Fat Bikes

With the snow beginning to fly throughout eastern Iowa, any bike enthusiast seek alternative bikes and riding styles to further there training and cycling enjoy ability. If you are reading this blog and are from Iowa you can defiantly understand that winters here are not to forgiving. And with these type of winters it is understandable that winter riding and be pretty hazardous. So is this just the end to any out door riding for the three months that winter haunts Iowa with its tight grasp? Well it was up until about 10 years ago, when the first “Fat Bike” made its debut.

The fat bike takes the ideas of a mountain bike and multiplies them by 2. The fat bike sports tires that are about twice as wide as mountain bike tires, and are filled to a low air pressure allowing them to role over objects easier and maintain traction in adverse riding conditions like snow, sand, mud, and loose rocks. These beefy and knobby tires allow for better traction and stability that might be lacked in the snow when riding a mountain bike.

I have ridden a couple different types of fat bikes and have found like many others that these mammoth machines are just fun! Some different companies that make these bikes include, specialized, pugsley, surly, and cooker etc. Along with these different companies, there has been the creation of different styles of bikes. These new styles include rigid frames, front suspension, full suspension, and even kids bikes. This variety of bikes allows for everyone to find a bike that fits their riding style. Along with these different frame moldings, some companies have started to make carbon fiber fat bikes, along with their steel and aluminum bikes. These carbon fiber bikes are very low in wait and make the riding experience on one of these bikes even greater than before.

As a member of the biking business I have seen many positive reviews of these new bikes whether riding it for everyday mountain bike training or the snow and ice riding. The ice aspect of winter allows for bike companies then to make studded fat tires which allow for substantial traction in every winter whether condition you may think of. So if your looking for a very fun, reliable, and adverse bike the fat bike might be your best option for any type of riding. These bikes can be bought and sold at many bike retailers from 1000 to 8000 dollars.



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