half fat bikes
- Thread starter Co-opski
- Start date
p nut
butter
Nice job. I like those HKEK's. I set my old bike up half fat. It was nice, but too sluggish for me. After riding full on fat bikes, I'm still not that impressed with them, even though I do yearn for a Mukluk every now and then. For packed snow trails, my 29er does just fine (set up with either 2.4 Ardent front/Ikon rear, or Knard front/Ikon rear). Having ridden both, I like the regular 29er better. In fact, I am looking at buying a Surly 1x1 frame and running their new 26x2.75 Dirt Wizards for a "half"-fat/semi-fat bike. Just gotta give in to the miniture-sized version of imaginary me sitting on my left shoulder dressed in red.
Co-opski
Expedition Leader
P nut some of the rides you have would be a dream stable for me. The hkek is the one bike I just have kept hanging onto after all these years.
I hear you on sluggish. I live at sea-level but have used it a few times to get up to the slopes a modest 5 miles all at a gradual up hill, and it had me wanting to lower the gear once again from a 32*22 to a 32*24 or 30*22 ratio. Have you been out on the troll or orge yet? One of my friends is looking at replacing his LHT with the troll or orge for an year round alaska bike.
My ultimate goal with this bike was to get back in the saddle again. Biking is a big part of my life but it got side lined for a few years living in a temperate rainforest, and ski town. It was fun to see skiers, bikers and dog mushers all on our groomed multi-used trails yesterday.
p nut
butter
I'll tell ya, one of my favorite bikes to ride is an old steel-framed 93 Scott that I converted to a singlespeed. Rigid fork, canti brakes, and 26" wheels. Still ripped it up last week on one of my favorite singletracks. I bought the thing several years ago for $60. Came with decent LX components, so kept most of them on. Also installed some 2.5" DH tire up front that works really well.
I had a 98 GF Big Sur back in the day and that was a fun bike. Too bad it was stolen. It was aluminum, which al frames with big tubes were the thing in the late 90's. Wish I would have bought a HKEK, as they were price lower and rode nicer (steel frame).
That said, I couldn't stand looking at the paypal account having money in it, so ended up ordering a Cross Check frame on Cyber Monday. Too good of a deal to pass up at the bike shop. So the 1x1 will have to wait. I haven't tried a Troll or Ogre, but have owned a Karate Monkey. I'm sure they're nice frames, but I have a Jones that takes care of my touring needs for now.
Anyway, have fun with the bike and ride safe.
Co-opski
Expedition Leader
One more update.
Found some of the coveted Nokian Freddy's Revenz in the 26x2.3 flavor, with 336 studs. This replaced my Nokian Extremes 26x2.1 with 300 studs. I took the bike for a spin in moose meadows on the dog mushing trails and did not have much more float in the rear. Things warmed up the last few days and the snow got rotten and the paths and roads iced up. It does sound like a buzz saw chipping at the ice in the rear. Funny the Freddy's have a warning that they are race tires only for use on "designated courses only. Always wear protective gear. Please prevent A55 munch and do not ride over other riders."
I'll be in Anchorage for World Fatbike Day on Saturday December 7th. I'll post up some pictures from that night ride.
Found some of the coveted Nokian Freddy's Revenz in the 26x2.3 flavor, with 336 studs. This replaced my Nokian Extremes 26x2.1 with 300 studs. I took the bike for a spin in moose meadows on the dog mushing trails and did not have much more float in the rear. Things warmed up the last few days and the snow got rotten and the paths and roads iced up. It does sound like a buzz saw chipping at the ice in the rear. Funny the Freddy's have a warning that they are race tires only for use on "designated courses only. Always wear protective gear. Please prevent A55 munch and do not ride over other riders."
I'll be in Anchorage for World Fatbike Day on Saturday December 7th. I'll post up some pictures from that night ride.
Haf-E
Expedition Leader
Walmart is offering a single speed coaster brake FatBike for $199 - a buddy of mine just ordered one...
http://www.walmart.com/ip/22861844?...48560796&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=50592946956&veh=sem
http://www.walmart.com/ip/22861844?...48560796&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=50592946956&veh=sem
Co-opski
Expedition Leader
Haf-e I have not yet seen the wallgoose fat bike in person but I know it has been getting some attention for its price point. The Kona Wo and the Trek Farley are also lower entry level fat bikes. The Farley looked short in length and may be fun in tighter trails but looked like it lacked some of the true snow bike features.
And the Wo had more of cruiser mustache bars that may make handling different/intresting.
An impression on the bike after some rides, on trails, commuting, and fun rides.
The fat front does give some advantage in the snow but trail riding has been limited to well packed ski and dog sled trails. I can ride through the berms that the snow plow leaves at road crossings with ease. Climbs and there difficulty has increased with the fat front but I'm still a single speeder so who am I to complain on climbs. I can push through a fair amount of snow off trail but soon get bogged down with the rear tire loosing traction and spinning out. Our snow has not been good think of 6 inches of sugar snow with an inch and half breakable ice crust on top of it. Yuk. The fat tire rides up on this crust and slides around and the rear is just skinny enough to break through randomly. On a trail that is chewed up I can keep it riding smooth if I'm conscious of my rear tire placement and keep it out of the loose stuff.
The ice on the maintained trails and roads is out of control in Anchorage and Girdwood. I'm in need some 45nrth Dillingers or rebuilding my 44mm Snocat front wheel with a rear hub so I can put my other Nokian Freddies Revenz (26*2.31) on there. Getting the Dillinger would be just over $200 or rebuilding the front wheel to fit the fat fork with a 135mm disc hub may be cheaper route. At the Anchorage Bike Collective last night I weighed the options of studding my Larry front tire with screws fro traction. I try not to go the screw route as placing 300+ screws in a bike tire is not what I find fun to do on my spare time. If you ever balk at paying for studded bike tires I encourage you to make a pair once in you life. The market is really small for fat (3.7+) tires that are commercially studded. I can only think of the Dillinger.
On global fat bike day last Saturday in Anchorage 35 to 40 fat bikers came out, the trails were packed snow to mostly ice, with freezing rain higher on the hillside. Talking to some of the folks riding fatbikes the Dillinger has changed winter commuting for them. They used to run a city bike with studs and just had the fatbike for snowy trails. Now with studs they have gone to the fatbike as the only winter bike they need.
So in the future you may see me;
1.) Build a new snocat wheel with the freddies studs on it for the Salsa fork ($80-100)
2.) Buy a studded 45nrth Dillinger tire ($225)
3.) Or stud my Surly Larry with screws. ($20 and lots of time)
Also I'm working on finding a new handle bar set up, and outfitting the bike with Revelate Designs frambags and such.
And the Wo had more of cruiser mustache bars that may make handling different/intresting.
An impression on the bike after some rides, on trails, commuting, and fun rides.
The fat front does give some advantage in the snow but trail riding has been limited to well packed ski and dog sled trails. I can ride through the berms that the snow plow leaves at road crossings with ease. Climbs and there difficulty has increased with the fat front but I'm still a single speeder so who am I to complain on climbs. I can push through a fair amount of snow off trail but soon get bogged down with the rear tire loosing traction and spinning out. Our snow has not been good think of 6 inches of sugar snow with an inch and half breakable ice crust on top of it. Yuk. The fat tire rides up on this crust and slides around and the rear is just skinny enough to break through randomly. On a trail that is chewed up I can keep it riding smooth if I'm conscious of my rear tire placement and keep it out of the loose stuff.
The ice on the maintained trails and roads is out of control in Anchorage and Girdwood. I'm in need some 45nrth Dillingers or rebuilding my 44mm Snocat front wheel with a rear hub so I can put my other Nokian Freddies Revenz (26*2.31) on there. Getting the Dillinger would be just over $200 or rebuilding the front wheel to fit the fat fork with a 135mm disc hub may be cheaper route. At the Anchorage Bike Collective last night I weighed the options of studding my Larry front tire with screws fro traction. I try not to go the screw route as placing 300+ screws in a bike tire is not what I find fun to do on my spare time. If you ever balk at paying for studded bike tires I encourage you to make a pair once in you life. The market is really small for fat (3.7+) tires that are commercially studded. I can only think of the Dillinger.
On global fat bike day last Saturday in Anchorage 35 to 40 fat bikers came out, the trails were packed snow to mostly ice, with freezing rain higher on the hillside. Talking to some of the folks riding fatbikes the Dillinger has changed winter commuting for them. They used to run a city bike with studs and just had the fatbike for snowy trails. Now with studs they have gone to the fatbike as the only winter bike they need.
So in the future you may see me;
1.) Build a new snocat wheel with the freddies studs on it for the Salsa fork ($80-100)
2.) Buy a studded 45nrth Dillinger tire ($225)
3.) Or stud my Surly Larry with screws. ($20 and lots of time)
Also I'm working on finding a new handle bar set up, and outfitting the bike with Revelate Designs frambags and such.
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Flagster
Expedition Leader
I ordered the studs for the Dillingers last week...I will let you know how they pan out
Think I am going to go with studding just the shoulders first.
Here in AZ the snow stays pretty crunchy and stable in the woods but I live on a dirt road that gets pretty icy and I have had a couple close calls...
Ice is no fun:bike_rider:
Think I am going to go with studding just the shoulders first.
Here in AZ the snow stays pretty crunchy and stable in the woods but I live on a dirt road that gets pretty icy and I have had a couple close calls...
Ice is no fun:bike_rider:
BuffaloFunk
Observer
How bad of an idea is it to try to make a fat bike be a "do-it-all" bike? It would mostly be single track riding and city stuff (taking stair cases and curbs). I don't have the room or budget for multiple bikes right now. Maybe I'm better off getting something like a Surly Troll. It'd sure be cheaper and better for my budget.
Co-opski
Expedition Leader
I hear where you are coming from. As a ski bum I have at times had multiple pairs of boots and skis, some so specialized (please don't sue me) they only get used for a few days a year. With bikes it would be nice to have a lift served down hill bike, XC single track, bike packing/ touring, commuting and winter fat bike in my stable. That is just not in my cards so I settle. Fatbikes would not be bad at all for year round use, now more and more people are running their fat bikes year round up here. I don't have one but plan on my next big purchase to be one. Get a set of 29 inch wheels built up for the fat bike if you want more of an summer single track cruiser. But I do see the Troll, Orge and 1x1 all being a good semi fat bike for year round use also, just not as good as a 190mm fatbike with 100mm carbon rims.
Co-opski
Expedition Leader
I was thinking of the screws in Larry putting one in every center lug and alternating them left and right out to the shoulders. It is a full on ice rink up here now and the forecast looks grim with rain and a blizzard for the next few days. Flagster, post up how you like them and if you don't, keep me in mind if you sell them used.
I'm picking up a White Industry 20T freewheel for my summer rear wheel so I will have a Shimano 16T on one side and a 20T on the other. I've been enjoying the 34x22 gearing for the winter and my old flatland Wisconsin gearing 34x16 was terrible on the single track in the mountains.
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p nut
butter
Just my opinion here, but I would much prefer something like a Troll, Ogre, Karate Monkey for a "one-bike-quiver." Fat bikes are nice and fun, but the disadvantage with wheel change is, first, you have to build the wheels, which is not going to be cheap, as most fat bikes have wider than normal hubs and offset dishing. Second, changing wheels means messing with brakes and derailleurs, which is not bad, and maybe I'm just getting lazy, but I would rather just have two bikes rather than changing wheelsets. Especially considering one wheelset could = another bike, since I've seen plenty of good deals on craigslist for 26/29er rigid bikes in the $100-500 range.
If you like 26" wheels, Troll would be great, especially with the new 26x2.75" Dirt Wizard coming out (kind of like a semi-fat bike). Nevegal is also available in 2.7" as well. With a Karate Monkey/Ogre, you can fit the new 29x3" Knard up front for extra cush. I had a Karate Monkey and it was a sweet bike. Only sold it for the Jones, but I would have no problems going back to a Monkey, and absolutely zero issues with it being my only bike.
EDIT: I will say that if I were up in AK like Co-op, I'd probably get a Fattie. Or if I were in Austrailia with miles of sand. My choice is my region specific.
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BuffaloFunk
Observer
Yeah, I don't know what it is, but I can't get entirely comfortable on a 29er. I've ridden a few demos and leave disappointed every time. Maybe it is something that would go away with time. I would like to try a 27.5, but that would make certain things a bit hard to find if I needed it immediately.
The more I think about the, the Troll seems like a good replacement for my broken RM Element I never really liked.
p nut
butter
Well, the good thing about the Troll is that it can fit 26, 26+, 27.5 and 29.
Some 29ers can feel sluggish, which I didn't like. The Jones and Karate Monkey both have shorter chainstays and wheelbases, so handling is pretty quick. I also have a 26" bike I ride frequently as well, and no issues for me with sticking with 26" tires, either. Both are fun.
Some 29ers can feel sluggish, which I didn't like. The Jones and Karate Monkey both have shorter chainstays and wheelbases, so handling is pretty quick. I also have a 26" bike I ride frequently as well, and no issues for me with sticking with 26" tires, either. Both are fun.
Flagster
Expedition Leader
Not to hijack but has anyone seen these. My local Walmarts are not carrying them. I am really interested in taking a look at one as I see this being a bike I would actually purchase from a place like Walmart. It is as close to a bicycles more pure and simple design and for the money would be really good reliable transportation. Most of us like CoOpski who are really into bikes could put together a nicer and more quality build like his half fatty or even just a basic singlespeed commuter for similar money but a simple one speed commuter with fatty tires is a better option IMO than a flashy dual suspension "rock beater" for the same money.