For the most part riding a fat tire bike is not that much different than any other mountain bike. Just hop on, start pedaling and see what you can find to try and ride over with the big tires. While my fat bike is a blast on the local trails, the thing that got me really excited about these bikes was the ability to ride on the beach. I am at least a half hour drive from any decent single track, but now I can be riding on the beach right out my door. Living and vacationing in the Great Lakes State this has really opened up a ton of new places to ride for me.
Below are some tips and tricks that I have learned while riding my fat bike on the beach.
What is it like – Riding a fat bike on the beach is not easy. Unlike riding trails or on the road you are constantly pushing the pedals. It is a lot like riding on an indoor trainer with the resistance set at medium. Conditions along the shoreline are in a constant state of change and you will find some days are easier than others. Although, the beautiful scenery is always there to help take your mind off the workout that you are getting.
Tire Pressure – This is one of the first questions that most people have about riding in the sand. I run my tires between 4 and 6 psi for beach riding. If my entire ride is going to be in the sand I will likely be at 4 psi. If I have to ride on the road or some trail to get to the beach I will likely push the pressure up to 5 or 6 psi. The lower pressure gives you a larger contract area and better flotation but, when you get below 5 psi the bike will feel like it whats to self steer on harder surfaces. If most of the ride is going to be in a straight line in the sand, take it down to the low pressure. I do not have the patience to stop and change pressures in middle of a ride so if it is going to be mixed riding I pick a higher pressure as a compromise.
When and Where to Ride – Fat bikes can ride through a lot, but soft sand is still tough to ride in for any distance. It is always best to stay on the wet sand right along the waterline. I try to wait for calm days or an offshore breeze. When the waves are pushing up on shore it often makes for difficult riding. The wet packed area will be in the wave wash and if you ride in the water it spins too much sand up into your drive train. Further up on the shore it is usually too 
soft to ride further than a few 100 feet before getting tired…unless you have been seeing the same doctor as Lance Armstrong.
Most of my riding experience has been along the shores of the Great Lakes. I found that riding along the ocean is similar, although you do have a better chance of being able to ride when there are waves if you go when the tide is low. I also found that by the ocean the riding is best a little further up on shore because right by the waterline it is too wet and soft as the tide is going out. It is probably best to set out on a ride as the tide is just starting to fall to catch the best conditions.
One other thing that is important to mention is that if the breeze is blowing parallel to shore I try to set out riding into the wind if possible. It is surprising how much even a light wind can help or hurt your progress. It is best to fight the wind early in the ride when you are fresh and then sail back home.
Dealing with the Sand: It is inevitable that you are going to get some sand in your drive train and brakes. If you are going to spend a lot of time riding on the beach you should just plan on things wearing out faster than normal. The good news is that bike components have improved over the years and they hold up fairly well even in the sand.
Before leaving on a beach ride I try to remember to open up the spacing on my brakes so the sand has more room to pass through. I have Avid BB7 brakes
After a ride clean the bike with a low pressure water spray. It is tempting to blast the sand away with the high pressure, but this will push more of it into places that you do not want it. Then just let the bike air dry and spray the chain so it is ready to go for your next ride.
I prefer flat pedals over clipless for beach riding. It seems like every ride I am getting off and pushing at least once and the sand doesn’t seem to play nice with my old clipless pedals. With the flats I also can ride in my Keen sandals in warm weather, Make sure to look for pedals with sealed spindle bearings. My bike came with a cheap set of plastic platforms with loose ball bearings and they were starting to click after just 2 rides on the beach. I found a nice set of sealed bearing flats on sale at Performancebike.com. There are also several good options available on Amazon
These 3 easy and fairly inexpensive changes have really improved my comfort level on long beach rides.
I think that is all. If you have any other good tips please share them in the comments below.
Now turn off your computer or put away your phone and get out there and ride some sand with those fat tires. Bri out.
by 
Great tips. I just discovered the enormous fun of a long beach ride on Kiawah Island and Seabrook Island, South Carolina. I discovered the wind was blowing northward so I cruised up the streets several miles; then used the wind to my advantage. I ended up riding 4 miles down the beach. As a mt and paved trail rider I was quite surprised at the workout I was getting but all the people watching makes the ride super enjoyable. Looking at the Myrtle Beach area I imagine one could bike 25-30 miles one way on the beach. Also a great place is Hilton Head Island. The Sea Pines resort has miles of trails so you can mix up your ride with paved trail/beach. I would imagine it is feasible to bike down a good portion of the east coast of Florida.
Very helpful advice. I too live on the Great Lakes. I just got back from Point Beach Forest where there is 11 miles of sand to ride along with some off road trail and followed with the Mariners Trail, a paved path that follows Lake Michigan. To hop off the bike and adjust the tire pressure took just a minute to do. For me, beach riding is no.1
We will be camping there for a few days this summer. Can’t wait to check it out.
Wondering whether you have experimented with various tire widths riding in the firm pack above the water line. I’m planning on a 450 mile ride that includes just about 20 miles of beach. Too long to walk, so I have to know in advance that I can ride it (otherwise I’m buzzard food–very remote location).
The other 430 mils is all paved road. So I’d like to use the smallest diameter that I can get away with, and anyway, my bike will not accommodate much more than a standard MTB width. Thoughts?
Hi David, I have not done much testing of different tire widths in sand. There are a lot of variables and I think it would be hard to predict. I have seen times when a large mtb tire would work, but the weather and sand conditions were perfect. I have spent a lot of time riding my fat tires on bike paths with my family. If you use a round profile tire with small knobs at 15 to 20 psi it rolls pretty good. When you add pressure to the this type of tire there is very little rubber that is actually contracting the ground and not a lot of extra drag. I hope this helps It sounds like a fun trip!
I have really been liking my Surly Knards
for great all around tires.
Can anyone recommend an actual tire width range for a “fat” tire for seashore beach riding? I’m moving to Fla beach area. I have a Trek 7200 trail bike with 700 x 30 tires on it now and I’d like to just swap out to a new wheel/tire combo to get some experience
This is a massively helpful site. So quick and easy to read with all the correct information. We set off at 6 psi on the road. Got to the sandy road to the beach and really struggled. Lowered to 4 psi and voila, much better. All the other tips are great too. We had a long coastal ride where I doubt anyone has ever ridden before. Thanks so much for publishing your tips!!!
Hi Michael, Thanks for stopping by and glad to hear that it helped!
Hey, thank you a lot for this post. It’s really helpful. But I have a few questions, would it be hard to drive with regular tires? Not those really thight tires but classic normal tires? I plan to drive 500 kilometres next to sea shore sand. Isn’t sand there like more solid and it’s easier to drive there because of the waves?
It really depends on the sand conditions. It have seen times when normal mountain bike tires have worked fine. Most of the sand along the Great Lakes in Michigan is too soft, but some of the finer sand at low tide by the ocean can be packed down really well. Sorry for the late reply.
Thanks Bri! Very useful info! No worries about the late reply, I won’t be riding again until April at the earliest!
This is a great article Bri! And very informative. I am currently doing research on whether it would be worth it for me to buy a fat tire bike for sand riding. I live in Northern Alberta, and of course we have lots of snow up here in Winter; but we also have a lot of sandy beaches up here, (believe it or not) so I was hoping to get something I could use in all seasons. I mainly ride the highway to work most days in the summer, but there is also a multi-use trail that used to be a railroad track; its very soft sand in most places, but I would like to ride it to work, as it is the most direct route to get there; so I guess my question is: how soft of sand can a fat bike ride in? The sand on this particular trail feels like its close to the softness of a beach volleyball court. (I weigh about 195 lbs). I tried riding it with my mountain bike and made it about 30 ft before I turned around because I was just spinning my tires. Any insight would be much appreciated!
Thanks!
Hi Sean, Sorry I missed your message. It looks like my notifications were not getting through for a while. Riding in sand similar to a beach volleyball court will not go very well…unless your are a lot stronger than me. I am about the same size as you and I can only make it for about 50 feet on the softer sand above the waterline on the beach.
Beach Fat Biked for the first time today. I went at low tide like you suggested. It was awesome. I got about 15 miles in. Not much clean up afterwards either. Thanks for the tips!
Nice article. I ride my fattie on the beach the first time tomorrow. I’ll go during low tide.
I think your guess was right. It wasn’t the gears b/c it made the sound even while I rolled it with the pedals not turning. But spinning and rinsing reduced the grinding sound and then when it dried, the sound was gone. Thanks again.
One of the most helpful, practical and complete single articles I can remember reading. Thanks a million. Really helped me get going for my first ride on a fatty.
Question: came back and rinsed off bike well. Both wheels sound like they’re grinding through gravel when I spin them. Advice? Thanks, Brian.
Thanks for the message! I would guess that some sand washed into your brakes. I usually try to spray out the rotor and the caliper last. Spinning the wheel while you do it also helps.
Love the article , although about mechanical disc brakes ; they can be set up for as good as stopping power as hydraulics.
I have the same set as you & mine are set up so they never even more than halfway their range of motion.
The best part is I can modulate levels of braking with two fingers.
I agree. I only open my brakes up and use the full range of the lever when riding on the beach. This gives more clearance when sand gets in the brakes.
Bri:
Thanks for great tips. I am a new rider in that used to be a runner and now have to have a hip replacement and can no longer run. There is an endless set of bike choices and wondering if you can give me any “inside” tips on best bike for the buck….I live in Southeastern MASS near gorgeous flat sand beaches and want to get out here and get back in shape. Thanks for listening and for this article.
John
Hi John, Glad to hear that you found my site. If are able to do some minor assembly and adjustments I would take a look at Framed Bikes. (framedbikes.com) They have some decent budget builds that can be bought online. We bought one of their kids fat bikes a couple years ago and have been happy with it. It looks like they will do the assembly and tuning for an additional $99.
I ride 4.8″ tires because I am 200 lbs and the sand around the Great Lakes is pretty soft. Most of the sand by the ocean is pretty firm so you may be able to get away with 3.8″ tires. Framed Bikes also offers road and plus sized additional wheel sets for their bikes. Although, a fat bike with 15 psi in the tires rolls pretty good on pavement.
Looking at the bigger bike brands I think the Specialized Fatboy SE is probably that best value for an entry level fat bike right now.
I hope this helps. Let me know how it goes.
Brian
Very good and informative. Thanks for your all efforts.
Thank you. This is very helpful.