The long, slow twilight of fat bikes
10-25-22, 07:46 AM
#52
meh
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Hate to say it, but I was faster on the fatbike than my gravel bike (Breezer Radar Pro) ... I was 18:59 in 2019 with my Breezer; and 18:43 on the Pugsley. This result still surprises me a year later.
It's worth pointing out that The DAMn is fairly flat with roughly 7,200 ft of climbing over 242 miles. With the first 90 miles almost all down grade, you won't notice the bike's weight. But the last 40 miles gets punchy and will remind you about the pounds your mashing up the climbs .... when you're already crushed.
I also have to share that I loved riding The Heck of the North (105 miles of gravel and rough double-track trails) at the start of the October ... I had a rider that was on a new big $$ CF gravel bike that said out loud how he couldn't understand how I was riding the same pace as him with a fatbike (a 40 lbs Puglsey). I chucked and pointed out that 4" tires can ride any line in the rough stuff and rarely dismount for the mud or sand.
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10-25-22, 08:01 AM
#53
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Yeah. There's a fine line there where the fat tires are better over rough stuff and sand vs. gravel bike tires. Where one has the advantage, the other doesn't.
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10-25-22, 09:00 AM
#54
meh
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10-25-22, 09:43 AM
#55
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I would disagree with this based on design of e bikes. Most fat tire e bikes are cheap. The fat tires are a consequence of making a cheap e bike. It's much cheaper to make a fat hub motor than a skinny motor and much easier to get power out of a cheap hub motor by decreasing the size of the wheels and cheaper to build strong wheels as well. What you end up with by default is a fat e bike with smaller fat wheels that pedals like sht. It's not long before most of those who bought one are not pedaling as much. Because of design, fat tires will make bigger inroads into the cheap e bike market.
10-25-22, 10:12 AM
#56
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I would disagree with this based on design of e bikes. Most fat tire e bikes are cheap. The fat tires are a consequence of making a cheap e bike. It's much cheaper to make a fat hub motor than a skinny motor and much easier to get power out of a cheap hub motor by decreasing the size of the wheels and cheaper to build strong wheels as well. What you end up with by default is a fat e bike with smaller fat wheels that pedals like sht. It's not long before most of those who bought one are not pedaling as much. Because of design, fat tires will make bigger inroads into the cheap e bike market.
OTOH I actually meant the overall ebike market is spiking and will slump (not just the fattire ebikes). Like acoustic fatbikes, ebikes will always have a level of market demand, but there is an overhyped surge right now that will slump and level off to the correct market demand.
For the specifics of this thread, I was a fatbike lover watching the surge in popularity ~5-6 years ago, and at that time I could see this correction coming ... it wasn't hard to see there would be a correction.
10-25-22, 10:24 AM
#57
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Very true! This past Sunday, I did a 75 mile ride on a mix of gravel and paved roads (mostly gravel) with 32mm GravelKing SK with my Bianchi Infinito, and with mostly packed gravel roads I was happy all day. My Breezer rolls 45mm WTB Riddler tires. And the Pugsley is on 4" Fat B Nimble tires. As much as I love gravel, it's nice to have choices depending on the route and conditions. OTOH I'm well known for picking the wrong bike/tires all the time
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10-27-22, 07:48 AM
#58
Newbie
I hope it is not fading away...I just bought one (Farley 9.6) and ordered a set of LB rims, carbon bars and seat post (has a dropper).
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10-27-22, 08:33 AM
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It's not fading away. It just peaked. There was an explosion of fat bike sales from ~2014-2021. Now the majority of people that wanted a fat bike have one so sales have slowed.
With niche use for most as a winter or beach bike and the settling of hub size and 1x drivetrain there probably will not be another explosion of fat bike sales again. I have a 2018 carbon fat bike with 1x12 drivetrain that can fit 4.8 wide tires. There is nothing offered in 2022 that would be any better and pursuade me to upgrade.
Rocky Mountain tried to shake it up a little by offering a slacker head angle Fat Bike (which will be worse on the snow) and Otso just dropped a steel fat bike that can fit 5.05" tires but good luck finding may tires that size. They won't be big sellers by any means.
With niche use for most as a winter or beach bike and the settling of hub size and 1x drivetrain there probably will not be another explosion of fat bike sales again. I have a 2018 carbon fat bike with 1x12 drivetrain that can fit 4.8 wide tires. There is nothing offered in 2022 that would be any better and pursuade me to upgrade.
Rocky Mountain tried to shake it up a little by offering a slacker head angle Fat Bike (which will be worse on the snow) and Otso just dropped a steel fat bike that can fit 5.05" tires but good luck finding may tires that size. They won't be big sellers by any means.
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10-27-22, 09:27 AM
#60
Newbie
I was shocked with the shear number of bikes sitting on the floor at the dealer and they stated they overshot the demand, too bad prices didnt reflect that.
10-27-22, 09:39 AM
#61
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Bikes are starting to be discounted again. My friend owns a bike shop. Says his floor and warehouse are full and bikes aren't selling.
Covid sales of used bikes are starting to show up also.
Covid sales of used bikes are starting to show up also.
11-20-22, 07:38 AM
#64
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11-21-22, 09:10 AM
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I took my new Trek Farley 5 for it's madien voyage today, was sunny, 25şF, aprox. 1" of snow with many patches of ice on sidewalks. I hate this bike! I'm planing on getting a refund on it, the only time it felt good was on the 1/4 mile of wooded trail I went thru. What bothered me the most was how much work it took to ride only 10 mph on paved surfaces. The whole ride I kept thinking that if I (or anybody for that matter) needs a trail bike, just a normal 2.20" wide tire bike such as a Trek Marlin would do it without all the tire drama. The other problem I had with this bike is that I drive a small hatch back car, and am used to putting my road bike in the back, well not this bike, it took up about 2x as much room. I had to put the front wheel in where the front seat was. For this size issue, I don't think a mountain bike would be much better, sure a bit more narrow wheels but overall, much more space needed. I have not tried to put my hybrid (Trek FX) inside of my car but it's tire size is about the same as my road bike so I do not anticipate a major difference.
Besides all of that, I rode my Trek FX today with it's stock road tires on snow and ice, yeah, slippery but the thing felt like it was flying compared to the Farley fat bike. I just bought a set of studded winter tires for my FX. IF I still have issues riding thru snow and ice I'd be looking at a mountain bike and if it's stock knobby tires don't stick well to ice, I'd get a set of studded tires for it.
Besides all of that, I rode my Trek FX today with it's stock road tires on snow and ice, yeah, slippery but the thing felt like it was flying compared to the Farley fat bike. I just bought a set of studded winter tires for my FX. IF I still have issues riding thru snow and ice I'd be looking at a mountain bike and if it's stock knobby tires don't stick well to ice, I'd get a set of studded tires for it.
Shocking.
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11-21-22, 10:39 AM
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I took my new Trek Farley 5 for it's madien voyage today, was sunny, 25şF, aprox. 1" of snow with many patches of ice on sidewalks. I hate this bike! I'm planing on getting a refund on it, the only time it felt good was on the 1/4 mile of wooded trail I went thru. What bothered me the most was how much work it took to ride only 10 mph on paved surfaces. The whole ride I kept thinking that if I (or anybody for that matter) needs a trail bike, just a normal 2.20" wide tire bike such as a Trek Marlin would do it without all the tire drama. The other problem I had with this bike is that I drive a small hatch back car, and am used to putting my road bike in the back, well not this bike, it took up about 2x as much room. I had to put the front wheel in where the front seat was. For this size issue, I don't think a mountain bike would be much better, sure a bit more narrow wheels but overall, much more space needed. I have not tried to put my hybrid (Trek FX) inside of my car but it's tire size is about the same as my road bike so I do not anticipate a major difference.
Besides all of that, I rode my Trek FX today with it's stock road tires on snow and ice, yeah, slippery but the thing felt like it was flying compared to the Farley fat bike. I just bought a set of studded winter tires for my FX. IF I still have issues riding thru snow and ice I'd be looking at a mountain bike and if it's stock knobby tires don't stick well to ice, I'd get a set of studded tires for it.
Besides all of that, I rode my Trek FX today with it's stock road tires on snow and ice, yeah, slippery but the thing felt like it was flying compared to the Farley fat bike. I just bought a set of studded winter tires for my FX. IF I still have issues riding thru snow and ice I'd be looking at a mountain bike and if it's stock knobby tires don't stick well to ice, I'd get a set of studded tires for it.
11-21-22, 01:42 PM
#69
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You just proved my point. Maybe this will help you understand. A mountain bike or hybrid bike with studded tires couldn't go on any of the places shown in these videos. Tires would sink in and you'd come to a complete stop.
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11-21-22, 01:47 PM
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Assuming this is not a troll post….
Certain off road conditions: snow, sand, mud, off-track, loose surface, deep leaves, and basically anywhere that traction or floatation is an issue.
Where I live, there is a good 5 months a year when a fat bike is a better choice than a standard tired MTB, and 2-3 of those months it is the ONLY choice to ride off road.
Certain off road conditions: snow, sand, mud, off-track, loose surface, deep leaves, and basically anywhere that traction or floatation is an issue.
Where I live, there is a good 5 months a year when a fat bike is a better choice than a standard tired MTB, and 2-3 of those months it is the ONLY choice to ride off road.
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11-21-22, 02:08 PM
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Same here. Met up with some friends last Thursday to do a trail ride on the snow. One of the guy invites someone new to join. New guy shows up with a 29er FS mountain bike. Needless to say...he did a lot of walking on our 7 mile loop.
11-24-22, 01:27 AM
#72
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I only use my fat bike in winter but I’d much prefer to snowshoe and ride my trainer. Trouble is, in the area I live it will snow, rain like a SOB then flash freeze, so it is useless for snowshoes.
A MTB with studded tires does….ok but the ATVs make these ridges that run parallel to the trail and the MTB tire just skidders along those ridges and you go down. Not a studded fat bike tire, I just run right over them.
So to get outside in winter, a fat bike it is.
I’m not too fond of the bouncing on the tires, but it is better than trying to ride those frozen ridges on a MTB tire and $300 for a fat bike tire is theft in my opinion.
A MTB with studded tires does….ok but the ATVs make these ridges that run parallel to the trail and the MTB tire just skidders along those ridges and you go down. Not a studded fat bike tire, I just run right over them.
So to get outside in winter, a fat bike it is.
I’m not too fond of the bouncing on the tires, but it is better than trying to ride those frozen ridges on a MTB tire and $300 for a fat bike tire is theft in my opinion.
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12-28-22, 02:56 AM
#74
Rhapsodic Laviathan
Iwanted one when the mongoose beast came out, but wasn't keen on the bmx geometry. I still want two to braise bastardize.
12-28-22, 09:44 AM
#75
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I use mine a lot less than I thought I would, but when my son comes to town it's perfect for him to ride when we go mountain biking. I need to get studded tires on it. For the next few months we are going to have a lot of ice. I always thought that every brand offering a fatbike was excessive. I imagine a lot of people are like me: not going to get rid of it, but it doesn't get a lot of miles. So that means that sales are slow. I'm not going to upgrade any time soon.
Also, I imagine they are competing with zwift and the like. Lots easier than going out in the cold.
Also, I imagine they are competing with zwift and the like. Lots easier than going out in the cold.
Last edited by unterhausen; 12-28-22 at 09:47 AM.