall across trails anytime the wind blows. “I do a ton of deadfall removal where I live,” says Hills. “As a result, I’ve incorporated Silky’s BigBoy into my day-to-day routine. It’s the longest Silky that zips into my hydration pack, and when I come upon deadfall on a ride, it gives me the most bang for my buck dealing with downed trees. I have lost count how many trees I’ve cut with my BigBoy, but it’s more than 100.”
Because of all the beetle kill, standing deadwood abounds near Dylan. Hills says that “it’s a constant battle in the woods,” and that when it’s windy, he encounters at least one trail-blocking tree on every ride.
Hills uses his the BigBoy for trail maintenance, but also for corridor clearing for new trails. In Dylan, cutting live trees isn’t permitted. So Hills clears brush and downed wood to create singletrack trails.
Recently, Hills added a KatanaBoy to his collection. “I have a couple of two-foot diameter trees I was avoiding tackling with the BigBoy… Now that I have the KatanaBoy, I’m excited to see how the saw takes care of it,” says Hills.
Hills plans to use the KatanaBoy instead of his 18” bar chainsaw. “Chainsaws are heavy and not that fun to ride with,” says Hills. “The KatanaBoy slings over my back or it straps to my bike with some ski straps. It’s a great way to not carry a chainsaw. And, unlike a chainsaw, I don’t need USFS certification to cut deadfall with a handsaw, no matter how large.”
Hills doesn’t go out and try to find unusual projects for his Silkys. “There’s nothing too crazy to talk about when it comes to Silky saws and how I use them. But my BigBoy is part of my kit. It’s always with me on the trail. I travel a ton, and I always carry my BigBoy in my van. I believe strongly in trail advocacy and being a good steward, and in promoting trailbuilding and managing deadfall in the forest. I do my best to push those angles to my audience, and to practice what I preach, and Silky’s BigBoy helps me do both.”
Follow Conrad on Instagram @natehills1 and YouTube www.youtube.com/@natehills9388