It's all FAT now for the new season of riding.

​Here you go...

alot here but super fun and alot of new excitement for year round MTB... rented a Specialized FatBoy ($2K bike, Alum frame-Large, 1 pc. Carbon fork, Hyd. brakes, 4.6" tires, XO Sram grip shifters, X7 Deraileur, 3​0#​!!!!light​) on Saturday night about 6pm when sun was setting. http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/mountain/fatboy

Plan was to ride Is. Lake on Sunday and Maybury if time allowed. However at 8pm I decided to go ride our lake (after 3 craft pints in me too) which was frozen solid with 3" dry powder. Thought I'd see how the bike worked in fresh snow... well it didn;t really - I rode about a mile in the moonlight and honestly I could have ridden better on my 29er (but would have fell more). In snow fresh dry piles of 6"+ in the granny gear it barely worth it and the work is exhausting just for moving forward. First impressions is this doesn;t work well at all blazing your our paths - sucks for what I though would be my main use.....but I learned these rides shine on the packed snow and soft singletrack....

Sunday after reading the

​ MMBA​

 trail conditions - it's Maybury SP - seems that alot of non-FAT MTB is going on there (and it was) and the trail is in good packed condition. I know this trail really well probably 40 loops in past 5 years here as I do it twice (6.7 miles)... well in the first 100 yards of smooth packed groomed trail its like summer again.

​ I LOVE RIDING THIS. The trail is totally familiar but at same time all new... I know whats coming and the turns but they are mentally challenging as I continue to build speed through confidence.​ Mentally tiring but exciting because you literally have 12" width of groomed trail to stay on - if not you're falling left/right in deep snow 20" + yesterday in deep woods. I started at 10-12 PSI because of "pro" recommendations at shop but I lower the PSI four times on the ride and everytime it got BETTER!. My second loop was even faster than the first and even more fun - did NOT want to get off this thing. I always loved riding when its cold (sub 40 degrees) but it could be 10 degrees out and you're so busy riding and smiling and building heat it doesn't matter. This bike is as much a game changer as the 29... BUT the difference is I will be taking this on the MTB trails not riding around my local streets in the off season. This bike will get me total motivated to get in car and go to MTB trails to ride... if you're going to street ride this around the dry neighborhoods I would say its not worth it. Who wants to ride on the salty wet icy streets anyway! 

Thoughts/Impressions:

​-​

Fat rides exactly like a 29ER!!! fast down and climbs

​ like a BIG wheeled​ ride

 (didn;t think it would

​ as 26er​

)

​-​

Downhill in groomed snow

​ trail​

 it bombs - fast and fun, no way on thinner tires you can bike groomed trails - you will fall

​-​

No need for suspension - I kept lower

​ing

 tire PSI, more grip and no hard

​er​

 to peddle

​ /​

​ I could tell no real difference​

​-​

You can slide turns like a snowboard turn on the groomer trails - insane both tires sliding - never did this before - impossible on thin tires

​-​

You treat fresh snow and off piste exactly like sand on dry MTB - get way back over rear and it goes through anything - stay forward and you will still fall

​ though...​

​-​

XO Grip shifters rock with winter gloves.. talk is they are so good now MTB'ers are upgrading to them over triggers - I believe it.

​-​

4.6" tire is absolute min. width for me bigger better - more confidence and 

​keep lower the pressure!!! 

-Winter season and the looonnnggg thaw are over... this just opens everything up - ride ALL YEAR!. 

-Now I get why these bike are exploding in sales - just like 29ers' have been past 3 years...Specialized sold out now 3 months back ordered.

-I'm sold on a hardtail now as long as its got 5" tires...

-Probably could get away with mechanical discs here as you barely use them - but Hydraulic are so great and smooth..

-Carbon fork is sold - light and perfect fine without suspension

-2X10 X7 gearing right on - you can use all of it... 1X11 probably not enough/limiting in hills and slippery stuff...

-30 pounds solid and light... very shocked on lite and nimble perfect weight.

-Large size just right for me - medium losses 1/2 in horz. length and 1.5 in top tube height - cramped by my thinking for me. 

To summarize why I'm getting one as soon as possible: RIDE ALL YEAR, CARVE THE SNOW, SUPER FUN 

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 YOU CAN'T RIDE THIS THING WITHOUT SMILING!!!​ 

​Go demo one now- BOOM!