Okay, I Have This Crazy Idea...

My idea is inspired by this venerable bike. 

Once in a while I get these crazy ideas for bicycles. Sometimes I act on them and you end up seeing the results here. Bikes like my Pofahl Signature, or the latest to be realized, the Honeman Flyer. 

Sometimes they remain in my mind never to be realized. Which, in some cases is probably a good thing! It doesn't help things when I have several frame sets around and lots of parts not doing anything. I naturally want to just find creative ways to put this stuff together and see what the outcome might be.

Lately I have had this idea percolating in my head which was inspired by the venerable Surly Pugsley. That weird, versatile, early fat bike option which had some unique design features. First of all, you could use parts from a hard tail MTB to build one up, including the hubs. Well, the rear hubs. See, the Pugsley was designed specifically to utilize two rear hubs so a rider could have a geared hub as the main drive wheel, and the front would be set up with a single speed free wheel 'just in case of emergency'. Say you whack the rear dangly bit off. Well, you simply swap wheels, utilize the Pugsley track ends to tension the shortened chain, (you did remember the chain tool, right?), and you can then pedal your way out of a tight spot.

This idea spawned my thoughts regarding my forlorn, but rare, Singular Buzzard frame. I was trying to sell it for a while, and I actually had some interest in it, which then pushed me over the edge to jump off and do this idea. (Apologies once again to the person who expressed interest)

Anyway, check this out. It's just a mock-up. A sketch, if you will. I'll explain after the image.

Okay, so here we have the Buzzard, a hard tail MTB with a kind-of slack geometry. This bike was designed just previous to the radical "long/slack/low" geometry craze we all know these days, so the head angle is not super choppered out, but it is slacker than older 29"ers. The top tube is not crazy long, but it isn't short. This is kind of a transitional design from the early "first gen" 29"er to what we have out there now. 

Now, it is not a typical Singular in that the frame is not single speedable. This is a critical factor in my idea. Fortunately Velo Orange makes an eccentric which accepts a 24mm spindle, two piece Shimano crank set. Now, the next critical piece is the front wheel. I happen to have this oddball single speed 135mm rear hub laced to a Marge Lite rim. This happens to work really well with this old Salsa Cycles Enabler fork I have lying around. The plan is to re-lace the red single speed hub into the old front wheel from this bike, which matches the rear wheel, and is a Velocity Dually. The rear is laced to a Velocity geared rear hub. Also of importance: The fork is a rear brake standard. So, I can use two rear hubs, one geared, one single speed, and if something went wrong on a ride? I could use the Velo Orange eccentric bottom bracket and swap wheels.

Crazy, right?  

Fall Views: B&W

I am coming to point where the black and white imagery is starting to make more sense to me again. The greens and colors from flowers has faded and Fall isn't really popping like it has in the past. So, I decided to shoot a few shots in black and white on my "Dirt Home From Work" ride the other day.

I've been riding the Singular Buzzard hard tail of late. It is a bike that was arguably a little ahead of its time. A slack head angle, short-ish rear end, and a long travel fork. I think it was really meant to have a 120mm travel fork on it but I run a 140mm travel MRP fork on it which really makes the bike a bruiser. It isn't light, by any stretch, and it feels nearly indestructible with that burly steel frame.

The wheels are a bit unusual as well. Velocity USA Duallys with On One tires set up tubeless and they look positively beastly on those rims. This bike is not going to get mistaken for an XC rig anywhere. That's for sure! That said, there are a few things, due to its forerunning status, that were missed in the design that are ubiquitous on other bikes of this ilk these days. Things like a port for an internally routed dropper post, through axle rear drop outs, and Boost spacing.

But one can live, and certainly ride just as well, without those finer details. The Buzzard is a fun, capable, and good looking bike. It's my only geared mountain bike these days, and by the way, it is 2X 10! Not the usual 1X fare here. Well, anyway, here are some views in black and white from my last week's riding of the Buzzard.

Fall Views: B&W

I am coming to point where the black and white imagery is starting to make more sense to me again. The greens and colors from flowers has faded and Fall isn't really popping like it has in the past. So, I decided to shoot a few shots in black and white on my "Dirt Home From Work" ride the other day.

I've been riding the Singular Buzzard hard tail of late. It is a bike that was arguably a little ahead of its time. A slack head angle, short-ish rear end, and a long travel fork. I think it was really meant to have a 120mm travel fork on it but I run a 140mm travel MRP fork on it which really makes the bike a bruiser. It isn't light, by any stretch, and it feels nearly indestructible with that burly steel frame.

The wheels are a bit unusual as well. Velocity USA Duallys with On One tires set up tubeless and they look positively beastly on those rims. This bike is not going to get mistaken for an XC rig anywhere. That's for sure! That said, there are a few things, due to its forerunning status, that were missed in the design that are ubiquitous on other bikes of this ilk these days. Things like a port for an internally routed dropper post, through axle rear drop outs, and Boost spacing.

But one can live, and certainly ride just as well, without those finer details. The Buzzard is a fun, capable, and good looking bike. It's my only geared mountain bike these days, and by the way, it is 2X 10! Not the usual 1X fare here. Well, anyway, here are some views in black and white from my last week's riding of the Buzzard.

Dirt Home From Work

Brown ribbon of goodness.

Once in a while I'll get the itch to take a mountain bike off road, and many times I scratch that itch by commuting to work, then I do a "Dirt Home From Work" route.

I have whittled down the mountain bike side of the stable to one suspended hard tail with gears, a single speed with no suspension fork, and a front suspended single speed. I have platform pedals on the Singular Buzzard, so that is the bike I take to work most often.

Interestingly, the way I set up the wheels back a few years ago was weird.......then. Now it is becoming something that might be a lot more familiar in the coming years. Not "plus" sized, but not "normal 29"er sized either. I did mine by way of a little trickery. I used a really wide rim and some of the bigger volume 29"er tires around at the time.

The thing I was after was volume, but without the vagueness. Wider rims support sidewalls better, and with the really wide Duallys, I got max width out of a 2.35" and 2.4" tire. Now the back measures 2.45" and the front measures 2.5" wide. I can also run those tires down under 20psi with no worries about squirming or vagueness in handling. That's the goal of the new move to 2.5"-2.8" tires coming out now.They are big enough to translate the traction benefits without the issues with vagueness in cornering. But I could go on and on about that.....

The point is I got on a mountain bike. First time in a while too. I would assess the ride as being fun, but I sure am rusty! I need to get in a few more of these "Dirt Home From Work" rides and then hit up Ingawanis Woodlands for the real thing.

Dirt Home From Work

Brown ribbon of goodness.

Once in a while I'll get the itch to take a mountain bike off road, and many times I scratch that itch by commuting to work, then I do a "Dirt Home From Work" route.

I have whittled down the mountain bike side of the stable to one suspended hard tail with gears, a single speed with no suspension fork, and a front suspended single speed. I have platform pedals on the Singular Buzzard, so that is the bike I take to work most often.

Interestingly, the way I set up the wheels back a few years ago was weird.......then. Now it is becoming something that might be a lot more familiar in the coming years. Not "plus" sized, but not "normal 29"er sized either. I did mine by way of a little trickery. I used a really wide rim and some of the bigger volume 29"er tires around at the time.

The thing I was after was volume, but without the vagueness. Wider rims support sidewalls better, and with the really wide Duallys, I got max width out of a 2.35" and 2.4" tire. Now the back measures 2.45" and the front measures 2.5" wide. I can also run those tires down under 20psi with no worries about squirming or vagueness in handling. That's the goal of the new move to 2.5"-2.8" tires coming out now.They are big enough to translate the traction benefits without the issues with vagueness in cornering. But I could go on and on about that.....

The point is I got on a mountain bike. First time in a while too. I would assess the ride as being fun, but I sure am rusty! I need to get in a few more of these "Dirt Home From Work" rides and then hit up Ingawanis Woodlands for the real thing.

Cursing Tires And Other First World Issues

Note the distinct lack of snow. You'd never guess this is a January day.

I rode the Snow Dog to work Tuesday for the first time as I had Monday off. The weather was going downhill fast as I left for the shop. The wind was roaring out of the Northwest and the temperature was sliding down from its peak in the upper 30's and was headed for the single digits. We had seen some rain on Monday, so there was a lot less snow and a lot more ice than you'd like to see in January.

The Snow Dog is shod with tires I got from Fatback Cycles dubbed "Snowshoe" and they are supposed to be 4.25" in width. Yeah....... Well, they are neither very "snowshoe-like" nor are they even four inches wide. But they can be nice tires in one area, and that is on ice. These tires have an uncanny ability to grip ice, and while it isn't "studded tire" grip, it is far better than the "here one moment-gone the next" that Surly tires have on ice. Maybe with the possible exception of my Lous on the Clown Shoe rims. That is a pretty solid set up for riding on ice .

So, there was ice for sure that I had to travel over. It was either that or go around another 3/4's of a mile out of my way to avoid it. Other than that, I really did not need these tires. On paved surfaces, especially, I did not enjoy the Snowshoes. They have an awful tendency for self-steer. That's when your tire feels like a head set that is too tight. Or like a chopper when you turn the bars too far. Anyway, it is not a fun sensation. That coupled with the very high rolling resistance of these tires, and you just feel frustrated. But then again.......I kind of feel bad about complaining. 

Surly Lou 4.8's. No self-steer, good on ice, and far lower rolling resistance.

 I mean, I have three fat bikes! Four if you count my son's, which can work for me, since he is bigger now. I have choices, I have the capability to just shut up and buy another set of tires. I even think, "What if the Snow Dog was my only fat bike? I still would be so blessed! "

So, ya know....... First World problems and all, right? Then there is tubeless.

I once set up the Snowshoe tires tubeless on these very rims. It was revelatory in as far as how much difference it made. The rolling resistance went waaaay down, and the tires had far less self-steer effects as well. Then I got to try them tubeless on a set of Velocity USA Duallys laced to fat bike hubs.

Whoa! 

They were awesome on that set of wheels. Nothing like running them tubed on my Fatback Uma II 70mm rims. So......get another set of Duallys, right? Well, not so fast! I mean, maybe I should try these on the Uma II's tubeless again, no? They were a lot better on these rims tubeless as well, and that would cost a whole lot less money than buying Duallys and setting up these wheels that way. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

I guess it is time I went to the craft store, bought another tub of Latex Mold Builder, and set to mixing up a batch of sealant. Stay tuned........

Cursing Tires And Other First World Issues

Note the distinct lack of snow. You'd never guess this is a January day.

I rode the Snow Dog to work Tuesday for the first time as I had Monday off. The weather was going downhill fast as I left for the shop. The wind was roaring out of the Northwest and the temperature was sliding down from its peak in the upper 30's and was headed for the single digits. We had seen some rain on Monday, so there was a lot less snow and a lot more ice than you'd like to see in January.

The Snow Dog is shod with tires I got from Fatback Cycles dubbed "Snowshoe" and they are supposed to be 4.25" in width. Yeah....... Well, they are neither very "snowshoe-like" nor are they even four inches wide. But they can be nice tires in one area, and that is on ice. These tires have an uncanny ability to grip ice, and while it isn't "studded tire" grip, it is far better than the "here one moment-gone the next" that Surly tires have on ice. Maybe with the possible exception of my Lous on the Clown Shoe rims. That is a pretty solid set up for riding on ice .

So, there was ice for sure that I had to travel over. It was either that or go around another 3/4's of a mile out of my way to avoid it. Other than that, I really did not need these tires. On paved surfaces, especially, I did not enjoy the Snowshoes. They have an awful tendency for self-steer. That's when your tire feels like a head set that is too tight. Or like a chopper when you turn the bars too far. Anyway, it is not a fun sensation. That coupled with the very high rolling resistance of these tires, and you just feel frustrated. But then again.......I kind of feel bad about complaining. 

Surly Lou 4.8's. No self-steer, good on ice, and far lower rolling resistance.

 I mean, I have three fat bikes! Four if you count my son's, which can work for me, since he is bigger now. I have choices, I have the capability to just shut up and buy another set of tires. I even think, "What if the Snow Dog was my only fat bike? I still would be so blessed! "

So, ya know....... First World problems and all, right? Then there is tubeless.

I once set up the Snowshoe tires tubeless on these very rims. It was revelatory in as far as how much difference it made. The rolling resistance went waaaay down, and the tires had far less self-steer effects as well. Then I got to try them tubeless on a set of Velocity USA Duallys laced to fat bike hubs.

Whoa! 

They were awesome on that set of wheels. Nothing like running them tubed on my Fatback Uma II 70mm rims. So......get another set of Duallys, right? Well, not so fast! I mean, maybe I should try these on the Uma II's tubeless again, no? They were a lot better on these rims tubeless as well, and that would cost a whole lot less money than buying Duallys and setting up these wheels that way. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

I guess it is time I went to the craft store, bought another tub of Latex Mold Builder, and set to mixing up a batch of sealant. Stay tuned........

A Vicious Cycle Of Washing

Awww! I just cleaned it yesterday!

You've heard it a million times, I am sure: "If you want it to rain, just go wash your car!" Somehow or another, I think something along these lines must work when you ride bicycles as well.

Case in point- My Singular Cycles Buzzard had been ridden in some pretty nasty stuff at one point or another back in the Spring, or maybe it was last Winter? Heck.....I can't remember, it's been that long ago. All I know is that there was this layer of grungy crap and dirt all over the frame. Not only that, the polished Velocity Dually rims were.....well they weren't very shiny anymore. If you own polished aluminum rims, it is sort of the point to have them be blindingly shiny all the time, right?

So, I finally got around to doing some much needed maintenance. Those rims! I had to break out the Never Dull and even then they were almost impossible to bring back to even a semi-shiny state. Elbow grease was applied in large doses, which finally resulted in a bit of luster. Acceptable for the time being, but I'd have to get after that again when my fingers returned to a state of having feelings. Of course, the rest of the frame was also polished up, but powdercoat has a lot lighter grip on grime than polished aluminum does, so that went a lot easier.

This all happened at work, by the way, because things have slowed down. Hey! It's the off-season, ya know, so I don't have quite near the workload I do in the Summertime. I rode my shiny, (almost) rig back home proudly. It's like my old coworker Jeff always said, "A clean bike is a happy bike." I suppose it was just glad its lazy ol' owner decide to finally do something about its state of disrespect. I was just happy to see the rims glow again!

Maybe it will take another six months.....

Wouldn't you know it, but I had to ride the Singular back from the repair shop where Mrs. Guitar Ted's car was getting serviced. While I was waiting it out at home, it rained, and things got pretty messy. Well, there ya go! Wash up the bike if you want it to rain, or something!

Anyway, I'm sure that if I don't let this dirt marinate on the bike for.....oh, six months or more, it just might come off a little bit easier. Probably will.

A Vicious Cycle Of Washing

Awww! I just cleaned it yesterday!

You've heard it a million times, I am sure: "If you want it to rain, just go wash your car!" Somehow or another, I think something along these lines must work when you ride bicycles as well.

Case in point- My Singular Cycles Buzzard had been ridden in some pretty nasty stuff at one point or another back in the Spring, or maybe it was last Winter? Heck.....I can't remember, it's been that long ago. All I know is that there was this layer of grungy crap and dirt all over the frame. Not only that, the polished Velocity Dually rims were.....well they weren't very shiny anymore. If you own polished aluminum rims, it is sort of the point to have them be blindingly shiny all the time, right?

So, I finally got around to doing some much needed maintenance. Those rims! I had to break out the Never Dull and even then they were almost impossible to bring back to even a semi-shiny state. Elbow grease was applied in large doses, which finally resulted in a bit of luster. Acceptable for the time being, but I'd have to get after that again when my fingers returned to a state of having feelings. Of course, the rest of the frame was also polished up, but powdercoat has a lot lighter grip on grime than polished aluminum does, so that went a lot easier.

This all happened at work, by the way, because things have slowed down. Hey! It's the off-season, ya know, so I don't have quite near the workload I do in the Summertime. I rode my shiny, (almost) rig back home proudly. It's like my old coworker Jeff always said, "A clean bike is a happy bike." I suppose it was just glad its lazy ol' owner decide to finally do something about its state of disrespect. I was just happy to see the rims glow again!

Maybe it will take another six months.....

Wouldn't you know it, but I had to ride the Singular back from the repair shop where Mrs. Guitar Ted's car was getting serviced. While I was waiting it out at home, it rained, and things got pretty messy. Well, there ya go! Wash up the bike if you want it to rain, or something!

Anyway, I'm sure that if I don't let this dirt marinate on the bike for.....oh, six months or more, it just might come off a little bit easier. Probably will.

Fat Fargo: Thoughts On B+ Wheels

A Gen II Fargo with fatter wheels

As stated yesterday, I wanted to lay down some thoughts on the B+, 27.5+, 650B+ or whatever these are going to be called.....wheels. Let's say "mid-fat" and leave it at that, shall we?

For those of you that are not familiar, and to give those folks interested in specifications their dosage, here are the pertinent features of the mid-fat platforms and also my specs on this wheel set.

• Mid-fat or "plus" sized wheels are really just larger than average tires with high volume on rims you already know and love. There are a few wider rims out now as well. 
• Mid-fat tires can be fitted to the 650B/27.5 or 29"er based platforms. Rim specs in terms of diameter are the same- 622ISO for 29+ and 584ISO for B+/27.5+. Typically, the wider rims are better, so anything with a 30mm wide width or wider works best. Some are 50mm wide, like Surly's Rabbit Hole and Sun Ringle's Mulefut.
• Tires are typically going to be either side of 3 inches wide with a lot of height/volume to the casings. 2.8" to 3.25" seems to be the working range so far. This is for both diameters out there that are being pushed- 27.5+/B+ and 29+.
• Wide rims and fatter, higher volume tires make for big overall diameters. For instance, a 50mm wide rim with a 3.25" "B+" tire is the same diameter, more or less, as a 29" X 2.25" tire. A 29+ tire at 3 inches wide on a 50mm wide rim is approximately the same overall diameter as a 4.8" wide fat bike tire on a 100mm wide rim- 31 inches or so. 

Now for my Fargo wheels, I used 35mm wide Velocity Blunt 35 rims and put some 2.8" WTB Trailblazer tires on them tubeless. This brings the diameter of these wheels to just slightly less than a 29 X 2.2" wheel. That means my bottom bracket is ever so slightly lower. Otherwise, there was plenty of room in the frame to fit this wheel in my Fargo. Now.....why would you do this? That's the big question, and what I wanted to seek out was an answer that satisfied my curiosity. This may not be your answer, but I feel it makes a lot of sense.

The whole "plus" size/mid-fat thing is an attempt to take advantage of fat bike volume, flotation, and grip in a package that isn't so cumbersome, heavy, and that doesn't require weird frames with wide bottom brackets which hurt some folk's knees and whatnot. Are they "fat bikes"? That's a question folks debate. I own both fat bikes and this B+/mid-fat bike. My Fat Fargo is not a fat bike. Nope. Not even close.

But, it isn't like any of my 29"ers either. I have a 29 X 2.4" tired rig that runs 45mm wide Velocity Duallys. While the footprint of those wheels are as big as my mid-fat/B+ tires, they don't have the volume of those B+ tires, and there's where your differences are and why it may make sense to run a mid-fat/B+ rig for you.

The Singular Buzzard with 29 X 2.4" tires on Velocity Duallys

That volume allows for lower pressures without fear of rim strikes. Lower pressures mean the tires conform to terrain features better, which equals more grip and control. The differences are minute, to be sure, but palpable, and in the right rig, a B+/mid-fat set up may make a lot of sense. I thought it worked great on a single speed, for instance, where grip and the lack of suspension might be your set up. I also wanted to try this as a set up for a bikepacking rig or bagged hauler/tourer/versatile mtb set up. That's where the "Fat Fargo" comes in.

My thoughts were that my original Fargo Gen I was the perfect candidate for these wheels, since it wasn't suspension corrected, and a little comfort would be welcomed there. However; the tire clearances in the chain stays were too tight to allow for mud clearances, and I felt the bottom bracket on that bike with the B+ wheels was too low. Bummer that, but I wasn't going to quit just there.

I had the Gen II Fargo, so why not slap those meats into that frame and see what's up. Well, the clearances were really good, and the bottom bracket, while slightly lower for sure, isn't too low, for me. Maybe for you it would be, but so far, I've been just fine with things this way. Of course, the Gen II has a Rock Shox Reba on it and that combo is pluuuuuusssssh. The fork has 80mm of travel, but with the tires, it almost feels like my 140mm of travel on my Buzzard.

I wish this would've worked better.

I do have the rigid fork for the Gen II bike, and that will be the next thing I try, but for now, I have a brief list of "Good" and "Bad" things that I have found running these mid-fat wheels on my Fargo. This certainly isn't a list that is comprehensive or finished yet, but here you go....

Good: The ride is super smooth. The smaller bumps disappear, bigger jolts are mere annoyances, and curbs are swallowed with little to no lifting of the front end. Grip is amazing when the conditions are ripe. Stability at slow speed is enhanced. The smaller sized wheels are easier to spin up by a long shot over 29+, but they do not give you near the momentum carrying capacity of either 29+ or a straight up 29"er wheel. There is more float, and so these carry you into looser terrain a bit further than does the "normal" 29"er wheel and tire.

Bad: Weight. First and foremost, you have a heavier tire and wheel overall than you would a good quality trail wheel in a 29"er format fitted with a good 29"er tire. That means that a 29"er wheel is easier to get going and keep going than these mid-fat wheels, which is most apparent when speeds are higher on harder packed terrain. Rolling resistance- The way the tread hits the trail with these mid-fat wheels versus a 29"er tire is quite different. The WTB Trailblazer is a squared off, "all tread hits the trail" tire where a 29"er tire typically will not do that. Yes- the Trailblazer has a continuous center strip to help against this, and it works, but you will feel the "all the tread-all the time" rolling resistance and especially at lower pressures. Finally, that squared off profile and close tread block pattern makes the Trailblazer a drier conditions tire. Mud will send this tire skittering sideways. It also doesn't have a ton of side bite, but in drier conditions this is okay, in my opinion.

This single speed mid-fat set up is a blast to ride.

Conclusions So Far......

I will likely try the Fargo Gen II with the rigid fork, but in the end, I think I am pretty sure where this whole experiment is going to go. I've tried these wheels on four bikes now, and two of them were instantly inducing smiles, while the other two were head scratching conundrums and have not produced the "fun factor" the other two have. Interestingly, the two fun set ups have both been single speeds.

The lighter weight of a single speed bike overall can allow for heavier wheels and momentum, while not at the levels of a 29"er, are still pretty good with the mid-fat wheels. And we all know momentum is king with regard to single speeding. Add in the extra traction, a bit easier spin up than a 29+, and extra cush, and it all adds up when one gear is used. Why that hasn't translated to a geared hard tail set up has been baffling, but the differences in feel are like night and day to me.

The Industry is going to go "ga-ga" for these mid-fat wheels and I suppose with some quality rubber, it may be an okay deal for some. However; I am not seeing a super-wide ranging appeal here from my point of view. Ride a 29"er most of the time, and where conditions get sketchy, looser, and you want to push out your boundaries, go all in and ride a fat bike. There is one wheel that maybe will yet change my mind and that's the 29+ deal. I tried it on two different rigs. One was an amazing experience, and one was so-so, which leaves me at an inconclusive state where 29+ is concerned. I will be researching that more as time goes forward as well.

Stay tuned.......

Fat Fargo: Thoughts On B+ Wheels

A Gen II Fargo with fatter wheels

As stated yesterday, I wanted to lay down some thoughts on the B+, 27.5+, 650B+ or whatever these are going to be called.....wheels. Let's say "mid-fat" and leave it at that, shall we?

For those of you that are not familiar, and to give those folks interested in specifications their dosage, here are the pertinent features of the mid-fat platforms and also my specs on this wheel set.

• Mid-fat or "plus" sized wheels are really just larger than average tires with high volume on rims you already know and love. There are a few wider rims out now as well. 
• Mid-fat tires can be fitted to the 650B/27.5 or 29"er based platforms. Rim specs in terms of diameter are the same- 622ISO for 29+ and 584ISO for B+/27.5+. Typically, the wider rims are better, so anything with a 30mm wide width or wider works best. Some are 50mm wide, like Surly's Rabbit Hole and Sun Ringle's Mulefut.
• Tires are typically going to be either side of 3 inches wide with a lot of height/volume to the casings. 2.8" to 3.25" seems to be the working range so far. This is for both diameters out there that are being pushed- 27.5+/B+ and 29+.
• Wide rims and fatter, higher volume tires make for big overall diameters. For instance, a 50mm wide rim with a 3.25" "B+" tire is the same diameter, more or less, as a 29" X 2.25" tire. A 29+ tire at 3 inches wide on a 50mm wide rim is approximately the same overall diameter as a 4.8" wide fat bike tire on a 100mm wide rim- 31 inches or so. 

Now for my Fargo wheels, I used 35mm wide Velocity Blunt 35 rims and put some 2.8" WTB Trailblazer tires on them tubeless. This brings the diameter of these wheels to just slightly less than a 29 X 2.2" wheel. That means my bottom bracket is ever so slightly lower. Otherwise, there was plenty of room in the frame to fit this wheel in my Fargo. Now.....why would you do this? That's the big question, and what I wanted to seek out was an answer that satisfied my curiosity. This may not be your answer, but I feel it makes a lot of sense.

The whole "plus" size/mid-fat thing is an attempt to take advantage of fat bike volume, flotation, and grip in a package that isn't so cumbersome, heavy, and that doesn't require weird frames with wide bottom brackets which hurt some folk's knees and whatnot. Are they "fat bikes"? That's a question folks debate. I own both fat bikes and this B+/mid-fat bike. My Fat Fargo is not a fat bike. Nope. Not even close.

But, it isn't like any of my 29"ers either. I have a 29 X 2.4" tired rig that runs 45mm wide Velocity Duallys. While the footprint of those wheels are as big as my mid-fat/B+ tires, they don't have the volume of those B+ tires, and there's where your differences are and why it may make sense to run a mid-fat/B+ rig for you.

The Singular Buzzard with 29 X 2.4" tires on Velocity Duallys

That volume allows for lower pressures without fear of rim strikes. Lower pressures mean the tires conform to terrain features better, which equals more grip and control. The differences are minute, to be sure, but palpable, and in the right rig, a B+/mid-fat set up may make a lot of sense. I thought it worked great on a single speed, for instance, where grip and the lack of suspension might be your set up. I also wanted to try this as a set up for a bikepacking rig or bagged hauler/tourer/versatile mtb set up. That's where the "Fat Fargo" comes in.

My thoughts were that my original Fargo Gen I was the perfect candidate for these wheels, since it wasn't suspension corrected, and a little comfort would be welcomed there. However; the tire clearances in the chain stays were too tight to allow for mud clearances, and I felt the bottom bracket on that bike with the B+ wheels was too low. Bummer that, but I wasn't going to quit just there.

I had the Gen II Fargo, so why not slap those meats into that frame and see what's up. Well, the clearances were really good, and the bottom bracket, while slightly lower for sure, isn't too low, for me. Maybe for you it would be, but so far, I've been just fine with things this way. Of course, the Gen II has a Rock Shox Reba on it and that combo is pluuuuuusssssh. The fork has 80mm of travel, but with the tires, it almost feels like my 140mm of travel on my Buzzard.

I wish this would've worked better.

I do have the rigid fork for the Gen II bike, and that will be the next thing I try, but for now, I have a brief list of "Good" and "Bad" things that I have found running these mid-fat wheels on my Fargo. This certainly isn't a list that is comprehensive or finished yet, but here you go....

Good: The ride is super smooth. The smaller bumps disappear, bigger jolts are mere annoyances, and curbs are swallowed with little to no lifting of the front end. Grip is amazing when the conditions are ripe. Stability at slow speed is enhanced. The smaller sized wheels are easier to spin up by a long shot over 29+, but they do not give you near the momentum carrying capacity of either 29+ or a straight up 29"er wheel. There is more float, and so these carry you into looser terrain a bit further than does the "normal" 29"er wheel and tire.

Bad: Weight. First and foremost, you have a heavier tire and wheel overall than you would a good quality trail wheel in a 29"er format fitted with a good 29"er tire. That means that a 29"er wheel is easier to get going and keep going than these mid-fat wheels, which is most apparent when speeds are higher on harder packed terrain. Rolling resistance- The way the tread hits the trail with these mid-fat wheels versus a 29"er tire is quite different. The WTB Trailblazer is a squared off, "all tread hits the trail" tire where a 29"er tire typically will not do that. Yes- the Trailblazer has a continuous center strip to help against this, and it works, but you will feel the "all the tread-all the time" rolling resistance and especially at lower pressures. Finally, that squared off profile and close tread block pattern makes the Trailblazer a drier conditions tire. Mud will send this tire skittering sideways. It also doesn't have a ton of side bite, but in drier conditions this is okay, in my opinion.

This single speed mid-fat set up is a blast to ride.

Conclusions So Far......

I will likely try the Fargo Gen II with the rigid fork, but in the end, I think I am pretty sure where this whole experiment is going to go. I've tried these wheels on four bikes now, and two of them were instantly inducing smiles, while the other two were head scratching conundrums and have not produced the "fun factor" the other two have. Interestingly, the two fun set ups have both been single speeds.

The lighter weight of a single speed bike overall can allow for heavier wheels and momentum, while not at the levels of a 29"er, are still pretty good with the mid-fat wheels. And we all know momentum is king with regard to single speeding. Add in the extra traction, a bit easier spin up than a 29+, and extra cush, and it all adds up when one gear is used. Why that hasn't translated to a geared hard tail set up has been baffling, but the differences in feel are like night and day to me.

The Industry is going to go "ga-ga" for these mid-fat wheels and I suppose with some quality rubber, it may be an okay deal for some. However; I am not seeing a super-wide ranging appeal here from my point of view. Ride a 29"er most of the time, and where conditions get sketchy, looser, and you want to push out your boundaries, go all in and ride a fat bike. There is one wheel that maybe will yet change my mind and that's the 29+ deal. I tried it on two different rigs. One was an amazing experience, and one was so-so, which leaves me at an inconclusive state where 29+ is concerned. I will be researching that more as time goes forward as well.

Stay tuned.......

MukTruk

MukTruk V1

What is a "MukTruk"? That's the name Mike Johnson gave to his titanium Mukluk outfitted with 29+ wheels. The story started with Mike wanting to fit these tires and wheels to his Ti Muk, and then having past Trans Iowa winner Dennis Grelk machine him some modified Alternator drop outs to help gain better mud clearances.

So, as long as Dennis was going to go to the trouble of making one set, he figured he may as well make a couple more, (at least, I am not sure if another set exists or not), and so that is how I came into possession of a set of these drop outs. I'll show why those are necessary here in a moment. First though, I want to share the long and winding road that took me to the point where you see my Ti Muk today.

This all started when I rode a Krampus at Interbike a few years back. I figured the versatile Ti Muk might work with these wheels, but I didn't have the tires, nor the right wheel set to do that with. I do have a fat bike hubbed wheel set that spin Stan's Flow rims, but those were deemed too skinny by myself for this project.

Clearance is super tight with stock Alternators

So, a new wheel set, or at least a re-lacing of those hubs would need to be done. Then Salsa Cycles introduced the new, front disc spaced Conversion hub set, and in my favorite color- purple! I ordered up a set at the end of Winter and those sat until very recently when I had them laced to Velocity Dually rims in black ano with purple alloy nipples.

Getting up to speed with what would work with fat bikes going forward, the Conversion Hubs were a good move, but that made my Enabler fork, a rear disc mount/rear disc spaced hub compatible fork, obsolete. A new fork was in order then. Being somewhat limited to a few forks with this front disc standard and 1 1/8th steer tube standard, I chose the MRP alloy Fat Fork. It is a little heavier than its carbon counterpart, but it was significantly less expensive. I saved 234 grams from the switch of forks, which isn't huge, but it is something.

There are going to be a lot of 29+ tires soon, but as for right now, I like the Knards. I've seen what they can do, and I have also experienced what they can do. (The Borealis Echo test recently, for instance.) Of course, I got the 120TPI versions and set them up tubeless using my buddy MG's special sauce and a combination of Gorilla Tape, (one layer), and a round of Velocity USA blue tubeless tape to reinforce the spoke hole area.

Using the "DG Alternator Drops"  makes more room

The tubeless mixture was mixed a bit on the thicker side to aid in sealing up the Knard casings and bead interface on the Duallys. It was a laborious prep process and mounting session, but it all paid off in a successful set up of these tires tubeless. You have to really spend the time in set up to pull this off well. I'm confident, (after seeing Mike Johnson's performances and in the use of the Borealis Echo), that this tubeless set up will be bombproof.

The final key to the successful MukTruk transformation was the Dennis Grelk custom machined Alternator style drop outs. Dennis expertly figured out how to move the wheel rearward in relation to the seat stay bridge without raising the bottom bracket. This required a bit of a mod to the design of the original Alternator in that Dennis had to move the brake caliper upper mount to its own, dedicated threaded hole instead of ganging it with the upper swing pivot point, as Salsa Cycles' design utilizes. This required a little extra hardware, but I had everything I needed there to make the swap. With the new "DG-Alternator Drop" slammed all the way up, I have gobs of mud clearance, and no doubt I could probably also slot in a Surly Bud or Lou fat bike tire on a wide rim as well with this set up.

MukTruk V2: With the "DG-Alternator Drop" set up, new fork, and 29+ wheels and tires I am set for adventure!

No questions on clearances here!

Mike Johnson told me recently that his MukTruk set up is his "go-to" bike now, and I can already say that I am pretty darn sure that this bike will also be one of my very favorite rigs as well. Capable of mountain biking, gravel riding, light Winter duty, and more, I will likely be using this bicycle more and more also, just like Mike does.

Mike has his rig set up with a Luxy Bar, and I may do something like that at some point, but honestly, I may just get some Ergon BioKork grips with integral bar ends first, as I really like their feel and performance. The bar may get swapped for something wider though, as I've become accustomed to the short stem/wide bar feel of some other rigs I have ridden. Then there is the upcoming release of Jeff Jones' carbon Loop Bar.

The only bummer about this Ti Muk is the pigeon hole you find yourself in with the head tube size. 1 1/8th is something of an antiquated standard. No fork manufacturers are really supporting it with new releases anymore, so as long as I can live with the rigid fork, I suppose I'll be okay.  Otherwise I like almost everything else just fine. I may have to swap to a more modern crank and bottom bracket soon. I don't suppose 100mm ISIS bottom brackets will be around much longer! That's something that may force my hand, and honestly, it would make the bike better. Maybe one of those fancy Race Face Next fat bike cranks is on the horizon.....

I did get a short ride on this Saturday evening and it feels.......normal. At least to me it does. The thing is, it steers better with the Knard 29 X 3" tires than with fat bike tires and I already know what this tire and wheel combination is capable of having ridden three different bicycles fitted with wide rims and 29+ Knards previously. It should prove out to be a ton of fun!

MukTruk

MukTruk V1

What is a "MukTruk"? That's the name Mike Johnson gave to his titanium Mukluk outfitted with 29+ wheels. The story started with Mike wanting to fit these tires and wheels to his Ti Muk, and then having past Trans Iowa winner Dennis Grelk machine him some modified Alternator drop outs to help gain better mud clearances.

So, as long as Dennis was going to go to the trouble of making one set, he figured he may as well make a couple more, (at least, I am not sure if another set exists or not), and so that is how I came into possession of a set of these drop outs. I'll show why those are necessary here in a moment. First though, I want to share the long and winding road that took me to the point where you see my Ti Muk today.

This all started when I rode a Krampus at Interbike a few years back. I figured the versatile Ti Muk might work with these wheels, but I didn't have the tires, nor the right wheel set to do that with. I do have a fat bike hubbed wheel set that spin Stan's Flow rims, but those were deemed too skinny by myself for this project.

Clearance is super tight with stock Alternators

So, a new wheel set, or at least a re-lacing of those hubs would need to be done. Then Salsa Cycles introduced the new, front disc spaced Conversion hub set, and in my favorite color- purple! I ordered up a set at the end of Winter and those sat until very recently when I had them laced to Velocity Dually rims in black ano with purple alloy nipples.

Getting up to speed with what would work with fat bikes going forward, the Conversion Hubs were a good move, but that made my Enabler fork, a rear disc mount/rear disc spaced hub compatible fork, obsolete. A new fork was in order then. Being somewhat limited to a few forks with this front disc standard and 1 1/8th steer tube standard, I chose the MRP alloy Fat Fork. It is a little heavier than its carbon counterpart, but it was significantly less expensive. I saved 234 grams from the switch of forks, which isn't huge, but it is something.

There are going to be a lot of 29+ tires soon, but as for right now, I like the Knards. I've seen what they can do, and I have also experienced what they can do. (The Borealis Echo test recently, for instance.) Of course, I got the 120TPI versions and set them up tubeless using my buddy MG's special sauce and a combination of Gorilla Tape, (one layer), and a round of Velocity USA blue tubeless tape to reinforce the spoke hole area.

Using the "DG Alternator Drops"  makes more room

The tubeless mixture was mixed a bit on the thicker side to aid in sealing up the Knard casings and bead interface on the Duallys. It was a laborious prep process and mounting session, but it all paid off in a successful set up of these tires tubeless. You have to really spend the time in set up to pull this off well. I'm confident, (after seeing Mike Johnson's performances and in the use of the Borealis Echo), that this tubeless set up will be bombproof.

The final key to the successful MukTruk transformation was the Dennis Grelk custom machined Alternator style drop outs. Dennis expertly figured out how to move the wheel rearward in relation to the seat stay bridge without raising the bottom bracket. This required a bit of a mod to the design of the original Alternator in that Dennis had to move the brake caliper upper mount to its own, dedicated threaded hole instead of ganging it with the upper swing pivot point, as Salsa Cycles' design utilizes. This required a little extra hardware, but I had everything I needed there to make the swap. With the new "DG-Alternator Drop" slammed all the way up, I have gobs of mud clearance, and no doubt I could probably also slot in a Surly Bud or Lou fat bike tire on a wide rim as well with this set up.

MukTruk V2: With the "DG-Alternator Drop" set up, new fork, and 29+ wheels and tires I am set for adventure!

No questions on clearances here!

Mike Johnson told me recently that his MukTruk set up is his "go-to" bike now, and I can already say that I am pretty darn sure that this bike will also be one of my very favorite rigs as well. Capable of mountain biking, gravel riding, light Winter duty, and more, I will likely be using this bicycle more and more also, just like Mike does.

Mike has his rig set up with a Luxy Bar, and I may do something like that at some point, but honestly, I may just get some Ergon BioKork grips with integral bar ends first, as I really like their feel and performance. The bar may get swapped for something wider though, as I've become accustomed to the short stem/wide bar feel of some other rigs I have ridden. Then there is the upcoming release of Jeff Jones' carbon Loop Bar.

The only bummer about this Ti Muk is the pigeon hole you find yourself in with the head tube size. 1 1/8th is something of an antiquated standard. No fork manufacturers are really supporting it with new releases anymore, so as long as I can live with the rigid fork, I suppose I'll be okay.  Otherwise I like almost everything else just fine. I may have to swap to a more modern crank and bottom bracket soon. I don't suppose 100mm ISIS bottom brackets will be around much longer! That's something that may force my hand, and honestly, it would make the bike better. Maybe one of those fancy Race Face Next fat bike cranks is on the horizon.....

I did get a short ride on this Saturday evening and it feels.......normal. At least to me it does. The thing is, it steers better with the Knard 29 X 3" tires than with fat bike tires and I already know what this tire and wheel combination is capable of having ridden three different bicycles fitted with wide rims and 29+ Knards previously. It should prove out to be a ton of fun!

Riding In The Broomwagon For Now

Ti Muk wheels

This has been a tough week. I think my friend Mike Johnson said it best when he put it this way: "Stress to the body comes in many forms and is often delayed." He's right on in my case. 

Monday I got right back on the bike after resting hard all day Sunday. Sure- I had aches and pains, but it ain't no thing with me. I always have aches and pains. I was cooked by the end of the day though. Tuesday I rode back and forth to work again. Feeling "okay", but still worked, still achy. Then Tuesday night I knew something was really wrong. I got a feeling that I was sick. By Wednesday morning I was really hurting. It was flu. I had a temperature of 102°F most of the day. Sweating, pain, aches. It was awful. Thursday saw my wife put me on a regimen of Ibuprofen and Tylenol, with plenty of fluids and rest. No bicycles, no alcohol. 

Thursday night I decided to not take the Ibuprofen before I went to bed. I was feeling really good, and I wanted to know if I was over it, or was it just being managed by drugs. I found out Friday morning it was "managed by drugs". I hurt all over and had a slight fever again. Not to mention a stuffy head and cold now. So the "No bikes-No alcohol" rule is still in effect. Mrs Guitar Ted says until Monday at the earliest. Boo. 

The Slender Fungus sent me a Get Well Package.

Oh well. I suppose this getting bounced off a Silverado thing will take time to get around. I better just be patient. In the meantime I got a nice "get well" package from the Slender Fungus Friday. (Thanks Crew!) I'll have to wait to use the koozie though. Under orders and all.....

Then there are the new wheels for the titanium Mukluk/ I got some purple anodized Salsa Conversion hubs some time ago now, and finally had Velocity lace those up to some Dually rims with purple nips. These are the 29"er Duallys, so they will be getting some Knard 29 X 3" tires soon, and yes- tubeless. That will be a set up then that will get these special Alternator style drop outs that will push the wheel back as it relates to the frame, so the rear 29+ will clear the brace across the seat stays better. (Thank you MJ & DG!) I now will have to get a fork that fits the 135 front disc standard so I can have a brake and I also need the tires yet. Baby steps. I'll get this done soon! I definitely have the time to do that now!

The Odin's dirt still needs cleaning away.....

I also need to attend to the Fargo Gen I rig. It hasn't gotten a proper clean up post Odin's Revenge, (I know! It's been too long) Then I need to pick up a proper granny ring for this rig as well. The 22T that is on there now chain sucks and I don't need anything that low. I have seen where I can get a 24 or possibly a 26T granny, which would be ideal and less likely to chin suck, if it fits. Maybe the 24T then! 

The tires need a sealant recharge as well. Then I think everything will be good to go, despite it having gotten thrashed in the dirt and mud to the point I figured the entire drive train would need to be replaced when I was riding Odin's. Beyond the obvious maintenance, I would really like to get a hold of a nicer seat post for that bike. The test post from Cirrus Cycles was sweet. I may have to save up for one of those. It really made the Fargo Gen I a better bike. 

I've professed my love for the Fargo Gen I here before, and I am hoping that some tweaks to the Ti Muk will come to fruition that will make it as much a "go-to" bike as the Fargo is now. If it all works out, I think a Luxy Bar of mine may find its way over to that Ti Muk and with its titanium seat post, bigger 29+ rubber, and new drop outs, it will be that sort of a bike for me. We will see.

Riding In The Broomwagon For Now

Ti Muk wheels

This has been a tough week. I think my friend Mike Johnson said it best when he put it this way: "Stress to the body comes in many forms and is often delayed." He's right on in my case. 

Monday I got right back on the bike after resting hard all day Sunday. Sure- I had aches and pains, but it ain't no thing with me. I always have aches and pains. I was cooked by the end of the day though. Tuesday I rode back and forth to work again. Feeling "okay", but still worked, still achy. Then Tuesday night I knew something was really wrong. I got a feeling that I was sick. By Wednesday morning I was really hurting. It was flu. I had a temperature of 102°F most of the day. Sweating, pain, aches. It was awful. Thursday saw my wife put me on a regimen of Ibuprofen and Tylenol, with plenty of fluids and rest. No bicycles, no alcohol. 

Thursday night I decided to not take the Ibuprofen before I went to bed. I was feeling really good, and I wanted to know if I was over it, or was it just being managed by drugs. I found out Friday morning it was "managed by drugs". I hurt all over and had a slight fever again. Not to mention a stuffy head and cold now. So the "No bikes-No alcohol" rule is still in effect. Mrs Guitar Ted says until Monday at the earliest. Boo. 

The Slender Fungus sent me a Get Well Package.

Oh well. I suppose this getting bounced off a Silverado thing will take time to get around. I better just be patient. In the meantime I got a nice "get well" package from the Slender Fungus Friday. (Thanks Crew!) I'll have to wait to use the koozie though. Under orders and all.....

Then there are the new wheels for the titanium Mukluk/ I got some purple anodized Salsa Conversion hubs some time ago now, and finally had Velocity lace those up to some Dually rims with purple nips. These are the 29"er Duallys, so they will be getting some Knard 29 X 3" tires soon, and yes- tubeless. That will be a set up then that will get these special Alternator style drop outs that will push the wheel back as it relates to the frame, so the rear 29+ will clear the brace across the seat stays better. (Thank you MJ & DG!) I now will have to get a fork that fits the 135 front disc standard so I can have a brake and I also need the tires yet. Baby steps. I'll get this done soon! I definitely have the time to do that now!

The Odin's dirt still needs cleaning away.....

I also need to attend to the Fargo Gen I rig. It hasn't gotten a proper clean up post Odin's Revenge, (I know! It's been too long) Then I need to pick up a proper granny ring for this rig as well. The 22T that is on there now chain sucks and I don't need anything that low. I have seen where I can get a 24 or possibly a 26T granny, which would be ideal and less likely to chin suck, if it fits. Maybe the 24T then! 

The tires need a sealant recharge as well. Then I think everything will be good to go, despite it having gotten thrashed in the dirt and mud to the point I figured the entire drive train would need to be replaced when I was riding Odin's. Beyond the obvious maintenance, I would really like to get a hold of a nicer seat post for that bike. The test post from Cirrus Cycles was sweet. I may have to save up for one of those. It really made the Fargo Gen I a better bike. 

I've professed my love for the Fargo Gen I here before, and I am hoping that some tweaks to the Ti Muk will come to fruition that will make it as much a "go-to" bike as the Fargo is now. If it all works out, I think a Luxy Bar of mine may find its way over to that Ti Muk and with its titanium seat post, bigger 29+ rubber, and new drop outs, it will be that sort of a bike for me. We will see.