I had the rather pleasant experience of a morning round Culbin today. What can I say – sandy singletrack, huge beaches, crashing surf, endless salt marshes. I reckon this is where Fatbikes go when they (eventually) die.

P1020561 by druidh_dubh, on Flickr

And on Monday afternoon, one of the Bothy Bikes guys took me up Coire an t-Sneachda in the Cairngorms in search of some snow.

I reckon the real All Terrain Bike has finally arrived.

Thats my neck of the woods (Originally) , did you pop into the Findhorn Foundation to smoke a joss stick or take part in some free love.?

sorry stanfree – I did see Findhorn across the mouth of the river though, just as I rode past the twenty-odd seals.

Well it’s mountainbiking at least I suppose.

Looks great, I’ve ridden a bit in Culbin and Roseisle forests and always thought really fat tyres would open up lots more possibilities in there.

I take it that it was worth the wait for the 9:zero:7?

just as I rode past the twenty-odd seals.

What was odd about the seals? I know the folk up there are a bit funny…………….

Not a massive Fat lover but not a hater either though Bruces moonlander has an awfy bonny paint job,but having local knowledge at low tide could you ride from Lossie East beach to Garmouth on spey . Likewise from Lossie west head to Covesea , Silver Sands to Primrose bay .

I’d imagine Motorman would know , Moray has some lovely beaches.

You don’t need a fatbike to do any of that.

i’d like to see a fat bike hit an i.e.d.

You don’t need a fatbike to do any of that.

Devs I’ve ridden most of the trails on an old ‘Kalamunda’ mountain bike bit would hate to burst there bubble.

stanfree – Member
Devs I’ve ridden most of the trails on an old ‘Kalamunda’ mountain bike bit would hate to burst there bubble.

Don’t think you’d be bursting any bubbles.

Most of the fatbike owners have been riding their trails on ordinary mtbs before getting fatbikes.

The difference is when the going gets soft, the fatbike rides straight and hardly leaves an impression, while the mtb tracks go wobbling all over the place and leave ruts.

Much easier.

thank you ! 😮

I ride my pugsley with regular xc bikes often, if a decent size of group then keeping up aint a problem at all, but i have regular bikes for xc rides.
Fat bikes are for riding where you do not want to cause damage, or it is just far to soft and too hard work to make forward progress to ride a regular bike.
Oh and to ride proper snow every 40 years 😉
Whats not to like?, there fun. If you don`t get them then fine,

I need to organise a coast ride – thats riding rocks, shingle, sandy single track, dunes (not just riding smooth hard sand) and only regular bikes and cx bikes can come along, then maybe folk may get it 🙂

But it is the nature of singletrack forum for negative comments to people doing what they want to do 😆

Riding fat just brings another dimension to riding that’s all. Fat on natural singletrack is excellent. It always brings a smile to my face when riding my pugsley through the woods. It’s not for everyone, but life would be dull if we all rode the same bikes.

The only downside is having to explain to so many folks what the hell you are riding.

Guess I would be labelled a hater, but sweating your arse off in the granny ring over soft sand, with pensioners walking their yorkies overtaking you, has got to be demoralizing. At least it will always be a niche

Duntstick, hater or not, the main thing you are is clueless.

Lol- mine has only seen a beach a few times, they are hilarious on the singletrack, now with nates being available they are great on muddy singletrack.

If you in the midlands your welcome to join me for a ride.

sweating your arse off in the granny ring over soft sand, with pensioners walking their yorkies overtaking you

this is hard, reliable fact btw

Haha, thanks for the offer Mantastic, unfortunately too far off, glad you can take the cheekiness.

Glad you had a good time Druidh, some really nice coast to explore 😉

Having ridden a bike up here since I was a bairn, yeah, most of the stuff can be done by any bike, but a fatty can do it better, esp on the sandy coastal stuff & boggy speyside hillside. Having fun on a bike, what’s not to like?

It opens up new riding possibilities & routes you would never attempt without one.

Culbin is a great place once you head off the trails & start exploring – I’m planning another day there as soon as I get back from Norway.

From last trip summers bivi trip

Seals in the background on the sand bar at Findhorn

Nice photos Motorman , makes me want to head home for a visit to Culbin and Findhorn.

Theres a spare pugsley here Paul if you want to borrow it for your next visit back home 😉 🙂

I’m no fatbike hater either. I will get one once I’ve shifted some summer seasons and a Rock Lobster Team Tig. It’s just that all those places there can be ridden comfortably on normal bikes. Not quite the fatbike heaven it’s being touted as, unless you are hell bent on riding the really soggy sand at the water’s edge at low tide just because you can. The Moray coast trails figured lots in my Puffer training and I loves the Burghead to Findhorn stretch. I’m really hoping that we get a nice May as I can’t think of a better route for that time of year than my 60km loop that takes that stretch in.

I need to stop reading these threads. I really don’t need / can’t afford a fat bike, but I still want one. And TBC having one in the shop window isn’t helping either. So tempting, so tempting.

You never know Bruce one day I might well end up with one and I’d definately do a few Moray coast rides . You should head up in the summer as Its whisky country up there as well .

druidh, are you still needing that wee mod made up? I never received any drawings 😕

Nice pics BTW 😉

devs – Member
…It’s just that all those places there can be ridden comfortably on normal bikes. Not quite the fatbike heaven it’s being touted as, unless you are hell bent on riding the really soggy sand at the water’s edge at low tide just because you can…

You can ride most stuff with a mtb (or cx bike if you’re determined enough). The point is, it is so much easier on a fatty that it’s a laugh.

swavis – when I was working out the angles, I realised that I just had to switch left to right to get the cable running up the seatstay!!