Anyone ride a fatbike.

[saronmcm1]

Hi,
I am after any info on Fatbikes such as Pugsley or Mukluk and your experiences with this type of bike.
I intend on buying a fatbike for touring offroad and Mtbing around Perth Hills and coastal areas.
If anyone has built a fatbike from a conventional Hardtail or FS MTB can you please provide details.
Thanks

[trailgumby]

There's at least one on here - take a tour through the "Post your ride" thread and it'll be there.

[Xplora]

I don't ride one, but after seeing the Pug and the Moonlander, I'm wondering if a phat might be my second bike... there is something intensely cool about them, if you don't want to go fast you might as well be AWESOME

[Mugglechops]

If funds and wife would allow it, I would have one in a heart beat.

Would be great for riding along the beach with.





Not sure about riding in the water though.

[Xplora]

Well I'm convinced, Stockton Beach plus Fatbike equals cycling heaven

[trailgumby]

Salt water + (any metal <> stainless steel) =

[Xplora]

Salt water + (any metal <> stainless steel) =

That's why God invented the tap to produce another invention, fresh water I think the assault on the bike would be worth the fun of flogging a Moonlander down Stockton Beach for a week

[Nobody]

Salt water + (any metal <> stainless steel) =

You could always spray WD40/RP7/Lanoguard/Inox/Lanox or similar on all non-brake parts you think need protection from corrosion/electrolysis.

[DarrylH]

And then worry about the fine sand that gets through everything. Rode in a bit of soft sand near Yeppoon and realised quickly how much of it gets thown up into the chain etc. Luckily it was my old beater.

[Xplora]

If people are prepared to take 80 thousand dollar Landcruisers down the beach, a 2000 dollar fatbike is hardly out of the question.

I do accept that it would be advisable to have a completely separate groupset for dedicated beachriding, or better yet, have a second bike that isn't going to go through the sand, but I still reckon this would be fun. I'm actually toying with the idea of getting a fatbike for my second bike to go with my Kona road bike. It's a completely different ride, I reckon it would be lots of fun, and would be good to ride with the kids when they are old enough to get on a BMX, with the super low gears.

[Nobody]

And then worry about the fine sand that gets through everything. Rode in a bit of soft sand near Yeppoon and realised quickly how much of it gets thown up into the chain etc. Luckily it was my old beater.

You could always try wax.
http://www.ecovelo.info/2011/10/10/chain-waxing-101/

[mitzikatzi]

Elvis (the Dirtworks guy) on Rotorburn has one. Some info here he has also posted pictures of one of his rides on MTBR i just can't find it at the moment.

[mitzikatzi]

Elvis (the Dirtworks guy) on Rotorburn has one. Some info here he has also posted pictures of one of his rides on MTBR here

[trailgumby]

You'd think a good coat of paint would offer protection too.

Even with copious quantities of fresh water and/or oil-based protectants, you're still gonna destroy your bike in short order from corrosion.

Just seeing what salt air used to do to our powder coated alloy window frames and sliding doors that were supposedly warranted against corrosion when we lived at Dee Why was an eye-opener.

[Nobody]

You'd think a good coat of paint would offer protection too.

Even with copious quantities of fresh water and/or oil-based protectants, you're still gonna destroy your bike in short order from corrosion.

Just seeing what salt air used to do to our powder coated alloy window frames and sliding doors that were supposedly warranted against corrosion when we lived at Dee Why was an eye-opener.

As for paint, you're not going to be able to paint the inside of the frame easy, so you'd want to seal the seatpost with grease pretty well and drill a hole in the BB shell. My Surly CC came with a hole in the BB and I drilled one in my MTB. You'd probably need to pay a fair amount of attention to the headset area too.

You may be able to use a sacrificial anode if your bike gets wet enough on the beach. May not work in dryer conditions.

Chances are though that the people that have the extra funds to ride a fat bike on the beach also have available funds similar to you (and most people here) for bikes and therefore it won't matter too much if they need to replace a frameset every 5 years or so.

[Xplora]

Interesting point there... if I thought I could brutalise the bike and just have to replace the metal bits every 5 years, I'd still go for it. The parts on all the fatbikes are fairly low spec, it's just the unique nature of some parts which pushes the overall cost up. I mean, even at a RRP of 2000-2250 bucks, that's probably 1000 bucks of replacement parts, and that's only 400 bucks a year. The Carbon Crew are killing a LOT more cash than that. Plus these things aren't running Zipp 404s etc - it's not like you'd suffer catastrophic failure without seeing it coming.

If I bought a new car, I'd have just as easily bought half a dozen Moonlanders and gone riding with friends

[h3ndry]

I'm in the market for a hardtail to replace my aging Giant Yukon; was thinking of getting the Pugsley frame and then just sticking 26ers in it till I build up a set of fatties and want to take it somewhere stupid. Added bonus that it would look proper naff with the small wheels on.

But I don't think they're suspension corrected unfortunately

[gcouyant]

Hi,
I am after any info on Fatbikes such as Pugsley or Mukluk and your experiences with this type of bike.
I intend on buying a fatbike for touring offroad and Mtbing around Perth Hills and coastal areas.
If anyone has built a fatbike from a conventional Hardtail or FS MTB can you please provide details.
Thanks

Saronmcm I have a Mukluk built relatively light weight and can help you if you have specific questions.

The Mukluk is an alloy frame and is symmetrical but being 6061 alloy, it's a bit stiff - certainly stiffer than the Pugsley steel. I couldn't do a Pugsley's asymmetry though.

A relaxing touring bike because you can take your eye off the track ahead to look around without having to worry about the track surface irregularities that do upset a 26" or 29" regular MTB. Converting to tubeless is a must though if you're heading anywhere with thorns. It climbs well and rolls well on the flat. Takes six or seven good prods on the pedals to get it up to speed - unlike a regular hard tail that needs two or three. Once rolling though it's pretty good at maintaining speed. A bit of a handful in the rough because the bike wants to pogo about and once bouncing it'll go wherever it wants to. Can be scary around a fast bend.

You'll have to learn to corner again because of the substantial change in turn radius as you lean the bike but after a bit it feels completely natural. Hard to go back to a normal bike again though. You'll be falling into turns.

The hardest thing about riding a fat bike is that everybody and I do mean everybody will want to stop you and chat or comment on the bike. If you're in for the ride or using it for training then the constant interruption is a hassle.

It's a bike that will beg you to ride coastal tracks and to ride long distances. I think that the area from Perth down along the cape(s) will be sensational on a fatty. The sandy trails near the caves is just drop dead fantastic on fat.

Wax based lubricants are best in sand and don't worry about rust. Just keep a light film of Bel-ray grease on the head stem - the fork is steel. Heaps of braze on fittings for just about anything you want to bolt onto the frame for touring.

The only problem I have is that I enjoy riding the fat bike more than my other mountain bikes and I'm slowly losing my technical abilities and confidence when tackling tough tracks. It's also a hoot to get out on the road, mix it with the road cyclists and listen to that glorious tyre roar when you get it going fast. It's also pretty cool with that fat front tyre always in your preripheral vision.....

[munga]

if you've got 2k to throw at a novelty bike like that, corrosion is not going to worry you too much

[Mugglechops]

I wouldn't say novelty bike. People tour on them

[gcouyant]

I wouldn't say novelty bike.

It's a special purpose bike.

We (fat bikes) took out most of the top placings in this year's Simpson Desert challenge.

Hey Mugglechops, how good are those fork mounts for biddons!

[Mugglechops]

I wouldn't say novelty bike.

It's a special purpose bike.

We (fat bikes) took out most of the top placings in this year's Simpson Desert challenge.

Hey Mugglechops, how good are those fork mounts for biddons!

I would have liked a fat bike when I attempted the Simpson Challenge in 2000.

I would like one now but I just got a 3rd bike past the wife yesterday. 4 would be pushing it a little

[Mugglechops]

Just found another use for fatbikes courtesy of Rotorburn.

[gcouyant]

Just found another use for fatbikes courtesy of Rotorburn.

That highlights an issue with fat bikes. When they land, they go THUD and it's tough on the body. Well tough on this weary old body at least.

[gcouyant]

I would like one now but I just got a 3rd bike past the wife yesterday. 4 would be pushing it a little

Oh I assumed that one was yours.... If you got a 3rd bike past the wife then there's hope for four bikes. There you go, challenge is out there on you.

You know, they aren't that expensive. I purchased the frame, light weight rims, hubs and crankset - which are all special on a Mukluk's symmetrical frame. The rest was parts I had buried away in the parts drawers at the factory.