rydabent

A fat bike would seem to be the SUV of cycling, since they can go most anywhere. They would make a great addition to any bike stable.

Ghazmh

Shouldn't they be called full figured bikes or plus size tire bikes?

Maelochs

Curvy bikes.

DomaneS5

I'd like to have one, but I don't have any room for a Fat Bike in my storage building.

I don't know if I would ride a fat bike very often, so it's hard to justify the cost of buying a decent one with a good air fork.

corrado33

I'm going to assume you're talking about actual "fat" bikes, meaning 4-5" tires, and not the "plus" bikes that are all the rage now (3" ish tires.)

Fat bikes are FUN, but that's about it.

I've rented fat bikes a few times and went on the local trails in the winter. Let's get a few things clear here.

• Fat bikes can't ride through any/all snow. (Anything deeper than 5 inches and you're stuck with all the rest of the mountain bikers.)
• It's REALLY hard to pedal through snow.
• Fat bikes can climb ANYTHING. I climbed the local sledding hill. (Without studded tires.)
• They are SUPER stable, almost TOO stable. It's hard to lean them over into a turn. The stability is why going slow up a hill is so easy.
• They have the best grip of any bike you'll ever ride. (Also makes climbing easier.)
• They still suck on ice, and studded tires for them are hundreds of dollars.

Fat bikes do best on groomed/packed trails where there is less than 5-6 inches of snow. If the snow is super fluffy then you may be able to ride through something deeper, but if the snow has any decent moisture content, you're stuck like anybody else. The 4-5 inch tires just aren't wide enough to "float" "over" snow like skis/snowshoes do.

For me, fat bikes aren't useful enough to justify the high asking price. They can ride in SLIGHTLY deeper snow than a mountain bike, but only by 3-4 inches. That's a... very narrow window to justify spending $1000-$2000. They're awful on roads or anything smooth (even with the tires pumped up.)

And don't think I'm someone who has never ridden in snow. I've commuted through 5 straight Bozeman winters in -30--40 degree weather with tons of snow. It's easier just to ride a mountain bike with good studded tires.

Don't get me wrong, they're REALLY FUN, but too expensive. I ALMOST picked up two used locally for ~$500 and $650, but didn't have the cash spare at the time. That's about as much as I'd be willing to spend on one. (And they were nice ones too, the people just didn't want them anymore.)

corrado33

You really.... REALLY don't need suspension with a fat bike.

It's all marketing hogwash. The tires are good enough suspension. Trust me.

Hypno Toad

^^^ this

Tire steering is an issue of tire choice, not fatbikes. I have Fat B Nimble tires for summer/gravel riding, these tires fight steering at low pressures (8 psi and lower) but are amazing to corner on black top with higher pressure (over 12 psi). However, my winter tires (Dillinger 4 studded), they run great on black top at 4 psi.

+1


I'm a huge fan of my Pugsley, I've used it for an amazing variety of riding: snow, ice, gravel, ... I've biked places that no other bike could go. Fatbikes are trendy and some people buy them just for 'cool factor', but that doesn't stop them from being a great bike.

Riding across frozen Lake Minnetonka:
IMG_20170108_133856.jpg

Almanzo 100 gravel century:
65778889-Almz16-00430.jpg

Because gravel roads can look like this:
18952815_10109904000106315_6064482183691133482_n.jpg

Bushwhacking Nordic ski trails in the summer:
11870784_10153035788351444_6715689513545792265_n.jpg

cyccommute 

I've heard them compared to boats...it's better to borrow your friend's boat and return it than own one yourself

The only place where I can see that they excel would on soft sand surfaces and, maybe on some snow, although if the snow is that deep, I'd rather have skis.

cyccommute 

No, a mountain bike is the SUV of cycling. A fat bike is more like a rock crawler...it's best if you trailer it to the trailhead.

Chuck Naill

I like to say that a Kona Sutra is the Subaru of bikes, go anywhere and do anything.

Hypno Toad

Nope, not in the least. I ride my Pugsley to all the local trails, summer and winter. My favorite trail is 10 miles from home (one-way), I ride to the trail every time. In winter conditions, I have a frame-mounted pump so I can dump air for the trails and pump it back up for the ride home.

Hell, I rode my Pugsley 20 miles to the start of the Westside Dirty Benjamin (100-mile gravel grinder) and road 20 miles back home.

I'm clearly not 'normal', but fatbikes are more diverse than most people give them credit.

FrozenK

No. A half inch of undamped cushion from the tire is not the same as a properly sprung and damped fork. The bounce from the tires will do nothing to help you control the bike.

MarcusT

I went for a ride on my fat bike with friends on full suspension, gravel, sand, rocks, and water. I led the way most of the time. When we traded bikes, I was on the dually for 5 mins and I wanted my fatty back. Fatties do not replace suspension, but they are comfortable, and my friends all agreed with the fact they did not want to give it back.

FrozenK

I've been riding fat bikes for almost ten years now. They are fun, they have their place. They are not a replacement for suspension. And the need for suspension on a fat bike is dictated by the way it is used. Just like on a mountain bike.

billyymc

Fat bikes are an extension of excellent marketing by bike companies. The same thing happened years ago in the whitewater kayak industry, and then in the ski industry -- companies convinced a lot of people that they needed at least six different boats or pairs of skis for specific conditions or they just weren't having fun.

They do a nice job ruining cross country ski trails.

Phil_gretz

[ding, ding, ding...] We have a winner. " 27.5 +" tires are the more versatile choice. Plus, you get a bike that you can ride under varying conditions.

Hypno Toad

Ummm.... Fatbikes aren't a new part of this n+1 thing... n+1 is as old as bikes.

Fatbikes are a fad, but that doesn't make them the wrong bike for the right person. I live in Minneapolis, we get lots of snow and ice, and we have great bike-specific winter single-track trails all around town. Anything less than 4" tires and you're stuck in the house riding Zwift (I don't hate Zwift, I just like the outdoors better).

Funny enough, when I got the Pugsley (gift from my loving wife), I didn't expect I'd like commuting with it since I had an old 26er with studded tires for winter commuting. Truth is, I only used the old winter commuter for icy days.


Only when morons don't know how to ride with the correct tire pressure. You'll never know I was fatbiking your Nordic trails, with the right tire pressure I leave no trace. (& I never ride in/near the classic tracks). And if you'd like to keep the fatbikes off the ski trails, help advocate for bike-specific single-track trails in your area.

Lastly, I see tons of people getting into the fatbike fad that are clearly getting sucked in the the marketing. So if you'd like to buy a fatbike, wait a year or two, there'll be a ton of lightly used fatbikes on Craig's List.

billyymc

HT - with regard to N+1, Fatbikes added another +1 opportunity that didn't exist. It's absolutely the same pattern as in ww kayaking and skiing. Some people buy into the "need" for a "quiver" of bikes or boats or skis. Some dont.

As for x-c ski trails - where I live we get about 12 good days of xc skiing a year. For some reason trail runners seem to think it's ok to run in the xc track. They don't know or understand or care about trail etiquette. Same goes for Fat bikes as far as I've seen. They ride right in the track. So rule of thumb is if you want to ski get up early and only expect one good day because runners and bikers are going to ruin the trails for skiing...once it freezes and sets back up after runners/bikes go through it's worthless.

My solution is go farther away, ski trails that are harder to get to.

I agree - there will be a bunch of fat bikes sitting in garages soon, and then on CL thereafter.

Hypno Toad

It pains me to admit how few days we are getting for Nordic skiing, even in MN, our winters are mostly icy and cold - not much snow cover. In fact, that's why I dropped big $$ on studded fatbike tires, my old 26er frame cracked, so the only bike I could set up for icy riding was the Pug... and it is the ultimate ice bike!

rumrunn6

if I had one I would use it:

• during deep snow storms or right after
• on softer sandy state forest roads
• remote beach access points where I've hiked many miles to observe whales & seals. the slog on foot was always a significant project on foot

FrozenK

Considering the history of fat bikes and how, where, and why they were developed no. They are not an extension of marketing. Yes, in a way they are the latest fixie- well, maybe gravel bikes are the new fixie now. And yes, there will be people who buy them and realize it isn't their thing.

But for a lot of us living in northern latitudes they open winter biking. And no, a mountain bike with studs is not a substitute. That is why people started making fat bikes.

As for crosscountry ski trails, if people are riding on the track -I'm assuming you mean the classic tracks. Then yes, they are ******bags and need to understand that isn't cool. Then again, if runners have been ruining the trails before, it sounds like the problem isn't fat bikes but people in general where you live.

Jseis 

I’ve put nearly 4000 miles on my Framed Minnesota 3.0 in the last 3 years. Mostly beach miles though I’ve also ridden local gravel trails, logging roads, highways, and the STP (back to back centuries). Heavily modified for my environment. Far greater adaptability then say my Colnago Dream, Defy 1, or Gary Fisher Wahoo.

Our extensive beaches and trails were the deciding factor as that environment is far safer than the narrow 2-lane blacktop.

El Flaco

I ride my Bucksaw exclusively. The most fun I've ever had on any bike; and I've owned high-end Yetis, Gary Fishers, Treks, etc.

PedalingWalrus

considering I don't even own a mountain bike I'd have to say that fat bikes are my SUV of cycling. I use them on snow or on normal summer single track and they work great.

taz777

I just love the looks of fat bikes and love the smiles-per-mile. I don't ride my fattie in snow or sand. I just ride it to feel good.