[Closed] Fat curious

Ah, what you want is my Surly Ice Cream Truck frame, forks and transmission. Just add wheels of your choice and you're away 🙂

Actually, you probably don't. It's a great frame and there is a lot of love for Surlys out there, but you pay a premium for them. So, unless you particularly like skinny steel tubes I'd recommend the Calibre Dune. Cheap as chips and you can upgrade almost everything if you find you're enjoying it. Of course, by then you'll have spent as much as you would have on a "better" fatbike, but at least the initial outlay isn't too scary.

Pretty much +1 of what RP said.

Go to Go Outdoors and buy a Dune. I've been riding a fatbike for 6-7 years now and that's what I'd do if starting now.

Be prepared to change the tyres though. It seems they've changed recently.

Cheap bike , expensive wheels.

Get on UK fat bike selling page on Facebook.

But just watch out for the plethora of fatbike hub "standards" 🙂

I was very tempted by your ICT when I saw that, but it's quite heavy and I think I'd need something a bit lighter.  Also don't really want to have to shop around for parts, as I have no knowledge of what bits fit with the hundreds of standards out there.

Don't the Dunes have a habit of breaking?

If it were me and being as it’s a toe dip I’d be looking for a second hand calibre dune and know that if I did like it I could easily upgrade it and not be out of pocket too much of you ganged your mind. I did the same thing a few months ago, tried it three times and then sold it on as it wasn’t for me. Wasnt out of pocket and now can safely say I tried it.

but it’s quite heavy

Fair point. It's no lightweight, that's for sure. Funnily enough I set a fair few PRs on climbs that I've yet to match, despite multiple attempts on lighter bikes, but you certainly notice it lifting it onto the roof of the car.

I know what you mean about standards, which is why I wanted to sell the frame with the cranks and drivetrain. Then it's just a matter of adding 150/197 wheels and your preferred brakes.

There have been a few cased of Dune frames cracking, but I don't think they are any worse than many aluminium (and a few steel/Ti/carbon) frames in that regards.

For me part of the joy of fat bikes is that it's not about the kit.I got a second hand dune with 1x10 and deore brakes cheapest bike I own really enjoying just riding now.

If you want something lighter and sticking with the STW tradition of recommend what you ride, the Canyon Dude is worth a look. I replaced my ICT with one as I also thought I wanted something lighter. Not sure it's really any better if I'm honest, but it is lighter, which is nice when you have to carry it. It's a fair jump in price from the Dune, but the base (rigid) model is perfectly fine. I basically bought that then replaced almost everything, but mainly because I had parts I liked from the ICT.

Yeah, I can't help thinking it's the sort of bike that only really works with modern, light technology, which is why they weren't around years ago.  But not having ridden one, I wouldn't know.

I'm not really a serial upgrader, I prefer to shell out for the right bike and benefit from the economy of a full bike.  But second hand does appeal as I'd like to be able to change my mind without losing money.  And it is just a n+1 toy really which probably won't get serious use.

I would certainly recommend getting a Dune.

Yes there are some that have cracked, and I have an example of it in my garage still !

The main problem seems to be caused by chain suck on the cheap chainset which is why many have been upgraded.

Id buying 2nd hand check the drive side chain stay where it meet the bottom bracket.

Great bike and will make you smile big time 🙂

Can it be avoided with any sort of chain device do you think @Splash-man ?

And is there any way of getting a discount on the Dune, anyone know?

@linchpin yes! Scouts get 10%, Scout leaders get 15%, DoE get some sort of discount to. So I'm assuming loads of different organisations get some form of discount. I recently purchased a Calibre Dune, cost £480 with the recent Scout Leader boosted discount of 20% off. Bargain!

So far, I've removed both the chain rings and put a single narrow wide oval on and tried to ghetto tubeless. I have a list of tweaks and kit to buy over the next couple of months, if I decide this is the bike for me.

So it's 👍 on getting a Dune from me...

Go Outdoors discounts...
<div>
<h2>• Duke of Edinburgh
• Police
• Fire
• Ambulance
• NHS
• St John Ambulance
• HM Prison Service
• RAF
• RNLI
• MOD Police
• MOD</h2>
</div>
<div>
<h2>• Army
• Navy
• HM Coast Guard
• Territorial Army
• Highways Traffic Officers
• MOD Veterans
• Paramedics
• Royal Marines
• Scouts
• Guides/Brownies
• Cadets
• NCS</h2>
</div>
Plus they have regular 10% sales too.

linchpin

I was very tempted by your ICT when I saw that, but it’s quite heavy and I think I’d need...

About the first thing you learn about fatbikes is that frame weight is no problem. It's only a small proportion of the total.

The place to save weight is in the rotating bits which are massive. That's where to spend your [s]pennies[/s] ££££s. 🙂

Another recommend for the Dune- out of the box it'll do pretty much everything you could ask of a fatbike, change the brakes and you get a massive instant upgrade.

And it's all proper standards and ridiculously upgradable- because everything basically works but the frame and forks are where they put the love. If you wrote Salsa or Surly on the side you could sell the frame and forks for the price of the entire bike.

@linchpin - the best forward is to replace the double for a single chain ring set up on the front. You then might need a bigger cassette on the rear......

By the way, in terms of size I'm 5'11" and had a large frame.

There's a mahoosive thread on "Fat bike for under a grand" or something like that - it's very, very, very long though 🙂

As noted above, within reason the frame weight of a fat bike isn't much different from an equivalently priced/specced Hardtail: there's a wider bottom bracket and the seat and chain stays will be a little longer to allow for the bends around the tyres but that's it. The frame on my Puffin is 2.7kg compared with the Cotic Bfe at 2.5kg for example. The total weight of the Puffin is about 14kg.

As far as components go, the only fat bike specific bit is the crankset having a longer spindle. The biggest difference in the wheels and specifically tyres. My wife has 27tpi Surly Nates on her fat bike and they are significantly heavier than my 120tpi 45Nrth Husker Dus.

Even though her wheels/tyres are heavy she says that once she gets going she doesn't notice the weight as the bike has its own momentum. It's not fun lifting it though.

Don’t the Dunes have a habit of breaking?

Not mine.

*Frame inevitably cracks tomorrow.

2 years or so of shredding the chubby gnar on it. Second-hand when I bought it too.

Single ring 1x11 , new brakes, wide bars, dropper.

My wife has 27tpi Surly Nates on her fat bike

You inconsiderate bastard!

You inconsiderate bastard!

Don't blame me! That's what Surly sell the bike with. Other than cost there's no reason why they can't fit the lighter version.

Pah, you want a boutique steel frame like the one I’m selling 🙂

where abouts are you linchpin? im selling a very tidy OO Fatty trail if your interested?

UK Fat Bike Selling page on Facebook always has some fair deals on it.

South London.  Pm me details I'll take a look.

Ideally to include pictures, price and location.

Thanks