All the things you can do with a Fat Bike
 

Seems slow in here for new ideas so I thought I'd start a thread for all the applications people have found for their fat bikes. Pics are encouraged.
Some people bike and fish, gravel race, downhill mtb... I've seen some hunter e fatbike ideas and even bikes that carry surf boards.

One use I have for mine is off road touring or bike packing and will be heading out overnight in a couple of weeks.

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Another use is going to be biking to remote dive sites. As is I can carry my freedive gear and with a small trailer I'll build I should be able to carry a tank for SCUBA as well.

So... What are people doing out there?

Some Spanish guys surfing

Bamboo bike?

Free diving with a fat bike

I plan to sew a couple of panniers to hold the fins down the road

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Probably because this is just about the slowest sub-forum here. I think the only one that's slower is "Fixed Gear Freestyle" or whatever the heck it is.

This fat bike fad might be about to fizzle...

I wonder...

I don't know why because I am fascinated by the versatility of a fat bike for off road. The ability to go from 4.5 to 3" on a 26 to 29r rim allows a lot for the cost of two wheelsets.
I paid $700 for my Fatboy used which at 4.5" opens up sand/snow and moderate downhilling and if I add a 29r 3" wheelset it opens up off road touring ala' Surly ECR which retails for $2700CAD. Basically 2 bikes in one to cover the spectrum of off road use. It's a pretty cool platform in many ways.

yeah, fatties fizzled quickly
overall the mtb market is all over the place I more blame the manufacturers than customers.
They come out with a new standard every year. If fat bikes were the huge sellers they were 5 years ago, we'd probably be on 257mm rear spacing to accommodate 7" tires.....
My riding buddy has a 19 pound Fatboy, it's about half the weigh of mine, LOL
Fat bikes have their place for sure but for 90% of my riding (flowy, tight turns and NJ rocks) it's usually a skinny bike

I blame the rider more than the manufacturer. A shop can only sell you something if you buy it.

A lot of riders just jump trends and get all into the latest thing, Right now they are around the corner gushing about gravel grinders which to me, are just road bikes with bigger tires. I find it a little frustrating because I like gravel too but so much of the discussion is about buying the hot model/product and less about riding them.

I don't have a lot of disposable income (or rather several hobbies that compete for what I do have), so I tend to go low budget for a while and do a lot of experimenting before making a bigger purchase.

As it is I have:

a road bike
a groomed gravel/dike bike
a rigid mtb with suspension
a full squish DH mtb
and a collection of project bikes.

Discounting the project bikes and these days thinking of downsizing I look at how I can cover the spectrum with fewer bikes by flexing their intended purpose. The road bike can go from pavement to reasonable gravel with a tire/wheel swap and the fat bike goes from reasonable gravel to as technical as I can ride again with perhaps a tire/wheel swap. That leaves out full racing road and full technical downhill but I can live with that as I am not so extreme either way.

This week I am working on a trailer for my Kayak so I can haul it with my Fat bike. I've got the trailer done and now just need to make a hitch that connects to the nose of the Yak.

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Maybe it's June and fatbikes are most popular for snow/winter riding ... but

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Is that Fatty the “Military edition”? I realize Military is trying save $$$$, and be economical...... However that machine You is awesome. Nice ride. 👍

Hey, if the Swiss can do it!

I don't think you can judge the fat bike market by this sub-forum. The fat bike forum on MTBR.com is pretty active.

I do all the things the people I ride with do on their normie bikes on my Mutz. I also keep up. Took it downhilling two weeks ago, went for a fast flowy trail ride Tuesday and a 3 hour rocky/rooty trail ride last night. Best bike I've ever owned bar none.

D

Just did a little fat packing trip. Report posted here: https://www.bikeforums.net/touring/1...lt-spring.html


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Other than long-distance rides, I use my fatty for everything I use my MTB, adventure/gravel and road bikes for; it's my multipurpose bike. I currently have my Mukluk in the Philippines so riding in snow isn't an option, but since traffic is so heavy in the city I can't get many miles in so I appreciate it for the extra rolling resistance it provides.

That's a nice shiny bike Dr Lou

Rode my fatty around the ocean last weekend. Lot's of fun and allowed me to ride a mix of surfaces from gravel to sand and in between.

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I love my drop-bar Pug as a no-holds-barred adventure bike. I can do things with this bike that would stop any typical bike. Last week, I rode from home to check on the conditions of 15 miles of river bottoms trails, including large parts that have been under water all summer (wet summer in Minnesota). This 60-mile ride included nearly every road/trail surface and only left me walking when I found some wet patches of clay/mud/silt.

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I have a fatty and have tried a gravel bike. I much prefer the fatty and don't really see the purpose of a gravel bike, unless it's to fill that really small gap in your bike line up or because it's in fashion now.
I have a question:
If you ride a gravel bike and no one sees you, is it still cool? ;)

Frankly, I don't think my gravel bike is cool :P; I spend hours riding my gravel bike with nobody around to see me .... too slow for the fast group, too fast for the slow group.

Here's why I love my gravel bike - https://www.bikeforums.net/cyclocros...minnesota.html - it is the right tool for the right job. I've done endurance rides with my drop-bar Pug, including an unsupported solo 140-mile mixed surface ride. I like using the Pug for gravel rides, but it has limitations. I'm fortunate to have the space, budget, and supportive partner to allow me a stable of bike to pick from. If I needed to thin the herd, it'd be a painful choice, but I'd keep the gravel bike because it's a more versatile bike.

Fatties
 

The fatties are just like other bike. It serves a purpose. The purpose, is up to you.