martinvimpany
Summary: Just get one!
This bike puts the AT back into ATB
I wanted to try a fat bike but didn’t want to spend a fortune on an ‘experiment’. The fatfish seemed to offer the answer. I am happy to report that the bike has surpassed all my expectations. In fact my ‘experiment’ was such a success that I have now mothballed my Marin Wolf Ridge Full sus bike and I can’t see myself riding it nearly as much in future.
I got the bike on eBay for £220 and immediately got rid of the near useless stock drivetrain. I added a 22T Onza trials crank (£25), a 14-32T Shimano Megarange cassette (£15) and Giant MPH3 hydraulic discs (£40 off eBay). I have kept the rather agricultural Acera deraiileur, cheap, cheerful and seems to work fine. Thus for £300 and a couple of hours work I got a decent fatbike which, despite appearances, is pretty nimble.
What has astounded me most of all is how well the bike climbs. I was expecting climbing to be hard work, bearing in mind the increased rolling resistance and excess weight. Totally Wrong! In fact contrary to all my expectations I have found climbing to be EASIER and less aerobic than on my full sus bike. For a start the amazing traction means that you don’t have to up your cadence (and thus your heart rate) on steep loose ground. Secondly, that excess weight counts in your favour by keeping the bike firmly attached to the ground. I’m sure if my legs and lungs were up to it I could ride it up the side of a house.
The bike is very sure footed. On steep rooty, loose or slippery sections my full sus bike tends to skitter and has a tendency to wheely. The back wheel also tends to skip out on slippery rock or wet roots. On a conventional mountain bike, on step ups you need to pump and lift the front wheel, on the fatbike you just roll over them. Yesterday I rode Lonscale fell and tackled the gnarly rock-steps I have never dared ride before - easy peasy! In short, the fatbike is way less skittish - it just keeps on trucking. Just set the thing to ‘simmer’ and keep pedalling.
As for downhill sections, again the weight counts in your favour. It feels like being tied to an anvil and dropped off a cliff (but you will need good stoppers). Once those big wheel start rolling and you pick up momentum, then hang on. Fast downhill speed over loose terrain used to be a cause for anxiety, now I just sit back and go as fast as I can. Picking a line is also less critical because the big tyres are so forgiving that you can screw things up without serious consequence.
The third thing that has pleased me is the bike’s ability to cope with massive variations in terrain. I rode it yesterday along Mosedale and across Banna fell to Ennerdale. Some sections are boggy and whereas my 2.4 Mountain Kings sunk in and threw me off, the big 4 inchers simply floated across (well most of it anyway). Loose terrain, tarmac, bog, roots, polished rock, long grass - the fatbike takes it all in its stride. This thing is truly the land rover of bikes.
The simplicity of the thing also pleases me. There’s no suspension forks to nurture and service (£££££!), likewise no rear shock to worry about (the big tyres do their work instead). A nice chunky 7 speed chain should give little cause for anxiety about breakage. The basic ball and cone bearings I plan to clean and repack ever couple of months to ensure a longer life.
The downsides? Well, the weight counts against you if you have to hump the thing across fences or styles, but take a deep breath and you’ll be fine. The bike is also more difficult to get on and off whatever system you use to hitch it to your car (I modified my Thule towbar rack fairly cheaply by fashioning some bolt on adapters from some plastic dowpipe and steel tube). If you currently mount your bike on the roof you may need to think again. It’s no sprinter, but then this is unlikely to be of concern to an XC rider, and once up to speed it’s momentum keeps it going. The ride, despite the big tyres, is no
This bike puts the AT back into ATB
I wanted to try a fat bike but didn’t want to spend a fortune on an ‘experiment’. The fatfish seemed to offer the answer. I am happy to report that the bike has surpassed all my expectations. In fact my ‘experiment’ was such a success that I have now mothballed my Marin Wolf Ridge Full sus bike and I can’t see myself riding it nearly as much in future.
I got the bike on eBay for £220 and immediately got rid of the near useless stock drivetrain. I added a 22T Onza trials crank (£25), a 14-32T Shimano Megarange cassette (£15) and Giant MPH3 hydraulic discs (£40 off eBay). I have kept the rather agricultural Acera deraiileur, cheap, cheerful and seems to work fine. Thus for £300 and a couple of hours work I got a decent fatbike which, despite appearances, is pretty nimble.
What has astounded me most of all is how well the bike climbs. I was expecting climbing to be hard work, bearing in mind the increased rolling resistance and excess weight. Totally Wrong! In fact contrary to all my expectations I have found climbing to be EASIER and less aerobic than on my full sus bike. For a start the amazing traction means that you don’t have to up your cadence (and thus your heart rate) on steep loose ground. Secondly, that excess weight counts in your favour by keeping the bike firmly attached to the ground. I’m sure if my legs and lungs were up to it I could ride it up the side of a house.
The bike is very sure footed. On steep rooty, loose or slippery sections my full sus bike tends to skitter and has a tendency to wheely. The back wheel also tends to skip out on slippery rock or wet roots. On a conventional mountain bike, on step ups you need to pump and lift the front wheel, on the fatbike you just roll over them. Yesterday I rode Lonscale fell and tackled the gnarly rock-steps I have never dared ride before - easy peasy! In short, the fatbike is way less skittish - it just keeps on trucking. Just set the thing to ‘simmer’ and keep pedalling.
As for downhill sections, again the weight counts in your favour. It feels like being tied to an anvil and dropped off a cliff (but you will need good stoppers). Once those big wheel start rolling and you pick up momentum, then hang on. Fast downhill speed over loose terrain used to be a cause for anxiety, now I just sit back and go as fast as I can. Picking a line is also less critical because the big tyres are so forgiving that you can screw things up without serious consequence.
The third thing that has pleased me is the bike’s ability to cope with massive variations in terrain. I rode it yesterday along Mosedale and across Banna fell to Ennerdale. Some sections are boggy and whereas my 2.4 Mountain Kings sunk in and threw me off, the big 4 inchers simply floated across (well most of it anyway). Loose terrain, tarmac, bog, roots, polished rock, long grass - the fatbike takes it all in its stride. This thing is truly the land rover of bikes.
The simplicity of the thing also pleases me. There’s no suspension forks to nurture and service (£££££!), likewise no rear shock to worry about (the big tyres do their work instead). A nice chunky 7 speed chain should give little cause for anxiety about breakage. The basic ball and cone bearings I plan to clean and repack ever couple of months to ensure a longer life.
The downsides? Well, the weight counts against you if you have to hump the thing across fences or styles, but take a deep breath and you’ll be fine. The bike is also more difficult to get on and off whatever system you use to hitch it to your car (I modified my Thule towbar rack fairly cheaply by fashioning some bolt on adapters from some plastic dowpipe and steel tube). If you currently mount your bike on the roof you may need to think again. It’s no sprinter, but then this is unlikely to be of concern to an XC rider, and once up to speed it’s momentum keeps it going. The ride, despite the big tyres, is no
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