FWIW, I've found that even 60 mm tires, if you can run them quite soft -- sub 20 psi at least in front (I've run them as low as 12/16 without problem; tubes; Big Apples, so, while supple, not the very thinnest of sidewalls) -- I've found that these do considerably better in sand up to about 3" deep than the typical 1.95 at 50 psi. Even better, IME, though some deny this, is that a wheel that is 3" or so bigger in diameter, ie 29", rolls through sand even better. I do quite well with my 700C 50mm/1.95 Furious Freds in such sand, even if at slightly higher pressures because of the very thin sidewalls. The 700C Big Apples I used for a while, at 65 mm actual, were even better.
That said, if all my riding were in such sand (no more than 60% of my local dirt riding is really dirt, and of that, no more than 30% is sand over 1" deep) I'd be very interested in 650C "plus." BSNYC has been riding such a bike and apparently likes it. On Thu, Nov 19, 2015 at 1:10 PM, Mark Reimer <marknrei...@gmail.com> wrote: > I can see that. I'm no expert either, just going based on the bikes that > have come and gone from my circle of riding friends. A few years back there > were probably a dozen fat bikes showing up on our weekly winter rides. Now > there might be one. Everybody sold them. The general consensus was that > there is a very small margin of terrain where a fat bike really excels, the > kind of terrain and snow where no other bike can manage. Anything less and > they are just slow and overkill. Anything more and no bike at all can ride. > Sand is interesting though, and not something we have much of here. It's > possible we just don't have the best fat-bike friendly terrain here. > > On snowy rides, most people I know find narrower tires are an advantage > in, as the tire cuts through to a hard surface. This is not true in deep > powdery snow of course. But if there is a trail or road down there > somewhere, and it's been snowing a lot, narrow tires can be pretty great > IMO. > > For commuting, I definitely find that my experience dictates anything > wider than 32ish mm is not an advantage. On roads where there is snow piled > up here and there from poor/no plowing, wider tires just float up on top > and slide around, losing all control and traction. > > Personally, I'd love something in the 3" wide platform for groomed/harder > packed snow trails, but more importantly for summer dirt and trail touring. > I have dreams of riding the divide some year very soon, and I think that'd > be the perfect bike for it. I'm sure the Atlantis could do it, but might be > a little out of its element in the sticky mud and weight category. > > On Thu, Nov 19, 2015 at 1:01 PM, Hugh Smitham <hughsmit...@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> Hey Mark, >> >> No expert here, but what I've read from folks who obsesse about ride >> characteristics claim that 4" and above is where you gain the >> performance/float in sand or snow. A 650b plus 3 or 3.25" or 26×3 is a >> compromise at that end of the spectrum on those surfaces. >> >> I'm in the process myself on a different beast so I've been thinking more >> on what kind of rig is optimal for the bulk of riding I want to do. >> >> Personally, I'd like a bike optimized for 650b+× 3.25 and if I hit a >> super sandy patch I'll live with the reduced performance. This is where the >> N+1really comes in. >> >> Tail Winds, >> >> ~Hugh >> On Nov 19, 2015 9:47 AM, "Mark Reimer" <marknrei...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> I've been working on selling some road bike stuff to fund the purchase >>> of a Crust Evasion frame - it's a new company a friend of mine has just >>> launched. It's built around a 26" x 3" tire. There is a second model coming >>> out in January that fits a full 4" fat tire, or 27.5x3", or standard 29er. >>> I'm pretty keen on the mid-fat 26" though. I'm hoping to have it arranged >>> by January or so! >>> >>> On Thu, Nov 19, 2015 at 11:44 AM, hsmitham <hughsmit...@gmail.com> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> Mark it seems like you're a candidate for a plump tire ride 26x4/5?? >>>> >>>> Enjoy your Winter Wonderland while I sweat it out. >>>> >>>> Tail Winds, >>>> >>>> ~Hugh >>>> >>>> On Thursday, November 19, 2015 at 9:19:29 AM UTC-8, Mark Reimer wrote: >>>>> >>>>> I woke up this morning to a fresh layer of the white stuff. November >>>>> 19th is really late for snow here, so it's not very surprising. I still >>>>> had >>>>> the Compass Barlow Pass tires with fenders on my Atlantis, which were not >>>>> going to cut it on the fresh snow and ice. I scrambled to change to some >>>>> 2.1 Thunder Burts and no fenders before work. These were brand new Thunder >>>>> Burts, as I've been using 2.25's all summer. I've rubbed the paint clean >>>>> off the frame and had the wheels grind to a halt a few times because of >>>>> the >>>>> marginal clearance. The 2.1's have quite a lot of room all around and will >>>>> be a great trail riding tire I think. >>>>> >>>>> Anyway, I rode in to work today. The first snow is always absurd. All >>>>> the drivers forget how to drive in snow, and being anywhere near a cyclist >>>>> causes absolute panic. Thankfully I made it in safely. It was even kinda >>>>> fun... :) >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> <https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mfCeV7t5ic8/Vk4Eh0Fl7ZI/AAAAAAAAN7Q/fOg7PvhI8L0/s1600/_DSC5399.jpg> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> <https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--IJll_qWhIA/Vk4EmZZZ2vI/AAAAAAAAN7Y/j0Q87KPCraI/s1600/_DSC5404.jpg> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the >>>> Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >>>> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit >>>> https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/vz2_LeqfAM4/unsubscribe >>>> . >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to >>>> rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>> To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. >>>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. >>>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>>> >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the >>> Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit >>> https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/vz2_LeqfAM4/unsubscribe >>> . >>> To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to >>> rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. >>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the >> Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/vz2_LeqfAM4/unsubscribe >> . >> To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to >> rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. >> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- Resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, and letters that get interviews. By-the-hour resume and LinkedIn coaching. Other professional writing services. http://www.resumespecialties.com/ www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmooreresumespec/ Patrick Moore Alburquerque, Nouvelle Mexique, Vereinigte Staaten ************************************* *The point which is the pivot of the norm is the motionless center of a circumference on the rim of which all conditions, distinctions, and individualities revolve. *Chuang Tzu *Stat crux dum volvitur orbis.* Carthusian motto -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
