Fat tyres

I recently put 28s on my fixed rather than the 23s that I used to run (and still run on my geared bike), and have found the result not to be unpleasant given the potholes and bumps in central London.

So I've been playing around with the idea of building up a bike with big fat tyres for general pootling, non-training, messing about type riding, in the belief that that would make for a nice comfortable ride that I could bounce on and off kerbs without too many worries.

But I've never ridden a bike with fat slicks on, and don't know anyone with one. So my question is: what's it like? Any fans? Or naysayers? Does the handling suffer particularly? (Not overly worried about the speed, given it's intended to be a more chilled bike, but would be curious about what the rolling resistance difference is like too).

Ta in advance.

i just did exactly to the same to mine earlier tonight on one of my bikes, white wall 28's from 23's ive yet to ride it though.

Rolling resistance is actually lower on bigger tyres. The thing with fat tyres is they are heavy and wind resistance. They are great fun and mine are grippy as hell.

This is my bike I am using for bouncing off curbs. The plan is to use it for mbting. Although I am also thinking of sticking some 700cc wheel in there so a pair of wheel for road and a pair for off road.

I should add that currently they are 26" x 2.2" and the outside diameter ends up the same as a 700 x 23.

depends on the bike and type of riding innit.

on something designed to take fat tyres, going up to 28 or even 32 will be a blast for sub 10 mile journeys and pissing about without noticing any drawbacks.

however, on a light racer you'll either have clearance problems and/or get shit handling. the rolling weight increase won't help on long rides when you want to run 120psi. 25-28c is a good compromise.

as you say, for pissing about it'll be ideal. as long as the rim is desigend to take the tyre size, and the frame clears it you're good to go, although unless you use schwalbe marathons don't expect the fat tyres to be immune to punctures, more surface area in contact with the road = more chance to pick up glass and shit.

it may handle a little slower and the increased diameter will bump up you gear inches (and BB height) ever so slightly

Tommy - that's one image I had in my mind. Looks like a nice ride! Is the frame a pompino?

@rpm - yeah, if I was doing it on my current bike I'd just look into whether 32mms would fit on my rims, but given I only have the one fixed and I train on it, 28mm seems to be the best compromise for the time being.

@ everyone else - cheers for the input.

Frame's going to be the hardest bit I think - Surlys and Pompinos are so well built that they don't seem to get resold very much (at least, not for the kind of money I want to spend on a messing-about bike). And old path racers are either collectors' items or rustbuckets... Hmm.

This is the other image I had in mind...

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2005/may/ScottCropper.htm

Digging up a really old thread...

I find 32c tyres too rough for my commute in north/east London and much prefer my trekking bikes' 35c tyres. Does anyone know of a single speed bike model that has enough clearance for 35c tyres and mudguards? Does it make more sense to convert a MTB or tourer?

Surly steamroller, surly say clearance up to 38mm tyres - but 32mm with mudguards.

Surly have started selling a single speed version of the Crosscheck. Ample clearance for those tyres + mudguards.

sorry made my reply without reading original thread, see steamroller already mentioned

All City Nature Boy is up to 35c with fenders.

Was just looking at some of the Fat Frank's today and wondering what they are like for muddy MTB? I've got a Surly 1x1and really want a Pugsley but can't find the cash at present. Anyone got any opinions ?
thanks in advance

I'm currently running a steamroller with a bent fork and 35c tyres. I want to replace the fork with something a bit more fitting than the lugged steamroller fork and keep my fat tires. Any thoughts on something nice looking that would accomodate comfortable tyres?