You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Fat bike curious, having a quick look around and there doesnt seem to be much around.
Was it a fad thats gone or is plus the new fat?
For used try the fat bike selling page on Facebook.
Yes, the UK Fat Bike FB page is always a good soruce of info plus the linked selling page.
eMTBs are the new fat bikes, in that most of the marketing noise is directed that way at the moment. So fat bikes have returned to what they always have been, a fun and viable option for some people some of the time.
Still about, there's two in our household for example, but the "industry" has moved on to the next thing they can sell. Looking at fat-bike.com there's new models appearing at a steady rate but most are probably only available in the States being US "cottage" manufacturers that you are unlikely to have heard of.
Of course the States gets fat bike suitable conditions far more regularly than we do so it's to be expected. Even so there are threads on the MTBR forums along the lines of "Is Fat Dead?" at fairly regular intervals.
If you don't do FB there's the fat bike forum at http://www.fat-bike.co.uk/index.php
The emperors new clothes are now made of the finest gravel.
^ it's funny because it's true!
The emperors new clothes are now made of the finest gravel.
Was about to say the same!
I'm still on my 7yo MK1 Mukluk, they got it right first time. Even more happy that an Edna fits easily in the back 😀
The emperors new clothes are now made of the finest gravel.
Ive got 2 fat bikes and 2 'gravel' bikes. Im feeling overdressed!
As Charlie said, if you keep buying the same type of bike year after year just looking for slight improvements you'll get bored or miss out on new experiences.
https://singletrackmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/the-bikemonger-oi-not-that-one/
But in answer to the OP, fat is dead, no one mainstream is making them anymore. Which means they can both be a secondhand bargain if you find someone desperate to sell (equally plenty of stuff is still listed at more normal prices but never seems to sell) but tyres/forks are ludicrously expensive for what they are (the bluto is a a stretched 6 year old Reba with a crown that comes loose after a year, being sold as a £450 fork.
If you're happy with 4" tyres on a 65mm rim then a boost 650B+ fork is a good fit and opens up fork choice to something with reasonable structural integrity and good internals - as above my experience with Bluto's wasn't great.
I've just bought a new fatbike after 8 years on my old one. Still gets occasional summer use but it's my go-to for 3-4 winter months. Loads of other fatbikes where I live too. I guess the fad element has gone and we're back to the folk that can actually make good use of them.
As Charlie said,
if you keep buying the same type of bike year after year just looking for slight improvements you’ll get bored or miss out on new experiences.
Always tell your mummy before you go off somewhere IIRC.
I've got one, a Calibre dune. I live by the sea so mainly use it for beach riding though it's also great for off the beaten trail exploration riding.
@thisisnotaspoon - as far as the mainstream manufacturers are concerned fat probably is dead for the reasons stated above and it's just the niche makers who are sticking with them - Salsa is probably the best known. There's quite a big fat bike racing scene in the States and not just long distance stuff like the Iditarod and Arrowhead but what might be considered crit racing.
I just did a quick search on bikepacking.com's new bike announcements and out of the last 36 going back to June of this year there are 7 for fat bikes. That's a lot more than I expected to be honest. But announcements/releases don't equate to sales and I'd expect that proportion to be much, much less.
Totally agree with the point about tyres being expensive - I've currently got 45Nrth VanHelgas on my bike, a mere £125 each!! They are currently two years old, given the low mileage I put on them unless I put a slash in one it's likely they'll last me many more. (Just noticed that 45Nrth have released a new tyre at $250)
Still some about, Kona and Canyon still do them anyway. Plenty of plus size bikes about from Trek etc.
They've been turned into heavy duty road hybrids, my one just did a mini tour of some climbs just inland from Prestatyn on 28mm 4 Seasons... So wish I had sorted the rear gear cable before I went, rather than being stuck in 17T sprocket, but it was good leg power and heart training!
The emperors new clothes are now made of the finest gravel.
I've just sold both my fatbikes to raise funds for a gravel bike. I am lord of the zeitgeist (or just a sucker for a new fad) 🙂
The emperors new clothes are now made of the finest gravel.
Yup basically.
Although I don't think as many hopped on the Fat bike fad anyway. "Gravel" has been an excellent little earner for the mainstream bike brands where fat bikes were perhaps a little too niche, 'captain C2W' can credibly justify a £1-1.5K Gravel bike as both a commuting tool and a weekend lifestyle prop. Whereas a Fat bike probably wasn't all that practical for lugging the laptop, lunchbox and Aeropress to the office and truth be told he wasn't going to be traversing artic tundra when the weekend rolled around...
Also now that they've adopted 'Plus' tyres across most of their MTB ranges, I don't think we'll see much more in the way of Fat-bikes from the big brands.
I'd still like to see fat bikes endure as a niche, perhaps for those a bit more adventurous than an "Adventure" (gravel) bike can really accommodate. They do serve a purpose but it's not really possible to build a huge market out of them...
Totally agree with the point about tyres being expensive – I’ve currently got 45Nrth VanHelgas on my bike, a mere £125 each!!
Mostly Minions and Jumbo Jims round here at half that price.
Their are elements of gravel that are fad. Riding off road with a bike that makes it harder than if you'd ridden your mountain bike. But very similar to if you'd ridden a 1990s one. I'm thinking 650b 2.1 tyres
Bikes with space for 30-40mm (ish) tyres so you can ride a wider range of surfaces. This takes us back to the norm for most of the history of the bike. So maybe less of fad
I'm still smashing around racing on fatbikes
Finished 4th in the augural gbduro using mine in the summer.
My race build is bang on 10kg in race trim including a mudhugger. was significantly more with all the gbduro kit though, but it carried the weight well, floated over the slop, gave me the ability to use any line i chose to wobble onto when burning the candle during the race! Who needs a gravel bike anyway?
They make a great winter bike too!! ,
Slam69 have multiple options available in both aluminium and titanium.
For a laugh in the runup to gbduro i entered a road time trial on it! Averaged 23mph and finished mid table, xc jersey and lid too against a field of pointy helmet and skinsuits. Surprised a few people!
Looking for a small fatbike soon, as moving close to the coast, so there will be some beach riding involved, also be looking for a kids fatbike for the grand daughter when she visits .... and ive already got a gravel bike 🙂
fat is dead, no one mainstream is making them
Apart from Trek, Spesh, Cube & surly. All small bit part players admittedly
Anyway the answer is Smokestone Henderson
Many of the mainstream manufacturers have a fat bike in their range, they probably don’t sell them or import many to the uk because the demand isn’t high enough to make it worthwhile.
edit: gravel bikes, as mentioned above, probably have a more lasting appeal in the UK than fat bikes due to their versatility.
@farbikeslim “what 4.8 inch tyre for a time trial?”
rOcKeTdOg
Subscriber
fat is dead, no one mainstream is making themApart from Trek, Spesh, Cube & surly. All small bit part players admittedly
Anyway the answer is Smokestone Henderson
Didn't think it was possible to make a fat bike uglier, but those mudguards have done it!
About to use my Farley for the first time this winter only use it in the mud 2017/2018 winter in Gloucestershire we had 5 lots of snow which is very rare now and it was amazing in virgin snow up on the Cotswolds hills always makes ramblers smile which is not that easy these days mind has 27.5" wheels.
28mm Contis on a fatbike? Excellent mud clearance I presume?
Well I don’t know where they ALL are but there was one out around Brushfield this morning if the fresh tracks were anything to go by. I felt like David Attenborough tracking a rare beast!
Can I show the graph again??
Oh - anyone with a fatbike and able to make it to Laggan Wolftrax on Sunday is welcome to join us. I've a group of around a dozen doing a wee XC (non-trail centre) loop at a social pace. Meet at 10:00, set off at 10:30, back in time for scones. Nothing technical but a couple of very short pushes likely.
Mostly Minions and Jumbo Jims round here at half that price.
Still only 3x more expensive than you can pick up MTB tyres for then.
Apart from Trek, Spesh, Cube & surly. All small bit part players admittedly
Do surly actually have a UK importer at the moment? Or is it still a £:$ conversion via Bikemonger?
Specialized aren't, or at least aren't importing it.
Trek will sell you a frame but not a full bike.
I think it's fair to say the bubble has burst, the ship has sailed, the fat lady has sung, the emperor has new clothes, and I've run out of metaphors.
Even Slam69 have reduced their output of weekly "I'm still riding a fat bike and don't care what anyone else says" spamming rants on Facebook.
Even Slam69 have reduced their output of weekly “I’m still riding a fat bike and don’t care what anyone else says” spamming rants on Facebook.
Amen to that!
Aren't Trek still doing a full Farley for 2020?
https://www.trekbikes.com/gb/en_GB/bikes/mountain-bikes/fat-bikes/c/B509/
and where do you get tubeless Minions for £22?
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/have-fat-bikes-run-their-course/
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/fatbike-honeymoon-comes-to-an-abrubt-end/
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/has-the-fatbike-bubble-finally-burst/
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/have-folks-realised-fat-bikes-are-shit-yet/
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/pole-fat-bikes/
and where do you get tubeless Minions for £22?
Specialized Slaughter/Butchers in the sale a couple of months back, or Vittoria Goma's from on-one for £14. Both very much Minion-alikes.
Trek will sell you a frame but not a full bike.
I can order you a farley 5 for tomorrow as long as you need s, m, l or XL as Trek have stock of any of these sizes
Didn’t think it was possible to make a fat bike uglier, but those mudguards have done it!
take them off and the mud covering you'll get will save you having to see it 🙂
Still loving mine, and still made if I’m not mistaken.
[url= https://i.postimg.cc/TYfCTBpS/1227160-B-AAAD-4785-9-B4-C-2-E2530-CFFCC5.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/TYfCTBpS/1227160-B-AAAD-4785-9-B4-C-2-E2530-CFFCC5.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
Eeek, my Bluto is a good 5 years old and still going strong. Don't see many out and about - but on Tuesday the tyre track I was following was defo fat. They are very niche things. The "they are pointless" view always makes me smile, considering all any of us do is ride around the woods. My fatty is my worst bike by a long way.
@thisisnotaspoon I thought Surly were imported by ISON Distribution? At least the window of Townsends is full of them...
I can order you a farley 5 for tomorrow as long as you need s, m, l or XL as Trek have stock of any of these sizes
I already have 2 fat bikes thanks 😉
The trek site is only showing alloy Farley 5 frames in the 2020 bikes though.
The trek site is only showing alloy Farley 5 frames in the 2020 bikes though.
Showing 20+ of each size except sml (showing 14) on the UK dealer site
It'll be 2019 bikes carried forward probably. Trek have tried to stop the yearly thing and release new models through the year. I doubt the Farley will change though if they have that many in the warehouse.
Still regularly riding my calibre dune.
It's my go to xc bike and I love it to be honest.
Have been looking around as I'd quite like a steel-framed one but yet to be sufficiently tempted yet as the dune is so good.
Like every trend it all goes mad then settles down, Fatbikes are proving the same but the difference is they don't sell themselves so most shops are not interested. Most laugh and walk on by much like I did before I rode one. Just a 3 mile road ride on an old Salsa demo bike hooked me. Now several years on we have our own Fatbike brand, Smokestone Bikes and sales are growing all the time. Demo a fatty and you more than likely get it. There's still a lot of choice but because we offer bespoke paint jobs and spec and a great frame geo we seem to have got something right. We are tiny in the great scheme of things but the customers we have are super happy and have a bike for many years of great riding. The ones that do come up second hand and its not many sell in less than 24 hours. For me as a 30 plus year mountain biker Fatties have proved ideal to explore just about anywhere you fancy, and thats the appeal.
Added a Vir Fortis early summer to the collection - totally love it.
Wityh 28mm 4 Seasons, the fork blades are close to the width of the tyre, with clearance for mud cakes either side. 😀
Theres a really good community in fat biking. I've met up with riders all round uk and Europe. Often bump into other fatties out riding or at events, everyone seems super friendly.
Theres also all the global fatbike day meet ups in December plus various other random meets through uk fatbike club on FB.
All my riding buddies have fatbikes now, although suits the terrain here (coastal beaches and boggy forest!)
Made some good friends through fat bikes. And have regular trips to the Alps for proper snow.
Trek GB site show 2020 Farley 5 and a Farley 9.6 which is a great bike have a 2016 one cheers.
Mine is sitting in my hallway all covered in mud having been ridden last night
Rode my Mukluk this afternoon at Bedgebury and it too is covered in mud (pretty much its natural state to be fair). Its perfect for much of my winter riding and I live in Sussex! No maintenance, great on mud, still rubbish on green chalk but better than anything else I've tried. Plus its a good work out!
Just back from a spin on mine, use it for most conditions but when the snow turns to boiler plate i'll go back to ice spikers on the hardtail.
Where are all the fat bikes?
Deep in the mountains where ordinary bikes fear to tread...
Haha spot on
Great pic. Srt of sums us up, just get out and have a laugh whatever the weather. Global Fatbike coming up, going to be slightly muddy 😉
My rigid fatty was a fat bike.
My front suspension fatty is just a very ,very good trail bike that just happens to have big fat wheels.
Global fatbike day ride at Formby beach (between Liverpool and Southport) on 7/12/19 if anyone is interested? its posted on the usual Farcebook Fatbike sites
Does anybody make electric fat bikes?
Felt do.
Deep in the mountains where ordinary bikes fear to tread…
Mibbe in your neck of the woods, apart from one guy locally, everyone else I know bought them as an excuse to be slow uphills and shit on descents.
My rigid fatty was a fat bike.
My front suspension fatty is just a very ,very good trail bike that just happens to have big fat wheels.
Pretty much echoes my recent experience going from my old 9zero7 to my new Cube Nutrail. Just feels like a mountain bike, but it has larger than average tyres.
Another +1 for the Calibre Dune here. Cheap enough to upgrade brakes and I've added a dropper. Fantastic fun and you can cruise passed the gravellers pushing their way up slippery technical climbs still with traction to spare...
I stripped my Calibre Dune last weekend. Can't quite bring myself to take the cracked frame to the tip. Must buy another frame of some sort...
@slamman69 any plans to do a fattie frame with 197mm rear spacing...?
I would still be riding mine (a Pugs) if it hadn’t been stolen in the summer.
That said, I guess my current bike is fat (road) bike 😉
"Great in mud"
I thought this was one of their weak points and that they slithered all over it being unable to cut through.The old school of thought was that a narrower tyre was better for that reason.
Please enlighten me.
I thought this was one of their weak points and that they slithered all over it being unable to cut through.The old school of thought was that a narrower tyre was better for that reason.
Please enlighten me.
Opposite way of dealing with the problem.
There's 2 types of grip, friction derived from the trail and the tyre compound. And mechanical derived from the ability of the tread pattern to dig in and not slip. In mud it's mostly the latter.
In deep mud the tread pattern will work up until the point the shearing load on the mud exceeds it's ability to resit it. i.e. the tyre doesn't slip, the mud slips over more mud. A CX bike works on it's ability to exceed the shear in a vertical plane and sink down to ground solid enough not to shear in the horizontal plane. A fat bike works because you have such a big contact patch the horizontal shear doesn't exceed the mud's ability to resist in the first place.
Normal MTB tyres sometimes struggle as they can neither dig down or spread the load sufficiently so you end up just paddle wheeling through.
It works. Although I'd caveat that with "it depends on the mud". They work brilliantly on fast muddy corners where they carry speed, but show them a long steep muddy bridleway climb churned by horses hooves, and the CX bike will storm ahead.
Last year I would have agreed that fattys can wash out in mud.
Fitted an Edna and it goes straight through my slippiest patch of mud.
"but show them a long steep muddy bridleway climb churned by horses hooves, and the CX bike will storm ahead."
I find the opposite. With around 8-9 PSI my Dillinger 5 tyres and a 28 x 42 my Mukluk will climb pretty much anything except green chalk, especially muddy churned up bridal paths. My Pinnacle with 700c Nano's will only climb well in mud if its super wet and the base layer rock is easily accessible underneath.
Where the fatbike slides around is on wet rock and roots but I prefer using a different bike in those circumstances anyway.
I am amused about the "fatbike community" and the recommendations of that facebook page. That facebook page is full of such numpties that it makes this place look reasonable. I got told all sorts of nonsense on there with such vitriol that I had to leave it. I was told I do not fit the fatbike lifestyle and that I should sell mine simply because I questioned the wisdom of advising a newb that they were great for commuting 15 road miles on!
Its just a bike FFS. a bike with fat tyres!
10 KG fatbike? I'd love to see the spec and some pictures
My Pinnacle with 700c Nano’s will only climb well in mud if its super wet and the base layer rock is easily accessible underneath.
Ermmm, not really a fair test comparing dillinger to nanos though is it?
And my point was not about getting up a climb, its about speed.
E.g. theres one climb on one of my local loops, fairly straight and consistent for about 3 minutes and all about 4-6" deep in slop at the moment. The fatty will trudge up it in bottom gear no drama, the CX bike flies up in 36-30 (mostly spinning out, but the high cadence stops it stalling on the burried roots).
Coming down would be another matter!
But as TJ says, its just a bike, it doesnt have to be better at everything.
I'm on my 2nd fat bike. Had a Cube Nutrail which was great but I didn't like the geo too much and then got the chance to upgrade to a Canyon Dude.
Now that is a seriously good bike!
It's also very versatile. I'm building up a set of 29 wheels which can take anything from 2.25" to 3" tyres so with the fork travel at 120mm it's similar spec to a Santa Cruz Carbon Chameleon which a mate has just bought.
10 KG fatbike? I’d love to see the spec and some pictures
There was a guy on the FB page who made a 10kg FS fatty.
My Nutrail is 13.2 Kg - but that's 2x and with a dropper, so I guess there could be some weight to be lost if I cared enough 🙂 Feels and "rides" very light.
My Voodoo Wazoo is ~10.5Kg IIRC from default weight ~16.5Kg...
Fat wheels (3.8Kg) replaced with FatNotFat 29ers (2.3Kg)
Fat tubes (1.1Kg) currently replaced with 700x28mm latex (0.15Kg)
26x4" Mission Command (3.1Kg) currently replaced with 700x28 Conti 4 Seasons (0.6Kg)
Alloy fork (1.5Kg) replaced with Fatty Carbon (0.6Kg)
Alloy bars (0.4Kg) replaced with Knuckleball "chewy" (0.2Kg)?
Saddle (0.4Kg) replaced with Charge Spoon (0.3Kg)?
PX bottle cage added (0.1Kg)??
Using non-stock stem and pedals, but think they are roughly weight neutral.
Over my ~2Kg lighter road bike, which has lighter ~1.5Kg wheels, I can easily lose 30secs+ over a 6min+ road climb.
Fat wheels (3.8Kg) replaced with FatNotFat 29ers (2.3Kg)
Fat tubes (1.1Kg) currently replaced with 700x28mm latex (0.15Kg)
26×4″ Mission Command (3.1Kg) currently replaced with 700×28 Conti 4 Seasons (0.6Kg)
Not a fat bike then?
Why would you run 700x28 in a fat frame? Even for a frankenbike parts bin build that's a bit daft. Especially as you already have a road bike.
As for a 22lb fat bike, easy enough, what you gain in tyres (500g an end), you offset in the fork (-1000g), 65mm rims are ~500g, so only 200g over crests for the pair. And the rest is just a mid to high end XC bike and hang it off a carbon beargrease frame.
Full carbon, frame, rims, seatpost, bars = 12.2kg
Crankset is on heavy side, and it has tubes, so at least 1.5kg could be removed.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/7578/16084319068_b8c6bf1742_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/7578/16084319068_b8c6bf1742_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
I love my Dune, as TJ days it's just a bike with fat tyres.
I missed peak fat by the time I got mine. But then I was late to the SS party too.
Might try and get out on the Dune this weekend.
[url= https://i.postimg.cc/JtwF3grD/20191106-081503-01.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/JtwF3grD/20191106-081503-01.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
Full carbon, frame, rims, seatpost, bars = 12.2kg
Crankset is on heavy side, and it has tubes, so at least 1.5kg could be removed.
Could be under 10 kg with fewer spacers...
Against the grain of this thread now, my On-One fatty is 43lb.... Still don't understand the why of the whole enterprise, still don't care, still use it happily. It's just a bike that takes me places, allbeit slowly.