Got into a conversation with bedmaker the other day re fat bikes and it got me thinking….

Basically, as I understand it, those of us who ride HT’s, amongst other things, like them because they keep it real, usually with steel! HT’s might not be a fast down the bumpy stuff as a good FS but the buzz is awesome and they ‘theoretically’ make me a better, more skilful rider. 😆

Conversely, I’ve ‘observed’ it being said that those of us who ride FS bikes are something labelled as cheating in that they make the trails easier to ride and go fast on.

Are fat bikes therefore ‘cheating’ in the same way? 😉

cheating? I didn’t realise there were rules like that.

I don’t know many people that ride steel HT bikes, most people I know ride alu and carbon HT bikes. They can often keep up with the FS riders mainly because the terrain is a bit.. uneventful.

For example there is a guy in the club that is a big ‘DH’ nut and rides a very expensive downhill bike, I can keep up with him on descents around Leicester on my cross bike. ERGO its the rider, not the wheels.

If a fat bike rider can ride the **** up the hill, they are more than welcome to the comfort down it.

I always thought I rode whatever bike I had for my own enjoyment.

Think more ride what you enjoy and if you want a race tool you buys one. I’ve been toying over the idea of a fat bike for the suffolk swamp flat lands as they seem fun but if I was racing I’d grab a full sus or ht depending on the course over a fat bike the old adage “horse’s for courses” I think apply’s.

If we’re talking about “cheating” being anything that makes stuff easier, we’re going to have to include saddles, gears (all of them, even that one), chains, wheels, shoes, paths and roads.

and maximus, fat bikes climb pretty well:

I’ve got a ally frame with steel rigid forks. Stiff and harsh all the time.
I’ve also got a FS which I enjoy riding just as much.
What does that make me?

ned, they have supreme grip, not exactly the lightest of things to lug up a hill, lots of rotational mass!

I don’t think FS is cheating, it’s just faster.

Although my inner bike snob says they’re wasted unless you’re going balls out/on the rivet/barely in control as it’s their ability to iron out the trail and open up lines that sets them appart, just bouncing down the same lines as you would on a HT at the same speed is a bit pointless.

I’ve never got the FS is cheating nonsense tbh.

I love riding off road and enjoy it on an FS or HT.

The 50% (guess) of the time I’m riding well within my abilities it doesn’t really matter what I’m riding.

The 50% of the time I’m pushing my limits on techy DH at least, then I prefer to be on a susser – I enjoy it more, it’s faster and yes, it will get me out of some scrapes.

I still push my limits on a HT, just not with quite the same rewards.

It doesn’t make me a bad rider – until we are all at the level of the top pro’s, we all have room for improvement.

As a fat bike rider I would say that the going up isn’t that much harder than other bike, in fact its probably easier on technical climbs as you have loads of grip. On the downs though you do get bounced around a lot as the tyres are undampened, so the idea of riding down in comfort isn’t true.