Missing the Fatbike

A few years back, I scored an amazing deal on a used 2015 Salsa Mukluk (https://mltshp.com/p/1OSCG). I hesitated because it was a Medium/17", and I usually ride a Large/19", but it was too good to pass up. Part of the appeal was that I didn't want to make a big investment on a bike I knew I wouldn't be riding very often. Winter in Central Ohio is extremely variable, often with big shifts of temperature and precipitation from week to week.

When conditions were right, the Mukluk proved a great addition to the fleet. Nothing worked as well in the snow, and it was just rough enough that I didn't worry much about road salt. There were downsides though that became apparent over time.

The biggest problem proved to be the fit. It was okay in the woods where I'm up off the seat and moving around, but an hour or two on the snow-covered rail-trail was pretty brutal. It also didn't fit on my bike rack, so most rides started from my house. That kept me off the better snowy single track in the region, and limited the Mukluk's potential as a year-round buddy/backup bike. I wasn't looking for high-spec with this bike, but tech changes since 2015 were also proving an issue. The front derailleur barely cleared the 26x4 tire in the lower gears used most often - which limited tire choice. It couldn't be setup tubeless either, resulting in even more rolling resistance and a few flats.

I've been back and forth for a while about holding on to it, so I put it online last week for close to what I paid, just to see what would happen. My timing was good, with snow forecast. I had a buyer lined up within an hour, and four backups not long after. Im retrospect, I should have asked for more money.

That brings me to Sunday. The few inches of dense snow got packed down on the rail trail, so I decided to see how my Yeti would do. The ride itself had me reconsidering if I even need a fat bike, though I doubt the Yeti would be nearly as good in the woods as the Mukluk. That changed which I got home. Temps were still below freezing, but snow was melting in sunny places. Slushy snow kicked up along the bottom of the bike, into the pivots, and just about everywhere else - then refroze. I spent probably 20-30 minutes after the ride carefully removing snow and lubricating moving parts. Unlike the Mukluk, I feel much less okay about this bike getting wet or salty, and it takes me deep enough into the woods I want to know it is reliable. So I'm keeping an eye out for a good deal on another fat bike.