Wot happened to fat bikes

[2manyoranges]

I tried to make the heading in exclusively three letter words and failed … but … key thing is this … they came and went … fat bikes … saw one in Thetford a few weeks ago. On Pinkbike, one 26 inch fat bike frame (Kona 26), seven fat bike parts … seems dead then … I know they are still used in Alaska but that seems like a pretty limited context….

 

[hamster]

Fat bikes join Octalink, pressed-in BBs, rapid-rise mechs etc in the fads dumpster.

It was another attempt by the bike industry to give the wheel another spin, along with more wheel sizes, 1x gears etc. It's all intended to drive the replacement cycle with some hot unmissable new thing.

Going the other way they sort-of made it stick with Gravel Bikes. But even there you now see articles the like of 'are 50mm tyres better than 40mm?'

 

[d8mok]

They all bought e-bikes ….

 

[hamster]

Good point - loads of people dressed up to the nines riding full sus e-bikes on forest fire roads round me.

There's also an infestation around me of those ghastly crude 20" wheeled fat tyre Chinese e-bikes.

 

[Woz]

- raised the very same question at the Inn a while back....

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/bikewrenchers-inn.447640/post-3370151

 

[The History Man]

I’ve got the front of one. Novelty item really. Lurching along, sapping energy. Beaches and snowdrifts are fairly seasonal here.

 

[grantoury]

This picture appeared on the Surly website in 2011. I rather liked it. It was however very clear to me that this was a specialty bike and no more. I've always admired Surly for bothering with specialties though, and don't begrudge them their success. In fact only a year before I went to a trade show, where everybody came to see the new Pinarello and the Surlies were lingering in a corner. A couple of years later that had changed. I think largely because of these.

 

[novocaine]

I ate them all. Nom nom nom.

 

[clubby]

The people that actually needed them are still riding them, those that bought them just because either sold them at a big loss or have them buried under a pile of other bikes in the shed/ garage/ downstairs bog.

 

[novocaine]

Now they aren't cool, I want one.