Every now and then, something comes along that changes everything and gives you a whole new outlook on the world around you. That’s what happened when I had a go on Andy Whitaker’s new ‘Fat Bike’.
I’m always keen to have a look at something a bit different and enthusiastically accepted Andy’s invitation to come round and have a go.
I was cynical though, I mean, come on, nothing is going to work properly in the desert, is it not? You only have to look at how much power it takes for a 4×4 vehicle to move around on the sand, as two legs and one drive-wheel push bike with heavy wheels and tyres might be able to move, but of course it’s going to kill you doing so.
Well as it turns out; I had the same reaction that everyone else has had who I’ve seen try one of these bikes: childlike disbelieving laughter at the incredible sensation of easily cycling on the desert sand.
Everyone immediately ‘gets it’ and is excited by how much their cycling world changes on the spot, all of a sudden here in the middle east your cycling environment expands to impossible proportions.
So what is a fat bike? Well as the name says it’s a bicycle with fat tyres on it. Tyre width on a normal mountain bike typically maxes out at around 2.5 inches with rims about 25mm wide. Fat bike tyres start at around 3 inches with rims starting around 50mm.
There are several problems with fitting big tyres on a bike. First is having enough clearance (space) for the big tyres in the frame, second is preventing the chain rubbing on the side of the tyre.
Fat bikes originated in the snowy parts of the US and folks sought for ways to continue using their bikes year round. Initial prototypes saw up to 3 rims welded together and fat ‘frankentyres’ made by sewing several into one creating the first monsters.
Surly were the first, in 2006, to produce a production Fat Bike along with purpose made tyres and rims. The Pugsley has become an iconic bike. They used some clever ideas to adapt ‘normal’ components to the engineering required to make a fat bike function well. Using rear hubs for front wheels allowed the 135mm instead of 100mm spacing required to get the tires in and out. Offsetting both the rear chain-stays and front fork allowed the required chain-line and interchangeable front and rear wheels. They developed some 3.5 to 4 inch tyres and rims from 50mm to 82mm wide, these combined with a steel frame built to last, (covered in all the various braze on’s required for racks, bottle cages and mud guards),and one of the most useful bikes ever to have existed was available to all.
The Pugsley has allowed people to discover just how versatile fat bikes can be. Firstly, they can go where other bikes just sink and find grip in places that conventional bikes can’t; in sand and snow, they work brilliantly. But it’s not just there; people are now discovering just how well they work in more conventional mountain bike environments. The big fat tyres make the ride comfortable both with the simple, reliable and service free suspension provided by the beefy tyres and also with the wide circumference rolling over things better (same as a 29er compared to a 26 inch wheel). The internet is full of photos of fat bikes tearing up the single track as well as expedition stories to the far flung corners of the globe.
I’m psyched to try all these things too, and have a head overflowing with fat bike plans and enthusiasm,and so far my new Moonlander has been allowing me to explore the desert in a way I am completely staggered by.
My Moonlander is an evolution of the Surly Pugsey, similar geometry and concept but FATTER. With 100mm rims and 4.7 Big Fat Larry tyres, people smile when they see it.
On the sand I can run very low pressures in the region of 5psi. Compare this to a very low pressure on a conventionally-tyred mountain bike at 22psi, my normal is around 30psi (still quite low) and many people running 45 psi and above to prevent pinch flats. My fat bike tyres max out for the road at 15 psi.
With these low pressures, the tyre gets a nice wide footprint creating what the fat bike community calls ‘float.’ What this means is that on the sand, the bike rides completely normal, in a way that has folks who try it laughing with surprise and glee at the sensation.
I know you won’t believe me; no one does till they have a go. Hell, I was as cynical as everyone I’ve spoken to but immediately converted and then quickly moved to being evangelical, and this is the pattern for everyone who has tried mine so far.
My initial forays onto the sand have included exploring either side of the road out to BabAl Shams (the 63 outside of the Outer Ring Road), the area where Kevin recently organized the Desert Adventure
Challenge around Hill 59 including ascending Hill 59 itself and, Damian and myself also visited the Liwa dunes for the first time on the bikes.
The experience has been a bit mind-blowing. To suddenly have my world of cycling opportunities expand with a loud POP has brought with it lots to learn. This, combined with finding myself riding my bike out in the open desert miles from anywhere and travelling under my own steam, is completely inspiring. On a bike, my experience has been unfiltered. There is no tint on the windows, no false air-conditioning climate on my skin, no cage barrier to the sounds around me and I move efficiently and relatively silent through the dunes disturbing nothing. This means that I really experience the environment and everything in it. I feel the heat but also the cooling breeze, I hear the silence where the sound of my breathing and heartbeat can sound loud, I see sandfish lizards scurry away before burying themselves right in front of me or gazelles gaze in my direction slightly surprised before trotting unhurriedly away. The guys at the camel farms stop and stare. I’m not quite sure what they make of this bike passing through, (do they think I’m bonkers or sensible?) I have no idea, but they do like to have a chat, I guess there isn’t a lot going on out there most of the time!
The areas outside of Dubai and around the base of Hill 59 are actually pretty easy cycling with small rolling dunes providing plenty of entertainment. As long as the sand is undisturbed and has been allowed to settle, the bike rolls easily over them. The indication of this sand is that it is rippled by the action of the wind. The slip faces are very soft and can be ridden but only straight down.
The Liwa dunes were tough for a variety of reasons. First off they are HUGE, so climbs were long and steep. Secondly, they are very complex, making route finding challenging. This combination of steep, big complex dunes also seemed to make for softer sand. Now what this means is not that the bikes don’t work in this extreme an environment, far from it; what it means is that cyclists need to learn how to ride in it. I need to learn to route find through complex ‘sandscapes,’ to develop instincts for possible lines, to learn to read sand. There is sand that you can ride on easily and there is sand that you can’t and they can be right next to each other. I bet the Bedouin have lots of names for sand in the same way the Eskimos do for snow.
My plans are big. I have some multi-day epics that I fancy attempting; I haven’t been to the costal dunes yet between Ajman and RAK. Driving past these on the 311, they look like a fantastic playground. The wild coast beaches of Oman between Ras al Had and Masirah also will be wild to explore during my Joe’s Point surf trips this summer. Hmmmmmm, I’m inspired to see if I can work out a way to go snow biking too. Plans plans plans.
In just one bike ride my world changed, I find that such an inspiring thing.
Published in July 2012
