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Old 06-22-15, 12:07 PM
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bruised
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Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: WI
Posts: 375

Bikes: Salsa Beargrease Carbon, Sette Razzo Carbon 29er

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I have a Salsa Beargrease carbon and love it on trails. I sold my 29er Hardtail as it wasn't getting any use.

Here's the way I look at it - if you're a skilled rider, fast, perhaps a racer or someone who watches lap times, then yeah, you can get your FS MTB to go faster over rough terrain than a fat bike.

But if you're a relative novice or intermediate rider, and you want the same level of thrills as some of the fast MTB riders without the risks and the spills, then a fat bike is the way to go.

Why? 'cos you can pretty much point them in the direction you want to go and just pedal. You don't have to obsess over picking the right line or worry about hitting a rock or gnarly tree root. When you do hit that rock the bike will just deal with it for you.
Yes, getting tire pressures set properly is a trial and error exercise that takes a little while to figure out. That's why it's best to use a low-range gauge that reads no more than 20psi and to keep a log of front and back pressures on different types of track. Eventually you can set it by feel.

With the right tire pressures (and there's always a juggling act between speed, traction and shock absorption with a fat tire bike) you can just go out and blast around the trails having fun.

And it carries over onto other types of riding too. I've been doing some bikepacking and hauling the tent and gear on the Beargrease is a lot more enjoyable for me than on the gravel bike. With the load on the gravel bike I'm focused on the trail surface, always looking for a rock or pothole that can bust a spoke or throw me in a ditch. On the fattie, I've got my head in the clouds watching the scenery go by with not so much as a care in the world. Sure, it's a little slower, but so what? I don't need to get anywhere fast these days.
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