The combination of high-grade titanium and fat tyres is hard to beat in terms of curiosity. The Belgian specialist Sandman has several fat bike models in its programme, including a tandem. The Hoggar Ti with a 90-millimetre German:A. suspension fork marks the top of the range in terms of price. Compared to the other two bikes with a rigid fork, the damped suspension fork and the smaller tyre volume (only 47 millimetre wide rim) noticeably reduce the bouncing effect and allow the bike to grip the ground better in root passages. The bike can even boast a successful participation in the Megavalanche. The disadvantages of the suspension fork are the clearly noticeable extra weight of 1.3 kilos and the extremely imprecise steering behaviour due to the low-torsion upside-down design.
ConclusionThe elegantly finished Sandman sits firmly on the trail, but loses a lot of steering precision due to the extremely soft fork.
PLUS Good damping in fast root passages, beautifully finished, robust titanium frame/29-inch compatible
MINUS Fork responds moderately and cannot be controlled precisely, high overall weight and therefore somewhat cumbersome
