[akt42]

I competed in a fat bike race this morning and check out who and what I saw. Mr. Ned Overend with a Specialized fatty prototype.

I didn't bug him too much as I was spaced out from racing and drinking beer at the time but he did allow me to take some photos and he did speak a bit about it. This is what I know about this particular build.

- Hydroformed Aluminum
- BFL's on Clown shoes (symetrical)
- White Bros Snowpack fork
- E13 offset double crankset
- X0 2x10 twist shift

The most interesting thing was that the Specialized hubs were definitely wider than 170mm but he wouldn't confirm the width. He did mention the weight but I honestly can't remember but it was pretty standard. I believe it was 30 but don't quote me on that. I also heard 2nd hand from another guy that talked with Ned that Specialized also plans to make a fork, rims, and tires.

There was a guy I met there named Steve that got quite a bit of info as well, he was actually the one that noticed the width of the hub. Steve if you're out there chime in with what you remember from the convo and feel free to correct anything that I may not have stated correctly.

 

[ultraspontane]

Sweet! Some real competition! Now come on Trek!

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[bikeabuser]

Bring it on ... Sooner or later the FS thing is also gonna leave the garage, and go mainstream.

 

[jonshonda]

I heard about this a few months ago at the local Spesh dealer. The frame looks just like my Rockhopper.

Shop employee said $3k+ for pricing.

 

[Stevob]

Nice work. They just need to add their split shell EBB and I'll buy one.

 

[akt42]

I heard about this a few months ago at the local Spesh dealer. The frame looks just like my Rockhopper.

Shop employee said $3k+ for pricing.

$3k at least for that build, it is a direct competitor to the Beargrease. It may be lighter than 30, if not I would take the Beargrease although I dont know how the geometry compares.

 

[yxan]

very cool, id like me some specialized tires in 4.8" widths

 

[neil.beltchenko]

Holy hell, I want! So pumped!

 

[duggus]

$200 and bikeabuser is in.

 

[Guest]

$200 and bikeabuser is in.

yea no shat huh?? be called the speshgoose..lol

 

[NOBBY605]

Surly, Salsa, ETC....innovates...Trek, Specialized, ETC imitates...Personally I would never buy one.

 

[akt42]

Surly, Salsa, ETC....innovates...Trek, Specialized, ETC imitates...Personally I would never buy one.

I tend to agree with you on this but there is an upside. Mass production should not only push the industry forward but hopefully drop the ridiculous price for components. I'm not complaining, I love my fatty but it would be a bonus to keep some money in my pocket for other projects.

 

[smithcreek]

Looks to me like all the big boys are looking to do is ride the gravy train. So far Kona has targeted the $1500 Pugs market with a $1700 low spec aluminum bike. Now Specialized with a, uh, I guess "sleek" looking high end bike. Nothing groundbreaking or even new, except higher prices than there already were. Not the way I thought things would develop. At least no yet.

 

[ultraspontane]

What we really need is for the big S to start producing their own fat rims and tires. There are enough frames out there. This just seems like another frame to hang Surly fat bike components on.

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[Scoobytao]

So long as fatbike are selling out of all their runs in very short order, the companies will price them consistent with other current offerings, and maybe even bump the prices up.

This will change once there is some level of saturation in the market. Once dealers and companies need to price a fatbike (or any widget) based on what will clear out inventories, then large and small companies will price them closer to what their costs are. Since large companies can produce at lower cost, they can still make profit while undercutting competition.

The irony is we love being unique and cutting edge, but for prices to drop significantly, you have to approach run-of-the-mill status.

 

[alphazz]

akt42, I was too out of it and then the wind kinda made me stop thinking after the race. I was wishing I had gotten a picture of it. The Steve you mentioned said his bike was 28 pounds, aluminum with carbon Carver forks.

Did you do the 50K? You weren't the guy with the goofy ski on his front tire were you? What was up with that?

I'm hoping that by next year I'll have a carbon fat bike for races instead of my 40 pound Moonie. I am under the impression that Trek with have a carbon fat sometime this summer. And then there is the Beargrease, Jay was expecting his pretty soon when I spoke with him at the Togwotee Winter Classic.

 

[druidh]

The irony is we love being unique and cutting edge, but for prices to drop significantly, you have to approach run-of-the-mill status.

I don't care about being "unique and cutting edge". I just want to ride a bike the places I want to go and sometimes a fatbike makes most sense, sometimes it makes it more fun. The more players in the market place the better. It means I can buy tyres without getting into sporadic delivery schedules and crap availability.

 

[MendonCycleSmith]

Nothing groundbreaking or even new

It's what you *can't* see. The geometry that they've spent the last 6 years and millions of dollars developing, to make it ride just like a 26er, cause they know it's what the world really wanted all along....:smilewinkgrin:

 

[hikernks]

I'm just guessing here, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say there's a pretty good chance that getting a Revelate Designs Framebag for this bike would probably not be in the scope of reality.

 

[akt42]

akt42, I was too out of it and then the wind kinda made me stop thinking after the race. I was wishing I had gotten a picture of it. The Steve you mentioned said his bike was 28 pounds, aluminum with carbon Carver forks.

Did you do the 50K? You weren't the guy with the goofy ski on his front tire were you? What was up with that?

I'm hoping that by next year I'll have a carbon fat bike for races instead of my 40 pound Moonie. I am under the impression that Trek with have a carbon fat sometime this summer. And then there is the Beargrease, Jay was expecting his pretty soon when I spoke with him at the Togwotee Winter Classic.

No to both, i did the 25k, lazy ass in the early season this year. I did win the 25k though. I definitely was not the guy w the ski, i think that looks terrible. You a local as well?

28 lbs seems more likely than 30 but it was definitely a white bros snowpack not a carver.

Personally i would rather have a beargrease than carbon. I am finding out from my mountain bikes that carbon is somewhat disposable. I cant afford to replace a secondary bike every couple of years.