A short time ago, I wrote an
article about Salsa's fat-tired fun machine, the Bucksaw, and found myself steering the intro and closing statements in a much more defensive tone than I would have preferred. Rather than explaining the hows and whys, I was saying things like, ''those who talk shit about fat bikes have almost certainly never spent any time on one,'' and it just felt odd to be defending a bike's existence before I got around to telling people how it performed. My efforts to inject some sanity into the comment section did work, for the most part, but there were still a few readers in there who, judging by their comments, would prefer it if women hadn't got the vote and evolution was only talked about in hushed tones.
The vitriol was actually impressive in a way, if only because a small handful of commenters seemed to hate the bike so much that it made me wonder how they feel about things that actually matter in this world. I can just imagine the blue veins popping out their foreheads if I ever questioned them in person about gun control, global warming, or everybody's favourite touch paper, religion. Then again, I've been told that it's not polite to ask strangers their take on such things. Also, I don't have one of those neat bang sticks that divers use to keep sharks away, so I'd not likely bring any of that stuff up. Anyways, I already got my monthly dose of heartwarming hate in the comment section of that one article (
no need for me to go into any of the PB Awards pieces then, right?), and I picked out a few proper gems that I've pasted in below, mistakes and all so as to get their full effect.
With the exception of maybe mini-golf or drunk Twister, looking like a dumbass has never been so fun.
''
Absolute piece of shit. These absolutely ridiculous fat bikes need to disappear very quickly,'' exclaimed
matt76. Good 'ol Matthew is a bit of a grumpy goose, but it seems that he still uses his pleases and thank you's so long as he agrees with a hater that's in the same camp as him: ''
Thank you. I'm glad someone else on here sees sense for a change. These are total shite and are an eye sore on the trails,'' he said in a reply to a fellow member of the fun police. Hey Matthew, if you leave your contact info below, it would allow companies to consult you before releasing a bike so that they can be sure that you approve of its appearance. Then everyone would eventually be on a good looking bike, right?
PB user
torero decided to go down the anti-corporate, it's-just-a-fad road, by saying, ''
another stupid fashion that people do not stop consuming; that are fatbikes.'' Torero, if you think that anyone riding a fat bike is concerned about fashion, you've likely been drinking too much Stan's sealant. Did you see how stupid I look in the photos of the Bucksaw review? Anyways, we're riding bicycles in the bush, so who gives a flying f*ck what we look like? All I care about is how long my last skid was. And while I'm all for everyone not spending money on huge televisions that they don't need or an iPhone, I also don't suspect that fat bike sales are lining anyone's pockets with cash or paying for Ferraris. I'm sure that fat bike sales are dwarfed by the number of ATVs and side-by-side vehicles with beer coolers, so we've got bigger problems to worry about than Jim from down the street looking like a tool on his Surly Moonlander.
| A fellow mountain biker shitting on fat bikes is a bit like being the bearded woman in the circus sideshow and calling the sword swallower a freak. We're riding bicycles in the bush, guys... we ARE the sideshow to the large majority of the stick and ball-loving public, and that's a good thing. |
My personal favourite was from
Intense4life, a dude who's maybe just a little too intense for me. ''
WTF. This is rediculous. The question is why? If you buy one of these rediculous bikes your an idiot. What an embarrassment to the bike industry. Like anybody is going to make one of these the second or third bikes in their stable. Mike Levy and PB... Give your head a shake.'' I am shaking my head, Mr. Intense4life, but it's not because fat bikes are a so-called embarrassment, but rather because I can't believe how closed minded someone can be. I want to go on a tandem bike ride with you - I'll even be the captain if it makes you more comfortable - and just talk about why you feel the need to aim your misdirected sense of manly toughness at what type of bike people want to ride. Afterwards we'd take the tandem through a Dairy Queen drive-through to get ice cream cones to eat on the beach together, comfortable with the silence between us. You'd then admit that yes, you too just want to have fun like the girl in that song, but you're scared that it might lead to you smiling by accident. I want to smile with you, Intense4life.
My point is that there are better things to growl about than what kind of bike a complete stranger is riding in the woods, aren't there? Complain about how almost every riding ''
edit'' is actually a disguised commercial, or maybe the old fallback that everyone hates, so-called bottom bracket, seat post, and axle standards. There's also puppy mills. No one likes puppy mills, but you'd rather complain about fat bikes than tiny, cute puppies locked in cages? So much of the hate that could be aimed at puppy mills is being wasted on fat bikes. Sure, the bikes don't go anywhere fast, so maybe they're not for you if that's your ultimate goal on every single ride (
I bet you're a real joy to ride with if that's the case), but taking them to task for being different isn't the right move.
A fellow mountain biker shitting on fat bikes is a bit like being the bearded woman in the circus sideshow and calling the sword swallower a freak. We're riding bicycles in the bush, guys... we ARE the sideshow to the large majority of the stick and ball-loving public who still have images of old Etto helmets, Factory Pilot Eyeshades, and pink Spandex in their collective head. I feel like the bearded woman would have to be nice to everyone without exception, given that all she's got is her personality to win other people over, and that we're all under the same circus tent so we should do the same.
I've found that I dont care how long my skids are while i'm fatbiking. I never try to skid, ever.
It's like rubbing a $100 bill against a rock.
picsndquotes.com/celebrities/jonah-hill/attachment/jonah-hill-photos
btw are you THE waki... ? did you change your flag or are you simply a imitator of the real waki?
Or to put it another way, the problem with a pissing match is that afterwards, both parties smell like urine...
Except that's really not what Mike is doing here, is it? I mean, yes, feeding the trolls is a bit like giving a bratty kid throwing a temper tantrum a bunch of attention. (Come to think of it, it's really more than just a bit like that). But completely ignoring lack of civility has a way of backfiring as well. I think sometimes calling people on their shit is not a bad idea.
If you look past the specific topic at hand, ie fatbikes, what Mike is really saying in this article is that there is more than one way to enjoy riding a bike. If your gonna call out someone for enjoying it their way, you are in turn calling yourself out for enjoying it your way.
If seeing other people riding a bike differently than you enjoy riding yours motivates you to start putting that person down, and inventing reasons in your mind that justify those actions, then you might want to take a step back and ask yourself who's the ass in that scenario. Just some food for thought.
The internet is not the real world and a fatbike is another type of bike to purchase- that's all. Its not a person, its not an organization, its an inanimate object. You can turn off your computer and go riding whatever bike you want without issue, regardless of what a few people write on a website. Just some food for thought.
Mike Levy didn't decide to make abolishing puppy mills his work. He is a writer sharing his opinion about an industry that supports recreation. The comments are the same. One does not add more to society than the other.
I've always kind of seen these bikes the same way. They look super fun as a change of pace or in certain specific conditions (snow, mud, sandy trails etc) but they aren't really on par with or something that will every be able to keep up with or replace the traditional mountain bike. Like a luxury if you can afford 3 bikes. Sort of like a swallow tail snowboard. Awesome if you happen upon a day when you have thigh deep powder, but pretty much useless compared to a more traditional snowboard in normal conditions.
Being open minded is understanding that other people see the world differently than you.
I think asking, "how can that be fun?" ISN'T being closed minded...
Looking like a tool and acting like a goon on the trails makes for some of the most ridiculous fun you can think of. You could probably even get a giggle out of Kenny Smith if you sat him on a fat bike and rolled him down a hill.
And frankly, I personally wouldn't mind rolling through Dairy Queen on the back of a tandem with Levy.
1: Get a bike.
2: Get a Helmet.
3: Go and have som fun.
I rode one at a demo getting bugs caught in my teeth from a cheek hurting grin while listening to the sound of the tires hummm down the trail like the sound of a jacked up jeep blazing down the freeway. It reminded me of when I was 8ish and I was so excited to spend the day on my bike with my buds that I showed up at my friends doorstep after racing down the street to his house, knocked on the door, looked down and realized I was only sporting my Heeman whitey-tighty's cause in my flurry, I forgot to put on pants.
Yes, the bike in my opinion is Rad!
I'm sure that those folk are either either trolls or a bit young and green to understand the world, perhaps both?
If you don't like something a company sells, don't buy it. Fairly simple to understand. Market forces will dictate whether they survive or die. Unicycles are niche, just like fixies and recumbent bikes, but they have a following albeit not the same size as the mtb market is.
Chill out!
The only logical reason is that the fat bike boosts their confidence enough to attempt winter commuting and without this bike, they wouldn't be on a bike in winter. So good on them for getting out, having fun and riding their bike...that's what it's all about.
That was a joke.
Yeah shitting on a stupid looking fad that happened for the sake of "new" is probably not the best use of anyone's time, but your criticism of other's opinions that conflict with your own is exactly the same thing. They have as much right to hate it as you do to love it. Wasting PB space for the sake of your own crusade to sway the opinions of what you call a few is just as stupid as you think they are for having the opinions that they do. I'm with you on the BB, post & axle problems, along with plenty other things that piss me off about the MTB industry *cough* derailleurs *cough*, but puppy mills? Sure c'mon guys let's all head over to Pinkpuppymillprotest.com to protest puppy mills rather than spend it here on PB talkin' bikes. :s You could be doin' the same thing with your time instead of using PB as your own personal protest sign against other bikers having opinions different than your own.
Claiming that that those users seem like the types that would deny women the vote & shun the theory of evolution is like them saying that you seem like the type of idiot that's in favor of having a hundred different seat post diameters. Of course we all know you're smarter than that, right?
" Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things."
I get some of the hate, a lot of fatbikers have never ridden off road before, so dealing with new riders who don't always know/follow trail etiquette can be frustrating. I look at is an opportunity to educate new riders so that we all get along. Remember, in the end, we choose spend our free time riding our bikes in the woods with friends.
I also thought the 36 was a good pick for the suspension product of the year. Those who have ridden the Pike and the new 36 back to back can comment. The Pike is an awesome product, but I think the new 36 edges it out when riding really hard.
Mike
If that's not okay, just tell me. I'll stop, but I won't want to live on this website anymore.
Also, I still want to ride that bike.
I want my black and white TV and my 8 track cassette
markmanson.net/not-giving-a-f*ck
In my opinion PB should be at slightly more strict on banning users, some spoiled bratts are just boring and exhausting.i've been banned from PB before so i know what i am talking about.
The question is how strict?
and gazzallodi 3.0s disappeared because no one bought them. it's not some conspiracy by gazza to make you buy a fat bike.
Read subtitle 1 of "General Observations Based on Load Equivalency Factors"
Doubling the contact patch for the same amount of weight reduces the damage (erosion as you call it) by much more than just half. It's nowhere near a linear relationship. Is it enough to make a difference? I doubt it. But after being in the civil engineering industry for a while, I'm sure sure some tree hugger would call it enough to only allow fat bikes, I deal with them all the time
Oh yeah, and anybody in a snowy climate that has not ridden purpose built fat (snow) bike trails in the winter is truly missing out on something special, even if you hate fat bikes.
Some ski areas are starting to allow fat bikes onto their cross-country ski trails, with the requirement of fat bikes only - tires at least 3 inches wide with no more than 10 psi of pressure. But, it's not like you were allowed to ride your regular mtb on these trails before anyway, so no loss.
It's the time,money and engeneering that should be used developing real bikes and it's thrown on niche markets trying to make new segments that get's to my gut.
Have fun!