Can Fat Bike be a 'do it all' bike?

My eternal itch for a fat bike just won’t go away, especially after sitting on an On-One Fatty today at the London Bike show.

Obviously some of my mates think I’m mad, but I’m not so sure. There must be a few people here riding them pretty regularly, how do you find them when riding with others on more ‘conventional’ bikes? Do you struggle to keep up? Do they climb yet muddy roots stuff better?

I’m planning on riding my Fatty everywhere I can this year, as far as riding it with people on more pedestrian bikes goes it all comes down to fitness. I’m currently riding with people who’re a bit out of shape and on Harold or fs and I’ve had no issues holding my own.

They climb muddy routes and any other terrain better than anything you’ve ridden.

Lots of owners will tell you that they now have redundant bikes as the fatbike gets taken everywhere.

Is it the right thing for you though – who knows!

Any bike can be a do-it-all bike : )

And in the 80s every mountain bike was a do-it-all. If you like riding it, all the stuff about keeping up in this terrain or doing that as well as my mate’s bike is less important. Fitness varies in groups anyway, I tend to ride a rigid ss with people on gears and sus and it all works out. No one spits in my tea at the end of the ride, that I know of )

Get a Fatty. You’ll love it! 😀

Was chatting to someone on one at Parkwood Springs today, seemed to be enjoying it, was faster than me (not hard), wasn’t any mud or snow and he didnt die
First fat bike I’ve seen ‘in real life’ looked like fun

yes mine has been an every day bike since feb 2013 wiht the nukeproof obly being rode three times since having it .

yes they can do all terrains just some better than others .

Tarmac not keen on
all other surfaces they are great
i will soon be getting another bike.
yep a Puffin fatbike to go with the OO Fatty
The Mega will be history
Buts thats me. you will certainly be different so maybe scam a few rides on one before committing

I reckon this could do 90% of what a fat bike does (in this country) and 90% of what a ‘normal’ bike does as well (well I hope so).

It’s my do it all bike these days.
There’s a Tallboy LTc languishing in the shed, which is a bit troubling. I should really just bite the bullet and sell it.
I can’t see any downsides to it having ridden one for a year and a half, except a few pounds in weight.

I’d happily ride a Krampus everywhere.

That Singular is going to be ace.

I do hope so 8)

Definition of a Do It all bike – one thats good enough for everything you do – that is the optimist way of looking at it, the other way is it’s never quite right for what ever your doing.

I have a Blur LTc which is my do most bike, I also have a Commencal Supreme DH to build up in the garage and looking at 100mm 29r FS for some out and out XC stuff.

The other factor is how broad you call all… I’m looking at a range from multi day XC to DH and everything in between.

the fatty is my only mtb now, get a set of the on one fat not fat 29er wheels as well and it is as close to a do it all bike as you’ll get. one bike two sets of wheels is really all I need.

got a set of the on one fat not fat 29er wheels as well

+1; hear hear etc
(I haven’t actually got any fat wheels yet but the bike rides fine as a 29er)

Yes.

End of thread 😀

Mine is anyway! Wait for my for sale items coming along when I can be bothered! A scale 10 and a duster ss!
They will fund a second fat bike 😉

Ok if you live anywhere flat damp yet to see one in proper riding country!!

29+ is no good in sand I am told.

Where is “proper riding country” I do wonder 🙄 For me it would be the higlands of Scotland, where there are a few.

I am based in the midlands miles from any beach. My moonlander has been my go to bike since I got it couple years ago. Sold my orange 5 as it just was t getting any use at all.

They are superb in the forest especially during all this rain and the mud it creates

The On One fatty has made my main bike (TallBoy LT) redundant. I have always wanted to own a Santa Cruz and custom build it to my spec but since getting the fatty it’s just sat there because the Fatty pretty much is a ‘do it all bike’.

So….The fatty has to go so I start riding my SC.

Surely it depend on what constitutes doing “it all”…

Fat bikes have their place, they make most sense for bike packing/Adventure touring or whatever, anything where you spend lots of time lugging loads across Snow, Sand or Swamps, but here in the UK once the novelty of riding one through a muddy winter wears off you’ll just get pissed off riding the thing all Summer, and so would your riding mates, waiting for you to drag your Niche-core monster truck up every hill, waiting for you at the bottom, only for you to tell them how great it is on the Descents…

I’m sure you can use one all year round, but that doesn’t make it a good idea…

All IMO, YMMV, etc of Course…

So, in summary, pressing the button on wide girth’d rubber wouldn’t seem to be such a bad idea.

EDIT:

cookeaa

Fat bikes have their place, they make most sense for bike packing/Adventure touring or whatever, anything where you spend lots of time lugging loads across Snow, Sand or Swamps

Can’t see the ‘swamps’ we have at the moment going anytime that soon.

you’ll just get pissed off riding the thing all Summer, and so would your riding mates, waiting for you to drag your Niche-core monster truck up every hill, waiting for you at the bottom,

…but is that really true? Have you got / had a fat bike? Genuinely interested in your view, not having a troll!

Selling mine with lots of extras 😉

twoniner – what’s the reason for selling?

Cheesyfeet – I’m an overweight 55 year old with no skills, yet even I cam overtake riders on “normal” MTBs going both uphill and downhill at Glentress. I’d suggest that, as with any bike, it’s as much to do with the rider as it has with what wheels they are using.

Interesting. The steeper and looser the trail, the better the fat bike is for climbing in my experience. I’d always opt for it over any other bike for that kind of riding. Put simply, they are fun. I happily rode mine down the Clyde Walkway from Glasgow then rode up a snow peaked Tinto Hill before spinning back to Lanark to catch a train home with another few miles of riding at the end for good measure. It was definitely the right tool for the job. 😀

For the naysayers, why the assumption that the fat bike is going to be so much slower? Is it not the rider that makes the difference more than the bike?

Piedi

Just get one. They are fun. No point in worrying about what other people think. That’s all that really matters. 😉

Sanny

I reckon they’d be great for steep and loose trails, as above, even in the dry.

I can imagine they’d be slow on roads or fire-roads, but does that matter? My Patriot isn’t exactly quick on those either but I still ride it 🙂

Great fun like many other bikes if you want then get one and enjoy.

twoniner – what’s the reason for selling?

I was in a position last year where I was able to build up the bike I wanted to my own spec (I already had the Fatty)and since then I’ve hardly ridden it because the Fatty had always been my go-to bike. My bikes hardly get ridden as it is because I work away and when I’m home I spend time with my daughter.

I have reluctantly decided to sell the fatty because I need to ride the other rather than it sit in my shed.

I am also looking at getting a CX bike.

Common misunderstandings:

Terrain:

They are great for mud: no they aren’t you will plane on it and its actually their worst terrain IMO

They are for snow: only packed snow that is fresh stuff gets impassable soon but its still fun.

Speed:

They are slow: not they aren’t

They suck on road: no they don’t ok they are slower then a 29 with 1.75 inch semi slicks but not by very much say 10-15% uless you put massive knobbly’s on(ie nates or floaters but the the 29’er with downhill tires is a slug too.

Get your self a front suspension fork it takes the fatbike to another level on the rough stuff.

They are great for passing people downhill as you can ride many lines and the tires make a lot of noise(I have lots of people pull over thinking there is a motorbike sneaking up on they lolz)

I simply don’t have room for all the bikes I’d like to ride. Even the track bike is pushing it for space and you need one of those to ride track.

Shirley any bike can be a do it all bike just depends on whether you can handle the compromises.

For the naysayers, why the assumption that the fat bike is going to be so much slower?

hmm, of course any bike can go as fast as your gearing and legs allow but >3″ tyres at <10psi, they sound draggy as ****. Wouldn’t class myself as a naysayer, fatbike curious* but no plans at all to get one.

*it’s got 2 wheels and pedals ergo I want a go, if anyone wants to lend me a large fatbike for a few weeks I’ll give it a go 🙂

Sounds like your mind is made up.. All you’ll get on here is a broad range of differing views(good thing)

So stop fannying about and hit “Buy” 😉

D0NK – Member
Shirley any bike can be a do it all bike just depends on whether you can handle the compromises.

Yep then you end up with a heavy bike that doesn’t pedal well without enough travel to handle the big down days 🙂

No*. They can’t climb the likes of the start of the Coulags track (on the way to the bothy) anywhere near as easy as a suspension bike. My 100mm travel and 140mm travel bike’s climb this type or baby head boulder climb far better with the rebound slowed down 2-3 clicks front and rear.

The rebound of the tyres causes havoc on this type of trail once you start climbing the steeper stuff. Stuff that you can climb with a fair bit of effort on 4-6″ of travel becomes near impossible due to zero rebound control of the tyres even at rim tapping pressure.

*when a 4″ travel full suss fat bike arrives, it could easily be the best all round mountain bike to have. Just got to hope that tyre pressure sweet spots can be found to work with the travel and they could possibly nail these types of climbs. I know the tyre rebound due to its girth will still be there but we’ll just have to wait and see how the tyres coupled with suspension front and rear cope with it all. Fingers crossed.

Postierich..

Scotroutes on a Grand Day Oot in proper country.. and I dont recall waiting for the wee scrote anywhere on the route (Loch Morar btw)…

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P1160452[/url] by Andrea & Rick[/url], on Flickr[/img]

sorry should have added a 😉
Seen two in the Lakes and they are both on show in Wheelbase gathering dust 🙂

There’s a wee vid (can’t link from work PC) available from BikeVillage on FB. Mate Dan riding his Fatty in Chamonix last week on proper terrain. With added snow. My own experience on a borrowed Pugsly was superb fun and managed to stay with a fit buddy on a Cannondale Prophet. Up, down and across a steep forest on old skool singletrack descents after fire road climbs. No hesitaion in saying it is great fun and isn’t that what it’s really all about..?
If I could afford it, I’d have one tomorrow.

I have a onone fatty and must admit it is terrible to ride on the road, but I’ve been round sherwood pines this morning and set 15 personal records! It was a bit muddy but the times I’ve just beaten were set on a orange gyro in the dry! It makes no sense, but seems to work well in the mud or going dh. It climbs ok, but on dry trails for big days out I will ride the gyro. I used to have a orange five and have beaten a few dh times on the fatty in the peaks and the Yorkshire dales, strange how big fat tyres run at 15 psi can beat 140mm of suspension travel.

postierich – Member

sorry should have added a
Seen two in the Lakes and they are both on show in Wheelbase gathering dust

The other FIVE got sold ! – You’re welcome to try one around the carpark – more fun than your roadbike ! 😀