Is it Sunrise or Sunset for Fat-bike.com?
Have you noticed that fat-bike.com has a new look? A lot has happened here at fat-bike.com over the past few months. In a nut shell, after several years under the management of the site under a different individual and a lack of addressing needed updates in the backend, hosting and other technical issues the site broke. With the needed fixes and improvements out of the skillset and budget of the previous manager and other, more personal reasons, it is time for fat-bike.com to come home to me as owner and originator of the concept and the site. There is still a lot more work to do but the ability to post, and share, stories is back!
Since I stepped away from fat-bike.com I’ve done my best to stay current in the cycling space. Aside from keeping up with industry news, I’ve been running Everyday Cycles, a fatbike, commuter and cargo bike specialty shop in the Riverwest neighborhood of Milwaukee, produce a weekly cycling-related podcast called Full Spectrum Cycling (Currently at Show #281!), organize the yearly Steel is Real bike ride in Milwaukee, bike packed and toured some and attended numerous events as a cycling participant.
Many of the features from the fat-bike.com of the past, including Fat (Video) Tuesday, Wallpaper Wednesday, Weekly Dose of Fat, Reader’s Rides and Business Profiles are all content queues that I established over 10 years ago are still popular today. I am hopeful to reestablish these as frequent features.
Here’s my main question to you fine folks, do you still see fat-bike.com as a community and resource that is something you want to participate in going forward? Basically, is it still worth it in 2024.
I ask because, for me, jumping back in comes with a significant commitment in time, money and energy. I want to do it but if I am just going to be shouting into a void…
I also ask because site visitors have always helped drive this site forward through comments, stories, photos, reviews, event reports and more. Are you interested in participating and helping revitalizing a once great site with me?
In the end, do you want this site to continue on or be relegated to the Wayback Machine? By the way you can view 13 years of fat-bike.com at https://web.archive.org. Just type in fat-bike.com in the search field.
Please leave comments below or email me at greg@fat-bike.com to let me know your thoughts.
Thanks! Greg/Sven
Hi Greg, as you can see fat-bike.com is my go to site for fat bike related info or news for the past 10 plus years. I have been on the site many times over the past months, noticing that nothing new had been posted since last April. I am quite happy for to see something today. Definitely for me, I would love for this site to continue. Thanks for everything that has been done so far no matter the outcome.
Buck, thanks for the encouragement! I am working to get a regular schedule going again. Comments that you all find the site valuable are what will make this place vibrant again,
Greg
Please god, save it.
Hey, Man, thanks! I wish God had time to lend a hand! We will get there.
Greg
Hey Sven!
When I’m not out riding my Fat Bike or calling into the podcast, I am checking out Fat-Bike.com. I have missed it. Keep it going.
I have enjoyed submitting pictures and write up’s. I have also found the reviews very helpful and informative.
Thanks, Allroy! Folks like you who are still enthusiastic about fat-biking are why this site has a chance to make a comeback. I have some of your submissions in the queue already!
Greg
Happy to hear the site will continue on! You have a lot of value and education to offer the lay-cyclist and we are here for it! And as a personal Allroy friend and fan I always look forward to all the podcasts, regardless of what beer or legends you fine gents have on. Keep the rubber side down and beer reasonably chilled.
Peace from southwestern Ontario,
-Stringbean
Stringbean! Thanks for the encouragement. Also, Allroy has a legion of fans, it seems. We always look forward to his calls on the Full Spectrum Cycling podcast. I am working to get a more fat-bike specific show going again. Stay tuned.
Greg
This sounds great! I keep Fat-Bike.com open in my tabs always because I’m looking for new info on your site daily. To me, Fat-Bike.com is THE source for fat bike related news and information. I, for one, would love to see Fat-Bike.com continue and be a daily or weekly source of information all things fat! Thank you!
Hi, Andy! As I mentioned in this story Fat (Video) Tuesday, Wallpaper Wednesday, Weekly Dose of Fat, Reader’s Rides and Business Profiles are all in the works for rejuvenation. Let me know if you have any stories you’d like to tell.
Greg
keep it up…we from up north (cambridge howlers – allroy’s our mayor) enjoy the site and re really encouraged to ride with you/your group in the future.
Thanks, Man! Allroy is awesome. Great energy from an old-school fat-biker! Look for a couple of photos and stories he’s sent in soon.
Greg
I just ordered my first Fat Bike, and discovered your website. I wish you the best with the rejuvenation of the site. I am not only looking forward to riding this season, I am interested in seeing the stories from other riders, and learning from the reviews and content you are sharing.
Cool, Cory! Good to know people still want to explore what fat-biking is all about! Let me know how your experiences go.
Greg
I for one appreciate the fat bike articles! Thanks for your efforts in the past and I hope you have the energy to continue.
Thanks, Doug! We’ve got a season ahead of us. Let’s get ‘er going!
Greg
I certainly hope the website continues. It’s been my source of reliable fat bike info, news, and reviews since I got in to the hobby ~5 years ago. Other bike websites cater to the larger user bases of road or mountain biking but they miss out on some of the environmental challenges one experiences in cold weather fat biking.
Miles, I hear you! With big manufacturers bailing on fat-bikes to some extent, I am looking to the fat-bike community to help with stories, photos and the like. Let me know if you’ve got any ideas.
Greg
For what it’s worth, I still check semi-regularly and would love the site to keep going.
Thanks, Mungo! I hope we can get the site hopping again.
Greg
I definitely think there’s a need for a fatbike enthusiast site, and thank you for all the past years. Don’t know if there’s enough of those enthusiasts to make it worth your commitment though. Fat bikes without a motor won’t sell well ever again IMO. It would be sad to see this place go but totally understandable. The fat user forums on bigger concerns like MTBR might be the best we can hope for.
Hi, Tom! I find forums useful for quick info but I hope we, the fat-bike community as a whole, can help make this site a great resource again.
Greg
I ride “all the bikes” but my Fat Bike is my favorite, I ride it off and on all year long. I frequent this site often to see if there is anything new I should be aware of in the Fat Bike world. I would love to see this site keep going!
Right on, Nate! I’ll be digging for stories. Let me know if you have any to share!
Greg
Glad to see it’s going to continue.
Thanks, Chris! Since this is about changes. What would you like to see?
I personally would love to see fat-bike.com get its mojo back! There are still a lot of exciting things going on in the fat bike world and not a whole lot of places to find out about it right now.
Hey, Ken! I remember reading some of your stories in the past. Well done. Let me know if you have ideas and time to share again.
Greg
OMG the site has been updated…all summer long I noticed the site was stuck in time, glad to see you are making a go at bringing it back. Fat bikes get little to no coverage on the bicycle websites, so this was my goto place for fat bike news. Please think about bringing back the event calendar and maybe add a google map that shows groomed riding spots
Justin, thanks for hanging in there! I am decent at some of the backend needs and the Events Calendar is a priority. I’ll look into the map idea. I think it is a good one. That said, here in SW Wisconsin we didn’t have snow last year. Hopefully that will change this year. At least the beach riding has returned somewhat.
Greg
I’ve been wondering what’s up with the page. Been checking in regularly, glad to see your back. Fat biker from the Kootenays.
Hi, Brent! Took longer to get the backend up to snuff than I originally thought but the main site is functional again. I am currently working on getting the event calendar functional again.
Greg
Probably, this review will carry the least weight since it is written from Russia. Nevertheless, I want you to know that fat-bike.com is read in our country. Your resource has contributed to the development of fatbiking in our Russia. Yes, it may be a little different than in the USA and Canada, but it is also quite advanced. Furthermore, we would be ready to share our stories, videos, and talk about our bikes with residents of the Western Hemisphere if there were such an opportunity. And there is a lot of content to share.
So yes, you have readers across the ocean. Please, do not abandon this site.
Felix, thanks for the kudos! We are certainly interested in stories form Russia as well as other parts of the world where fat-bike enthusiasts still carry the torch.
Greg
Best of luck! Hope you can bring Fat-Bike.com back to it’s glory days!
Thanks, Doug! My job that took up all my time went away so, hopefully, we can whip this sucker back into shape.
Greg
Fat bike.com changed my life. We must make sure this resource continues into the future! I will carry some of the load if need be. People have just become disconnected from fat biking, including me. I believe if we re-engage the community will come back together. Love you Guys! – M
Mark! So glad to hear from you brother! I aim to give it another go. Send me stories or ideas when you get them. I am also trying to figure out a new Podcast. Full Spectrum is fun but I’d like to do something more focused on fat-biking again.
Greg
I’m in. Global Fat Bike Day is around the corner, we still have a local ride. I signed up for my first snow bike race. I have convinced two kids on the local bike team to add fat bikes to their stable. Celebrate the Jeep, rock crawling, sand storming, snow packing version of the bicycle. The ultimate all-terrain evolution of human powered transportation.
Right on! I remember when my son started his first year as a NICA racer on a fat-bike!
Greg
I have totally appreciated this site for the last few years. Please continue and move forward.
Thanks, Tom! I’m carving out time to make another go at this site.
Greg
Hi Greg
I’ve been a regular visitor to the site over the years so personally would love to see it continue. I totally appreciate the time and resource difficulties this presents however! I guess I’m seeing the drop in interest in fat bikes across cycling media as an all round Bad Thing so any ray of sunshine in that decline gets my support. I wish the cycling industry would stop focusing only on the latest thing, then dropping it totally when they move onto the next thing. Convincing people that there is more to bike riding than hammering trail centres on expensive full suspension bikes, or trying to ride as fast as possible on a road bike is key to increasing and maintaining take up of cycling everywhere, helping people enjoy bikes and making the industry sustainable.
So crack on Greg!
Phil, I agree 100%! I liked the “cottage industry” times of the early fat-bike scene. It seems we are headed back that way. Fine with me! Hopefully we can still find some folks who are doing interesting things.
Greg
Glad to see this back!
Thanks, Dave!
Sadly, it seems like the industry is moving away from fat biking. It was trendy for a while for some folks, but it’s also a way of life in winter for some areas: AK, UT, CO, and the Midwest. Please keep it going. We have a lot of fat bikers in Northern Utah. We’re always happy to help send in some pics and content. Thanks for all your hard work!
Darren Giordano
North Ogden, UT
Thanks, Darren! Gotta revisit the Comments settings. They should go up sooner.
Greg
I have always liked smaller, alternative bike review/information sites. I hope that Fat-bike.com can continue and maybe be a voice within the industry for those of us that still like and WANT Plus/Fat options. (Like bontrager hodag tires coming back)
Thanks for the feedback. Hoping to do our best to oblige.
Greg
I would like to see this site flourish. I am thirsty for fatbike content and I think there are people out there who could benefit from fatbike related information and content.
Thanks, Rob. Wallpaper Wednesday, where we can showcase our community member’s bikes will be the first regular section to make it back with Weekly Dose of Fat coming its heels. Reviews and such will take a bit more time but feel free to submit stories on what is working for you! I’ll have a “Submission Guidelines” article soon.
Greg
It’s been a while since I checked in with the website. I came looking for a World Fat Bike Day post and I gotta say when I read this article and saw the “be the first to comment” my heart kinda dropped especially since it’s been ten days since you posted. I suppose I’ve been in the same place as everyone else, The Big Social. I realize that I haven’t been checking in with any of the websites and forums about the activities I love and I’ve just been rolling with the garbage that the algorithm feeds me. Looking around, most of the forums are barely hanging on and several appear to have been taken over by bots and spammers. The complete lack of solid informational content of social leaves a huge void where the Internet used to be strong. I’m afraid we’ve moved from the education of people to the training of AI being the prime objective on here. Come to think of it I’ve been doing more scrolling social and not doing the activities I love over the last few years. I’ve been buying a lot of crap I don’t need and I guess that’s what’s driving all of thiy. I sure would like to get back to basics Greg. I hope this thing turns around for us all.
Luke! Getting the site functional again was part of the battle. I think social media can be good for event promotion and such but I hope to make this site relavent again. Kind of up to us to make that happen.
Greg
I am trying to shop for poagies today. It seems several small makers have closed-up shop, a couple bag makers have dropped poagies from their product lines. It’s not news that there are only a handful of bike manufacturers still building fat bikes and, across the board winter cycling products are getting harder to find.
Some say fat bikes are dead. But I have seen darker days. We are better today than they were before fat bikes were developed. I think that we are now in the Dark Ages of fat biking. With all the marketing hype and wanna-be’s behind us, I’m hopefully we can look forward to a Renaissance ahead. Perhaps fat-bike.com can be the warm campfire that we can all gather around.
Hi, Frank! Thanks for the perspective! Maybe less manufacturer news but I think the community is strong!
Greg
I’d like to see it continue and post and discuss fat bikes. I mainly ride mine on dry trails but have benefitted from the content the last 4-5 years.
Thanks, Kyle. Been more work than I’d planned but we should be good to go!
Please keep it running, I know we are not the biggest community but I myself love this page.
Kind regards from Iceland
Andri Sveinn
Thanks, Andri! We are on the way!
Good to see it’s back!
I second others that used the event calendar. Gear/bike/tire reviews, events, rides, trips are all fun topics. Categories are fun too.
Rider + Rig articles could be fun too since they are so different than fair-weather rides.
Really enjoyed the podcast when it was rolling too, so if that starts up I’d listen again. Did Gomez retire?
For full explanation check out “Full Spectrum Cycling podcast episode #265
Min 23:00
Got interested in a fat bike from watching videos of Bruce Coastrider Scotland. Found a used Surly Moonlander on Craigslist a month ago, and I am enjoying it already. Ready to take it to the Virginia coast to ride from Sandbridge, Va., to Corolla, NC in the spring and summer. Already found lots of good stuff on this site. Hoping we get some snow this winter in Virginia. Not much the last 2 years. I rode the Moonlander in a holiday parade last weekend with my bike club, and it was a hit. Lots of interest. I see many e-fat bikes at the beach. Thanks for keeping this place going. Happy holidays. Ride on. On a fat bike.
Very cool, Jon! Glad to learn that there are still people joining the fat-bike tribe!
Greg
Stopped by today from lower Michigan to get the lowdown on regional gfbd events- found what I needed.
Thanks for all the past and present stoke!
Thanks, Reinhold! Did you get any pix?
Long live Gomez.
Glad to see you back! I check at least once a week! I like the reviews.
Thanks, Johnny! We’ve got some work ahead of us but Reviews are definitely in the works.
Greg
I’m praying to the Fat Bike Gods and Goddesses that the site keeps going! I have not been a regular but since moving to Leadville in 2018 and opening a little dirtbag cycling enterprise called LeadVelo Bicicasa, I took up Fat Biking like world peace depends on it! I’m now an addict Fatnatic! let’s make Fat Bike .com prevail and thrive! Greetings from the highest bike shop in America at 10,200′! Cheers Greg!
Rafael! Glad you found fat-biking. I checked out the shop site. I like what you are doing. I’ve been to Leadville a few times but that was quite awhile back. I’m looking to get back on the road gathering stories. Hope to meet you some day.
Keep us posted on what’s happening at the shop!
Greg