I've been researching these lately. Just wondering if anyone has one and how they like it.

I've been tempted. They get a lot of press here in winter for use on light or groomed snow.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
I've been tempted. They get a lot of press here in winter for use on light or groomed snow.

-30, who cares if the snow is groomed? Been looking at them and wonder what's the sense ? All the ones I've seen are basically the old, no gears type machine and that tire can't make them any easier to pedal. Seems like just another gizmo to sell to uninformed Wanna Bees.

Grizz

Grizz, the ones I am seeing have multiple speeds. Should be good in sand, too.

http://gearjunkie.com/fat-bike-trend

quote:

Originally posted by Cold Trigger Finger:
I've been researching these lately. Just wondering if anyone has one and how they like it.

As you likely know 9 Zero 7 are very popular up here.

One spring bear hunt I saw a guy biking into Russina Lakes with a mountain bike and trailer. He was booking pretty good with way more gear than I was carrying on my back.

The light bulb went off........

Cheers
Jim

Wonder where my reply from yesterday went. Cyber space no doubt.
Anyway, yesterday we got a Motobecane Boris, fat bike. Size 15" . Found it on Craigslist. Got it and a bunch.of extra stuff with it.for 804$ .
It fits my wife perfectly. And me ok. I also went by some shops and found the KHS 3000 17" . But I didn't buy it. Need more $$$$ first. But, It is the bike I want for myself. Same gears as the Boris and similar weight. Great set up for racks. And stronger axles than the Boris. Not that the Boris is bad. Just that I'll be having 400 lbs on this bike if everything goes right. Where as my wife will max out at 200 or less with all her gear and food. I will probably ride mine more than she does Her's also. I need to get a good set.of tires for hers also. Snowshoes or Bulldozers for winter. It rolls along cobby gravel roads really well so far that I've ridden it. I mainly got it to help my knees that I've injured too many times and need to get my legs I shape. But I'll sure nuff use it for both big game and predator hunting. A froze in snow go trail is all I need for winter predator hunting.

I have been seriously considering one. A friend in MN. bought one and used it in all types of conditions and he absolutely love it. A bike built for hunters named Cogburn built in MN. is intriguing my interest. All have multiple gearing and have seen some custom single wheel trailers. Google fatbike for hunting and scan the photos. They are quiet and practical. Even the electric assisted models.

I did get a Cogburn CB4 in Realtree Snow Camo . I REALLY like it a lot. !! It is great exercise for my knees. It you don't go fast and have the pressure in the tires down like around 8 psi. The tires don't make a lot of noise on gravel.

No doubt a lot of guys say, oh BS I'm not gonna ride a bike, F--- That

But, if the choice is quality low impact aroebic exercise, Or, not being able to walk. For me, the quality aroebic exercise wins hands down. Especially when its so much fun and, I can quietly cover some country.
The Cogburn cost about the same as an IOR Valdada 3.5-18 mil mil FFP scope and by the time I have all the racks and bags and studded 45North Dillinger 4s on it. It will be pushing the cost of a Schmidt Bender PM II.
But, what's the use of me having a good scope when I can't hardly walk out to set up a target? . I'm amazed at how much the pedaling has helped my walking! Its like it gave me my knees back! . And it has helped me get back to work doing what I enjoy doing. Climbing and taking down trees. Which is very hard on my knees.
The cardiovascular benefits of cycling are just what I bet 75% of the members of AR could seriously benefit from.

I need to get some white tires ( On One Floaters) and stud them for winter and some white wheels ( Framed) . White handle bars, seat post, crank arms, HB stem. And snow camo panniers and frame bag. And of course for hunting I will be wearing camo.
I'm working on figuring out how to put a Bob trailer on it with a 26" ×4" +wide tire. I'm also brain storming how to attach a snowgo ski skin under the tire so that it will slide well on snow but is easy to take off when I get to dirt or pavement. ( or modify a short " sliding snowshoe type cross country ski " ).
At this point, most fat bikes are play bikes, not work bikes.
Someone needs to make a cargo bike that will take 5-6" wide 26" fat bike tires.

Anyway most of the members here should take the price of their next smoke pole and get a fat bike instead. Something ranging from a Motobecane Boris X5 up thru a full suspension carbon fiber fatty. Get some bike shorts and a helmet . And start enjoying the great outdoors with the guns they already have. In my humble opinion of course.

Think I'd have to use a Rokon. I'm just too old!

We have lots of non motorized access areas up here. With the 22 tooth front chain ring and 36 tooth rear ring . For every 1 revolution of the pedal the rear wheel goes 1/2 revolution. Just sit and spin away. Pretty easy to go 5 or 6 mph without killin myself off.

I've been learning about winter and snow riding
When you get a fatty, get a pump that you can pack with you easily. Most fat bike tubes run Pesta valves instead of the standard Shrader valves. That part is important to remember. . I put studded Vee Snowshoes XL on my bike. Front and rear. And a Dillinger 5 studded on the front on my wife's Boris. I studded one of the Surly Nate tires that came on my bike and put it on the rear of my wife's bike. I used 3/8" steel stud , self drilling pancake/washer head screws. I put a gob of silicone sealant on the head of every screw. Smoothed it with my finger and let it cure. Then mounted it on the rim in normal fashion.
I've been playing around with tire pressure for flotation and discovered that the tires loose pressure in the cold like an old Honda 90 3 wheeler tires did. So, they need to have more pressure in them in a warm building that you.may want on the trail. Depending on how much you want on the trail. Light weight guys may b happy with 7 lbs front and 9 lbs rear. At 0°F the 7 psi will become 4 or 3 psi. And its like trying to pedal thru wet concrete. Not fun. Also. The factory studded tires are good on bare ice. But on snow covered ice they aren't long enough to hook up. The 3/8" screws HOOK UP . The front tire will wash out and slide sideways in say 6" of snow if you make a quick turn of the handle bar. With 300 framing screws in a tire it doesn't happen as much. If where you ride the snow is snowball snow then it won't be much of an issue. Our snow is very dry so it is.
Also. I regret buying the 45North Dillinger tires. I got 1, 4 and 1 5 . The local bike shop really talked them up. I'm not impressed. The Snowshoes hook up much better. And they cost about $90.00 les per tire.

Back in the late '80's I used my Schwinn mountain bike to bowhunt St. Vincent's Island in FL. The tires were not near as big but it did pretty good on the sandy roads and beaches. It let me sleep a little longer but still get on stand well before sunrise.

Tom

Tom;
I had a Ross Mt Hood, mountain bike when I lived out at 8 Fathom Bight on Chichagof Is, Southeast Alaska. My wife had her Raleigh Mt Bike. Even with both of us riding side by side down the road we found the animals were not alerted to us via sound. Not that they were silent. Just that the animals didn't equate the small noises of a bicycle with danger. Sometimes they wouldn't even wake up till we were alongside them. . A nice buck almost ran into me one time when it was sleeping alongside the road. . I'm glad it wasn't a bear as it bolted across the road and missed one of my dogs by maybe 1 foot.
Some guys consider a bike a po mans ATV . But really they are the quiteest faster way to access hunting country. .
The fat bikes are lots more stable in sketchy going than a regular mt bike. I wish that good strong rack development had advanced along with fat bikes. I'm Hoping Surly will come out with the Big FAT Dummy. This year. Their Big Dummy cargo bike is great. But if they used the the bottom bracket and fork/rear triangle spacing of the Ice Cream Truck. With the rest of the Big Dummy frame. It will make an awesome hunting/packing out bike. And it could run the 2XL Vee Snowshoes tires.

Thanks for posting the photos and your insight. More hunters should use them. Deeper access into the hunting zone with silence more than justifies their use.

CTF: I tip my hat to you for getting about on a bike in the Alaskan winter! You are a lot tougher hombre than I am.