Xplora wrote:How long does it take for the Thudbuster to start chirping?
My issue is that it goes "click Click Click" with every pedal stroke almost straight away after a new set of DU bushes. It's probably my problem because I tend to twist from side to side as I pedal. Chirping is never an issue because I never let the linkages wear that much. Using lube on the brass shims tends to aggrevate the issue but perhaps I haven't found the right lube.
Don't read too much into the issue I have with it because nobody else I know notices it. The thing is that for me to survive long hours in the saddle, I have to have the head in a good place and any mechanical sound - especially one that is rythmic will put the head in a bad place. I have been known to throw noisy parts far away into the bush - only to go crawling on hands and knees later looking for them....
Given the way a fat tyre "thuds", a bit of noise is really a small price to pay for a bum that doesn't bleed and a back that doesn't bind.
Tom of Bicyclenomad fame (tourers will probably know of Tom and Sarah) has just complete the build of a Twenty2 custom titanium fat bike. I believe Tom is planning to take on the Canning Stock Route with it.
I was going through some pictures of the last trip up north and this one jumped out. A fat shadow....
Another was part of the old barge used to cross Longreach water hole just out of Elliot NT. The other half was partly submerged but the vehicle wheel tread plates still attached. Riding a fat bike allowed me to explore along the water's edge and find long forgotten treasures like this. There was a big Jabiru nearby and it got a bit of a surprise and had a go at me as I approached. Beautiful bird but scared the proverbial out of me as it spread the wings, jumped about and lunged. They're big too.
And this just out of Alice Springs. That's a covering of ice.... The cold turned the diesel used to power the van's central heating and hot water system into a thick gel. We decided to skip the ride that morning.
We are so looking forward to the next trip. Hopefully there will be a Ti fat bike on the carrier by then. I reckon that I'm going to need that bit of help to keep the body happy.
Dirt Works wrote:I can't be held responsible for my actions if you continue to post amazing pics of incredible fatbike and camping destinations...
You know Wayne, when you're out there you have a lot of time to think and analyse stuff. Random stuff.
This was the first time I took a fat bike up there and a bit apprehensive because in the past it's been AM bike territory. I had a 6" Reign along as well - just in case. I can't begin to say just how good the fat bike was at exploring and the joy of being able to ride into areas that you just wouldn't bother with in the past (with a regular MTB). The network of dry river beds, sandy animal trails, sand, rock, you name it, the fat bike was just fantastic.
I reckon that the industry (you!) need to make the consumer aware that a fat bike isn't just some novelty - but an absolutely fantastic, stable and highly capable bicycle to embark upon travel through Australia.
Let me add a couple more photos of areas that I could never ride into with a normal bike - but just fantastic on the fat bike.
Mitchell falls which can be a hard walk - but on fat bike - bring it on! soft, rocky, river crossings, you name it. And you get to see this:
Beats walking.
Or this in Purnululu. You just wouldn't bother on any other bike. It opens up a whole new world of sights to see because these dry river beds lead you right into some of the most spectacular gorges you can imagine.
And you get to be the first pair of eyes in living memory to see stuff like this
Wayne, it's a whole new world out there that is just begging to be discovered and I am blown away at just how good it is to cover the distance required on a fat bike. Otherwise it's all multi-day forays with plenty of walking - and life's too short for that. I can't be the only one who likes to get away from bike parks so I reckon that there's an untapped market ready for you.
Hi, has anyone seen or ridden the new salsa mukluk beargrease.
If anyone knows where I can get a set of lighter wheels for the pug it would be appreciated.
Has anyone used the carver carbon fork.
Keep the photos coming.
Is anyone doing any mtb events on their fatbike.
Cheers
I'm going to let my father in law know about the fatty... he is fit enough and outdoorsy enough to really get into something like that. The gorge photo is just awesome.
saronmcm1 wrote:Hi, has anyone seen or ridden the new salsa mukluk beargrease.
If anyone knows where I can get a set of lighter wheels for the pug it would be appreciated.
Has anyone used the carver carbon fork.
Keep the photos coming.
Is anyone doing any mtb events on their fatbike.
Cheers
As for lighter wheels for your Pug... that would depend on what rims you currently have?
Marge Lites are the lightest. 65mm wide. with cutouts and single wall.
Followed by (holy) Rolling Darryls at 82mm wide, again with cutouts and single wall.
I wouldn't try to jam Clown Shoes into the back end of the Pug'. at 100mm wide... they will spread the std 3.8" tyres too wide for the frame.
They will fit in the Neck Romancer Pug's fork as it is the same fork as supplied on the Moonlander.
If you're currently running the std Large Marge, then the Rolling Darryl (holy version) is lighter. Even though it's wider.
Other places to save weight are hubs and spokes. Most OEM wheels are built with std 14g stainless spokes. You can go double butted with no probs at all (in fact... they'll actually build a better and lighter wheel).
Also check your tyres. The OEM tyres are often 27tpi. Aftermarket ones at 120tpi are much lighter. The newer ones are now becoming available in kevlar (folding bead too).
Switching to tubeless is also a valid option. Some friends of mine have a nice video here -
As to hubs... remember that on a Pug, you're basically using std 135mm rear hubs front and rear. So the world is open to you if you want to spend the $$$$$ (I fitted a Chub carbon rear SS hub to the front of my Pug)
Having said all that... my personal Pug' (as reviewed in Mountain Biking Australia magazine a few issues back, weighs in at 34lbs. That's with a Nate/Larry tyre combo. With tubes, with a Thudbuster seatpost and two sets of barends. (don't ask)
So weight is very relative.
I've seen pics of the Beargrease actually hanging on a Park digital scale and a medium complete bike, as per factory spec is 28lbs. (plenty of room to save more weight too. Carbon or lightweight alloy bars, stem, seatpost and saddle. Plus tubeless and so on.
So.... what is the retail on a Salsa Mukluk in Australia these days? I have poked around on the internet and haven't found anything. It's like all these fatbikes just vanished from bikeexchange.... I would love one but I can't pony up $3k for the latest racing Mukluk
Bike Friday New World Tourist, Schwinn Le Tour Sport, Giant TCR, Giant STP2, 97 fattie
jet-ski wrote:So.... what is the retail on a Salsa Mukluk in Australia these days? I have poked around on the internet and haven't found anything. It's like all these fatbikes just vanished from bikeexchange.... I would love one but I can't pony up $3k for the latest racing Mukluk
Wayne from Dirtworks (post above yours) will be able to assist you - He is the Aussie distributor. Wayne was a Godsend when I was preparing my Mukluk for last year's Simpson Desert race and everything every piece of advice he offered was spot on.
jet-ski wrote:So.... what is the retail on a Salsa Mukluk in Australia these days? I have poked around on the internet and haven't found anything. It's like all these fatbikes just vanished from bikeexchange.... I would love one but I can't pony up $3k for the latest racing Mukluk
the 2013 Mukluk 3 should have an rrp of around $2195
That looks lovely! Well I better get saving. I haven't bought a new bike this year, though I did get two last year.... must work on the Minister for Finance.
Bike Friday New World Tourist, Schwinn Le Tour Sport, Giant TCR, Giant STP2, 97 fattie
When I took this bike on that trail two things happened. One was that I cleaned the "can't be ridden" section and after getting to the end of the trail I was thinking "What happened to those hard climbs?" Turns out in my enthusiasm I had just ridden right up them like they were hardly there. To prove that it wasn't a fluke I've been back a couple of times to that trail and had the same results.
I just built up a long travel DH/AM 29er bike out of a newer Uzzi with VPP to see if it was just the big tire diameter that was giving me all the advantage sine I had yet to own a 29er prior to this one. I've been riding it for about three weeks now and while it is better than normal 26ers it's still not on par with the full-suspension fat bike, even though travel is about the same and tire diameter is slightly larger, plus the bike weighs about 5lbs. less in all-mountain trim. I have several cool 26ers and I really don't want to ride them any more, except for novelty sake. I know I'll go slower and use more energy to get there and probably go shorter too.
Interesting. It looks as though I might have to move on my LHT in order to accommodate a fatbike, but since my Bike Friday NWT is the go-to tourer and I have only done 500ks on the LHT this year it's probably only sentimentality that is leading me to hold on to the LHT. That and the time and effort I poured into building it.
My significant other is far more into hiking than I am, so I don't think I'll have to buy two
Bike Friday New World Tourist, Schwinn Le Tour Sport, Giant TCR, Giant STP2, 97 fattie
Hi, I bought a mini floor pump from Kathmandu Fremantle today for $30 on sale reduced 50%.
Should make pumping up tyres a little easier.
Has anyone used the revelate frame bags for pug.
Cheers
saronmcm1 wrote:Hi, I bought a mini floor pump from Kathmandu Fremantle today for $30 on sale reduced 50%.
Should make pumping up tyres a little easier.
Has anyone used the revelate frame bags for pug.
Cheers
good buy on the pump. regular mini-pumps are a painful prospect with FAT tyres. I'm very partial to an old school Zefal HPX frame pump under the top tube. I've also carried the Big Air can from Genuine Innovations as a back up in events. The 45g can will do 1.5 FAT wheels up to about 10psi.
I've not used the full frame bag from Revelate, but I have used their Tangle bag and Gas tank. Top quality and great design. Very well made.