650g isn’t that light. My OO Fatty forks are around 600g and most Chinese carbon forks are around 500-550g.
Most road bike forks are <350g, so mtb forks have a considerable amount more carbon for strength.
Carbon will certainly help take a bit of the sting out of the trails.

EDIT:
To put it in perspective, some of the lightest road frames are around 650g!

yeah, I think I may have overestimated the weight come to think of it.

I’d try these first in Chewy.
http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/HBOOKNUCK/on-one-knuckleball-carbon-handlebar

Chewy only available on ‘short’ version.

I have the ‘hard’ 777mm version. They are pretty darn stiff. Love the width.

I thought about a carbon fork as the fork is pretty damn harsh even with a fat tyre… but tbh I don’t want to spoil the colours 😳 So I bought a Crank Bros Cobalt 11 bar instead- it’s their 780mm, weighs nothing, XC bar and very “soft”. Instant cure for battered hands, very pleased.

(I tried softer grips first, that made it worse as I was squeezing more… I like ths sort of non-logical problem solving stuff but it’s a pain sometimes)

I tried a Surly Nate recently it was a draggy as hell but noticeably comfy.
Might be worth seeing if you can borrow some different tyres .

I’m still alive after doing a half arsed job with a bastard file on my brake adaptor. No hospital food or orthodontic procedures even after going hammering down with a handful of hard on Hope hydraulics, half hoping heroic happenings have halted horrible hospital heartache.

A few fatbike related bits are in the latest round of DFS PX sales…

On One/ El Guapo front wheel skewer £2/5
Hotbox/ Corso short stems £10/20
Maxxis Creepy Crawler (kids fatbike tyre) £15
El Guapo front hub £20
On One Floaters £20
Vee Mission £20
Maxxis Mammoth 120TPI EXO £30
Knuckleball bars £40
Fatty front wheel (rear disc spaced) £75 {these have been £40}
Fatty Trail frame £100
Fatty V2 wheelset £150
Fatty cromo fork bike £700
Fatty carbon fork bike £800
Fatty Trail bike £1000

I’m still deliberating on bars/stem, plus waiting to see if anything happens to the carbon fork and FatNotFat wheelset prices (albeit there are now allegedly just 5 in stock)! 😆

Ignore this post. I’m a bit thick.

Duh 🙄

Not quite fat, but in the spirit of the Dune.., I took a cursory glance at a 650b + ‘Carrerra Vendetta’ in Halfords today, basic spec but it actually looked a lot better in the flesh than on their website imo, could probably shave a decent chunk of weight easily enough; you’d need to at 37lbs, but for £350…

I saw that yesterday it looked nice

That does look rather funky. Fair discount on them just now as well.

Emmental drilled fat rims for £20 at PX.

Could pair them with El Guapo hub (£20 front) and ask LBS to build wheel.

What sort of ballpark price would wheel builder charge if you provide hub and rim?

£35 ball park

Anyone here had an issue with a clicking from the LH crank arm under power on the Dune?

Was happening on the first ride, suspect it could be a knackered bearing in the BB?

After one winters abuse as did one pedal (which was responsible for the clicking noise but they were old Time set I used). Two hanger screws came loose and had to be loctited into place, two chains and one set of front rings…….
and the other thing responsible for a clicking noise and derailing chain eventually was the naff big ring that’s made of cheese and lasted one ride before I’d bent three teeth over on it 😆

Just a word of warning folks… There have been a number of “stealthy” buys of the FatNotFat 29er wheelsets recently, I’ve just pulled the trigger after finding there were only two sets left, so now there is just one set left!

And I still don’t know what disc spacing the front wheel is, I guess I will find out when they arrive and try to fit them to the Wazoo’s FDS fork! 😆

Evening gents, I’m thinking of slapping a Dune on my credit card tonight!

Has anyone really tall had a go on one? I run a 19″ hardtail, but my full sus is a 22″ frame.

Thanks if you can help?

I’m 6ft 1″ and on a large Dune. I just needed an extra 10mm on the stem.

Thank you, just finishing my wine and pizza. If I feel brave I’ll hit the button!! Any good vouchers on the go?

7.35% Topcashback

Fatty Trail is down to £900, not bad for a Bluto fork fattie!

Glad I spotted they were down to the last two FatNotFat 29er wheelsets yesterday afternoon, they are now all gone (except that slimline ice bundle which is rubbish value, paying £100 extra for 2x~£20 tyres and 2x~£5 tubes).

Both sizes of the Voodoo Wazoo are back in stock on the Halfords Ebay store, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201373335552?var=500565737499

Charge Cooker Maxi 1/2 models have been reduced in a few stores, down to ~£720/£880.

The Wazoo looks to be heavier, with worse tyres.

I’ve already got some brand new Shimano brakes in the shed, so I think I’m better with the Dune? Is that right?

Thanks for the tips so far.

It’s hard to say, because we have all used our fatbikes differing amounts and ridden them over different terrain, but since I followed this thread in February 2016 I would say I’ve noticed a lot more Dune owners reporting issues than the other popular <£1k options.

As much as I often have a dig at PX, I would say the Fatty Trail is the best buy, if you are happy to fork out £900. The Bluto fork is worth ~£400 alone and I don’t recall any owners in this thread having issues.

My Wazoo has been pretty good since I swapped to Jumbo Jim tyres and sv13f/sv13j innertubes, plus swapping out the 80mm/7 degree stem for a 80mm/35 degree to help my lower back (I think the front end is a bit low anyway for many, a 25+mm riser bar would have been better IMO).

It still feels over-geared with the 38T large chainring, but the JJs improved this massively over the Mission Commands and it will be interesting to see how this feels when my FatNotFat 29er wheels arrive later this week. When the current chain/cassette wears out, I will definitely upgrade to 10-speed at the rear and then decide whether to try 1x at the front or simply get a smaller large chainring (depending on how the 29ers feel).

It would be unfair of me not to re-iterate that I’ve cycled far less than I hoped I would have by now, it’s been a very disappointing year on that front, I expected to be doing at least 5+ hours cycling a week since March and I’ve done nowhere near. So the lack of issues I’ve had could simply be down to a lack of use!

The Dune definitely has the weight advantage out of the store, has more modern spec hubs and a easier upgrade options to Bluto etc., but IIRC there have been hub/BB issues for some plus it does not come with hydraulic brakes. Now the tyres are Juggernaut Pros, it makes the bike lighter still, but I’m getting the vibe that are less versatile than JJs and fatbike tyres aren’t usually cheap.

When the large Dune frame became available, I did start to regret not waiting, but over time I think on balance I made the right choice for me considering I had a sub-£600 budget for the initial purchase.

Had it been me buying the bike I was probably going to buy a Dune. But I hit a Wazoo as a gift & im loving it. I’ll change the tyres over b4 winter & I reckon it needs a shorter stem & riser bars but other than that I’m leaving her as she is.

I’ve had a lot of fun on it so far, roll on winter.

Btw had my daughter at Go Outdoors testing out the Ripple kids fat bike. It’s really weird. The top tube seems rediculously long. Reckon I’ll get her the On-One Picconili (spelt that wrong for sure) Anyone got any experience with one of these for their kids??

I can’t believe it, I thought I had made my mind up! Are the issues that bad?

Oh and my kids have always preferred the lightest bikes available. A fat bike would never be on my list of kids bikes.

She’s got a Specialized Hotrock already & loves it but tbh she’s too light to make any difference to the forks it came with not too mention it’s equal in weight to my Stumpjumper. Never understood why kids bikes are alway so heavy. I figure the fat bike gets past the need for forks & tbh the weight of Ripple was comparable to her Specialized .

You’re right! A spindly 26″ inch rigid bike with basic hydraulic discs and a wide range 1 x 8 would sell like hot cakes if someone made one for a reasonable price!

For some reason Halfords and the like try and put shitey forks on bikes, which don’t work and make them heavy.

Anyway when can I order my Dune, and will if fall to bits??!!

As much as I often have a dig at PX, I would say the Fatty Trail is the best buy, if you are happy to fork out £900. The Bluto fork is worth ~£400 alone and I don’t recall any owners in this thread having issues.

I would certainly agree – at a £900 price point it is a best buy, but as the Dune can be bought discounted down to sub £500 the lines are blurred somewhat.

The Dune definitely has the weight advantage out of the store, has more modern spec hubs and a easier upgrade options to Bluto etc., but IIRC there have been hub/BB issues for some plus it does not come with hydraulic brakes. Now the tyres are Juggernaut Pros, it makes the bike lighter still, but I’m getting the vibe that are less versatile than JJs and fatbike tyres aren’t usually cheap.

Again, I agree on the Dune having ‘better’ specced hubs/clearences – I remember reading of one freewheel issue that was sorted under warranty, and a BB issue that was probably due to user error.
However, the 2×8 groupset is really cheap (= nasty). It’s functional, and some are choosing to stick with it, but I switched everything out to a full 1×10 set up after dropping the chain for no good reason and removing a fair amount of paint on the chainstay in the process.
Disadvantage is that I spent another £250 to go full 1×10 (including fancy new chainset), Advantage is that the bike now feels brilliant underfoot. Effortless gear change, no chain hop, sure footed. Also dropped about a pound in weight!

The Juggernaut tyres are super lightweight for a fat tyre and during this mostly dry season (South Downs) i’ve found them perfect on chalky/hardpack/flinty trails. My mind may change when we get to the muddy season – but to this end i’ve picked up a discounted set of Floaters for £20ea. So no biggy there.

I did swap out the bar for a spare wide carbon that I had, but the only other change (other than lightweight inner tubes) that id definitely recommend is the brakes. I hated the nasty cable pull ones and switched to a bargain set of Formulas picked up in the On-One sales (£100).

So all in, i’ve spent best part of £850 on it and it’s right where I want it to be in terms of sheer fun and performance.
Would I buy a Fatty Trail with Bluto for £900 if I have the chance to do it all again?
Thats the real question.
Personally, I didn’t have a lump of £900 to lay down at the time (plus they cost £1100 when I was in the market for Fat), and psychologically it was much easier to convince myself to part with £500 for ‘a whole new bike’. Also, the Dune is now riding superbly and I am really digging the rigid front end set-up having ridden front suspension for years. Having a fully rigid fat bike gives me a whole new flavour of riding.
I’d say, if you have any spares that you can swap out for a Dune ‘re-build’ then its still very good value – but if like me you are a bit of a perfectionist and cannot resist upgrading, then the Bluto Fatty is hard to look over.
A deciding factor for me is that im not a fan of the rear end spacing on the Fatty (or lack of bolt through axle), nor do I think it looks as fab as the Dune. The nuclear yellow (literally glow in the dark) paint work is awesome in the flesh. And the frames lines all look smart to me.
I kind of have a weird sense of pride that I enjoy riding this ‘budget’ bike more than pretty much all my other bikes.

Anyway when can I order my Dune, and will if fall to bits??!!

Erm, you can order ‘now’ ?
It won’t fall to bits, but you’ll be limited on outright pace by the stock brakes. Also, make sure to double check the axle bolts are tightened sufficiently. Square taper axles are probably my biggest hate in cycling – should be banished to Room 101.

Thanks Jim, I’ve lost count of how many thousands of pounds the bikes already in the shed are worth/cost.

I’ve got a brand new set of shimano brakes with four sets of pads sat in the shed too, so the brakes are no problem.

Sounds like I need to man up and hit the button.

fozzylonglegs – Member
Thanks Jim, I’ve lost count of how many thousands of pounds the bikes already in the shed are worth/cost.

I’ve got a brand new set of shimano brakes with four sets of pads sat in the shed too, so the brakes are no problem.

Sounds like I need to man up and hit the button.

After going there via Topcashback for 7.35%. 😉

It’s a great looking bike, I like the hi-vis colour for commuting visibility, the Dune suddenly changed my search for a new commuter from a rigid hybrid to something more extreme.

After playing with the idea of a fatty for years & returning to the forum tonight for the first time in ages, I found this thread. Interesting read. NEVER EVER LOOK AT NEW BIKES IN THE EARLY HOURS OF THE A.M. The part of your brain that says ‘you can only ride one at a time’ is very much asleep! Trigger pulled, Fatty Trail ordered! 😯

HOW LONG TILL THE BUYERS REMORSE KICKS IN?? 😀

“10JULY16” code at Go Outdoors for 10% off anything all departments. Don’t forget to go via Topcashback for 7.35% for further reductions on a Calibre Dune. 😉

For some odd reason, the Voodoo Wazoo is not included in the Halfords 20% off sale on the Ebay store, despite claiming to have 9+ in stock of both frame sizes.

Wiggle have a few fatbikes in their sales, Maxi 1 £629; DD70 £699; Maxi 2 £770; Wozo £1049.

fozzylonglegs – Member

I can’t believe it, I thought I had made my mind up! Are the issues that bad?

I think the bb/crank issue referred to might have been me- totally my fault, I didn’t tighten the bolt right after removing the arms so I mangled the crank. Out of practice with square taper. Excuse to fit aeffects 😆

I snapped up a nearly new Fatty Trail for £700 and I’m very pleased with it.

I bought it expecting to swap out gears and brakes but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the X5 kit and I’m in no rush to replace it.

It’s a steal for £900 new.

Just in from a wee ride on mine and it reminded me of something… Basically, all the budget fatties bring something of their own to the table but relatively few can do a 4.8 rear tyre. Now, traditional fattists generally hold 4.8 to be overkill anyway, but for me, it’s been a gamechanger.

Basically, with 4.0s, I couldn’t get a good balance of pressure vs flats. If I had the pressure high enough to not suffer flats when pelting down rough trails, then the tyre was also too hard to really work properly as a fat tyre. But the switch to the 4.8 JJ which is my normal rear brought with it the ability to go down to 6psi without issue, meaning the tyre works right and grips better but also doesn’t just flat/ding the rim. I had my 4.0 JJ back on the rear for the Glentress Seven and I’d forgotten how much less well it works for me.

Also, the 4.8 JJ shits on the 4.0 from a great height… It’s heavier and a little slower, sure, but the improvement in grip is huge, it’s a far more useful tyre and deals better with wet conditions etc. And there’s other great tyres that only come in 4.8, the Minions and Bud/Larry being obvious ones.

Sooooo. Not everyone fatbikes like me, I reckon relatively few fatbikes get ridden like mine and at the same time I don’t do a lot of the traditional fatbike riding. So I’m not saying everyone should have a 4.8 fatbike. But the Dune can be both, and most of the competition can’t. That’s a big difference in capability and choice. I’d never have been happy with the Dune if it could only do 4.0.

So you had not rode a Fatbike before you bought your Dune and your now sayimg you would not buy one now if it only fitted 4″ tyres?… 😀
Despite spending probably double the original purchase price on your Dune it`s no longer a budget 1K build is it? 😆
And your certain 4″ is slower than 5″ on trails? 8O.
I doubt that having rode both tyre sizes for a few years,
5″ gives more comfort and grip, ideal for xc riding on peat Cheviot trails and loose rocks stuff like in the Lakes,
Fatbikes are not a replacement for regular MTBs, thats for all to see who follow UCI XC, Enduro, Downhill,

But each to their own… 🙂

Fatbikes are not a replacement for regular MTBs, thats for all to see who follow UCI XC, Enduro, Downhill,

What about the hardcore mincing that I do?

coastkid – Member

So you had not rode a Fatbike before you bought your Dune and your now sayimg you would not buy one now if it only fitted 4″ tyres?…

Yep, exactly. I didn’t know that when I got it of course so it wasn’t a factor in my choice- I’d have got the Voodoo if it’d been in stock tbh! This is luck not judgement… (let’s be honest, the colour was a bigger factor than the tyres…) My silly upgrades don’t really have any bearing on this- you can stick 4.8s on a standard/near standard one, I think you might have to lose the granny ring. The tyres came before most of my upgrades. (I suppose the only relevance is the Dune’s superior upgrade options, I don’t think I’d have done all this to a Fatty)

“faster on trails” doesn’t mean anything because trails are so varied… TBH I use a minion/JJ combo almost all the time because I can’t be arsed to swap, and there’s no doubt I could be faster for some of my riding, that’s a stupid amount of front tyre for the pentlands frinstance. But where it really counts for me, 4.8 isn’t just faster- it’s the difference between “let’s give that a go” and “ooh, better not”. My best ride on the Dune was up the golfy- and frankly I don’t think I’d have ridden half of it with less tyre. Best ride either ruined or never attempted, that’s way more important than slightly faster or slower.

But I’m getting a wee bit distracted from the real point, which is that the Dune offers a choice which most competitors don’t. If you want to stick with 4.0s then it’s just as happy as its rivals. It just has another trick up its sleeve. 4.8 isn’t better for everyone but being able to choose 4.0 or 4.8 is better than not being able to. You will never ride a Voodoo and think “phew, I’m glad this doesn’t take 4.8s, they’re too big”

Ah, but what if you fit a Fatty Carbon Fork to a Wazoo, which will enable a 4.8″ up front IIRC? 😉