The fatbike as a ratbike

Fat into rat? Well why not.

I've had my fat bike for three years now. Gradually over that time it has become my go-to bike of choice. My Orange 5 hasn't been ridden for eight months, my Gary Fisher for 15 months.... Both are better bikes than my On-One Fatty in every respect. Just, well, I'm British and we love an underdog.

Anyway, fat bike into rat bike. Why? Gosh, why not? I quite like the look is all. On the right motorbike, or car, it looks cool. To my mind the fat bike looks like it should have an engine. And my bike, with the swept back Jones bars, looks like some kind of 1920's desert bike. Thus it should be sand worn and rusty. Shouldn't it?

Well, no. There's not much steel on my bike, certainly not the frame. Much of the bike is alloy. The rat bike look is all wrong on so many levels.

Which has not stopped me at all.

Rusty chainstays

Rusty rear Shimano mech

Should you do it? Is my bike cool?

No to both. It looks a mess, and my son hates it. It's silly; alloy does not rust. I am over 50 years old, riding an unsuitable bike. More, it's an unsuitable mountain bike even for mountain bike use. There is nothing cool about the bike or activity. It's terrible to begin with. So then to add a fake rust effect, well that's just heaping more terrible on terrible, and producing something truly bad.

In my defence your honour, this is a fat bike. It makes no sense on every single level here in leafy Surrey. If it makes no sense in the first place, is battle worn from beach and mountain use, then what harm does it do to cover the damage in fake rust? Makes me happy.

Job done.

I lie. The bottom bracket area is far too pristine, and the wheels? Quite like the look of corroded bronze....

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