Winter is here again, so it’s time to obsess over gear.

I turned 39 last week. This kind of got me into a - I don’t want this to be my mid-life crisis mode and need to do more to improve my health and fitness. I am still a novice when it comes to technical riding, but I make up for my lack of skill with enthusiasm. I’ve lost almost 50 pounds since taking up riding again about 3.5 years ago, and I intend to lose another 50.

So here is my latest dilemma. I will be racing next season as a 40+ clydesdale, and as some of you may know, they are faster than the young guys. I usually finish last in the races I’ve entered before, but would like to change that. I will be working extensively on the engine this winter, but my skills are still lacking. Part of the reason my skills are lacking is confidence and bravery. I was making good progress last summer until I crashed. I ended up with a handful of stitches in my knee and bruising my liver and ribs. After that I’ve been riding much more timid when going downhill or in technical sections. I’m much faster on buff singletrack once my ribs healed. I walk a lot at some of my local trails because I am scared.

Also, last winter I rode my GT as a winter commuter. It sucked in snow and the salt was not kind to it, so it got cannibalized.

So here I sit with a GT Karakoram I’ve converted to a rigid single speed and a Canfield Brothers Yelli Screamy I built from the parts off the GT. The GT weighs 25.4# and the Yelli weighs 32# without the dropper post and a little over 33# with it. My other bikes are a 17.2# Specialized Roubaix and a 30# Soma Double Cross commuter/tourer.
I’d like to maybe do some winter bike races and make my commuter a little safer and faster. So I’ve been thinking about a fat bike. On the other hand, I’m not getting any younger and wonder if maybe a full suspension bike might help take some of the beating and improve my confidence on the trail. Or will a few tweaks to the Yelli make it more capable?

Any suggestions?

Put the GT back to stock and sell it? Sell the Yelli frame? Improve the Yelli with better brakes, fork, wheels, and drivertrain? How big of a fat bike tire does a guy need to do winter bike races? Will full squish help? How big of a bike do I need? Almost any FS bike will need to be ordered since the shops in my town don’t carry much inventory.

I’ve never ridden a fat bike or a full suspension bike or anything but a hardtail 29er on the trail, so I am going into this blind. I’ve done way too much research and it is making my wife mad at me for obsessing. She’s not even sure she wants me spending any more money on bike stuff at this point.

In my experience, yes a full suspension bike will help you go faster downhill assuming there are bumps. I don't think they help with low speed riding (uphills, or flat rock gardens unless you're taking them fast). You still feel the bumps, but not as bad and it feels less like you're going to bounce out of control compared to what I remember from my hard tail.

Congrats on losing the weight.

Lose another 50 and you'll be winning races.