Would you buy a (new) fatbike for ~£1k?

Goldigger – Member

There DT Swiss BR2250 wheels..
Which don’t really have a good profile for tubeless in my opinion

No, they do not. Good beads but bad profile. There’s more about this in the thread but there was supposed to be a tubeless kit for them, DT canned it, so they’re like half a tubeless rim. Good news is once the tyre’s on they’re great. I found putting cable ties right round the tyre then gradually tightening them did the job (reusables, I’m not a savage) but I wouldn’t fancy doing them with just a pump tbh.

I did try two leather belts linked together around the tyre, yanked them up nice and tight but still didn’t get the tyre to go up…

i used an old 26″ tube around the outside of the tyre on my 2250s after seating one side with a tube, went up fine with a flash charger

Look similar to the marge lites I’ve got. Nothing happens with just rim tape, even with a compressor. the tyre just sits there, not a glimmer of a suggestion of inflation.

You just need a strip of closed cell foam to fill the gap. weighs bugger all, just secure it with parcel tape or something, it’s done its job as soon as the tyre’s up, so it doesn’t matter if it comes loose later.

I’ve had to admit defeat with tubeless on my Wazoo as well. Even with a fatty stripper over the rim it just won’t take.

Not sure if its the wheel or the tyre (4″ Floaters)causing the issue but it won’t even go close to sealing. I think the tyres warped tbh (that or both wheels are buckled) even seems to fit oddly once back on with a tube. Was going to buy new wheels from On-One but none in stock just now (they have also officially withdrawn the fat not fat wheel set, no intention of sell in it again)

So out of curiosity what Would be the smallest size inner tubes I can pop into the wheel?

All my floaters have tubless(ed) fine

Goldigger – Member

I did try two leather belts linked together around the tyre, yanked them up nice and tight but still didn’t get the tyre to go up…

I think the advantage of cableties is it tightens more evenly, you can cinch them up individually. But still, some tubeless feels like it’s going to happen and it’s just a matter of effort, other tubeless feels like it might or it might not and they’re the latter I think. I was pretty close to adding foam (just for mounting, not for the bead) but I’ve always got it to work so far.

So out of curiosity what Would be the smallest size inner tubes I can pop into the wheel?

Have had mixed results with Schwalbe SV13Fs. They’re light but they’re 26 x 3″ and even in a 4.0″ tyre they don’t inflate evenly – the rubber overstretches in places and it’s only a matter of time before it splits. Would not put one in a 4.8″ tyre

The SV13Js are quite a bit heavier but work fine. Fit/forget

Not complaining of a deflating tyre

This gave the impression that you were:

Pumped like a madman only to then examine why my jumbo Jim’s weren’t going up.. There the non tubeless ones!

And this:

I wouldn’t put the valve stem back in (Step 7). You’ll get air in the tyre faster without it.

Always easier to inflate, or at least, seat the rims on the bead (your initial goal) with core removed. Some soapy water around edge of rim helps to pop the bead up, on troublesome tyres I somtimes add a little sealant to the tyre before adding air, helps to create a seal on the first desperate tyre dance/shake off.

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TYSCJJLS/schwalbe-jumbo-jim-liteskin-fat-bike-tyre from £53, going on photo they are 4.8″, but in typical PX fashion there is a quality description of product. 😆

All JJs are 127 tpi I guess 100/120 refers to the width in mm (4.0″/4.8″)

steveojo69 – Member
I’ve ordered one of the Planet X pannier racks, I’ll fit it at the weekend and let people know how it performs.

Has the rack turned up yet? Did you buy panniers at the same time and if so, do they look they will die if you look at them in the wrong tone of voice? 😯

With regard to setting the BR2250 wheels up tubeless: maybe I’m just lucky, but I’ve just taken the Bud/Lou off and put the 4.8″ JJs back on. So, that’s three sets of tyres I’ve put on these rims now and they’ve all gone on just fine with an airshot, which was a pleasant surprise given the volume of a 4.8″ tyre.

I set the rims up with a few wraps of Gorilla tape. So nothing special there. I did run the tape tight to each side of the rim (so it goes over the bead). Maybe that helps. I also use a tube to seat the bead on one side, before hitting it with the airshot to seat the other side.

As Northwind says, once they are on they are pretty secure. I’ve run as low as 3psi over rock hard frozen mud with no problems.

rocketman – Member
All JJs are 127 tpi I guess 100/120 refers to the width in mm (4.0″/4.8″)

now also avaliable in 4.4

now also avaliable in 4.4

Has anybody tried these? I love my 4.8s but keep wondering about something a bit narrower for the summer (lighter and lower the BB). But by all accounts the 4.0 don’t work as well as the 4.8, so I wonder about 4.4.

I bought a 4.4 during the Athleteshop JJ bargains ~6 weeks ago, but it is still in the box being shielded from UV, still masses of rubber to wear on my 4.0 set from last Easter.

Visually, the tread looks no deeper than on the 4.0s (~3/5/10mm centre to outer edge), whereas I’m led to believe the thread is much deeper on 4.8s.

Visually, the tread looks no deeper than on the 4.0s (~3/5/10mm centre to outer edge), whereas I’m led to believe the thread is much deeper on 4.8s.

Is that right? I didn’t know that. I’ve never measured the height of the tread on my 4.8″ JJs, but it’s not very aggressive.

Mind you, my only other fatbike (front) tyre reference is a Bud !

n0b0dy0ftheg0at – Member
steveojo69 – Member
I’ve ordered one of the Planet X pannier racks, I’ll fit it at the weekend and let people know how it performs.

Has the rack turned up yet? Did you buy panniers at the same time and if so, do they look they will die if you look at them in the wrong tone of voice?

Rack is a little flimsy but should be ok for light duties. My Altura panniers don’t fit very well so I am looking for a cheap pair that fit.

It doesn’t sit horizontal either.

Jumbo Jim 4.4’s came standard on my cube nutrail. I like them but haven’t tried anything else. Only place they can be hard work is deep mud, otherwise they are great.

Thanks. The 4.8″ JJs are crap in the mud too if that’s any consolation. Hence the Bud/Lou combo in the winter. It’s great to be back on the JJs though. Almost feels like cheating 🙂

Got the Dr br2250 and jumbo Jim’s to inflate.
Put the tube back in and rode it since I taped them up.
Deflated, pop one side of the tyre off and removed the tube.
Pulled the tyre back on to the bead as best I could, inflated and went straight up.

Only problem being leaking air around the valve, even with a oring either side of the rim..
Maybe sealant will close the holes.

Got the valve sealed but air was leaking through the cutouts, even with 3 layers of tape. 2 to the rim bead over lapping in the middle then one over the middle.
I pressed out every air bubble I could in the tape.

Pulled it all out and put the tube back in.

Fatty stripper next.

Like others have said, depends on how much use and where you’re going to use it, if you’re buying it to use as an all-round MTB bike including something that feels alive on the trails, yes you would but second hand, buying new, I’d put a bit more to it than a grand.

You’ll only end up spending that extra on upgrades (which is fine, some prefer to do that as and when needed and when they can afford to)but if you can scout out something new that’s been reduced, with blutos and a half decent spec for that bit extra then it will be worth it trust me.

Not read through all the replies, hope you get sorted, you won’t regret it!

https://www.tritoncycles.co.uk/bmx-bikes-c3/retro-bmx-c28/fat-ripper-26-bmx-bike-2016-p15166

Bit weighty though and cable brakes.

PK Rippers & Quadangles, what I wouldn’t have given for either..

@letitreign: I love that you came in to page 57 of the thread and still answered the original question 🙂

@Goldigger: For my DT Swiss rims I just used two layers of 50mm wide Duct Tape back-to-back to make the rim strip then two wraps of 75mm wide Duct tape (one wrap pushed tight to each side). It’s been holding fine for around 9 months now (including a couple of tyre changes). It does seem to be a bit of a lottery though.

Cheers Roverpig, I might just do a split tube..i really don’t want to be fixing a puncture on a tube.. Half an hour of pumping.!

On another note I’m interested to see how many people have gone 1×10/11 from the stock 2×10.
Did you get a decent range and low enough gear for the fatty?

I’ve got a lot mounted on the bars. Brakes, gear shifters, rockshox lockout and soon a dropper remote. Would like to loose the left shifter at least and change the right shifter for a ispec so I can attach to the brake lever.

Then there’s the e-thirteen yes cranset, it has a removable spider so I could mount one of their direct mount 28t/30t chainrings. But looking about there is a fatbike chainring, how’s this different to a normal chainring? Offset for chain line?

I bought one of those cheap phaart pumps from on one. Was surprised how quickly it inflated the tyre considering how small it is.

The raceface options are really good- I put an aeffect for 170mm rear on mine, perfect fit and good weight. And I think a 28T chainring. That’d be too low for a normal bike but I really don’t miss it on the dune. A few others have pretty much the same, it’s a good balance of price and performance I think.

Something like a truflo 2-stage makes a lot of sense for a fatbike- low pressure, high volume. Bit bigger than a pocket pump but inflating a fatbike tyre with a pocket pump is just horrible.

Cheers Northwind,
I noticed Canyon put a 28t on the single Crankset dude.
But the 11-46 cassette they also put on having the 37-46 jump seems a bit pants. Of course there’s the sram option which has been talked about enough on here 🙂

Regarding pumping tyres up, I was looking at the 12g refillable Co2 cartridges, not sure if that’s enough for a fat tyre 4.0 upwards?

I run Co2 on my fish tank so filling them up isn’t a problem, would just need to source or put together an adaptor.

I have an 11-42 on mine, works for me- old style expanded 10 speed.

I found the gearing a wee bit unituitive tbh. I worried that 28-42 wasn’t low enough, but what i found is that at crawler speed, a fatbike’s not so different from a normal bike on grippy tyres. It’s only when you want it to go faster that the drag really kicks in- all about hysteresis, you’re pushing against the tyre’s lag in deformation, so the faster you go the more you have to push.

Or that’s how I explain it, anyway. Important thing was, when I want to really crawl- a long steep grind, or the last climb of the day, that’s a low enough gear

Anyone interested in a 30T Cinch oval chain ring for their fatbike? Its an Absolute Black one (albeit, green) thats covered no more than 25 miles.

I’ve gone smaller, most of my uphill rides are against the wind so I need all the help I can get!

Does anyone know if the On-One Fatty Trail frame will ride ok with the On-One steel Fatty Fork? I’m planning on a cheap build and a trail frame looks to be cheaper second hand than the non trail frame.

Since this thread has bumped anyway just a note for anyone fat curious that i’ll be selling a blue XL Surly Ice Cream Truck very shortly. Just needs a wash and will be in the classifieds but drop me a mail if interested. Its had very little use.

I’d be tempted to buy one of these ku bikes 16″ fatbikes if they get past the prototype..depending on price.
Our 5 year old would love one.

20″ starts at €795

Does anyone know if the On-One Fatty Trail frame will ride ok with the On-One steel Fatty Fork?

Someone fitted the carbon fork to a Fatty Trail on UK Fatbikes forum and then used a 4.4″ (or was it 4.8″?) tyre up front, with a 4.0″ at the rear, to try and correct the 120mm suspension geometry of the frame.

I’ll have an 18″ fatty on the classifieds later too for way less than 1k. Just waiting for the rain to stop so I can wash and photograph it.

PX now have El Guapo fat wheels in 135/170mm Q/R flavour with post mount spacing (FDS?) for £199.

States they don’t fit the On One forks, which incidentally, I hope to finally have installed in the coming days by LBS.

……..

Tooh fa’zund!