More Salsa full-suspension fatbike details, photos
Originally posted on January 11, 2012 at 11:40 am
We’ve got some exclusive pics and details of the Salsa full-suspension fatbike prototypes to share.
Salsa Marketing Manager Mike Riemer said there are a handful of prototypes in existence, and are being built up in various ways for testing by Salsa employees. Some will use the Maverick SC32 forks, one is trying a Lefty version and they are trying to get their hands on some of the German Flame forks.
Riemer says the fatbike design lends itself to more types of riding than just snow. For non-racers who aren’t as concerned about weight, the amount of traction the big tires afford is remarkable.
"For a certain type of riding and mindset of riding, they do things that other bikes can’t do," he said. "It’s not only about smoothing out the bumps, it’s about having really, really incredible traction."
These prototypes are strictly a design exercise at this point, and any chance of a production version is far, far away.
"There will be a lot to figure out. I do think the nice thing is the Spearfish suspension design is super simple and we should be able to learn a lot from it…We don’t know exactly what we’re going to learn from it," he said.
But what is certain, Riemer said, is that the market for fatbikes is continuing to grow and shows no sign of slowing down.
"We’re trying to figure out where we are in the wave of this, and I think it’s still building," he said.