I rented another Specialized Fat Boy from University Bicycles in Boulder this past weekend but this time it would be rolling on dry Dirt and rock out at Heil Ranch in north Boulder.
My last time
out on a Fat Boy, my friend and I took them out during a winter snow storm and
what an experience and since then I’ve seriously been considering replacing my
trusty 26er with The Jeep of all mountain bikes.
The Specialized
Fat Boy I rented was fully rigid with no suspension in front or back. While this made climbing a breeze (I don’t
know if it was the offseason workouts or the fat tires but I never had an
easier time flattening out the climbs) the rocky tread out at Heil Ranch was
punishing on the wrists, even on the portly rubber. The weight was never a problem although you
quickly realize that these Fat Bikes are not built for speed.
On the descents
the bike tends to bounce and at times rather uncontrollably. My biggest mistake was leaving the toe-clips
at home. With such a big contact patch
the bike felt like 8 seconds on Bodacious and left this Cowboy with 2 perfectly
spaced bruises on my shin.
I liked the
grip shifters in the snow but on dry Dirt I think I would prefer thumb shifters. The Tektro hydraulic brakes left much to be
desired. With the extra weight you do
need sturdy brakes but both times these brakes hummed annoyingly almost from
the point I had to start applying them to the end of the ride.
The great news
is that everything wrong with this bike is easily corrected except for the
suspension. Rear is not so important
unless you’re bombing downhill on rocky terrain but a front suspension I think
would make this ride perfect.
If you’ve been
thinking about giving a Fat Bike a try, don’t put it off any longer. You will be amazed how friendly they are on
any trail. You can rent one at University Bicycles and be out on the trail in 15 minutes.
You can find the ride profile on my Garmin page.
Thanks for
clicking in and I hope to see you out on the trail - Dirt Life
