People like to geek out on gear lists. I am one of those people. I always get ideas by seeing how other people roll. To give back to the bike packing community, here is my addition to the gear list cannon. This is what I used for 18 days and around 800 miles of riding […]
Burley Design celebrated it’s 40th anniversary this year. The company has grown and changed over the years since, Alan Scholz, co-owner of Burley Bike Bags designed the first Burley trailer to transport his hand-made bags (30 miles) to a market where he sold them each week. Along with the bags, Alan also carried his daughter and […]
QuietKat is not a company I was familiar with until recently. This is mostly because they specialize in e-fat bikes which are not exactly my jam. Based on the QuietKat site it looks like a big part of their clientele are hunters so they offer a single wheel fat bike trailer to haul hunting […]
Our family spent 3 weeks biking 900 miles in Alaska. This is the second part of three parts describing our journey. Click here to read Part One. Our adventures of fat biking through Alaska began in the city of Anchorage. Anchorage is a typical metropolitan area. There are tall buildings, lots of traffic, and plenty of […]
I spied one of the prototypes for the Backcountry Stitch Works (BSW) Aww Snap (strapless) frame bags on Will Ross’ Hawt Pank Langxx last year just around the time of the Fat Nationals in Michigan. I quizzed Will about his fuchsia bike purse and he told me that the bag was pretty sweet. So I tried to get […]
I’ve been using Green Guru Gear for a few years now and believe in their Made in Colorado (USA), upcycle/recycle philosophy. Before Davidson, the head honcho at Green Guru, contacted me about checking out their Tubular Insulated Can Sleeve and Sixer 6-pack Insulated Top Tube Holder, I had plenty of experience with the various pouches […]
The first time that I ever saw a rooftop tent was at Sea Otter a few years back. Tepui had one set up on a silver Toyota (like the one I drive) so it caught my attention. I thought “cool idea..and asked how much?”. They said somewhere in the low two-thousands (I don’t remember […]
A few months back I started a review of the Portland design works Fatty Object thing and did a bench test to see if the 38 g CO2 cartridges would fill a 4-inch fat bike tire. You can see that report here. Over the last few months, I’ve done some testing out in the field with […]
I first came across the unique verticle Northshore hitch-style rack out in Long Beach, Washington back in the autumn of 2015. I rented a Salsa Mukluk from Northwest Bicycle Improvement out of Roslyn Washington and they had one of these kick-ass racks on the back of the shop van. (photo below) Since then we’ve tested and highlighted […]
The Ottolock is a unique bike lock that resembles a reusable Ziptie in operation but is A LOT more secure. Ottolock says it is a “Lightweight, compact cinch lock that is stronger than a cable lock and lighter than a U-Lock. Made with steel and Kevlar® bands. Ideal for cycling and outdoor gear to […]
A couple weeks ago the folks at up.bike contacted us and asked if we’d be interested in testing out their new stainless steel rack system. I sent them a photo of the corner of the garage where we keep the bikes that we regularly ride. Like many of you out there, we own a pile […]
In addition to hosting every denomination of bicycle racing, the 2018 Sea Otter Classic has become the best bicycle industry trade show in these United States. Even the corporate giants of the industry come out and show their wares and simultaneously support their race teams. Along with the big boys, the Sea Otter expo area features […]
Apidura Backcountry Bags With virtually the full set of Apidura’s Backcountry series of bikepacking bags landing on my doorstep you could say I was a little excited to try them out, and with my Bivvy a Month #2 just around the corner you could say it was great timing! As stated on the Apidura website […]
It turns out that my old set of 5-year-old Salsa Anything Cages that have been rattling around the shop have a couple of cracks in them. Those cages were on a fat bike up in Tosa, when our tester Jamie discovered the cracks. He’s going to try to repair that set of cages, but […]
Spring is in the air, but for the last few weeks, the Dose of Fat Crew have been visiting Winter on the weekends at events like the Sweaty Yeti – the Hugh Jass @ Trek HQ and the Fat Bike Birkie. We gathered up north in a flurry of activity that culminates this winter’s fat-bike […]
Well, it’s getting towards spring and that means we’ve all made it through yet another winter of fat-bike funskies. This spring we’re going to share some Spring Cleaning and maintenance tips to help everyone celebrate rad adventure and promote safe passage through the warmer months. Today’s spread will feature a few of our test pilot’s […]
Last January we introduced you to the SkiPulk FatBike Pulk Kit. The version we received in the test lab came with the original orange Paris pulk, a black Paris duffle bag, a mountable seat post hitch, and 2 fiberglass poles. Here is the link to the product spotlight for all the specs and initial […]
We’ve been enjoying a set of Bootlegger Fork Bags from our old friends from Oveja Negra. The Bootlegger has a two-liter capacity and is a perfect fit for a Nalgene water bottle inside of a Bar Mitts Winter Bot neoprene sleeve for insulation. They mount directly to the triple cage bosses that come on some […]
We have lots of forks around our house. Dinner forks, salad forks, pickle forks, dessert forks and even forks in the road. We also have 100mm forks, 135mm forks, 150mm forks and even 110mm boost forks❄. We have quick release forks and thru axle forks. Bottom line, there is a lot of flatware ‘round […]
Our friends at SkiPulk sent us their new Fatbike Pulk kit to review and put through its paces. The owner of SkiPulk, Grant, was insistent that the fat-bike pulk get tested by someone that would take it winter camping and that requirement fits in nicely with the Bivvy a Month Challenge that I’ve decided […]
For the last few years, I have been searching for the ultimate bike-packing setup. There are definitely no shortages of bag options out there. My preferred bags have been the snack bags that mount on your handlebars. They’re super easy to access and grab something quick without having to stop and they fit multiple […]
Our favorite sub-arctic set of pogies, the Revelate Designs Williwaw, received an upgrade recently and just in time for Winter, we have a set here to test. The folks at Revelate never stop innovating their product line. The new Williwaws feature a zippered vent, for when your hands get too warm and a new bar […]
This year we polled the folks that write the reviews and produce the podcasts, that we publish here at fat dash bike dot com. It stands to reason, that they’re all experienced fat-bikers and our group has a wide variety of riding styles and habits, so I think what they may want….could be what you […]
So I’ve been riding around with one of the New PDW Fatty Object CO2 inflator strapped to the seatpost of the bike I’m on, but up until now, hadn’t tested it out, because I only had one full CO2 canister and I didn’t want to waste it on a test. So I started to […]
We’ve been enjoying an impressive string of warm dry autumn days, that are tailor made for riding in the dirt. I took a sub 24 hour bivy, this week on our Salsa Blackborow out at Kettle and rode Levis and Silver Lake on the Specialized Fatboy Expert. Those bikes are both currently keeping me busy […]
New products are always moving through the shop and this month, we’ve got a bumper crop of new accessories, do-dads and sundries, to share with you all. Let’s start out with a pair of new products from our amigos at Portland Design Works! PDW Fatty Object I predict that you’ll see a lot of these […]
We purchased a set of rider cockpit bags from Revelate Designs a couple of months ago to use on the test bikes that come through the shop. For obvious reasons, I seldom ride without a camera and I own ‘gas tank’ style bags from several other bag makers, where I carry my trusty Lumix DMC-LX5 […]
We’ve gone digital in the shop and out on the trail with a couple of new gadgets from our amigo, Dillon at Lezyne and the fine individuals at Prestaflator. I’m referring to the digital gauges on our favorite tire inflation devices, of course. Let’s launch this new (to us) product smorgasbord with Lezynes intergrated digital […]
Last year Surly released their full-size “Porteur House” rack bag, designed for their 24-Pack Rack and other platforms of similar ilk. A beast of a bag, you could easily pack a full litter of Schnauzers or four dozen tamales in the Porteur house. Of course, sometimes the picnic is of a more modest size, […]
Cuero Cycling Gloves – retro for the modern world. One could be forgiven for thinking the modern world is becoming more disposable, and even in cycling, bikes, clothing and componentry can feel like it’s made to be faster, lighter, cheaper but also less durable. Compared to the (weighty) steel path racers of our […]
Time to rethink trail side snacking. Munk Pack offers a mouth pleasing, easy to digest alternative to your typical jaw breaking and dry go-to energy bars. These oatmeal fruit squeeze pouches provide a fresh take on replacing energy stores while you’re out racing the continental divide, or when you decide to go for an extra […]
I guess that you never know that you need something till it is gone. At our old place in Westosha, the shop was in the garage, but about a year ago, we moved and now the shop is in the basement. So all of the tools are inside, while most of the bikes that […]
Back in March I shared my exploits in getting a Bob Trailer to work with a Fat-Bike. That article mainly focused on how to modify the yoke of the trailer to work with Robert Axle Project extended (Bob compatible) rear thru axles. You can read about that here – https://fat-bike.com/2017/03/how-to-make-a-bob-trailer-work-with-your-fat-bike/. After we posted the article, one […]
Our Fatbassador to Alaska, Travis, told me about a new Anchorage bag-maker early this spring called Backcountry Stitch Works. We worked together through the regular custom bag protocols, with a nice short-cut, due to BSW being located very near to Speedway Cycles, home of Fatback Bicycles. Since they were making a bag for the Fatback […]
There are sunglasses and sunglasses. Fashion statements that mostly everyone who wants to be cool wears. Aviators, big bug looking ones, trendy, purposeful, etc., the list goes on and on. For one, I was given the amazing opportunity to get a package delivered by pigeon here in the beautiful city of Chicago. Gomez knows how […]
I have had many bikes over the years, steel, aluminum, carbon, titanium, even a bamboo one. The one thing I have never had that I have always wanted, was that one special bike part that gets over looked a lot of the time, the custom head badge. The best craftsman I know that makes […]
We’ve all had one of them rides, where your behind is caked in the remnants of the terrain you’ve just rode your fat bike on. Well, Portland Design Works may well, have just the answer, in letting you take a seat at the bar without looking like you’ve spoiled yourself, in the Mud Shovels! I’ve […]
I generally have a choice when I want to travel with one or more of my bikes: do we leave my bikes home and take the kids, or leave the kids to fend for themselves and bring whatever two-wheeled steed I favor? Of course the kids always win. Well, most of the time. Another issue […]
I think that they purposfully set up trade shows and expo’s in a maze to confuse and delight the folks that attend and Sea Otter is no exception. So I set out to cover all of the things that I might have missed in part one of this year’s Sea Otter coverage. You can view part […]
I’ve been admiring the ingenuity of the Industry Nine Matchstix Thru Axle Multi-tool since it debuted, but up until just recently, they didn’t make one that would fit the fat-bike with a Bluto or Bluto compatible 150mm x 15 fork. As soon as I found out that I9 introduced a fat-bike compatible model, […]
When Gomez dropped off a Tenkara Rod Company’s Mini Teton for me to try, I admit I giggled. I couldn’t believe how small the whole setup was. I know from reading previous reviews that they are fish catching machines but nothing I had fished with was as diminutive and simple as this. I grew up […]
I might have a slight bicycle trailer obsession. Maybe it’s because I spent a good long while, pulling my kids in a burley, back there, in the last century, and I associate pulling a trailer with good times. I remember…back in the day, just me and my boys, out on the Palatine Bike Trail, dodging […]
One of the great things about a fat bike is that they can do work. Just because carbon bikes exist doesn’t mean you have to race, and trailers aren’t just for toddlers and groceries anymore. When you want to do things, sometimes you gotta haul stuff. If you want to do things in the snow, Burley […]
Some time last winter…in a galaxy, not that far away……our amigo Tupper Becker from Becker Design helped us run a contest on the Weekly Dose of Fat that gave away a bunch of his “Forty Below” down-tube bags. Tupper, is a very generous and giving type of individual and he offered, both Greg and I a […]
