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29+... 
Got mine primarily to ride the local coastline, marshes,beaches and dunes but soon found it great on the single track. I have been using it to take the dog along the riverbank as it is slower than the crosser and at a pace that suits him. I never thought it but the other bikes haven't got a look in since last August.
1 x is a waste of time on a fat bike as you run out of legs long before you run out of traction. I was out today up the Campsie Fells and it was a hoot riding over terrain and finding grip where my narrower wheeled bikes would really struggle.
Speak for yourself, i can spin up my fatty in the dirt :-p
Having said that I've just bought a 30t chainring in the on one sale.
Sanny - Member1 x is a waste of time on a fat bike as you run out of legs long before you run out of traction.
Maybe for you...
Rocketdog, you should try Maxxis Mammoth tyres if you haven't already.
Nope, as ace as it is, it's ace in a different way to my other bikes, which are also ace.
Have a skinny steel framed SS running 29+ / b+, that's my go-to bike [i]most[/i] of the time, but for next weeks trip to Bike Park Wales it's the FS with them old fashioned 2.3 tyres that's making the long journey south.
Each has a place.
Rode the slop on my 1.8 mud tyres today.
Half of each pedal turn must be wasted on trying to find traction.
It is the muddiest it's been all winter at the moment so the contrast is even more pronounced.
crispyrice - Member
Rocketdog, you should try Maxxis Mammoth tyres if you haven't already.
Had one on the rear in the summer & kenda jugganauts, nice in the dry
cakefacesmallblock - Member
Great fun, honestly , although I'm not certain I can explain why, unless it's a throwback to my first rigid MTB in 1986.
I think you may be close with that. I reckon if I took the favourite 'feelings' from the mtb I had in '86, then a bit of the one from '90 and a small piece from my '93 one then added decent braking, better spread of gears and massive amounts of grip then that would be why my fatbike makes me smile so much.
Still in testing mode on mine. Just went full fat last week from a 29+ rear / Fat front set up. It's obviously more heavy (just over 33lbs) but with a KS Lev dropper, rohloff & brooks saddle I'm not too bothered by that. As everyone states, the traction is just huge and thus far I think the additional grip counters the extra weight. I've not been lost for grip yet and it's getting chucked into every bit of mud we have...and we have loads here in sunny Glasgow!
I'm still playing with pressures but at 6psi front and back with Surly Buds 26x4.8 it feels good...maybe still a bit bouncy so more fettling to do.
At this point it feels a tab slower than with the 29+ rear in terms of just rolling along...but surly buds probably aren't the quickest rolling tyres around. I'm confident I could shed at least 10%+ with a carbon post, lighter saddle & lighter faster rolling tyres so getting it under the magic 30lbs wouldn't be too hard.
I did a 42K spin today over the newly laid John Muir way trails and it felt really nice.
As for the OP's query, I very much doubt I'll be going back to anything skinnier than 29+
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[url= https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1514/25121832641_875bc771b6_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1514/25121832641_875bc771b6_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/EgVXBx ]Untitled[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/70653371@N05/ ]Rosscopeco[/url], on Flickr
@ rosscopeco
Interesting what you say about pressures. I've really enjoyed the whole process of experimenting with that (far more than setting up the FS I had).
Finally settled on my ideal set up and today proved it. SO worth persisting with.
Since I built this a couple of weekends ago after having the other fatbike commandeered by Mrs Rickmeister, the Mojo SL and Tranny havent had much of a look in ..
New build
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Not quite so new build
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I rode mine pretty much exclusively for six weeks at the start of winter. Took the FS back to Afan over Xmas and took me a while to readjust. Not ridden it for a month and went back to it today. Put a big smile on my face but in the Malverns, I'd rather have something else. In the Forest whizzing through the singletrack, not so sure
[url= https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1552/24587021164_3f58e07564_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1552/24587021164_3f58e07564_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/DsEUN1 ]Malverns Skive Ride :)[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexleigh/ ]Alex Leigh[/url], on Flickr
Big rocks and lumps in the Malverns today and sets of steps definitely not my favourite things. But - and I guess this is the thing - I wouldn't ride a rigid bike anywhere but the fatty never fails to put a smile on my face.
North wind
Is that a climbing challenge being laid down? I'll take you up on that for a modest wager. 😉
Sanny
Ps Rosscopecco
I was out there too today. Out from Glasgow, up onto the John Muir Way then across to Duncolm and down to Old Kilpatrick. Where did you go on the Way?
Am I right in saying that it's the ultimate in ability compensation then?
I can tell you're now tempted.
Sanny - MemberIs that a climbing challenge being laid down? I'll take you up on that for a modest wager.
Nope, quite the opposite 😆 I find 1x10 pretty much ideal, but maybe if I was doing exactly the same riding as you I wouldn't. Point being, just because it doesn't suit you, doesn't mean it's useless.
Well.
In the interest of Science, I've just just taken the wife's Swift round the same loop I did on the Puffin on Sunday. 12.3 miles, 1,400ft climbing.
Both medium Singulars (but shorter stem on the Swift). Both SS. Swift is 32:18, Puffin is 32:19. (learning point - wife will be getting an easier gear!) Don't know exactly how these compare, and I'm not going to go out now and measure the wheels. Swift definitely felt harder on the climbs/faster on the flat.
Both rides, I was pushing for fast segment times, I certainly wasn't backing off tonight, if anything the other way: I was sure it would be quicker, and bumping a couple of riding buddies down some leaderboards would have been good!
Didn't happen, though. The only PRs I posted were connecting sections where I'd stopped for photos on Sunday, and segments I'd ridden for the first time on Sunday. And a couple of sections that are push-ups on a SS that, for some reason, I felt like running tonight (the Swift's definitely lighter!)
There wasn't much in it though, lots of top 2s and 3s.
Other points of interest: Sunday was day, tonight was night. Fewer walkers, more wildlife, one climb got slightly interrupted by a Stripey Scuffler scuffling out in front of me. I realised I'd forgotten my helmet a mile up the first hill, don't know if that bothered me on the downs. Probably not.
I sold my sworks stumpy...about 3 weeks after getting my fattie last year......riding a skinny ,,seemed like a toy after going fat
Waswas - since we ride the same area, my experience is the polar opposite of yours. I find a Bud on the front will grip in just about any situation, I can throw myself at a deep muddy section and expect to pretty much keep going in a straight line, wet roots, ignore them!
It's not a choice for me as my fat front bike is my only bike 😀