Originally Posted by
Banzai
This conversion is fascinating to me. The reach issues with flat-bar designed frames make for difficulties (I've done this with a 29er before). I didn't do this to my Pugsley because I'll never have any need to get "aero" on a Pugs, and I never really ride it long distances, so the multiple positions aren't needed.
Insofar as tire-steering, I run Black Floyds in the summer, and those things self steer like CRAZY. Once you start the turn, the tire will pull into it, almost accelerating. Once you, say, start a right-hand turn, you then lean into the right handlebar to prevent the tire from digging in further.
I suppose if I ran them at high enough PSI it might not be as bad, but then it's like riding basketballs...a problem with any fatbike tire at higher pressures.
Drop-bars are (admittedly) silly in a fatbike. I did it specifically for the conditions on the Almanzo 100, it's overkill but works for me. The last two years have been windy and I've been so happy to get lower (& have multiple hand positions).
I needed to swap the stem for a much short option. But otherwise it was a fairly straight forward upgrade.
And I still ride single-track trails with this setup, never been the fastest mountain biker, so the less-than-optimal bars haven't hurt me.