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| I Like The BFL, but what about....?? |
I really like the BFL. However; I like it so much I've pretty much burned up my rear tire on The Snow Dog. Yes- I'll probably get another, but then there is By-Tor the Titanium Mukluk, and it has the old, original 27tpi Larry 3.8"ers on it. That's the bike that desperately needs the upgrade here, but that's where these choices start to get my brain foggy.
The titanium Mukluk has some odd rims too. I have the original Fatback Uma II's which are 70mm wide. My inclination is to go with some 45NRTH tires, but I also hear that guys are liking a Nate rear/BFL front combo. Oh....yeah, did I mention that 45NRTH has not only the Husker Du, but the Escalator tires as well?
And some of you non-fat bikers may be wondering, what is the big deal? Just get some tires! Well, at the prices these things command, you do pause to consider your choices a bit longer than you might for a 29"er.
So, does anyone want to recommend me a combination? These will likely be kept off road only, so no gravel, commuting, etc.
Otherwise I may end up in non-decision mode and stick with my old Larrys. Which wouldn't be the worst thing that's ever happened!
10 comments:
I am hoping the On-One Floater is available soon. Should be WAAAAY cheaper than the Q brands
On my Mukluk I ride Holy Rolling Daryl rims with a Big Fat Larry in the front and a Nate in the back. I like this combo because of the extra width in the front which seems less prone to skid out in deep snow and the traction in the back prevents wheel spinning on uphill sections.
I have tried several tire combos.
Larry/Endo (didnt do much for me. Larry would wash out).
Husker Du/Larry (I went with this combo last winter. Worked well).
Husker Du/Endo ( I road this combo 90% year this year. Worked great for gravel and single track).
Dev8stater pair (Good grip all around. Nice price point, but felt slow).
Nate pair (Just got these for a early x-mas present. Have 33 miles of single track on them and really liked them. Fast rolling and grip).
I personally would go with a pair of Husker dus or a mix of Nate/Husker du depending on the conditions.
Depending on snow conditions and whether you're riding solo or not, the mixed width combination presents challenges at times. Last year, I found that when I was running a 4.7" front tire and riding with guys on 3.8 or 4s, if we were breaking fresh trail and I was trying to ride their tracks, my wider front tire would catch the sides of their tracks and try to throw me out of it.
With the rear weight bias on the Muk, it seems like that's really where the fatter tire is needed, from a flotation perspective. Here's to hoping for a BFHD...preferably in an ultralight version.
I can't comment on the 4.7" as I've not ridden one yet - but in terms of the 3.8", I have. And plenty. The Nate has ended up being a tremendous tire. Absolute gobs of traction. Best sketchy condition tire I've ridden. Period. I run it primarily on the front. On hard pack, it gets a bit draggy though. Rear, the Larry is fast. Decent traction. Endo, has been relegated to gravel and hard pack. The Husker Du has been quite a revelation. Fast as the Larry, traction that nearly competes with the Nate. I can't wait to try out the Knard. I think its going to be fantastic.
I've only ridden Husker du's on rolling darryls. Awesome tires on dirt and hardpack snow. I wanted a bit more traction after riding the snow we just got, so I picked up a Nate for the rear. Can't decide on the BFL or the new Bud for the front. Anyone compared the two?
What about Bud vs BFL?
@Dan: The Bud is a really knobby tire vs the BFL. It would seem that the Bud would be much better at the traction game, but it also doesn't fit the best in many frames due to its girth, especially on Clownshoes. Running a smaller rim helps, but kind of goes against what the Bud and Lou are all about, I think. The BFL, which is as voluminous, has lower tread, so it may be a better tire for ultimate flotation, it just may not do the grip thing as well. Compromises- but a Nate does fit a lot of bikes with similar traits to the Bud and Lou- it just isn't as huge.
I have to say, after riding my Husker Du's in snow for the past month...... I've found my Fat tires forever more!!
The grip in all kinds of snow is very impressive, well worth the price of admission!!
Pedal On!!
Peace
I would love to find out how the Escalators work. I think it is early for them and not many folks have had the chance to put them through their paces. With that said, the tread looks a bit more aggressive than the Du's. Good to have choices...
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