Our Favorite Fat Bike Reviews

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Our Favorite Fat Bike Reviews

Fat bikes are strange birds in the cycling world, with their crazy-wide q-factors and monster clearances, but they are also extremely capable platforms that lend room for a lot of creativity. As an arctic blast sweeps across much of the US, and snow blankets our favorite Southwest trails, we’re taking a look back at our ten favorite fat-bike reviews from the last few years. You’ll see a few of the usual suspects from Surly, but we’re also resurrecting one-off creations from the archives and even a Readers’ Ride. Drop into the comments and let us know how you’re getting ‘Fat’ this winter!  

Under the Hood: Reviewing Gravel Drop-Bar Dropper-Post Remotes from Crankbrothers, PRO, ENVE, Easton, and Wolf Tooth

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Under the Hood: Reviewing Gravel Drop-Bar Dropper-Post Remotes from Crankbrothers, PRO, ENVE, Easton, and Wolf Tooth

MicroSHIFT, SRAM, and now Shimano all offer gravel brake levers with built-in dropper post remotes. And there are ways to hack most left shifters to work great as dropper remotes. But if you aren’t currently in the market for a new drivetrain, or if you run a front derailleur, there aren’t many good plug-and-play options that work comfortably from both the hoods and the drops. Travis Engel found just five of them, from ENVE, Crankbrothers, PRO, Easton/Fox, and Wolf Tooth. It turns out they’re all very special in their own little ways.

The Current Hardtail Moment: Hailey Reviews the Neuhaus Metalworks Hummingbird 29er Hardtail

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The Current Hardtail Moment: Hailey Reviews the Neuhaus Metalworks Hummingbird 29er Hardtail

It’s a fun thought experiment to try to pinpoint when the decision to buy a hardtail might factor into someone’s cycling journey. Or, it is if you spend most of your time thinking about, designing, and building bikes like Nick Neuhaus and Daniel Yang of Neuhaus Metalworks. For me, the decision came about 18 months ago when I realized that the terrain that held the most appeal—for day rides and multi-day tours—was continually falling in the underbiking category when ridden on my drop bar gravel bikes. And even though I’m still very much cutting my teeth on more technical terrain, Nick and Daniel reached out to see if I’d be interested in reviewing their second steel hardtail design, the Hummingbird. Of course, I gladly accepted the chance to see if I could keep up with this handmade steel singletrack seeker. In addition to testing the bike on a variety of Colorado terrain, during the past three months I had multiple conversations with the Neuhaus guys about the current hardtail moment; how identity and marketing affect one’s perceptions of this somewhat black sheep trail category, and where the Hummingbird fits into this evolving conversation.

Readers’ Rides: Andrew’s Freewheelin’ Crust Bikes Florida Man Singlespeed

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Readers’ Rides: Andrew’s Freewheelin’ Crust Bikes Florida Man Singlespeed

Say what you will about social media and its adverse effects on society but we’ve been served some stunning bikes through our Instagram Explore page over the years and as a result have connected with some genuinely amazing individuals. So maybe it’s not all that bad? Today’s Readers’ Ride is case in point: Andrew‘s Crust Bikes Florida Man looks like something we’d document in our Philly Bike Expo Reportage. Andrew went to town with this one and boy oh boy is it a looker! Without further adieu…

Best in Class? John’s Review of the Tumbleweed Stargazer Touring Bike

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Best in Class? John’s Review of the Tumbleweed Stargazer Touring Bike

“Best in Class” is not something I would throw around casually. I often find it polarizing to establish such hierarchies when referring to subjective statements. Yet at times, a bike rolls into my temporary possession that deserves the highest of praises. I’ve been riding the Tumbleweed Stargazer for a while now and having reviewed a number of similar bikes in this space, I feel like that title is fitting, yet no bike is perfect…

Let’s check out my full review below!

Readers’ Rides: Dakota’s AWOL Expert

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Readers’ Rides: Dakota’s AWOL Expert

Sometimes we get cruisers, basket bikes, dialed gravel rigs, and other times we get bikes sent to us that really pull at our heartstrings like Dakota‘s AWOL Expert. These bikes were so ahead of their time and since their inception, we’ve seen lots of bikes that have the same look and feel. So when Dakota sent his in, we had to share it! Check out Dakota’s words and photos below…