CanadianBiker32

Seems the new trend is for people to go with FAT bikes vs traditional regular mt bikes.

I still use traditional.
now for all of those who converted over .
What benefits you see riding the FAT bike to traditional
i noticed the fat bikes are all rigid? so do the big tires really absorb the bumps and give good control over a full suspension regular bike?

Do you find a fat bike can push faster?

please i like to hear all about this please

kingsqueak

It's terrain based...

Fat tires are great for really rough/nasty surfaces, sand, mud and snow.

They provide flotation and quite a lot of bump absorption...you can typically run them down at 10psi and lower depending on tires and wheels. They aren't the same as a full suspension for drops etc but for rolling over rocks and roots they are pretty compliant.

They aren't generally "fast" they are about going places more easily...a Rokon Ranger of bicycles.

Nothing fast about this as a motorcycle, but it will go places you aren't getting to go with a normal bike, at least, far more easily. It's about getting there.

Canker

I don't think it is really a VS more of an in addition too. I don't have one but they look like a lot of fun and would like to pick one up. Now that bikesdirect.com sells a few and for cheap I can almost justify it. Looks like they are coming out with a SS fat bike soon too so that would kill my want for a fat and a SS all in one.


They aren't limited to rigid but yes most are.

dminor 

^^^ Dang, now that's got me wondering if I have enough clearance in the back on my 303R. Hmmmmmm.......

floating dutchy

I've toyed with the idea of a semi fat, Hard tail with a fat rear, Still pondering if the concept would actually work the way I would want it to.
"some" rear suspension down hill and grip uphill without the weight, maintenance or cost of full suspension.

The 29er hardtail I have now is a great bike, but it's not the bike for me, I bought it as a learning curve bike and are pondering options for the next bike.

lubes17319

New local fat-bike company.....my buddy's weighs in at 27#!!!

unterhausen

my mountain bike was purchased in '85, but I just got a new fat bike. I think it really could be my only mountain bike, it rides fine.

BrianHsia

I believe next year will be the fat bike year!!

Nick Bain

yeah now lets se those phat bikes in the video go uphill, yeah I didn't think so. Phat bikes were originaly designed for snow. But I f you feel the need to put susension on them and just go downhill then that's your choice. For me Idont see a reason to put susension on a phat bike ever.

Canker

I'm pretty sure those guys could climb a hill on a fat bike.

Bandrada

I sort of agree with Nick. Fat bikes are more of a novelty for most people. They seemingly have an advantage on snow and dry sand, and as someone else stated above I think they are more of an "addition to" instead of a "versus. What do you have to compare them to? It is cool to have choices, though. You'd be hard pressed to get your hands on something like this a few years ago unless you knew a fabricator.

Nick Bain

I went trail riding on some snow covered single track yesterday. My mtb has 26"x2.1" tyres so I was sliding around alot. There was one other mtb 29 er possibly and one mtb with a fatty on the front, and at least one guy had a studded fatbike. Most had fatbikes IT was 10 degrees out and I needed to get back to watch football so I didn't have time to chat about their rides. The fatbikes definitely had the edge in handling but when the snow went shallow or hard enough I could catch up like a rubber band. I was spinning my rear tire A LOT. What was interesting is I could not maintain a sraite line or stay on the ridden trail to save my life but out in an open cornfield section I was better off forging my own trail in the 6" of snow. Took me 1.5 hours to go what I believe was 6 miles. It was one of the most intense fun workouts ever. After a while I got used to having no control and spinning the rear excessively but not yet how to handle the front tire sliding out.

RoadMike

Fat bikes are just down right fun and that's all there is to it. Would I choose one over a 29'er for my all around bike? Absolutely not. A fat bike is a good third or fourth bike.

Nick Bain

Im not sure of the merits for fat bike for general off roading that video looks to be just marketing hype. Then again not having riden one I could be wrong. Even if they are slower or not ideal I am sure they are still fun.

RoadMike

They are kind of like an easy button for technical terrain. You can pretty much drop to a low gear and sit down and crawl through anything. Even the heavy ones like my Pugsley climb ok due to the low gearing. When you get them moving fast downhill, they can be a handful if you forget that you are on a rigid bike, but float a little over the rough stuff and they handle descending extremely capably. I definitely wouldn't want to race one in normal in season conditions, they are definitely slower than a regular sized tire mountain bike.

Nick Bain

I guess it better than spinning your tyre constantly.

Bandrada

Is there such a thing as a regular MTB tire anymore?

simonaway427

I ride road and cross in the spring/summer/fall - fat bike was perfect for me to fill the 4-5 month winter gap.

If I had a regular MTB, my road and cross riding would suffer as a result, whereas the fat bike riding is complementary. It was a no brainer for me.

scrublover

I've got one in addition to my other rides. It's by no means replacing any of them, but it sure is fun. It's getting more of my winter solo ride time than the other bikes. Not the bike I'll be taking on fast group rides, huck fests, or when wanting to just be pedaling and hauling ass.

Not as fast, different, and fun. Up and down stuff that would have me walking with the other bikes, at least in the little bit of snow we've had so far. Beyond a certain amount of snow, I'll still just be
busting out the snowshoes. Other than that, it's very fun in slow speed technical and rock crawling terrain - way more nimble (at least mine is) than I'd anticipated it to be. You can trackstand for days, and it's actually pretty easy
to hop around on the thing.

There is a lot of cush with the tires, but...it's still a rigid bike. If riding regular trails and not snow covered stuff, you still need to be smooth or it'll remind you very quickly of that.

garciawork

Just got a Lynskey Stratus, only been on one (non snow) ride. LOVE it. After a short distance you don't notice the extra weight, and no issues at all over rough stuff running rigid. That bike is beyond stable. I climbed better too due to the increased traction, the contact patch is HUGE! Next step will be a weekend in the snow to test the bike out in its natural habitat...

garciawork

They climb just fine. Actually hit a couple of climbing segments faster on my fatbike ride a couple days ago than I ever had before. Few 25% grades, no problem. You can feel the extra weight, but slow down and pace it and you are fine.

Bandrada

I'm confused, now.

scrublover

Hell yeah you notice the weight - but it really isn't too horrible. It's a slow climber than my other bikes, but it'll also motor up stuff where I'd be slipping on the other bikes, or having to hoof it. It's slow speed technical rock crawling climbing ability is very impressive. Yeah the wheels are heavy, and the rolling resistance is considerable, but...the amount of traction you get is absolutely insane/unbelievable/nuts.

Now, I'm not trying to convince anything to run out and buy one, just don't dismiss them without throwing a leg over one. Would I have one as my only bike? No. Replace either of my other bikes with one? No. But as an adjunct to them, it's great. Particularly if you do live somewhere where you'd be able to take advantage of the benefits in snow or sand. Some winters here I'll be able to, some not. It's a helluva' lot of fun just on dirt and rock. I've had more dirt time on mine than I've had snow time. As said, not when I'm looking to be hauling ass/hucking my meat/riding with a fast group or anything, but it's getting way more of my solo ride time than anticipated.


Riding the fatty pics.

garciawork

Sorry, not worded well. When you first get going, you feel the weight if you are used to a regular MTB, but if you don't watch your computer for speed and just go with your normal effort, it doesn't feel like you are pushing a lot extra, but you are going slower. I only felt it a little bit on the climbs, but the traction allowed me a lot more out of saddle ability, so I went up some steeper stuff a little faster than normal.

garciawork

Those are some fantastic shots... I can't wait to get out in the snow on mine!