Do I want a...

[Escape Goat]

Unsure how much use it would get, but I may have a fat itch...

Do I get one new with money off, potentially being able to sell at the same price or second hand on one fatty 26er...

I wouldn't use it locally as it would draw way too much attention to me.

Thoughts on a post card.

[Piemonster]

What size?

I believe Scotroutes has one for sale?

[ScotRoutes]

I wouldn't use it locally as it would draw way too much attention to me.

Thoughts on a post card.

Eh?

[ScotRoutes]

I'd normally suggest that there's no point in buying new if you're only like to sell it again, but the Calibre Dune is such a ridiculous bargain....

And just as with other tyre and wheel sizes, fat bikes are not all equal in handling so you can't ride one and make a sensible judgement on how all fat bikes feel.

No point in buying one if it constrains where you can ride though. They're supposed to open up riding choices, not limit them.

[Bearbonesnorm]

My views on fat bikes differ to those of others ... however, believing that you really should put your money where your mouth is, I built one. 'Twas an On-One Fatty which came in at around 28lb.

It looked nice and I so wanted to love it but generally couldn't. Don't get me wrong, there were times and situations when it was superb but those times were outweighed by others ... when it really wasn't. Someone said, "now you can go and ride all this wet boggy trails you usually avoid" which sounded good but then I thought, do I really want to have to search out crap trails in order to warrant owning it? My answer was no.

Contrary to opinion, I'm not a hater and in the right enviroment they are the very best tool for the job - perhaps even the only tool.

I went on my fat bike voyage at a time when people were talking about them as being a great 'All Rounder', 'The only bike you need', etc, etc. Something which I simply didn't find to be true. I'd add 'Depends' as an additional third answer to the poll

[Solo]

Can you hire one? I did and it made me buy one. I love mine but as a complement to my bike collection rather than a 1 bike to do all.

The bike I am struggling with more is my gravel bike. It literally ticks every box except the one that tugs on my heart strings! But that is another story/for another thread.

[fatbikephil]

It depends on where you have to ride:-
If you have beaches, indistinct trails through heather moors, boggy areas that would swallow normal tyres and of course snow, then you'll enjoy reaching the parts other bikes can't reach.

If you haven't any or many of the above then once the novelty of the big tyres has worn off, you may well stop seeing the point.

Couple of things to bear in mind. If you run Schwalbe jumbo jims the rolling resistance or wheel weight isn't much of an issue. Cost of tyres is - £60-£90 each.... Even if you don't have easy access to the places noted above, you may well find yourself looking at maps around the country and going "Hmmm....."

As Solo says, try and borrow or hire one and ride it somewhere appropriate. This will likely make you want to buy one however!

[redefined_cycles]

I wouldn't use it locally as it would draw way too much attention to me.

Thoughts on a post card.

Eh?

Colin... He's from Liverpool

What he means about 'drawing attention' is that he'd likely get jacked*

I once parked my car quite far away from the hospital (Liverpool Heart and Chest**) I used to manage to get shifts at. Easier and cheaper street parking. But the walk to the night shift was a pretty shady affair and I too felt like my whatever (maybe the big beard or maybe trousers above ankles) was drawing some attention

Anyway. Back on topic...

*hijacked and bike confiscated by thise that feel they need it more

**its the only hospital I've picked up shifts at where the poster for 'dont smoke out here etc etc' is almost as big as the hospital with pics of (actor) patients explaining why. Right under the poster/posters there's a ward worth of patients and visitors have plenty a smoke and its literally just outside the main entrance....

[redefined_cycles]

Allan. I went with a semiFat with 2.8 and 3.0. On normal mtbing its a bit slithery in places and I ended up going for the sweet spot (2 6 apparently) which feels nice and more planted on normal trails (not snow and beach.

On that basis and drawing from all the comments above including Stus... I'm gonna say... no, you dont. Dont get it. Save the money and be happy at having 1k or more to spend elsewhere...

[ScotRoutes]

I wouldn't use it locally as it would draw way too much attention to me.

Thoughts on a post card.

Eh?

Colin... He's from Liverpool

A ha!

Fatbikes are ten-a-penny up here. No one really comments anymore. You really need some brightly-coloured pogies if you're the attention whore type these days.

[composite]

I have a similar view to Stu. I have ridden a Fat bike twice and neither time really enjoyed it that much. It just felt like a bad bike to me. Of course, it might have been that they were bad bikes, but given other peoples views, I suspect they just weren't for me.

I tend to think that if you couldn't ride without one because of your location and weather (sand/snow) then the compromises are justified... are they even compromises at that point? I mean Gairy always seems to be having a great time on his fatty every winter in Chamonix! However, if it just for the craic as an all-rounder then personally I'm out.

[ScotRoutes]

Allan. I went with a semiFat with 2.8 and 3.0. On normal mtbing its a bit slithery in places and I ended up going for the sweet spot (2 6 apparently) which feels nice and more planted on normal trails (not snow and beach.

2.8 and 3.0 is nothing like 4.0 and up. You're right though, tyre choice is important. My 3" Nobby Nics handle really well in slop. The tyres I had before were dodgy (to say the least), though much lighter.

[Lazarus]

as above their is certain terrain where it is the perfect choice otherwise its fairly compromised.
So if you live by a beach,a bog, or the frozen tundra i say get one.
If you dont I say dont bother.

[summittoppler]

Hmm, what will I say on this subject?
And I'm pretty certain you know the answer...

Tbh, Do you 'want' one or 'need' one?*


*That's what I say to the kids when they ask for stuff....

[Escape Goat]

I'd normally suggest that there's no point in buying new

Luckily I can obtain a decent enough discount to not loose out on it too much. I usually look at any small amount of money lost as a "hire cost".

No point in buying one if it constrains where you can ride though. They're supposed to open up riding choices, not limit them.

Yeah, it is somewhat tough how I would feel whilst out and about. I would love to have one just to commute on and turn the normal road miles into something more fun!

Can you hire one? I did and it made me buy one. I love mine but as a complement to my bike collection rather than a 1 bike to do all.

I could always try certain brands for a demo model...once.

It depends on where you have to ride:-
If you have beaches, indistinct trails through heather moors, boggy areas that would swallow normal tyres and of course snow, then you'll enjoy reaching the parts other bikes can't reach.

If you haven't any or many of the above then once the novelty of the big tyres has worn off, you may well stop seeing the point.

I would have to pop it in the motor and drive it somewhere - I love the winter route John Climber done for us as a one day route, I can only imagine it would be less bumpy on a fatty...I did do it on my Wednesday that was 29" before that was sold to fund other bike problems !

Allan. I went with a semiFat with 2.8 and 3.0. ...

I've been 3 inch x 29 and it was nice, I do run 2.6 at the moment.

Tbh, Do you 'want' one or 'need' one?*

Good question Jeff, is it money burning a hole, or was a jealous of yours when we done our bivvy...rocks where almost removed as it was that smooth!

[PaulE]

If you're over 6' and able to collect it from Sheffield, I've got most of a fatty trail you could borrow for a while to try it out

[JohnClimber]

There are miles of beaches and sandy singletrack that you can use riding from your house to work if you leave a couple of hours earlier.


This could be your commute or your route to many local bivi spots

[Fat tyre kicker]

Yes....but for bikepacking most are trail designed now, the
OO is a good start but a bit heavy, Surly have just released
More tyre sizes so more choice, I run 2.5 & 3.8's on the same
Rims....52, overweight & arthritic and the extra rubber makes
It doable, you can probably run 26 fat and 29 plus in a lot
Of frames now so most riding is covered. Hub choices ??
Pretty limited and expensive on the rear if 170mm.....
Spacers available for 135mm fronts, mines a mk1 Salsa
Mukluk, probably a bit small for me but rides ace...

[voodoo_simon]

A fat bike in Liverpool makes sense to me, plenty of coast line to use, so why not?!

Never had a problem taking mine in merseyrail either, yes the local lads love them but never had an issue or felt threatened.

They’re also good on the Wirral too, loads of link up riding from trails, coast and the downside, roads.

I’m like Stu, have had a fat bike from ~2013 but it’s my least used bike. In the right conditions, it’s amazing, snow, sand and the right sort of mud too, but I’ll admit to preferring my 29er as an all purpose bike. They do ride well when loaded with bike packing kit

[Alec]

I think it depends on what you want it for as I think there are two distinct groups of fat bikes now, there seem to be trail oriented geometry ones and then bikepacking/adventure/lots of xc type miles ones.
The calibre dune is good but only if your short, the size large is similar to many small enduro bikes and at 6'1 i couldn't make it fit.
The only other thing to note is that they can get quite spacehopper like at speed on trail centre type trails, but they are super capable bikes

[summittoppler]

Ha! If you were confused when you started the thread I guess you are now!
10 votes each

[ScotRoutes]

Interesting that a number of people have voted without giving any reason for their selection.

[summittoppler]

Interesting that a number of people have voted without giving any reason for their selection.

Probably don't want to be outed as a fat bike lover

[Escape Goat]

There are miles of beaches and sandy singletrack that you can use riding from your house to work if you leave a couple of hours earlier.


This could be your commute or your route to many local bivi spots

I wouldn't use it locally as it would draw way too much attention to me.

Ha! If you were confused when you started the thread I guess you are now!
10 votes each

I know haha!

Interesting that a number of people have voted without giving any reason for their selection.

Would be cool to hear their input also.

[Jurassic]

I'm on my second fat bike. My first one was a v1 On One Fatty which got me hooked and I now have a Smokestone Henderson. Mine was my only mountain bike for a while but because I'm a lucky git I now have the options of a hard tail 29er (dedicated bikepacking bike) and a long travel 29er trail/enduro bike as well (for gnarly and/or fast riding).
The fat bike continues to be my go to mountain bike for the tight, steep, muddy local trails that I ride most often. They can do everything if you want to use them that way but the big tyres drag a bit on tarmac or hardpacked trails (but not as much as most non-believers would have you think) and if you start to go really fast on gnarly downhill sections they start to get a bit lively and bouncy. If I had to rationalise my fleet it would be the fatty that I'd keep, I'd have some fat hubs built onto 29er rims for the occasions that I didn't want to ride fat tyres. I think fat bikes are massively under rated and misunderstood by the general mountain biking population but I kind of like the fact that the fashion bubble's burst and us fat bikers are a niche again.
IMG_20171008_153629 by Jurassic690, on Flickr