Fat Tire Bikes

Rented one several times this winter--what an absolute hoot to ride on snow. I'm thinking about picking one up for year round use. While the tires are very squishy I still think they benefit from front suspension. The only dual fork available is the Bluto, which gets mixed reviews. But Cannonade has adapted their "Lefty" fork and is selling a fat bike for a reasonable price. Anyone have any experience on one?

 

I have fatboy pro with the Bluto. I ride it on snow covered trails in winter and single track in the summer. The Bluto works well and can be locked out. I don't think the Bluto has any major faults and complements the bike well. The key to fat bikes is adjusting the pressure for your use. Crusty trampled snow trails can be turned into a smooth ride by airing down to 3 psi. During summer I ride between 8 to 12 psi.

 

I think they look amazing regardless of their performance. I thought they were a novelty for some time, I am glad I was wrong.

 

They were a novelty until the mainstream bike companies started producing dedicated fat bike sizes for hubs, bottom brackets, and the one by eleven drivetrain. The traction of a 4.6 tire is infinite. They turn black trails into green trails.

 

They also make them in 29er sizes, and I like the 3 inch tire rim options also a cross between fat tires and standard...

 

I already have a 29er, and I'm running 2.4's, so a 3" rim wouldn't be that totally different. However, if I was starting out and could only have one do it all bike, that is exactly what I would go with.

 

Ride one..I rode quite a few at Interbike..both 4 inch tires and 3 inch tires back to back, there is a big difference...
I do run a 2.3 and 2.4 on my 29er Tallboy also..the difference with these wider tire wheelsets (3 inch up) is the rims are wider also providing a more stiff feel and heavier wheelsets also..just my 2c..

 

Something like this ?
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I was wondering what the heck these were good for.

 

rockitman--exactly. ryalex--they excel on snow and soft sand. They actually work quite well for all season use as well. They are a bit heavy, and their handling is a bit less nimble (due to sidewall roll) but they grip like nothing else.

 

I would think a fatty would give you a better workout. Is there any study that compares work on road bike v.s. a fatty like 1 mile on road bike equals 1.5 miles on a fatty or 30 mins on a road bike equals 20mins on a fatty?

 

fatbillybob--I've never seen any such comparison, but I cannot believe it hasn't been done.

I just rented a Pivot Switchblade--a 27.5+ dual suspension ride that was an absolute kick in the pants. Has me reconsidering the fatty.

 

i need to try this they were quite popular this winter in idaho and i keep hearing its a blast

 

I highly recommend the Lefty for the lightest possible weight and best performance if you're interested in the upper echelon of components. The Bluto adds some additional heft but it performs very well. A carbon front fork is another option to cut down weight and absorb some vibration.

I picked up the cheapest possible option, a $400 Gravity single speed, to try out last winter and I've gotten my fair share of use out of it in wet and dry. The grip is outstanding and it instills a lot of confidence on trails. I did recently get a chance to ride a Lefty equipped Cannondale and it was a night and day difference over my bottom-of-the-barrel bomber.

Do be mindful of the wider “Q factor” on fat bikes which can exacerbate knee issues if you are considering riding often; I can't take too much time on it myself.

-Mike in Marketing
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Travis, I have been trying very diligently to find a Cannondale Fatty and have had no luck. They brag that the q-factor is narrow--relatively--what did you think? Also, the Lefty forks don't have the reputation as being the smoothest things out there--any opinions specific regarding the plushness of the fork?

Thanks.

 

FAT CAAD 1 is what I rode, and it was nice. The shock was slightly busy but very good at soaking up harsh bumps and never bottomed out...the bike felt strong and tight. I have no knowledge of explicit q-factor details on any specific bike(s) so I can't comment there.

Have you seen this video:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WlRqcAQr2w[/ame]

If you are looking for year round use, you may also want to consider a 27.5+ which bridges the gap between regular bike and fat bike...check out the Salsa Pony Rustler, which is what I have my eyes on.

-Mike in Marketing

 

I rented a new Pivot 27.5+ (Switchblade) two weeks ago. Really remarkable. But nothing comes for free. Compared with my 29er it was a bit slower uphill, and it did feel a tad less nimble. Of course, the tremendous grip offset some of that (and the Pivot comes with 2.8's).

I did notice my leg rubbing the rear chainstays rarely (though the Q factor seemed fine). While not a big deal, this doesn't happen on any of my other bikes. As I said earlier, if I could only have one bike I'd like get a 27.5+. Still thinking the increased traction (and much much smoother ride) might be worthwhile, but I don't think the tires are wide enough to do very well in snow.

 

Do these tires stay inflated? I see these skinny tire guys all the time by the side of the road fixing their tires. Huh? I haven't done that since the '60s on my motorcycles. If I want to ride a bicycle, I want to be able to get on the damn thing and ride, not screw around in the hot sun by the side of a busy road.

 

Tubeless tires have solved this problem.

 

Yep, I haven't had a flat riding in years. Even my road bike (which has tubes and 23c tires) is going strong on almost a decade with no flats.

 

Damn. That eliminates that excuse...

 

Don't have any expertise with bikes, however, ran across this fellow on Garage Journal that custom builds "fat" bikes. Skill/Workmanship is beautiful.

Kristofer Henry
44 Bikes ? MADE TO SHRED?
44 Blog - 44 Flickr
44 Bikes Shop Build

 

Very nice!

Check out Carver, they have some radical designs for fat bikes made out of titanium.

-Mike in Marketing
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couldn't resist picking up a new set of carbon fat rims at interbike..the checker carbon pattern is pretty good and light and strong the best ive seen in a long time..and the price was right!
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Manufacturer? Price? Number of holes? And please post pics when you have them built up.