Each year, the fatbike options seem to increase significantly which is great for the consumers. The challenge is trying to filter out the noise of all the new products to figure out what best fit your specific needs.
When first getting into the fatbike world, I built up my bike with a Nate up front and a Larry in the back...after a couple of rides in the snow, I quickly figured out that doubling up on the Nate would be the way to go. The difference in performance in the snow was HUGE! The problem with the Nate is that it is heavy...it is a great all around tire but there is certainly a weight penalty...
enter the Knard....This year, Surly came out with a new option in the tire fray. The Knard is lighter and less aggressive. I was curious to see how this faster rolling tire would do in the snow.
I originally mounted a Nate in the front and a Knard in the back. As I rode I noticed the lack of traction with a Knard mounted in the back. I chalked it up to tire pressure and snow conditions and tried lowering the psi for better traction with the Knard in the back...it still slid out.
The next step was to rotate the tires so I now was running a Nate in the back and a Knard up front. What I quickly noticed was that once the tire went off the packed snow, it was hard to pull it back on to the line.
My initial impressions are that I think the Knard is a great choice on dirt or packed snow, but the knobbyness of the Nate prevails in deeper snow or softer conditions.
There are still a few more rides to be had with the Knard until I am ready to 'categorize' them but my initial impressions have been molded....
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