This weekend was a disaster inasmuch that I rode my million-dollar FS enduro gnarcore sled for the first time since October and more or less hated every minute of it

Sure it was nice to have some suspension and be able to attack stuff but I found the huge lack of cornering grip a severe limitation compared to the fatbike. The front wheel drift on the first corner set the scene for the whole ride. also the stupid little wheels seemed to get hung up on every minor imperfection and climbs were a real chore. And this is my ‘best’ bike – the others in the shed have got no chance.

So who’s persevered and re-learned the thin tyre way or should I just sack them all off and stick with fat?

Help!

The front wheel drift on the first corner set the scene for the whole ride. also the stupid little wheels seemed to get hung up on every minor imperfection and climbs were a real chore.

This has always made me wonder how fat bike riders rode before!!!

I was thinking the same thing myself 😕

Those fat tyres are very flattering

I still have a skinny bike, I worryingly now refer to it as the other commuter.

I did notice the other week that the fat bike now looks ‘normal’ to me and the mtb looks very skinny!

I’m planning on taking my mtb out this week after 3 months of purely fat bike riding. Could be interesting!!

A couple of questions for you fatbikers:

1. Do you ride them up big mountains (i.e. sustained steep climbs of over, say, half an hour)?

2. Do you care about speed?

I’ve always thought they looked fun and have been messing about with chubby wheels on my Solaris. But even with 2.8s it seems that I’m slower than I was with “normal” wheels and whenever I look at a fatbike I always tend to think “looks fun but I’m not sure I’d want to lug it up a proper mountain”.

1. Do you ride them up big mountains (i.e. sustained steep climbs of over, say, half an hour)?

2. Do you care about speed?

1. Not often, but see no reason why I wouldn’t. It’s (as a 30lb fat bike) no slower than say a 30lb 140mm travel bike. It’ll not win many competitions unless grip or ‘roll over’ is a deciding factor, but it’s no worse than what the majority of people ride (but yes, it’s worse than for example an unfashionable <100mm travel XC bike).

2. Yes, it’s not faster everywhere, but it is sometimes, particularly anywhere smoother but where grip isn’t necessarily guaranteed. And it’s also more fun sometimes. The places it’s slower are sustained rocky descents, I imagine the lower half of Cavedale through the gate for example would be uncomfortable, but then you just need to remember it’s a rigid bike, a Bucksaw would have no issues!

1. Do you ride them up big mountains (i.e. sustained steep climbs of over, say, half an hour)?

I wouldn’t say big mountains but non-technical 500/600 m fireroady/doubletrack kind of climbs over 30 minutes yes plenty of those. Providing I can keep it going above a crawl it seems to go a lot faster than the amount of effort I’m putting in

2. Do you care about speed?

Yeah I’ve never really got the ‘fun’ aspect of fat bikes I tend not to smile or laugh while riding it’s all deadly serious. Downhill is severely compromised imho but everywhere else the fat tyres are extremely flattering it just bowls along. Whereas thin tyres are all about clever tread patterns and compounds the fat tyres grip without being draggy. Following a thin bike it’s particularly noticeable how much the thin tyres skate and smear over everything whereas fat tyres are gripping and going forwards all the time IYKWIM. The tyres (JJs) need some texture on the terrain though. On smooth slippery surfaces e.g rock slabs or soft pure mud they’re hopeless

Bought my Fat bike in August and sold my ‘enduro/trail’ bike in November with a view to buying a new one in March/April this year.

As it stands at the moment I won’t be getting another full sus and will spend the allocated cash on upgrades for the fat bike instead.

The fat bike just suits my local riding more – bridal ways, techy climbs and sub 2min DH sections. Not had any issues yet (fully rigid) – biggest test will be in April with a prebooked uplift day at Flyup417.

I haven’t ridden my “trail bike” since Xmas now, but 4″ tyre’s now look normal!

I’m looking forward to going back on the full sus, but it won’t be yet the state of my local trails its much more fun to be honing around on the fat bike.

I find it climbs well for the weight and size of the tyre’s, and lets be honest it’s only going to improve your fitness which to me isn’t a bad thing.
The wide grippy tyre’s may flatter peoples riding, but being fully rigid sure doesn’t not if your wanting push on.

@ RP. I don’t really have big mountains etc. Just short sharp and at times,technical climbs. The fat bike is fine for that. Yes it is heavy compared to my HT but then in other areas the extra traction* has meant cleaning sections either easier or completely.

In terms of speed the fat bike is slower but I was looking for something that made me slow down and take in the view a little more. I get plenty of head down and pedal from the road bike.
Now I mainly use my HT if riding with my ‘usual suspects’ as they ride similar bikes (mix of 29ers and 26ers).

* once I’d dialled the tyre pressures then this really became evident.

rocketman – Member
… The front wheel drift on the first corner set the scene for the whole ride.

this *could* be down to geometry*, more than tyre width…

(*slack head angle, long front-centre, etc.)

1. Yes. Fb’s can be built from 10kg upwards…. its not such a big deal climbing.. like anything else, just spin along. Tarmac is worst but I try to avoid it.

For big mountain Fatbike riding, track down Maurizio Deflorian on facebook.

2. Sometimes, I’m just happy to be out and enjoying the day, mostly. Speed, well its a state that is quicker than slow… its all relative.

who’s sacked off thin bikes

Absolutely not – they will come out to play when the trails dry out or when I go off to visit a big rocky mountain in the lakes or Wales.

however…
I recently built up an Inbred-Fat-front-Alfine-26er for a ridiculously small sum of money using second hand bits. I have enjoyed winter so much more than normal this year. For the last 3 months (and probably for the next 2) this has been the only bike Iv wanted to ride on the local trails. Its just so much more capable than I thought it was going to be – even on rough, techy descents Id say its faster than a 100mm hard tail – and weirdly just as quick going back up again!?

But on steep, loamy, twisty, off camber trails like the ones we dig on the hills it really comes into its own – in fact its the fastest bike I have at this time of year. Also the ability to just throw it into the garage after occasionally showing it a hose pipe has made the prospect of going out in the first place so much easier to bare.

I love my fat bike
…and did I mention it was fun 😉

I bought a Puffin s/h (I wasn’t convinced enough to buy new) a couple of months ago, and since then, I’ve ridden the commuter and other people’s bikes when they’ve wanted a go. Partly because it’s fun, partly because it’s rigid SS and there’s less to grind in the sandy mud. Partly because it’s new, and I’m enjoying learning how to ride it.

bridle ways, techy climbs and sub 2min DH sections

Same here. An example climb is 10mins, 1.1 miles, 385 feet. Last couple of rides were 15.5 miles and 2,000 ft, and 12.5m and 1,434ft. Short sharp ups and downs.

Been setting PRs/ top 10s on the ups, close to them on the downs, but I spin out at 25mph on the 32/19 gear. segments have between 250 and 600 riders

caveat – I’m still getting to know these trails, and I’ve been out on my own more recently and able to set my own pace. I might also be getting fitter. On the other hand, pre-fatbike, last proper “how fast can I go?” thrash was on the wife’s Swift (also SS, and 5lbs lighter) in the dry last summer around the same trails.

So it’s obviously not be the fastest, or it would be the choice of top XC racers and it clearly isn’t*. But it’s definitely not slow, and there are some big advantages on steep, techy climbs where you’re fighting for grip and momentum. and loose, cobbly descents – there are a few of those round me.

Don’t feel like it would be my choice for a really long ride, SDW, say, but I’m going to be doing more miles on it and see what happens. These choices are all muddied by the fact that I’m fitter than people I ride with.

* obvious opening to the question: “So it’s only faster if you’re slow to start with?” Not sure where the cutoff is though – faster than some would think!

this *could* be down to geometry*, more than tyre width..

Agreed I think the tyres in themselves have a lot to do with it but the bike itself – because of the tyres – contributes something, just not sure what 😐

Thanks folks. Sorry for the slight thread hijack, but here’s the thing: I was out yesterday exploring some new route ideas on my chubby Solaris.

But it didn’t really work. More importantly I realised that these routes wont work unless the trails really dry out, which may never happen and that’s a shame as it was a lovely place to be.

The east of Scotland has lots of roundish mountains that are, in theory, quite accessible by bike. They are also covered in a maze of paths (landrover tracks, stalkers paths, farm tracks, logging tracks etc) all of which we are free to ride. The problem is that they are also covered in peat bogs and rough heather. Paths may be rocky for a while, but then go through a boggy or deeply rutted section (or disappear altogether).

I’m intrigued by the supposed “go anywhere” nature of fatbikes. Also, when it comes to going downhill I’m more interested in security than speed. I like to ride on my own (enjoy the solitude) and am aware that a crash could be quite serious. But I don’t like walking stuff either so the bigger the margin for error the better really.

The problem is that all that would be ruined if I just ended up having to push it up the hills.

As others have said, there’s no need for a fatbike to be incredibly heavy. As usual, it can cost a bit to get it very light, but most are rigid so you’ve already lost the weight of suspension forks and linkages.

The traction can have you clearing climbs you’d previously not managed.

The floatation can skip over stuff a thinner tyre will bog down in.

The big wheel and additional rotating mass can let you create your own lines through heather etc.

As with any other wheel/tyre size you will also have some negatives and tyre selection is no less important.

Pop through to Aviemore and borrow my 9zero7 for the day(if you are a medium) or hire a Caribou from Bothy. Either way it’s worth trying it out.

FWIW, I’ve just built a B+ bike that will likely get more use when the snow has gone, plus a couple of other MTBs. I don’t think a fatbike does everything better but it can do most things ok.

But I don’t like walking stuff either so the bigger the margin for error the better really.

security at moderate speeds down scrabbly hills = loads.

The problem is that all that would be ruined if I just ended up having to push it up the hills.

Gear it right and you’ll be able to climb stuff you couldn’t on a “normal” bike.

Not had any issues yet (fully rigid) – biggest test will be in April with a prebooked uplift day at Flyup417

Are they uplifting with regular trailers like at fod? Best check capacity for fat tyres.

rocketman – Member
This weekend was a disaster inasmuch that I rode my million-dollar FS enduro gnarcore sled for the first time since October and more or less hated every minute of it

Sure it was nice to have some suspension and be able to attack stuff but I found the huge lack of cornering grip a severe limitation compared to the fatbike. The front wheel drift on the first corner set the scene for the whole ride. also the stupid little wheels seemed to get hung up on every minor imperfection and climbs were a real chore. And this is my ‘best’ bike – the others in the shed have got no chance.

So who’s persevered and re-learned the thin tyre way or should I just sack them all off and stick with fat?

Help!

“I can’t ride a normal bike any more, I need my fat-tyred skill compensator to get me around corners” 🙂

The problem is that all that would be ruined if I just ended up having to push it up the hills.

If you try and ride any bike round any sort of actual loop, it’ll be less than ideal at some point. A DH bike up hill, a CX bike on a DH track, a 160mm enduro bike on the road etc.

A lot of comments about fat bikes are leveled from some imaginary standpoint that the alternative bike isn’t as heavy, has just as much grip, climbs like a road bike and descends like a DH bike. When the reality is the alternative (and the fat bike) is just different. If you buy any bike thinking it’ll be a panacea for something you’ll be disappointed.

After 18 months of exclusive fat biking over natural, trail centre,road, snow & beach I’m probably going to moth ball it in spring & ride my 29gnar HT through the “drier” months.
I found I was getting the same amount of exercise but over a shorter distance (before being knackered) & this year I want to do lots more miles in different places & I think the fatty would limit my range as its heavier.
I still love it though

I had the normalbike out for the first time in a while at the weekend. It’s still ace, and still miles better at most of what I rode. And most importantly, different enough that I rode some of the same trails last week on the fatbike and they felt completely different.

But, at no point did I ever ride anything on the fatbike that I wouldn’t on the #enduro bike. But I did ride a bunch of stuff on the big bike that I wouldn’t ride on the fatbike.

If I could only have one, it’d be the normal bike- not even a decision to make there.

also the stupid little wheels seemed to get hung up on every minor imperfection and climbs were a real chore.

Out of interest what size wheels does it have? I found the above to be the case when comparing my 29er to 26″

I’m intrigued by the supposed “go anywhere” nature of fatbikes

Not entirely sure about this you may be disappointed. As above I don’t think a fat bike is a panacea it just does the same things as any other MTB but in a different way.

For me if I have grip I think I can ride pretty much anything. A nervous front end that has its own ideas where to go has me in pieces. The other thing is that the fat tyres are not as communicative as thin tyres. Sometimes that’s not so good but *most* of the time I’m personally not interested in the details of the terrain – as long as the bike is going forwards & where I point it, I’m happy

Out of interest what size wheels does it have?

26″ wheels with 4.8″ tyres i.e. a rolling diameter of about 30″

lolling at honourablegeorge

He’s right though 🙂

For me, it’s always a choice of the fat-tyred skill compensator, the half-fat skill-compensator, the hardtail skill-compensator or the full-sus skill compensator 😆

One pointed I missed earlier is I don’t like my fat bike on man made trail center stuff. It’s slow and with it being rigid I get shaken to bits I’d much rather go nuts on the full sus. BUT I don’t ride much hard packed trail centre stuff anymore anyway 🙂

scotroutes – Member

hire a Caribou from Bothy

Interesting. I’m very fat curious and in Aviemore the weekend after next. Might try it out depending on snow conditions.

Thanks again folks. Just to be clear and to get back a bit closer to the original question, I’m not thinking of sacking-off thin tyres or of a fatbike to be a panacea. My Smuggler (short travel, slack 29er trail bike) is going nowhere and would still be the bike of choice for technical stuff.

I guess I’m just a bit unsure about having the chubby Solaris as a second bike. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great XC/trail bike but it doesn’t really do anything that I couldn’t do on the Smuggler. I guess I’m just wondering whether a full-fat bike (instead of the chubby) would open up some (boggy, indistinct) trails that are current unridable on either of my bikes.

You could probably make a fat bike specific enough to work in that kind of terrain. The Mericans on mtbr are riding in some pretty wild places for the challenge rather than skill compensation so it can be done.

That’s exactly the reason many of us went fat in the first place. It’s the UK. For most of us a bike dedicated to snow and/or sand would see little use.

RP do you have anywhere local you can hire one?

It made all the difference for me. I had been fat curious for years but bought into they are ‘just for snow or sand’ thing, perhaps to justify not buying one!

Ended up hiring one for a weekend when the curiosity just got too much.

It made a difference taking it out 3 days in a row and trying my local trails plus the road sections and the like to see if I could live with it.

My one concern was hiring it and being left with indecision. I wanted to feel a clear ‘this is/is not for me.’

I’ve not ridden anything else for 3 months and the novelty has far from worn off.

@rocketdog – what 29er do you have?

roverpig » I guess I’m just wondering whether a full-fat bike (instead of the chubby) would open up some (boggy, indistinct) trails that are current unridable on either of my bikes.
That’s exactly the reason many of us went fat in the first place. It’s the UK. For most of us a bike dedicated to snow and/or sand would see little use.

+1 Only reason I bought it, makes the boggy mud baths rideable and fun!

I give up on the Fat Bike during the really claggy months round here.

Either those tyres and clay based soil is a recipe for a 50lb bike you can’t pedal or you just skate across the surface of the mud on every corner.

@rocketdog – what 29er do you have?

’16 BigWig

Can i ask how people have found fat bikes on the knees/joints in the mud/winter, compared to their ‘old’ bikes?
I find slogging through 8″ of gloop on rides in the chilterns causes a lot more aches and pains than in the dry, which is to be expected…just wondering if anyone has noticed a difference since going fat?

my back aches more from lifting it over gates and fences