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Fat Bikes (Read 6736 times)

SA Chris

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Fat Bikes
July 08, 2014, 01:29:05 pm
Anyone had a go? Fun novelty or something worth getting?

Obi-Wan is lost...

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#1 Re: Fat Bikes
July 08, 2014, 01:56:50 pm
Dunno but this wad completed the coast to coast in a day, about an hour after we finished. Amazing. Lovely bike too.
http://www.howfast.org/wayne-elliott/
http://www.traversbikes.com/news/150-miles-coast-to-coast-in-one-day-on-a-fat-race-for-charity

Watched a vid of Ed Oxley riding his in snow (Link on the PlanetX site) Think if you do a lot of riding in snow might be worth a look. Quite niche though, not sure it's a direct replacement for a full sus or hardtail.



SA Chris

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#2 Re: Fat Bikes
July 08, 2014, 02:32:29 pm
Yeah, I can see the niche, they seem quite popular for using on beaches too, I saw one or two on the coast around East Lothian, where they seem to be hired out for that purpose. http://www.lawcycles.co.uk/category/news/ and I think our Irish bouldering guru had a shot on one recently.

Not much of the coastline round here where they would be practical though. Might be more practical in heavy Cotswold mud than conventional bike tyres.

Can't help but think you look a bit like Big Ears riding them though.

Dave Flanagan

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#3 Re: Fat Bikes
July 08, 2014, 04:02:47 pm
Indeed Chris I have one on loan at the moment. I'm not really a mountain biker but have been out on it a half dozen times and it's brilliant. I have a Kona Wo. Going to do a long cycle along the coast here tomorrow.

The main problem is that everyone wants to talk to you about it. A very drunk man outside a pub kept kept slapping me on the back and says jesus fair play, fair play. He then asked me had I consider the Tour de France, I told him I had.

bigtuboflard

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#4 Re: Fat Bikes
July 08, 2014, 04:27:33 pm
Indeed Chris I have one on loan at the moment. I'm not really a mountain biker but have been out on it a half dozen times and it's brilliant. I have a Kona Wo. Going to do a long cycle along the coast here tomorrow.

The main problem is that everyone wants to talk to you about it. A very drunk man outside a pub kept kept slapping me on the back and says jesus fair play, fair play. He then asked me had I consider the Tour de France, I told him I had.
Brilliant, I love conversations like that  :)

I have been tempted for a while by a full on fat bike but struggled to justify it as a) don't live by a beach and b) don't ride on snow very often. Saw a bloke taking his shopping home from Waitrose on Cemetery Road yesterday though so they must be pretty versatile.

Instead I have opted for a slight compromise version of a fat bike in a 29+ (on an earlier thread here http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,23983.0.html) though I don't get it delivered until September time. hopefully it will give me most of the benefits of full on fat bike (compliance of ride with a rigid fork) without the gut wrenching drag from tyres that size.

Sasquatch

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#5 Re: Fat Bikes
July 08, 2014, 04:56:30 pm
I know the guys who design/build a bunch of these here in AK. 
http://907bikes.com/
http://fatbackbikes.com/

They're pretty fun on snowy single track, and I know alot of guys use them for getting around town.  The tires/wheel are so wide they make for e plush ride, not fast, but plush :)

Dave Flanagan

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#6 Re: Fat Bikes
July 08, 2014, 08:10:51 pm
Instead I have opted for a slight compromise version of a fat bike in a 29+ (on an earlier thread here http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,23983.0.html) though I don't get it delivered until September time. hopefully it will give me most of the benefits of full on fat bike (compliance of ride with a rigid fork) without the gut wrenching drag from tyres that size.

I think 29+ could be the future alright.

Sasquatch

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#7 Re: Fat Bikes
July 08, 2014, 08:22:58 pm
I think 29+ could be the future alright.

Why?  Honestly curious. I know the local guys here have been going crazy working on wheelset and tire size options for the fatbikes, and have gotten them insanely light and strong. You can get different tire size/wheel width options on the fatbikes, so I'm unclear on why a 29+ would be so much better.....

Dave Flanagan

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#8 Re: Fat Bikes
July 08, 2014, 08:33:26 pm
Most riders don't need the float of full fat as they aren't riding on sand and snow (if they are full fat is the way to go). So 3inch tire gives you a lot of the traction and shock absorption of a fat tire without all the drag. I feel it would be just a compromise between a normal tire and fat.

Granted this would all hold for 26+ which I understand would have a outside diameter not far off a normal 29er.

Sasquatch

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#9 Re: Fat Bikes
July 08, 2014, 08:43:50 pm
I suppose if you're going full rigid, then it makes sense to go as big as you can, so 29 plus a 3 inch tire would get you close, but at that point I would imagine the wheel drag has got to be so close to the fatty as to make it a moot point.  Besides which the tread will make a bigger difference than anything else at that point...

Oh well, to each their own.  If they can make it ride well, then good on them, and anyone who likes the fit/ride should get one. 

Dave Flanagan

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#10 Re: Fat Bikes
July 08, 2014, 09:03:46 pm
I would assume that rolling resistance would be proportional to the width of the tire?

Dave Flanagan

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Sasquatch

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#12 Re: Fat Bikes
July 08, 2014, 10:10:50 pm
I think most people riding fatties and complaining about the rolling resistance are actually more impacted by the rotational impact of having a heavier rim rather than the tire rolling resistance.  The heavier rim really impacts acceleration and deceleration, which is non stop in mtn riding.  The newer rims being put out are incredibly lightweight though, so it more comes down to $$.  I've got a friend who's fully built fatty weighs sub 18lbs, but he works at a bike shop and gets everything basically free.  (every employee gets a free bike every year-the owner wants to make sure his staff are always riding the best )

Dave Flanagan

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#13 Re: Fat Bikes
July 08, 2014, 11:33:40 pm
18lb fatbike. Hate to think how much that would cost.

Fultonius

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#14 Re: Fat Bikes
March 03, 2015, 10:34:05 am
   :P

bigtuboflard

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#15 Re: Fat Bikes
November 04, 2015, 09:19:56 pm
Took delivery of my "Fat-Lite" project bike which has been over a year in the planning and waiting. It's finally arrived and built though. And its great  ;D



So much so that I am considering selling my Specialised Enduro as I can't see it being ridden any time soon...

 

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