Sigrid is a beautiful white Norwegian forest cat who has gone viral on social media since her owner, Travis Nelson, started taking her out on rides around his local area in central London.
Initially, all of their rides were on a fixed-gear bike, but the guys at Volt have recently hooked them up with their Alpine e-MTB hardtail, which has helped the pair expand their riding horizons enabling them to explore off-road trails at Epping Forest (see the video below). While not suitable for full MTB use, the Volt Alpine has a 504Wh battery and a hub-powered motor with plenty of range for exploring easy forest paths.
Now, before you go dragging your favorite feline out riding with you, it is worth mentioning that Travis has trained Sigrid from a young age to wear a collar and a leash, much like a good trail dog, which is unusual and most cultured kitties would make it very clear they do not approve of any neckwear. She is also deaf, which probably explains why she is so relaxed on the bike. Cats' reactions and awareness are much quicker and more advanced than ours, and bike speeds would be overwhelming for most moggies.
One famous feline
Sigrid’s bike adventures began when Travis was made redundant in lockdown, and like lots of others, he bought a bike to explore his local area and decided to take his cat with him. Sigrid travels either in the bike's front basket or attached to his chest using an adapted harness, where she takes in the sights of the big city.
But what had initially been a way to keep sane in lockdown changed once he posted videos of their rides on social media. She quickly became an internet star, going viral with one of her videos alone on TikTok having over 750k views. It's not all just riding bikes and making videos for this fabulous feline, though. Travis has used their newly found platform to promote charities and good causes, being involved in the UCI’s World Bicycle Day celebrations promoting diversity in cycling, and others, such as England cricketer Monty Panesar’s Felix Project.
Travis’s adventures have also spawned a book, Sigrid Rides, a memoir and story of his relationship with his feline companion, one that he says gave him direction and a sense of belonging when he felt lost. Many of us who ride can relate to this, with our five reasons why mountain biking boosts your mental health reminding us of how good getting some fresh air and exercise can be for us.
If you want to keep up to date with Travis and Sigrid’s adventures, you can find them on Instagram (@skintension) and TikTok (@sigirides).
