So after much musing I have finally ordered a fat bike.

I was previously looking at the Cube Nutrail Race, as it had clearance for 4.8 tyres, a Bluto and a dropper.

After a chain/rear mech mangling incident on my Scandal, and the realisation dropping £2k on a fatbike after just buying a new house might be daft, I’ve seen and ordered the Charge Cooker Maxi 2, which ticks none of my previous 3 requirements for a fatbike.

Here’s my justification and thought process, please convince me it is valid:

1. I don’t need clearance for 4.8 tyres, 4.0 is enough. I’ll probably not be riding on glaciers.
2. Fixing the scandal will cost me about £60 (new XT mech and dewcent chain).
3. The Charge is 20% off.
4. I don’t really need a Bluto; I won’t be going that fast.
5. The charge is 27.2, so I can take my Thompson dropper off the Scandal and use it on the Cooker.
6. I can take the XT brakes off my Scandal too for the Cooker.
7. I can then strip the Scandal down so it looks like the net number of bikes has remained the same for S-1 purposes.

Reasonable?

Oh, and:
8. The Cube dropper seems a bit crap.

All sounds pretty reasonable to me.

Enjoy!

Now go fix the Scandal

One thing I’ve just realised is that I’m collecting from my local Evans. It won’t fit on my roof rack.

I’m not sure a 15km urban towpath ride home is the best introduction to fatty ownership.

£880 sounds pretty reasonable for a sensible 1×11 setup with a 28T chainring and decent tyres. Frame welds look a lot nicer than on my Wazoo and it has a “lifetime” guarantee on the frame, in theory!

You will have to give us the lowdown on overall bike and wheel weights, plus whether the front wheel is RDS or FDS etc. 😉

15km of urban toepath sounds fine, just pump the tyres up towards their higher pressure.

Take some toestraps to attach the bike on the rack and you’ll be fine.

I’ve got one and love it. Frame is a nice ride, bars were too narrow, gearing gets up anything. It’s a smoother ride than my mukluk and 907.

The only issue I’ve had has been paint related. All of the clear top coat has fell off along with the logos. The blue powder coat is still perfect. This is my second maxi cooker, it happened on the first too and now on the replacement. Wiggle tried to wiggle out of the first one saying it was cosmetic! I now can’t be arsed and live with it.

Check the paint on yours when it arrives!

[url=https://flic.kr/p/CTreQo]bikepacking-4[/url] by David Bithell, on Flickr

Cheers Bumper, it was the same price at wiggle but I bought from Evans so I can go and actually see a real person if there is an issue.

Yours will most likely be okay, mine was bought almost a year ago. Just giving you the heads up to check it over 😉

In the pic above it has none of the top coat on, the blue is all perfect. The mammoths are good summer tyres but you’ll need something better for the mud*

*read summer!

Looks like a good deal. Enjoy!

Enjoy the new bike!

2. Fixing the scandal will cost me about £60 (new XT mech and dewcent chain).

Now go fix the Scandal

now bung a Deore mech (functionally as good just heavier) and chain on (£28 + £12) and have a spare bike!

Picking it up on Saturday; I’m pretty excited.

I’ve also told the fiancé and she was fine (to be fair she just asks why i need so many bikes, then remembers it’s my money and I can do what I want).

You need these to get it in the roof, 112mm gutter connections and a strap of choice, the former are £2.08 from B&Q. Holds it really securely I’d my 330 mile trip to Cornwall is anything to go by.

Cheers Steve,

That’s a decent idea. I’m going to ride it home, then buy an estate car!

4. I don’t really need a Bluto; I won’t be going that fast.

Need?

What has ‘need’ got to do with anything fat?

And you might find yourself going a lot faster than is prudent, a lot more than expected.

To be fair, mine has a bluto and it’s ace

Could I fit a Bluto with an external bottom cup?

I’ll see how I get on rigid first.

Don’t see why not, just need the right one.