I was going to start this blog with the words “there aren’t many fat bikers about these days” but then I thought that would not be very politically correct, mainly with respect to bikers who have scoffed too many pies/scones/bacon butties/fish and chips/cream cakes*. What I should have said was “there’s not many bikers who ride fat bikes these days”, which is rather more PC, though I’m sure some busy-body would find fault regardless. In any case, I guess I did start with those words. Too bad.
But it’s true these days, that there are very few bikers out there riding fat bikes, at least here in this neck of the woods. Mind you, thinking about it there never was many fat bikers about in Scotland. Perhaps 10-years ago we might have rustled up half a dozen or more locally but there are only three I’m aware of now, myself, Scott in Dalkeith and Bruce aka CoastRider, in Dunbar. I recall on event organised by Bruce called Fat Forth when around 30 fat bikers turned up and we rode from North Berwick to Gullane and back, and what a sight it was.
Fat bikes could be said to be a very niche product, most at home on surfaces such as snow and sand, and while there’s plenty of the latter around our coastlines, the former is rather scarce, here in the south of Scotland at least, possibly partly due to so-called climate change. Oh, best not forget the boggy grass slopes of the Southern Uplands as well which fat bikes ride quite well. As a niche product, fat bikes just didn’t attract the masses and I also suspect their strange appearance with those humungous tyres put people off. If it’s not normal and mainstream, people tend to shy away. Though I must say those very reasons were why I was attracted to fat bikes in the first place. Mind you it was a close call as I was about to purchase an ex-MOD Landrover Defender 90 for some off-road fun.
Personally, I lost interest in fat bikes over the past few years though I still rode my Surly Pugsley fat bike on occasions, only parting with it last year with the aim of purchasing the fat bike I could only dream about owning back when I first started fat biking in 2010. Regular readers will know this to be my Trek Farley 9.6 now one of my favourite bikes. The other is my single speed Brompton C Line which could not be more different. The Trek Farley is lightweight carbon fibre and would have cost an arm and a leg back in 2020, just way out of my means at the time.
The Trek Farley has most definitely rekindled my love of fat biking. I’ve been along the coast on numerous occasions and a few local night rides around Bonnyrigg and in Dalkeith country park has been most enjoyable. Riding the coast is great but I don’t like the mess you get when riding wet sand. Everything seems to get sticky and messy. But the question I always find myself asking is, why are there so few people riding fat bikes. This is no doubt partly down to the reasons stated above but I do wonder if it’s also the fear of doing something different from the norm, not being the same as your mates with their full-suspension silly-money mountain bikes? I do think that people sometimes actually want something but are too afraid to do it, or even admit to it, because someone might say something.
Anyway, whatever, I love fat bikes and I love tinkering with them. My Trek Farley has changed a little since I bought it back in May this year. Front and rear racks have been added, both in the same matching lava colour as the frame. A rear trunk bag and a small front handlebar bag provide all the carrying capacity I need. Small items include adding a wee jingly bell, two bottle cages, downtube mudguard and mobile phone mount. One other change is the lighting. I’ll post a detailed blog about all the changes another day.
When one of my Hope lights died suddenly, just a month out of warranty I might add, I started looking for a replacement and after considering a bewildering number of options, settled for the Knog Blinder x1800. As the number suggests, it’s light output is around 1800 lumens on high and the 10,000 Mah battery pack with provide 2.5 hours at 1800 lumens, 6.4 hours at 800 lumens and 13 hours at 350 lumens.
It also comes with a remote handlebar switch and a waterproof rating of IP67. Trials out in the field reveal that even the 350-lumen option is good enough for total darkness, even the kind you get in thick woodland. In fact, I like this light so much I’ve bought a second one. My thinking is to use one light at 350 lumens as my dip beam, pointing low down with the other at 800 or 1800 as main beam, pointing straight ahead. In practice I use the low beam light around town and when I don’t need a lot of light straight ahead. It’s easy to click the remote switches and flick between low and high.
Now, I was down in Dalkeith country park the other night, and there’s a stretch of track down by the River Esk at the far side of the park. The horsing fraternity have posted signs here stating only horses are allowed here but this is nonsense and against the rules in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, which essentially opens up all paths, roads and tracks to all forms of users, including cyclists. It was put into law under the Land Reform Act (Scotland) 2003. So, you are allowed to ride there regardless of what any horse-riding person might say to you.
Anyway, rant over and back to this location. One issue I find here is finding the entrance to the track. You enter here by the top track which leads to a field. However, you need to veer right and drop down to the lower track and the start of this can be difficult to see at night. Similarly, on the return finding the exit can also be an issue. To get round this I’m going to employ a technique I’ve used elsewhere and that is to attach some small reflective patches to a suitable surface nearby, for example, a tree, fallen log, gate post or similar. They are only about 50 mm long but easily picked up in the bike lights but not so conspicuous to attract unwelcome attention and up being removed. More soon.
*delete as required/if necessary.
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