Not All Fat Bikes Are Created Equal Over the past several years, I have answered countless questions about Fat Bikes. What is that? Is that fun? That is a snow bike, right? I have been riding a Fat Bike for 7 years and fielded so many of those questions. Many of my peers have been riding them longer than I have. I started riding a Fat Bike in sub zero temperatures in the midwest. There werent any complete bikes at that time, and I had to piece together my new bike from the ground up. I remember turning up the heat in the warehouse so I could feel my fingers enough to get the wheels done. The evening I finished my build, there was a fresh foot of snow on the ground. That bike hit the fresh foot of powder and my smile started from there. I could not believe I was riding a bike in those conditions. For the next several months, my Pugsley never let me down. From deep powder to fast, slick, snowy singletrack, that bike was, not only solid, but way beyond any fun I had ever had on a bike bef ore. Ic y bridges were fine. Snow covered teeter-totters were exhilarating. Halt! O.K., winter conditions are winter conditions. I had no idea what to think when I got outside of white snow and ice. I came back to Portland; the Pacific Northwest. I looked at the Pugsley and thought Can I ever use this bike out here?. My mind said yes. And, my experience told me that I wanted to ride my Fat Bike. So, I rode it because that is what I wanted to ride. Out here, in the Pacific Northwest, everyone looked at me like I was crazy for riding it back then. Not only didi I use it on so many regular rides, but it became a competitive advantage on many of them. Bottom line: the Fat Bike offered things that the regular mountain bike didnt. More traction, inherent suspension, and the ability to ride wherever I wanted. It offered a much wider variety of places to ride. The coast is a really fun place to play. Snow is a really fun place to play. And, our regular rides, simp ly, beca me a more fun place to play. Isnt that what bikes are all about? My mind, along with some of my riding friends, opened up to the idea that Fat Bikes were just the start of something new. And, slowly but surely, I have watched them convert to Fat Bikes. Now, enter 2015. Yes, we are in 2014, but the coming year is upon us, at least here in the bike industry. I am now going to present the real truth: Not all Fat Bikes are created equal. Just as our industry has developed mountain bikes, it is now developing Fat Bikes. And, fast, might I add. Without question, Salsa Cycles is the leader in this category. Not only do they have incredible Fat Bikes, but they have developed them for whatever your desired purpose is! Now more than ever, Salsa Cycles is presenting the real concept of Purpose Driven Fat Bikes. Do you want a bike for adventure/outback touring? No problem. Do you want a bike for epic endurance touring and racing? No problem. Do you want a bike that can handle anything you want to throw at it? No problem. This past weekend, I was able to take the new Buck Saw full suspension Fat Bike on the McKenzie River Trail in Oregon. The trail is, roughly, 25 miles of singletrack. Its marred with sh arp lava rock, turns that come on way to fast, and, generally leaves any rider exhausted at the end. Now, granted, every rider will end up with a smile. But, the trail never leaves the rider a single moment of rest. McKenzie will leave any rider mentally and physically tired at the end. For the past several years, I have ridden Fat bikes on McKenzie. And, my fellow friends have gradually done the same. For me, however, this year was something different. I was on a Salsa Buck Saw. This bike is a 100mm full suspension Fat Bike with DW Split Pivot suspension. Throughout the ride, my friends, my fellow riders, were waiting for me. I was, consistently ahead of them coming down McKenzie. Normally, we are all together. This time was different. The Buck Saw provided me something altogether new and advantageous. This particular Fat Bike was different. After riding Fat Bikes for so many years, the Buck Saw, as its own Fat Bike, showed me something altogether new. Something I wasnt e xpecting. And, at the end of the day, I was left with the biggest smile of anyone. This Fat Bike, this what is that? had now come full circle and showed its true colors. This was a far cry from something I would ride on the snow in the midwest. It offered something different and new. It offered a whole different purpose. Purpose Drive Fat Bikes. Each individual Fat Bike is created for a specific purpose. So, now, I present to you: Not all Fat Bikes are created equal. Just about every company out there is developing a Fat Bike. I can name a whole bunch of them. But, I wont, as I dont want to call out any names. But, I can tell you, that it is true. A Fat Bike on a sales floor is not just a Fat Bike. Or, maybe it is. But, is it created equal? Is it really designed to do whatever it is intended to do? Or, is it just a bike that is out there to try to keep up? Not so with Salsa Cycles. They arent keeping up. They are paving the way. They are bringing into reality the purpose driven reason for why we ride Fat Bikes. Purpose drive Fat Bikes now become Choose Your Weapon. Ya, sorry, that is kind of a cliche. But, do you want to choose your weapon from a selection of what may work. Or, do you want to choose your weapon from a wide variety of choices for what fits for you? Beargrease: Fast handling, long distance endurance riding/raci ng. Wan t this bike to react to your input? It will. Mukluk: Reliable, Stable, long distance, touring. Load it down, it can take it. Gnarly, technical trail ahead? Mukluk will plow over it in a very stable way. Not sure what snow or trail conditions lie ahead? Mukluk is a great choice. BlackBorow: Maximum flotation with 4.8 tires. This is the rock crawler of Fat Bikes. Super stable over anything that comes its way. This bike craves sand, snow, and crazy river beads. The Blackborow is designed for 5 tires (and then some!). Its not only able to handle 5 tires, but rather, that is the starting point for the bike. BlackBorow is purpose driven. Its not just another Fat Bike, but a Fat Bike with a purpose. And, finally, Buck Saw: The very first production full suspension Fat Bike. Buck Saw was not something that was was rushed onto the market. The frame design has been ready for quite some time. However, there wasnt a fork ready for it, so i t had to wait. Until now. Without question, I will absolutely say, welcome to the new generation of mountain bikes. At its roots, Buck Saw is a Fat Bike. Engineering wise, Buck Saw is a full suspension mountain bike. Welcome to the marriage of those two concepts. In the real world, I can, unequivocally, say that we have yet to see what this bike can do. Quite simply put, Buck Saw exceeded any expectations I could have put on it. On our blog, I will provide details of the Buck Saw. It has taken me over a week just to absorb my own experience in riding it through McKenzie River. Now, I will put that into words, from the initial set up to the rides end. Stay tuned for that. As with the others, Buck Saw is a, true, purpose driven Fat Bike. Not all Fat Bikes are created equal. Salsa Cycles leads the way in Fat Bike development and experience. Bigger tires dont make a Fat Bike. Wider forks, rear chainstays and/or seatstays dont make a Fat Bike. Real engineering makes a real Fat Bike that will last for the coming years. To that end, not all Fat Bikes are equal. Fat Bikes are here to stay. Salsa calls out a purpose, a real reason, for each Fat Bike they produce. Its not just putting the new suspension fork on their existing frame. Its deciding what each rider wants out of their own bike. That is real Purpose Drive engineering. Choose wisely. Mike D.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 02:59:47 +0000
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