On the question of ICTs going to narrower rims - you only really need really wide rims for snow - for most UK riding conditions a 65-80mm rim is probably best: lighter, more resistant to dings and nice round tyre profile for all-around grip.
It will be used 100% on trails for a bit of fun when I don't want to take the full suspension bike out. Second hand but new to me so will ride it for a bit and then I suspect the clown shoes will go to be replaced by Bontrager Jackalopes 27.5 as that slight increase in wheel diameter, as a long term 29er user, seems a good idea.
Wow amazing collection of classy fat bikes. Some fantastic locations also and loving the loaded bike packs for multi day adventures which I want to do.i will read up on details later.
I'm smiling just looking at them.... Thanks.
A quick brew and lunch on a mountain top in the pishing rain. Luckily had some dry kitty litter in my pack to get the wood burner going.
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Charge Cooker Maxi 2, about £800.
First bike I go to for off road. Upgraded to Thomson dropper, wider bars and XT brakes.
It's mint, pic above was at the end of 26km in Lakes at weekend.
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^^ 😛
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[/img]got tis O-o about 4 weeks ago and love riding it might not get my full suss skinny tyred bike out again pic taked out side pub after a ride
dovebiker that is *lovely*. Good luck in Rovaniemi. I'd love to go back to Finland and try some cycling next time.
[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/525/32635559712_d1d3a62d68_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/525/32635559712_d1d3a62d68_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/RHTLU1 ]Wednesday Dawns[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/134480555@N03/ ]Tony Hall[/url], on Flickr
SO Wednesday, now her go to bike. Bought as frame n fork, built with some parts off her Orange 5, Wheels by Slam 69 (Great service)
[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/415/32781890945_3c154bd883_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/415/32781890945_3c154bd883_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/RWPL5i ]ICT-Autumn Ride[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/134480555@N03/ ]Tony Hall[/url], on Flickr
My ICT, great bike, love riding it anywhere
My Surly Wednesday.
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Is there a big difference with the fat bike ride feel having front suspension forks ? Is this going to be the norm?
Superb pics ..
I just read the fat bike micro adventure story on the front page here .... with the Koma Wozo's .... great stuff ..
Are those mahoosive tyres a pig to get back on after punctures ?
Fatbikes rule - a bike for every occasion. Since getting one 3 years ago the other bikes have become pretty much redundant. This thing goes XC racing, multi-day bivvying, racing mates on their full sussers in the Surrey Hills, 200 mile endurance events, beach riding and everything in between.
It costs me a drive train per year and some brake pads. The other bikes in my shed and their silly value get little or no use
Love it!! 🙂
Under all the crap is a Singular Puffin
[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2560/31976448973_88b8431259_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2560/31976448973_88b8431259_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/QHDEeK ]IMG_2134[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/67749037@N02/ ]boltonjon[/url], on Flickr
Another Puffin.
Quite a recent addition. Not sure if it's going to get past it's probationary period. I prefer the Frankenplus if I'm honest. But it's a laugh though. An itch that had to be scratched.
[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/727/32749265966_d27e00d21f_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/727/32749265966_d27e00d21f_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/RTWxNE ]Puffin[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/takisawa2/ ]pten2106[/url], on Flickr
Niner SIR.9+ (...the "Frankenplus").
Ok, not a [i]real[/i] fatty, but it's almost there. I think for most a b+ or 29+ is realistically a better option. This rides a lot better 90% of the time & on 90% of trails. Not ridden the Puffin on a beach yet but the Niner was ace, & living in the Midlands, beaches are distant dream.
[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8040/28966286586_289f55c947_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8040/28966286586_289f55c947_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/L8DMQf ]Cromer[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/takisawa2/ ]pten2106[/url], on Flickr
Frame and forks in the O-O sale for £89 each which my Missus got me for Christmas.
Wheels are the standard jobbies from O-O.
Rest was done on a budget from the parts bin except
1) Crankset - obviously I had nothing suitable
2) Tyres - for which an honourable mention to zippykona who let me have his old Floaters for a small donation to the poppy appeal.
I absolutely love it. Need to change your (well my!) riding style a little, but once it's going it just rolls on and it climbs incredibly. No p!ssing about with silly little gears, just get out the saddle and mash the pedals if you need to - the rear grip will handle it
Not ridden my Anthem since I got it
Still working on bar height hence the excess on the steerer
Sorry for poor photo - little dark inside and taken on the phone. Just don't tell the wife it's been in the kitchen
Takisawa, make sure you give the Puffin a decent chance before moving it on. I bought my Fatty to scratch the itch and initially I was a bit underwhelmed. After a while, though, it clicked and now I have to pretty much force myself to ride my other bikes.
a Fatbike is for the true enjoyment of just riding a bike anywhere just for the sheer fun of it 8) Love Love Love my Wednesday
got to be honest, when I got my jones and started riding it, I was a bit underwhelmed with it. nearly sold it, but decided to try and get fit, just by riding it all the time.
the more I ride it, the more I like it, and the fitness is coming slowly along too.
also noticed on this thread, the amount who have bought a fat bike, and now don't ride their other bikes.
they are comfy and fun.
In summary - Fat FTW! 😀
I was expecting to find more Wazoo owners in here than me, Dahedd plus Crashtestmonkey haven't posted and IIRC kayak23 replaced his Wazoo with a Dune.
I also expected to discover other riders using FatNotFat 29er wheels on 135/170 hub fatbikes besides me.
I really am extreme leftfield, usually riding a skinny fatbike on the roads and as of late, clocking up 10+ mile local loops (17 miles with ~980 feet ascending yesterday afternoon https://www.strava.com/activities/859506378)! 😆
There are some nice looking bikes on this thread but I really didn't get on with my fat bike when I had one.
also noticed on this thread, the amount who have bought a fat bike, and now don't ride their other bikes.
they are comfy and fun.
To be fair, I do ride my other bikes, I just don't enjoy them as much 🙂 Every few months I'll feel guilty about having bikes that by all objective measures are better than my fatbike just hanging up in the shed so I'll take them out to salve my conscience. I also keep thinking that the honeymoon period is bound to end soon and then I'll appreciate having some "proper" bikes to ride. Still waiting though.
Is there a big difference with the fat bike ride feel having front suspension forks ? Is this going to be the norm?
That's a whole can of worms there.
In general there seems to be a pattern of people who have suspension forks saying that they are a massive improvement and people who don't have them saying that they are unnecessary. Of course, both may be true.
Are those mahoosive tyres a pig to get back on after punctures ?
One the reasons that tubeless is near essential (IMO)is that risks of punctures are minimised and you can fix any with a squirt of sealant or bigger holes with a 'worm' - I've not had the break a tyre bead in over 2 years and in excess of 10,000km across all types of terrain. Also worth investing in decent tyres and tubeless rims as these are key to a decent ride - good tyres handle better and have lower rolling resistance, they also last a long time.
Thanks for the answers to questions guys - quality knowledge on here.
Would a fat bike loaded up for this trip be the way to go ?
http://imba.org.uk/where-to-ride/trans-cambrian-way/
roverpig - MemberIn general there seems to be a pattern of people who have suspension forks saying that they are a massive improvement and people who don't have them saying that they are unnecessary. Of course, both may be true.
I think it's basically a mindset thing- mine would be a "better bike" with blutos in- it'd be faster and more capable and I'm sure worth the weight penalty. But for me, the point of a fatbike isn't anything to do with being a better bike, if I changed it to be a better bike I'd start with the bloody stupid tyres. I have 2 better bikes but sometimes I want to ride my lolrus.
Not to say there's anything wrong with wanting suspension, for some folks that's the fatbike they want. I thought it was the fatbike I want tbh!
IME, the longer your ride, the less the speed differential between different types of bikes and a lot of it comes down to comfort. What I like about my fatbike at the end of a long day is that it has bomb-proof handling and grip - I can simply sit-down and grind it out on long climbs, not have to worry about rocks and roots; get to the top and let-go down the other side without fearing that if I lose concentration and hit a rock or bump it's going to launch me off - particularly descending in the dark at the end of a long day.
4roads - Member
Would a fat bike loaded up for this trip be the way to go ?
Is it under several feet of snow or involve riding over miles of impassable bog?
Fat bikes are awesome, adventures are awesome, adventures on fat bikes are awesome^2. But like 99.5% of riding, you could probably do it faster on a CX bike (or an XC bike if it's really rough).
To quote Northwind:
the point of a fatbike isn't anything to do with being a better bike, if I changed it to be a better bike I'd start with the bloody stupid tyres. I have 2 better bikes but sometimes I want to ride my lolrus.
I've ridden my fatty on the same rides as others on CX bikes, XC bikes and trail/enduro bikes. Each bike type is the best option for someone i their head, even if my reasoning is "I wan't something bonkers with noisy tyres" and someone else is 32c tyres and 100" top gear for the road sections.
[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8370/8411505734_3ea13109e3_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8370/8411505734_3ea13109e3_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/dPiaAW ]pugs comp 009[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/28886706@N05/ ]Bigbroondug[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/2/1657/24023213922_4e91e492e5_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/2/1657/24023213922_4e91e492e5_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/CARfxu ]Singular Rooster, out and about Dalbeattie.[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/28886706@N05/ ]Bigbroondug[/url], on Flickr
Pugsley and a Rooster. Both good fun but I still have other bikes and neither have been used as much as they should have recently either. Hopefully some more time on both this year. The Rooster probably just edges the Pug on the practical side but I can't get rid of it. I've got a wee ride on it and the kids love it but that time is coming to an end, still don't think I'll get shot of it. Maybe some fat bike adventuring though the Rooster was put together with this in mind.
Would a fat bike loaded up for this trip be the way to go ?
Dunno (sorry). At the BB winter event on similar terrain last month my wife and I were on fat bikes as we needed the accustomisation riding them before we head out to Finland. TBH they were hard work loaded, especially lifting them over locked gates 😳
For the Trans-Cambrian I'd go with a HT or CX/Gravel bike. Might not be as much giggle factor mind!
Smokestone Henderson with Wren forks
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with Wren forks
Just googled them to see if they're more affordable than bluto's 😯
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It's a Dune, a lot like the rest of them. When I got it it had already gone tubeless, (not been brave enough to have a peek and see how yet), and had the SLX brakes and Charge Spoon saddle. I've swapped to a Thomson stem and some silly-wide On One bars, and there is a 1x10 kit of parts being quietly assembled.
Local terrain is fairly flat, and it's an absolute hoot. It cost me less than half retail from the classifieds on here; not much more than the cost of a dropper post as an interested chap at Swinley told me slightly whistfully...
with Wren forks
Just googled them to see if they're more affordable than bluto's
They aren't. They look well made "in the flesh" though.
Another Puffin, started out rummaging through my space box only to realise that I had almost a complete bike in their. Then on-one had forks, wheels an tyres on sale. Only specific thing I had to buy was a 100mm BB.
I live on the coast and my other bikes is a Jones so the rigid thing doesn't bother me. Really enjoy riding on deserted beaches, makes a refreshing change.
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How do you get on with the Wren forks RD?
1st rides initial review here http://a-pic-a-ride.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/testing-wren-fork-at-forest-of-dean.html?m=1
What mudguardy thingy bobs are they RD? Am I going to need a 2nd mortgage? 😯
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If the photo works, this is at Wharncouver, my wrists were done after 20 miles of Sheffield tech so its now been Bluto'd
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Ice Cream Truck, this is how it started off:
[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/600/31983670515_9e6982bb15_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/600/31983670515_9e6982bb15_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/QJhEX6 ]Awesome misty ride, getting to grips with the ICT now, love it! ? ? ? @intergalacticsurlybikes @surlysociety #surly #icecreamtruck #fatbike_29plus_life #fatbike #fatbiker #fatbiking #fatbikeworld #fatbikedotcom #26aintdead #itjustgotfatter #singletrack #m[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimbosussexmtb/ ]Jim Barrow[/url], on Flickr
Then I got some Blutos:
[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/432/31834601233_3bb83e0ea7_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/432/31834601233_3bb83e0ea7_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/Qv7DR4 ]Man it's wetter than an otters pocket out there! Nice to be allowed to ride again though, regardless of the weather. ?? ?? ?? @intergalacticsurlybikes @surlysociety #surly #icecreamtruck #ICT #fatbike_29plus_life #fatbike #fatbiker #fatbiking #fatbikeworl[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimbosussexmtb/ ]Jim Barrow[/url], on Flickr
As others have said, it's not necessary to have suspension, but for me it's more fun, my others are rigid so it's nice to be able to go downhill like a loony and not have my eyeballs rattle out for a change
Are there any downsides to the Bluto on the ICT?
I've been suspension-curious with my ICT for a while, but a couple of things put me off.
First, the comments from some people about having to run the tyres harder to make the fork work, which seems to defeat the point of a fatbike somewhat.
Second, a nagging feeling that the rigid nature of the bike might be a big part of the appeal for me. It is the only mountain bike where I've ever felt like getting out of the saddle and honking up a climb. OK, that is more of a hangover from my roadie days, but it's still fun. More importantly, I wonder whether the increased levels of confidence that I feel on slow steep techy stuff has something to do with knowing that the front isn't going to compress and pitch me forward when I least want it to.
Of course, suspension would allow me to go much faster on open rocky descents and that may be reason enough to do it 🙂
Are there any downsides to the Bluto on the ict
Same as any other fatbike, blutos are just stretched rebas & the 32mm stantions are a bit twangy
superb pics 🙂
Reading thro a few threads on the budget Voodoo Wazoo Fat Bike apparently there isnt a bleed nipple on the lower end shimano brakes ? - anyone here know if thats true if so how do you bleed them.
Thinking of maybe starting low and testing the waters (unless I get to try one off road before i buy) to see just how wide the smile is before cashing all my chips in ....
Not sure about the ones on the Wazoo, but I had some cheap as chips shimano brakes and they had a bleed nipple,my current brakes on my bossnut also have one, deore levers but non series calipers.
