Fat Bikes / Fatbikes

Not if you're careful.

If the bike is dry when you take it out, and its -35C out, there isnt much moisture around to freeze into the cables.

Either will work fine. Especially With a low temp oil. The reason the Alasken crew run cable discs, is that fixing a fault in an hydraulic brake can be near impossible on the go. And at -35C you dont want to get stranded for long faffing around in the middle of the Alasken outback.

Good point. I based my guess on reports of cable discs on CX bikes freezing up and an interview with Mike Curiak and riding the Iditarod trail where he briefly discussed his use of hydraulics.

If the bike is dry when you take it out, and its -35C out, there isnt much moisture around to freeze into the cables.

Until hot brakes melt the snow that's built up on them. I suppose it's unlikely, and that crossers in -10C are more likely to get their brakes hot enough to melt the snow than fatbikers trundling across the ice caps.

:0)
I was trying to avoid spamming!

http://www.statebicycle.com/collections/off-road-division-bikes-fat-bike/products/deluxe-fat-bike-megalith-asphalt-white

This thing.
Looks pretty decent. It's cheap but a nice starting point, easily converted to 1x9/10... Maybe change the brakes for some shimano hydraulics...

Any opinions on this?

I'm guessing they are a Budget item to keep costs Down. But the tyres look great.

As far as I can tell. It looks like the Components are solid, if a bit Heavy. But at that price, solid is all you could hope for.

Its never happened to me. I've probably ridden through -20C half a dosen times. So cant say for sure. You get into the habit of moving stuff a lot though. Changing gear back and forth, pumping brakes a bit etc.

Also staying clear of salted roads is a must below -15C. I nearly snapped a leg after road slush refroze, Welding my feet to my pedals. Luckily the base of my shoe snapped instead.

More of an issue than brake freeze is snow build up on your cassette turning it into a knobbly cone of ice. This happened on a South downs way ride some years back and resulted in a pissing on the bike moment. Which worked but was never lived down.

My best one was heading out for a -10C ride on uncleared road, on the old CX bike, reaching down for my water bottle, and realising I'd made somewhat of a prep error.

Would you believe I have a chemistry masters......

........Distilled vodka is what you need at -10C

hello,

so.....i need some advice.

I do two things on my road bike - commute to and from work each day. 12.5 miles there, 12.5 miles back.

i also go for weekend rides, usually up the towpath or 'out in the (sort-of) sticks'.

I want to do more of the second and have the potential to go further afield - no pun intended.

Anyway, my road bike, as you can imagine, only really does one the commute thing well. And i have been considering getting a fat bike. Definitely been eyeing up the Surly Krampus. What i'd like to know from you veterans is - will this be a good commuting bike? I'm a little concerned that 3" wide tyres would slow me down like crazy on the roads. Am i right?
I know this will be great for weekend adventures but it has to be good on a daily basis too.

thanks

You probably need @jb to answer he has a 29er+ that he uses for promuting.

I'm a little concerned that 3" wide tyres would slow me down like crazy on the roads. Am i right?

FWIW, I did the 2012 Boxing day 10 on my Azonic (26×2.3 Conti Gravity tyres, >15kg bike mass, 68" SS) in 33m40s, and the 2013 edition on my Look 585 (700×28C Vittoria Rubino Pro Tech, <7kg bike mass, variable gears up to 105") in 30m58s.

If you get a Krampus, I'd suggest getting some spare wheels (e.g. Shimano WH-MT15-29) with some 700×32/35 commuting tyres, because they will be faster on the road and the investment will pay for itself by not wearing out the treads of your expensive 29+ tyres with 125 miles a week of tarmac abrasion.

sounds fairly reasonable.
thanks for your advice...come the new year i think i'll invest. I'd love to try one first but they seem to be hard to track down in London.

Putting those wheel and tyres combo basically make it no difference to a typical hybrid that's not as heavy.

The option is a great ideas only if you do actually swap wheels that regularly for some MTB fun.

Putting those wheel and tyres combo basically make it no difference to a typical hybrid

That was kind of my point - for a couple of hundred quid extra, you get a 29+ semi-fatty which will work on all terrain, and a hybrid which is ideal for the specified commute. If you're really going to be anal about it, you should probably swap the brake pads too, so that each set is bedded to its respective disc, but that only turns a 2-minute wheel swap into a 5-minute wheels-and-pads swap.

http://vimeo.com/111230911

can't believe i did not know about this

Sandman HOGGAR Ti

http://www.sandmanbikes.be/sandman-hoggar-ti/

Any thoughts on this:

http://www.unitycycleworks.co.uk/products/genesis-caribou-2015-fat-bike-hunter-orange

I can't stretch to a surly etc, so thinking about the genesis or on one fatty

http://www.bikerumor.com/2014/11/18/pbe14-santana-goes-really-really-big-with-cirque-fat-bike-tandem/

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Looks good. To be honest the on one fatty is meant to be a great trail bike and now comes with hydraulics.

Drill out the rims and put in lighter inner tubes and you have a good little winter mtb.

Cheers will take a look

Can you get them in the poo kay? How much are they?