Bike porn

i'd suggest that few of you ride your bikes through winter like you claim you do, and it's certainly not in the wilderness on a snowy packed down single track at night with a wolf in the back howling at the full moon while you take your ridiculous bike to the next lean-to.

any old bike does http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4_eOaikLMA
in the winter.

I live here. We get about 120 inches of snow a year and it stays aroun -15 degrees. i ride my shitty IRO year round with coaster brakes and a basket.

those bikes are intended for morons.

They are of very limited use but people will invent hypothetical non real world situations to justify having one because they look cool.

so it goes.

mind bottling! whatever that means.

^That^ looks like a road. It hardly counts that you get 120 inches of snow, if its cleared daily.

Right there's loads of this sort of thing near me. Preped cross country skiing routes. They are'nt preped with a steam roller. If you step off your skiis you sink 10cm or something. Notice the guy is already sinking with 3.8's. This would be bloody hard work on a MTB. Believe me.

Making more sense.

it makes no sense. zero. zilch. none. they're stupid novelties that you buy if you're a complete tool.

i can see them being useful for someone say, working on a farm, or if you really live in some ridiculously snowy place where all you have to cycle on is packed down snow.

other than that though, you're a complete tool for thinking of one.

Making more sense.

You make a good point though. The window of usefulness for a fatbike is far smaller than the bike lust would allow you to see.

But I have a 29er despite being 5'7", I ride a SS off-roader, and fixed road bike, despite living in a fecking mountainous country. I cant argue that I'm not a moron. But I can argue that I'd have a fecking blast on a fatbike over winter, and that a standard 29er doesnt cut it outside of maintained roads, during said nordic winter.

But whatever. I want one because it comes in bright orange, and I dont have an orange bike yet. Suck my balls.

;)

it makes no sense. zero. zilch. none. they're stupid novelties that you buy if you're a complete tool.

i can see them being ***useful ***for someone say, working on a farm, or if you really live in some ridiculously snowy place where all you have to cycle on is packed down snow.

other than that though, you're a complete tool for thinking of one.

Why does it need to be useful?

I have a useful bike. Its fully scobled and everything.

well if it's not useful, it's better be fun. If you're the kind of guy that buys MSR stoves and doesn't use them, i suppose you'd find these clown bikes fun too.

Nice ninja edit.

he's got a light on his helmet no? that picture looks epic :)

Nice ninja edit.

edit? what edit?

There is a reason snow bikes have progressed from regular mountain bikes with snowcat rims and regular tyres.
There is a BIG difference between say 2.55" regular tyres on regular narrow rims and full size fatbike tyres on 1OOmm rims. It may seem a small difference when you only look at the measurement, but in practice, the volume and ability to have proper height to the tyre when mounted on 7O-1OOmm rims just isn't possible with regular tyres.

These bikes have evolved to be what they are now from over a decade of riding and racing in extreme conditions.
Try racing in the Iditabike, or leadville 1OO for example and coming anywhere near the front on just 'any old bike'.

They are very specialist machines, but they allow people to ride on trails and in places that just can't be ridden on with regular bikes no matter how fat you think the tyres are.

The video above just shows Jersey's lack of knowledge on the subject. packed down snow on top of concrete roads is not what these bikes were designed for.

I suppose snow shoes are for morons too and just any old trainers will do?

Instead of just doing the usual LFGSS thing of dismissing anything that you don't have any real knowledge of, do yourselves a favour and learn some of the history, and read some of the facts about why these bikes exist. Watch some videos and read some articles about the amazing achievements of the people who have been instrumental in the progression of these highly specialist machines.

Stating that you live in an area with heavy snow fall and that you ride a fixed IRO year round just shows how little understanding you actually have of these bikes and why they exist.

For anybody who is ACTUALLY interested in why these bikes exist and where they have taken people...do some research, learn a little, and have the sense to look at things which are outside your usual scope of interest with an open mind.

Listen to people who know what they are talking about and have used these bikes to journey to amazing places like Mike Curiak,,,not people who think a fixed iro with a basket on the front will do the job just as well.

Apologies for the wall of words, but sometimes "Those bikes are intended for morons" doesn't really go very far towards explaining the reasons behind fatbikes.

http://vimeo.com/18298250

http://vimeo.com/18575749

http://vimeo.com/19022689

http://vimeo.com/25943565

edit? what edit?

The one referenced here by christianSpaceman.

he's got a light on his helmet no? that picture looks epic :)

Is it winter yet? I cannot wait/

Honestly, besides the last video in the small segments they are on the sand, they still walk the fucking bikes. Or use kayaks. I didn't watch all 60 minutes though.

The reason why skis make the advantage of wideness is because of the side cut. They can still carve outside of deep powder. Also the surface area and stiffness makes them tougher. I am not convinced on the purpose of those bikes. There are successful, exciting methods of trekking the Yukon, and the videos above show that those bikes are not one of them. I could add sweet melissa to a video of my commute to school and convince anyone that what I'm doing is majestic.

Also, outside of getting to the pacific northwest, i fail to find the reason for them.

well if it's not useful, it's better be fun. If you're the kind of guy that buys MSR stoves and doesn't use them, i suppose you'd find these clown bikes fun too.

Stop being a knob, those fat bikes look awesome, I'd love to live in a snowy area just to have a practical reason for getting one! Hell I'd even ride that to work If I had the chance, imagine how much fun you'd have bumping over kerbs / small children / potholes on one of them!

Interesting. What pray tell are the non-morons running for these conditions?

Not taking sides here, but why on earth would anyone want/decide to go out to the woods in the middle of the night during/after heavy snow?

...maybe he forgot to get rizla.

fuck a knife, unless you're gonna ride through the arctic at some point do we need to have such an in depth conversation about the monster-truck of the cycling world? haha

What was the name of the really old school Idita biker - I remember an MBUK article on him in the 90's.

Rode a Ritchey frame I think, big beard, trained by running up and down skyscrapers. 'Intense' would probably describe him.

i am on the fence. they look a load of fun but i'd like to have go on someone else's first...

riding after or during heavy snow is the best

Honestly, besides the last video in the small segments they are on the sand, they still walk the fucking bikes. Or use kayaks. I didn't watch all 60 minutes though.

The reason why skis make the advantage of wideness is because of the side cut. They can still carve outside of deep powder. Also the surface area and stiffness makes them tougher. I am not convinced on the purpose of those bikes. There are successful, exciting methods of trekking the Yukon, and the videos above show that those bikes are not one of them. I could add sweet melissa to a video of my commute to school and convince anyone that what I'm doing is majestic.

Also, outside of getting to the pacific northwest, i fail to find the reason for them.

These people aren't Captain Scott..they're not looking for the best, or most practical way to cover these areas...they're bike riders. They're looking for ways to challenge themselves, and for new experiences ON A BIKE. How can you say that the guys in the videos didn't succeed in their challenge, or find excitement from the trip? I've spoken to Eric Parsons a few times and he comes back from these rides so charged from the experience with a great sense of achievement...THAT is why they do it.

People go out into these places, or ride at night because they want to challenge themselves, and take a step outside their comfort zones now and then.

I know a lot of people on here fail to be inspired by some of the video's I post sometimes, or the posts i make about people that are attempting things by bike that have never been tried before, and yet love to watch a few guys in checked shirts skidding down a hill, which I find a real shame...but don't just dismiss what they do as moronic or having no point or place in the world of cycling, simply because you yourself have no interest in it.

riding after or during heavy snow is the best

Best for what?... Honestly not getting this.

Not taking sides here, but why on earth would anyone want/decide to go out to the woods in the middle of the night during/after heavy snow?

Why would anyone decide to go riding through muddy singletracky woods, or down a steep hill, or round an oval track? All largely pointless activities.

edit: Scott's reply is better