smarkinson

Isn't this the road cycling forum?

If you want to talk about fat bikes and riding on beaches and over such unnatural, deviant perversions then perhaps take it somewhere else.

Then maybe I can actually get some sleep tonight without lying in bed worrying about what bikes other people ride.

Although, how effective are fat bikes at running over dogs? I find on my road bike that I try to avoid dogs for fear of doing some damage to my bike. I figure a fat bike would take away that concern and that I could happily run over dogs (and perhaps small children as well) all day long without doing any damage at all.

revcp 

One thing everyone is missing is that you can put a 29er wheelset on a fat bike. For people who aren't interested in owning multiple bikes, a fat bike with an additional 29er wheelset, especially one with suspension, would check off a number of boxes.

Banzai

The Surly Pugsley Go Everywhere Bike from Harris Cyclery

Sheldon Brown on the Pugsley.

Banzai

Sheldon also said:

"Pugsley is, in its way, as revolutionary as the original mountain bikes were in the early 1980s."

Rollfast

huh?

LesterOfPuppets

More like evolutionary. The revolutionary bit was back in the late 80s/early 90s when people were trying out gear for the Iditabike. Lotta people would run double rims/tires. All Weather Sports started cutting one wall offa two rims and welding them together - fatbike rims on the Pugs were of that design.

[IMG][/IMG]

All Weather Sports started cutting one wall offa two rims and welding them together. Their Snowcat rims were 44mm wide. In 1998, Nokian made a 3" tire that fit really nice on the Snowcats. The Pugsly rims were wider than the Snowcats, and the tires wider than 3". Surly's first Pugs at the 2004 Interbike had those 3" Nokians on it, since they didn't have any Endomorphs yet.

Willbird

I have always thought bikes were made to be sold not made to be ridden....and people are buying fat bikes I guess :-).

I did see one sell in a LBS.....the buyer was........how to say this......his youthful exuberance and demeanor were those of a 13 year old yet he was 40ish. He was thoroughly overjoyed that you could ride it across a grass lawn as easily as down the road.

The LBS owner said a lot of folks ride them in snow covered farm fields.

Bill

garysol1 

As a roadie and a fatbike owner as well as a 29+ owner i feel pretty qualified to chime in. Fatbikes are fun in the same way that a big lifted 4x4 is fun. Its not overly fast or agile but it makes me smile. It will go pretty much anywhere comfortably. I use mine primarily for winter trail rides which keeps off of the trainer for 90% of the winter but once in a while I do pull it out in the nicer weather just because. It will never replace my roadbike but it will remain in my quiver for the foreseeable future.

Rollfast

There is your answer. Thank you!

Stucky

The power of marketing....

90% of the people who get in on the fad, have no need for the actual product, and in fact, are hindered by that product- but the ignorant don't seem to consider practicality- just "looks", and "being cool".

Next year: See Craigslist loaded with $50 Walmart fat bikes in varying degrees of decrepitness.

redfooj

advocated for proper pressures before many others realized
what a gem that sheldon is

Campag4life

Maybe you are lonely and need someone to talk to. Now a fat bike is an ambassador to cycling for god's sake...because you need a conversation starter. I have never had a hard time talking to anybody on a bike and if someone doesn't want to communicate, that's their prerogative as well and perhaps they aren't worth talking to anyway.

I believe the theme of this thread and Gary wrote what I believe to be some good truth since he owns many different genres of bikes...that Fat bikes have their place which Sheldon Brown discussed as well.
Depends where and how you like to ride. I know that riding in snow can be a real challenge on a regular mtb and 29er because I used to try and succeed once in a while when I lived in the Midwest. So a Fat bike as a snow bike makes some sense. A Fat bike may have an application on a frozen lake with studded tires as well....for those that like to do that. And also as a beach bike even though I live in a beach town and never see them ridden that way but I suppose they are at times.

garysol1 

and just to add..... Where I live in South West Michigan a lot of the trails feature LOTS of fairly deep sand. If I was recommending a mountain bike to a first timer in many cases the fattie would be the best choice due it confidence inspiring traction and float over the sand. That first time buyer may also only have one bike so that fatbike is now there "roadie" as well.

Banzai

I think the real answer to the question (was there a question? I've lost track amidst the more conceptual tangents) posed by this thread is answered by the fact that we're discussing it in the Road Cycling sub-forum. Ponder on that for a while.

A three page running thread where no one has asked about, or mentioned, and of the following: 23mm vs 25mm. Will this crabon bike make me faster? Will crabon asplode? How can I go faster? 400w. Totally dropped that guy on the MUP. Aluminum or titanium? Power meter. Flip it. Slam it. Aero wheels. Do aero spokes work? Should I shave my legs? Are my brake cables ruining the aero-ness of my bike? Etc., etc.

StanSeven

I think a lot of people buy them just because they look like fun. Buyers are likely people reasonably fit and have some money because they are sold in LBSs and not WalMarts. I'm guessing they are repetitive buyers that either currently ride occasionaly or did in the past. They then see fat bikes, think they are cool, and buy them.

There's really nothing to criticize here. Golf shops, fishing equipment dealers, tennis stores, etc., all see the same things. People buy things for fun, maybe have good intentions at keeping up usage, but probably give up after a while.

Maelochs

Workswell sells crabon Fatbike frames.

Lazyass

Why did my thread about turning a MTB into a road bike for the purpose of road cycling get moved and this thread did not?

Banzai

I think Wal-Mart sells them now.

ThermionicScott 

Yep. I'm actually considering one for next winter's commuting.

garysol1 

And just as Walmarts roadbikes are craptastic (think GMC Denali) so are there fat bikes. Absolutely terrible hubs, bottom brackets and drivetrains. Please do yourself a favor and look at entry level Surly's

biketocamp

Fat bikes are the closest your gonna get to a monster truck. They're fun, but prefer a 29er with 2.1 to 2.5 tires personally.

DosWheelsBtr

Nobody likes a lazy ass, Lazyass!

/s

exmechanic89

I've only ever seen a fatbike at a shop, Ive never seen one being ridden. They must not be popular in the areas I ride.

Banzai

Well...duh.

But StanSeven said above that fatbikes are an LBS item, not a Wal-Mart item. So I thought I'd set the thread straight on that one. The day I saw one at a Wal-Mart, I knew that fatbikes had officially gone mainstream. Maybe beyond mainstream.

Midwest Ullrich

Turned quite a few heads!