I’d best most of us on here wouldn’t be far off a complete SS MTB with bits in the garage
since all you have to do is remove bits from your current bike I’d say it was all not most 🙂
Quite a few fat and half fat bikes at ssuk t’other week, they seemed to manage just fine on normal gears on normal trails.
I agree with what others already said, SS is is usually either a posh custom build or a cobbled together hack not an off the peg bike, unlike fat bikes which make a lot more sense to buy whole.
kinda tempted to go fat but n is at about the limit for a happy home life at the moment and my other bikes have proper uses.
(enough money and storage space I’d get one, along with a DH bike, a trials bike, ss road, etc etc)
Dobbo, if fat bikes and fat bike riders are slow and unwieldy as you suggest perhaps you should go for a little ride with folks like george budd or dan treby and they may gently show you the error of your ways
MSP – Member
perhaps you should go for a little ride with folks like george budd or dan treby and they may gently show you the error of your ways
Perhaps Dan and George should go for a ride with Absalon and Schurter, and have the stupidity beat out of them.
POSTED 1 MINUTE AGO # REPORT-POST
Hahahahahaha Dan isn’t stupid, he’s a very naughty boy. 🙂
As far as I’m concerned, the massive amount of money needed to get a fat bike (the category doesn’t deserve a compound name, unlike singlespeeds) anywhere near a low enough weight that it’d be fun to ride makes any sand/snow/mud advantage negligible.
See George Budd for example, his fat bike looks like a great laugh, weighing 23 and a bit pounds, but it’s cost him more than it’d take to build an 18lb XC hardtail.
Singlespeeds are extremely fun however, but only on the right terrain: Thetford, Tunstall (anywhere flat, i.e – where I live).
In my eyes: Fast=fun , Fat=slow , hence Fat=not fun
Last nights ride: [url=https://flic.kr/p/p1m751]Untitled[/url] by T*inbred, on Flickr
6 of 7 on fat bikes, all moved from rigid SS. So they won’t suit everyone, but for us they are ideal – a bit more ‘give’ than rigid SS, and most of our riding is either sandy gravelly trails or sandy bottomless bog.
I bought the fatty as a bit of an experiment, but its replaced all my other bikes now. I can’t explain why, but riding it is just fun – it rolls along nicely, there’s masses of traction meaning you can rail stuff you’d be sliding out on on a skinny, and you can ride all sorts of new places – like exploring old wrecks on the beach at low tide 🙂
I’m sold, so are my mates. I don’t think they will ever be ‘mainstream’ though as the range of practical use is limited, although you can do a surprising amount on them. Having said that, teh range of use of most specialist bikes is limited – you wouldn’t want to commute on a 160mm ‘all mountain’ bike either.
The last time we had snow, I was the quickest upright thing around, including cars.
“Fat slow” Bikefest laps, my fastest 30 mins 10 seconds; V. light 26er and 32 mins; Pugsley.
Plus we were timed at 45 MPH at the Lakes Fatbike weekend……..
I’ve no doubt on some courses under a fast rider a fat bike would be fastest (vs a more standard 26/29/other shitey wheelsize). I just wonder if someone did back to back tests over a wide variety whether we’d be surprised at how many types of courses they would be faster on…..
we already know 29″ wheels are heavier and have more inertia than 26, still lots of xc racers running them tho coz overall they are quicker
Junkyard – lazarus
Almost everyone I know who owns a fatty is fast as ****
You sure it is just not you being slow as ****
POSTED 25 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST
I can happily say I do not want to experience his fast
Lets agree next time we take enough water
yeh, i did nearly get to the point of offering to suck the sweat out of peoples helmet pads to keep hydrated. Bloomin beer, bikes and fags, I need to start a healthier lifestyle 😀
big thanks for the help with the course clearing as well Mr yard, much appreacited
Well I’m no particular fan of fat, bit even I can see they would be of great advantage on the loose rocks of the UK’s many sandstone areas. Far more than just sand and snow bikes.
I bet I could get up my local hard rocky bit on one, when I have so far failed on everything else. Anyone in S Wales want to lend me one? 😉
1. I don’t race, so don’t mind an insignificant scrap of extra weight if it helps me smile more.
2. My Fatty has been up lots of Scotland’s munros. And corbetts. I often smile when up proper mountains.
3. It can practically climb up walls, it has so much traction. Grin.
4. On group rides, it sometimes gets back to the bottom a fair bit quicker than some riders do on their 140-160 bouncers. This too makes me smile.
5. It doesn’t sink into the occasional bit of mud that might sometimes be found on trails. This also makes me smile.
About the only thing about it that is a bit of a pain, is washing it– There’s more of it to keep clean. Boo-hoo.
You really haven’t seen many fat bikes ridden properly have you?
Let me know when you start Paceman!!
Hilarious as always Mr P; I wasn’t particularly refering to myself 😆
tazzymtb – Member
Dobbo, if fat bikes and fat bike riders are slow and unwieldy as you suggest perhaps you should go for a little ride with folks like george budd or dan treby and they may gently show you the error of your ways.
Exactly. The Singular fat bike team at Brighton Big Dog were ripping up the singletrack; up, down, steep and twisty, and putting in lap times far quicker than many riders on their carbon enduro machines.
I’ve no doubt on some courses under a fast rider a fat bike would be fastest (vs a more standard 26/29/other shitey wheelsize). I just wonder if someone did back to back tests over a wide variety whether we’d be surprised at how many types of courses they would be faster on….
There’s more to riding bikes than racing, or even going fast all the time. Sometimes its great to just ride. Fatbikes are for just riding 😀
Exactly. The Singular fat bike team at Brighton Big Dog were ripping up the singletrack; up, down, steep and twisty, and putting in lap times far quicker than many riders on their carbon enduro machines.
And were still going slower than people on non-fat 29er race bikes…
padkinson – Member
Exactly. The Singular fat bike team at Brighton Big Dog were ripping up the singletrack; up, down, steep and twisty, and putting in lap times far quicker than many riders on their carbon enduro machines.
And were still going slower than people on non-fat 29er race bikes…
No shit Sherlock!
Missing the point entirely… fat bikes are harmless fun 😉
Why the hate for Fatties? no ones forcing you to ride or buy one,if their not you thing fine go and ride something else same goes for SS,Unicycles etc.
Personally I love the look of them but have never ridden one,but can imagine they would be fun, agreed that riding uphill into a headwind you may wish you were on something else(But have thought that on my roadbike also).
Saw a Surly Moonlander a while ago and my first thought was’WANT’
Why the hate for Fatties? no ones forcing you to ride or buy one,if their not you thing fine go and ride something else same goes for SS,Unicycles etc.
I completely agree Unovolo. Fat bike discussions bring the trolls out from hiding for some reason I think 😉
I like the look of that spesh singlespeed, would probably be a good bike for my local flat bridleways. Fat bikes always have and always will look horrendous.