I should have my Pugsley built over the next couple of weeks and whilst I’ve been waiting I’ve rersearched fat bikes a bit. Fatback do bikes as light as 22lb and most of the bikes out there are lighter than pugs.
What would be the best wheel upgrade from large marge?
What are the best upgrades that you can make to a pugsley?
As I’ve learned about fat bikes it’s become apparent to me that a pugsley is awful to upgrade i.e. you couldn’t just buy a fatback ti frame and switch everything accross because of hubs and offsets etc.
Would I be flogging a dead horse trying to upgrade a pugs or making it lighter ?

I’d start by drilling your rims.

Cost nothing and is easy to do.

Does drilling the wheels make much difference to the rolling speed/ climbing etc. and are they still plenty strong enough ?

Drilling like this lost me near to 300 grams from the rim.

2010_1126cheeserim0015 by singlespeedstu, on Flickr
That’s a single wall rim and it’s standing up to use fine.
Any weight you can get rid of from the wheels will help.

LM’s a double wall rims and almost indestructable so you’ll be fine.

In the summer I ride a full carbon scott spark and in the winter I ride a single speed niner sir 9. If I get away with the pugs I’d consider getting rid of my other bikes and building a fat bike that would be light enough for cross country and obviously great for the winter. With a fat bike as light as my scott spark and higher pressures in the tyres would it be nearly as quick as the spark or would the rolling resistance still be too high for a cross country bike?

With more pressure in the tyres you’ll be totaly missing the point of a fatbike. 😉

Am I obviously expecting too much for a fat bike to be a competant xc bike. Forgive me if I am sounding stupid but I’ve never even ridden one yet. When I first got my ss 29er everyone thought I was mad, but on a lot of rides I’m quicker than I am on a fully geared carbon full susser. Maybe I’m becoming too open minded.
My thinking was that any bike in the low 20’s weight wise that was fully rigid, even with low tyre pressures would be pretty quick and efficient and still feel a bit like a suspension bike due to the air volume and tyre circumference.

they are surprisingly fast! i had a short go on one a wee while ago and was amazed by the things climbing.

You could have two sets of wheels. One 26″ fat set and one 29″ normal set for the summer.

two sets of wheels would be the way to go.

You could have two sets of wheels.

Once he’s tried fat he won’t go back. 😉

TBH there’s no need to put loads of pressure in the tyres. They’re a bit slower accelerating but i’ve had no trouble being at the pointy end of group rides i’ve done on mine.

Am I wrong in thinking that because of the offset you would need when you built up the 29er wheels that they would not be as strong or well built as they could be. Also if you went to normal wheels you’d lose the flotation and suspension effect

cullen-bay – Member
they are surprisingly fast!…

Shame that can’t be said for the owner 🙂

The shift from a 29er to fat wheels was a revelation. Even greater than going from a 26″ wheel to 29er.

I can see my fatbike becoming my only mtb which means I will be offloading my 26″ and 29er bikes and components.

I think if your emphasis is on trail park riding you won’t be exploiting the full capability of a fatbike and possibly handicapping yourself, but as a point to point or adventure bike it’s pretty hard to beat, and amazingly good on rocky bits.

The only thing I would change is the weight. It is not a problem in general riding – simply don’t notice it because the wheels seem to have less drag offroad – but when it has to lifted over a fence, aaargh!

I think my Pugsley is about 40lbs with an Alfine hub.

The offset on the Pugsley has the advantage that you can use readily available mtb hubs. Wider hubs tend to more expensive and heavier. The problems with the offset can be countered by drilling your rim with offset holes, and/or doing a crossover lace up, which will give you a very strong wheel. I built an offset wheel with an Alfine with a normal central hole spoking, but I felt that it would be too fragile, so I dismantled it.

The pugsley frames are only a couple of pounds heavier than the fatback ti ones, so where are they saving all of the weight.
Is there an upgradeable fork for the pugsley?
What are the lightest rims you can use with Larries or endo’s?
How much weight can you get off and is it worth the expense.
Lighter wheels are obviously going to roll better but how much can you save on wheels alone.
Does any one have a pugsley that is sub 30lbs?

my pug wieghs a ton!…well nearly 😮
about same as epicyclo`s as it too has an Alfine and the original 36h large marge rims,think its full of sand now as it was 33 Lbs when it was built (with pro 2 hubs and xt mechs)
If your staying with the pug frame and want to go lighter you could;
sell the offset fork and buy the inline 100mm(regular hub) fork and run the front wheel inline,
rear with a mech (Pro 2 hubs?)
light disc brakes,160mm discs are fine,
gettin light rims as SSS has done by drilling a set of single walled rims, 32 hole is enough too,will make a huge differance,
usual light finnishing kit like carbon bars/seatpost, light seat,stem etc… it will never be a xc race bike but suprisingly capable of going daft places and you will keep up with your mates no probs 😮

keep you fit too 😮

CK – pugs are funny things I could never keep up on an Xc ride on one, they’re not a bike for late braking and sprinting out of corners or making up any time on descents at all (well, maybe snow/sand descents 😉 )IMO

I do have a yearning to try and roll a tyre off yours somewhere one day tho