.....for great days of winter riding. 8)
Scotland, snow, beach & trails....all the reasons for big winter boots.
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The last bike to get stuck out here with the wrong tyre choice 😆
Here is to a snowy winter of great riding 8)
I like that.....A LOT 🙂
I should have my 907 in time for the Puffer* 🙂
* support only you understand - I'm not [i]that[/i] mental
Keen to see your drivetrain setup when it arrives Druidh, esp the PW BB. Planning a change over to Alfine next year myself
Question - seriously, how well does it cope with deep snow? Like a foot or more on the ground?
It's not the depth of the snow that matters, it's the consistency. Snow is far too variable to have one "rule".
Got to consider BB height & pedal position....if you try to cycle through 1ft + of soft powder your feet are going to be covered. Most trails in Alaska that have that much snow are groomed to make them ridable.
Not mine, but I would say they work well in really deep snow 😆 😯
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i wish i hadn't clicked on this
😆 +1 rocketdog!
motorman - Member
Here is to a snowy winter of great riding
x2
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nicko74 - Member
Question - seriously, how well does it cope with deep snow? Like a foot or more on the ground?
On my SS fatbike, once the snow is deep enough that my pedals are digging into the snow each revolution, it's pretty hard going. Any hill becomes a walk. Gears make a big difference in snow 🙂
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LOVING this photo.
Still not quite sure about the practicality of a fat one round here, but they sure do look great from a purely visual PoV - like Mint Sauce's cartoon bikes come to life.
slainte 8) rob
Was out for 6 hours today on mainly virgin snow. Only the tracks of deer and foxes and me.
Paradise - I want to live just there.
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Hard work on a SS when it gets deep
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Every tree is a Xmas tree
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One side of Ben Wyvis
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If there's one thing better than a fatbike, it's a Highland pony...
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I'm gonna have to get me a set of those mudguards
epicyclo could you pop in to Granny's - she's snowed in on A832 - just past Garve -
I left my BB7s there and I need them for my pug
- oh and take her some soup . Thanks 🙂
stuey - Member
epicyclo could you pop in to Granny's...
I was just outside Garve on that ride today.
Your granny needs a fatbike for Xmas... 🙂
druidh - Member
I'm gonna have to get me a set of those mudguards
I had minimal spray on me which allowed me to put in several hours on the bike. Stayed warm and dry.
When I got home there was half a pound of ice inside the cuffs of my trousers. (Wondered why my ankles were feeling cold)
I keep telling her that. (but she only goes to strafpeffer for the chocolate)
Tell us more about you 'guards please.
Nice conditions Epic, I though you might have been out yesterday too.. 😉
More snow coming down as I type & a dodgy forecast for later in the week, going to be some good riding out there if it keeps up 8)
The guards are from a trials motorbike, so they're nice and strong. There's 3 guards in there, one cut to fit the bit from the seatstay brake bridge to the chainstay bridge.
They needed some modification using a heatgun to get them to fit.
The stays are homemade using tubing from B&Q. I crimped the ends and drilled them and then curved them to fit under the guard.
An improvement would be to make the lower part of the rear guard quickly detachable. The top part is designed to hinge upwards. There were a few times today when slushy snow packed in and froze so I was unable to turn the wheel. I'll try giving the inside of them a polish with silicone car polish which may improve things.
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/34903211@N02/sets/72157626132171667/ ]Flickr - pics of making the mudguards [/url]
I think this kinna sums up the situation. Last winter I was the 2nd guy 😆
Now I can ride all year, not sit on the couch eating crisps until it thaws 😈
wonderful ,thanks for your sharing !
i want to be there !
🙂
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I want your fat bikes and I want your snow! Great stuff, what kind of weight does a geared fatty get to? They are the only bikes to make racks look good! 🙂
I'm in the South, Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
Snow please...............
Really, stop it please
motorman how are you finding the Nates?
The video motorman posted sums it up.
There does come a point where it gets too hard on a fatbike too, though.
Was out all day yesterday in this. (It's tough living in the Highlands 🙂 )
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The first picture was about my limit of being able to pedal on a singlespeed - you really need gears on a fatbike IMO (as a rabid SSer). You can see the pedals were dipping in the snow each revolution.
However fatbikes are also good for lots more riding than just snow.
if it keeps you riding I'm all for it 😀
Great pics Epic.
I'm really liking the Nates, fantastic tyres, only downside is they do seem a bit more draggy in softer conditions.
Now I have had a chance to try Nate in the snow, I am going to swap them over for Larry on the rear & BFL on front to see how they get on.
Are there any fat bike haterz? I love em but probably overkill for Hertfordshire.
Let me know how you get on.
snow is for skiing.. 😛
Have you any idea how mental that bike looks.
First its a womans bike,
Second it has single speed.
So you're riding a fat womans bike in the snow with only one gear, gone tot he trouble of fitting big tyres then losing the advantage that might bring by restricting yourself to one speed..
Not all there really are we?
Are there any fat bike haterz? I love em but probably overkill for Hertfordshire.
I think they're a daft idea unless you habitually ride in snow or sand, in which case they're entirely the right tool for the job. And it's not like anyone's forcing me to have one.
I think they're a daft idea unless you habitually ride in snow or sand
Good job I have both to ride from the door then 😉
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The snow is actually making it easier to ride through marsh/grass which is an added bonus for a short cut to the trails I ride 😀
Looks glorious up there motorman - very envious.
Great pics!
nickf - Member
I think they're a daft idea unless you habitually ride in snow or sand, in which case they're entirely the right tool for the job. And it's not like anyone's forcing me to have one.
I've got a very nice 29er as well, but the moment the surface changes from dry hardpack, the fatbike has the advantage. In Scotland that means that for 90% of my riding.
A fatbike can handle a purpose built mtb trail though it will be outclassed.
derekrides - Member
Have you any idea how mental that bike looks.
First its a womans bike,
Second it has single speed.
So you're riding a fat womans bike in the snow with only one gear, gone tot he trouble of fitting big tyres then losing the advantage that might bring by restricting yourself to one speed..
Not all there really are we?
Definitely not all there. 😆
BTW I built it up as a SS for the 'Puffer, but yeah, I could have done with gears yesterday.
I live in Brum,and love my frankenfatty.don't care whether it's 'suitable' or not (gagging for snow tho 😉 ) but it makes you smile like when you were a kid,strangely enough they were always SS's an all....
I did back to back rides at Ashton Court in Bristol, fast singletrack. The Karate Monkey was grand, my On One was quickest but the Pugsley was so much fun......I even had a child point at it and say to his Mum, "Look Mummy a clown's bike", well it makes me laugh........
A fatbike can handle a purpose built mtb trail though it will be outclassed.
But not overtaken. 😆
Colournoise your bike looks like an old speedway bike with the engine whipped out! Love it!
Brilliant bike pretty cool having something different, i tried riding my normal bike over on exmoor last year in the snow i got no where
like Mint Sauce's cartoon bikes come to life.
Aha! [i]That's[/i] why I like the look of them. Splendid...
"Snow is for sking", maybe not......
Sorry non fatbike content..
http://www.dump.com/2011/12/06/snowboard-vs-mountain-bike-video/
.
I have snow envy 🙂
Need to head to some this Saturday 🙂
On the subject of gears/SS, has anyone done a fatbike with an Alfine or Rohloff?
Epicyclo - you need these:
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I use a pair over my MT90 boots, with trousers over the top, and they're brilliant.
ir_bandito, they are just what i'm after, who stocks them?
I got them from Amazon.
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This only lacks a Brooks saddle then it would be ideal for it's sole intended purpose, ie: discussing with like minded individuals on internet forums.
pass the mind bleach
ir_bandito - Member
On the subject of gears/SS, has anyone done a fatbike with an Alfine or Rohloff?
Mine usually wears an Alfine for winter. Much as I prefer singlespeed, if I geared the bike for snow conditions, I would be spinning like a dervish on the easy stuff. SS is fine the rest of the year - same gearing as my 29er.
Papa_Lazarou - Member
This only lacks a Brooks saddle then it would be ideal for it's sole intended purpose, ie: discussing with like minded individuals on internet forums.
Spent 7 hours on it in deep snow the day that photo was taken. Fortunately there were no fashionistas out on their blinglespeeds to be offended by its or my appearance - I wonder why?
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they look funny, and unless you have a lot of snow where you live they are utterly utterly pointless.
but
You have to admire them, they are the ultimate tool for the job and if I lived somewhere to make use of one properly then who gives a flying duck if it looks a bit odd!
* those big red snow-guards are ace 🙂
Except that they're not just for snow. I can think of lots of glens where a low-impact, load-spreading tyre would enable better progress than a standard MTB tyre.amedias - Member
they look funny, and unless you have a lot of snow where you live they are utterly utterly pointless.
druidh - Member
...I can think of lots of glens where a low-impact, load-spreading tyre would enable better progress than a standard MTB tyre.
For example, just about everywhere I ride, eg
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Less impact damage on the tracks than a rambler's sandal too.
if I lived somewhere to make use of one properly
that's why I tried to cover it with 'somewhere' not just 'somewhere snowy'
but yeah, I was being a bit too specific about the snow thing.
The other thing I love about seeing all these posts about different kinds of cycling and bikes is that it helps to open up areas and technologies to people that might not have heard about them before.
Just because something is not relevant to you, right now, where you are, doesn't mean it won't be at some time later in your life!
CoastKid
if you see this can you check your yahoo mail please 😉
they look funny, and unless you have a lot of snow where you live they are utterly utterly pointless.
the point of most of the riding everyone does is to have FUN unless your a top athelte.
so to me they are the perfect bike for every situation 😆
but each to their own
epicyclo - where?? Is that Maraig mentioned on the stone?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45689323@N00/sets/72157628276695291/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45689323@N00/sets/72157626099905451/
some pics and videos here
I've barely ridden anything else since getting my Mukluk, 30 miles from the coast, 10 degrees from snow.
stevemakin, is it possible to get to the old lighthouse on Llanddwyn Island on the bike?
druidh - Member
epicyclo - where?? Is that Maraig mentioned on the stone?
Thought you'd recognise it. A perfect example of a track that is usually pretty soft and gets cut up by a normal mtb, but unaffected by fat tyres.
"Difficult riding made easy" is the way I view the whole fatbike thing.
I enjoy all kinds of riding, but for most of the places I ride, fat is the most effective & comfortable tool for the job.
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It opens up a lot more riding possibilities around the area where I live
Toons - The nate's will be staying on the bike for a while now. Too much snow/thaw/freeze/mud/snow again going on at the moment to bother changing them over.
Going to wait until there is a sustained period of consolidated snow before I fit the BFL's - Nate is a much better winter all rounder IMO.
Thanks for the update.
I've just picked up my Nate's 🙂
BTW what pressure are you running?
120tpi Nates for general trail riding on 80mm rims
Front 8psi
Rear 9psi
Sand/snow/bog or anything else soft..
Front 5psi
Rear 6psi
Just have a play around & see what feels right in the squish department for you
One bike to rule them all...
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Gary
www.pugsley-on-patrol.org.uk
Really cool pictures of the snowy trails. With a bit of luck I should be making some nice new 135mm and 170mm hubs for Christmas which will be available to buy next year. Watch this space 🙂
With a bit of luck I should be making some nice new 135mm and 170mm hubs for Christmas which will be available to buy next year
You building them from scratch or extending existing hubs?
A few more snow and fat tyre pictures for you.
[url= http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5249/5273819051_40e18918e0_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/5273819051/ ]2010_1219sundaysnow0023[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stu-b/ ]singlespeedstu[/url], on Flickr
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/5282683891/ ]2010_1222fullfathalffat0007[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stu-b/ ]singlespeedstu[/url], on Flickr
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/5283286250/ ]2010_1222fullfathalffat0015[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stu-b/ ]singlespeedstu[/url], on Flickr
That is a really nice pic with the Jones, Stu
Going by the forecast, I might be playing in the snow again at the weekend 😈
From BBC Weather... 😯
Snow showers across northeast Scotland will become more frequent and heavier during Friday, with snow drifting in the gale force northwest winds.
Inland, blizzards are expected with hazardous conditions, especially across north Aberdeenshire, north Moray and Sutherland.
Valid from 0600 to 1500 Friday
Should make for some good photos 🙂
Tried to go out tonight - but there's too many trees dropping branches. Seems to be a bit windy.
Would like to find one of those fatbike trees though. 🙂
Thinking about people arguing over bikes not being cool, cycling is cool, bikes let you cycle, ergo all bikes are cool. I reckon.
You can be daft on any kind of bike, within different limits.
This time last year 😀
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/coastkid71/5251266881/ ]014[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/coastkid71/ ]coastkid71[/url], on Flickr
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/coastkid71/5241131180/ ]004 (6)[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/coastkid71/ ]coastkid71[/url], on Flickr
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/coastkid71/5276917225/ ]68268_482689741961_566761961_6468589_7953597_n[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/coastkid71/ ]coastkid71[/url], on Flickr
And what was a typical day at work...
And a film from 2 years ago and our first proper winter that i can remember, fimed with a SD Tachyon camera,love its cini like quality and funky halo glow around the sun, i think one of the best days cycling i have ever had, it was baltic at a -16C on Lammer Law 
They will be built from scratch Stu specifically for "fatbikes" I will post some pictures as soon as they're machined. Got a fair bit of work on at the moment but it's a project that's in the pipeline and will be completed as soon as possible.
Sounds good to me.
Hadge i will be after a 135 front soon, in gold like a pro 2 hub, regular QR, if you can do it 🙂
who gave the goldtec boys that stupid idea?
stevemakin, is it possible to get to the old lighthouse on Llanddwyn Island on the bike?
yup, it sure is 😉
Mine's getting there
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfergson/6483411021/ ]FAT![/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/jamesfergson/ ]james_ferguson[/url], on Flickr
Some photo's from today's excellent ride, from a chilly corner of NE Scotland.
Loads of different conditions, frozen river, dunes, lovely forest singletrack, shingle & beach....all top riding 8)
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Do dogs feel the cold? Obviously not....
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This why I love riding bikes