Friday, November 07, 2014

Less rich fat


As fat spreads across the country, it oozes into more approachable price points. This Framed Minnesota 1.0 goes for  $799. You can get an optional 29er wheel set with street tires to expand its capability. That's one thing about fat bike clearances and disc brakes: you can run two different rim sizes without a problem.
FAT! 

Original 26-inch mountain bikes were able to spread virally because they exploited an existing tire and rim size. Tire designs proliferated once the category took off, but there was rubber available even before the beginning. Fat bikes do not enjoy the same advantage. But offering  mid-priced bikes like this one will encourage more people to consider adding one to the stable or even choosing it as a primary mount.

Tires may still be an issue. Generic fatties are showing up for around  $60. I haven't searched extensively to see if anyone is offering anything for much less. How cheap a tire can you afford to trust?

You can also shell out  $250 per tire for high-end studs.

I rode this bike around the indoor track at the shop. Gotta keep it clean for its eventual purchaser. 


The fat genre has a long way to go to establish global dominance. They can go anywhere but it will take you a long time to get there. But you could throw on a set of disc brake road wheels with 700x28 tires and have a faster, albeit absurd looking,  ride.

Aero bars, anyone? 

1 comment:

Steve A said...

That video looks like it could have been shot in the Hoquiam WA bike shop.