[Closed] Do I want a fat-bike?

Fat bike with a sus fork would be a fine replacement. rigid I found too compromised / uncomfortable

Buy a fat bike and then a second set of 29+ wheels if you feel like it later.... That way you get two bikes for your bucks.

Just be aware, fat bikes float over mud rather than sink and find grip. So the correct tyre is key, and fat bike tyres cost lots..... Also, a bit like gravel bikes, there's different types of fattie. The bike packing end and the fun trail end. Slam69 is a good bet for fat specific purchases.

Also you will never stop smiling when riding one, and your others bikes become secondary...

I bought mine almost 5yrs ago and sold my full Sus months later as it was getting zero use.

I rode a rigid fatbike for 8 years. Mostly as a winter bike though it would occasionally be taken out for "normal" trail riding. I also had a 140mm hardtail.

Last year I bought a Cube Nutrail with Rockshox Blutos. I've now sold the hardtail as it was basically redundant. It really does feel and handle just like a bigger tyred MTB. The one downside is trying to get the balance between tyre and fork air pressures in order not to have the two rebounds working against each other. I find that almost every ride has a segment where I've got it wrong.

In proper slippy mud a fat bike can be lethal. You just never know what mud will make it slide out.

I've never had a bike that I've loved one week and hated the next til I had a fatty.

Definitely buy one. They are so different to anything else but weirdly familiar.

I'm off to Norfolk in a couple of weeks. If I didn't have a fatty ,I wouldn't be taking a bike.

Hope all of that helps!

Alternatively buy a cheap 29 anthem put bonty muds on it and have the best winter bike there is.

I absolutely love mine.

You can get the proper bearing toolset for the price of a fatty tyre.

I only use mine in the winter and they are great bikes never will replace a full-suss but horses for courses but if you get snow the virgin sort then WOW its amazing and will beat any other bike all so applies to sand as well only have a ridged one great fun though will take mine out again soon try it in the dry for change.

The answer to any question of the form "do I want a bike of type X?" is of course "YES!!"

I got my fat bike to do a winter race in Finland - I'd entered the race then realised somewhat belatedly that I didn't have a fat bike and that was one of the kit requirements to race! I've done a bit of beach riding, great fun but it's the best part of two hours to the nearest beach for us. I also use it on moorland tracks for which it is great, you know those tracks that are a third to a half rocks and boulders that you sort of stutter over, just great fun on the fatty.

As above the right tyres make all the difference both to the riding and to the lack of money in your bank account. Tyre pressure is crucial as well, 0.5 psi can make all the difference.

Mine's currently set up as a singlespeed - makes a silly bike even sillier but great fun.

Just had to check when this thread was started. I thought 2019/2020 was when the hoards went the other way and bought gravel bikes? Before that it was bike packing bikes. Before that fat bikes. Before that singlespeeds. Before that freeride bikes.

Wonder whats next.

Just had to check when this thread was started.

Exactly what I thought, was guessing 2014. You'll be asking if you should get a fixed gear bike next 🙂

I dunno. I bought one of the On one Fatties when they first came out, in that 6 week gap between every thread being "Im going to wait untill standards are standard" and they became "has the fat bike bubble burst"?

Great fun, totally different ride even on familiar trails.

Downsides; in spite of being not as heavy as they look to ride, they're still heavy.

Those big tyres arent actually that comfortable.

Grip is all variable, either masses, or predictable slides, or nothing. Sometimes in the space of a few meters of trail.

Parts are still a faff to get hold or expensive.

Tyres are expensive.

After a few years of it being my main MTB it drifted to being 2nd, then 3rd, then I sold it and bought a new one which never got used, then it was 4th when I bought a completely non-niche trail hardtail.

Id probably suggest getting a cheap one as a winter bike. They're an absolute hoot as long as you've got the legs to keep up with normal bikes. And despite the lethal grip in some mud, they're still moving at least!

I had a Pugsley for a while and to boil down my experience:

Pros
- Monster traction (would climb anything the BB would clear)
- Proper fun on flowy trails
- Not as slow as you might imagine
- Perfect for off road adventures with unknown terrain as it can get through pretty much everything

Cons
- Very sensitive to tyre pressure to keep it from being too bouncy
- Other than snow it was a bit of a jack of all trades but master of none so often got sidelined for more specific bikes
- Fairly weighty so trails with a lot of accelerating out of corners/up short rises were a bit sapping
- Takes quite a bit of muscling around on tighter trails

I love my fatty. It's probably what I ride most at the moment.

I ride it all year round and it's rad all year round.

It can be good in mud, but it's got to be the right mud 😂

Always had mine rigid but am thinking about suss forks due to wrist issues. I really do ride it on anything though. Such fun bouncing down trails like a basketball in a water chute.

The only annoying thing about it is the seemingly endless comments from walkers etc about how big your wheels are. It's great that people actually talk to a cyclist rather than just scowl, but it does start to get a little old. Can't believe they're seemingly still such a rare sight for people.

Still, makes me smile and tends to make others smile too.

Very, very capable. Climbs amazing, rolls really well, not a lot stops it.

Get one.

The one downside is trying to get the balance between tyre and fork air pressures in order not to have the two rebounds working against each other. I find that almost every ride has a segment where I’ve got it wrong.

And

and not to flash) to continue riding through the winter (i.e. keep the muck off the full suseser).

It makes a lot of sense to run a fat bike with a rigid fork. It keeps the costs down, the weight down, the maintenance down and develops your skill as your not letting the bike do all the work.

In my humble opinion, I think the key to N+1 is to make it different to your other bikes. There's not a lot of difference between a hardtail with 2.5 tyres, a hardtail with 3 inch tyres and a hard tail with fat tyres and this is where bikes get left and neglected and you can't justify keeping them.

But if ones rigid, another single speed and one has gears and a suspension fork then there's enough difference to make you use them for different things.

A winter mtb bike should be as simple as possible.

Just remember that fat tyres are really expensive. Perhaps a plus bike makes more financial sense but people won't point and stare at you which is half the reason some people buy fat bikes.

Just remember that fat tyres are really expensive

They do seem to last a long time though. I easily put 2000 miles on my rear Floater and it wasn't worn to the point of being replaced yet.

Not sure if that's down to the extra rubber, lower pressures, or just more selective use (I only very rarely did my commute on it but would pick up the hardtail if the commuter had a flat in the morning).

+1 to having the fat bike as different in style/intent to your other bikes as possible. I've had mine nearly four years now and looking at the usage stats I've done a total of 96 rides and 2500km on it in that time. Compare that with my FS which I've had just over two years and have done 83 rides and 3300km. Hours spent riding the two bikes show a similar ratio. So it gets used but it's not a general usage sort of bike, it does have its niche but that niche is a bit wider than you might think.

The comments point is interesting - I've been on the fat bike riding along a footpath and folk seem to forget about "you shouldn't be riding here!" and just want to chat about the bike: "Is it heavy?", etc.

I put some plus tyres on the Solaris before I got the fat bike and I felt there was a bigger difference going from 2.3" to 3" than from 3" to 4" with respect to the increased undamped suspension and similar characteristics. I haven't put the plus tyres back on the Solaris since getting the fat bike.

If you're getting fed up with folk talking about the girth of your tyres, fit pogies. Then everyone will want to talk to you about your gloves.

Gratuitous photo time

most fun hardtail i've ridden.
one of the reasons is there seems to be a huge margin between having grip, and having lost it completely.

i found mine more fun with 80mm blutos that 100mm.
without blutos just wasn't feasible for trail riding round me, which is fairly rough.

i'm now selling as i've not used it on snow once since i bought it (one of the excuses for buying it) and becasue there are just too many thorns around me and i'm constantly battling to keep the tyres up.

(it's a Calibre dune size 'large' [not that large] with or without blutos if interested 😉

I have to say I love mine. Beargrease with blutos. It's my only mtb right now apart from the tandem

If you’re getting fed up with folk talking about the girth of your tyres, fit pogies. Then everyone will want to talk to you about your gloves.

Gratuitous photo time

📷👌😁

Not quite as epic as above....

@single07 pm'd you 👍

Had my fat bike 4 1/2 years now, gets used for commuting and when I plan off road that’s too much for the gravel bike. Love my fatty, just accept you’ll be a bit slower and will smile lots at how ridiculous you feel.

I remember my surprise when I first rode my Pugsley at the 'Puffer.

I took it because I had barely recovered from the flu, so I knew I wasn't going to do well so I may as well be comfortable cruising around slowly on the fat tyres. It was twice as heavy as the Ti SS I used the year before.

To my surprise I ended up doing one lap more than the previous year.

The feeling of slowness is just that IMO (except on smooth hard ground)

[img] [/img]

Fat bikes are great for going places, doing stuff that you can't do on any other bike. 5 days unsupported in the arctic winter.

I have a fat stooge and simple makes me smile....it is a ridiculous how capable it is from big climbs, to rocky descents ( though fully rigid it is lesson in being loose and absorbing impacts) I have done but days out and it was my only bike for a good while - for me it copes with moorland fells well and does ok on linking roads where it really shines is rolling terrain where you keep your speed, and trail centres where it is supercapable, traction and Corning is ridiculously good ,so much so it makes other bikes feel meh.
It can be a uncontrolled space hopper without right pressure in the tyres - yes chasing roadies is ridiculously silly but for a moment there is a smile...you will get tired...and finally I am quiet person so get use to talking with people about it.
Less niche for me more bloody good fun.

Thanks for the feedback all. Liking the overall vibe that’s being shared by owners. Up for something that’s capable but still gives that grin factor.

Opinion seems split when it comes to climbing though. I’m not expecting xc whippet performance but definitely looking for something that I can ride for a three or so hours (inc gassing / looking at sections talking about how “that’s doable”) without permanently dreaming of uplifts or battery assistance. I get that they just roll over anything in your way, but will they climb in a similar way to a ‘regular’ bike, or will I be a wheezing mess every time I hit something with a bit of an incline?

I am old unfit and slow but my last ride was 5 hrs with 3000ft of climbing. It's on road or easy flat trails I notice the drag. Off road the extra grip outweighs the drag.

I blow the tyres up hard if I ride tarmac out to trails and drop them as I go offroad

Ime they climb well. Drag is only an issue at higher speeds and the extra grip makes tricky climbs easier

I bought a fat bike 3 winters ago to replace a 140mm trail bike and I have no intention of going back. It started life as a Dude, it's slowly morphed into Dune and it weighs a lot less than you expect. Agree that Blutos are essential for hooning.

Well, it’s a pedal bike, so...

Sorry, in all seriousness - no, they don't climb like a lightly shod 29er hardtail. But neither will you be a wheezing mess.

The Ideal climbing pedalling cadence is lower, which feels slower, but in reality you just keep pedalling and... oh, did I just clear that?!? With a PR time?

It’s really quite amazing.

Also, yes, blutos are a revelation, but mastodons are a whole other level

They’re not fussy about line choice or surface. Makes climbing as easy as it can be.

I have a plus bike, (29x3)
Gets some of the benefits, (grip)
Gets some of the downsides, (definitely not a whippet)
But good compromise overall.
Worth trying before you buy.
It works everywhere.

The only time I notice the weight of my On One Fatty is when I am lifting it over a style.

Maybe a little slower than a regular MTB climbing on tarmac but for anything remotely rough I think it climbs quicker.
On technical or steep and slippery climbs the Fatty wins hands down. Also having the rigid fork on it makes it great for out of the saddle climbing.

Bought my Fatty in November to protect my Meta Trail from the local woodsy trails which were getting a bit boggy. Was a bit unsure after the first ride because it felt a bit harsh and bouncy. Reduced the pressure in the tyres and wow, what a superb bike! Used it for 90% of my riding over winter and probably 75% of my riding through the spring and summer. Have no intention of putting suspension forks on it as I love the way it handles and like to stand up and stomp.

On most of my local trails Strava says it’s nearly as quick as my Meta. On some it’s even quicker!

Prepare to grin and giggle like a kid again! I am a little (cough) biased but do it (you know you want to). Yes tyres are expensive and very sensitive to pressure but when you can ride up anything it is well worth it.

But if you shop on fleabay you will find many things at good prices as they aren't trendy / enduro / light 😉

Ride all year and it is VERY different to any other bike, I've had two and will soon buy another.

You can enjoy the simplicity or go batshit crazy carbon frame, rims etc so depends on budget versus grin.

Be warned wherever you go kids and adults will have chin dropping moments and "look at those tyres" and expect any ride to take longer, not because you're slower (you won't be much slower) but others will stop you and want to chat about it all the time - enjoy the experience.

James

I dusted mine off a few weeks back- couldn't ride it for a long while after I broke my wrist, needed suspension, and in the meantime fatbikes stopped being cool. But I think because it was hidden in the garage, it escaped that cruel fate, and is still awesome. Love it, wouldn't have it as my only bike but it's absolutely rock solid 3rd place.

Yes.
We havd a lot of horrible slippy and clingy clay type muds where we ride and all 3 fat riders! have ended up with Surly Bud front tyres. Big, pricy and brilliant directional stability in the Winter (at around 5 psi) Just don't pair it with something puny like a Jumbo Jim at the rear. We've all found rigid to be fine in the Winter on our lesd than gnarr trailz. I definitely prefer a suss fork for coming down a mountainside! Found it remarkably good at climbing on all surfaces. Great fun.

yeh, it like the bike you wish you had when you were 10

The Pugs was remarkably good on the climbs, but I had a double on mine so had some proper granny gears. Slowly spinning was the name of the game for me!

The wierd thing I found with a fat bike was going fast downhill on the road to the trails. On cornering it would fight you. Its like when you spin a wheel in your hand and try and turn it. But I didn't notice that off road as I never got upto enough speed on rough terrain.

I don't get that with a 3inch tyre.

If you have the space and money for an extra bike then you should try one.

If you don't get a plus bike and two sets of tyres. Id recommend the trek stache.

I also have a B+ with 3" tyres. It's really much like a fatbike.

Time for another photo as there aren't enough on this thread.

[img] [/img]

[url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/druidh2000/49090833077/ ]P1060211[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/22384952@N02/ ]Colin Cadden[/url] - [url= https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dariogf.flickr2BBcode ]Flickr2BBcode[/url]

(Double post)

Damascus, that sounds like the "self steering" phenomenon, which occurs if your tyre pressure is slightly too low.

Yes, the tyres have so much grip and rotational mass that cornering at speed on the road can be "interesting" if your pressures aren't right. It's like: OK, drop 0.5psi; OK, drop 0.5psi: OK, drop 0.5psi - OH SHIT!

Does depend on the tyre as well as to what pressure this occurs at. Starting point is weight in Kg divided by 10 then adjust by 0.5psi to suit.

Conversely on soft snow you can go really low - in Finland last year I was down to 2psi or less, which looked something like this:

More pics:

I get self steer quite badly if I drop below 8 psi in the front.

Disregarding the fact that the XL puffin is one of the best fitting frames I have owned I love my Puffin.

The latest iteration is probably the most radical build to date and if honest I think I will revert it back to how I originally built it with the exception of tyres as the Bud/Edna combo is bob on for where I ride.

Current build:

Original build in 2014

Yes they are sensitive to tyre pressure but this can be overcome and does depend on the terrain - I run 9 front 10 rear on roughly a 100kg rider.

No where near as extreme as some of the above I have ridden it in the snow 😉

And have on occasion raced it 🙂