FREEBIRD1

I just bought a low end Mongoose and added a few things, (lower ratio freewheel ,pedals,grips). I ride it all over, it;s nice to have a bike ready in the garage to do a quick ride, and get outdoors in the winter. It's handled everything I threw at it, deep snow, ice, the golf course trail, etc.First year out in the snow, I like it and will probably upgrade for next year.

bikingnowhere 

Why fat bike when you can ski? Snow is meant for skiing on!

Airfehr

^^Poor troll. Unless you don't get to ski enough.

Attilio

I honestly prefer my fatbike to anything with suspension because even with a full squish bike I was terrified of rocks, big roots, jumps and "technical" type trails. Preferring fire roads, doubletrack, gravel, power lines and "technical light" trails my Salsa Mukluk is the best (For me) mountain bike I have ever ridden. The grip is epic, I can ride it anywhere or on anything provided it's not too bumpy (which I walk or avoid anyway) regardless of conditions except more than 6-8 inches of snow. It just grips on that coarse rocky gravel on the power lines where other mountain bikes get all wobbly and unsteady. I can also take corners faster than any other mountain bike I have ridden although I am a pretty slow trail rider and won't do more than 10mph. Too much to go wrong.

But yes I see the parts availability dwindling in some cases but it's not a big deal. I will stay rigid fat bike for the rest of my riding career, no hops, jumps or funny stuff for me.

Attilio

I actually had a conversation with a friend who I just visited in Vermont. They bought a house in some suburban neighborhood next to a bunch of ski lodges so they can rent it and be cost neutral yet have their dream ski place.

Skiing to me makes no sense. You can only do it a few months a year, its VERY dangerous and has one of the highest injury rates in any sport especially for your knees. You can mitigate the risks in cycling by checking your speed, the kind of riding you do and the time you do it avoiding rush hour, heavily trafficked streets, or staying in rural areas, bike paths, whatever. But skiing, You line up with a bunch of mediocre white people waiting in line to go downhill for a few moments only to get back in line to go 50mph down a hill with a bunch of people behind you most of which have no idea what they are doing and half of which are likely drunk. Seeing the morass of people at the ski resort represents a return to the middle/upper middle class rat race we so desperately are trying to escape from the office in our time off.

I actually rode my fat bike from their house to the ski place. They were still getting ready when I got there. I did X-country trails with my family. It was their first time skiing. They all hated it. Visibly speaking to me it sucked. Getting on two very long things that slip and could twist your knee snapping all your ligaments at any time doesn't seem smart. I had fun on my fattie on those groomed trails though. You can fall biking in the snow too but you're never going fast enough to hurt yourself and the snow is very soft padding your fall. The snow *REALLY* checks your speed and gives an epic workout.

Not to crap on anyone else's sport but I feel pretty entitled to do so w/ cycling vs skiing and here's why. I spent many thousands on my bikes and gear but I ride almost every single day. I probably ride 5-20 hours a week depending on season and what's going on or how I feel. You don't need to wait in line to either fat bike, mountain bike or just cycle in general road, gravel whatever. You just get on your bike and ride. Skiing on the other hand can only be done a few months a year, you have to travel very far, you have to pay big bucks for lodging and fees and everything only to get in line like I said and wait ending up a handful of hours on the slope per attempt of day. I probably end up cycling more in any 1-2 week period than just about any skiier is able to ski in an entire year.

FREEBIRD1

This was the first winter fat-biking for me, I probably seen a a half dozen or so out riding, and a lot of fat tire tracks on the trails. I have less than $400 invested in my rig, and am pretty happy with the performance, and where it has been able to comfortably take me. I did x-country skiing and it was fun, but the fat tire is just more convenient , just jump on and tool around the neighborhood, or hit one of the many trails a few miles from me.

Kapusta

XC Skiing… not DH skiing… is the more relevant comparison to fat biking. XC and DH skiing are worlds apart in nearly every way.

Attilio

Agree that XC is more similar but both have same drawbacks in terms of practicality vs cycling in general. Can easily bike almost every day and I have done so the last 3-4 years. The biggest expense and aggravation with cycling is the initial purchase hit and maybe clothing for winter and eventually a few mods to your bike to better quality, more durable equipment as things break. But the ongoing cost and effort of keeping your bike on the road or trail is a rounding error compared to initial purchase. All you have to do is....... get on the bike and ride and it can be done literally anywhere. Not so with skiing. Dollar for dollar, hour for hour I think they are at opposite ends of the practicality and ease of doing spectrum. Maybe running or walking is more efficient money wise but running is too harsh on my joints and walking is not enough exercise or calorie burn. Nothing like cycling has hit that sweet spot.

Kapusta

This sidebar conversation concerns when there is snow, not year round use. You are kinda moving the goalpost, here.

I’m guessing you have little experience XC Skiing. Basically none of the arguments you were making against DH skiing apply to XC Skiing.

I do Fat Biking in the snow, XC Skiing, and downhill snowboarding. I can tell you that from a cost, convenience, practicality, and how, when and where they fit into ones life, XC Skiing and Snow biking are very similar - nearly interchangeable - and both are a world away from downhill skiing and snowboarding.

When there is snow on the ground, XC skis are every bit as practical, and more economical than a fat bike.

The initial cost for XC skiing is generally less than a fat bike. $750 gets you a very nice new setup (boots, poles, binding, and metal edges skis). And after that it costs no more to go xc skiing than it does to go fat biking in the snow. I don’t pay anything to ride my fat bike on snowy trails, and I don’t pay anything to XC Ski. And there is way less maintenance (in terms of both time and money) for XC skiing.

Also, when the snow gets deep, it is way easier to ski where it is ungroomed. Once there is a foot or more of snow on the ground, there are WAY more trails I can XC ski on than fat bike on.

Look, if XC skiing does not appeal to that’s fine. But to suggest that a bike makes more sense on the snow than skiis is patently ridiculous.

XC skiis are also a lot smaller and easier to deal with. Folks around here just leave them in their car. You don’t need a bike rack or a big vehicle to transport gear for several people.

I ride my fat bike in the snow when the snow is too thin for skiing, and I ride my skiis when the snow is too deep for fat biking.

There is a reason that there are way more people XC skiing than fat biking in the snow.

Attilio

I honestly don't see it because there is no difference between DH or XC: both require a significant travel and expenditure which becomes the limiting factor for skiing. The closest place to ski for most people is VERY far and requires a hefty expense including lodging whereas anyone can take a fat bike and start riding it from their house any day of the week. Unless you live very close to a ski resort which only reduces but doesn't eliminate the very high ongoing costs of the sport this won't be true with skiing although the fees for XC are much lower and the resorts tend to be far more lax/liberal with enforcement of the time allotted on the XC trails. But very few of the population lives close enough to a ski resort to make it as convenient (and affordable) as just riding your bike out of your house.

I used to be into auto racing that was another money pit not even counting the fact that nothing good (or cheap) will happen to your car. Same difference. You have to drive a long ways and bring your car to the track, find overpriced lodging (local hotels know and charge accordingly), food. You spend the whole day getting exhausted for at best ~90-120 minutes on track tops on a given day or event. It didn't last long as I came to my senses and I started seeing how much I was spending both time and money wise vs the limited enjoyment I was getting.

himespau 

Why do you need to go to a resort for XC? Any park with trails (or maybe a completely snow-covered MUP) would seem to work. Guess I'm just a country boy (who has weak ankles and has never enjoyed xc skiing by the way).

whipnet

Maybe someone should make some "fat-ski's" haha.

FREEBIRD1

Snow shoes, they rent them at the golf course along with XC skies and fat bikes

Kapusta

You don’t. Attilio has no idea what he is talking about.

All you need is snow on the ground. A park, a trail, a golf course, an open field, whatever.

prj71

Jeepers...Lots of A.D.D going with your posts.

Anyway...15 minutes from my house are fat bike trails, snow shoe trails, and XC ski trails. Season pass is $25. All located in a county forest with no resorts around. i wouldn't call that significant travel and expenditure.

You don't know what you are talking about.

Kapusta

That is because you don't understand XC skiing and refuse to listen to those that do.

Viich

Dude - people ski to work in the winter here. There is nothing special about XC ski trails, they're the same trails I bike on. On thing is that you are going to want to take your skis off to cross roads. If you don't get deep enough snow for skiing where you live, then the comparison obviously doesn't work

I've done autox / solo 2 - XC skiing is nothing like that. I can kind of get your comparison with downhill skiing, though certainly much less so than auto racing.

Attilio

I know exactly what I am talking about and am listening. I used example of autocross and high performance driving as something with ongoing high expense that requires long distance to do, much the opposite of any kind of cycling which anyone can do from their house. The difference is in point of view because it is apparent that you all live in areas where XC skiing is accessible whereas most people including myself don't and would get a lot more use from year round riding of a fat bike.

klondykebikier

Don't forget kicksledding snowshoeing as well cycling cheers from up north.

Kapusta

Well of course this assumes you live where there is snow. That was the whole point.

If you don’t live where there is snow, then XC skiing does not make much sense. But you know what else does not make much sense in that case? A fat bike.

If you don’t live where there is snow on the ground, then most people (including me) would not bother owning a fat bike. And especially not for a one do-it-all bike (as you seem to be suggesting). If you are not riding in snow, there are much better do-it-all options out there.

But it is a moot point, because the question is what to do when there IS snow on the ground.

And no, you don’t know what you are talking about, evidenced by your going on about “ongoing expense” and needing to go to resorts. There does not need to be any ongoing expense or resorts for XC-Skiing.

And finally, who says you can only have a bicycle OR a set of skiis?

prj71

Can someone please tell me what autocross and high performance driving has to with fat biking?

Hypno Toad

Back on topic:

Kapusta

I think the logic goes something like: autocross is more expensive and less practical than a fat bike, therefore xc skiing is more expensive and less practical than a Fat Bike.

djb

Would you please furnish a metric example, that way I'll understand when it's fun to ride a fatbike ;-)

I had such a laugh on mine this summer, plus I just love the Jones bars, they make me smile, sorta like the whole fatbike.
Smiles and fun and on two wheels, keeps me happy and sane.

Hypno Toad

^^^ Silly 'merika ... stuck in the distance past with imperial UOM!!