Longtime fat biker and plus biker here. I really wanted to like my fatbike when I moved from YYC to Victoria, but the lack of soft conditions took away its main mission. I did use it as trail bike occasionally, but never thought those fat tires did anything for me I needed my normal 2.4" tires didn't. That includes snow riding for a 1-2 weeks a year our trails see the white stuff. My fatty was a rigid bike, but if I felt like those big tires were compelling enough I would have bought a hardtail or FS fatty. I just never saw the point despite being fat friendly. So I sold that bike.
I got a plus bike, which has proven a lot more versatile and useful on the coast than the fatty, but even for that bike I use it for bikepacking mostly when riding poorly maintained roads and trails make me appreciate the wider tires the most. I've used this bike for local trail riding a bunch and never come home not wishing I had taken my normal 2.4" tire bike out. I keep the plus setup for touring.
I just ordered a new 29er FS bike and picking through the choices I didn't go with a few 27+ compatible options and ended up with a 29er specific bike. Even though I've got a spare 275er wheelset here.
If you love plus/fat tires for trail riding in coastal BC that's great. I'm not trying to convince you otherwise, but if you are just fat/plus curious my advice is to get a demo to make sure you really love the wider tires for your regular trail riding missions. Despite being a fat/plus owner/fan for specific bike missions I don't dig 'em for that general purpose type of riding and I am inclined to like odd ball gear/setups!
Jan. 26, 2018, 7:38 a.m. - Vik Banerjee
Longtime fat biker and plus biker here. I really wanted to like my fatbike when I moved from YYC to Victoria, but the lack of soft conditions took away its main mission. I did use it as trail bike occasionally, but never thought those fat tires did anything for me I needed my normal 2.4" tires didn't. That includes snow riding for a 1-2 weeks a year our trails see the white stuff. My fatty was a rigid bike, but if I felt like those big tires were compelling enough I would have bought a hardtail or FS fatty. I just never saw the point despite being fat friendly. So I sold that bike. I got a plus bike, which has proven a lot more versatile and useful on the coast than the fatty, but even for that bike I use it for bikepacking mostly when riding poorly maintained roads and trails make me appreciate the wider tires the most. I've used this bike for local trail riding a bunch and never come home not wishing I had taken my normal 2.4" tire bike out. I keep the plus setup for touring. I just ordered a new 29er FS bike and picking through the choices I didn't go with a few 27+ compatible options and ended up with a 29er specific bike. Even though I've got a spare 275er wheelset here. If you love plus/fat tires for trail riding in coastal BC that's great. I'm not trying to convince you otherwise, but if you are just fat/plus curious my advice is to get a demo to make sure you really love the wider tires for your regular trail riding missions. Despite being a fat/plus owner/fan for specific bike missions I don't dig 'em for that general purpose type of riding and I am inclined to like odd ball gear/setups!