Originally Posted by
Tundra_Man
+1
Was riding my non-studded tire hybrid a couple weeks ago and hit a smooth patch of ice hiding in the dark (batteries in my headlight were getting weak; since resolved.) Lost grip on my front wheel and before I even realized what was happening I was on the ground. Thankfully the patch of ice was large enough that I slid to a stop without tearing up my clothes by sliding on pavement. Also thankfully I didn't have time to react, so I kept my elbows tucked in and probably saved a broken collarbone. Other than feeling banged up for a few days I came out pretty good. But it was amazing how fast I was able to go from happily riding along to suddenly lying on the ground.
Ha, yeah, that's what I mean.
If you hit pure ice (not an ice/snow mix) on any tire less wide than a fatbike tire, it just happens so fast your body can't even send signals to your brain, have your brain make instinctive decision, and send the signal back before you're over. One second you're riding, the next you're on the ground and that's it. If you hit the front tire at least.
A fat bike tire is finally so fat that it does actually slide out slowly enough for your brain to relatively easily react in time.
Source: Rode a fat bike in a demo across a lake with patches of snow and patches of sheer ice.