OK, there really isn’t much snow around at the moment, but riding the fat bike around the trails today was enough to get a flavor of what’s to come.
I finally seem to have cracked the cold hands and feet nut, as it got to low single digits and I was able to stay pretty warm. I picked up some good winter boots on the weekend and some decent insulated gloves. So far so good. I also have a set of pogies coming, so that should be the final piece in the winter riding puzzle, hopefully.
I didn’t have much time today so I drove over to Peninsula State Park with the bike/car then had a short blast around the trails.
It was fun to see another fat bike having left its mark in the snow, perhaps we’ll bump into each other some day.
Can’t wait for some really deep snow to see how the fatty handles itself. I rode for 90 minutes or so and neither wheel broke traction on the various surfaces encountered – a good sign, particularly given that I hit sheet ice a couple times. Maybe I just got lucky ducky.
I’m thinking I actually prefer winter riding to summer riding, at least on the park trails. For one thing, there’s no one else around….just the occasional footprint or tire mark in the snow. Also, so long as you’re warm it’s actually more pleasant than riding on a hot and humid day. I’ve never been one for the heat – beaches, sunbathing and all that shite. So now that I’m adequately clothed it’s opened up a whole new season that I’ve never had access to before. Strange that, innit?
Anyway, it’s given me more determination to do some camping over the winter, I can’t imagine it being anything other than good fun.
Nice bike!
I’ll be interested in how it performs on deep snow as well. If things go well with my ice bike this year I may purchase a fat bike next year.
Hey Big Red,
Still waiting on our first heavy snowfall here…
We had 5″ overnight earlier in the week and it was a mixed bag riding the trails the following day. On the packed-down snow, even rough stuff where it’s only partially packed, from people walking etc – well it works great on that.
On the deeper soft snow, not so good. The front likes to washout unexpectedly. I mean, you’re always sorta expecting it, but it hits where you least expect it, like riding straight ahead on flat ground!
Anyway, a big part of the problem is the tires I’m using. They’re ‘all surface’ and obviously I need something more suited to snow. So I have a pair of On-One tires on the way from the UK, should be here by Tuesday and I’ll write ’em up as soon as they land and I get a chance to ride ’em.
Cheers…
FMB
Indeed it does seem to be a mixed bag. I’ve watched dozens of vids on Fat Bikes to see if I can figer’em out and they seem great on a beach, flatter the better and only good on some types and depths of snow and when those are not present they can put one into even more of pickle than a normal bike because of the weight.
Probably because they are one wheel drive and the cylinders that push them along are not of fine German engineering. Rear wheel drive cars are a damn sight more skittish in snow than all wheel drive so it seems logical…
Agreed. I think Fat Bikes are still sufficiently new and novel and unique that people haven’t begun to fully analyze both their strengths and weaknesses. Or at least, they tend to focus more on their strengths, and the perceived ‘fun factor’, than on any inherent weakness.
The fact is that they’re every bit as encumbered by certain types of surface and condition as any conventional mountain bike, it just happens that certain types of snow and sand can be handled with aplomb.
But I can’t argue with the general perception and consensus that they are a fun ride. If you’re able to switch off any ideas of getting from A to B efficiently and in the fastest possible time, then you really can go out and just enjoy the ride…