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The Fat and The Curious

We’ve all met them. We’ve all answered their questions. The big eyed gawkers that stare at you as you ride by on your fat bike. “WOW, LOOK AT THOSE TIRES!” “Where did you get that?” “Is it hard to pedal?”

And inevitably, “How much did it cost?” After I answer that question, there’s usually only one more question: “What?!?!”

Curiosity didn’t kill that fat-cat, the price point did. There’s something to be said for a low cost option for the fat bike market. Recently as the fat options have evolved into wider tyres and internal hubs and …(Eww) carbon frames…the costs climb just as fast as the options. It’s even tough to find a good used fat steed for a reasonable price because demand is high, and I don’t blame… the demanders? That being said, Framed Bikes out of Minneapolis has thrown down what appears to be a respectable entry level fat bike option in the Minnesota 2.0. Rumor has it, the cost was just under a grand, after shipping.

Framed Minnesota 2.0

Framed Minnesota 2.0

Here’s the set up:

  • Oversized 6160 alloy tubing
  • SRAM 2×9
  • Avid BB5 brakes
  • Alloy pedals w/removable pins.
  • Drilled out Framed Alloy Single Wall rims
  • Tyres Vee Rubber Mission 120 TPI Lightweight Folding tires.
  • And included is a set of 29″ rims and tires – which I have not seen
Framed Minnesota 2.0

Framed Minnesota 2.0

Framed advertises that the geometry on the Minnesota 2.0 has a shorter cockpit than the Minnesota 1.0 and it was pretty obvious. It feels more upright than I was used to. There is no flex in the frame and despite the low pressure in the tires, it feels very rigid. The tires are much less knobby than my Bud n Lou setup so climbing can be a bit of a challenge, but overall they aren’t bad.  Other than that, I had no major issues.  It’s a decent bike for the price.  And before you go all elitist on me, there is a market for people who are “Fat Curious” but unable or unwilling to make the investment that it has taken in the past to test the fat bike waters.  You know, your co-worker who always wants to talk to you about it but won’t pull the trigger. Or your girlfriend who complains that you ride too much and wants to do things together. Or your college buddy who can’t afford a commuter and a mountain bike and a fat bike. Or that couple that always asks you to go snowshoeing and you always turn them down because that’s just walking around in Eskimo Clown Shoes and why the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks would you want to just walk around in the woods when you can ride a freaking bike?  Those people are probably fun people, and they probably drink cheap beer (like I do) and I want to ride with those people.  This ride will hopefully get them one step closer to throwing a leg over a chubby and pedaling through the snow covered pines with me.  If it’s true that once you go fat you never go back; consider this – the Gateway Bike.

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For more information about Framed Bikes visit – http://www.framedbikes.com/

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11 Responses to The Fat and The Curious

  1. Bob Bergen February 27, 2014 at 8:05 pm #

    I purchased one the week before last and rode it on a 7 mile night ride on Tuesday. For $950 including shipping plus an extra set of wheels ( with rubber and gear cluster) it is a great bargain! I have a Surley Pugsley Necromancer so I can compare the two bikes. The 2.0 is almost 10 pounds lighter and feels like it! My buddy said I was definitely faster on the hills. We had a portion of the ride where a motorcycle had chewed up a serpentine trail right up the middle of our track, the best way to deal with it was to bunny hop over the rut. I don’t think I would even have tied that on the Pugs. The 2.0 has a 2×9 set up that is not quite as low as the Pugs and the cranks are little shorter so I found it was better to keep the speed up but that felt ok on the lighter bike. I love the red aluminum rims, they have the weight saving holes in them. All in all it’s a great way to get into the Fat-bike scene.

  2. Terry Bennett February 27, 2014 at 8:55 pm #

    I have one of these. It’s a great bike good welds and paint. I have been out several times with it and still have the new bike smile on my face. This weekend we are off to the Sweaty Yeti event, looking forward to more good times.

  3. Arno February 28, 2014 at 8:17 am #

    This title sounded encouraging, however, I have to say that I’m counting the days down until these newer manufacturers of entry level fat bikes realize that Vee Rubber Missions are not “real” fat bike tires. I’ve been in the LBS’s and seen potential buyers become disillusioned when they get in the shop and realize they’ll have to shell out an additional $200-$300 for a “real” set of fat bike tires. I’m find myself asking, why they are giving away a second set of 29er wheels when the fat bike tires are junk? Most people who are getting into this already have a mtn bike. I’d much rather lose the 29er wheels and get proper tires.

  4. Ernesto Martinez-Ordaz February 28, 2014 at 9:15 am #

    Want one for my SOther.

  5. Justin February 28, 2014 at 9:17 am #

    This is how I feel about the Motobecane FB4. I have been wanting a fat-bike for a long time, but that was the first bike available at a price point I could justify to my wife without being a completely awful bike. I had no idea how much I would end up riding it, so spending thousands of dollars in the hopes that it is my thing didn’t seem like a wise way to spend money.
    It turns out I’ve put nearly 1,000 miles on that bike this winter, partially because I have found that it is so much more capable for winter commuting than my other bikes because it just goes over everything despite the City of Minneapolis being completely incapable of dealing with snow removal.
    I’ve also raced it, and I haven’t won anything, but I don’t feel like the bike has been the weakest link there. I’ve come up with a decent list of parts I already have or would like to upgrade, and in the end, I’ll probably end up spending about as much as a higher end bike, but I get to ride it in the mean time, and at that point it will be my bike, just how I want it, and I don’t think there is any bike out there that I wouldn’t want to change anything about.

  6. Allroy February 28, 2014 at 8:00 pm #

    Too bad no xl frame.

  7. Aaron Perrott March 1, 2014 at 4:29 pm #

    This is just what the world needs more of. The extra wheel set is nice to have, but a person can always sell them for better rubber. The Missions are probably what is keeping a lot of the new bikes low enough to be juicy enough of a deal to bite on, and a first time fatty rider may not know any different, having never ridden one before. It’s still miles ahead of a regular MTB.

  8. Timmy Grimme March 3, 2014 at 3:14 pm #

    I think you all have also reviewed the Charge Cooker Maxi. These are becoming available at EMS and REI outlets. A fellow in my club just got one and its a surprisingly good value.

  9. RobB June 23, 2014 at 4:03 pm #

    Yeah, the Missions are probably useless in the snow! However, they are just fine in the dirt. I guess pick your poison. This bike does seem like a good overall value!

  10. Mike B June 30, 2014 at 4:30 pm #

    I just got a black/black 2.0 about a month ago after being away from cycling for many many years ( Norco Bush Pilot ). I loved the value and features of the 2.0. I have to admit I checked it out only because my wife’s co-worker recommended it as a good entry level fat bike compared to his Surly Moonlander.

    It’s been a great bike for the money and once I get it all tweaked to my liking I don’t see needing to change much at all. Even my LBS was impressed with the features for the dollar.

    I haven’t had an issue with the tires yet, but we’ll see how it goes in loose dirt or sand. If I had spent well over a grand, I’d have much higher expectations. But for just under 1k shipped. I’m very happy with it.

  11. Vance December 16, 2016 at 9:08 am #

    I am avid rider and wanted to try out a fat bike so I recently bought a Minnesota 2.0 it is a fun bike for the cost. It is geared way to high though for riding in Colorado and the tires wouldn’t hold up to the terrain. So, I went around to upgrading it with a mix of parts I had on hand some from ebay to build a bike that is pretty sweet. Here is my list to make the minnesota 2.0 awesome.
    Hayes stroker trail hydraulic brakes with DOT4(fluid won’t freeze until colder than -51)
    laced in a set of surley Daryl rims went tubeless with maaxis minions 4″, raceface bb and crank with a 36-22 in front shimano xt derailleur to match. 10 spd rear 11-36 with a shimano shadow plus in the rear, shimano deore shifters, race face aeffect handle bars and stem, race face chester pedals, and EIS fat grips. Now then Minnesota weighs about 27 lbs and screams like a banshee over everything. total cost for bike and build was $960 still cheaper than anything else you will buy for the quality after improvements.

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