gcouyant
Farkin Advertiser
Yes indeed you do. See http://salsacycles.com/bikes/mukluk_2_frame/
The most sensational time you will ever have riding a bicycle.
Fat Bikes
- Thread starter QZ13
- Start date
The most sensational time you will ever have riding a bicycle.
gcouyant
Farkin Advertiser
Are you aware of the group Wayne set up on Facebook? http://www.facebook.com/groups/252879411466001
Plenty of fat goodness there and some of it blue.... Though a lot of black lately.
gcouyant
Farkin Advertiser
Billy be very careful with this using our fat tyres. I've had the wire bead break on one of mine and the subsequent explosive shock wave had the neighbours coming out to see if our house was still in tact.
Works a treat on 37" 4WD mud tyres though.....
HAhahaha that had me on the floor laughing !!! Do true man what a memory to even think of that epic indeed lol
climberman
Likes Dirt
Seals to Newie via fatbike and packraft sounds like a good way to spend a few days !
climberman
Likes Dirt
climberman
Likes Dirt
Oh - from where to where ?
box head to fishermans bay. only missed 2 beaches. wanted to keep going to port but my knee didn't want to play so we cut it short
Olefin
Likes Bikes
Fatbike Tubeless
[video=youtube_share;I_sUCYFmncw]http://youtu.be/I_sUCYFmncw[/video]
Or without setting fire to yourself....
[video=youtube_share;I_sUCYFmncw]http://youtu.be/I_sUCYFmncw[/video]
Hugor
Likes Dirt
I have just invested in one of these beasts to tackle some of WA's pea gravel and endless beaches with.
The bike is presently waiting in my LBS for my arrival back into Aus next week. I really can't wait to ride it.
I plan to do the Simpson desert ride next year.
Are punctures a problem with these bikes or is the tubeless thing just to minimize rotating mass?
I considered a rohloff with my build but decided to try regular rear mechs first.
Thinking 14 on the back with a single up front would be enough.
Any thoughts from the experienced fatty riders?
The bike is presently waiting in my LBS for my arrival back into Aus next week. I really can't wait to ride it.
I plan to do the Simpson desert ride next year.
Are punctures a problem with these bikes or is the tubeless thing just to minimize rotating mass?
I considered a rohloff with my build but decided to try regular rear mechs first.
Thinking 14 on the back with a single up front would be enough.
Any thoughts from the experienced fatty riders?
pi11wizard
Likes Dirt
I've never had a penetrating puncture but i've pinch flatted lots and lots. Mostly because I'm playing in rocks with about 3 psi in the tyres. If I pump the tyres up a bit, then all is fine.
Rotating mass just isn't an issue - they are called a fat bike. If any bike is allowed to be indifferent to weight, a fat bike is surely it. I've been running motorbike tubes in my moonlander since they are cheap and readily available and it's been fine.
Elbo
pesky scooter kids git off ma lawn
Great video! Looks like a heap of fun
gcouyant
Farkin Advertiser
Great to hear that you've fattened up Hugor! It will be quite an adventure for you because in WA, you will find that you will be rediscovering mountain biking again. New opportunities will open and areas that you would avoid in the past will become your friend - but pea gravel will always be your enemy. It's worse on a fat bike I'm sorry.
Allow me to indulge and invigorate the reader with photos.....
The benefits of tubeless are many especially in sand and thorn littered ground. However in the forests of WA (especially in the cape region) with so much tree litter on the lesser used tracks you will most likely experience the occasional surprise baptise all over the back of the legs.
I could have inserted two fingers in that picture but it would have looked suggestive. If you look closely to the left of the puncture you can see the end of the stick poking through the rim itself.
Speed and low pressure on tracks littered with short sticks is asking for it when running tubeless because the tyre pillows around the head of a stick and the stick punctures the tyre. Tubes offer support and strength to the tyre carcass and deflect sticks.
On the other hand, on the ride below up in the Kimberley WA, tubeless was a must.
I had to run a very low pressure to ride along this river bed and had I run with tubes, pinch flats would have been a show stopper.
The same applies to thorns though you don't get too many in southern WA. You do however once you head north and over into outback NT.
This track was littered with horrible three corner jacks and whenever I stopped the rear tyre had a hundred little white sealant spots worming out as the sealant cured. You don't do this sort of terrain with tubes unfortunately. When I anticipate this sort of problem I run a 500ml bottle of sealant in each tyre and over a week, half of it has gone.
On the issue of drivetrain, I'm not a fan of internally geared hubs because of the limited gearing. Because a fat bike is so versatile and such a stable platform to explore on I find that I often run out of gears at either end of the scale. A fat bike is fast on the dirt. The road below is a good example.
After I finished mucking around with the photo, I had to hurry back to camp to return before dark and the slight downhill meant that even with 42/11 gearing I ran out of legs.
On the other hand, the ride below was all granny.
To tackle the rough sections and rough climb up around the back of that escapement it was all in granny one and two. If you can't go that low you walk.
I'm not convinced with the argument about drivetrain life in sand because with the correct lubricants and well aligned drivetrain there's no reason why you can't get high mileage from either. Even if there are benefits, the limited gearing is a show stopper for me. Perhaps the leg strength and bike handling skills are lacking but I can't do without a wide spread of gears.
And finally Hugor, if you need to travel with the fat bike I'm happy to help.
We manufacture fat bike carriers that are specifically designed for road & 4WD vehicles and for caravans as well.
After this last trip it dawned on me that with a fat bike on board, all of those remote areas that could not be ridden that we had travelled through in the past are now ridable and you explore and discover things that have long been lost.
Everybody should at some stage in their lives make the effort to experience the unique adventure that riding fat brings - and Hugor I am so pleased that you're going to convincingly live up to your name now that you've signed up for it.
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Hugor
Likes Dirt
Huge thanks for the info George. Lovely pics there too.
I'm surprised that you say the fatty won't do so well with the pea gravel but I'm still sure there will be loads of other terrain to have fun on like the Lancelin sand dunes. I'll stick to the standard rear mech for now and see how I go and start looking into the tubeless conversion.
I've been running tubeless for years on my 29er in Perth as the low pressures required to deal with the pea gravel means that pinch flats are a regular occurrence. Im a fairly heavy rider too most of the time!
Still looks like carrying tubes is a must though - no sealant will protect from that tree penetration.
I'll be needing a fat capable bike carrier but I sold my Patrol when I left Aus and I'll need to get another first. I'll be in touch when I do.
Hopefully see you at a fatty event.
I'm surprised that you say the fatty won't do so well with the pea gravel but I'm still sure there will be loads of other terrain to have fun on like the Lancelin sand dunes. I'll stick to the standard rear mech for now and see how I go and start looking into the tubeless conversion.
I've been running tubeless for years on my 29er in Perth as the low pressures required to deal with the pea gravel means that pinch flats are a regular occurrence. Im a fairly heavy rider too most of the time!
Still looks like carrying tubes is a must though - no sealant will protect from that tree penetration.
I'll be needing a fat capable bike carrier but I sold my Patrol when I left Aus and I'll need to get another first. I'll be in touch when I do.
Hopefully see you at a fatty event.
gcouyant
Farkin Advertiser
As you're most likely well aware, to have any chance of traction over pea gravel means that the tread blocks have to cut through the individual particles, stop them from rolling and to stabilise upon the harder surface below. A fat tyre just sits on top and the individual pea like particles just roll away underneath. I hate pea gravel and every time I venture into that part of the world I end up leaving bits of red on the track....
Most of the sand on the west coast is just sensational for fat. The sand particles are relatively small and most importantly have sharp edges to the sand packs well to form a stable surface under a fat tyre. You will have a ball. Some sensational coastal tracks like those from the caves to Prevelly are fat heaven. Tight, steep, technical sand with drop dead gorgeous views.
You don't need a 4WD to travel fat Hugor.
For what it's worth, fat bikes have unique characteristics and require special bits to stabilise and protect when travelling by car. It's not just a matter of allowing for bigger wheels. I do struggle to accept some of the solutions that I see out there.
On the issue of tubeless, I need to share some of the issues that will arise with the method that Muz has shown above. Great start though.