Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
For a couple winters we just made our own studded tires, using 2.1" tires and cheap hardware sticking through the tire about a 1/4". We could do ALL the trails in Jackson park that anyone had packed down by walking, granny gear out of the saddle climbs and all, and it was better the icier it got as the hardware would just lock in better. Riding on pavement wasn't great but we just looked for snow or ice to ride on.
I can see how a fat tire bike would work much better on something like a groomed trail or snow where you can get down to something solid.
If you have a few minutes, go check the one out at Wild Rock or the two they have at Fontaine (Norco). Let me know what you think.
I've played around in the parking lot on one at Fontaines, and its lighter than it looks.
My take on the whole fat bike thing, is that they excel in sand and snow of a certain density, and can climb pretty well in low traction situations. The same can be said of a 2.5" tire free ride, or even a 2.1" xc bike, they just need denser snow/sand.
If you want to go riding on a groomed snowmobile/ski trail, they are the ticket though. Or in the late winter when the snow melts down and freezes hard overnight, they would be super fun to take anywhere and bomb around one of the golf courses.
For walking trails though or hard packed icy single track, I really liked the extreme studded tires on the xc bike.
That's just my opinion though, I'd rather spend that kind of money on an FS "all mountain" type bike and make or buy a good set of big studded tires. Then I could rip it in the summer, and ride what I can in the winter, but if winter riding is what you want mostly, then the fat tires are the way to go.