Originally Posted by
wipekitty
but as a dirty roadie, weight is somewhat important, as is keeping the cost down since I'd only use it a few months out of the year
It doesn't have to be a Winter-only bike. If you ride any single track it could easily be a year-round bike. A lot of folks in MN sold their 29ers and spent more on their fatties and ride them 12mo a year. I ride mine in the Summer when I ride paved trails and roads with family or friends who don't ride very often as it makes it more of a workout for me. :-)
My fatty is also a lot of fun on dirt (single track), you can pretty-much lean as much as you have the cahunas to do in the corners (except maybe on sand) and a 4+" tire is almost like having suspension over smaller rocks and roots. I love my 29er and it's still super light and therefore a little faster than my fatty, but it's getting old. If it was newer and had more value I would consider selling it and upgrading my fatty.