Have folks realised fat bikes are shit yet ?

To put some perspective on how ‘slow’ my fatbike is, I co-incidentally set-out the same time as another guy from Winchester to attempt a Southdowns Double last summer. He was going for the XC-racer bare-minimum approach whereas I was certainly carrying more kit and riding to a different schedule – our paths re-crossed just over 11 hours later at Eastbourne and he had gained about 30 minutes after 100miles and 10,000ft of climbing – so a 4.5% advantage. This year I’m about 5-10% faster and will try another double in a few weeks. I expect the rider has as much influence in the equation as the bike – if I want to be really quick over the ground, I’d ride my 17lb CX bike

Good debate certainly seems they work for some folks ..(Anything will if you tell yourself it does)

I’m still convinced it was an April fools type stunt that gained traction and they thought let’s see what we can get away with 😥

Progress ? **** Off !!! Sure the money men are rolling around laughing at the gullible 😳

Not sure if reading difficulties or trolling.

Those that claim it’s marketing arseholes forcing weirdo bikes down their throats – have a look at fatbike history over the past five or six years.
In the UK, EVERYTHING sold out before it was even available, Surly and the other handful of early companies producing bikes and tyres, rims, etc were endlessly hassled by riders wanting fatbike bits.

The big guns were obviously looking on with interest and all of a sudden everyone had a fatbike in the lineup.

And then fatbikes were suddenly very noticeable and people complain it’s being forced on them by evil marketing arseholes.

Yes, they are a bit shit for A) Elite level XC racing B) Downhill racing on DH specific tracks.
For everything else, fat roolz.

I finally got round to cycling to work and back for the first time this year, on my JJ 4.0 snakeskin equipped Wazoo today at ~25/28PSI. 🙂

Given my current fitness levels are positively awful, I was shocked to get there in ~22 minutes and home in ~25 minutes, very comparable to my other bikes. 😯

Now admittedly, my journey times can be influenced a lot by traffic lights (I swear Southampton is now worse than Liverpool for number of lights) and potentially a railway crossing delay on the way home, but even so I thought I would be noticeably slower.

These JJs fly compared to the Mission Commands, 38/20 gear is far more doable without my legs and knees giving me grief.

Racing, then – can someone organic use a fatbike race? Using a variety of crappy surfaces rather than just on a beach?

Um. I’m organic. I’d say I’d “enter” a fatbike race rather than “use” one.

Fatbike classes mean fatbikes are competitive. Not sure if they’re organic.

There’s a class at mayhem this year and Run & Ride have fat bike classes too in nearly all of their events.

Now, more importantly is it flats or spd’s on a fattie?

*organise

A course unrideable on a normal bike.

I love how bikes with a tyre slightly wider than normal hard tails are now shit. An “Enduro” racing lad told me it was stupid the other day. Pointed out that its basically a hardtail MTB with bigger tyres. But it seems Fatty’s are the anti-Christ of the Gnar boi’s…..Oh well I will just live with it being shit. Out of all of my bikes my fat bike is the one thats most capable across all disciplines. Jack of all trades master of none, which suits me. Its definitely not my fastest bike, its just a different type of fun. I find most people that dont get it have never tried one. Most have orders in for a YT capra.. 😉

In fact I paid for my new Smokestone frame today. First person to officially “Buy” One

Te internet trolls will be hating it!

They all look a bit shit though.

l of early companies producing bikes and tyres, rims, etc were endlessly hassled by riders wanting fatbike bits

When Pugsleys couldn’t be had for love or money, I made one or two fat frames – I thought they were a daft idea too until I tried one. I haven’t ridden them enough to know if they’re faster or slower, but what really struck me after the first ride was their imperturbability – they’re just not fussed what you point them at, they’ll happily trundle over things that’d make a conventional MTB skittish.

I must admit that I don’t get fat bikes (or even plus sized). I can’t quite work out what all the fuss is about. I can’t quantify what makes them better.

But then I’ve never tried one. And fun is pretty difficult to quantify! So if people enjoy them, then go for it. I’ll be watching with a puzzled look on my face trying work out why.

Neb – Member
I must admit that I don’t get fat bikes (or even plus sized). I can’t quite work out what all the fuss is about. I can’t quantify what makes them better.

Easy, when there isn’t a trail, you need a proper mountainbike.

Injecting drugs, Opera, Morris dancing, Pegging & Fat Bikes

Sometimes it’s better to go through life without knowing how awesome something “may” have been

Injecting drugs, Opera, Morris dancing, Pegging & Fat Bikes

Sometimes it’s better to go through life without knowing how awesome something “may” have been

😆

puzzled look on my face trying work out why

Try one and that puzzle will be solved.

Great pics epicycle !! Fantastic that you’ve found a bike that suits you and your riding. But honestly what are you, in the 1% of mtb’ers ?
Fat bikes are a niche bike they won’t suit everyone, and my guess is that they’ve plateauad already. Yes I’ve ridden one and they’re not for me. Why because they are exactly what they say on the tin FAT !!

I’ve posted this before (and apologies to Gartner – again)

I suspect the majority of fatbike owners are still at stage 2. Some (already witnessed on this thread) are at stage 3. Many have move on to stage 5 – where a balance of expectation and ability has been reached and a fatbike is just one option from the quiver.

Is stage 2 also the one where they go on and on and on and on and on and on about them? Waffling endlessly about hub types and bottom bracket widths etc etc. Ride what you’ve got and have fun but don’t be an insufferable bore about it.

My Fat Bike timeline…
Curious…
See second hand Fatty for £500…
Think I’ll buy it and can flog it for £400 if I don’t like it…..
Like it but will only use it as my winter shit bike……
Dry ,summer trails and still riding it.

Is stage 2 also the one where they go on and on and on and on and on and on about them?

Don’t forget the fun factor. Ordinary mtbs aren’t fun but the simple addition of comedy soft tyres they become fun. Driving down the motorway with four soft tyres type of fun or playing football with a punctured ball. Paddling a half inflated dingy wearing a brightly coloured bow-tie – FUN!

Ordinary mtbs aren’t fun

You are doing it wrong then

Thats the thing right there.. I’m with the OP actually…

Just choose your item, add a reason for not owning it and there is the justification you are looking for to underpin the expanded generalisation for writing off the whole genre.

So in my book, all:
Road bikes
Enduro chariots
tricycles
etc are indeed, shit

stevenmenmuir – Member
Is stage 2 also the one where they go on and on and on and on and on and on about them? Waffling endlessly about hub types and bottom bracket widths etc etc.

Pretty much 🙂 I’d offer some justification in that the fatbike “standards” have been so fluid that many current owners have had good reason to consider options. Folk on here complain about a new tyre width every few years. Fatbike rear axle sizes have had 5/6 options in that time!

ZZZZZZZZZZZ, sorry did you say something?

Are we at peak fat?

Just choose your item, add a reason for not owning it and there is the justification you are looking for to underpin the expanded generalisation for writing off the whole genre.

So in my book, all:
Road bikes

I have a road bike. I can confirm your suspicions.

I personally couldn’t give a flying what people think about fatbikes, all I know is I haven’t rode my Other sh*t bikes since I got mine, and its well capable of Anything that I am! the miles seem to fly by and the fun level is cranked up to 10 when im out on it 😀 see you all at the Sam Houghton and (GET OUTTA MY WAAAAAAAAY) Lol

Grippy as hell. Avoiding wheelspin means you can pace technical climbs better, whereas on 2.*” you’d peak into the red to keep moving when you lose traction and be in recovery in between.

On looser surfaces, the threshold of grip feels more predictable, so you can hold a fast 2-wheel-drift if you have the nerve. Foot out, dab of oppo, etc.

Downhill, the larger tyre absorbs angled rocks and roots pretty well so doesn’t twitch around as much as a conventional wheel, so you can more often take the line you want, so long as you have the mass and strength to steer against the larger contact patch and larger gyro effect. First thing I upgraded on my fatbike and will upgrade on my GF’s fatbike is brakes, because they descend a lot faster than you think.

In general I think they’re better suited to physiques closer to “track sprinter” rather than “mountain goat”. A fatbike asks more of you and if you’re too weedy you will feel assaulted.

There is a lot of variation in fatbike design that tends to be ignored. Earlier bikes tend to be “retro XC”/bikepacker, whereas fatbikes like the On-One Fatty with slacker headangles and shorter chainstays pander to adrenaline junkies. My GF says her Genesis Caribou (older orange model, steel, bosses everywhere) is quite hard work now that we’re out of mud-plugging season, whilst she says “[my On-One Fatty] just seems to want to go“.

Be a boring world if everyone liked the same things.

I love my fatty for various reasons, but I also love my bouncer, hardtail and road bike for differing reasons. All have positives and negatives and non are shite.

I love my fatty for various reasons, but I also love my bouncer, hardtail and road bike for differing reasons.

So what you “need” is a full-sus carbon fatbike with proper lockout and a second set of “Fat-Not-Fat”-style wheels 😉

Sounds like you’re not at S-1 yet, so N+1 is cheaper and easier.

I was taking my fatbike off the roof of the car the other day and there were a bunch of runners milling around getting ready for their run. One of them asked me what was the point of the big tyres. I must admit, I was somewhat thrown by the question. All I could come up with was “fun I guess”. I did point out that I was about to ride around in a big circle for the hell of it so there wasn’t really a point to any of it. In fact “fun, I guess” would pretty much be the my only defence whatever bike I happened to be riding.

Skip to the end. I think they’re brilliant.

I was taking my fatbike off the roof of the car the other day and there were a bunch of runners milling around getting ready for their run. One of them asked me what was the point of the big tyres. I must admit, I was somewhat thrown by the question. All I could come up with was “fun I guess”. I did point out that I was about to ride around in a big circle for the hell of it so there wasn’t really a point to any of it. In fact “fun, I guess” would pretty much be the my only defence whatever bike I happened to be riding.

Ask them what the point of going for a bike ride without a bike is?

Like fat bikes, running is probably slower, and probably climbs better, it’s just not ‘fun’ though!

Ask them what the point of going for a bike ride without a bike is?

Like fat bikes, running is probably slower, and probably climbs better, it’s just not ‘fun’ though!

Actually, they weren’t even “going for a run”. It was apparently a “speed session”, which was going to involve running up and down a short section of hill at the start of the trail over and over again, not even getting to see the view. And they thought I was mad 🙂

Someone mentioned hardtails.

After years of trying them I have come to the conclusion that they don’t have the immediacy of a good rigid bike or the cush of a full suss, while picking up most of the bad habits of both.

I have now purged the garage of all hardtails. Except my son’s.

Can I therefore suggest all hardtails are rubbish.

I’ll be back to state that road, bmx, cross, full suss, rigid and balance bikes are rubbish when I can be bothered.

In fact all bikes are rubbish. Save yourself the hassle and just send the cash you were about to drop on one direct to me. It’ll save you frustration and disappointment in the long run.

Do you accept Paypal gift?

Depends where you live. Don’t think it’d work for me and my local routes any better/more fun than a decent normal tyre but doesn’t make them shit, merely inappropriate.