I have a Singular Puffin on the way (yay!) and am gradually building up what I need to run it.

I have an x5 crankset with 2 rings on it – 36 and 22. I’m running 34t single rings on my 29 and 26 bikes and find hills around here ok (South Downs around Brighton). Although in reality I’ll probably treat it as a ‘play in the woods’ type bike rather than xc mile muncher.

I’m not sure whether to ditch the two chain rings and go for another single ring setup with, say, a 32t chain ring or get shifters and stuff to use a double at the front. How much extra effort do fat bikes need when climbing due to wheel/tyre weight or is it really only overall bike weight that matters?

If I do go for double at the front I’ll be running a 9 speed cassette, chain and rear shifter (as I have lots of these already). Will a 2×10 front shifter and mech work ok with that setup?

I’m guessing I can’t use a 3×9 front shifter with a 2×10 chainset?

imho choose gearing that wont get you ‘sweaty’ in the cold/snow (you will use it in the snow one day 🙂
– I’m running 30 front to 11-34 out back – I want lower for snowy mountains.

I run 2×9 on mine and use the full range.

I wonder if you might get away with that shifter/mech with some tinkering of the limit screws?

I’d recommend a 2x set up as you will start climbing silly steep stuff once you find out how much grip you’ve got. A 500g saving is pretty irrelevant in the fun stakes.

Has anyone tried running 1 x 10 with one of the adaptors on cassette giving a 40 or 42t high on cassette?

Thought it may be a good solution and allow a better chainline round the rear tyre?

I am currently building up a Mukluk and keep reading of problems with rear tyre clearance in some gear combos?

Anyone know where SRAM X5 cranks can be purchased from for 100mm BB?

Sideways Cycles have the chainsets I think?

and 2×10 at the front and 9 speed chain, cassette and rear mech not an issue?

Hi

I run my Beargrease 1×10 with a 32t ring (usually run 34t on a normal bike) and 11-36 cassette. No problems yet. It’s a bonus the SRAM fatbike chainsets have a normal 104mm BCD.

GB

2 x 9 here on my 9:Zero:7.

so if I have a 3×9 Shimano left hand shifter do I use a 2×10 Direct Mount Shimano Mech with the x5 double crankset and it’ll all be hunkydory?

I run a 32 front with a 9 speed 12-36 (?) on the rear which is fine mostly, however, I am toying with getting a Oneup converter or as a minimum a 30t front. The current setup is OK, but the bike makes you want to ride silly stuff, so the lower gears would allow me to do this a bit easier.

I don’t think weight is the issue to be honest, it is just the things you want to ride ‘because you can’ need a lower gear and that is why fat bikes are so much fun!

Here is my experience on a Fatty
arrived march last year with 1×10 and was told by a few folks that you dont need a granny ring .
so rode it until end of august with not too many issues until a group ride in swaledale and really struggled on the ups
This was 1 week before I was due to take it to the Pyrenees so had a panic purchase of a double front and shifter and fitted just in time .

The granny does not get a lot of use but it sure is nice to have it .

I too have a Puffin on the way and will be fitting the single chainset from the fatty and hopefully one of those 42 rear sprockets

I’ve got a Puffin on the way and intend to go 1 x 10 like my other bikes

Living near Swinley has limited big climbs, but i can do everything around here with a 30 x 36

It is a bit more challenging when you go to some proper hills – but at least you’ll work hard for it! 🙂

Pretty good deal here on a Raceface crank – £103

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/race-face/ride-fat-bike-crankarms-ec056871

Just ordered one of the One Up convertors, doesn’t come til end of Feb. but will report back on whether i like it.

Anyone know where SRAM X5 cranks can be purchased from for 100mm BB?

Loads of cranks options in stock, give us a bell and I’ll advise. 01270 883785

trout – Member

I too have a Puffin on the way

Too early to be calling dibs, or are you keeping it?

7 weeks into fate bike ownership and mine has been 1×10, 2×10 & ss!

Depends on the hills I’m heading for 🙂

CIS what’s a Fate Bike ? – I have seen your riding fateful more like 😀 I have run mine 1×9 11/32 2×9 11/32 and now it 32/19 SS for the winter prob will make it 32 11/36 10 speed once the weather is better as that will be plenty for me

Im gonna run 2×9 on my Puffin with a sram x5 . You cant beat a Granny 😆

1×9 here, 32 up front, with an 11-34 on the back.
worked fine on everything i’ve ridden so far.

I’m a fan of 1X10 but I wouldn’t want to give up the granny on my fatbike. 2×9 here.
The next one will have a Rohloff.

On a fatty, granny grinding is where it’s at… 😳

Another to be Puffin owner here ***waves***

Living in Suffolk we don’t really have hills so I’m going 1×10 with a 32t upfront and an 11-36 cassette upfront with a Pauls chainkeeper.

The “plan” is to try one of the 42t cogs in the future.

The next one will have a Rohloff.

You may be limited in choice because the Rohloff is only available with 135mm spacing. I know 9:Zero:7 do make one frame with the right spacing.
It seems a pity the hubs not compatible with most frames as it seems the perfect combination for filthy winter conditions.

3 x 9 on my Mukluk for sand dunes it’s essential

1 x 10 on my Fatty and it’s perfect for trail centres and XC work with it’s Floater tyres as it’s not really designed for sand.

Yes John but I have seen you riding ( Fit Git ) 😯
some of us need the winching capabilities of a granny ring (Fat Git) 😳

When you’ve built it can I have a go please? Pretty please?….

@ avdave2 it’s a custom frame 8)

it’s a custom frame

Very nice, whose going to make it?

Shand.

Geometry similar to OO fatty but with very short back end (425mm ish) and capability to take a Bud/Lou on 80mm rim on the rear.
853.
Can’t wait to get my mitts on it.

Fatty owner for over a year here. I went 2×10 right from the start. 24-36-bash crank and 11-36 cassette. It was the right call for me.

I’m on the big ring most of the time when riding regular singletrack. The granny is nice for a bailout on very steep climbs or for tired legs. The amount of grip is amazing and you what you can climb will surprise you!

Granny gets used almost all of the time when riding in snow, though.

So you are going to have a Rohloff equipped custom Shand – It’s easy to go off people you know. 🙂

Are you going for a frame that’ll run a belt if you want to go that way in the future?And what about front hub spacing? My fantasy fat Shand would have to have 100mm for my dynamo hub.

You can get a 135mm dynamo hub now (though I have concerns over the flange width).

I run 1 x 10 with a 30t Narrow wide and its fine.
For the Puffer I added a granny but just lifted the chain on..used it for a couple of late laps..worked a treat so will just leave it there.
Middleburn Crank and middleburn spider

Are you going for a frame that’ll run a belt if you want to go that way in the future?And what about front hub spacing? My fantasy fat Shand would have to have 100mm for my dynamo hub.

Belt not possible as everything is so tight with the 4.8 tyre in the back along with the short stays.
Needs a 13T offset on the hub to allow the chainring to also be small and give cstay clearance. 28T ring on the wide Middleburn RS8’s.
I’m not sold on the benefits of a belt anyway for off road use.
Front fork will be OO carbon when it appears.