Colorado Kid

What does everyone think of using Fat Bikes for Winter commuting? Save Up To 60% Off Fat Bikes and Fat Mountain Bicycles from bikesdirect.com

TenSpeedV2

I am using a Framed Minnesota 2.0 for my cold weather/winter commute. It is a slow and heavy bike. This is ridden only on the road/bike lane/MUP. It does not see off road duty. I have ridden it in everything from an inch of snow to a foot. I found that it performs the best in 2-3" of fresh powder on pavement. A foot? Not a chance. Finding the right tire pressure is key for traction in the snow.

Diablito

My next bike is a Fat Tire Bike. Drop tire pressure super low and massive tire contact for great traction over snow, sand and mud. Just fun.

wolfchild

I prefer narrower tires for winter commuting. I've used 30mm cx tires and I also use 38mm studded winter tires. They cut through snow and slush and are easier to ride then fatter tires...Few weeks ago we had a big dump of snow and I met a fellow on an expensive fat bike, he was having very hard time riding through traffic snow, he had to get off his bike and push a lot, his granny gear didn't seem to help a lot... Me I was just cruising steady on my fixed gear with narrow tires. Fat bikes are ok for off road trails, but not so great for commuting on city streets through traffic snow and slush.

wolfchild

2-3 inches of fresh powder is nothing. I can easily ride through that on my FG with skinny cx tires, don't even need a fat bike. If a fat bike is only good for 2-3 inches of snow then I am not impressed.

TenSpeedV2

Well I am glad that you were not the one asking then.

PennyTheDog

I've never ridden a fat bike, and I'd love to see what all the fuss is about! I do know that switching to studded tires changed everything so much for me that I would never go back to commuting without them. And studded tires for fat bikes can be expensive.

TroN0074

Probably studded tires is all you need for winter. I don't know how winter is there were you live. But where I live a cheap bike is best for winter. I would dislike having invest lot of money in a bike that will get eaten up by all the salt the city maintenance drop on the roads. Plus fat do well on packed snow. You won't be able to ride on more than few inches. And if it is icy you still will slide and fell off, also consider how hilly your area is. It will make you work harder going up hill. Remember more wide tires means slower ride.

intransit1217

When watching youtube videos of fatbiking, pay VERY close attention to what substrate they're riding on. Yes the tires float...somewhat. But traction is everything. 3 inches of fresh powder over hardpack? Yes. 6 inches of fresh snow, probably not. Mainly because snow is a loose substance until it gets packed. Imagine 6 inches of loose dirt or sand. Same same. The tire MUST be able to reach something that it can bite into. Regardless of width or tire pressure, though these things do have an effect.

I have a fatbike. It's a LOT of work. My personal decision on the utility of it is up in the air right now.

katsrevenge

Well, it's not the same but I ride a balloon tired cruiser in up to 5-6 inches of snow. Low tire pressure means I pretty much float on most snows. It's also heavy and a bit slower than my thinner tired bikes. I'd imagine a fat bike would be more of the same; with more float and more slow but into deeper snow. More off-road possibilities though! They look fun.

CXT

I own a fat bike and love it but it makes a horrible commuter. My studded skinny tire mountain bike owns the fat bike in 2-3 inches or compacted snow. The fat bike excels in deeper snow that compacts well but its an insane amount of work and its too damn snow. Its loads of fun to tool around the off road trails when time is not a factor. It sucks when you just want to get from Point A to point B quickly.

TenSpeedV2

They are a lot of work, especially on the road with no snow. Even with the proper tire pressure, they are just slow and bulky. I have two skinny tire track bikes and the fat bike and that is it. Apartment living prevents me from really having a bike for this and a bike for that. The fat bike is my poor weather/poor road condition do it all bike. I got a good deal on it from a buddy, and in the summer it will still allow me to hit trails if I want.

Mr Pink57

I've found studded tires are harder to work then fat tires. I own a fat bike plus a fat front that I commute on all year. And the studded tire on the rear is far more resistance then even a Surly Nate.

For fat bike commuting tire options we have a lot of new options and some old ones. Vee Rubber/Origin8 Speedster 3.5, Surly Black Floyd, Surly Endomorph, and Surly Larry I am sure there are others too. I use a Larry in the winter for a little more directional stability, but switch to a Endo for the rest of the year which rolls pretty smooth.

The Framed Minnesota has a wheelset you can purchase that is 700c/29er with 135/170 hubs. I have seen two setup with this wheelset here in MN during the warmer months and then see the fat tires go on for the winter.

AlmostTrick

I have a fat bike, and in my experience it only works well if the snow is packed and you can stay on top. <<But this doesn't seem to be the case too often in my experience!

Once you sink, you're stuck pushing even harder than you would with a narrower tire... Or more likely, JUST STUCK!

Tundra_Man 

In the winter I normally ride a standard mountain bike with studded tires. The tires have a huge amount of resistance and really slow me down, so I don't enjoy riding that bike when it's not icy enough to justify it. As soon as the pavement is clear of ice, I'm back on my regular hybrid commuter with 32mm tires until the next snowfall.

Fat bikes seem to be all the rage right now, and admittedly they look pretty cool. However whenever I see one coming I can hear the whir of the tires from 50 yards away and I can't help but think how much effort is involved in riding those things. I could see how it might be fun to take one on an occasional spin, but I don't see myself wanting to ride one day in and out for my regular commute.

I guess I'm just lazy.

modernjess

I have a fat bike with 5" studded tires (3rd winter). That beast can handle pretty much anything. If I had to have only one bike to handle anything winter can throw at you that is the bike. With that said I rarely commute with it and primarily use it for winter off road riding and some racing, and I love it dearly. If the snow is piling up during the day I'll commute on the fat bike, but I hate what the salt does to the drivetrain so mostly it's my weekend fun machine.

OTOH, My Cross check with studded 35mm tires and IGH can pretty much handle winter the commute duties with ease and doesn't doesn't have as many exposed parts for the salt to eat up. We've had so little snow here this year that bike choice has been pretty easy. When the snow gets deep it's tough, but otherwise, it's the way to go for winter street commutes.

I'll say this, Fat bikes are pretty amazing, yes, they are a little slower but once you embrace the slight decrease in speed for the fact that you are rolling gleefully through a winter wonderland, all your podium dreams melt away and it's simply awesome. The community of riders, places to ride them and events that are developing around fat bikes is just incredible here. They are making winter riding really possible for a lot of people that would never have even attempted it in the past. And they really are super fun to ride all year. Sure it's a niche of a niche of a niche sport, and haters are gonna hate on them, but they aren't going away.

I know this doesn't really answer the OP question, but it's my fat biker $.02.

Hypno Toad

I've been winter commuting near Minneapolis for 5 years. Until this year, I've used a SS MTB with studded tires for winter commuting, I've also been out on snowy/icy rides with my Kona Dew Drop (700x28). I write this to make it clear, I'm not new to winter commuting.

This year I got a Surly Pugsley. I got it for trail riding with the wife, but I've been using the Pugsley to commute most days this year. It is slower than the SS MTB; but the Pugsley is just so damn much fun!

Once or twice a week, I stop at the grocery store on the way home; there's a lake between the store and my house. With the Pugsley, I just ride down the boat ramp and cut across the lake; with the MTB you need to follow the roads around the lake.

This morning, I got a reminder that I don't have studs on the Pugsley, and for ice, you still need studs. Thankfully I stayed rubber-side down.

I would be hard-pressed to recommend a fatbike for commuting, but for pure fun, heck yeah!

fietsbob

studded fat tires help in their 1 vulnerability black/glare Ice.

jdswitters

Not for everyone, but with my short commute I rode the Minnesota 1.0 to work today.a little snow and a lot of ice, I wanted the big contact patch.

Let us for a minute define slow. If you have to go through any traffic lights at all and your commute is under 5 mi then there will be several days when your commute is more dependent on lights than your bike speed, at least it is for my 6-mi commute from my girlfriends house, through town and campus. My fastest time ever was on my steel city bike, 45lbs, because I got lucky with the lights. If a fat bike makes your commute more fun, go for it. If your carbon fiber aerobars 18 pounder makes your commute fun, go for it.

I looked up the spec on a bullseye monster, not bad for $500 if you wrench on your own and you are fat-curious. The first thing you will want to upgrade though are the tires. I have those tires, they suck on pavement and really are not that great on snow or sand. So think about that before you drop $500 and think you have a snow machine.

Hypno Toad

Go take a fatbike for a spin on soft surfaces (snow, sand, etc); then report back. I'm guessing you'll be impressed by the pure fun of this bike at riding over nearly everything. As stated earlier, I've done my fair share of riding in 3-4 inches snow with 700x28; sure you can do it and it's not bad. But fatbiking is just so much more fun!

chandltp

After comparing my fat bike to my mountain bike with studded tires, I'm riding my fat bike more often than my mountain bike. I've never gone with skinnier tires than 2", so I can't comment on that.

TenSpeedV2

I have those tires as well, and as stated, they do suck, both on pavement and even in the snow.

PaulRivers

I've ridden all kinds of tires and I think it's like this:

1. Studded tires - handle sheer ice nearly as good as dry pavement.

2. Non-studded tires of any size smaller than a fat tire - if your rear wheel hits it it will slide out from under you, but you usually have enough time to get a foot down or something. If your front tire hits sheer ice you are f!@#, your bike goes down faster than your body can send signals up the nervous system to the brain. You don't even know what happened, you were biking along, you might have felt yourself starting to slip and it was over.

3. Fat Bike Tires - they cannot bike on sheer ice, but their fatness makes them slide out from under you slower. If the front tire hits sheer ice you have a chance to get a foot down before the whole bike goes down.

Tundra_Man 

+1

Was riding my non-studded tire hybrid a couple weeks ago and hit a smooth patch of ice hiding in the dark (batteries in my headlight were getting weak; since resolved.) Lost grip on my front wheel and before I even realized what was happening I was on the ground. Thankfully the patch of ice was large enough that I slid to a stop without tearing up my clothes by sliding on pavement. Also thankfully I didn't have time to react, so I kept my elbows tucked in and probably saved a broken collarbone. Other than feeling banged up for a few days I came out pretty good. But it was amazing how fast I was able to go from happily riding along to suddenly lying on the ground.

PaulRivers

Ha, yeah, that's what I mean.

If you hit pure ice (not an ice/snow mix) on any tire less wide than a fatbike tire, it just happens so fast your body can't even send signals to your brain, have your brain make instinctive decision, and send the signal back before you're over. One second you're riding, the next you're on the ground and that's it. If you hit the front tire at least.

A fat bike tire is finally so fat that it does actually slide out slowly enough for your brain to relatively easily react in time.

Source: Rode a fat bike in a demo across a lake with patches of snow and patches of sheer ice.