Should I or Should I not buy a thing?

"Luc - The Acadian Oppo" (luc5) 07/10/2015 at 15:56 • Filed to: None

1

74

The thing in question is a 2015 Mongoose Beast Fat tire single speed bike. I found one on KIJIJI (Canuckistan Craigslist) for $180 buck CAD ($140 USD) These at Walmart are $300 CAD new. I know it’s a pretty low quality bike but I think it could be fun for 180 bucks.

A custom beast for your time.

CalzoneGolem > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 15:58

0

I’ve heard bad things about the fat tires. Where would you ride it?

Milky > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 15:58

3

I dont understand these things. Thats all I got.

RallyWrench > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 15:59

0

Wally bikes are pretty crap, but for the money this would be loads of fun, especially when it snows.

atrombs > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 16:00

0

Do it. It’s awesome. Also, what’s the point of big fat tires other than looking bad ass?

Wacko > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 16:02

4

Fuck the bike, buy a thing.

Same colour as the one you posted.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 16:03

0

Do not buy from the evil empire, errr I mean it looks cool but is probably a POS. Like if you actually ride it it will break.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 16:04

1

The only time a fat-tire bike is useful is on sand or snow.

All of the other times it will be heavy and slow.

saabstory | fixes bikes, breaks cars > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 16:07

0

Walmart bikes are pretty shite. I wouldn’t pay $140 Canadian for that. If it has a flip-flop hub so you can make it a fixie fat bike I will concede that it is awesome and you should get it, but barring that, buy pretty much anything else.

GUYMANDUDE > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 16:07

0

The larger tire would just make it exhausting to ride anywhere. If burning energy is your goal, get it. If getting anywhere is your goal, no. Rolling resistance of the tires would be higher than normal tires

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > atrombs 07/10/2015 at 16:09

0

I was thinking that a big fat guy like myself would look more proportionate on a bike with big fat tires. Also I think it looks pretty cool.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > atrombs 07/10/2015 at 16:09

2

Good over rough terrain. More contact area of tread. They dont have shocks, because the tires are big enough to do the job. They are especially fun in snow :)

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 16:09

0

Buy the thing.

ShiroZ31 > Milky 07/10/2015 at 16:09

0

I saw one in Munich a few months ago and thought it was just some weird German thing. Guess not.

Xyl0c41n3 > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 16:10

3

Ask yourself one question: Are you ever going to ride that bike in sand or really soft dirt?

If the answer is “no” then don’t bother getting it. Those fat tires were originally meant for that kind of application, but now fat tire bikes have become “cool” and you’ll see a bunch of idiots people riding them in urban areas.

It’s akin to taking a Huracan mudding. Sure, a Lambo is cool enough, but don’t take it to a fucking mud pit because that’s not the terrain it was built for.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/10/2015 at 16:11

1

I’m not. I’m buying it FROM someone who both it from an evil empire.

The thing is the bike is so unbelievably simple that even if it is a POS bike there is not much that can really go wrong with it.

The only thing I can see is bearing failing and luckily for me I sell bearings for a living so that’s really no big deal.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > TheRealBicycleBuck 07/10/2015 at 16:11

0

They aren’t, actually. I was surprised. If you are willing to pay (up to similar prices as you would for a good ordinary bike) you can get some pretty light ones.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > RallyWrench 07/10/2015 at 16:11

0

That’s what I was thinking.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > CalzoneGolem 07/10/2015 at 16:12

1

Everywhere.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > CalzoneGolem 07/10/2015 at 16:12

0

sidewalks/paved bike trails. The thing is I’m a pretty big dude and fat tires seem more appropriate than skinny tires.

E92M3 > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 16:13

0

Seems like it would be a chore to pedal, but I’ve never ridden one.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Wacko 07/10/2015 at 16:13

0

These things are hard to find. I wouldn’t mind one tho.

Devon lost his burner, understands electric cars don't require front grilles > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 16:14

1

It’s still a Walmart bike, which means it’ll be junk. A used bike from a real brand will treat you much better for potentially similar money.

You could also check out something like Bikes Direct ( http://bikesdirect.com/ ), largely no-name bikes, but solid components for any price point, and I know they’ve offered fatbikes before.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > GUYMANDUDE 07/10/2015 at 16:14

0

Try one. It’s not as bad as it looks. Don’t forget the tires are smaller diameter, you can put more power to the ground. Also, the job normally done by the shocks is replaced by the fat tire, so there’s actually less compression when pedaling.

atrombs > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 07/10/2015 at 16:15

0

Sounds fun. I’d bet you can talk him down to $150.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 16:16

0

Well give it a try, if it works out well then maybe something from Surly or Salsa is in your future.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > TheRealBicycleBuck 07/10/2015 at 16:16

0

They say it weighs 46 lbs. My 2001 GT Jamie Bestwick Edition weighs more than that and I have no problems riding it.

this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata > atrombs 07/10/2015 at 16:17

1

You can drop the tire pressure 1.5 psi and ride ‘em in mud, sand, snow, etc. An interesting ride because the frame geometry with a slack head angle and low seat post is very much like a downhill or dirt jump mountain bike, so it handles like that, except it’s not suspended front or back. Which is strangly entertaining.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Xyl0c41n3 07/10/2015 at 16:17

0

Nothing wrong with those tires. Fat bikes are the best all-rounder bikes you can get, unless you’re into downhill. Then an all-mountain type would be best, but you’d still be the idiot doing downhill on a bike that wasn’t a dedicated downhill bike.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > E92M3 07/10/2015 at 16:17

0

Not as much as you’d think.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > atrombs 07/10/2015 at 16:18

0

Not me, bro.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata 07/10/2015 at 16:19

0

It IS a fun ride.

atrombs > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 07/10/2015 at 16:20

1

I should start reading things a little more closely.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 16:20

0

You can (if you pay) get 25-27lb fat bikes. most good ones should be about 31lb. 46lb means it’s a cheap lump of steel with fat tires and not much else.

CalzoneGolem > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 16:21

0

I think you’ll find they are more work and some regular sized tires would be best. Look at some 29ers those are comfy for big guys.

GUYMANDUDE > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 07/10/2015 at 16:22

0

I guess it depends on what it is compared to. A 10 speed or a mountain bike, full suspension or hard tail.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > CalzoneGolem 07/10/2015 at 16:22

0

29ers would probably be more work, actually. More diameter=more resistance

CalzoneGolem > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 07/10/2015 at 16:24

0

The contact patch is much smaller than these fat tires.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > GUYMANDUDE 07/10/2015 at 16:24

0

Full suspension is definitely more work. It’s probably on par with a mountain bike, at least until you run out of speed on a hill. Think BMX with a little more cushioning.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > CalzoneGolem 07/10/2015 at 16:28

0

The actual contact patch doesn’t matter. How much the tire deforms during a rotation is what matters, and if they are pumped up properly there shouldn’t be that much more deformation. If you deflated them slightly for sand/snow, yes you will have more resistance.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 16:32

0

Big difference in size here. The fat-tire bike in question has 26” rims. Your GT has 16” rims. I have a hard time believing your BMX bike weighs more than 46 lbs.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 16:34

0

I’m a pretty big dude too. My mountain bike rolls on 26” wheels, my road bike on 700c (with 38mm tires). I’ve only had one pinch flat in many years of riding.

burdickjp > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 16:35

0

Wacko > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 16:37

1

Every time I see a I bought a thing post, never has it been a thing.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 07/10/2015 at 16:38

0

The tires ride on 26” rims, the same diameter as the “old” mountain bike standard. The tires on this bike are 24”x4”.

More tire = more weight at the outside diameter = more work to accelerate.

Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2 > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 16:41

0

Make studded tires

TheRealBicycleBuck > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 07/10/2015 at 16:42

0

Full-suspension doesn’t mean more work. It’s all about the technique. If you try to stand and stomp like you do on a hard-tail, you will put energy into compressing the suspension. If you treat it more like a road bike and stay seated (the whole point of having full suspension), it takes less energy than a hard-tail of equal weight.

I used to mountain bike with my cousins a lot. Both were hard-tail enthusiasts. They never could figure out how I could out-climb them despite riding a bike that was 10 lbs heavier.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 07/10/2015 at 16:47

1

The best all-rounder, in my opinion, is a full-suspension mountain bike, especially if you only have room for one. I used to keep two sets of wheels for my Super-V. One set had slicks for commuting during the week. The other set had knobbies for riding the trails on the weekends.

In commuter mode, I was just as fast as most of the guys on road bikes. In trail mode, I was just as fast as my riding buddies. The best part was being able to bomb across the rough stuff where the roadies couldn’t go.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > TheRealBicycleBuck 07/10/2015 at 16:53

0

This is my other bike on 700CC skinnies I used to ride when I was 80lbs lighter. I’ll tell you what I just don’t look right on that thing now. nothing looks as silly as a 250lbs blob on a skinny tire road bike.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > TheRealBicycleBuck 07/10/2015 at 16:56

0

20” rims and yes I swear to god it weighs over 50lbs. 15 years ago this shit was heavy. now they weigh nothing at all.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 07/10/2015 at 16:59

0

Wider tires have been shown to have lower rolling resistance when inflated to the same pressure as a skinny tire. The reason the pros ride skinny tires is that they can be inflated to much higher pressures, providing a smaller contact patch and some aerodynamic advantages.

HOWEVER! A larger tire has more rotating mass, especially when you consider the width of the rim required to mount the tire. This make accelerating and changing direction much more difficult.

Hopping a curb on a fat-tired bike isn’t nearly as easy as on a mountain, bmx, or even a road bike.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Devon lost his burner, understands electric cars don't require front grilles 07/10/2015 at 17:03

0

Trust me I know. I have a 2010 Specialized Langster Boston and a 2001 GT Jamie Bestwick Edition. My BMX took 15 years of abuse and it’s still going strong. You definitely get what you pay for and for any serious riding for sure invest in some higher end equipment.

This would be used more to cruise around the neighborhood/paved bike paths,ect. No hard use and it’s simplicity makes it easy to keep going.

would I ever buy a $500-$600 from Walmart? Never not in a million years I’d pony up a bit more money and buy a $1200 good bike instead.

This is just something to fuck around with so I’m not to worried for the quality.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 17:03

0

I still can’t believe it. My Super-V weighed less than 30 lbs and it was built in ‘96.

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 17:05

2

Talk him down because it’s a mongoose, talk him down even further as its moderately crappy. Use said money to buy cheap CNC aluminum pedals on eBay, some Conti tires, and Oury Grips.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 17:08

0

Now you’re just making me feel bad about myself. Here’s my current skinny-tired bike (38 mm tires).

I used to ride this one, but the frame got tweaked when the trailer got loose. It was rolling on 23 mm tires.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > TheRealBicycleBuck 07/10/2015 at 17:13

0

Yeah mine is 23mm wide. Specialized Langster Boston.

tromoly > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 17:14

0

Fatbike that isn’t Salsa or Surly? Crack Pipe all day long, even if it was free.

1111111111111111111111 > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 17:16

0

I’d save up for the Surly. Cheap bikes make for hospital visits.

uofime-2 > TheRealBicycleBuck 07/10/2015 at 17:19

0

I imagine that was incredibly uncomfortable to ride on all but the smoothest of surfaces.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > 1111111111111111111111 07/10/2015 at 17:21

1

Theres a bit of a gap there. Lets see 180 bucks vs 1500+ bucks. Not really apples to apples.

I’m still saving for a full suspension DH bike. Either a Transition or Intense.

Conan > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/10/2015 at 19:31

0

See if any local colleges do cheap bike sales.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 07/11/2015 at 11:40

0

These bikes are stupid... unless you’re planning on doing a lot of bike riding on the beach. Riding on sand is the only thing tires that fat are good for.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Devon lost his burner, understands electric cars don't require front grilles 07/11/2015 at 12:01

0

That’s a great site. They even have a touring bike section... which is what I want for my next bike.

TheRealBicycleBuck > uofime-2 07/11/2015 at 14:42

0

It wasn’t too bad. Lots of people do it. The trick is to keep your eyes open for what’s ahead and make yourself light over the rough stuff.

All that being said, I started with 25 mm tires on my Redline when I moved to Louisiana. The rough roads around here are why I now run bigger tires. It’s great fun riding along with “serious” roadies and watching their bikes beat them to death.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > TheRealBicycleBuck 07/13/2015 at 08:09

0

A good, well set up full suspension perhaps. For the price, this fat bike should be better. All cheap full suspension bikes do is bounce, regardless of how you ride.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > TheRealBicycleBuck 07/13/2015 at 08:15

0

I’m going to concede this one to you, but I believe you have a typo. I think that should read 29”x4”. A 29” fat bike would be harder to pedal. My point stands for the bike I was describing though, I’m positive the tires were in the 24” range.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > TheRealBicycleBuck 07/13/2015 at 08:20

1

Full suspension mountain bike is known to me as an all-mountain, so we’re on almost the same page here. I’m kind of tossed up because the fat bike I rode had handling dynamics closer to a BMX, which (even though I never did any stunting) I enjoyed immensely on the streets, and I’m more of a hardtail fan. Both fat and all-mountain do the on/off road thing, so we’ll see where my next bike purchase takes me :)

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > TheRealBicycleBuck 07/13/2015 at 08:23

1

1) What are you replying to? I thing we’re on the same page here.

2) Fair enough, but see my comment about the bike I’m thinking of having smaller wheels.

3) I can believe that. I haven’t tried it, so I’ll just agree.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 07/13/2015 at 08:36

0

I am nothing if not precise. Below is a link to the latest version of that bike. In the department store world, the size of the bike is really the diameter of the wheel and has nothing to do with actual frame sizes. Note that this is a 26” bike and in the description it has “4” extra big fat tires”.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/26-Mongoose…

A little googling led me to some bikes that do run 24” fat tires, but these were all kid-sized frames. For example, I present the Mini-Sota 24” .

Scaling issues prevent kids’ bikes from being a reasonable weight. I found that even high-end kids’ bikes are ridiculously heavy for their size. Even though I see pictures of kids riding fat bikes, I would be very impressed if any of them could get the front end up enough to get over a curb.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > TheRealBicycleBuck 07/13/2015 at 08:47

0

The information I found said most are 26” rims and the width of the tire takes the diameter close to that of a 29”. Which is what I took you to mean.

Anyway, I looked up the place I tried the bike from, and they were 26”. It was still easy to ride. I don’t know why, those are just the facts. Probably gearing.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 07/13/2015 at 08:49

0

Really, all the bouncing is caused by poor technique. People like to stand and crank hard by pulling with one hand to gain leverage to press with the opposite foot. This doesn’t work well with suspension. Even a hard-tail with a well-damped fork will bounce under these conditions. This is why high-end forks have lockout switches which prevent the fork from compressing.

Cranking hard is necessary under certain conditions. But many times, such as an extended climb,it is better to sit down, gear down, and spin your way up the hill. That is only possible with full suspension.

If you want to bounce, buy the fat bike. There isn’t any damping of the bounce in those tires.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > TheRealBicycleBuck 07/13/2015 at 08:53

1

I’m a sit down person, and cheap full suspension bounces. I don’t know about midrange bikes, I’ve never experienced anything between cheap and high-end.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 07/13/2015 at 08:54

1

Good luck with it. I rode a BMX bike on the street as a kid, but my needs were different, so I switched to a road bike as soon as I could. Mountain biking came later and I realized the joys of a full-suspension mountain bike after years of riding hard-tail.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 07/13/2015 at 09:02

1

1) We are on the same page regarding rolling resistance. However, (2) the larger rotating mass means that accelerating/decelerating is more difficult.

3) Thanks for agreeing! It makes it much easier that way! :)

TheRealBicycleBuck > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 07/13/2015 at 09:15

1

I never really learned how to spin properly until I spent some time training with semi-pro roadies. It really makes a difference. These guys rode in a lower gear with a higher cadence than I did. They could maintain cadences in the 120s all day and sprint in the 160s or higher.

When riding with them, I got comfortable spinning in the low to mid hundred-teens, but would start bouncing when I broke 120.

After switching to a full-suspension mountain bike for everyday riding (including commuting), I learned that high cadence and a smooth spin were critical to keeping the bike from bouncing. Once I had that figured out, it was easy to keep the suspension from compressing, even on a cheap bike with friction dampers.