Fatties in the Sand?
 

For those of you who ride their fat bikes on the beach, is sand in the gear train an issue? I may get a fat bike for beach use and I'm curious if that's an issue.

Use dry lube not wet. Rinse it when you're done. No problem. :thumb:

What he said

^^^Exactly

Sand wreaks havoc on chains, derailleurs and brake pads. Clean often.

can't avoid all of it, but do you have fender? front and rear

Greetings, salt, and sand are bike component killers!! I’ve worked on many people’s bikes that were rusted beyond repair, after a beach vacation. Rinsing the bike with water, and using dry chain lube after each beach day, may prevent most beach damage to your bike.
Regards

Yup
 

No doubt about it. Sand is actually one of the worst things you can ride your bike on. Even if it's a fat bike. I wonder if there is a "sand proof" chain . . . hmmmm

Wanna ride on sand? Buy a cheap walmart fat bike. It's less expensive than riding a nice fat bike and replacing the parts that the sand destroys.

I've been riding my $1400 fat bike almost exclusively on sand dunes for the past 8 months. The sand gets everywhere, but hasn't been a problem in terms of wearing anything out yet. I actually take a different approach from everyone commenting so far and NEVER wash my bike. I have a nice unused dry paint brush and as soon as I get home I brush all of the sand off of everything important. Sometimes I wait for the sand to dry which makes it much easier. I feel like washing seems to force the sand into places you don't want it to go. My bike is running great right now... Time will tell how it holds up in the coming years though. Ultimately the whole point of fat bikes is sand and snow IMO, so yes ride it on the sand, have fun, and don't forget you'll need super super low PSI if the sand is dry. Happy trails!

I am assuming a salt water beach? Between the sand and the salt spray, you will need to increase your cleaning efforts significantly. As others have said, a dry lube will help, but will also require more frequent applications. Honestly, this is just part of owning a bike. There is a direct relationship between cleanliness of riding conditions and the amount of routine maintenance required.

Everything in sand and salt is going to get trashed. Just a sad fact of life. Enjoy but keep in mind whatever preventive maintenance the salt and sand will destroy.