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Considering a fat bike build and thinking between hunting down a puffin or a rooster (size XL for the stealth wanted ad). I love a project and the hunt for the bits is half the fun.
Has anyone got any opinions or comparisons? Loving my Singular Kite that I built recently but feeling fat curious. Had a Swift for a while and lived the ride characteristics but fatter tyres could have been fun.
I’m 187cm and ride an XL Pace RC529 the rest of the time.
I’ve ridden a Salsa Beargrease and that was a steamroller over things.
What does STW say?
Cheers
Chris
I got a Kickstarter Rooster (in fact I think that’s all they ever were). I’m running it singlespeed on Hope/Velocity wheels, XT parts and Salsa bars, Chromag stem and finishing kit.
Probably my favourite bike at the moment, so versatile and gets used year round with a swap of tyres. Gets ridden on everything from full days out to local one hour loops and on techy stuff to gravel blasts.
Two things I’d change if I could. Not 27.2 seat tube please so it could be stealth dropper post compatible (with said cable port). And the paintwork has always been really flakey, the lacquer started peeling right from building it up.
Edit. Photo here
Thanks Tim, good to hear a first hand review. Assume a Rooster is effectively a Swift but with bigger clearance and possibly longer chain stays?
Must go and check some geo!
Do like that Rooster...looks very good
I think the geo is slightly different too from a swift and slightly beefier tube set too from memory. Still nice and compliant too though.
Other thing worth noting is that 29” x 3” tyres are a little harder to come by now compared to when I got it. The Maxxis Chronicles I had on it for summer were brilliant, loads of volume, fast rolling and grippy on anything loose or dusty. But Maxxis have stopped making them. Going to try a set of Teravail Coronado’s in 2.8” this coming summer. Winter is still fine though as can get Minions in 3” which are crazy grippy but heavy too. I like them.
Any thoughts from the morning crew?
Had a Rooster, and still have a Swift. Never really gelled with the Rooster, probably down to issues getting the Surly Dirt Wizards to run tubeless reliably on the Dually rims (stealth ad, still sitting in the garage) - I think the sidewalls were too flexy at lower pressures. Also think they missed an opportunity by not making it suspension fork compatible. It would have been great to have the option to run it with a 100mm 29+ fork.
As has been mentioned above, lacquer was terribly flaky.
Tyres have moved on though, I'd think a pair of 3.0 Minions would fit the bill, as long as you're happy with a rigid fork.
* Ninja Edit * The Swift has always felt pretty racy, whereas the Rooster was more steamrollery. I did run the Swift with a full-fat front wheel and fork for a while, and it was a total hoot.
Thanks zigzag, appreciate the advice. My swift was mk1 so never got bigger than 29x2.35 but full fat front sounds fun. Sounds like the Rooster was a heavier tube set than the Swift and possibly the Puffin too? The search is on!
I bought a Rooster in the kickstarter, still have it and it's the bike I pick when I just want a bike to ride. Singlespeed (the threads to fit the hanger were thick with paint, and I couldn't even get a tap through), not modern geometry, it's a great bike for the singletrack, and with a bit of care will still get round most trail centre features.
I do like the 29x3.0 format, it's a steamroller, as said above, and feels noticeably different to my other bikes. I'd like to try a Stache for comparison see whether it's the frame or the wheels I really like.
Go 27.5+ on your swift, this is a MK1
I had a 3.0 bombolloni in the back for a while but that did buzz the stays when sprinting
Thanks @rOcKeTdOg but sold my Swift a while back...regret it!
So this is now a stealth advert for a Swift, Puffin or Rooster! Haha
Hated my Puffin. Big, long, heavy and cumbersome thing that it was. Replaced it with a 29+ Stache, then a carbon one. Its like a big SC Chameleon.
I’m fortunate enough to own a Puffin (XL) and a Rooster (L).
Both are a great basis for a build but are very different beasts.
I’m always on the lookout for an XL Rooster.
Both are going through a revamp at the moment - roll on summer!
Thanks @letmetalktomark
How would you best describe the Puffin vs the Rooster? I’m more looking for fun short blasts. Puffin then?
Or do I just get some 27.5+ wheels a d run them in my Pace 529....although that’s a very different beast to a rigid Singular.
Sorry, my hospital bed musings probably need to stay in my head and not on the thread! Day dreaming about bike builds 😴
Could just hang on for the new swift
What are the specs of the new Swift? Seen Sam's Ti stuff but missed the Swift details...
Get a puffin run it with fat wheels, and then get a spare set of 29+ fat wheels for it. Job done. Both bikes....
@monkeyboyjc that does sound like a plan. Need to find an XL now
I’ve got an old rooster I picked up on here. It’s my go to bike for school runs, quick blasts in the woods and go slow ‘gravel’ rides. I’d probably tour on it too to be honest.