You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
So the Ti frame I ordered back in February came last week, a Smokestone Bow(ti) - see what they did there?
It's a custom ti fat bike frame, Graham @slam69 gets them made if you weren't aware. There are standard sizes and geo, but because I was (predominantly) parts swapping from my Henderson & also the standard sizing isn't quite correct for me I went with some custom requests. So it's a little taller in the seattube that the medium and as long as the large, but the rest of the geo is standard. I'd already had AXS on the Henderson so I went with zero guides and internal routing for the rear brake - which is fully enclosed inside the frame and super clean. I did request an additional bolt on the top of the down tube, and a dropper route on the seattube. The manufacturer had to relocate the bolt to the side of the downtube as, I guessing, they do this after the frame is welded together and couldn't physically get it where I wanted. So it's not quite as clean looking as it could be.
Parts wide my carbon fat and 29 wheels came off my old bike, but new bars & stem from 77designz, the stem is stupid light at 88g! & the 35mm bars are dedicated for it as you can't get the curved sections of many regular bars through the stem as it doesn't have a removable face plate. New headset, Chris King of course, and finally new chainset and BB. Originally I was going to put my Race Face Sixc fatbike chainset on, but no holidays this year means I had some spare upgrade cash and I went all out on some eEwings, the fatbike version is only available in the US, and arrived before the frame. The BB is a canecreek hellbender which was stupidly hard to find for a standard BSA fitment - I think I must have had the last one in Europe. Brakes for new are my hopes from the old bike, but when the XCR came out I put some on order, would love some trickstuff piccallo's but the lead time has always put me off.
Anyway here are some photos....
Fat wheels
Thin wheels
First ride was this weekend and it was great - I've always gone for bikes that are too small rather than too large, part of that mid 90's heritage of no proper MTB jump bikes so we all sized down. But having a long frame and a seat post slammed to to the correct length (does mean I won't be able to get a 200mm drop in there) is great, just what I wanted.
It should be just as versatile as my old bike, the two sets of wheels really help make it a one bike option for me & i've yet to put on my rigid fork and swept bar to see how it rides with them, which will be this weekend. I'm also going to book in an uplift day at some point in July for a bit of a test on it.
Verrrrry nice.
Bow Ti is on my list as I've been thinking of a Ti Fatbike for many years. What was the final cost?
What was the final cost?
Rrp/insurance cost, with two sets of wheels and forks/bars etc erm....far far to much, prob 8/9k....?
Cost that I've spent, prob 5k.... But it's tricky as I always factor in selling my old bits and bobs things like the fork were new from CRC, with an upgraded charger damper and extended 120mm but, because I sold my old one they only cost me £150.... With a rrp of around 800.
Very nice! 170 or 197 rear? Did you have the option? Those cranks are amazing - would love some of those.
If you've got some holiday cash still, I reckon it needs some Wrens up front!
Beautiful frame. Enjoy, but personally I just don't get fat bikes unless you're proper far north...
It's a 177 rear so no massive 5" tyres, you can order with a 197 if you want., but my existing wheels were 177... Tbh blutos with a charger damper are great for the sort of riding I do, super supple, but I usually ride the rigid fork.
@alpin grip - lot and lots of it, I don't get why people ride standard hardtails when you can get so much more grip with 4"tyres. I do have the 29r wheels, which also save a kilo in weight, but they are used for longer rides and uplift days only.
Also the fat frame gives the option of running both and having a regular hard tail (All be it with wider hubs and q factor) - hence one bike to rule them all....
Lovely bike!
I did something very similar three years ago, and if I had to have one bike only, then the fatty would be the keeper.
With good geo and a sus fork, it's just so capable.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/1834/42288256000_1149e9dd7e_5k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/1834/42288256000_1149e9dd7e_5k.jp g"/> [/img]
I took it on a monster Cairngorm route at teh weekend, for the mix of terrain in the Gorms, the fatbike rules.
High on Beinn a Bhuird -
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51280657323_7ca3ed4dc2_4k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51280657323_7ca3ed4dc2_4k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2m8uLQc ]2021-06-30_10-15-40[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/60407271@N04/ ]FurryBreeks[/url], on Flickr
Sigh... posting pics on here...
Rrp/insurance cost, with two sets of wheels and forks/bars etc erm….far far to much, prob 8/9k….?
Sorry. I was meaning for just the frame.
@scotroutes ah ok, I got the last one before the price rise so it was £1600, they are now £1900.
Wow, are people still buying fatbikes 😀.
I'll never understand the appeal, a fatbike for trail riding seems an odd choice to me.
Meh a 150mm+ travel enduro bike seems over kill on all my local trails - as I say above it can run 'normal' wheels as shown in one of the pics... Been just riding fat bikes for about 5years now, predominantly fully rigid.
Thought I'd stick the rigid fork on for tomorrow's ride....
Looks great.
Fatties are a strange bike. I had a play when I bought a s/hand upgraded On One fatty with carbon forks. It seemed at home on routes like we (me at least) used to do in the 90s. Like singletrack mud/sand based trails over moorlands and through forest tracks.
Trail centre pebbles and man made trails were ok but not great.
The best thing I did to mine was leave a 11-46 wide range cassette on but put a 23/42 double up front. The low gear was hilarious as with the grip available it would do a backflip before it lost traction. Used to go out and find daft hills to climb. Odd but weirdly addictive.
Made the mistake of selling the bike on relatively quickly as it was a bit too niche for me but, really wish I'd kept it now.
greeny30
I’ll never understand the appeal, a fatbike for trail riding seems an odd choice to me.
Some of us use them for going places where a standard bike is just a shoulder ornament...
Not all trails are maintained.
I’ll never understand the appeal, a fatbike for trail riding seems an odd choice to me.
I used to think that until I got one. they are just fun to ride. Yes 30 miles on it is worth 40 miles on a normal tyred bike in therms off effort but its worth 50 miles in terms of fun
For highland bikepacking a fattie might be the tool for the job
Ive owned fills sus bikes in the past, but nothing put a smile on my face like a fat bike. It's just as quick (according to strava) as my old Whyte t120 trail bike &in the past Ive done enduro"s and xc races on full rigid fatties and usually come mid field.
Always amuses me how much 'skill' people put down to their bikes, for me it's about the fun factor and the versatility.
It's usually lack of fitness that stops the fun, not the bike.
Used to go out and find daft hills to climb. Odd but weirdly addictive.
Yep, had a walker comment of ‘I can’t believe you just rode up that’.
I’ve still got my pink tyred on one, umm and ahh’d then rammed it in a spare soft bike bag and hoped there was space in the moving van.
I reluctantly had to leave the pink tyres (space constraints )and I wasn’t sure how the Spanish locals would take me on something that looked like a my little pony bike.(weird OO sale) and I used the leaked Dave family and friends code for discount on the carbon fat fork.
Yep, had a walker comment of ‘I can’t believe you just rode up that’.
That happens a fair bit - better if you ride with mates and they try to follow your line and just can't maintain grip.
The bikes in having its XCR's fitted. But this is also due to arrive in the post tomorrow.....
