Hey guys as winter is approaching I really want to continue to ride through the winter this year. Last winter I went mental just hiking or snowshoeing with the dogs every day… I need my riding time lol
Looking at getting a decent fat bike I can rip around the trails. Not looking at breaking the bank as the wife would kill me. Any decent fat bikes out there that can take a beating on the trails but not cost 3000?
Anyone have one for sale personally? I’m only 5”5 so looking mainly for a small to medium frame
Call me old fashioned but I was still out, not only riding, but hitting jumps and railing berms all winter long on a set of non studded, normal 26” tires on my downhill bike. They were 2.7” wide and ran on low psi, added a little guess work to the landing of jumps but HRM doesn’t really get a considerable amount of snow that sticks around until late in the season and even then it’s nothing major. If you don’t mind your bike seeing some ice and snow I’d say “run what your brung” yearlong
Been there, stuff up your current bike with some studded tires should be more than enough to be stoked whole winter. Save you some cash too. But fatbike has its certain cool vibe I guess go for it if you have some extra cash laying around. There is a medium fatbike medium size in kijiji selling currently.
Goodluck
With that kind of budget you can buy yourself a brand new fat bike at any of the local shops. You should really try and ride a couple different manufacturers bikes. There is a big difference between rocky and norco for instance. Rocky’s riding position is much more upright while norco feels more like a old traditional xc hardtale.
There will be Conditions were if we have enough snow you simply won’t be able to ride anything else. Some of the best rides I had were last winter with a crew of fat bikers in the valley and Truro. If you want to ride year round a fat bike is the best answer. And they are just so damm fun!
You can get away with wide-ish studded tires when it’s just icy, but if there’s any snow at all, a fatty is the way to go. I picked up a used Rocky Blizzard a couple winters ago and I just love it. I’d check out the local shops, but also consider the RSD Ian mentioned. A riding buddy of mine has a Moose and they’re a really good value. Getting one with a proper fork is worth it too.
I ride a Kona Wo. It is fully rigid and IMO this is all you need for snow riding. The tires are 4.9 and I run around 8psi of pressure. You get a little squish from the soft tires and the snow really helps smooth things out. For $1500 - $2000 you should be able to find an above entry level fat bike
Do you need a fat bike to ride in the winter? It depends on what area you live in and how much you’d be out when the trails aren’t perfectly packed. In Halifax 90% of the winter you don’t really need a fat bike, but if you want to go out after a fresh snow and be the first to put tracks down and have fun doing it, then you need a fat bike with decent knobby tires.
In the Halifax area, studded tires are pretty much a neccesity if you want to be out on the usual single track trails. A fat bike is not needed, but good (expensive) studded fat bike tires work amazing on the ice and snow. I’m blown away how good my 45nrth Wrathchilds work, but they certainly aren’t cheap. I’ve heard the VeeRubber Snow Shoes have a lot of downfalls, and have seen first hand people struggling with them while I just breezed over icy sections, so saving some money on studded tires may not be a good option.
In the Valley or Truro area, a fatbike would be very helpful to have, as there’s generally much more snow in those areas and that’s when a fat bike will really shine.
I have an RSD Mayor and I absolutely love it. I built mine up from parts I had and parts I bought, but the complete bikes they have seem to be very good bang for the buck. Giant has a fat bike now as well, which also seems to be very good bang for the buck. It is a 27.5 fat bike though, so at the moment tire selection may be limited until the market catches up.
One last point, a suspension fork is certainly not necessary but you will completely appreciate it if you have one, especially if you plan to ride on more than just smooth packed snow.
Ditto to what @jetter says. I don’t own a fatbike, and ride studded tires on 26" tires through the winter. You do have to pick your days and places more than with a fatbike though. Around HRM, Shubie, Wrandees, Spider and Nine Mile are go to places, because they get a lot of foot traffic, and get stomped down pretty quickly after snow storms. I understand that Valley trails don’t get stomped as quickly, so a fatbike is a big advantage there. I did try a snowy night ride on 27+ tires with the ecmtb crew on fatbikes, and I really struggled, while they were doing alright.
For 2020 Moose have revamped their entry level M1 and its a pretty decent bike for $899 with delivery included. I reviewed the M3 last year and they are pretty decent bikes. They are based out of Quebec. However, don’t forget your LBS either but I’m not sure you will get anything under $1100 (that’s about where fatties start here on the Rock)
Second that. Good cheap tire to see if you’ll actually ride much in the winter, and okay on ice when studded, but I found them damn near useless in soft snow for trying to push a little.
thanks for all the replies… think I may just do as some suggested… get some studded winters first this time around then if I find I am enjoying the winter riding, get the fat bike next year and perhaps then the wife will let me spend a bit more heheh
