The more that you ride the more you need a little tender loving care for certain areas of the body that experience higher friction during the natural biomechanical process of bicycling. Whether you call it grundle butter, crease grease, gootch balm or chamois cream this ointment can literally save your ass on a four day […]
Archive | Gear
Tifosi Swank Review – by Braven
Last winter I bought a pair of (my favorite color – ORANGE!) Tifosisunglasses from Chris at Zion Cyclery after a big group beach ride. They were only $25 and really nice. So when Gomez asked me if I wanted to review a pair of Tifosi’s Swank SL sunglasses, I was like…Sure! I’ve been wearing a […]
Henty Enduro 2.0 Backpack
Who’s Henty? That was my first question too. Founded in Tasmania, Australia, (yeah, that’s a real place) Henty started out making suit and garment bags for business clothes. They’ve been adding different versions of these bags and have a line of bags and packs specifically designed for active commuting. The Enduro was launched […]
Green Guru Tubular Insulated Can Sleeve and Sixer 6-pack Insulated Top Tube Holder Review
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 […]
PDW Fatty Object Review
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 […]
Idaho Hot Springs by Becky and Bryon Vordermann
The Idaho Hot Springs Mountain Bike Route, by Adventure Cycling, is a 517 mile main route, with several single track options. Months ago, we decided we wanted to tackle the main route in whole this summer. We picked two weeks in June after school ended and decided we would start in the Sun Valley area, […]
2018 Sea Otter Classic – Special Report
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 Bikepacking Bag Review
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 […]
The Weekly Dose of Fat – Spring Thaw 2018
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 […]
Spring Forward – Trailside Repair Kits
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 […]
Oveja Negra Chuckbucket – By JP Syverud
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 […]
PDW Fatty Object – Bench Test
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 […]
Revelate Designs – Mag-Tank – Mountain Feed Bag – Review
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 […]
Spotlight: Surly Petite Porteur House Bag – By Smithhammer
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, […]
Mobile Comprehensive Tool Kits for Travel
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 […]
Backcountry Stitch Works – Custom Frame Pack
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 […]
Becker Gear – Custom Frame Pack Trio
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 […]
Photog Connection – Lensbaby Velvet 56mm f/1.6 Lens
It may seem a bit odd for us to take a look a camera lens but, in fact, I’ve been working on a series of photography-related articles simply because we shoot a lot of photos for our stories. Add to that the fact that many of our readers also like taking photos of their fat-bike […]
Gnome-Proof Gear – By: Evan LarSSon
Ed ~Today we present the fabled ‘lost episode’ of Gnome-Proof Gear, written by BBR/Test Pilot Evan LarSSon. Evan is the proud papa of a brand new bounce’n baby boy, so very soon, you’ll see a baby on a fat strider going huge off of everything we can find. To read about the next three items that […]
Preview – Lezyne Micro Floor Drive XL
Back in March we shared the news that the winner of our fat pump shootout was getting fatter and today we’re happy to share our first impressions of the brand new Lezyne Micro Floor Drive XL (MFD/XL). The pump came into the test labs and found it’s home in Otis’s new Custom Frame Bag from the One […]
Gnome-Proof Gear – Sea to Summit X-Series Bowl – Ibex Shak Classic Merino Wool Jersey – RaceFace Next Carbon Cranks –
We’re back with another thrilling episode of Gnome-Proof Gear. I’m your host, Gomez Alejandro Santana de Lago, and on this episode of GPG, thee Spinner Ryerson shares a hydration system for our amigos, of the four legged variety, His Honor, the Mayor of GnomeFest 13, Steve Meurett, nominates the Ibex Shaq for GPG status and […]
Review – Showers Pass – Refuge Waterproof Duffle – By Ernesto Martinez-Ordaz
Of all the gear out there, this one… by all instincts, is rather Evil Robot Overlord – Proof. Why? It’s one of the best gear bags I’ve ever used. The vestigial folks from Fat-Bike.com asked me to review the Refuge Waterproof Duffel Bag from Showers Pass. Buckle down your pantaloons and sit around the printing press, because […]
Gnome-Proof Gear – Triple Aught Designs Artemis Hoodie – Voile Ski Straps – Lifeproof FRE Case
We launched our Gnome-Proof Gear series last month and this particular edition is a compilation from our Bike Black Ribbon Test Pilots of the female persuasion. The Gnome-Proof Seal of Approval is awarded to gear that our product testers, have found to be the ‘Best of the Best’ in field tested, fat-bike accessories. Triple Aught Designs […]
Gnome-Proof Gear – Geigerrig 3L Hydration Engine – Woolx Merino Wool Hoodie – Camelbak Podium Chill
This is the fourth in our Gnome-Proof Gear series of articles, that share our Bike Black Ribbon Test Pilot’s choices for the ‘best of the best’ in field tested fat-bike accessories. Check it out! Geigerrig 3L Hydration Engine ($97, as pictured) by Ian Nycloud About 2 years ago, while spec’-ing out my first bikepacking rig, […]
Gnome-Proof Gear – From Down Under by Euan Pennington
The question went out, when you put aside the glory of test gear, (not always as glorious as you think), what do real riders use in the real world? It’s so flattering to think people assume I live in the real world. Here are some thoughts: Ergon GP2 Grips Naturally all the Black Ribbon […]
Gnome-Proof Gear – Gore Bike Wear Fusion Trousers – Ibex Shak Wool Vest – Sven Saw
In this episode of Gnome-Proof Gear, we hear from Bike Black Ribbon Test Pilot, Jeff Price, about his recipient of the GPG Seal of Approval. Jeff shares his thoughts on some Gore Bike Wear Trousers (slacks, britches, dungarees, pantaloons, or as some have come to call, pants). After that, it’s back to the world according to Gomez with […]
PDW – Bindle Rack Review – by Spinner Ryerson
We’re testing out the spanking brand new Bindle Rack from Portland Design works. I’m a big fan of the Dave’s Mud Shovel fenders from PDW and I have a set for all my fat bikes. I personally think they’ve got another hit product in the Bindle Rack. The rack itself is solid and simple. […]
Gnome-Proof Gear – Keen Neve Polar Boots – Outdoor Research Foray Jacket – Surly Wool Jersey
This is the first installment of Gnome-Proof Gear (GPG). GPG will feature gear that any/all of our testing staff have used and abused and came out shining. The products that we’ll feature will earn the GPG – seal of approval, which means that they’ve gone through a full season of rides, campouts, bonfires, and adventures. Some of […]
Revelate Designs Wampak Review – by Kevin Breitenbach
Earlier this winter, the presumably bearded guys at Revelate Designs in Anchorage sent Fat-Bike.com headquarters the Wampak, a winter specific hydration backpack to check out. Revelate Designs has been responsible for changing the way we all travel and live on a bike. They’ve constantly made things we didn’t know we needed until we saw […]
Mountainsmith Bike Cube and Clear Creek 18 Backpack
I travel quite a bit and I was on a trip to Colorado last February, when Mountainsmith contacted us to see if we’d be interested in testing some of their new gear. I’ve been a long time customer of Mountainsmith and own a big roller duffle bag that I use for longer trips as […]
Apidura Half Frame Bag & Food Pouch Review by Jeff Price
Apidura has appeared on Fat-Bike.com a couple of times now, but this particular review, features one of their new products, The Food Pouch. The concept is really simple, it’s an extra pocket that easily attaches to the bars and stem with carbon friendly Velcro straps. However this is not the first ‘bar bag’ on the market […]
The Best Pump on the Market is Getting Fatter
We did a little test of portable tire pumps last year (link) and the company that makes the pump that won our 3 pump shootout, Lezyne, has plans to enlarge the air chamber and quite literally make the best fat-bike pump, in the market, even Fatter! These are shots of the prototype and we should be able […]
Apidura Food Pouch & Half Frame Bag Preview by Jeff Price
It’s always a special moment when I’m awaiting the arrival of a new product to review for our readers and this postal drop was no exception. I’ve taken delivery of Apidura’s half frame bag and two of their new food pouches for a few weeks. The half frame bag is Apidura’s small Road Frame Bag […]
Wolftooth Components Singletrack Pogies Review
We spotlighted the new Wolftooth Components Singletrack Pogies (WCSP) back in November. That story featured a really nice video that Wolftooth put together. We’ve shared it again below because it highlights the unique features of this Gnomie Award winning accessory. You read that correctly, just last month, the (WCSP) won the Gnomie for the […]
Product Preview – Revelate Designs Wampak
We got our first look at an early prototype of the new Wampak, back in February 2015, during a visit to Revelate Designs headquarters in Anchorage. I thought the Wampak was a great idea that addressed cold weather hydration challenges, that anyone that’s ever tried to use a traditional hydration pack, in cold weather, is familiar with. Traditional hydration […]
Rogue Panda Designs Custom Frame Bag and Top Tube Bag
When I got my Quiring Triple B bike this fall one of the first things I thought about was getting a frame bag. I love having a frame bag to stash gear in during any season but especially during the winter where having some extra warm gear can be a life saver. The problem was […]
Becker Sewing and Design Beerpacking Bag
Bruce sent in this mini-review of the Becker Sewing and Design Beerpacking Bag for your perusal. Tupp Becker at Becker Sewing and Design recently began offering a new and unique bag to round out your bikepacking setup, dubbed the “Beerpacking Bag.” The Beerpacker takes advantage of the often unused real estate on the underside of the […]
Andrew the Maker Handmade Goods – Custom Frame Bag
Fat-bike Radio color man, Mr’ J.K Livin’, brings us this story about his journey to the frame bag of his dreams, hand made by Andrew the Maker at http://atmhandmadegoods.com, for his Schlick Tatanka. Welcome to the ride! When out on the roads and trails, I tend to think of myself as a pack mule. You always […]
Video – Wampack Winter Hydration Bag From Revelate Designs
Dusty from Revelate Designs introduces us to the Wampack winter hydration pack. The Wampack has several innovative design features to make a bladder-type hydration pack more suited to winter riding and any riding where the temperatures are below freezing. Check out the video and visit revelatedesigns.com for more info.
Product Spotlight: CHUMBA USA – Ursa – Back Country
We’re lucky to have the opportunity to test out the Chumba USA Ursa Mid-fat 29+. This hand made steel, Texas native, feels like it can shred with the best of the big boys, but we’ve got something a little different in mind this time around. This dirt whip is outfitted with a co-branded Wanderlust bike packing […]
Product Spotlight – Paul Components Light Mounts
Our amigo Paul, the owner of Paul Components, makes a couple of different light – camera – or accessory mounts that I’ve been experimenting with over the past few weeks. The first version that we’d like to share is the Stem Cap Mount. The instructions are pretty simple – just like uncle gomez Successfully Installed A […]
Product Spotlight – Apidura Ultra-Light Cycling Bags
Apidura is a new UK Brand that makes ultra-light cycling bags for bike-packing and we just received three bags from them, to test and share with our readers. The first thing I noticed about these new bags were the unique fasteners and cool bee hive zipper pulls. We received a Seat Bag along with a handlebar bag and […]