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Anyone put a Bluto on a Dune yet? Might swap the still not sorted bossnut for a Dune depending on how my ride on friday goes. Tempted by the lack of maintenance at the moment but might want to put a fork on when the cash allows, but the seat tube is pretty slack already.
Half tempted but a fatty trail, but put off by the narrower hub spacing, it also means finding a bit more cash which I'm loathe to do as a certified cheapskate and pauper.
yeah I fitted a Bluto a couple of weeks ago - I bought one of the cheap 80mm versions at CTBM and sourced a 90mm air shaft for about £15 which I fitted myself (learnt a shed load about the fork in the process). Seems about spot on at this length, may be tempted by a 100mm air shaft at some point but not sure i'd go any longer.
I haven't been out on it much since but that will change this week, the limited mileage i've done so far has proven very favourable - it just feels like a sorted hardtail now.
If given the choice of Fatty Trail or Bluto'd Dune again - i'd personally pick the Dune every time.
Also, I still have the rigid fork of course, which means if I ever need to remove the Bluto for any length of time I can still ride. But in all honesty, once you've had one of these solo air Rock Shox apart you'll appreciate how easy they are to maintain and replace parts as required. Just invest in some basics from the start (seals/fork grease/suspension oil/circlip pliers) and you'll be good to go for years.
Will add some pics soon. Also picked up a bargain Mulefut SL wheelset this week so really looking forward to a painless tubeless set-up
For anyone just wanting to try a simple & quick set up for tubeless - I bought some cheap 24" fat tubes off On One & ghetto-ed them. Kept the original rim strip & applied plenty of soap on the floaters, blew them up to about 20-25 psi & then left them hanging over a hot radiator for a few hours. With the air expanding & the rubber becoming more supple with the heat, they seated nicely...
Bluto'd Dune
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Looks good that.
I'm off for the definitive test ride on Friday morning, so should have decided what to do in the afternoon. Today I'm veering towards sticking with the normal bike, I'd love a fatty, but as an only MTB I'm not sure. We'll see
Does look the biz with a Bluto tho.
It's now my only MTB - as other Fatsters will attest, once you've ridden fat for a while and then try riding a 'normal' bike it just feels plain wrong!
I just love the grip levels available.
After 20 miles round Wharncliffe on Monday my wrists say they want a Bluto!
But once again, the Dune acquitted itself well, from Steel City to Wharncouver's berms it took the lot in its stride. And it excelled in the rootier trails and slower techy rock sections.
Ooh, like the Blutoed Dune. It's on my to-do list fo sho.
Very nice slimjim.
Looks good. Did you change the tyre pressures at all with the Bluto? I'm toying with adding a Bluto in the summer, but I keep reading about folk increasing tyre pressures "to make the fork work", which kind of defeats the purpose of the big fat tyres I would have thought. But I've not tried it, so it's all just speculation.
Looks great.
How heavy is it with the Bluto fitted?
Did a lap around Cannock this morning on the borrowed rigid fatty, I'd need a bluto if I was buying buying one, which I might, but I'm not sure.
FFS It was meant to help me make my mind up today.
The self steer that some have mentioned, is that the feeling that the bike is pulling to the side? In a couple of places, I had hairy moments where the bike tried to ride up the side of little gullies, is that a tyre pressure thing? Floater on the front tubeless if it makes any difference.
Athleteshop have some decent looking prices on Schwalbe fat tyres in their sale, under 50 squids.
Personally I'm quite happy to keep the fatty rigid, maybe if it was my only bike I'd consider a Bluto .. Certainly don't feel the need for one around Cannock though....
Athleteshop have some decent looking prices on Schwalbe fat tyres
You're not kidding!
What version do I want for running tubeless? litskin/tubeless easy/snakeskin? (Im lead to believe the best option isnt as obvious as whats printed on them)
Planning to grab a couple 4.8 inchers
Braking bumps really beat me up, I was riding it like I'd ride any other bike though, son of chainslapper down the werewolf drop was particularly uncomfortable. My neck is killing me now a couple of hours later.
The aches wear off after a couple of weeks on the rigid - I felt like my arms/hands got stronger as a result too.
Did you change the tyre pressures at all with the Bluto?
TBH - Its early days for me so far, plus ive switched tyres a couple of times. As a heavy rider I tend to run 3-4psi more than most of you guys though.
First impressions on the Bluto though (at close to my 'normal' pressure), were that it was immediately obvious that I had a suspension fork fitted - which is a relief.
More comfort straight out of the box, yet to take it down any descents though.
@slimjim78 Snakeskin version should make tubeless a sure thing, not that I could tell you either way, as I'm yet to try any tyres tubeless including my JJ snakes! From what I've read, the tread on 4.8" JJs is far better than that on 4.0" for off-road, presumably 4.4"s are somewhere in the middle.
With all this Brexit price hiking going on, part of me thinks go wild in the virtual isles at Athleteshop, as I reckon we could easily be paying £70+ for JJs in the near future.
But then I want to know what price Vee Apache fatty Slicks are going to be available at from anywhere for UK delivery. Not to mention I've no idea if a 4.4" JJ or a 4.6" Fatty Slick would fit the Wazoo rear, even if the Carbon Fatty Fork supposedly has clearance for a 4.8" front tyre.
There are some other very good prices for non-fat stuff there too, such as 29x2.25 Ice Spiker Pros, which all this recent icy weather has made me think more seriously about spiked tyres than ever. But then Charlie has some 45Nrth Gravdals at a promo price, which besides being cheaper, may wear an awful lot better on the roads.
As ever, I see some interesting things at nice prices and I'm confused.com! 😳
Braking bumps really beat me up, I was riding it like I'd ride any other bike though, son of chainslapper down the werewolf drop was particularly uncomfortable. My neck is killing me now a couple of hours later.
As already stated, it takes time to get used to riding rigid & letting your arms & legs be firm but loose. If your neck's sore then I'm guessing your grip was overly tight & your arms too stiff... After 3-4 rides it starts to get easier..
You're more than likely right, I was panicking a bit because I was struggling to brake with all the pinballing going on. It was certainly an enjoyable experience, but I don't think I'll be able to give up the full suss yet.
I've had a look through the Strava times and despite me not really riding my mountain bike since September(!) I wasn't really any slower on the fatty, I even got a PR on Zig Zak and it's fastest of the day, which is nice.
I haven't given up (& never would) on the FS either, was out on it today around the Chase 🙂
I have to stop reading this thread!! I went from 29er to 29er plus then 27.5 plus in the form of a genesis tarn .... but I still have the yearning for a fatty ...it's probably one of the few bikes I have never tried. I spend a lot of time over the Chase as my folks still live over there and it's where I grew up and see the fat bike boys smiling like kids - I often feel like asking to have a quick try but never do because I know where it will lead 😉 I have been looking at the Caribou for a while (because I can get a good deal on one) but not sure what to do - sell the tarn and go full fat for Chase duties (I have a 29er tarn built up for other times)?
If anyone is about over the Chase this weekend and wants to let me play on their fat bike let me know - the wife will love you ! 🙂
Lee
Prawny,I live on the chase,if I was only going to ride the dog/monkey -like I used to do,I would have a 29er hard tail or shortish travel full sus,however there is far more to the chase than them and the off piste stuff makes much more sense on a fatty in my opinion.
@mm93 I agree, my mates have all got fattys now (good ones with Blutos) but I don't do half as much MTBing as them so generally stick to the main trails and better known off piste stuff and hammer it for an hour or two. If I was doing 3-4 hour group rides I think a fatty would be the most sensible bike in a way.
As I have only got room for the one bike I'll keep the full susser and nick the wife's 29er if the weather is crap 😆
When I got mine I thought I'd get a bluto- even if just to have a choice. But tbh now I don't think I will. A bigger front tyre does help, for sure- but I've solo'd a 7 hour xc race and an enduro race on it rigid, ridden dh tracks and stuff we built for the enduro world series... And tbh being rigid adds to the whole joyous stupidity of the thing. I'll chuck it down fort william this year, that may well destroy my arms but it'll be funny...
(my incredibly bendy bars help, to be fair!)
Late delivery from Santa..
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It's now official, my Dune is the cycling equivalent of Triggers broom.
NW - I recall you squeezing a 4.8 JJ in rear of your Dune - but iirc, you had to run lower pressures to keep from fouling against seat stay arch? As I intend to run 11psi minimum on rear would I be best sourcing one of the 4.4 JJs in your opinion?
NW - I recall you squeezing a 4.8 JJ in rear of your Dune - but iirc, you had to run lower pressures to keep from fouling against seat stay arch? As I intend to run 11psi minimum on rear would I be best sourcing one of the 4.4 JJs in your opinion?
Ehhhh. Not actually sure but I don't think so. The Bud did foul at higher pressures but it was pretty high, I maybe posted it in the thread but i can't remember. Tubeless fitting pressures not sensible riding pressires.
I'm not 100% but I'm pretty sure the JJ would be fine at 11psi.
AH, I missed a bit off. Basically Bud is a very stretchy tyre so it grows a lot with pressure. The minions and jjs I have do grow a little but nothing like as much. And the JJ is a little smaller too. I might be able to mock this up but I'm not sure when I'll have time
Anyone here know if a 4.4" (or 4.8") Jumbo Jim will clear ok on the rear of a Voodoo Wazoo?
How about a 4.8" JJ clearing fine using an On One Carbon Fatty Fork?
Athleteshop have some good prices, especially on the 4.8"s (~£42)...
https://www.athleteshop.co.uk/schwalbe-tyre-26-schwalbe-jumbo-jim-tubeless-easy-snakeskin-fatbike-120-559-folding-tyre-black
https://www.athleteshop.co.uk/schwalbe-tyre-26-schwalbe-jumbo-jim-liteskin-fatbike-100-559-folding-tyre-black
https://www.athleteshop.co.uk/schwalbe-tyre-26-schwalbe-jumbo-jim-tubeless-easy-snakeskin-fatbike-100-559-folding-tyre-black
https://www.athleteshop.co.uk/schwalbe-jumbo-jim-folding-tyre-110-599-26x4-40
https://www.athleteshop.co.uk/schwalbe-jumbo-jim-wire-daek-110-599-26x4-40
https://www.athleteshop.co.uk/schwalbe-tyre-26-schwalbe-jumbo-jim-liteskin-fatbike-120-559-folding-tyre-black
Decent looking price for the SKS Grand DAD front guard too.
https://www.athleteshop.co.uk/sks-grand-d-a-d-extra-wide-dirtboard
Sign up to newsletter on site for £4.88 discount code and use Topcashback (there was a £5 bonus last night for a single purchase anywhere over £10), so two JJs cost me ~£80 plus postage. 8)
Just ordered some of those cheap JJs for my Fatty Trail. Also have some BR710s in the shed waiting to be laced onto JRA Snow Pig hubs. Should make quite a difference.
Did you guys order the Tubeless version or liteskin?
Some of Athleteshop's descriptions are a mess, I ordered the "wired" 4.4" because its weight (1230g IIRC) matched the snakeskin weight at https://www.schwalbe.com/en/offroad-reader/jumbo-jim.html , while the 4.0" was listed as tubless easy and so must be the snakeskin version.
Fingers crossed the wired version doesn't turn up then
4.4 JJs only come as liteskin or snakeskin, unless the official Schwalbe site is out of date and doesn't show a wired variant. 😉
I wanted to order a set of 29x2.35 G-One Speeds because of the incredible price, but the site page was very conflicting! It has info for the 60-622 and 30-622 variants and there is only a 30-622 tubular variant, all other sizes are clinchers. Sent a message asking for conformation on Friday, still waiting for answer.
Just took the plunge on a pair of tubeless ready 4.8s, works out £25 cheaper than the liteskins for a 200g weight penalty (total), but should also hold up better on local flint trails.
I went for 4.8 Liteskin front, 4.4 Snakeskin rear.
I hope.
Not quite in budget, but DAMN good value: https://www.canyon.com/en-be/factory-outlet/#category=mtb-bikes&sort=price&order=1&id=20880
Meanwhile my Dune is on the way back from the welder (to fix my chain-stay) and has been painted in the mean-time (price for strip of frame and forks, shot-blast, repair and powder-coat: £90 including VAT.
The colour is emerald green, i will show you when it arrives.
Bits to put on: suntour 11-46 cassette, slx shifter and mech. hyro breaks. can't wait to get it back on the road. board with my old 26er.
Looking forward to seeing it reborn
hey guys,bought my fatty dune last week after retiring from xc type mtb-ing last summer, but Ive always been fat curious.ive swapped out the cable brakes for a pair of shimanos,fitted renthal bars and saint pedals (all out of the spares box) Im about to convert it to 1x10 using a mix of zee/xt and slx ht cranks.id be obliged if someone can tell me which bottom bracket to use,i believe saint bb's are an option but not sure which one.i`ve read through most of this really long thread,honest,but just hoping someone will help out.
tia guys.
ah,just realised slx cranks are no good on a 100mm bb shell 😳
the spares bin isn`t coming up trumps after all.
If it's a ht 2 job, then it's standard stuff, the only difference is the plastic spacer between the bearings and there are a few diy solutions using a film container and some glue
lowcogger - Memberah,just realised slx cranks are no good on a 100mm bb shell
Well that depends- can you weld?
Aeffect is a good option for a fatbike. Reasonably priced, reasonably light, uses raceface's nice cinch single rings, and fits in a standard ht2 bb.
So after a couple of weeks on my new (to me )Fatty Trail full ridged riding around the chase, I have to say I love it ride with a mate who has a new one and to be honest I we have never grinned so much while riding or after. Surprised to read these comments on here with you chase guys as we never seem to see anyone else riding fat ones used to see loads when I was riding my full suss haha
I'm there 2-3 times/week but I haven't used the fatty much this year. I inadvertently got the HT completely dialled last year and I have to say it's much better than my fat bike in the winter mush. Still the see the occasional fatbike I believe there's a gathering on Wednesday nights but plus bikes and ebikes seem to have really taken off
It's now my only MTB - as other Fatsters will attest, once you've ridden fat for a while and then try riding a 'normal' bike it just feels plain wrong!
I just love the grip levels available
Once you go fat you'll never go back 😀