Bicycles!  Not Harleys.

I think there are a few cyclists here (or over at the other place), so I was wondering if anyone is into the Fat Bikes?  You know, the mountain-bike looking things with really fat tires (3.7 inches and up).

With our winters and bike trails here, these look like a hoot!  There are several local companies here (Surly, Salsa) and at least one more that makes supplies like tires, boots, etc. (45Nrth).

I'm starting to see more and more of these around my town.  I don't have one, but plan on checking a few cycle shops and test riding one.

http://fat-bike.com/

I think some brands/models you can put different wheels on them and some maybe not.  By no means am I a bike builder or mechanic, but it seems the build specs are quite different among brands.  The last bike I bought was a mountain bike in 1989 or so.

I believe the gearing is completely different on fat bikes as they're intended to be pedaled at a slower pace so I'm not sure how well thinner summer tires and rims would work given their gearing.  I think many bike enthusiasts have multiple bikes for different applications, much like motorcyclists having different motorcycles for different uses.

The main point here is that, depending on how you ride your fat-bike there is bound to be a rim that will suit your needs. In fact, many fat-bike riders I know have two wheelsets so they can choose the set that will work well on a given ride!

http://fat-bike.com/2013/04/fat-bike-101-rims/

I did a race early-season a few years ago (Sylvan Island Stampede, highly recommended) and the Maverick class started the same time as the exhibition fatbike race.  In the interest of not clogging the course with fatbikes, they started ten minutes after the regular start.  Just before downbeat, a brisk but short rain ran through the area.

...we were useless.  Slipping on wet roots, falling in the mud and sand, going nowhere fast.  The *&^ing fatbikes are singing at each other through the trees, telling fart jokes, and generally whomping our asses with relatively minimal effort.  When I go winter riding, if the fatbikes haven't stomped down a nice path in the singletrack, I park the bike and go running instead.

They've definitely got their place, and no, you can't swap out skinny wheels instead, which further puts them in a niche and prices one out of the market for me.  But if you're riding in conditions where they excel, nothing else will really do.