Feeding the beast

I can order a Goodyear Eagle Ultra Grip GW-3 winter tire online for $143. With my driving habits, it would probably last eight to 10 years on a car.

Last week, I paid $150 for a 45NRTH Husker Du tire for my fat bike. If I’m lucky, I’ll ride it for two years before the sidewalls start falling apart, as they just did on my Surly Larry.

I accept that we torture fat tires. They have huge sidewalls, and we run them in extreme temperatures and at low pressures. So, even though they generally live a life free of jagged rocks, they’re big dogs. And big dogs die sooner than little dogs.

But I really hope that this niche market keeps growing, and attracts another player to the fat-tire manufacturing business. We need better tires, and we certainly need lower prices to help us junkies feed our nasty habits. Competition is always good for consumers, and fat-bikers consume a lot of tires. 

 

Addictions aren’t cheap.