Did you forget how to get Fat? Eddy Masters didn’t

The seasons, they are a-changing. In the upper most hemisphere, the days are getting shorter, the climate’s getting colder and wetter, and the warm embrace of the fireplace at the local is doing its darnedest to draw us indoors towards the beer and mince pies. That means it’s also that wonderful time of year where awkward work Xmas parties start rolling around, and everyone turns towards indulging a little more than usual to make the whole experience just that bit more tolerable. You know exactly what I mean.

And though it is the season to be festive, all that extra indulging and lack of bike riding can take its toll on our athletic figures…

Eddy Masters is one mountain biker who isn’t worrying about all that indulging though. Far from it in fact. Indeed, this chap is one of the few, if not the only, elite rider on the World Cup circuit who’s embracing the festival season fatness.

Go on, see for yourselves;

After watching that, all I’m thinking is that the integrated KFC bucket is an innovation we can get behind!

Since many of us are guilty of forgetting that fat bikes still exist, Pivot Cycles figured they could give us a timely pre-Xmas reminder that it is still indeed making a fat bike. And the marketing team probably just wanted a reason to get Eddy Masters back on camera, though I can hardly blame them – that guy is a refreshing cup of hilarity in a sport that takes itself waaay too seriously!

Anywho, back to the bike. Based upon the LES carbon hardtail, the LES Fat that Eddy’s bouncing around on in the video above is arguably one of the most high-tech and versatile fat bikes on the market, with a staggering amount of adjustability built into its chassis for accommodating more wheel and tyre sizes than I realised existed. With those sliding dropouts, the LES Fat will take 26in fat bike wheels, 27.5+ and 27.5in fat bike wheels, as well as 29in and 29+ wheels. Yowsers.

Just to be clear though – this fatty ain’t new. The LES Fat carbon frame remains unchanged. The news here is that Pivot is now offering it as a complete bike with 27.5in fat bike wheels and tyres, which in the fat biking circles, is apparently a thing. The other thing is the suspension fork – a Manitou Mastodon to be exact. The LES Fat can of course be had with a matching rigid fork, but it looks pretty mean setup with a 120mm fork on the front, which is now an option for complete bikes. Along with things like integrated rear rack mounts, room for three water bottles, and dropper post capability, the LES Fat is quite the chameleon.

Pivot LES Fat Features

• Full carbon fat bike
• Compatible with rigid forks and suspension forks from 90-120mm travel
• Accommodates 26in, 27.5in and 29in wheels
• Recommended tyre size: 26×3.8-5.0in, 27.5×2.8-4.5in, 29×2.0-3.0in
• Compatible with 2x, 1x and singlespeed drivetrains
• 132mm wide press-fit BB
• 197x12mm rear dropouts
• Adjustable Swinger II dropouts
• Three water bottle mounts
• Integrated rear rack mounts

Here’s the full scooby-doo from Pivot Cycles;

“The LES Fat is back in a big waywith new 27.5in fat bike wheel and tire spec along with a Manitou Mastodon suspension fork option making the it the highest performing fat bike in the world. Under the new Ice Blue paint job lies the most versatile fat bike frame ever developed with its low Q-Factor and massive tire clearance.

The difference between having the greatest adventure of your life and pushing your bike for miles on end can be just a tire size away. Pivot’s LES Fat innovative frame design enables the use of almost any imaginable tire and wheel combination currently on the market. Pivot’s Patented Swinger II dropouts move up as they move back to simultaneously account for the increase in tyre diameter and ride height. By combining the rear dropouts adjustments with multiple lower headset cup options, the LES Fat works with everything from traditional 29×2.4-2.8in trail tires on dirt to the highest volume 5in wide fat bike tires for the softest conditions, making it a true four season fat bike.

Pivot’s 27.5in Fat build features Maxxis Minion 3.8in tires mounted on 80mm wide rims for the ultimate in soft surface performance. The shorter sidewall height of 27.5 Fat tires offers improved cornering feel, less weight and the benefits of improved roll-over and momentum carrying characteristics that come with larger diameter wheels. Pivot also offers the LES Fat with a 27.5+ wheel build option (or as a second wheelset) featuring 50mm wide rims and 3.0in wide Maxxis Chronical tires. This combination is perfect for the rider looking for a nimble and versatile four-season rig. The Manitou’s Mastodon fork option provides best in class fat bike suspension for riders who push the edge of fat bike performance and year-round use. The LES Fat frame is features internal dropper post routing as well.”

For more information, head to the Pivot Cycles website, or get in touch with UK distributor Upgrade Bikes.