Fat Bike: First Impressions

   Merry Christmas to Me:

Marshal Mesa

Spring Brook

   Got a new (used) Salsa fat bike over the break. I had been looking at a few options for a fat bike, and this one came up on Craigslist and I jumped on it. After a few rides, here are my take aways from the wonderful world of biking in the snow:

• It was much louder than I expected. The crunchy snow and big tires meant I couldn't hear much going on around me.
• It didn't float over crusty snow like I expected, marketing be damned. I haven't tried it in powder yet.
• It was really fun to rail corners. The large, aggressive tires provide a lot of traction
• The front tire tracks funny, especially if you let it wander. It took deliberate effort to get it back on the trail.
• I ended up stopping kind of a lot to change layering and keep my body temp regular. Mostly removing a second pair of gloves and skull cap. 
• It was pretty cold, so I was using snow boots and flat pedals. 

   I have been riding my cx bike in the winter a lot, so had a pretty good handle on what to wear. Notables include: Thin gloves under mittens; Thin skull cap under snowboarding helmet; Gators over winter boots. I'm really excited to try it out after a fresh snow! 

   Natalie also got a new set of wheels - and it's been a long time coming. She'd test ridden a couple bikes with various components, but none felt as good as this one. This is a Specialized Crux Expert. It has 11 speed and HY/RD disc brakes. This bike is really sweet. Light, stiff, just a perfect ride!

Natalie's new whip

   Now we need some snow to melt so she can get out and ride it!