Winter bike / Snow bike thread

new brake pads as well?

Do you have any particular brake pad recommendation for those of us who were born yesterday?

No, James brought her new brake pads when she's looking for better braking performance a while ago, hence the question.

Started the studding process last night. Found it pretty easy to do by hand. The tread of the BFLs is only just wide enougth and only just deep enough. So its a slow process of screwing them in while feeling the underside. I tested the seating by pulling with some needle nose pliers. They seem rock solid to me. 18 done so far, 182 to go.

I've only really seen people use electric screw drivers for this. But I got on well with my little clicky hand driver. The studs come with a special tool which grips them upside down for installation.

The actual thread of the studs is very wide, and sharp. Beautifully cast.

Once in they protrude around 3mm. Which is quite alot. If I had thicker tread, I could screw them in more I guess. Still they aint falling out.

I noticed your limp lever. That must be annoying! The trick i used on mine was to cut a piece of inner tube, pull back the hood and pop the tube over the very top of the lever and replace the hood over it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16670463

Managed to finish off a tyre over the weekend. Looks seriously post apocolyptic. A light studding off 100 studs per tyre looks about right.

A new plan is brewing.

Buy some lefty forks from EBay.
Adjust travel to suit 29er sized diameter.
Buy some custom clamps, which space fork leg 25mm or so further outboard.
Buy lefty hub, and build wheel dished 25mm towards the driveside.

Instant fat suspension fork.

22mm of dish, should clear a 4.7" tyre, on a 80mm rim, and leave the right side with 3deg of bracing angle.

(none of this is my idea BTW. Been done buy cleverer folk)

Need this for carrying your snow bike to the good trails:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7Gg375KhNs

Ordered this last week. Just need to source a suitable Lefty fork now. Need one from before thy started bonding the steerer clamps to the fork leg.

why havent you started your own current project thread yet?

Lazy. I'll do it today, and try and summerise what been posted so far here.

it's going to snow this week apparently

Lazy. I'll do it today, and try and summerise what been posted so far here.

splendid

Done.
http://www.lfgss.com/thread79244.html

try and summerise what been posted so far

Seems an odd thing to do to a winter bike.

Now I've seen some weird setups in my time but someone please explain this:
http://youtu.be/FXrg0lkEJ6k

Have you not seen them before? I'd have thought you have.

the lack of gears/singlespeed is an attempt to shed weight from the fatbike in order to make it a lots easier to carry the bicycle if necessity, and most especially on the raft without overloading it.

secondly, they're riding on the coast, so they don't need a huge range of gear, just the right gearing/range to be able to go through the murkiest of the murk, nor need brakes (some are riding without) as they're hardly going to blast down the singletrack at high speed, less maintenance needed as the coast aren't the kindest to the bike.

This is what I understood when reading about it last year.

But to me it looks like he's running a WI dual freewheel with a very vintage Campagnolo/Suntour rear mech. Just seems strange but I guess if that's what works... I'm afraid much of the fatbike technology is beyond me, I still ride a 26 inch mountain bike!

some of the old stuff are lighter than modern component, also the ol' 5 speed freewheel tend to be 13-17t, so it kinda make sense why they use that old derailleur (short arm).

^^ That looks like one hell of a tour but, if I'm honest, a bit frustrating.

Yes, too much walking.

It's an adventure after all, I liked that sort of thing to be honest, make you look back with fond memory, no fun if it's too easy.

But to me it looks like he's running a WI dual freewheel with a very vintage Campagnolo/Suntour rear mech. Just seems strange but I guess if that's what works... I'm afraid much of the fatbike technology is beyond me, I still ride a 26 inch mountain bike!

You need really low gearing for riding such soft muck. As I understand it the old rear mech copes with this gearing well, and the freewheel is easier to maintain than striping your hub down every day.

I would say that its very clever, as when the freewheel dies (due to salt, sand, snow etc.) your wheel is still sound. So you can easily carry an extra, and replace cheaply. Those freewheels are far from cheap though.

Looks like a fun quest, bar the endless insect bites, walking and distinct lack of local Costcutters. Shame such an isolated trip is all but a complete impossibility in the uk. I like the simple setups on their fatbikes though, would love to be able to throw endless bundles of cash at a bike I'd never use but I already did that with my lht....
How long until you get bored and sell your Pugsley Mr Scoble?

Gotta love this
http://vimeo.com/36071961