Are you fat? Do you like it? What would you do different next time?

[sb]

Went ahead a got the insertion tool and a bag of extra studs.

Same here.

[gramboh]

Saw a dude riding a fatbike down the street in Beijing the other day. Didn't have time to snap a pic unfortunately. Nothing to add other than that.

[NuMexJoe]

I ordered a Lurch just before Christmas, and while it's not here yet (of course!) and thus my input is of limited value, I chose it because of the short chainstays. My Canfield N9 gets so much more use than either of my other bikes because the geometry is so much fun, and I'm hoping that fun translates well to fat. And if not, I'm not out much for my first foray into riding fat. But for your snowmobile trails, maybe the shorter chainstays are not as desirable. The thru-axle on the Boris fork is a nice thing to have, but I'm thinking one of the upgrades I'll eventually make to the Lurch is a carbon TA fork. If that means buying a different front hub and lacing it up to the existing rim, so be it. I also think the Lurch looks better, but that's awfully subjective.

[steveski]

Well this is badass:

http://www.tetongravity.com/video/bi...ark-all-winter

[shafty85]

Yeah, I like fat girls. What about it?

Oh. Bikes. No, I road cycle.

[ticketchecker]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=...&v=euTEbXekrOY

[evdog]

There I are a few places I would love to ride a fat bike but realistically I think it would sit in the garage most of the time.

It is great to see there are a few coming out that focus on versatility, interchangeable wheels, etc that look pretty sweet.

This one might tempt me but $2600/4700 for a hardtail frame/complete is hard to swallow http://www.pivotcycles.com/bike/les-fat/

Two wheetsets could give me two completely different bikes so maybe the price is not so bad

[strawjack]

It's so good right now! Light snow falling right now which is just perfect on this hardpack layer.

[TahoeBC]

Tested the Dillinger 5 studded tires last Friday on clear ice, they are game changers. Did not have the horizon quite right on my POV, but you get the ideal



Got into the high country yesterday, photo by First Track Productions

[El Chupacabra]

To follow up on my post awhile back about replacement snow-worthy fatbike tires, I finally got out today on my new tires: On One Floaters, 26 x 4.0 size, folding bead. These replaced the Vee Mission 26 x 4.0 wire bead (72 tpi version, if that matters) that came on my bike. Took the bike out on some crusted-over old snow today at the Mt Rose meadows -- worked MUCH better than the Vee Missions. Actual traction! Can ride up hill!

For the $54/ea. that these cost, I'm satisfied.

[strawjack]

To follow up on my post awhile back about replacement snow-worthy fatbike tires, I finally got out today on my new tires: On One Floaters, 26 x 4.0 size, folding bead. These replaced the Vee Mission 26 x 4.0 wire bead (72 tpi version, if that matters) that came on my bike. Took the bike out on some crusted-over old snow today at the Mt Rose meadows -- worked MUCH better than the Vee Missions. Actual traction! Can ride up hill!

For the $54/ea. that these cost, I'm satisfied.

That's interesting. I have the same Vee Mission and it does suck if the snow is soft at all. Spin spin spin. Seems like a really good price and nice tread pattern.

Weight is close enough and seems to be all over the map anyway. You never know what you are going to get.

http://fat-bike.com/2012/01/tire-weights-for-fat-bikes/

[sb]

Seriously thinking about selling the Pugs.

[El Chupacabra]

That's interesting. I have the same Vee Mission and it does suck if the snow is soft at all. Spin spin spin. Seems like a really good price and nice tread pattern.

Weight is close enough and seems to be all over the map anyway. You never know what you are going to get.

http://fat-bike.com/2012/01/tire-weights-for-fat-bikes/

The On One Floaters I got were about 100g per tire lighter than the Vee Missions -- around 1400-1450g/tire, IIRC. Apparently the colored tread Floaters weigh more than the black ones too, but the ones I got were black. On One (via the U.S. Planet X/ Titus store in Portland) had the black ones on sale for awhile -- if they don't show on the website, it might be worth calling them; they don't update their website often. Free shipping too.

The Vee Missions just have too low of a tread to dig in to snow at all. The triangular/arrow shaped knobs seem to make them self-steer a lot on hardpack, unless I pumped them up to 15psi or more, which kind of defeats the purpose of the fatbike. I haven't ridden the Floaters enough to tell whether they self-steer.

[strawjack]

The Vee Missions just have too low of a tread to dig in to snow at all. The triangular/arrow shaped knobs seem to make them self-steer a lot on hardpack, unless I pumped them up to 15psi or more, which kind of defeats the purpose of the fatbike. I haven't ridden the Floaters enough to tell whether they self-steer.

Yeah, you really have to counter steer those tires. Although, I don't have any experience riding others, so I really don't know. The Vee's are nice on slick rock and firm sand paper snow since they have so much ground contact, but to your point, they are on a fat bike and we want them to perform in snow.

Every time I think of upgrading my current rides parts and pieces, I think about just going new.

[joetron]

Seriously thinking about selling the Pugs.

Ice Cream Truck?

[ridevt]

Friend's wife reached out as she wants to get him a fat bike for his upcoming birfday. Pretty rad. They live in Southern NH. Immediately thought of bikesdirect and it looks like availability is good right now. She's got a $1k to toss at it. What say the collective? He's a large... or 19"

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/fat-bikes.htm

[sb]

Ice Cream Truck?

Nope, Pugsley, large.

custo powder coat, spare set of wheels and fork and maybe other goodies

[joetron]

I was wondering what the replacement was gonna be, then I remembered you are in Bucksaw-ville.

[strawjack]

Friend's wife reached out as she wants to get him a fat bike for his upcoming birfday. Pretty rad. They live in Southern NH. Immediately thought of bikesdirect and it looks like availability is good right now. She's got a $1k to toss at it. What say the collective? He's a large... or 19"

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/fat-bikes.htm

Yeah, I don't know what to say. When you have 1k, you really don't have a lot of options. So, what is more important that cannot be easily upgraded, is what I would look at. Then of course the color

Like mentioned above it's about what you want. Personally, I'd be looking for a shorter chainstay for the type of riding I do in NH.

I think it's a good idea to buy inexpensive to start (for many, maybe not many in this place) and see if you will really use the thing in the winter. Takes more effort to get your ass out there when its 15 degrees.

[Touring_Sedan]

Friend's wife reached out as she wants to get him a fat bike for his upcoming birfday. Pretty rad. They live in Southern NH. Immediately thought of bikesdirect and it looks like availability is good right now. She's got a $1k to toss at it. What say the collective? He's a large... or 19"

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/fat-bikes.htm

I've heard that they're having problems keeping replacement derailleur hangers in stock. People seem to be busting the TA hanger on some of the "higher end" models.

I've got one of these showing up in a few days. When I pre ordered it, it wasn't much above your 1K threshold. http://www.framedbikes.com/alaskanalloy/


Anyone wanna buy a "well loved" Large 2011 Pugsley?

[strawjack]

I've got one of these showing up in a few days. When I pre ordered it, it wasn't much above your 1K threshold. http://www.framedbikes.com/alaskanalloy/

Damn, those Framed bikes have nice components for the price.

[El Chupacabra]

FWIW, I just assembled a Framed Minnesota 3.0 for a friend. Components all seemed OK -- was surprised to see a square taper bottom bracket on there though, and would've liked to have seen full-length cable housing for the shifters, rather than stops + exposed cable (on a fatbike, I'm going to assume mucky/wet usage, so full length housing is definitely worth the slight weight penalty).

The frame itself had very sloppy looking welds on it -- "toothpaste" welds. I know it's not a true indication of the strength of the weld, but it makes me feel better seeing professionally done "stacked dime" welds, rather than globby lumps.

[ticketchecker]

Split up 150 grip studs between bud and nate, first icy ride today was bueno.

[rip]

I have a few months now on the motobecane sturgis bullit and have not experienced a bent derailleur hanger or any prob with the bike. It came with vee mission 'snowshoe' tires and they seem to have excellent traction in snow.

However, mid winter high elevation snowpack has me a little stymied on finding fun stuff to ride. The cc trails are nice to get out on but kind of boring and the snow is a bit too deep on the bike trails that it's like constantly riding on a skinny or log cuz if you slip off the packed trail your foot sinks down 2 ft and you smack your taint. Even the little side hits off ski runs look fun as hell but venture off the machine groomed without an adequate freeze/thaw and it's endo city. Still very pleased with the bike but as previously stated I think the biggest benefit of these bikes is loose dirt, scree fields, turning any slope into a fun wall ride.

Holding out hope for spring and thinking that once the pack goes isothermic late spring getting out into huge rolling meadows early mornings is going to be the shit!

[Shredhead]

Holding out hope for spring and thinking that once the pack goes isothermic late spring getting out into huge rolling meadows early mornings is going to be the shit!

Those conditions are great, but kind of rare. Does Soldier Hollow ever allow bikes on the groomed XC trails?

I mostly ride snowmobile trails in the winter and here in the midwest, it's so wet, the sanctioned MTB trails are closed half the time.
We have a huge equestrian trail system, with nobody on it, so I just ride that.