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Well just on the off chance I happened to notice suddenly an awful lot of fat bikes for sale on eBay and other sales sites . I think a lot of people are buying without trying them.first then realising what a different ride they are . I like the look of them but hate the ride and steering etc . Nice to look at nit would never own one .
Nice point. I so want one, but because I have not had the chance to ride one, have no real idea as to how they drive. I wonder if what you say is right: that they are appearing on ebay because of dissatisfaction once people buy them new.
On second thought, I have just taken a look, and most of what I could see on ebay were low-end new bikes, suggesting that the low-end is starting to imitate the big boys, in turn suggesting increased recognition and popularity.
Search Ebay using "fat bike" gave 16 used.
"650b" 80 used.
*ebay and other sites !
Another factor (looking the Fatbike Forum) is that people buy a cheaper model because they aren't sure they like it, and then when they do they sell it and buy another.)
Only reason I looked is that I have been after one and have ended up buying new, I figured you may have spotted the tipping point in used sales. 🙂
I've been looking on E.......only seem to be the cheap heavy ones...All the good uns are way to far from me!!
BTW....I'm looking for a on one fatty...16" or a rose Tusker in size M....lol
Search Ebay using "fat bike" gave 16 used.
"650b" 80 used.
given the massively disproportionate numbers of sales between the two bikes, i'd say that proportionally more people are loving their 650b bikes in that case!
When I was looking for one, everyone said "get a used puggsley", there seemed to be no such thing though and whenever there was, even ancient ones were almost as expensive as new. Weird. But there's always people trying to get rid of on ones.
Wonder what effect cheaper quality fatbikes and the voodoo in particular has on all this? Probably should bring about price drops but actually seems to have just caused a reduction in used bikes for sale
beermonst3r44 - Member
...I like the look of them but hate the ride and steering etc ...
Ride and steering are not immutable. Tyres and rims make a huge difference in how a fatbike feels. Some brand of tyres make a good fatbike steer like a pig. Generally the Surly tyres are ok. And then there's tyre pressures...
Excessively wide rims can also make a fatbike self steer, but are worth their weight in snow or bog.
If you are riding on hardened trails there's not a lot of point in having a fatbike other than it is more comfortable, but if you like to venture off piste or ride through baby head rocks, they are pretty hard to beat.
Currently fashionable slack headangles aren't doing the newer design fatbikes any favours IMO. My opinion is that the steeper head angles on the likes of the earlier fatbikes (eg Pugs) make for a bike better at picking its way over slow going. If you want a fast bike downhill you can do it on a fatbike with a fork, but I'll bet you'd do it even better on more DH bike. 🙂
If you are considering a fatbike, don't test it around the dealer's car park, find some bog or lumpy stuff to pick your way over. Oh, and check the tyre pressures are low enough - around 7-8 psi as a guide for 4", even less for fatter.
Currently fashionable slack headangles aren't doing the newer design fatbikes any favours IMO. My opinion is that the steeper head angles on the likes of the earlier fatbikes (eg Pugs) make for a bike better at picking its way over slow going.
Slack head angle without correct longer fork rake = sloppy headed bike.
like the look of them but hate the ride and steering
What's wrong with the steering?
It's definitely different.What's wrong with the steering?
My Fatty seems to corner with loads of grip, but there seems to come a point where leaning it over does nothing more. So on fast flat/offcamber corners I've run wide simply because the bike hasn't turned the way I expected it to. I presume that the huge contact patch must have something to do with it, a 29er tyre is long, thin and semi circular, lean into a corner and steer in and the line of the front tyre is pointing into the corner. Whereas the fatbike is a big round patch not pointing in any particular direction. I do ride a large though so the wheelbase doesn't help (I've leant it to others to ride and it actually looks daftly out of proportion it's so long!)
I'd put any increased number on ebay down to just there being more out there. When I bought my Fatty last year there was barely anything 2nd hand. Equally there was very little choice new either. So there was neither the supply of bikes to sell or anything to 'upgrade' to. Now there probably 10-20 decent options out there from Canyon, Rose, Scott, Specialized, and a whole raft of niche brands, so it's unsurprising if people are upgrading from Pugsleys.
There's also the plethora of 40lb Voodoo/Cayote/sandman etc.
@Tinas, voodoo is claimed at 36lbs I think. Certainly doesn't belong with the Coyote and its ilk.
My Fatty seems to corner with loads of grip, but there seems to come a point where leaning it over does nothing more. So on fast flat/offcamber corners I've run wide simply because the bike hasn't turned the way I expected it to
gyroscopes?
gyroscopes?
Myabe, but I'm not convinced, it's not turn in that suffers, it's that it simply doesn't go round the corner, can be leant right over on it's ear, far further than the bike in front, but that doesn't seem to generate enough centripetal force to push it round. Only way of compensating for it I've found is getting the majority of the turning done with the bike more upright, in line with my COG rather than pushing the bar's down.
When you lean a fat tyre it deforms/folds, so its always going to corner wider. This is especially so with softer pressures or aggressive riding.
Just think back to when youve tried to corner with a flat front tyre, it just constantly folds over.