Fat Tire bike for a Fat Guy?
 

Hello folks I am obviously new to this forum and I am getting back into trail riding after 4 years off. I am very interested in a Surly Pugsley, something about that bike has truly peaked my interest. I was hoping that there might be another rider of size that has a fat tire bike that they ride and could share some thoughts as to how the fat tires work with a large rider. BTW I am 6'1 300lbs.

There was a guy who raced much of the MFG Cyclocross series here in Seattle on a Salsa Mukluk this year. Probably around your size if I had to guess; Easily 6'2" and at least 270. He didn't seem to have any problems hauling ass around the course. The larger volume tires seemed to offer him a better degree of comfort than lighter racers, without the same potential for pinch flatting that everyone else was risking.

The pug is a great bike, I do not own one but have riden friends. I want one now in a bad way. They ride really easy but they are not as nimble as the normal MTB. What type of terrian are you riding in?

I know a clyde here in Buffalo, about your size. He's got a pugsley and loves it. Go for it. I'll be jealous.

I'm 6'4" and 280, and get away with using 1 1/2 tires on my Nishiki. Seems to work out pretty well. Better for me than 2" tires, as I often ride a combo of road and trail. I'm working on a Fuji Thrill Hardtail for 26" Touring only, and may put 2" tires on it. Try 1 1/2 tires first.

Thanks for the input Clifton, i have also been looking at the Mukluk as well. There is a shop near me that carries both Salsa and Surly so I will take a look at both at the same time to get a better feel
funrover: I will be using the pug on dirt trails in and around the lakes and parks in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Trails usually are dirt with rocks and tree roots in some areas and wide open smooth dirt trails in other areas. On the rare occasion it snows I will def take it out then...
Mithrandir when i decide between the diff options I will post some pics.
Gravity most of the time i will be off the pavement so I am looking for more of a dedicated trail bike. However when I looked at the Nishiki website they had some pretty sweet bikes so you may have opened my eyes further to other options.

I will post pics as to what I purchase in the next few weeks... Thanks for the input everyone!

If I rode on sand and snow a lot I'd get a Mukluk. I tried one out a month or so ago. Loved it! But you are dragging along a lot of tire weight.

Actually I change my mind. Don't get a Pugsley...

GET A MOONLANDER!!!

http://surlybikes.com/uploads/bikes/...moonlander.jpg

5" tires, as opposed to the Pug's 4" tires.

:D :D :D :D

Dang. Now that's dragging some tire weight.

I have 1.5 Schwalbe Marathons on my folder. even though they are wide, they inflate to 100psi.

Interesting, I thought 1.5's usually generally only go up to around 85psi.

that's what makes the Marathon such a great tire. and this year's version improves the flat protection:

http://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_ti...s/marathon_420

Just throwing this out there for you to think about?

Unless you're going to ride mud, sand, and the like, perhaps you may wish to consider something a bit less radical? When I first got back on a bike after 30+ years, I bought a Giant Suede DX "comfort bike" with 26" wheels. I weighed 370lbs starting out. I had 26x2.00 Marathons put on front and rear. Original wheels had 32 spokes - got about 200 miles and started losing rear spokes. The LBS being really cool, warrantied *both* wheels to two custom made 36 spoke wheels (so they'd match), and I went another 450+ miles that year without any issues. Also, no fl@ts...

Most of my riding was on rails to trails, call it crushed limestone most of the time. Another great tire is the Big Apple, and it goes up to a 2.35 width - so a balloon type bike is possible, but will also ride well on roads, MUPS both paved and unpaved.

Just a thought in case you think you have to go that way due to size. FYI - am currently at 317lbs, and trending downward :)

Im 6'4" and 250 and just tested a pug for the first time. I dont think Ive ever laughed and enjoyed a ride as much. I also ride a normal Trek commuter and a Felt road bike without any tire issues

Just picked up my new Pugs tonight. Got to ride it on some heavily packed ski trails and some very lightly packed snowshoe trails. Have some experience with them on singletrack too...

I've previously ridden my MTB equipped with 26x2.35" tires in similar conditions.

Definitely a lot of give and take in moving to this tire size.

With high flotation comes lower traction. If you're a stomper, you need to learn to become a spinner. And this bike can definitely benefit from gearing lower than 22x32.

The main thing I worry about in non-snow conditions though is shredding a tire. These things are *not* cheap. And there's an awful lot of rubber there to catch a sharp rock or something.

This should be fun though. We've got a pretty active and growing community of fat bikers here and I'm looking forward to some fun adventure rides and some racing.

get a stiff wheels and frame,the big size that was all for the fat one.maybe the carbon bike more flexible.
i am thin so that is easy to choose the bikes.

Have fun, my Father in Law always talked about biking around in Da UP as a kid.