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I was out walking in Glenfiddich/Corriehabbie hill a week or so ago in chilly conditions and noticed some 4" Jumbo Jim treads had passed before me. There was a bit of light crunchy snow, some packed snow and quite a lot of frozen run-off including on the steeper bits. I know fattys can handle the snow well, but can they deal with the icy stuff confidently, especially downhill ? Come to think of it was the perpetrator one of the forum flock (roverpig perhaps)?
No not me guv. I've been that way a few times, but my JJs are 4.4 or 4.8 đŸ™‚
A fat bike is great fun on that loose rocky descent off Corriehabbie but personally I don't find it any better on sheet ice than anything else really.
Snow/ice changes so quickly. It's possible that the ice you experienced was much softer only hours earlier.
As a general point, the wifde footprint of a fatbike will often find grip/traction on the little raised bits of ice where a thinner tyre will simply slide across them.
When it's icy, I'd rather be on the fatbike.
The only thing that’s ever going to work on sheet ice is studs
Thanks chaps, I have to say I was surprised that anyone had been out on that ice. Snow is fun but ice scares me as soon as it gets even a bit steep. The gamekeepers had thought it was me and were mightily impressed (concerned for my sanity ?) but I had to disillusion them.
They work ok if pressures are low and the wider tyre seems to give more notice and latitude when they start to slide.
Studded fatbike tyres are ace, but even without studs, the bigger footprint means they have more predictable handling on the slippy stuff. JJ's however wouldn't be my first choice of winter tyre.