Sooner or later, there comes a time for every cycling enthusiast when he wants to buy himself a new bike. Some people's bicycles are completely broken, some people are simply tired of a bicycle, and some people never had one at all before. In any case, the most important problem arises: which bike to choose from all the variety presented in the store.
First of all, you need to understand why you need a bike and how long you will ride it. Perhaps you want to participate in road races, go on bike tours, do stunts, fly at high speed down a mountain, or just go to the store for bread once a week. Naturally, you will need to choose the appropriate type of bike. So, let's look at what types of bicycles you can find in the store.
You can buy a bike like this if you plan to go to the store in a holiday village a couple of times a week - it’s unlikely to be good for more. By the way, leaving such a bicycle at the dacha is much safer than a fancy, expensive model that will be immediately noticed by local thieves.
Most often, such bicycles have a front or seat shock absorber, an open (that is, without a top tube) lightweight frame (sometimes folding) with a claim to design, a wide soft saddle, fenders, a trunk (often with a grocery basket), chain protection and sometimes even a bicycle light and a bicycle flasher. Typically these bikes are multi-speed (from 7 to 21 speeds) with a cassette or planetary gear shift mechanism of a fairly low level. Wheels on recreational bicycles come in a variety of sizes - from 20 to 28 inches, which allows you to choose the most suitable and convenient option. The seating position on this bike is almost vertical, which allows you to reduce the load on your arms and back and enjoy the ride. An undoubted advantage is also that most of the mechanisms are maintenance-free, which will significantly reduce the time spent on maintaining the bicycle. However, such bicycles are not designed for high loads and you should not expect that a walking bicycle will withstand jumping from a meter height or a serious bike ride.
This bike is good for leisurely walks in the park, short bike trips at a relaxed pace, and trips to the store or to work. In addition, a walking bike is perfect for active older people.
Here are probably all the main types of mountain bikes. Of course, there are many more varieties, for example for dirt jump, freeride or north shore, but all of them, in general, are a variety of the bikes mentioned above.
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Bike tires affect how a bike performs on the road more than any other part. Not only ride comfort, but also safety of movement, especially on wet roads, depends on the quality of bicycle tires. It is clear that the higher the quality of the rubber, the more expensive the tire costs.
When choosing a bicycle tire, it is important to consider the following factors:
Bicycle tires can be made of rubber or a composite material called compound. Rubber has better grip, but wears out faster. The constituent substance of the compound is often silicon. For the same price, a compound tire will outlast a rubber tire. You can distinguish a new rubber product from a composite by touch by rubbing it with a dry finger with force over the surface ─ clean rubber will rub and creak.
Rubber as a material is obtained by adding filler to rubber and then strengthening this compound with sulfur contained in soot using the vulcanization method. The worst quality rubber has the greatest amount of filler.
Bicycle tires can be natural or synthetic.
When buying a tire, you can quickly check it.
To clearly understand what the numbers marked on the rubber mean, you need to understand the internal structure of a bicycle tire.
1. Tread ─ part of the outer shell of the tire. It is divided into a treadmill in the middle and side lugs. It is the tread pattern and depth that determine where the bicycle will be used.
2. Cord ─ frame that gives the shape of a bicycle tire. It is woven from nylon or other synthetic threads. The higher the weave density of a tire, the harder it is. In other words: the higher the TPI (EPI) value - the number of stitches per inch of length - the more effectively the tire resists punctures. The weaving density of most budget tires ranges from 24 to 67 TPI. For road tires this figure is 60–130 TPI. For racing monotubes, this value reaches as much as 320 TPI.
Cheap bicycle tires have a low weave density, and often the lack of strength of the tire is compensated by increasing the thickness of the rubber on the tread and beads, which naturally adds weight.
3. Boarding rope─ a clamp that holds the tire to the rim. Twisted from steel wire or Kevlar threads. The most common bicycle tires are those with a steel beading cable, which are called clincher tires.
Tires with Kevlar threads can be compactly folded like an accordion, which is why they are called folding tires. They weigh about 100 grams less, but also cost more.
Folding bike tire for BMX bikes Tire PP Ft 20x2.25
4. Tire beads ─ layer with increased wear resistance. Depending on the cost and purpose of the board, there are two types:
The tread pattern and height determine what type of bicycle tire it is. The deeper the tread, the higher the grip on any road surface. Tires with deep negative tread experience high rolling resistance.
1. Slick ─ tires without tread. They may only have shallow drainage grooves. When riding on slicks, you need to be careful when braking on muddy or wet roads.
Slicks are ideal for driving on asphalt and racing tracks. Their main advantage is the absence of vibration when the wheel rolls, and, as a result, a bicycle with such tires can reach a higher speed.
Road slick Schwalbe Speed Cruiser HS 321 28x1.20 (700x30C 30-622) on the right and more prominent Schwalbe Big Apple 24x2.0 (50x507) for city driving on the left
By installing Schwalbe Speed Cruiser tires, you can even tilt the bike when turning on wet asphalt, because they are very soft. But the tire wears out quickly ─ if you brake sharply, you can tear it down to the cord over the summer.
The universal Schwalbe Big Apple cycling shoe is equipped with a puncture-resistant Kevlar layer. The textured but shallow tread allows this tire to be used on both the front and rear wheels.
A universal slick for road and city conditions is the CST City Classic Slik tires. Bicycle tires marked CST are of excellent quality and are produced by the reputable Chinese company Cheng Shin Rubber. Such tires will last at least three seasons without visible signs of wear.
Universal tires without tread CST 26×1.90 Slik
2. Semi-slick has a full tread at the edges, and drainage grooves or small hooks are located in the center. These tires are suitable for cross-country dirt roads and off-road use in dry weather. In general, semi-slick tires can be chosen for cycling.
The Schwalbe Sammy Slick Folding tire is suitable for walking around the city and park on a mountain bike. According to the tread structure, it belongs to semi-slick tires.
Schwalbe Sammy Slick Folding semi-slick tire measuring 26x2.1 inches
The bicycle tire for the Schwalbe Hurricane mountain bike is an exemplary semi-slick. It is silent and, most importantly, fast on asphalt and provides reliable traction when driving onto sand.
Schwalbe Hurricane tire size 26x2.00
3. Mountain bike tires ─ so-called mud or gravel tires have a negative tread for the best traction on soft soil, crushed stone, sand or snow. Please note that such tires are not intended for long trips on asphalt roads. In addition to the fact that they will quickly wear out, their high lugs will make movement difficult.
Tubeless, folding tires from Schwalbe Racing Ralph are mud tires. It has a good combination of rowing lugs on the sides and a rolling track in the middle. This bike tire is universal for both forest and city use.
There is a more expensive modification with the Evolution index, which is 100 grams lighter, and it is positioned as a tire for racing.
Schwalbe Racing Ralph tire. Available in sizes: 26x2.10, 26x2.25, 27.5x2.10, 27.5x2.25, 29x2.10 and 29x2.25
The Continental Race King – Race Sport mud tire is a direct competitor to the previous model. It can also be folded like an accordion thanks to the soft side rope. It has no worse rolling performance on hard surfaces and does not lose traction in sand and mud.
Bicycle tire Continental Race King – Race Sport. Available in four sizes: 26x2.0, 26x2.2, 29x2.0, 27.5x2.2
4. The tires for a crossover or urban bike have a treadmill in the middle formed from fairly high lugs. These tires are universal for traveling on smooth asphalt and for driving on dry dirt roads.
The so-called Continental Grand Prix 4 Season training tires are highly durable thanks to reinforced carbon fiber beads. As the name suggests, it can be used all year round as it is made from a durable yet soft compound. This tire can be recommended to road racers who often ride on broken asphalt roads, because it can withstand enormous loads.
All-season road tire Continental Grand Prix 4 Season. Available in the following sizes: 700x23, 700x25, 700x28
Colored tires always look great on road bikes. Although now tires in bright colors are also installed on mountain bikes in order to diversify their appearance.
The bright color of a tire is by no means an indicator of its quality. The Taiwanese manufacturer Kenda, familiar to many cyclists, uses a high-quality wear-resistant compound marked SBC for the production of colored tires.
5. Winter bicycle tires are made of a soft compound, and some models are also equipped with studs. Studded tires are only needed for driving on icy roads to help you brake and turn on ice.
Winter tires, studded in four and two rows
6. Tubeless tires have a beading cable woven from Kevlar threads, that is, they are folding. They are installed on special rims with high sides. Additional sealing is performed using anaerobic glue ─ sealant.
Using tubeless tires allows you to slightly reduce the weight of the bike, as you can fold the tube down. And their main advantage is that a punctured tubeless tire can be repaired without removing it from the wheel.
7. A bicycle tube looks similar to a tube, but it is still a tire, since it has a cord. The tube is attached to this tube using glue. Modern bicycle tubes are practically impenetrable, since they have an increased weaving density of cord threads ─ up to 320 TPI.
They are often used on sports bikes due to the fact that they have the lowest weight of all tires.
Cycling tube from Italian manufacturer Gommitalia Champion, size 700x23
8. Of course, there are no absolutely puncture-proof wheels, but you can reduce the likelihood of a tube puncture by installing tires with a puncture-resistant layer. Such a layer can be formed by either dense rubber or Kevlar threads.
The additional material placed between the cord and the tread adds an average of 170 grams to the weight of the bike.
Finding new bike tires is not difficult if you look at what the old ones were. The dimensions of bicycle tires, like any other tire, are indicated on the sidewall. An extruded standard size always has a diameter and a width; they can be specified in inches or millimeters.
Tires for 29ers are marked with the number 29, although in reality they have a diameter of 622 mm ─ the same as that of a motocross ─ so-called . You need to know that the Niner has wider wheels than the hybrid, so tires with the number 29 cannot be put on the narrow rims of a motocross bike.
Most road bike tires have a diameter of 700 mm or 28 inches. As an exception, a size of 650 mm is sometimes found for the front wheels of a teenage road bike. Many cyclists ride on the narrowest tires, 18-23mm wide. For long journeys, it is better to install tires with a width of 25–28 mm; they are easier to drive on dirt or wet roads.
Mountain bikes are most often equipped with wheels with a diameter of 26 inches. The width of a cross-country bike tire is 1.8–2.4 inches. A freeride or downhill bike is equipped with 2.5-3.0-inch wide tires to ensure reliable grip on rocks.
The width can be indicated either as a decimal fraction ─ 26×2.1 or as a regular fraction ─ 27×1 1/4. At the same time, tires are absolutely identical only with the same markings.
BMX bikes are trial bikes with tires with a diameter of 20 inches. The width dimensions of BMX tires are the same as mountain bike tires.
If you are still not well versed in the types of tires, then it is best to buy a new tire for your bicycle, the same one that was supplied at the factory when it was assembled. This does not mean the same brand, but with a similar tread pattern and the same diameter. But if you really want to choose the best option for your riding style, be prepared to experiment.
You can buy them.
Who would have thought that clunky fat bikes (bikes with fat wheels) that look at home in the ice of the North Pole or on the moon would catch on and become popular? However, it happened. Below we will take a closer look at fat bikes in general and some models in particular.
Fat refers to tire widths greater than 9 cm. As fat bikes have evolved, they have had suspension front and rear and the frame has become increasingly lighter. Carbon fiber frames are becoming more common, and companies like RockShox (Bluto RL) and Lauf are making suspension front forks for them.
When Surly introduced the fatbike concept in 2005 with the 3.8-inch Pugsley, it wasn't looking to commercialize a mass-produced product. Just as cyclocross allows you to train outdoors in the winter, fat bikes have allowed mountain bike owners to ride year-round on almost any surface.
The first fat bikes were created for riding in the snow of North America, but their appearance soon attracted the attention of lovers of long-distance riding on different types of terrain. The extra grip of the wide, low-pressure tires (0.69-1.03 bar) meant steeper climbs and descents were available. The large ground contact area allows you to float through snow, sand, mud and rocks rather than bite into them.
The Surly Pugsley was little different from other bicycles and had a steel frame (with anti-corrosion coating inside) and a rigid fork. The dropout spacing is 135mm front and rear, large enough for 3.8" wide tires at the rear and with room for 4.8" tires at the front. Most modern fat bikes are descendants of the Surly Pugsley. There is no doubt that all popular manufacturers will offer similar models.
As fat bikes become more popular, demands increase to reduce their weight and increase the variety of options available. The most advanced bikes with carbon fiber frames weigh less than 10 kg, thanks to improvements in suspension, drivetrain and brakes. 11-speed drivetrains like the SRAM XX1 and XO1 eliminate the problem of mechanical contamination.
Just like mountain bikes, there are many different tires to suit different types of terrain. Surly features road-ready Black Floyd tires that can reach a maximum pressure of 8.27 bar. The 45NRTH uses Dillinger studded tires for more extreme conditions (like ice). There are many other options available in widths between 3.5 and 4.8 inches. The wheel diameter of fat bikes is usually 26 inches.
Like regular bikes, fat bikes are available in different price ranges and with different types of materials. The more affordable ones use CroMoly chrome-molybdenum steel, the mid-range price often means aluminum, and the most expensive options use carbon fiber.
Note that steel bicycles are easier to repair than aluminum or carbon fiber ones. If you fall over a pothole or break a fork, your local repair shop is more likely to be able to fix it.
Whether to choose a hardtail, softail or dual suspension bike depends on three factors:
Can a fat bike be a mountain bike at the same time? With some reservations. A larger traction area means more resistance, so more effort must be applied to achieve the same speed. The same applies to heavier weights. The advantage is greater cross-country ability - expeditions and different continents will become more accessible.
Fat bikes are attracting more and more attention from beginners. More grip makes it easier for less experienced cyclists to control. Having gained experience, they will be able to switch to bicycles with thin wheels.
For lovers of variety who can afford an expensive bike, a fat bike will provide a unique riding experience on any surface and in any season.
Aluminum frame, RockShox Bluto fork - The Salsa Bucksaw is available in two variants, simply named Bucksaw 1 and Bucksaw 2. The former has better performance with a SRAM XO1 drivetrain and a quality Reverb seatpost. The frame is made of high quality carbon fiber. The wheels and tires on both variants are Surly Marge Lite rims, Salsa Fat Conversion hubs and Surly Nate tires.
Salsa has made a name for itself in the off-road bike category, so you can be sure of the quality of the Bucksaw. The hub sizes are 150mm at the front and 177mm at the rear.
Fat bike in the entry price category. The frame and fork are made from 6061 aluminum, plus you get Shimano hydraulic disc brakes. A good Race Face chainring and bottom bracket are matched to SRAM shifters, shifters and cassette. There are even premium features like internal cable routing and tapered steering column bearings. The hub sizes are 135mm at the front and 190mm at the rear.
Fat Ed uses a RockShox Bluto 100mm fork with remote lockout. Gear shifting is handled by SRAM X7 and X9 with Shimano hydraulic discs, and a Syncros Finishing Kit is available. Uses E Thirteen system, Eddy 2x10 transmission. The frame is made of 6061 aluminum, Syncros rims, Kenda Juggernaut tires. Hub dimensions are 150mm front and 190mm rear.
Price:$5,599 to $1,499 depending on model, salsacycles.com
If any bike has been polished over the years of fatbike development, it's the Salsa Beargrease. His goal is speed and minimal weight. Available in Beargrease Carbon XX1, entry-level Carbon 1, Beargrease 2 with aluminum frame. All three feature a fixed carbon front fork. The aluminum model has a 142 x 15mm front axle and a 170mm hub with cam at the rear. The rear has a carbon hub, 177mm dropout spacing, 15mm and 12mm axles.
Price: Fatboy $2100, Fatboy Expert $2700, Fatboy Pro $4200
Specialized makes the Fatboy for those who love to ride every chance they get. There are three models - Fatboy, Expert and Pro. All have an aluminum frame, and the Pro has a RockShox Bluto fork. The rest have a carbon fork with 5-inch tire clearance. The Expert uses an E.thirteen 2 x 10 chainring system. The Pro uses a RaceFace chainring system, Shimano XT brakes and a SRAM 1 x 11 Xo1 derailleur. The hub size for all three is 150mm at the front and 190mm at the rear.
Singular Puffin was born on the Kickstarter portal and the first customers received it at a reduced price. The project was successful and allowed the start of industrial production.
The frame is made from double butted 4130 chromoly steel and is available in three sizes. The bikes have some cool features like the world's first 100mm eccentric bottom bracket and modular cable guide lock for derailleur or single gear bikes. The center distance is 170 mm at the rear and 135 mm at the front, with sufficient clearance for wheels of 4.8 and 4.9 inches, respectively. The seatpost size is 27.2 mm.
Price: about $1730
Genesis made a name for itself with road and hybrid bikes like the Croix de Fer and Equilibrium. The Caribou features 20-degree steering adjustment and TRP Spyke mechanical disc brakes that are easy to maintain in all conditions. There is also a Mjolnir Seamless Double Butted Cromoly frame and fork with Rear spacing 170 mm and Fork spacing 135 mm. Medium size tires - 4 inches wide.
The 2015 Kona WO has shed 2 kg compared to the previous year's model and has a more traditional look, albeit less aesthetically pleasing. Uses Race Face Ride cranks, Shimano SLX and Deore shifters, Avid BB7 calipers, Sun Ringle 80mm rims and Kona Finishing Kit. The frame is made of butted 6061 aluminum with dimensions of 135/190 mm.
The Canadian company has a lot of room to expand with its fat bikes, since the climate of this country knows how to test their strength. The developers promise a combination of efficiency and comfort, as well as amazing maneuverability.
The specs are a combination of Shimano XT and SLX derailleurs and SRAM Guide R hydraulic brakes. The ubiquitous RockShox Bluto forks have 100mm of travel, with a 150mm front hub size. The standard Vee Snow Shoe tires are 4.5 inches wide. Rear wheel hub size 170 mm with eccentric.
KTM has a long history of producing quality off-road bikes. There are 15mm and 12mm Thru axle bushings front and rear respectively, and internal wiring routing for a sleeker, cleaner look. The hardware consists of SRAM derailleurs and Shimano hydraulic discs, with a RockShox Bluto fork. Quality Schwalbe Jumbo Jim Evo's tires and Selle Italia X1 Flow saddle are used. Weight is an impressive 16.5 kg.
Felt El Nino
It is the cheapest on this list and looks great. The geometry is designed for a relaxed ride, as are the specs: single speed, rigid fork and mechanical rims. The frame is made of aluminum and uses 4-inch tires. Distance 100 mm at the front and 170 mm at the rear.
Finally, let's talk about the Russian market.
Here, bicycles with wide wheels still remain a curiosity and are represented in an absolute minority compared to traditional models. For example, you can name the store velosite.ru, where there are more than three dozen models of fat bikes at prices ranging from 35 thousand rubles to 217 thousand. The first fat bike store in Russia, Bikesgate, is not very diverse and offers only four bikes at prices ranging from 60 thousand to 189 thousand. More options are available on the website biyi.ru in the range of 20-73 thousand.
Fat bikes, or fat bikes, were invented in the 1980s for riding on challenging surfaces. A fat bike differs from a regular mountain bike only in the presence of thick rubber tires and special forks.
Fat tires provide maximum cushioning to the surface and increase ride comfort, which is why manufacturers mostly equip fat bikes with rigid forks.
Fatbikes with soft fork:
Like any design, wide tires have their pros and cons.
Advantages:
Flaws:
Wheels are the main structural elements; it is thanks to them that the bicycle moves perfectly and adapts to any surface and has increased cross-country ability on any off-road.
Bicycles, scooters, components
Due to the air volume and reduced pressure, smooth maneuvering on rocky surfaces, asphalt roads and forest paths is achieved.
The average width of fat bike wheels varies between 3.6 (9 cm) and up to 4.6 (12 cm) inches, but there are exclusive tires that reach 5 or more inches (from 14 cm).
The rim width of fatbikes reaches 110 mm, and the weight ranges from 15 to 21 kg. Only bicycle wheels with wide tires weigh 4 kg. The frame weighs about two kg, and the fork, due to the lack of shock absorption, weighs less than 1 kg.
Annual bicycle transport exhibitions display new modified models, which are made from innovative materials and require lightweight, high-tech equipment.
The weight of the new models is up to 11 kg, so the bikes are placed on the same level as expensive racing bikes.
The appearance of the bike differs from its counterparts due to modifications. Such bikes are characterized by reduced weight, but have a fairly high cost and are therefore not widely used.
Fat bikes are divided into models with symmetry and asymmetry:
These two types of offset are used with a standard MTV hub with a width of 140 to 110 mm. The models also allow the use of a planetary gear shift system.
Advantages:
Flaws:
The symmetrical fat bike wheel also has pros and cons:
The accessories of a fat bike are basically the same as those of a regular mountain bike, but they still have their differences.
The fat frame and fork are characterized by a special structural geometry, which allows the use of thicker tires.
The fat rim reaches up to 110 mm in width, as does the size of the carriage. A fat bike can be equipped with a transmission system with a shaft size of up to 110 mm.
Symmetrical bikes are equipped with a rear hub of up to 175 mm and a front hub of 140 mm in diameter. Some derailleur models have multiple brakes, which improves the ability to pass any route.
The versatility of a fat tire bike allows it to be used in all road conditions and weather conditions.
It will handle long runs on snowy terrain, mountains, sand and smooth asphalt equally smoothly.
A high degree of natural shock absorption allows you to feel comfortable in any riding and extreme situations.
Currently, there are about 20 manufacturers specializing in the production of fat tire bicycles. Some companies can fulfill orders according to individual development and customer drawings.
The most popular fat manufacturers are:
Surly is the first manufacturer of fat wheel bicycles, the company is located in the USA and produces only chrome-molybdenum frames, which is reflected in increased strength, corrosion resistance and other distinctive characteristics.
There is not a single fat tire bike in the world that does not have spare parts from this company.
Salsa- another large model production plant. Produces aluminum and titanium frames for fat bikes.
Companies specializing in the production of fat bikes have also begun to appear in Russia, these include Nerco, Trek, Eltreco.
The Russian company Eltreco has a lower cost for bicycles with wide tires compared to other manufacturers.
The company also began producing electric fat bikes.
At a fairly affordable price, the fatbike is distinguished by high technical characteristics and increased durability of the product, which was proven in practice during a 310-kilometer run across the Arctic Ocean by two St. Petersburg cyclists.
I’m not much of a rider in the summer either, but in the winter it’s probably cool?
What kind of bikes are these, read under the cut...
The cross-country ability of a mountain bike is very high: dirt, mountains, snow, swamps, fords - it doesn’t care about anything. But alas, it is not endless, and one of the limiting factors is the pressure exerted on the ground. Every biker is familiar with the situation when a bicycle gets stuck in mud or snow and refuses to move forward, or when riding in such conditions takes more effort and time than walking.
It is known that ground pressure directly depends on the area of the tire contact patch with the road. The first way to increase the contact patch is to increase the wheel diameter, which is how 2iners and mountain bikes with a rim diameter came about? 622 mm instead of the usual 559 mm and the traditional “off-road” tire thickness of 50-60 mm. A much more effective way is to keep the 26” wheels, but radically increase the thickness of the tires? to almost 100 mm (more precisely, 26x3.7-4.7”), which implies an increase in the width of the rims from approximately 25 to 60-100 mm. Bicycles with such tires were called fat bikes.
Design Features
A fat bike is a fairly rare type of bicycle; more or less mass-produced models can be counted on one hand. Therefore, the design of different samples can vary quite noticeably. In any case, a fat bike is significantly different from a regular mountain bike, with all the differences aimed at “servicing” fat tires.
To ensure that the tire does not touch the chain, and the system does not touch the frame, it is necessary to move the system to the right, increasing the chainline (the distance from the plane of the bicycle to the center of the system’s sprocket block). Therefore, fat bikes use a bottom bracket with an axle length of about 145 mm (versus the typical 110-120 mm) and a body width of 100 mm (versus 68-73 mm). When using even wider rims and tires, the chainline will need to be increased even further, for this purpose specially designed dual systems are used. If a triple system is used, then with wheels wider than 3.7” / 80 mm (hereinafter the slash is the width of the rim), it is already possible for the chain to hit the tire.
To eliminate the chain skew that occurs when the chainline is increased, it is also necessary to move the cassette to the right. There are two possible options here. In the simplest case, a conventional rear hub with a width of 135 mm is shifted to the right (English offset) by 17.5-28 mm due to the special design of the rear triangle of the frame. In order for the wheel itself to remain in the plane of the bicycle, the rim is accordingly shifted to the left relative to the hub (its width allows the holes for the spokes to be shifted relative to the plane of symmetry). A more “correct” option is to use a special rear hub with a width of 170 mm, in which case the wheel is assembled in the traditional way (often the rims have 2 rows of holes for the spokes, allowing the wheel to be assembled in both ways). But the offset option also has advantages - the ability to install a planetary hub; in addition, by changing the offset value, the manufacturer can adapt the bike to thicker tires.
The bike's fork, like the rear triangle of the frame, also needs to be widened to accommodate a fat tire. There are three possible design options here. Sometimes a conventional wide-legged 29" rigid fork (e.g. carbon crown) is used under a standard 100mm wide hub, in which case the width of tires and rims supported is limited. Another possible option is to use a 135mm wide rear (or special front) hub on the front wheel, in this case it will support wider tires. Moreover, depending on the design of the fork, the front wheel can be assembled either with a rim offset (this can ensure interchangeability with the rear wheel) or without it.
An interesting observation is that the geometry of a fat bike (including the outer diameter of the wheels) is very similar to that of a 22 bike. Therefore, if desired, fat bike wheels can be replaced with Niner wheels with traditional “thin” tires. There is a caveat here with using 135mm offset hubs on some fat bikes - a regular wheel on that frame or fork will be offset to the side. Since on regular rims there is no such displacement of the holes as on wide ones, then in order to maintain the geometry of the wheel you will have to make a pronounced “umbrella” with very different lengths and tension force of the spokes, which is undesirable. Thus, fat bikes that have offset wheels (for example, all Surly ones) are of little use for installing regular wheels. If a 170mm bushing without offset is used, then there are no problems.
Ride quality
Manufacturers recommend setting tire pressure in the range of 0.5…2 atm. At minimum pressure, the contact patch spreads to large sizes, the tire practically turns into a caterpillar. Of course, reducing ground pressure radically improves maneuverability on sticky and loose surfaces: impassable mud, snow, swampy soil, sand. Since the ground pressure is low, the tire does not push through a deep ditch, braking the bike and wasting the biker’s strength, but rolls on top, due to which the capabilities of the bike are significantly expanded.
Note that there is an alternative way to deal with mud - using the narrowest tires (about 30-40 mm) with an aggressive tread pattern - they easily cut through the mud to a hard substrate and also do not create resistance. But such tires are powerless on loose surfaces (snow, sand).
It has been noticed that the more difficult the riding conditions, the better the advantages of a fat bike are manifested: if on asphalt or dense soil it is inferior to a regular MTB, then on a bumpy and rocky road they will be approximately equal (since soft tires lick bumps better), and when If it gets into mud or snow, the fat bike will jump forward. There is an opinion that a fat bike is an almost ideal winter bike. On the other hand, even the thickest tires are still far from the contact patch area of the skis, so in really deep snow you can’t expect miracles. You should also not abuse long-term driving at minimum pressure - any tire wears out quite quickly during such use. Therefore, when driving onto a hard surface, it is advisable to increase the pressure to 1.5-2 atm.
According to reviews from owners, fat bikes generally roll well, although the tire, tube and rim in total weigh more than 2500 g (this is about twice or even three times more than a regular MTB). Once such a heavy wheel has spun, it is difficult to stop it. Typical fat bike tires are huge semi-slick tires, so they don't pose much of a problem on hard surfaces. Well, the impossibility of “ragged” aggressive driving with sharp acceleration and braking remains to be taken for granted.
Fat bikes, even with standard non-studded tires, behave relatively well on ice due to the large contact area. Of course, miracles don’t happen, and in difficult ice conditions, especially on public roads, studs are still necessary. The only option here so far is the 45NRTH Dillinger 26×4.0 with 240 studs (price 150 euros). You can save a little by buying a studless version for 110 euros and studding the tire yourself according to the desired pattern (using Schwalbe kits with 50 studs and tools). Fat bikers also sometimes use 26x2.35″ tires from Nokian and Schwalbe. When installing it on wide rims (they talked about 65 mm), the thickness of the tire is enough to prevent it from puncturing, and the contact patch is much larger than that of traditional bicycles.
Of course, a fat bike is a very specific bike, good in some situations and mediocre in others. But this does not mean that it fundamentally cannot be the only bicycle. A number of models (those with non-offset wheels) can be quickly converted to 2iners for use on hard surfaces. It is enough to replace the wheels with 29-inch ones and install a Niner suspension fork to suit your taste - now you can even go on an asphalt bike ride!
But in this matter, the main thing is not to overdo it :-)
source - http://velopiter.spb.ru/tech/fat/
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