Fat vs full suspension

[team fallbrook]

Can I ask your opinion on something. I know asking this in a Fat forum might generate some bias, but some of you might have asked the same question.

My first bike was a Fat then I broke the frame and they gave me a whicked light at a discount, but while I was waiting for it I got a full suspension Psycle Werks wild hare. I like both but I need to sell one to buy a comuter. The riding I do now is what I call technical cross country. I live in the country in San Diego, lots of hills and single track.

I have not road the Fat in awhile but I rember it was great for technical and climbing. I have the original forks as well as a pair of rock shock judy's.

Any thoughts

Thanks

 

[colker]

Can I ask your opinion on something. I know asking this in a Fat forum might generate some bias, but some of you might have asked the same question.

My first bike was a Fat then I broke the frame and they gave me a whicked light at a discount, but while I was waiting for it I got a full suspension Psycle Werks wild hare. I like both but I need to sell one to buy a comuter. The riding I do now is what I call technical cross country. I live in the country in San Diego, lots of hills and single track.

I have not road the Fat in awhile but I rember it was great for technical and climbing. I have the original forks as well as a pair of rock shock judy's.

Any thoughts

Thanks

if you post the wicked and the wild hare for sale, the wicked will sell fast while the hare will stay. i almost sold mine. i went to the PO to get a shipping quote and made the mistake to ride the wicked. it's such a nice bike to commute on errands that i gave up selling it.
a fat(rigid) is a much more versatile bike than a FS.

 

[Upchuck]

if you post the wicked and the wild hare for sale, the wicked will sell fast while the hare will stay. i almost sold mine. i went to the PO to get a shipping quote and made the mistake to ride the wicked. it's such a nice bike to commute on errands that i gave up selling it.
a fat(rigid) is a much more versatile bike than a FS.

That's too weird. I also went to the PO to get a shipping quote. And I found out the Wicked Lite he has in SD would cost less than $50 to ship to me here in Ventura County.

Seriously, I'd keep the Wicked Lite unless you have a medical reason for riding a FS. Noble and BLT are best experienced from a classic hardtail...

 

[masiman]

....My first bike was a Fat then I broke the frame and they gave me a whicked light at a discount, but while I was waiting for it I got a full suspension Psycle Werks wild hare. I like both but I need to sell one to buy a comuter.

I have not road the Fat in awhile but I rember it was great for technical and climbing. I have the original forks as well as a pair of rock shock judy's.

....

You can always get another FS bike. It will probably be better than the one you have. You will have a much harder time replacing your Fat Chance. There are plenty of stories of people who sold their Fat's and regretted it.

I agree on the medical part. If you need an FS to ride then that would be a big reason to choose FS over the Fat. Or maybe if you really just prefer the FS over the Fat. Even then I personally would try to find some way to keep the fat. I have my original road bike sitting in the basement gathering dust. I'll send it out for paint one of these days. But I know it will never leave until I die.

 

[team fallbrook]

Thanks for the replys and feedback

Do you guys use a suspension fork? I like the stiff fork for the pure technical stuff

Yeah Noble is one of the best, I am not familiar with BLT, where is it?

 

[colker]

Thanks for the replys and feedback

Do you guys use a suspension fork? I like the stiff fork for the pure technical stuff

Yeah Noble is one of the best, I am not familiar with BLT, where is it?

no susp. forks for me. i do find the wicked fork lacking in precision and stiffness though.

 

[Upchuck]

Thanks for the replys and feedback

Do you guys use a suspension fork? I like the stiff fork for the pure technical stuff

Yeah Noble is one of the best, I am not familiar with BLT, where is it?

I don't use a suspension fork on my Fats. Unicown forks on the Wicked and Fat Chance, rigid PACE fork on the Yo! SS conversion.

BLT, aka Big Laguna Trail, is the one that winds through the meadow and links up with Noble descent.

 

[masiman]

Thanks for the replys and feedback

Do you guys use a suspension fork? I like the stiff fork for the pure technical stuff

Yeah Noble is one of the best, I am not familiar with BLT, where is it?

Rigid here. I have never ridden a suspension bike more than a few hundred feet and never on a trail . My next bike will be uber-advanced, it will have front suspension, lol.

Colker, what fork do you like better?

 

[DRZRM]

I have a Moots YBB with a White Bros. Magic 80 fork, and a SS conversion Wicked Fat with a Yo fork. I'm more inclined to run around locally on my Fat, but I'd never get rid of either. There's a right trail for everything, don't give up the Fat.

 

[jh4rt]

Place for both.

I was reminded tonight that both have their place, and it has less to do with the trail you ride than who you ride it with. If you are the only rigid with a group of 4.5" travel bombers; you are trying to keep up, you are going to be sore in the morning.

However, If you ride with other single speed / rigid guys, you might be a little slow going up (...errr I might be....) But, I don't get "dropped".

I say keep both and sell something else. From now on, I'm not selling bikes, only buying them.

BTW: Want to buy a '64 Chevy pickup? ;-)

 

[mcgurme]

ride rigid, ride free

Hi,
I converted my '91 Yo to front suspension right after I bought it (originally with a Mag 20). I now regret that I never gave the Yo forks a serious try. I just got my Yo replica forks on the bike, after 16 years, and it is SWEET. See the post about the pink polka dot yo.

Anyway, yes, it is a bit more abusive on the arms and back. For really long/tortuous rides I might use my full suspension. But for going fast, light, and technical, the Yo wins hands down now that she's rigid.

Regarding the speed thing, if you're climbing, the Yo will blow most full suspy bikes away. But the opposite will be true descending. I guess it depends whether you like to do a lot of downhill runs or not. I like having one of each, but right now, I'm having lots and lots of fun riding the Yo. I'm glad I didn't sell her!

Morgan

 

[team fallbrook]

I got the full suspesion

Well I broke down and got the full suspension, I have a Brooks ATB on it, but evrything else is stiff.. It is soooo nice, the marshmallow (pscle werks wild hare) is hanging from the rafters gathering dust, it was okay but I have returned to my roots. My original one was a pulple one that I got in 1989, but I broke the downtube a few year's into it. While I was waiting for the replacement I got a Bontriger. When the Fat came I gave it to my brother and he gave it back to me like a year ago. The fat is a great on the climbs, technical routes, fire roads and it's wicked lite.

When we got evacuated from the wild fires it was my escape vehicle of choice for the plan A escape route through the hills and the ANT BR was for the plan B escape route over the road, but don't worry, I would have trailered the respective one based which route I was to take.

Thanks for everyones input.

 

[colker]

Rigid here. I have never ridden a suspension bike more than a few hundred feet and never on a trail . My next bike will be uber-advanced, it will have front suspension, lol.

Colker, what fork do you like better?

i have a vicious cycles fork on a mikkelsen and it's wonderfull

 

[scant]

I'm surprised no1 has mentioned the fat chance shockabilly? while the early billys had a fairly underbuilt AMP back end the later all steel built models are extremely similiar to more modern rigs.
Horses for courses, if you live somewhere rocky or rough you'd be much happier with a suspension fork, or even full suspension. modern shocks have vastly improved in recent years in that they're normally rideable, without masses of suspension bob & still absorb the trail. wether you prefer to feel every nuance of the trail, or float along it is up to you

 

[settemarche]

Shock A Billy - super dope. i anyone has one they want to part with???? PM time.

but i digress. i have a rigid Buckshaver with a Yo fork and a rigid Yo with a Yo fork. there is also a Yo with Judy SL. i go back and forth riding the bikes on the same trail near the house.

if i want to go fast i take out a bike with a suspension fork. it smooths everything out. but the positioning over the bike changes. and a bike with a suspension fork is no where near as precise.

if i want to work on being technical and skillful then i will take out a rigid bike. granted you get more beat up. but there is a greater sense of satisfaction after going through a technical section or ripping through some narrow single track.

on a rigid bike there is also a coolness factor. everything now is massive suspension travel. most of the top line bikes are not even made out any type of metal now. when i ride my rigid bike it is like i am in my own little world. no one around knows that rigid feeling!

my 2 cents,

Sette