Fat bike for soft/wet fine beach sand and sea wash?

[l2oBiN]

Hi,

I am looking for a fat bike that is best suited for beach riding (both soft sand and wet/hard sand + sea wash). The bike should be able to operate in super fine sand - which is found on the beaches I plan to use it on, so I would like to ensure the breaks, gears, bearings and other parts do not get gritted up. I also want to be able to use the bike for mountain/terrain riding and basic road riding. I would like to mount a rear rack, front and rear mud flaps, a front lights down rear light, bell, and the ability to have a quick mount child seat attach to the back of the bike.

What model/make bikes would you recommend?

What is the price range of the above?

Where can I buy these? (I am in Sydney’s south west) online purchases are ok too.

[Comedian]

Fat bikes were the niche that all the manufacturers wanted to be in a few years back. Perhaps they are a big thing in areas with a lot of snow - but not so much here. I gather that there were a couple of really good years but sales have since slowed to a trickle. I guess all the people that wanted on have one?

Anyway most of the manufacturers have pulled out. I know cannondale still have them but not sure of any others. There are a few niche suppliers like Salted and Muru which could be worth investigation.

As to type - it probably depends how much beach your doing. If that's a big thing for you then you want the biggest tyres you can fit in your bike. 4.8 is the biggest size. Price? Who knows. I've heard of 13k custom ones, and $800 Reids.

[l2oBiN]

I am looking at the following at the moment..

The Norco Bigfoot 2 as it is sold by a close by bike shop. I have been asking them for advice but they don’t stock many fat bike options (true for most shops)

https://www.abcbikes.com.au/19-norco-bigfoot-2

However, I just saw a sale on these bikes from wheeler

https://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/buy/2016 ... otpoReview

https://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/buy/2016 ... GP312MA-19


I don’t know much about the brands. How do they compare? How do the bike models compare with n regards to parts and quality? (Sorry I am new to this)

[borat]

honestly just get the cheapest one you can find for beach riding. clean it after every ride with the pressure washer, and expect to get squeaks eventually. just re-grease everything every now and then but the worst is you'll need to replace parts of the hub or just get new wheels later on.

most fat bikers have multiple fat bikes, good ones for trails and junk for the beach.

for riding on soft soft sand, you will need to deflate fairly low (6-8psi) and tubeless is a good idea as well. as soon as you transition back to the bike path you will need to pump up again (nearest petrol station or get a fat bike pump or tubeless inflator) otherwise you work twice as hard for half the speed (and you can't corner fast for fear of rolling the tyre off the rim)

i have a chinese steel fat bike and it's squeaking a bit but i don't care. it's cheap and does the job. haven't had a single flat on tubeless conversion.

the main downside people forget is that the heavier rolling weight makes it harder to pedal ie. get up to and maintain speed and you will get very tired riding shorter distances. riding up and down a beach is hard work (but fun).

consider a set of carbon rims with lighter 3.8" tyres for trail riding.

you will also get a LOT of comments, mostly good, but occasionally bad (people think beach riding is illegal)

dodge the dogs and don't run over the kids.

[MattyK]

However, I just saw a sale on these bikes from wheeler

https://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/buy/2016 ... otpoReview

https://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/buy/2016 ... GP312MA-19


I don’t know much about the brands. How do they compare? How do the bike models compare with n regards to parts and quality? (Sorry I am new to this)

I've looked at the wheelers in person - seem to be well made, good components. Nothing to pick on really. A good buy, you might have to put a bit of it together yourself but that's the only thing to know about.

[Tamiya]

Yeah when I was last at Cycling Deal I had a touch on the Taurus 215... looked decent, component cost would probably tally up to the $700ish they're asking for it... RRP of $1600 is pure pipedream though

If I'm in the market for $2k fat bike I'd be hopping over to Commuter Cycles and ordering a Surly Pugsley!

[enduro2]

Check the bilaws for the area you want to ride in. Many (WA) Councils have banned them on beaches, the same might be found in other states.

[TK-Sp3cialiSt]

I purchased two Fluid Apaches from Anaconda specifically for beach riding, work very well, am not expecting them to be completely flawless, and at the price i paid($399 each) i think it was a good deal for a basic bike with hydralic brakes and a 3x9 drivetrain. Check your local branch if you can as they are on clearance and sufficient for what you want to do. I rinse the bikes off after every ride to keep them clean, i would, however, not use a high pressure washer on ANY bike.