Is Fat Bike Meant For Everyone?
The fat bike seems to be one of the newest developments in two-wheeled transportation. A fat bike is a regular bike having “Fat wheels and Fat tires.” Originally, fat bikes were developed for use in snow. The tires of the Fat bike can be up to four inches wide. And this size offers much traction when you are riding on soft terrain.
However, the size of the tire doesn’t make this bike a fast one. Nevertheless, it is almost an irresistible attraction to fashion lovers or fashion-oriented riders.
But is the fat bike meant for everyone? It is not. There are different types of bikes, and it all depends on their use. A mountain bike has narrow tires to help reduce friction. Mountains bikes are very fast, unlike the fat bikes.
Fat bikes are meant for those who intend to ride a bike in the winter snow or the summer sand. If you also plan to ride on terrain with loose rocks, then the fat bike is the right choice. The use determines the type of bike. If there are no reasons to own a fat bike, you can stick with the regular ones.
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Why Fat Bike?
According to Northern Michigan University, a study explains that riding a fat bike on a groomed snow trail is an exercise with higher intensity than riding on an earthen trail. The speed of the fat bike on the snow terrain was slow. Slow speed is equal to more paddling; more paddling is similar to more and efficient exercise.
It is also possible to burn 1500 calories in an hour by riding a fat bike in winter. That is huge for someone who is looking to shed off some weight. The bulky tires are tough to roll, and maintaining a uniform speed can be much work. Fat bikes provide optimum weight loss performance than regular bikes and even mountain bikes.
Fat bikes are great for beginners because their fat tires make balancing very easy. Balancing is one of the basics needed for riding a bike. Even if you’re an inexperienced rider, you can get the hang of it in no time. Movements are a little bit slow, and you’ll need to max the leg muscles’ power. Using max leg power muscle is an innate attribute of rookie riders.
One of the reasons you might want to go for a fat bike is that it is comfortable. The wider tires and lower base pressure makes it a smooth, soft ride. What’s more, is that fat bikes handle holes and rocks correctly. Also, potholes and frost heaves have no adverse effect on the rider and the bike.
Little maintenance is required for fat bikes as they are considered one of the most rigid. A lot is put in the frame of the bike by manufacturers. Also, their parts don’t get easily damaged. You wouldn’t have much need to worry about maintenance costs when riding a fat bike.
Thinking Versatility, Think Fat Bikes
If you’re looking to invest in a fat-bike, you’re looking to invest in a bike that will work in almost all conditions. It is not reasonable and affordable to have bikes for different uses, like road bikes for the city, full-suspension bikes for mountains, and slick rock. Instead you can blend all these qualities in one by getting a fat bike.
Fat wheels bikes are also known for their floating characteristics on tricky surfaces. However, they weigh more than your standard road bikes and mountain bikes. You may be struggling to paddle it on typical asphalt and pavement because of its weight. This feature makes it a plus for those wanting to lose weight in a comfortable, fun way.
A Weather Friendly Bike
A fat bike is a weather-friendly bike as it can adjust to all kinds of weather. There are no risks of slipping on a wet stone or slipping on the asphalt with a fat bike. There wouldn’t be any case to sink in mud or snow like some regular bikes. This quality makes the fat bike an all-encompassing means of transportation.
Since fat bikes are much heavier in weight than the other MTB, they can withstand strong winds. They can withstand winds without hurting the rider.
The Logic behind the Fat Tires
A fat tire bike is at least 4 inches wide. This is almost twice the width of a regular mountain bike. And it is nearly four times your standard road bike. We shouldn’t also forget that the tire pressure ranges from 10 to 20 psi and can lower. This means that the tire’s surface area would help the bike stay aloft on brittle surfaces.
When you walk on snow with regular boots, you begin to sink. But compare that to walking on snow boots. What makes the difference? Pressure ranges. When walking in normal shoes, the pressure pulls you down. But that of the snow boots would keep you up.
Most people think that having a fat bike is boring, and you might not compete with it. The fat bike isn’t boring, and you can take part in competitions like the just-concluded Global Fat-Bike competition.
Have You Thought Of Wheel Swapping?
Some bikes are created to accommodate fat-tire and standard rims of 27.5 or even 29-inch MTB rims. So if you know you wouldn’t be riding a fat bike all year, you can get a frame with several configurations. These multiple options would allow you to maintain a single bike with several makeups.
You can run a fat-tire configuration if you intend to ride on sand or snow. There are other options for getting a set of mountain bike wheels. Then you mount small tires on their narrow rims. This option is light and can work well for everyday riding.
Fat bikes are manufactured with multiple hub standards. So if you’re looking into enjoying different options, you might want to get a separate set of wheels.
