Anyone into fat bikes?

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

I'm assuming unlikely, but it seems to be getting bigger.
This is one I demo'd last year. Bought one for myself this summer. Pretty fun stuff.

52377
(Yes, 'tis the dude in the flesh!) [Beer]

[hurley842002]

The one's I've seen are a bit out of my price range, but I'm certainly interested in the idea. Maybe when the used market becomes larger.

[Irving]

How would you say the extra tire weight changes the handling of the bike? I've seen them in snow towns, but never rode one. They look like a lot of fun!

[lex137]

Seen people riding them in Alaska on a trail. Looks like it would be a lot of fun.

[Zundfolge]

Oh you said bikes ... with a "b" ... got a little dyslexic there for a sec and came in to see all the freaks.

nevermind

[panic]

[HoneyBadger]

Oh you said bikes ... with a "b" ... got a little dyslexic there for a sec and came in to see all the freaks.


You WOULD be into that sort of thing... [Poke]



[Coffee]

[KestrelBike]

nice! Dunno if I could survive w/o a balaclava though

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

How would you say the extra tire weight changes the handling of the bike? I've seen them in snow towns, but never rode one. They look like a lot of fun!

I'm actually a pretty poor mountain biker. As a few of you know, I'm a much bigger roadie. So, with that caveat, I can't say there is a ton I notice about tire weight, and it is lighter than it looks. Not light, but lighter than I expected. You don't notice the weight rolling, though. Being 6'5", what I do notice from mtb (since I ride a 29er) is that tight switchbacks that I have to really concentrate on and sometimes don't clear are a cinch on this thing (in summer). In that sense, it is slightly more nimble.

On ice, it is what you'd expect: Be very, very careful.
On snow like today, I washed out a few times on the trail in off-camber sections.
In my mind, anything you'd want to cross country ski on is where this really shines. The snow I like best is that perfect snowball snow. Not ice, not "dry" powder like today.

[Doc45]

I know the Forest Service is using this type of bicycle-they love them on the trails.

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

nice! Dunno if I could survive w/o a balaclava though

Definitely have had to dial in dress. [Coffee] I did pony up for special boots compatible with crank brothers pedals. Assume that in the cost.
Beyond that, I'm wearing mostly ski pants, ski gloves, and a lot of wicking layers. :)


The one's I've seen are a bit out of my price range, but I'm certainly interested in the idea. Maybe when the used market becomes larger.

Honestly, I thought this was going to be the dumbest purchase and I tried so hard not to buy one, and finally cracked mid-summer, of all times. [Dunno] It is so much fun.

GBS has some great demos: http://goldenbikeshop.com/demofleet/ And they're getting more, including the bucksaw which should be the silliest of all (and which I think I'm going to demo one day).

The one regret I have is I got a smoking deal on a Mukluk3 which I wanted because of the mechanical disks, not being a fan of hydraulic.
However, the Muk3 has non-drilled rims, and I didn't do my homework to realize the drilled rims are > $200 / each. (Yikes!)
Needless to say, I'm sticking with non-drilled. (edit: Pic above is a 2 which I demo'd last year. You can see the drilled rims. Mine is a black3)

Another option: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/fat-bikes.htm
*I've never seen one of these in the wild, though. PLENTY of reviews on mtbr, etc.

[Badger]

Anyone into fat bikes?

Sorry, thought you meant something more like this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v20/badgerkustoms/th_steamroller_zps99b0734a.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/badgerkustoms/media/steamroller_zps99b0734a.jpg.html)


Carry on.



Badger

[ray1970]

I'm not into anything I have to pedal. If I want something with dirt bike tires it's probably going to have a dirt bike engine on it as well.

[SSChameleon]

A few of my riding buddies are into them. One of them picked up an extra $400 one from Walmart so he could have friends ride with him. Unfortunately, at $400 the bike has coaster brakes and everything about it kind of sucks, so he has dropped another $150 into it just to get it snow worthy.

i spent all summer talking about how that bikes are a fad and won't stick. But today I look out at the snow and wish I had one, so I guess I was wrong.

[roberth]

I've ridden them, they're ok but not worth the money to me because I'd use it only in the snow and snow doesn't stick around here for too long.

I think a regular mountain bike is much more practical and cost effective.

+1 on Golden Bike Shop, I've been going there since it opened.

[nogaroheli]

I've ridden them a bit and really like them. They inspire that bashing/ roll over stuff like a tank riding style in me like switching from a rigid to a suspension fork then to a full suspension did (at least on dry dirt). Conservation of momentum does seem to be more critical with fat bikes.

My friend hand builds amazing steel tubed, hand brazed frames and specializes in fat bikes- thinairframeworks.com. If I didn't have this gun addiction I'd have one of his already.

[Mtn.man]

OK thought this was about Rosie O'...


Never Mind.

[davsel]

I think they are awesome, and every ass who rides their bicycle on public roadways should trade their cycle in for one - and stay on the trails.
[dig]

[gnihcraes]

Yep, fat cat...

52393

[The Norseman]

In a former life I used to weld custom steel (and Titanium) bike frames. I built a fat bike fork and all back in 2008 or so. I liked it as an adventure bike and snow riding was always fun. I just sold it recently...maybe I'll have to make a new one someday soon.

Norseman

[hurley842002]

In a former life I used to weld custom steel (and Titanium) bike frames. I built a fat bike fork and all back in 2008 or so. I liked it as an adventure bike and snow riding was always fun. I just sold it recently...maybe I'll have to make a new one someday soon.

Norseman
That's bad a$$

[Ah Pook]

Seen a few Surlys but not into them.

Is Fat-Bike an off shoot of Independent Fabrication? The name sounds familiar.

Anyone ever heard of Catamount bikes? I have #400 that was in the '97 BIKE magazine. Still the best balanced bike I have ever been on.

[Guylee]

They're popular in the beach towns because they're easy to ride in sand. I never thought of trying it in snow!

[nogaroheli]

In a former life I used to weld custom steel (and Titanium) bike frames. I built a fat bike fork and all back in 2008 or so. I liked it as an adventure bike and snow riding was always fun. I just sold it recently...maybe I'll have to make a new one someday soon.

Norseman

That's gorgeous! Well done! I'd love to hear about the other frames you built.

[Musashi]

They are fun to ride but squirrelly as hell with those balloon tires. Very popular in Minnesota for some reason as a buddy has one that I have ridden. Get yourself a gravel bike [emoji16]

[The Norseman]

Ah Pook,

You're thinking of Fat City Cycles. Yo Eddy! Was one of their best frames/bikes. They then morphed into IF if I'm not mistaken.

On the subject of fat bikes, a friend of mine is organizing a fat bike festival of sorts in Silverton sometime in January. If anyone is interested I can post info under a separate topic when he irons out the plans.

nogaroheli, here's one I did with a Spectrum Powderworks (outta COS) paint job....

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

I've ridden them a bit and really like them. They inspire that bashing/ roll over stuff like a tank riding style in me like switching from a rigid to a suspension fork then to a full suspension did (at least on dry dirt). Conservation of momentum does seem to be more critical with fat bikes.

My friend hand builds amazing steel tubed, hand brazed frames and specializes in fat bikes- thinairframeworks.com. If I didn't have this gun addiction I'd have one of his already.

This is really great work! I'm quite impressed.


In a former life I used to weld custom steel (and Titanium) bike frames. I built a fat bike fork and all back in 2008 or so. I liked it as an adventure bike and snow riding was always fun. I just sold it recently...maybe I'll have to make a new one someday soon.

Norseman

Wow. Yet again. :)


They're popular in the beach towns because they're easy to ride in sand. I never thought of trying it in snow!

I worry about too much grit in the BB. I don't know why, it isn't that expensive to replace.


That's gorgeous! Well done! I'd love to hear about the other frames you built.

x2.

[Ah Pook]

Ah Pook,

You're thinking of Fat City Cycles. Yo Eddy! Was one of their best frames/bikes. They then morphed into IF if I'm not mistaken.

On the subject of fat bikes, a friend of mine is organizing a fat bike festival of sorts in Silverton sometime in January. If anyone is interested I can post info under a separate topic when he irons out the plans.

nogaroheli, here's one I did with a Spectrum Powderworks (outta COS) paint job....
Yep, I was thinking of Fat City Cycles. I thought the morph. went the other way.

Nice ride(s).

[The Norseman]

"Yep, I was thinking of Fat City Cycles. I thought the morph. went the other way.

Nice ride(s)."

I have a couple of friends here in Durango that used to work for Merlin and Fat City way back in the day....interesting bike history if you're into that kind of stuff..

Here's my fat bike before powdercoat on a desert canyon adventure in the Dolores River Canyon

[nogaroheli]

nogaroheli, here's one I did with a Spectrum Powderworks (outta COS) paint job....

Again, that's amazing and beautiful. Well done! I built (more assembled) a 575 for my wife and Spectrum did the custom powder coat on it. They do great work. You can tell they had a great canvas on that one of yours.


I have a couple of friends here in Durango that used to work for Merlin and Fat City way back in the day....interesting bike history if you're into that kind of stuff..


Super interested! As a kid I always lusted over those high end bikes (Merlin, Yeti, Fat City) I could only read about while growing up. My friend and I were just planning a build for a Durango built FTW frame he bought.

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

Here's my fat bike before powdercoat on a desert canyon adventure in the Dolores River Canyon

I dig it.

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

Looks like a couple of events on 12/6 (@ Buff Creek) and 12/7 (@ Golden Bike Shop).
Anyone going?