To all you 29er's out there!

JB most people upgrade the inner tubes and the brakes. Then various bits of the finishing kit for personal comfort.

There are threads on both the previously mentioned websites discussing upgrading the fattie.

Also the term is hardtail not front sus.

Yeah, my bad, just meant a front sus hardtail as opposed to fully rigid hardtail... But then that would ... ah who am I kidding I don't know MTB terms!

Yeah I saw the dissection on MTBR and the tubes weighed a comedic 600 grams each so they'd definitely get changed if I purchased one. But I think that may very well be the most sensible option (a Fatty). Would definitely go to the showroom to test ride and buy it then and there if I like it!

And I am sorry Pete, I am not quite sure I see there being any problem with that ;-)

Bah

flounces

This seemed like a surprisingly generous offer:

you could have a ride on my partner's mukluk.

Until I saw this:

Over analising

JB i dont understand you at all, but why not get an on-one

^ this, I am not against your prolly approach, you could do all kinds of rad with an on one, just repaint it and build it RadToMax, I am guessing it'll still cost less than a surly.

eg:

On the 29er vs 26er debate, i'll let grown ups talk.
I'd say one thing though if you want to do trails dont even thing about a rigid fork.

or even a genesis

I want matching Surly's. Basically the only reason why.

Or a singular puffin with these wheels.

I want matching Surly's. Basically the only reason why.

ah I forgot you got the pacer, fair enough, black of course (?)

I've got those forks and disc brake you can have jibbles

I want matching Surly's. Basically the only reason why.

I suppose it doesn't matter about the expensive, you'll be selling it soon enough.

I was thinking the same

I'd say one thing though, if you want to do trails, don't even think about a rigid fork.

Hmmm

I maintain that it depends entirely on the trails and the rider. Gabes, for instance, rides an entirely different bike to me, but it's well suited to the type of riding he does and the locations he rides it. If I had the balls to do what he does, I'd most likely get something similar.

My bike however, is very well suited to where I ride and the general pootling/mincing about that I do.

There simply isn't any black & white where off-roading is concerned.

Rigid fatbike has been great for trail riding. Makes for a more physical riding experience.

My wrists didnt agree with rigid carbon forks; mind you tyres werent appropriate either.

I dont miss front sus on my 29er. I only use it on trails that are pretty low tech though.

I have the odd squeaky bum moment when the front bounces on a corner that I've taken too quickly. But if I had a sus fork. I'd just go quicker again, and my bum would squeak just as much.

The fat bike has a lot of front travel for lumpy ice (refrozen tractor tacks etc). because unweighting the front to aviod a being bumped around is pretty delicate on icey trails. Too much and it wipes out completely. So you let a cleverly set-up (low pressure, but high rebound seems to work) sus fork, take some of the fine balancing out of it.

Its all about getting the challenge you want, out of the trails you ride.

^ I suspect your low tech trails are still proper mountain trails though?

My wrists didnt agree with rigid carbon forks; mind you tyres werent appropriate either.

Possibly a setup and technique issue

^ I suspect your low tech trails are still proper mountain trails though?

Well they're on mountains. But a lot has been gravelled. Still, the steep be steep.

just speculating a bit on the 29+ discussion.
how much wider do you reckon a normal (2.3") 29er tyre will sit on a ca 50mm 29+ rim.
if it's 60mm on a 25mm rim.

However wide it is, the shape is going to be funny. With slicks, it's pretty much always good to spread them out to increase the radius of curvature (unless you go so far that you ride off the edge in corners), but knobblies will have been designed to work best at their designed width.

I want to run slicks.
inspired by the challenge p-r on stan's arch setup on the cobblecrosseur, I want to go big slick on the 29er. just wanted to make sure I've got the clearance for it.
it looks like velocity are putting out a cool looking 45mm rim too.
http://www.velocityusa.com/product/rims/dually-622

You should be fine, I'm running 700x35C Marathon Racers on 38mm wide Kris Holm rims without any problems.

just speculating a bit on the 29+ discussion.
how much wider do you reckon a normal (2.3") 29er tyre will sit on a ca 50mm 29+ rim.
if it's 60mm on a 25mm rim.

It wont be massively wider. Its the profile which will be most effected. I have hookworms on kris holmes rims. Supper solid set-up for load carrying. But I reckon you'd get the same comfort from a smaller softer sidewall tyre.

This is from surly.

The Knard 3.0 tire on a Rabbit Hole 50mm rim will be 75.8mm/77.7mm
(casing/tread) wide and will have a diameter or 779.4mm (at 19psi).

The Knard 3.0 tire on a Velocity P35 will be 72.6mm/76.7mm wide and have a
diameter of 778.6mm.

A Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.4" tire will be 66.0mm/59.2mm wide and have a
diameter of 752.2mm when mounted on a Rabbit Hole rim (at 35psi).

A Continental Trail King 2.4" tire will be 65.5mm/57.1mm wide and have a diameter of 759.5mm when mounted on a Rabbit Hole rim (at 35psi).