one piece crank
Well-Known Member
So I’m almost 4 weeks into fat bike ownership of a 2019 Specialized Fatboy. It does have the carbon fork, but I specifically went for the M5 aluminum frame. The parts pick is nice, with little touches I would have skipped had I built it myself, which make the overall package really nice. The wheels are the new Stout XC80 rims, no lightening holes, 80mm wide (76mm internal) and 4.6” Ground Control tires. Everything sets-up tubeless simply by removing the rim strip and adding sealant (and in my case drilling the rim for a Schrader valve!). I’ve converted the rear due to three thorns in the first 5 days, but I have yet to convert the front (too much fun riding).
Tire pressure - yeah, I’m still figuring that out. Started at 12psi, dropped it down as low as 7psi, and now currently back up to 10-11/rear and 9/front. On my local single track the lower pressures ride REALLY nice, but most places have so many rocks, and when I see a fun line I take it (Trials background)! I find it a very tough balance - soft enought to deform on irregularities, without my 240lbs causing rim strikes - and often change it up right at the trailhead.
Out on the trail (and even sections of road) I don’t notice much loss or weight penalty, but I’m coming from ten years on a burly SS with DH tires that weighs a good deal more than the Fatboy. On the trail it carves up the turns and flow sections with the added benefit of increased roll-over. The front-end feels a bit long and requires more effort to lift, but the bike as a whole is super stable and the rear is dead simple to lift and flick. It's really comfortable out of the box and climbs great. The 1x11 gearing is awesome. The stock seat not-so-much (that was my first change).
Which brings me to my only complaint, all this big-wheel modern geometry crap drops the BB height to the floor! I feel like even aggressive ratcheting puts the pedals within reach of rocks and roots (and it has!) I did a LOT of reading on modern Geometry trends, and specifically chose the Fatboy. With most Fat bikes within 5mm of BB drop, there is no getting away from the low BB’s. I am certainly NOT used to it yet, so I’ll just have to wait until I have significant time in this saddle.
Tire pressure - yeah, I’m still figuring that out. Started at 12psi, dropped it down as low as 7psi, and now currently back up to 10-11/rear and 9/front. On my local single track the lower pressures ride REALLY nice, but most places have so many rocks, and when I see a fun line I take it (Trials background)! I find it a very tough balance - soft enought to deform on irregularities, without my 240lbs causing rim strikes - and often change it up right at the trailhead.
Out on the trail (and even sections of road) I don’t notice much loss or weight penalty, but I’m coming from ten years on a burly SS with DH tires that weighs a good deal more than the Fatboy. On the trail it carves up the turns and flow sections with the added benefit of increased roll-over. The front-end feels a bit long and requires more effort to lift, but the bike as a whole is super stable and the rear is dead simple to lift and flick. It's really comfortable out of the box and climbs great. The 1x11 gearing is awesome. The stock seat not-so-much (that was my first change).
Which brings me to my only complaint, all this big-wheel modern geometry crap drops the BB height to the floor! I feel like even aggressive ratcheting puts the pedals within reach of rocks and roots (and it has!) I did a LOT of reading on modern Geometry trends, and specifically chose the Fatboy. With most Fat bikes within 5mm of BB drop, there is no getting away from the low BB’s. I am certainly NOT used to it yet, so I’ll just have to wait until I have significant time in this saddle.
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