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Should I buy a fat bike?

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Should I buy a fat bike?

Old 11-10-18, 05:50 PM
  #26  
salcedo
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Originally Posted by wolfchild
You can do all those things on a regular mountain bike or a hybrid with studded tires. Fat bike is too much work to be used as daily transportation.
We'll see. I bought a pair of 35mm studded winter tires for this season. I usually run 23mm tires on my fun bike, and 28mm on my commuter.

I used to live in NY and PA and I didn't have any problems during winter, but last year I moved to a small city in Ontario where they do not plow the snow at all in back roads, just the main roads (and they take a while to clean those). I had to leave my bike at home and get a ride a couple of times, and I wiped out a few more times. I hope that the wider tires do the trick this year. If not, I will try to fat bike next year. I know a couple of acquaintances that use cheap fixed-gear Walmart fat bikes to commute during winter.
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Old 11-10-18, 06:54 PM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by salcedo
but last year I moved to a small city in Ontario where they do not plow the snow at all in back roads, just the main roads (and they take a while to clean those).
I didn't know you were in a small town, I thought you lived in a large city....If you're in a small town that doesn't plow roads as much then I think a fat bike makes sense. If I lived in rural area with a lot of backroads I would definitely invest in a fat bike.
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Old 11-10-18, 06:55 PM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by wolfchild
You can do all those things on a regular mountain bike or a hybrid with studded tires. Fat bike is too much work to be used as daily transportation.
+1

Fat bikes suck imho. Great on the sandy beaches, but blow hard on everything else. Fat tires are good for packed and groomed snow - not much of anything else. Best snow tire is narrow and studded to cut through tall snow and still give bite.
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Old 11-20-18, 05:07 PM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by PaulRivers
Even fat bikes limit out at between 6"-12" of freshly fallen snow depending on weather (some snow is hard to get through than other snow). Here in Minnesota fat bike seem to handle about 98% of bad weather conditions, but not the other 2%.



You would definitely want a bike with gears. The situation you're describing is pretty much why gears exist. Trying battle both the fluffy snow and also a lack of gearing would make an already difficult situation much harder.
I commute every day from St Paul to Minneapolis. My normal stable of bikes is a 26er with aggressive studs and a 700c bike with wheels that I switch between studs and non-studded winter tires. Every year there are a few says that are too sketchy for my best equipped bike. I have a rule that I go out in the worst conditions and turn around if I have to. This sometimes gets me in trouble for riding when it's probably stupid. Anyhoo, last winter I got a single speed fat bike for these conditions and it performed great in every way. I took it out on the worst days and it was super stable.
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Old 11-21-18, 09:34 PM
  #30  
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I've owned a fat bike for 3 years, and for 3 years I've though about selling it. There are a couple of days a year where it is really useful, but even then my bike with 700x35 studs will get by. The fat bike is just more fun and sure-footed on those days. The rest of the time, I only ride it just to say I did, or for a good laugh. It takes up a lot of space and consumes a lot of maintenance time for the very few miles it sees.
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Old 11-22-18, 12:06 PM
  #31  
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I think a fat bike makes sense if you live in a lake effect or mountain snow region and plowing isn't always the greatest.

My mom's neighborhood in SW Michigan, for instance, would be pretty impossible to get out of without something that floats over snow. Our sedans got stuck in the snow all the time when I was growing up.

My current course of action is the following:
- Narrow studded tires (700x35), gravel bike: Scraped/salted roads; late-season black ice threats; plowed/scraped roads with minimal snowpack, usually with sand mixture. (This includes in-town streets and some country streets where people DIY)
- Wider studded tires (26x2.1), mountain bike: Scraped/unsalted roads with thick snowpack; navigating piles at intersections. (Side streets in my town are scraped, but not salted or sanded; this leaves tire ruts and thick, shiny, slippery snowpack.)

I currently have no need for a fatbike because my town (La Crosse, WI) only gets 35-40" of snow a year, so they're primarily for rec trail riding.

My thoughts would be different if I moved to a place that was pushing 80"+ of non-melting snow (e.g. not Denver because it melts, but parts of Michigan, Ontario, NY.)
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Old 11-22-18, 01:00 PM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by NoControl
Also, a fender setup that allows a lot of clearance would be nice. Here in New England we have those days where its slushy an yet freezing. I tried to ride my rain bike last year and the wet sticky snow started collecting so much under the fenders that it was an almost-solid icecake when I got back home. I'll have to figure this one out.
My mom used to spray the snow shovels with silicone so the snow wouldn't stick to them. I wonder if that would help on fenders?
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Old 11-22-18, 05:44 PM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by RichSPK
My mom used to spray the snow shovels with silicone so the snow wouldn't stick to them. I wonder if that would help on fenders?
No doubt. Frankly, I'd use PAM. Cheaper and environmentally friendly. Or let your bike rest outside for 10 minutes to cool down and the snow won't stick to a similarly cold surface.
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Old 11-22-18, 06:35 PM
  #34  
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fat bikes are so damn heavy D:
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Old 11-22-18, 08:05 PM
  #35  
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We use our fatties mostly in summer now. We like to load them up with coolers and ice, and shade gear and pedal out on the sand spits where no one else can go. We set up our sun shades and coolers full of beers and water, and lunch, and set about to enjoy the day into the evening enjoying the surf and the fishing and the sea. Winter? Snow? Not so much. Winter was made for sipping hot toddys and clam chowder and watching the snow falling from INSIDE the house.
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Old 11-22-18, 08:06 PM
  #36  
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Whatever you decide, make sure have studded tires for the ice underneath the snow. That ice is caused by your riding over the snow the previous day and over a course of a few days, they'll be ribbons of ruts guiding your narrow tires around.

My first winter was with a beater mountain bike. It was really challenging keeping the momentum and upright in thick snow.

My second winter was with a fat bike. Made a huge difference. But on roads and city bike lanes, it was very tiring due to all the rolling resistance of the tires themselves.
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Old 11-22-18, 10:33 PM
  #37  
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I’ve found that if I’m not using clipless or some retention system, I’m constantly hitting my heels on the chain stays. My feel just don’t like pedaling that wide.
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Old 11-23-18, 06:51 PM
  #38  
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I love my fatbike. Having said that if you have a local shop that rents them I would suggest doing so to see if it'll fit your needs!
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Old 11-23-18, 07:15 PM
  #39  
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A rigid 29er is cheap and could fit up to 2.4" tires, lots of options. It takes a bit of power to churn through deep snow, good luck with 4" tires!
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Old 11-24-18, 12:35 PM
  #40  
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I have no experience with fat bikes or electric bikes, but maybe combining the two would be a good solution here?
https://electricbikereview.com/category/fat/
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Old 11-24-18, 02:54 PM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by RichSPK
I have no experience with fat bikes or electric bikes, but maybe combining the two would be a good solution here?
https://electricbikereview.com/category/fat/
While I really don't want to start up this tired old debate once more, I must admit that I'm divided. While I see the advantages of e-bikes for folks with limited abilities, I do not see the health benefit for anyone who is capable of propelling themselves forward under human power. E-Bikes, in my humble opinion, are anathema to what cycling is truly all about. Winter cycling is typically separated into commuting and exercise/pleasure. If you need to commute on a bike, then perhaps an e-bike would be great.
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Old 11-25-18, 11:32 AM
  #42  
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So, OP, the first snow has been there, the first lake effects have happened (if this affects you). How is it going?

Originally Posted by salcedo
This means I have to commute sharing arterial roads with cars when the road is snowy and slippery and that seems a bit irresponsible.
If you really have to be within lots of traffic, I would always try to make sure to take enough of the road that vehicles cannot just squeeze by but must give you plenty of room. This typically works better on 4-lane roads... Gives me more room to fishtail and reduces general stress for everyone. I personally find Ontario drivers to be relatively friendly and accommodating (overall, of course there always are bad examples) when it comes to 'those crazy cyclists in winter'.
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Old 11-25-18, 06:02 PM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by RichSPK
I have no experience with fat bikes or electric bikes, but maybe combining the two would be a good solution here?
https://electricbikereview.com/category/fat/
Riding through cold and snow would suck the power out the battery really fast.
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Old 11-25-18, 07:56 PM
  #44  
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Fat Bike

Originally Posted by salcedo
Hi guys. I've been living in the northeast for almost a decade now, and I've been "car free" for about 5 years. We do have a var but it's my wife's car and I rarely use it.

Last year I moved to a new city in Ontario and I discovered that they only plow the main avenues here. On residential areas you have to wait for the melt to snow. Bike lanes and bike paths are even worse because they get covered with the snow plowed from the road. This means I have to commute sharing arterial roads with cars when the road is snowy and slippery and that seems a bit irresponsible.

I thought maybe I could buy a fat bike and ride on the sidewalks. But I don't know anything about fat bikes. So, I was hoping you can help me with some questions.

Would I be able to ride if there is, say about 1 feet of snow on the road?

The city is pretty flat. Do I need a bike with gears, or do you think one of those cheap fixie mountain bikes that you can only find in Walmart will do?

What should I look for on a fat bike?

Thanks!
I bought a Specialized Fat Boy for my adult son. What convinced me to buy this particular make and model is the gear ratios that allow riding on just about any grade and terrain. He has ridden on soft sand and mud but not but not snow . However, given its performance on wet, slippery ground, there is no reason to believe that with the right tires, it will not do well in snow. I would consider mounting studded tires for traction over the frozen ground patches.
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Old 11-27-18, 03:38 PM
  #45  
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Originally Posted by alias5000
So, OP, the first snow has been there, the first lake effects have happened (if this affects you). How is it going?
So far so good with the snow. It has been no more than 2 inches and melted away pretty quickly.

But today the roads were super icy, I had to leave the bike at home and take an Uber. I will install my studded 35mm tires tonight on my commuter and leave them on till the end of the season. I'll report on the results.
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