BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

@Swalfoort, I ride a fatbike year round, and have considered electric assist, mainly for making trails in the snow. Anything more than 5-6"of snow is usually unrideable, even with a fatbike. However, once those trails are "groomed" either by riding, snowshoeing, etc, they become fast, flowy playgrounds. My idea would be to have an electrified fatbike that I could use to drag some kind of sled through the woods to groom the trails so I could then ride my non-electric fatbike. That said, electric assist would be a huge help in deeper snow, but maybe a drag at other times. There is also the whole running out of battery thing to contend with.

Thanks, Eric! That's helpful information. I've come to the conclusion that I have absolutely no current need for an electric assist fat bike....... But, it was an interesting thought process!

3. Are fat bikes of any use in other, milder weather conditions? When I first saw a fat bike, I thought they were ridiculous. Sometimes my first reaction is proven quite wrong. I looked into these bikes a bit further because I would love to be able to ride to Verona/Oakmont without riding on Allegheny River Blvd, so I borrowed one and test drove a few others on the big rocks around railroad tracks. Could I ride a regular mountain bike on those rocks? Yes, but it is not very fun. With a fat bike, it was totally different. It became enjoyable. Also, fat bikes handle snowy icy conditions pretty well. I started riding off road more and found myself being able to get away from cars more. My purchase of a fat bike has been a very good one for me. I sort of looked at electric assist even though it ins't something I am interested in because my commute doesn't justify such a bike. I think some folks could commute with an electric assist bike and it would be fun. They are heavy, so that is the biggest concern. What if you run out of juice? Heavy bike to pedal around and up hills. I am riding on 3" tires, so I don't have a Moonlander with 5" tires. I am more in-between a mountain bike and a big fat bike, but for me purposes it is working great. I have been riding a fixed gear track bike with 23's on it because that is the largest tire that fits. I love riding that bike, BUT I may not return to it much. I just enjoy riding off road to and from work too much. It may wear off at some point. I don't know, but at the moment, I am enjoying it.

This bike is too good to be true. https://www.yahoo.com/tech/a-500-ebike-not-so-fast-110086504619.html No way any of the claims are true. Run time, charge time, weight, etc. Also, it is a single speed, which is not going to be fun to ride around here, and will seriously limit the range on any kind of hilly route.

We have been discussing this kickstarter attempt on Endless Sphere Forums..... http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=66220 Len

Lawsuit Filed by Agency 2.0 Against Sondors eBike Crowdfunding Campaign http://www.crowdfundinsider.com/2015/04/66322-lawsuit-filed-by-agency-2-0-against-sondors-ebike-crowdfunding-campaign/

I just got a fat bike and while it's super fun so far and I expect to ride it a lot all year, the weight is the single biggest drawback. Mine's "only" 38 pounds and it's not fun to carry; I think 45# would be a serious struggle, and no way you want to haul it up and down stairs on a regular basis unless you're a serious beast and have no pre-existing injuries.