[Closed] Ti Fatbike

Nichetastic

Look! Look! It's even more niche than any other bike ever posted! FACT!

Silly bars? De rigeur

This week's trend? It's a fatbike. EVERYONE wants one, doncha know...

Cable discs? 'Cos, they're just [i]soooo[/i] much more reliable than hydraulics. Especially out in the wilds, being chased by grizzly bears, where I always ride.

Singlespeed? Look, I'm tougher than all of you. I don't need gears. I barely need a chain.

Made of unobtanium? It's a bike with wheels that weigh kilos. So saving 500g on the frame at a cost of thousands is completely justified.

That was quick RD.
Looks like you caught one almost straigh away.

Dribbled a little bit of tea with Nickf's answer 🙂

why [i]do[/i] they always have cable disc brakes. I have had one or two and they have always turned vile in the end...

"I don't need gears; I barely need a chain"....chortle!

That was quick RD.
Looks like you caught one almost straigh away

🙂

Cable discs? 'Cos, they're just soooo much more reliable than hydraulics

well they are actually, puncture a hose miles from anywhere what ya gonna do?

well they are actually, puncture a hose miles from anywhere what ya gonna do?

feel pretty damn unlucky I guess.

Just curious but fatbike, single speed, full bounce bike, when was the last time anyone punctured or damaged a hydraulic hose? Personally snapped cables or exploding housing have been more common on our rides.

And that's only been one in a blue moon decades ago.

puncture a hose miles from anywhere what ya gonna do?

Err, ride home using the other brake.

two brakes on a bike?, you've not got this niche thing at all have you! 🙂

Well one of us hasn't as you appear to have two on that there contraption 😉

Onzadog - Member
Just curious but fatbike, single speed, full bounce bike, when was the last time anyone punctured or damaged a hydraulic hose

Can't be arsed with this bleeding nonsense. Can fix them with the tools carried on the bike.

And BB7s work, are light, and not expensive.

May not cut it amongst the trail park hero fashionistas though.

It's a pity Swede, but it's not my bike 🙁

And BB7s work, are light, and not expensive

That's my problem. If they did what you said, I'd be fine. But my experience of BB7s on an 456 I had was just terrible. They never had anywhere near as much braking power (even when in perfect condition and brand new) as hydraulic discs, and in mud the pads wore out in about three seconds, negating their cheapness.

And the only time I've ever damaged a hydraulic brake was when I stacked the bike rather spectacularly in the Alps, destroying the RH brake lever and associated fitments. The way the bike landed would have made a cable brake unusable as well.

Bleeding? Yes, a bit of a pain. maybe once every 2 years. But winding in the adjusters on the BB7 every 30 minutes in gritty conditions was considerably more annoying.

Its just like every other fatbike, singlespeed, rigid - a ****ing pointless mess ridden by weirdos! Get a proper bike!

BB7s just need careful setting up, get it right and they are great brakes, do it wrong and they are as awful as any other brake poorly set up

Made of unobtanium? It's a bike with wheels that weigh kilos. So saving 500g on the frame at a cost of thousands is completely justified.

nickf - Member
"And BB7s work, are light, and not expensive"
That's my problem. If they did what you said, I'd be fine. But my experience of BB7s on an 456 I had was just terrible. They never had anywhere near as much braking power (even when in perfect condition and brand new) as hydraulic discs, and in mud the pads wore out in about three seconds, negating their cheapness...

Setup of BB7s is the important thing, and I find my BB7s work just as well as my Magura Marta SLs or Avid Ultimate Juicys.

As far as pads wearing out in mud, that's more a function of the pad material, and it happens to any make of brake.

BTW that bike weighs 27.5lbs so it's quite light for a fatbike.

Aren't the cable disks about low temperatures too?

Gosh, some angry dudes on here.

It is easy to dismiss stuff as 'niche', but if it is said too many times, then it looses all meaning.

Not everyone wants to ride a 5" FS 3x9 clone. Get over it 🙂

rOcKeTdOg - looks good, not sure about the handlebars though.

can i just point out ...[b]again[/b]

[b]rOcKeTdOg - Member
it's not my bike

[/b]

Its a mountain bike set up just how the owner wants it to look and ride using components they like. Why have so many people got a problem with that FFS. 👿

Nice!

chainslapp - Member
Its a mountain bike set up just how the owner wants it to look and ride using components they like. Why have so many people got a problem with that FFS.

It's set up well by someone who knows what he's doing.

However the trail park hero fashionistas feel invalidated unless they can get the masses cringing under their scorn. Sadly the scorn is wasted on fatbike owners because they are out there riding in all conditions on natural terrain, not hanging around the trail park cafe to hear it. 😆

So rOcKeTdOg, where did you buy that bike?

Can't see that I would need one but I would love to have a go on one

I've no problem with whatever someone wants to ride, but equally, yet another fatbike (which really is this week's niche bike) with the same old setup is just an example of following the crowd. Far from using "whatever components they like" the niche-merchants all seem to use the same bits of kit, hence my original post.

"But it's for riding on snow. And beaches." We get snow for a couple of weeks a year. And riding on beaches destroys your bike in about ten minutes; if any of the fatbikes being lusted over on this forum get ridden seriously on a beach for any length on time, I'll eat a substantial proportion of a hat.

Posting up photos of 3x9 bikes? Nope, I don't do that, and I can think of nothing duller. Then again, I don't feel the need to buy a new bike every ten minutes to fit a micro-niche that I've somehow persuaded myself (a) actually exists (b) I [i]must[/i] be part of to be at the cutting edge of cool (c) I need to post pictures of.

So knock yourself/one out over this sort of photo. I'll be here, cynically, wondering just how many fatbikes actually get, you know, [i]ridden[/i] after the first few weeks/months of ownership.

Anyway Rocketdog, how long did it take you to get all the parts together?

how much was it rocketdog, was it custom made or off the peg

I've never really understood why people get upset at what others are riding or doing. I've seen some pretty stupid bikes in my time, but if that's what the person wants to ride and that's what they like I'm happy for them. It's just like cars everyone wants or likes something different or needs different things to suite their needs, hell some people need tractors or wagons etc. what suites one persons likes and needs won't suite anothers.
Ultimately you have to ride what suites you and what you like, visually and practically, there's no point riding what everyone else rides if it dosen't suite you personally.
Nice bike too.

if any of the fatbikes being lusted over on this forum get ridden seriously on a beach for any length on time, I'll eat a substantial proportion of a hat.

paging coastkid to the forum please.

moose2008

+1

However the trail park hero fashionistas feel invalidated unless they can get the masses cringing

I fear that the only cringing going on around here is at you saying that.

😉

Does anyone ride a brakeless or fixed fatbike?

A brakeless beach (fatbike) makes sense to me if it wasn't for those pesky kids/dogs etc and a Carbon frame would make sense even if only to fit in with the windsurfers 😉

which really is this week's niche bike)

and it's only monday!

and it's only monday!

Carbon fixed beltdrive 29/24 fatbike tomorrow, I can just feel it coming...

Can't be arsed with this bleeding nonsense. Can fix them with the tools carried on the bike.

And BB7s work, are light, and not expensive.

May not cut it amongst the trail park hero fashionistas though.

Carbon fixed beltdrive

BTW Who's got the most ridiculous hat for nick to munch on? (and video 8) )

if anyone wants one, please send £500 deposit to my paypal address (email in profile) and i'll start knocking one up from some tubes i've got spare in the shed

RD your net's full to bursting.
You'll have to throw the smaller ones back.

nickf

I've no problem with whatever someone wants to ride, but equally, yet another fatbike (which really is this week's niche bike) with the same old setup is just an example of following the crowd. Far from using "whatever components they like" the niche-merchants all seem to use the same bits of kit, hence my original post.

You are getting upset over nothing.

Are 5" 3x9 26inchers not the "same old setup is just an example of following the crowd"?

What about CX bikes?

'Urban'?

Why get upset when a strain of bike design is explored by those that feel like doing that?

Why put everyone down, and write it all off to 'fashion', rather than people wanting to try new things and maybe find something to fit their needs. Heck, they might even have some fun!

nickf

"But it's for riding on snow. And beaches." We get snow for a couple of weeks a year. And riding on beaches destroys your bike in about ten minutes; if any of the fatbikes being lusted over on this forum get ridden seriously on a beach for any length on time, I'll eat a substantial proportion of a hat.

Coastkid lives a few miles down the road from me, and regularly rides his on the beaches. He is on this forum, and he has a blog where he catalogues his rides. Look him up, if you are interested.

nickfPosting up photos of 3x9 bikes? Nope, I don't do that, and I can think of nothing duller. Then again, I don't feel the need to buy a new bike every ten minutes to fit a micro-niche that I've somehow persuaded myself (a) actually exists (b) I must be part of to be at the cutting edge of cool (c) I need to post pictures of.

Yeh, posting pictures of bikes and talking about bikes and riding bikes is dullsville. Cynicism is the new niche for sure...

Coffee anyone?

Hey Stu, you are being remarkably restrained today my friend, have you a temperature or are you as sick as the rest of us of all the whining?? 🙂

7hz, I'm not upset, I'm taking the piss/pricking the bubble of nicheness. Seems I've touched a nerve with you. Emperor's new clothes, perhaps?

I ride in natural terrain, haven't been to a trail centre in years, and mostly use a steel hardtail. Irrelevant really; other people I ride with use full suspension bikes, other people ride rigid. Each to their own. But I'll agree that I am a bit of a cynic.

Oh, and as [i]one[/i] person appears to use a fatbike for the purpose intended, I've just eaten the head of a jelly baby. Who may have been wearing a hat.

chainslapp - Member

Hey Stu, you are being remarkably restrained today my friend, have you a temperature or are you as sick as the rest of us of all the whining??

No i'm just too busy enjoying riding all kinds of different bikes* to care what people i've never met think about bikes they've never tried.

*apart from road bikes because they are wrong. 😉

nickf - No nerve has been touched other than I think that the negativity and cynicism is unnecessary. I ride an aluminium 26" hardtail, albeit with no front derailleur.

I'm not sure what you are referencing regarding 'Emperor's new clothes', that saying doesn't seem to fit with this conversation. That saying is used in the context of pointing out the failings of people in power.

Live and let live.

No i'm just too busy enjoying riding all kinds of different bikes* to care what people i've never met think about bikes they've never tried

Couldn't have put it better myself and it looks as if Gary (RD) has gone to empty his net due to his absence?? 🙄

I'm out on my road bike, just so Stu can tut and shake his head....it's got 29"wheels though and cable brakes

RD........ be prepared to be forum abused for having such ultra niche components..... how very...very...very.... dare you??? 😆

nickf - Member
I've no problem with whatever someone wants to ride...

"But it's for riding on snow...." We get snow for a couple of weeks a year.

if any of the fatbikes being lusted over on this forum get ridden seriously on a beach for any length on time, I'll eat a substantial proportion of a hat.

I don't feel the need to buy a new bike every ten minutes to fit a micro-niche that I've somehow persuaded myself (a) actually exists (b) I must be part of to be at the cutting edge of cool (c) I need to post pictures of.

It's unfortunate that you think like this. It must restrict you in many ways in life, never trying anything new in case the peer group disapproves. Truly sad.

Well done RD, any more interesting pics? 😆

I'm out on my road bike

Freak.

I bought a fat bike recently and guess what: I don't care what nickf thinks about it!

hi can you please tell me what sort of handle bars are on the bike,make model please thank you

I bought a fat bike recently

Epicyclo, your bike almost exactly agrees to my ticklist, though to be fair you have gears. Still [i]looks[/i] like a singlespeed though....

Anyway, given that more than one person rides a fatbike at the beach, I've eaten some more jelly babies, and their hats as well. This is at great personal cost; I don't like the yellow ones, but I forced myself to eat them anyway as penance.

nickf - Member
Epicyclo, your bike almost exactly agrees to my ticklist, though to be fair you have gears. Still looks like a singlespeed though....

Anyway, given that more than one person rides a fatbike at the beach, I've eaten some more jelly babies, and their hats as well. This is at great personal cost; I don't like the yellow ones, but I forced myself to eat them anyway as penance.

My bike has gears for when the snow is deep, but is SS the rest of the time, so you can add it to your ticklist. 🙂

I'm not sure you're doing adequate penance. You should just eat the yellow jelly babies and send the rest to Rocket Dog who should do penance for starting this.
😆

BTW Specially for you, I'll be posting a fatbike photo tomorrow which is so niche that it may have missed a niche altogether...

What like "uber" niche, that's like the holy grail of nichedom, can't wait!

How did your hat taste then? 😆
just popped out to the man cave to check and mines still not rusted in half and done approx 3500 miles now 😉
Theres 5 of em around here now, makes sense with fantastic coastline to ride all year round and miles of soft sandy singletrack 😮
Hydro brakes will seize there pistons in no time if exposed to salt water,hence the BB7s on many of them...
Uni cycling offroad is still more niche 🙂

Coastkid, at last a rational explanation of why you use those horrible brakes! Makes sense now, though I still think they're rubbish.

D'you not end up destroying, well, everything with the grinding paste effect of the sand? Either that or you must have a hidous job of cleaning after every ride...

nickf, I've taken onboard what you said about "those horrible brakes" and ditched them.

Here's the improved braking system (S-A XL-FD 90mm drum)

[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5093/5568160357_f0710361c6_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5093/5568160357_f0710361c6_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5299/5568161243_8695f2cda4_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5299/5568161243_8695f2cda4_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

Now when I do this, I won't have to listen to disk brakes complaining for the next half mile

[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5134/5550799384_a76c195f5f_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5134/5550799384_a76c195f5f_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

Awesome machine dude looks the dogs

[img] [/img]

well, you certainly win the 'most novel bar end position of the day' prize.

I like that actually, it may look like a 20's motorbike someone's nicked the negine from but it kindof works.

It does look only one step away from requiring electric motor assistance now so I'd stop there 😉

nickf, my brakes have been reliable but being cable are a bit vague compared to Hydro brakes but on the beach pin point braking isnt really needed and with 4" low pressure tyres your not riding like a regular bike so its not so much an issue,
strangely this bike costs less to run than a full susser (Heckler) that used to get thrashed around trail centers, it used to eat brake pads,drive chains,tyres and suspension servicing every year...
Yes that was fun riding too... this is just a differant type of fun, but for me and living in the middle of 45-50 miles coast and 3 times that on sandy coastline trails on my doorstep i now dont do a 2 hour round trip drive,
so i can go for a couple of pints on the way home 😮
interestingly, another pugsley owner friend was just saying how most UK riders use of these bikes is not like American and Canadian riders on the US MTBR Fatbike Forum who treat them as sports bikes and high spec them-Ti frames,expensive 170 rear hubs and rims etc...
a lot of them look on the pugsley as a poor mans fatbike..
here its mostly cheap and cheerfull and ride till it breaks,
i wouldnt spend 4 grand on a bike to ride through salt water with! 😮
heres how i keep my bike rolling; [url= http://coastkid.blogspot.com/2011/03/fatbike-preparation-for-beach-riding.html ]Blog[/url]

wwaswas - Member
well, you certainly win the 'most novel bar end position of the day' prize.

Not used as bar-ends. They're so I can turn the bike upside down trailside if I have to work on it. (The Shimano shifter window sticks up and would get broken)

i love my fatbike, use it a lot on sandy singletrack, and had blast in this years snow

I cant explain why they make sense but they do and are so much fun to ride

bb7's on mine work great

so if you see one doing a lap or two of rutland water tomorrow thet'll be me

*Coastkid slamdunks nickf*

GW - Member
I bought a fat bike recently
Have you?
I thought you'd made your own out of old bed frame and washing machines scalvaged from Macmerry and some vintage Gazalodi hucking tyres.

I'd slap you if you weren't my senior.

what are the make and model of the handle bars on the first bike photo please

titec h bars - ive got them on my pugsley

A previous post is correct, about me anyway, I've never taken my fat bike in snow or sand. My wife has a 4x4 car and has never done proper off roading in it, my friend has a sports car and has never been around a race track or raced it and another friend has an all mountain bike that he will never take where it's designed to go. So what. None of these people would change what they drive / ride because what they have is perfect for what they like.

The bike is fat, the bike was fun, and it don't much care that you think it's ridiculous 😉

Sure, it's probably bandwagonesque, but my buddy's fatbike was so enjoyable that I'm getting my own. Feel free to laugh and jeer when it comes in.

HeyBundobiker, hope you don't mind me starting this thread about your pic, it was to admire the bike and I reckon those who like it would love to know more details of the build

Mind? Not at all. Here's what I remember from the build:

Pride frame
King hubs, 160mm rear.
Trial Tech rims
Race Face 170mm cranks
100mm BB, but I forget which brand
Thomson stem and seatpost
Titec Jones J Bar
Selle Italia SLR
Oury Grips
Surly Pugsley 100mm fork with canti mounts cut off
Avid BB-7 brakes
Avid Ultimate levers

RD, your intentions were spot on by making people who are interested aware that a recent image of a Fat Bike had been posted on Flickr. The problem lies with the minority of STW members that feel it necessary to add negativity to posts that have no interest. Its been said before, if you are not interested, as with the TV, move along.

And please, everyone, don't respond with "its an internet forum, freedom of speech" etc blah blah.

[url= http://www.flickr.com/groups/1544900@N25/ ]Anyone else with a fatbike please feel free to post pictures up here[/url]

Its been said before, if you aren't thick skinned enough to have the piss taken out of you, don't post on a public forum

Couldn't have put it better myself.

They look like fun,which is what its all about right.

mikey3 - Member
They look like fun,which is what its all about right.

ahmen to that

and are a brilliant skills compensator on rocky technical terrain.

skill undercompensator more like! 😀
Proper (ie. not sculpted trail centre crazy paving) rockgardens at speed must be ****ing mental on one if the uncontrolled rebound felt hitting a kerb at medium speed on CKs Pug is anything to go by.

If you can't get over a kerb without rebound you shouldn't be doing rock gardens, my daughter can get up the kerb on her Barby bike without the wheels hitting the kerb, she is a good rider mind. 😆

GW - Member
"and are a brilliant skills compensator on rocky technical terrain."
skill undercompensator more like!

Works for me. Stuff that has those annoying groobly bits that stop me dead on my 29er just get steamrollered on the Pug. Straight over the top rather than pick a line.

I'm used to riding rigid, so I'm used to bounding and rebounding all over the place. I don't care what the bike is doing under me so long as the front wheel is pointing in the right direction.

Speed is relative of course.

Works for me. Stuff that has those annoying groobly bits that stop me dead on my 29er just get steamrollered on the Pug. Straight over the top rather than pick a line.

Just for clarification I'm talking about square edge hits here, not hopping onto kerbs, or rolling through gobbly bits.

I ride BMX and rigid mtb too so do know how to ride a rigid bike but I also ride DH (on DH bikes and hardtails) and for me the combination of a rigid fork and huge low pressure balloon tyre felt horrible in comparison to either.
unfortunately I doubt I'll ever get to ride a fatbike through a proper rockgarden at speed to know for sure how it feels. (pity, 'cause I still have an urge to try and roll a tyre off CKs Pug.)

GW - Member
I take it you're only talking about low speed then because stopping dead on a DH rockgarden would result in ejection, most likely severe pain, possibly hospitalisation...

I'm talking about uphill stuff, so yes, low speed.

I don't do DH, no appeal to me.