Fatbikes for dummies

I’ve spent the past two days of my holidays reading about fatbikes.

I need one die no other reason than pure lust. I have looked at Chinese carbon Chinese titanium and mass produced frames.

I thought I had a good idea until I started reading about q factors and offsets.

Can someone explain to me the in and out of fatbikes and the issues that arise with tyre size chain rub etc.

Could try joining here http://www.ukfatbikes.co.uk

In very basic terms.
190 rear end and 190 specific crank for 5″ tyres.
170 rear end and 170 specific crank for 4″ tyres.
Though you can get away with stuff depending on how many gears you want to run.

As I understand it:

170mm rear ends and offset rear ends like the Pugsley need a 100mm BB into which a crank is fitted that has the same arms as a normal 68/73mm BB crank but with a longer axle. 190mm rear ends use a crank with a straighter drive side arm to move the chainrings out a bit to clear huge tyres.

Q factor is always big on fat bikes. It may affect you and your knees or other biomechanics, or it may not, I actualy find it solves my heel rubbing problem on the chainstays I get on most nomral bikes.

The On-One Fatty isn’t the lightest or the best spec’d, but anything better rapidly get’s to a lot of money even for Chinese Carbon (the rims are $280 each + shipping even from light bike) and I wasn’t prepared to spend that sort of money if it turned out not as expected. That and it’s a known quantity, it has quirks (getting the tyres seated is an art), but at least the chain doesn’t rub, all 20 gears work, the rear wheel is in line with the rest of the bike etc, all things you read about more expensive custom builds falling over on.

I’d not go chinese custom unless you have ridden a few and know what you’re doing, the Fatty rides nothing like a skinny wheeled bike if you think of the numbers, and I imagine chainrig clerance etc are going to be difficult to get right first time. Although Shand etc could do a good job if you do want to spend that much on a first bike.

Judging by all the riders I’ve seen so far you also need to let yourself go a tad. With Christmas here it shouldn’t be too hard, just concentrate on your cake, beer and snack consumption and you’ll be fine.

So I can’t just buy a deore group set and chuck it on then. Bugger

I feel my girth is fast bike suitable

My #1 recommendation would be to buy a ready-built full bike. If you don’t understand all the “standards” then you risk acquiring a collection of mismatched parts.

On One Fattys look like a good entry point but there seems to be an ever-growing catalogue of issues with them. The Genesis Caribou might be a better option.

Or just buy this to save me from looking at it longingly.

So many bikes, so little money…..

On One Fattys look like a good entry point but there seems to be an ever-growing catalogue of issues with them. The Genesis Caribou might be a better option.

Difficulty seating tyres on the rims and QR’s seem to be the only recurring issues. I got some £16 purple hope QR’s from http://www.ukbikestore.co.uk/product/413/qrfs/hope-fatsno-135170mm-quick-release-skewer.html which will solve one of those. And I think I’ve solved the rim issue as well by the same method as some of the tubeless setups using cheap packing/underlay foam to prevent the bead from falling into the middle of the rim whilst inflating. Might even give tubeless a go.

Not ridden a Caribou so can’t comment on how it rides, but looking at the spec, cable disks* and VeeMission tyres were enough to put me of. So even at the same price it’d be another £130+ to get the spec upto something (IMO) useable.

*The avid DB3’s have touch wood been fine so far, which is an impovement over every other Avid brake I’ve ever had which for the most part had the good grace to fail on the first ride.

The On-One Fatty isn’t the lightest

if you pick it up without the wheels in & carbon fork fitted they aren’t that heavy at all

Ever growing list of issues is laying it on a bit thick!

As said above, iffy QRs (one set I’ve had are fine, another less so) and baggy tyres are about it and both easily cured, nothing endemic with the basic frame, forks, etc that can’t be solved. The Caribou is £200 more and has the same tyres the cheaper fatty comes with, less flexible gearing, is heavier, etc.

I was on the edge of buying one earlier when the Silverback Scoop came out, but they’ve sold out for now… Waiting for a confirmed date on the next drop. There seems to be a bunch of good value options on the way from Canyon, Rose etc so maybe this isn’t the best time to buy, I decided to wait and see and hopefully get some real world reports too

Lots of people said “Buy a used one” but there’s really not many out there and quite a few of those that are, are either really old, or On Ones selling for basically what a new one costs for some reason.

There is some opinions on Chinese bikes but… these guys are getting some good reviews for not only the product but also customer service…

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how much does a fat bike weigh.

on the stw standard weights and measures scale..
roadbike = unrideably light – 20lbs
hardtail = 22lbs – 27lbs
full suss = 30lbs – 35lbs
dh = 40lbs to creates its own gravity
29rs = we dont like to talk about the weight just look at our awesome huge wheels

I just went with a Mukluk 2. I wanted more gears and holier wheels than the Fatty was offering at the time. I’ve never looked back. The only things I’ve changed in 2 years are tyres, pads and a chain/chain ring.
I am now toying with the idea of 1×10 and a Bud/Bud combo for extra weight dispersal on snow which may eventually end up as a new 5″ bike if it doesn’t work. If you don’t get snow or live next to a beach with very soft sand then I’d just get the Fatty and upgrade as necessary from there.

My Puffin as below weighed 32lbs.

The only two concessions to weigh weenieism being light free ride tubes and a silly carbon saddle (115g)

It now runs a But upfront with a Surly toob so now weighs 2/3lb more still with silly saddle.

Carbon fork, bars, seat post, foam grips, 45Nrth tyres, lighter disc brakes, think thin ring rather than a Pauls chain guide I guess could get it sub 30lb.

That said I don’t find the weight an issue and the vast majority of my bikes are 27lbs+ anyway.

Its worth the additional weight for all that grip 😯

About 30lb for a ‘normal’ Fatbike. Haven’t weighed my Fatty but I’d guess arround 32lb before I started swapping tubes etc, 28-29lb is where I reckon I’ll be after a few sensible mods like adding my old carbon bars, foam grips, 1×10, drilled rims, tubeless, trim the excess seatpost, steerer etc.

I think Gee’s beargreese is 22lb, but that’s probably taken some spending (and he was sponsored by Ison/Salsa).

just get one and start smiling great bikes do everything and more ignore the comics and the fat bike fobes 😀

My Fatty is 31lbs with the carbon forks and Tundras on Fatsnos.Feels lighter than I expected! Going to try tubeless tomorrow 🙂

You can save loads of weight by swapping the on one inner tubes, they’re about 500g each if I recall correctly. Drilling the rims is another way to save ~200g per wheel & isn’t difficult to do with a bit of patience.

With a carbon fork, rims drilled & Schwalbe freeride tubes I reckon I’ve shaved a kilo off the front end

Thanks folks,

A good response there, 4 on-topic, 6 half on topic, 6 annoyed with on-one and some nice photos.

I’ve located a dealer in Bangkok who can get his hand on XL sized bikes – MOngoose and KHS so we shall see. Possibly Charge Maxi as well, not sure if he has my size though

I would like to build it myself, but that may not be the best option

Specialized fatboy pro, with its dropper post and bluto fork, is 33lbs.

With the only problem being that Specialized have sold out of Fatboys until April.

Re sizing …..

Clearly this is individual and in part will be import as to how the bike will be used but I found my Puffin in XL to be one if not the best fitting non custom bikes I’ve owned.

Its nice and long with a good deal of stand over height compared with similarly sized (20”/XL) sized frames.

Having just put my phone in my wet swimming shorts pocket and found it dead after being in there for a few minutes, I have a feeling my plans have changed, unless that bag of rice saves the day.

With the only problem being that Specialized have sold out of Fatboys until April.

Interesting.

*wonders if there is a premium on immaculate 2nd hand ones….

Quirrel – Member

So I can’t just buy a deore group set and chuck it on then. Bugger

I feel my girth is fast bike suitable

If there’s a Deore direct mount front derailleur, then you should be able to have everything Deore but the cranks and hubs (hubs ok getting a Pugsley with 135 mm offset).

I wouldn’t get tied up with bike weight.

Bike fit, geometry for the terrain and body weight are far more important imo, only when those are in order do you need to be concerned with bike weight.

I’ve got a 38lb Fatty that is far more comfortable than my 31lb Trance and which I find climbs far easier. And you wouldn’t take a DH bike on a cross country ride, no matter how light it was.

As for Fatty issues, my tyres keep popping off the bead when I deflate then to 15 psi. They’re not loose because they need over pressurising to get them to seat in the first place. Currently waiting for feedback from OO.

Jasmine rice to the rescue- yay – rice stuck in the stylus hole of note 2 – boo.

Back on the hunt for a fatty.

OO Fattys £699 in large only