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Fat bikes pros and cons please
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vondallyFree Member
Hi, daughter (20 something) announces last night she is on N+1 route and it needs to be a fat bike,…..so debate commences on the pros and cons. Please help the pros and cons list
Pros
Fun Fun Fun
Different ride experience
Quicker than you think…Cons
Slow
Uncontrolled suspension rebound
Tyres useless in mud
What is the point we live in NW England not alaska
Marketing hype
29 or 29 plus is a better optionWhat have we missed?
rOcKeTdOgFull Memberpro/con
once you’ve ridden one for a while it’s hard to go back to an ordinary bikewwaswasFull Memberit needs to be a fat bike
It’ll be her bike and presumably her money so let her buy what she wants ‘just because’?
I’ve never really tried to justify any of my bike purchases in terms of pros/cons until I’ve already paid for it and then I always find the pros outweigh the cons 😉
nickgtiFree MemberTyres aren’t useless in the mud you need that in the Pro’s, once you get the right tyres.
How can you have faster than you think in pro’s then slow in the cons?
They aren’t “slow” on some downhills they will be quicker on some they won’t.
And some climbs you won’t touch a fat bike.If she wants one go buy one or go test ride one, me thinks your over thinking it.
5thElefantFree MemberI guess it depends where you ride and what you compare it to, but… Strava tells me my fat bike is consistently as quick or quicker than a Scott Spark around Brechfa. So I’d remove slow from the cons (definitely for me).
I’d add knackering to the cons. They’re much more physical to ride on fast/rough descents than a suspension bike.
You need the 3 Funs to have their own lines on the Pros list 😀
thisisnotaspoonFree MemberPro’s – epic
Con’s – everyone assumes it’s
Slow
Uncontrolled suspension rebound
Tyres useless in mud
What is the point we live in NW England not alaska
Marketing hypeAnd you have to keep justifying it to everyone who asks…………
Slow – not really, it’s as fast as your legs will go.
Uncontrolled suspension rebound – nope, you can only really squish about 1″ of tyre on flat ground, yes they’re at 10psi, but they’re 2x wider and considerably longer than normal, so area x pressure = force, they’re about as firm as normal (26×2) tyres at 40psi. Except when riding over small stuff relative to the tyre, a 1-2″ stone that would force a normal wheel to move get’s absorbed.
Tyres useless in mud – all tyres are useless in mud, fat tyres just do it in a different way. Sideways, accompanied by “BAAAARRrRRrpppppppppp” and a roost of mud whilst your mind’s eye imagines a low down shot of your rear tyre in slow-mo. Cool hu?
What is the point we live in NW England not alaska -wasn’t aware this was a preclusion to fun, we live in the UK, a 1600m hillock in Scotland is considered a dangerous mountain. It’s been newsworthy this yeas because a girl climbed it in shorts in March, and the OS re measured it and found it was 1m taller than they previously thought. Gnarrrr…………..
Marketing hype – I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen an advert for a fat bike.
vondallyFree MemberCategorically her cash…hard earned, so she is very keen on pro and cons list, actually for everything,….
Slow and quick is also about perception of how fast bike is going, she bought a dog of a bike last time and is trying to avoid mistake (but qint we all been there)My money would be on a 29 plus but that is me pondering on my nplus…not her…
DaffyFull MemberHaving now owned two (a Puffin and a Trek Stache) I think you might need to ask yourself a couple of fundamental questions about how you ride, where you ride and how sensitive you are to certain aspects of biking.
5 principle things I didn’t like about my full fat bike were: 1. the Q factor on the bottom bracket, despite the fact that the Puffin only has a 170mm rear end, it still hurt my knees and felt odd; 2. The cadence induced bob from the rear really irritated me; 3. The energy required if the trail demands cyclical acceleration and deceleration; 4. Going back to 26″ wheels – even with 4 inch tyres they were still smaller in diameter than my 2.4 29ers and it made it feel like I was on top of, rather than in the bike; 5. it felt rather long and cumbersome and didn’t provide as much traction or float as I was hoping for over sodden ground…I just got muddier and then got stuck.
On the Stache however, it has a normal BB and Q factor, fairly conventional rear end, lighter wheels and tyres (much) has properly huge diameter tyres and, thanks to shorter stays, seems more chuckable. It’s also (despite having front suspension, which I believe IS still required on Fat) substantially lighter at 26lbs vs 30lbs for the Puffin.
29+ all the way.
5thElefantFree MemberSlow and quick is also about perception of how fast bike is going
Yeah, they *feel* slow. Really slow.
thisisnotaspoonFree MemberThey feel slow if you’re unfit is about all I can say as an unmitigated -ve.
They need a different type of fitness to a lightweight bike, much more standing and heaving on the pedals out of corners to gain speed, then you just need to keep it topped up, if you haven’t got that ‘sprint’ it can feel like really hard work trying to constantly accelerate it. It’s even more pronounced if you ride with people on normal bikes. Very much like riding a single speed in a group is hard work if the guy with gears keeps slowing down and speeding up in front of you. It needs a mix of momentum and fitness to get the most out of it.The flip-side to that is that going back to a 135mm rear end lightweight XC bike feels like a really flexy rocketship!
vondallyFree MemberSo why at most trail centres do imsee mainly middle aged men with middle age spread on these bikes?
She has a good level of fitness and strength but is light and slight so could be a consideration…
5thElefantFree MemberThey feel slow if you’re unfit is about all I can say as an unmitigated -ve.
I disagree 😉
They feel slow but aren’t slow at all.DaffyFull Memberthisisnotaspoon – Member
They feel slow if you’re unfit is about all I can say as an unmitigated -ve.
They need a different type of fitness to a lightweight bike, much more standing and heaving on the pedals out of corners to gain speed, then you just need to keep it topped up, if you haven’t got that ‘sprint’ it can feel like really hard work trying to constantly accelerate it. It’s even more pronounced if you ride with people on normal bikes. Very much like riding a single speed in a group is hard work if the guy with gears keeps slowing down and speeding up in front of you. It needs a mix of momentum and fitness to get the most out of it.See, I don’t understand that argument. I’m not unfit, I ride over 200 miles a week both commuting (my average speed over my 10 miles of cyclepath with junctions and lights and what-not is 28.5kph over 1700 miles so far this this year, so I’m not hanging about) MTBing and Road, and I can keep-up with a group on SS without too much effort, but doing the same (admittedly at a trail centre with the Puffin, which isn’t ideal…) was just utterly knackering and left me with a very sore back…some of this was perhaps caused by having to manhandle the fat fecker around the twisty stuff and my arms are like wet pipe-cleaners, so not up to much of this.
n0b0dy0ftheg0atFree MemberPros…
Excellent traction
Do it all flat bar bike
Getting increasingly suitable for the UK’s potholed roads
Street cred with the new generationCons…
Replacement tyres are typically £40+ each
Complete strangers expect you to hand over the bike for a quick try
Paranoia about having a wheel nicked and their replacement cost
Tyre pressure for commuting on tarmac is much higher than for off-roadnickgtiFree MemberWhat’s her budget?
For me fat biking is about fun and riding when and where you couldn’t normally and balls to the rest of it
DaffyFull Membervondally – Member
It needs a mix of momentum and fitness to get the most out of it.So why at most trail centres do imsee mainly middle aged men with middle age spread on these bikes?
…because they have the momentum aspect of it “covered” quite nicely in perhaps a 70:30 ratio. 😉
nedrapierFull MemberYou both know all the pros and cons already. You won’t find out whether the pros outweigh the cons for her on the trails you ride unless you try one.
Pick one up second hand, if she doesn’t like it, sell it on for little/no loss.
That’s what I did. I’m not selling it!
johnnystormFull MemberMost middle aged men have middle aged spread whatever they ride at trail centres. Better to embrace that on a fatbike than be an enduro wannabe. 😉
jekkylFull MemberI can see the benefit of a fat bike on a trail centre, heading out to the dark peak for eg or any XC ride, a bike with more gears and suspension would be much more suitable.
5thElefantFree MemberI can see the benefit of a fat bike on a trail centre, heading out to the dark peak for eg or any XC ride, a bike with more gears and suspension would be much more suitable.
Can’t see how. I can see how you could argue the opposite though.
But, don’t forget Fun, Fun, Fun.
vondallyFree MemberAgain I have to separate what I feel and think as I agree with daffy on the 29 plus debate, and I think that is where I will look
But she wants something cheap and daft for a laff… Which a fat bike could be, yes second hand will be the route.
rOcKeTdOgFull MemberSo why at most trail centres do imsee mainly middle aged men with middle age spread on these bikes?
to be fair that’s 95% of all bikes at a trail centre
most fat bikes are owned by those who’ve been mtbing for years & are a refreshing change/antidote to the norm, back to basics if you will without all the comfy sofa-ness of a modern bike.
jimdubleyouFull MemberI rode the first half of the London to Brighton off-road yesterday on my “Adventure” bike.
It was a gloopy mess in some places and I couldn’t help thinking “I’d be having more fun on a fat bike…”
DaffyFull Memberjekkyl – Member
I can see the benefit of a fat bike on a trail centre, heading out to the dark peak for eg or any XC ride, a bike with more gears and suspension would be much more suitable.I guess it depends on the trail centre, but for most valley based trail centres, my experience was that a full fatbike was great in sweeping bermy singletrack, but rubbish for everything else. In tight singletrack I found it damn near impossible to maintain momentum as the length of the bike and it’s own inherent gyroscopic effects of its wheels meant that I had to slow down MORE to tackle the corners, you need a very different line to make it work well. Also on the ups, there’s not really much technical climbing which flatters a fat bike (roots, wet rock, etc) and switchbacks are just a ballache.
Open country for me was MUCH better on the FB. Hardpack just tends to induce cadence assisted seasickness.
nickgtiFree Memberman made stuff on a fat bike isn’t great, natural trials is where the fat bike makes sense. If all she rides are man made trial centre stuff then don’t bother
eth3erFree MemberExperiences vary, I ride around the Peaks on a carbon forked rigid on-one fatty, I have so much more traction going uphill, the only thing that stopped me cleaning Pindale was running out of legs quite a long way up it, the only time time I’ve ever cleaned Cavedale going down was on said fatty, the riding is different for me and I’m genuinely in love with the experience.
It’s not pleasant in the slimy mud but that’d be the maxxis mammoths tyres I’ve got on at the minute. The simplicity (gods that word!) of it is also a much more compelling argument. Also it’s a giggle machine, fun as a fun thing is fun.postierichFree Memberas nick says I find my fat bike superb for natural rocky trails bit dodgy when you hit wet grass and mud but you learn to adapt !
Rode a Trek Stache 29 plus and it was a great bit of kit something like that would be my next bike packing bikeLawmanmxFree MemberPro’s great fun and a better more capable ride than you would think.
cons, the Haterz who have never owned one but love to comment 😆
FrankensteinFree MemberLol @ johnnystorm! 😆
Until I look down, breathe in and agree 🙁
Diet time.
molgripsFree MemberWhat is the point we live in NW England not alaska
Snow is not the only benefit.
My mate fatbikes, and has posted plenty of pictures of riding on those crappy boggy messy ROWs that you never went on before because they were unrideable. Plenty of them all across upland Britain.
Oh and not to mention the loose rocks common in sandstone areas.. mind you they area all part of the challenge on normal bikes 🙂
we live in the UK, a 1600m hillock in Scotland is considered a dangerous mountain
It might not be high but that doesn’t make it insignificant. There’s an area of Scotland classified as ‘arctic’ on climatology maps, and for good reason.
mudpluggaFree Member4 rides in on mine and oh boy is it faster than it looks! previous bike for 2 years was a carbon singlespeed which feels loads faster,but according to GPS isnt?! Fatbike is loads more fun and looks ace.
As stated Tyres are a con!thisisnotaspoonFree MemberSee, I don’t understand that argument. I’m not unfit, I ride over 200 miles a week both commuting (my average speed over my 10 miles of cyclepath with junctions and lights and what-not is 28.5kph over 1700 miles so far this this year, so I’m not hanging about) MTBing and Road, and I can keep-up with a group on SS without too much effort, but doing the same (admittedly at a trail centre with the Puffin, which isn’t ideal…) was just utterly knackering and left me with a very sore back…some of this was perhaps caused by having to manhandle the fat fecker around the twisty stuff and my arms are like wet pipe-cleaners, so not up to much of this.
That was kinda the point, riding any other bike get’s you fit, but it’s not necessarily transferable to keeping a fat bike upto speed.
So why at most trail centres do imsee mainly middle aged men with middle age spread on these bikes?
See also – MAMIL’s, Enduro is the new Golf, singlespeeders drink beer and eat pies, gravel riding (road bikes for those too ashamed to wear lycra in public) etc, etc, etc. Cycling in general is a low impact sport for middle aged people too chubby to take up running.
peajayFull MemberPros, every ride is like being a kid again.
Cons, makes my normal bike feel rubbish.
They may be heavier and a bit slower but really who cares!stevedocFree MemberGoing to add my say here, im riding a semi fat of 3.2 tyre so not the full on fat but the pros are simple ,, a fairly light weight, simplistic bike , loooadds of grip and silly knee down lean overs ,just as fast going down the sketchy stuff as my full sus , and not to slow on the road , and as others have said lots of fun , tbh ive not touched my other bikes since I bought it 5 weeks ago and already 300 miles on the clock
Cons going to cost a small fortune getting boost hubs from Hope
divenwobFree MemberJust get a go on one!!!!!!!!!!!!
There must be someone in your area that will let her have a demo,where are you?crashtestmonkeyFree MemberMain negative for me is spending more time riding my 400 quid fat bike than my 4000 quid mountain slayer.
The perfect n+1, as posts in this and hundreds of other threads have said, a cheapish rigid fat bike is back to basics silly but surprisingly capable fun.
muddygroundFree MemberIf you have to ask why, then it’s not for you. I saw one, realised it was the most stupid, pointless bike ever, bought one as soon as I could afford it 🙂
And like everybody else, I cry now when I have to ride a normal bike.
DaffyFull MemberCons going to cost a small fortune getting boost hubs from Hope
Mine were £158 for a pair of nice(ish) Pro4 Boost (110/15 148/12) hubs from Swinnerton’s.
NormalManFull MemberrOcKeTdOg – Member
most fat bikes are owned by those who’ve been mtbing for years & are a refreshing change/antidote to the norm, back to basics if you will without all the comfy sofa-ness of a modern bike.For me, this^ was my reasoning behind buying one. Very happy I am with it too.
km79Free Membera 1600m hillock in Scotland is considered a dangerous mountain. It’s been newsworthy this yeas because a girl climbed it in shorts in March, and the OS re measured it and found it was 1m taller than they previously thought. Gnarrrr…………..
Fail!
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