Food for thought. I have to say I mostly agree with the 2 bikes you picked, but having moved back to California from the midwest, I don't really feel the call of the fat bike anymore. I guess the point is, it matters greatly where you live, not to mention what you like to do by bike. As for practical concerns, some people in the SF Bay area here will want a commuter bike or a pub bike, something they can lock up and not worry too much about as theft is simply.a regular gig for some folks around here. And one other thing, it's debatable that aesthetics is also a pragmatic/practical concern. I'd argue art is necessary. And in a huge way, bikes play a big part for some of us. I'm sure I'm not the only one who can just tinker and stare at bikes for hours on end. Ultimately, for me the number now is 4 bikes and based on tire clearance: 43mm, 52mm, 2.1", & 3.0"
Like the video. Re using fat bike for forest and desert dirt trails, how slow an I going to be especially when climbing vs regular full susspended mtb?
It depends. Lotta variation between bikes. Unless you’re on a real light full sus bike, fat bike will probably weigh about the same. Gearing should also be about the same. Rider weight and power will be the bigger factor.
I can't really argue with anything here. I think I prefer a studded tire bike for some winter riding more than a full fat bike - but that is a preference. I also like having more of a road bike for easy cycle touring - but again - the gravel bike still works there. I just love tinkering with vintage bikes - I don't NEED them though!
I agree that N = 2 can work for recreational bikes but I like my Omnium Cargo bike too much to get rid of it. That being said I think N = 2 works well for the recreational bikes. My only condition is two wheelsets per bike and suspension fork on the fat bike. Fat Bike: 26x4.5, 29x3, Gravel Bike: 29x45, 29x35. Thinking of reducing the stable from five down to the three I mentioned eliminating a mini velo and a full suspension.
Sweet video @ The Lanky Cyclist. I’m a huge fan of under biking and banking on mileage experience to get me through. I recently went from 5 bikes to 1 and the only one i really miss is my cargo bike😢.
This is great! When i picked up my fatbike i wound up selling my HT MTB and road bike. For over a year the fatbike has been it... I have 29+ tires for bike packing and road the fatbike on the GAP trail for 3 days with no problems 👍. I have a Wren fork that i swap out the rigid fork and ride it all summer as my trail bike ,,,, i am getting to the point where the gravel bike is going to get added to the quiver in the future and i already see overlap with having a gravel bike but still want to expand beyond the current “N+0” i have going now.. great video
I am pretty much on board with this concept in that I ride a fatbike 90% of the time, but if I have to ride pavement I will use my cross bike (which can still link a ride on a dirt/gravel road). I do have a full suspension bike but I barely rode it last year, so have been contemplating letting it go. I think I will always have a hardtail 29er though. Nice bike cave!
A vid I needed to see! I am right there with ya. Sold my road bike last year and got a Journeyman ... Love it! I had been debating on a MTB or a Fatty and had pretty much decided Fatty was it. Had it narrowed down to the Mukluk, the Wednesday, the Ice Cream Truck. Then out of the blue I started questioning why did I need a Fatty. And during that time of indecision pretty much all the bikes were gone. The couple that I did find were the wrong size. There will be a Fatty in the garage this year! btw ... we've chatted on Tim's Evening Routine.
Hey Steve, yeah I remember seeing you on there. I looked at all three of those bikes! Went with Surly because they had more aggressive MTB geometry, and the Wednesday in particular because I didn't want the biggest tires. All good bikes tho. I've seen some ice cream trucks posted online at bike shops around here, but yes, the struggle is real. I bought my Wednesday early last summer and it was one of the last ones!
I’m fortunate to own: 1 full sus 29er Mtb for summer 1 Rigid Fatty for winter 1 Rd bike for nice dry days fast pedalling So to sum up your question my bike number is three bikes which covers everything that I need. Cheers 👍🏻
I'm late to this thread but I've been riding my fatty year round x ~3 years and I love it! Obviously I'm no speed demon but it's super comfortable on any surface. Now I ride gravel 75% of the time and am considering a dedicated gravel bike...so I get what you're saying and pretty much agree. Now to find the confidence to ride ~40c tires on thick gravel after the security of 4" tires...that's more of a challenge.
It's definitely easier to go the other way... 40s to fat tires. There's a few steep gravel descents around me where I really notice the lack of confidence after riding the same bits on fat tires. I love the fatty, but I find it can be a bit of a slog to do longer rides. I think you'll enjoy the weight reduction and comfort of drop bars. Good luck!
What would the perfect cross between a Gravel bike and a Fat bike look like frame wheel and tire look? For a person would ride a 44-48 really 46cm bike with a 650mm or 26in wheel.
Just one? Hard to say as I don't know what you're looking to use it for. Maybe something like the Surly ECR. It comes stock with 650b wheels and 3inch tires. Surly's XS frame should work for you. Really I think any 650b tire greater than 2inch would work well. You wouldn't be able to handle deep snow too well, but more than adequate for gravel. Sometimes hard to find those small sizes (I know from bike shopping with my wife). Hope this helps!
@@TheLankyCyclist I would manily use it for 60% Road riding,20% trail riding,20% gravel. Not really usually riding in snow. 24 inch,26 inches,650mm wheels with 2.5 inches to 4 inchbut really 2.5 to 3.5 inches tires.Thank you for your help
The two bikes to own are a trek fx converted to dropbar for road racing time trials ironman cx and a trek marlin ( with additional 650b wheelset) for commuting cargo mountain biking and gravel this covers the duty of six to eight bikes and bikepacking
@@TheLankyCyclist yes to all. One final caveat when you have a bike dedicated to a specific task you can't include it because that bike would be rarely ridden. For example bug. Out bike cargo bikepacking bike due to the fact converting them to each task would take time. However on most bikes it is able to take minimalist approach carry only what you need
Makes sense to me! Gravel bikes are the greatest thing since sliced bread... A true Swiss Army knife. I would argue a 120mm mountain bike is the other version of that in the MTB side of things. Great video and thanks for sharing :)
I thought about running 29er wheels with some plus sized MTB tires. But I feel like there would be too many compromises on the geometry to try to make a fat bike the one and only bike, but probably depends on what you're looking for.
If you own an Ebike I say 3 bikes. 1 for your all season bike in this case my E fatbike 1 summer bike which is my Kona Libre. 1 back up which will be a fat bike. This bike is my back up bike for if my Ebike goes down during the winter.
I agree with you in principal, but I think the number is wrong. Where I live in phoenix, the trails are usually pretty rough, so a gravel bike isn't super capable. I also like to bikepack and have a different bike for that. So, the perfect number in my mind is 3 or 4. Commuter, gravel bike, trail bike (plus or fat), and maybe a separate bikepacking rig. I have a salsa Fargo that I also use as a trail bike quite a bit, but it's primarily my bikepacking and rough gravel bike.
I don't commute by bike much anymore, but I do have an old road bike that I use for the occasion...more because I wouldn't be super sad if it was stolen. I don't need it, but it's nice to have. I was supposed to ride out in AZ last year, but the pandemic put that to bed. Would love to get out and explore some of those rough trails. Thanks for commenting!
actually you can go with just one if you want to save space and money. just buy an all rounder. if you're not into racing or not thinking about one then you can just get away with fat bike 2x10-12 then get a gravel drop bars if your into drops or straight ot bended bars. then if your more on trail often then invest on an extra front suspension. if you're more on the road then you can change tires into a more thinner 3.8 and if you are more on trails you can go with 4.5-4.8 tires and 4.8-5+ for snow and sandy. you just have to get what suits your needs and think which is really needed. those people who is n+1 is more on collector or people who don't want to change things when season changes so they have separate bikes for different purposes thats why there so many disciplines now a days in cycling. before it is just road racers or mtb but now you have gravel, touring, road, cx, city, xc, dh, am, enduro then fatty. it will all boils down to personal preference. if they want an excuse for a new bike or not. i for one guilty as charge since i have 3 rb's and a fat bike. 1rb for endurance and 2 aero and a fat bike. im planning to get an mtb but thinking of just upgrading my fat to have a front suspension to accommodate the trails. this is a good insight by the way. this will help people who is in need of clarifications because it is more expensive to do a trial and error route.
I tried the fat as MTB route, and it didn’t take. Definitely doable but if you like road bikes, you might want something lighter and more nimble for MTB. I love bikes too much to stick with just one , lol. Thanks for the comment!
Fat bike no bueno on rocky technical trails. I agree about downsizing. I shed about 4 bikes recently. I like road, gravel and mtb. No longer live in snow so don’t need fat. Gravel is good for all reasons you say plus nice back up to both road and mtb.
there is an argument to be made for the full-fendered commuter as a separate bike....and what the British call the "pub bike" - the one you don't mind locking up outside the bar....
Being rather old-ish , 76 and with neck and shoulder injuries i have to ride an e bike or nothing at all . so i bought a Nox xc trail bike that has combo tires , meaning they have a ridg down the middle for streets and knobs on the side for dirt . with this simple set up i only need one bike . however i can see where that might not be enough for a young fit rider . there are some perks to getting older , but not many .😂
Lol. Yeah at some point, I’ll probably feel the same way. Hope I make it to 76 let alone still riding. I know some guys with multiple wheel sets for their fat bikes 29ers with 2.5 inch wheels and then a fat set. Keep on riding!
With the right gear and tire selection, it’s no problem. You’re also assuming people want to ride with a club and/or have access to a road bike. Not everyone does.
Check out my friend Tim's response to this video: th-cam.com/video/TTmzjOne-JM/w-d-xo.html
Food for thought. I have to say I mostly agree with the 2 bikes you picked, but having moved back to California from the midwest, I don't really feel the call of the fat bike anymore. I guess the point is, it matters greatly where you live, not to mention what you like to do by bike. As for practical concerns, some people in the SF Bay area here will want a commuter bike or a pub bike, something they can lock up and not worry too much about as theft is simply.a regular gig for some folks around here. And one other thing, it's debatable that aesthetics is also a pragmatic/practical concern. I'd argue art is necessary. And in a huge way, bikes play a big part for some of us. I'm sure I'm not the only one who can just tinker and stare at bikes for hours on end. Ultimately, for me the number now is 4 bikes and based on tire clearance: 43mm, 52mm, 2.1", & 3.0"
Like the video. Re using fat bike for forest and desert dirt trails, how slow an I going to be especially when climbing vs regular full susspended mtb?
It depends. Lotta variation between bikes. Unless you’re on a real light full sus bike, fat bike will probably weigh about the same. Gearing should also be about the same. Rider weight and power will be the bigger factor.
I can't really argue with anything here. I think I prefer a studded tire bike for some winter riding more than a full fat bike - but that is a preference. I also like having more of a road bike for easy cycle touring - but again - the gravel bike still works there. I just love tinkering with vintage bikes - I don't NEED them though!
I have zero tinkering skills, so that helps! I cut out the 90 second homage to my old road bike..I do miss it sometimes.
I agree that N = 2 can work for recreational bikes but I like my Omnium Cargo bike too much to get rid of it. That being said I think N = 2 works well for the recreational bikes. My only condition is two wheelsets per bike and suspension fork on the fat bike. Fat Bike: 26x4.5, 29x3, Gravel Bike: 29x45, 29x35. Thinking of reducing the stable from five down to the three I mentioned eliminating a mini velo and a full suspension.
Sweet video @ The Lanky Cyclist. I’m a huge fan of under biking and banking on mileage experience to get me through. I recently went from 5 bikes to 1 and the only one i really miss is my cargo bike😢.
Yes, I think many people are overbiked given the terrain they typically ride. That’s quite the purge!
This is great! When i picked up my fatbike i wound up selling my HT MTB and road bike. For over a year the fatbike has been it... I have 29+ tires for bike packing and road the fatbike on the GAP trail for 3 days with no problems 👍. I have a Wren fork that i swap out the rigid fork and ride it all summer as my trail bike ,,,, i am getting to the point where the gravel bike is going to get added to the quiver in the future and i already see overlap with having a gravel bike but still want to expand beyond the current “N+0” i have going now.. great video
A gravel bike will be a great addition. Thanks for the comment!
I am pretty much on board with this concept in that I ride a fatbike 90% of the time, but if I have to ride pavement I will use my cross bike (which can still link a ride on a dirt/gravel road). I do have a full suspension bike but I barely rode it last year, so have been contemplating letting it go. I think I will always have a hardtail 29er though. Nice bike cave!
I want to see a cross bike video!
@@TheLankyCyclist 😂 I have thought about sprinkling in a couple non fat bike vids. I do have a couple older vids that it is in
@@ElevationEveryWeekend I’ll have to check those out.
A vid I needed to see! I am right there with ya. Sold my road bike last year and got a Journeyman ... Love it! I had been debating on a MTB or a Fatty and had pretty much decided Fatty was it. Had it narrowed down to the Mukluk, the Wednesday, the Ice Cream Truck. Then out of the blue I started questioning why did I need a Fatty. And during that time of indecision pretty much all the bikes were gone. The couple that I did find were the wrong size. There will be a Fatty in the garage this year! btw ... we've chatted on Tim's Evening Routine.
Hey Steve, yeah I remember seeing you on there. I looked at all three of those bikes! Went with Surly because they had more aggressive MTB geometry, and the Wednesday in particular because I didn't want the biggest tires. All good bikes tho. I've seen some ice cream trucks posted online at bike shops around here, but yes, the struggle is real. I bought my Wednesday early last summer and it was one of the last ones!
I’m fortunate to own:
1 full sus 29er Mtb for summer
1 Rigid Fatty for winter
1 Rd bike for nice dry days fast pedalling
So to sum up your question my bike number is three bikes which covers everything that I need. Cheers 👍🏻
Nothing beats a road bike on a nice day. Ride on!
I'm late to this thread but I've been riding my fatty year round x ~3 years and I love it! Obviously I'm no speed demon but it's super comfortable on any surface. Now I ride gravel 75% of the time and am considering a dedicated gravel bike...so I get what you're saying and pretty much agree. Now to find the confidence to ride ~40c tires on thick gravel after the security of 4" tires...that's more of a challenge.
It's definitely easier to go the other way... 40s to fat tires. There's a few steep gravel descents around me where I really notice the lack of confidence after riding the same bits on fat tires. I love the fatty, but I find it can be a bit of a slog to do longer rides. I think you'll enjoy the weight reduction and comfort of drop bars. Good luck!
What would the perfect cross between a Gravel bike and a Fat bike look like frame wheel and tire look? For a person would ride a 44-48 really 46cm bike with a 650mm or 26in wheel.
Just one? Hard to say as I don't know what you're looking to use it for. Maybe something like the Surly ECR. It comes stock with 650b wheels and 3inch tires. Surly's XS frame should work for you. Really I think any 650b tire greater than 2inch would work well. You wouldn't be able to handle deep snow too well, but more than adequate for gravel. Sometimes hard to find those small sizes (I know from bike shopping with my wife). Hope this helps!
@@TheLankyCyclist I would manily use it for 60% Road riding,20% trail riding,20% gravel. Not really usually riding in snow. 24 inch,26 inches,650mm wheels with 2.5 inches to 4 inchbut really 2.5 to 3.5 inches tires.Thank you for your help
The two bikes to own are a trek fx converted to dropbar for road racing time trials ironman cx and a trek marlin ( with additional 650b wheelset) for commuting cargo mountain biking and gravel this covers the duty of six to eight bikes and bikepacking
Do you put clip on aero bars on your trek or just ride the drops? Amazing how much most bikes are capable of. Thanks for commenting!
@@TheLankyCyclist yes to all. One final caveat when you have a bike dedicated to a specific task you can't include it because that bike would be rarely ridden. For example bug. Out bike cargo bikepacking bike due to the fact converting them to each task would take time. However on most bikes it is able to take minimalist approach carry only what you need
Makes sense to me! Gravel bikes are the greatest thing since sliced bread... A true Swiss Army knife. I would argue a 120mm mountain bike is the other version of that in the MTB side of things. Great video and thanks for sharing :)
Thanks for watching Mitch! They really are great.
Why not get a gravel wheel set for the fat bike and have just one bike? Axs drive train and can swap to drops if you want
I thought about running 29er wheels with some plus sized MTB tires. But I feel like there would be too many compromises on the geometry to try to make a fat bike the one and only bike, but probably depends on what you're looking for.
i am currently at n=1 only a fatbike with aerobars XD - did a 323km (200mile) ride recently with that one but one day i will get a gravelbike for sure
Gravel bikes are great. That’s a LONG ride on a fatbike! Good work.
If you own an Ebike I say 3 bikes.
1 for your all season bike in this case my E fatbike
1 summer bike which is my Kona Libre.
1 back up which will be a fat bike. This bike is my back up bike for if my Ebike goes down during the winter.
I agree with you in principal, but I think the number is wrong. Where I live in phoenix, the trails are usually pretty rough, so a gravel bike isn't super capable. I also like to bikepack and have a different bike for that. So, the perfect number in my mind is 3 or 4. Commuter, gravel bike, trail bike (plus or fat), and maybe a separate bikepacking rig. I have a salsa Fargo that I also use as a trail bike quite a bit, but it's primarily my bikepacking and rough gravel bike.
I don't commute by bike much anymore, but I do have an old road bike that I use for the occasion...more because I wouldn't be super sad if it was stolen. I don't need it, but it's nice to have. I was supposed to ride out in AZ last year, but the pandemic put that to bed. Would love to get out and explore some of those rough trails. Thanks for commenting!
@@TheLankyCyclist holler at me on the gram if you want a tour of some gravel-bike friendly singletrack whenever you make it out.
actually you can go with just one if you want to save space and money. just buy an all rounder. if you're not into racing or not thinking about one then you can just get away with fat bike 2x10-12 then get a gravel drop bars if your into drops or straight ot bended bars. then if your more on trail often then invest on an extra front suspension. if you're more on the road then you can change tires into a more thinner 3.8 and if you are more on trails you can go with 4.5-4.8 tires and 4.8-5+ for snow and sandy. you just have to get what suits your needs and think which is really needed. those people who is n+1 is more on collector or people who don't want to change things when season changes so they have separate bikes for different purposes thats why there so many disciplines now a days in cycling. before it is just road racers or mtb but now you have gravel, touring, road, cx, city, xc, dh, am, enduro then fatty. it will all boils down to personal preference. if they want an excuse for a new bike or not. i for one guilty as charge since i have 3 rb's and a fat bike. 1rb for endurance and 2 aero and a fat bike. im planning to get an mtb but thinking of just upgrading my fat to have a front suspension to accommodate the trails. this is a good insight by the way. this will help people who is in need of clarifications because it is more expensive to do a trial and error route.
I tried the fat as MTB route, and it didn’t take. Definitely doable but if you like road bikes, you might want something lighter and more nimble for MTB. I love bikes too much to stick with just one , lol. Thanks for the comment!
@@TheLankyCyclist same here. I love bikes that why if i can buy all no problem but my wallet says other wise. 😂🤣
Fat bike no bueno on rocky technical trails. I agree about downsizing. I shed about 4 bikes recently. I like road, gravel and mtb. No longer live in snow so don’t need fat. Gravel is good for all reasons you say plus nice back up to both road and mtb.
Agree on the technical trails. I think based on other comments, the 2nd bike is geography dependent. Feels good to shed bikes. Thanks for the comment!
I mean plus a commuter, cargo bike, bike night cruiser, tandem, and probably a few vintage bikes for when the mood strikes. Lol.
I mean a fixie e-bike is a must right?
there is an argument to be made for the full-fendered commuter as a separate bike....and what the British call the "pub bike" - the one you don't mind locking up outside the bar....
@@TheLankyCyclist I would pass on the fixie for a BMX. 😛
Being rather old-ish , 76 and with neck and shoulder injuries i have to ride an e bike or nothing at all . so i bought a Nox xc trail bike that has combo tires , meaning they have a ridg down the middle for streets and knobs on the side for dirt . with this simple set up i only need one bike . however i can see where that might not be enough for a young fit rider . there are some perks to getting older , but not many .😂
Lol. Yeah at some point, I’ll probably feel the same way. Hope I make it to 76 let alone still riding. I know some guys with multiple wheel sets for their fat bikes 29ers with 2.5 inch wheels and then a fat set. Keep on riding!
Why was the first gravel bike not the right one?
Geometry was all wrong for me.
Nice idea about bike bro
Thanks man!
If I have to decide between fatbike and gravelbike I take the fatbike.
A gravel bike isn't a road bike. Try riding a gravel bike in your bicycle club's pelton.
With the right gear and tire selection, it’s no problem. You’re also assuming people want to ride with a club and/or have access to a road bike. Not everyone does.