Fat Bikes / Fatbikes

Snowing like a blanket outside.

:)

You lucky bastard.

I bought this a few weeks ago, Salsa Mukluk 3.

Weight is bit over 15 kg's at the moment with lighter inner tubes, carbon seatpost etc. The bike is really easy to ride off road, even compared to a 29er. It's definitely not the fastest bike, but faster than I expected. I haven't had a chance to ride it on snow yet but riding on tractor tracks, paths and a swamp has been a blast.

The On-One would cost me around £600 via cycle to work.

Could I justify that for cycling to work on the three days of the year when it snows?

Cyclescheme;

Does the bike have to be used for commuting?

Employees should use the bike mainly for commuting to and, if relevant, between work places (at least 50% of the bike’s use should be for work purposes). However, the bike can also be used for non-work purposes and there is no need for employers to monitor individual usage or for employees to keep a mileage log. Please note that employees cannot claim business mileage allowance with a bike that is being hired to them by their employer.

layman's term; no one is telling you that you have to commute on a fat bike.

I however, would encourage you to do so just to hear the feedback you get from fellow commuters.

You must commute on your fatbike in full rapha!

Actually James probably does this.....

This is getting silly now..... I'm really feeling the need for some fat in my life. I could sell my titanium airborne, converted to 700c, gravel bike style, and get something chunky......

I have always been happy to buy bikes untested as I know what I will be getting but fat bikes are a different story. I have always wanted one but they are the opposite of what I go for usually. Even when I have had MTBs they up being weight weenie things with narrow fast tyres and I also prefer single speed which I am guessing would be stupidity on a fat bike.
So why do I want one?

narrow fast tyres

Oooh:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Surly-Pugsley-Bike-Snowblind-White-/121227571880?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item1c39b9f2a8

I also prefer single speed which I am guessing would be stupidity on a fat bike.

Fail to see why ss on a fat bike is any different to ss on a regular mtb or a road bike.

Go fixed with some nice mary-style swept back bars.

Surely gears are more useful when -

Your bike is relatively heavy
You are carrying a lot of stuff
Your journey is relatively hilly
The terrain is relatively challenging (snow, mud, rocks)

If you are going to use a fat bike for a flat commute on - say - a canal path then SS is probably fine, but then you are using a fat bike in circumstances where the strengths of the bike are not really being used.

Obviously gears would make it easier to do all those things you mention but I'm sure people ride non-weight weenie ss mountainbikes laden up, over hilly and challenging terrain too though and simply gear them suitably. Infact I know they do, because I do. My 1x1 is geared for off road so when I commute it's a slow commute (compared to say riding my Pompino which has a much bigger gear on it).

Seemed like you were saying ss and fat were mutually exclusive and I don't see why that should be so.

As I said, I was guessing it may not be good to have a single speed fat bike. Just looks like it could turn into even more of a slog than single speed can be over varying terrain and hills.
I'm over it now any way - think I was just missing riding off road. So have just squeezed some old Marathon + 25c tyres onto my brakeless fixed which is satisfying my needs - gravel track bikes.

Fairy nuff. Sorry for the confusion.

I suppose it's down to whether you see hills as obstacles when riding without gears.

I guess I gear low enough that I don't and I'm happy to spin out on flats and freewheel on downhills. Maybe it's because of the 7 bikes I own the only one with gears is a 3 speed coaster brake dutch style thing so I don't have the option to 'take a geared bike' if it's going to be a hilly ride.

As an aside, I have noticed I find cruising along on my 1x1 a lot easier than on my similarly geared polo bike. Maybe because when I ride the 1x1 I tend not to be in a rush to get anywhere whereas on the polo bike I want to get to polo.

Anyway, less chat, more fat bikes…

I'm loving fat + cantis right now

A lot of folk use fatbikes for messy weather, and nasty terrain. So go SS to keep it mechanically solid.

Not for me really. My SS 29er is as light as possible so I can use as high a gear as possible. I have 31 : 11-36 on the fatbike. Been using 31:28 loads since the snow came. Had several foot over the last few days. Heading out tommorrow for a proper snow ride if I'm not too hungover.

I had a play on the charge cooker maxi today at my LBS.....it's a fecking hoot!
I now just have to work out how to get the cash together......and shift some treasure so I can accommodate the fatness!

Once I've finished my current bike, the next in the queue is a 29er fat bike with Alfine Di2 hub gearing based on a Surly Krampus frame :

It will have silver components, a brown brooks and unicycle rims. #trufact

Krampus is a 29+er, not a fat bike. #pedant. Sounds rad. Other than the brooks.

Krampus is a 29+er, not a fat bike.

My thread, my rules. 3" and up is Fat.

Surly Krampus frame...silver components...unicycle rims

Exactly what I have in mind. Merge my Pompetamine and MTB into one bike

Cool. Get it built. Maybe looking at pics of yours will be enough to scratch the itch and I won't have to spend another £2k on another bike I don't need.

My 9zero7 has 11spd alfine, great for messy weather.

My 9zero7 has 11spd alfine, great for messy weather.

Pics.

My thread, my rules. 3" and up is Fat.

great, I can post my dad and his "fat bike"