What to go Santa!!

As you are discovering, tire pressures are really the key variable in fat bikes and how they handle various conditions. I do most of my fat bike rides off road in the winter, but I do commute on my Moonlander once in a while. Such as if it's snowing hard or the plows haven't come by or the conditions are particularly slushy or if I want to do an off road excursion on the way to or from work. Otherwise most days I commute on my skinny studded tire bike.

Depending on the winter conditions I usually start out at no more than 9psi front 10psi rear. That's on knobby 4.8" bud and lou's, and less psi if the snow is deep. When I winter trail ride I start with it set up 9F/10R as well and air down if the conditions warrant it as I go. I've learned that I never need more PSI than that off road, and it's easy to let some air out on the trail compared to pumping up those mothers. It's all in the feel and the temperature and the trail conditions on any given day. One PSI can make a big difference in grip, and handling. Too much and you are bouncing around, too little and it gets really sluggish and slow and you have to muscle it through turns.

Alternately riding at 30psi is like riding a bucking bronco with beachballs for feet. Not good for off road. I have done 30psi with my Big Fat Larry tires in the summer on smooth roads and it's about as fast as you can get but then again I really don't use my fat bike that way. I have other bikes for that type of riding.

The thing is you have to temper your mindset a bit and not expect a lot of speed, that's not what these things do best. They float, and they can do things other bikes really can't, but speed is not really one of them. Embrace the slowness and enjoy the ride. It sure beats the riding trainer in the basement, or being in your car.