you could always blow a big wad of cash and get one of those pretty darn snazzy Lauf fatbike forks!
and your comment about the whole plus size popularity does show why it seems to be a good compromise for a lot of riding, other than sand and snow where the true fatties will always have an advantage.
At this stage of life, I'm not
that guy. I still have a mortgage and stuff so I don't tend to blow large loads of cash unless I really really know I'll use it. The Lauf will have to wait...
Plus I have some other expensive hobbies as well as other sub genres in cycling. I'm slowly upgrading my mtb bike, road bike, other road bike, FG bike, vintage bikes etc...
I think of this idea as a sort of "proof of concept" trial so that, when I do have the disposable income, I'll know pretty well what I want. I could get better rims, and even a better bike, but for now we'll see if these additions add up to something meaningful.
The Plus vs Fat thing is interesting. One thing I did not anticipate with fat was the proprietary nature of the hub spacing. It really makes cross pollination a pita and, if the maker goes under, you are stuck with a bike that has an odd size. That's why I want to baby my rims when mtbing. Yet, as you say, fat does fill a niche.
Here's a couple of pics of the Sand Hills that I want to return to.
This was literally a road plowed through the sand. I couldn't go very far on it without sloughing.
These dunes are interspersed among large expanses of scrub that have animal trails connecting them. Most people just go to the one or two dunes closest to the road but the area is hundreds of sq kilometers.
