Specialized Fatboy Expert Carbon - 2018

Comments:

I initially bought this bike so I could ride all year long. After one lap at a trail I didn't really care for, I was smiling from ear to ear. This trail became fun, couldn't wait to ride the bike at my favorite trails. The bike is lightweight, wheels spin just as fast as my 29er. The only changes I made to the bike was narrower and higher rise handlebars (25mm rise, 710mm wide) and I did not like the rear shifter and brake on the same clamp. Shifter paddles felt like they were in the middle of the grip. After moving the shifter inside of the brake with a sram clamp that is available at your LBS the feel was more natural. All my buddies that saw my new bike warned me that the rims would crack, I am not a super aggressive rider and dismissed any such notion and at $700 per rim I expected the rims to hold up. Well it didn't take long and my rims were cracked. I laced up a new set of wheels built with DT Swiss 350 hubs, Sapim laser spokes and Nextie black eagle 65mm dual wall carbon rims. These rims are 20mm narrower and only 70 grams heavier than the H.E.D. Big Deal rims but are much stronger. I took the stock hubs and laced them up to a set of 29er rims I had laying around which I use on asphalt when the trails are to muddy from the spring thaw. I sold my 29er because this fat bike is faster, climbs better, incredible traction, and was actually lighter. My large bike with one full water bottle and a small frame bag and one handle bar light weighs in at 24lb 10oz. I will admit that I am the minority wanting to ride a fat bike all year long. What can I say, It suits me very well. $5000.00 is a lot of money. If this is out of your comfort level, choose the $1800.00 aluminum frame with internal cable routing and thru axles (15X150, 12X197). I am looking at one for a second bike. Someone gave some bad reviews on this bike but disregard them, they don't know what they are talking about.

Comments:

I live in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and have been considering a snow bike for a couple years now. Lack of significant snow kept me from pulling the trigger on the purchase though. This winter has been very snowy (Yay!) so I purchased the Fatboy Carbon Expert because of its geometry, carbon frame/fork/wheels, and components. I rode the bike for a few days and decided to make a few changes. I found the stock tires are not sufficiently wide for snow and the lack of studs is unsafe on ice. So I put on 4.8 inch studded tires and set them up tubeless. Next I found the bars to be too wide, 30.5 inches and aluminum, so I replaced them with Race Face Next carbon bars with less sweep and 1/2 inch more rise then cut them down to my preferred width of 26.5 inches. Those changes made the bike almost perfect! By the way, my Fatboy, size large, weighted 27 lbs 6 oz stock, plus Shimano platform pedals. After the tire swap, going tubless, and changing the bars the bike now weighs in at 26 lbs 12 oz. What is not told just by the weight change is that the rotational weight has dropped so the bike is even more nimble and snappy. Lately we have have a lot of warm rain and the snow around my house is mostly melted. I have kept riding the Fatboy rather than my hard tail mtb just because it is so much fun. I have discovered that the fat tires allow the bike to climb very steep and loose trails, and even rides easily across areas that have been logged and a lot slash is left behind. So, the last modification is the addition of a dropper post. I have gotten so accustomed to a dropper on my mountain bike that the lack of it on steep technical stuff is unacceptable. So I'm installing the Specialized Command Post IRcc as soon as Mike's ships it to me. I love this bike. I am looking forward to taking it to Idaho, Utah, and Colorado to ride at popular fat bike areas in March. I'll switch back to the stock tires after the winter and mostly likely ride it a lot locally just because it is so darn fun.

Comments:

The Specialized Carbon Expert is just an amazingly agile and fast bike....even as a "fat bike". from climbing to all out descents, this bike will make you want to sell your full suspension bike. So lightweight yet sturdy, I highly recommend this bike to anyone who is looking for a one bike quiver.

Comments:

Simply a sweet, solid, lightweight fatbike. The spec includes everything you could ask for, nothing extraneous. It's geometry keeps it quick and nimble for a fatbike, but still stable at speed or in anything other than deep snow. I added 45NRTH Dillinger 4 studded tires and a Lauf Carbonara short travel suspension fork to keep the strain off my wrists and shoulders without slogging it down with another 2+ pounds of Bluto-nous weight.

Comments:

I RIDE THE BIKE AS MY NORMAL MTN BIKE ON ALL TRAILS IN THE NW OHIO SE MICHIGAN AREA, AND IN THE NORTHEN MICHGAN SANDY TRAILS. IT IS NIMBLE AND HANDLES GREAT, I ALSO LOVE THE CONFIDENCE I FEEL WHEN CORNERING OR ENCOUNTERING LOOSE TERRAIN. I REALLY ON CAN SAY THAT IT SLOWS DOWN PRETTY FAST IN HARD PACK STRAIGHTS BUT RUNNING 5PSI ON A 4.6 IN TIRE I THINK THAT IS EPXECTED.