Pivot Les Fat set up for long distance back roads touring
11-20-22, 09:31 AM
#1
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Location: Carbondale (nicer than it sounds), Colorado
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Bikes: Several Italian bikes from the 50's - 83, 4 English Lightweights (1949-1970), Riding bikes-Trek 760, SOMA Triple Cross gravel bike, SOMA SAGA DC touring bike, Pivot Les Fat for winter riding and long distance bikepacking. One modern Carbon bike.
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Pivot Les Fat set up for long distance back roads touring
The Les Fat can take tires between 29+ to 5 inches. It can be anything from a snow bike to a long distance touring machine. It has mounts for a rear rack and I use Cleveland Mountaineering front fork mounts and mounted 2 Salsa cages and 2 standard water bolt cages to carry additional water plus a Jet Boil stove, spare parts, etc (things I don't need to access often). For power, I use a SON front hub generator and carry a solar panel as well. I've never run out of power. The Sinewave USB allows me to use a pass thru brick battery and charge the battery first, then my iPhone, iPad mini, lights and so on.
I really like Arkle's small soft sided panniers along with a 20 liter dry bag on the rear rack. I use a Salsa handlebar 'rack' to carry a sleeping back and tent poles. The most water I've had to haul was 22 liters in eastern Utah (so 22 pounds) and the bike performed flawlessly up and down the steep grades of Utah and western Colorado where I live. Its strong and stable and all things considered, not that heavy for a beefy carbon bike. I use it is a stripped down mode for mountain bike on single tack trails.
Here are a couple multi-day trips with pics to show the Les Fat in beast mode...
1. https://www.flickr.com/photos/64293959@N00/albums/72157717464544947
2. https://www.flickr.com/photos/64293959@N00/albums/72177720298070345
I really like Arkle's small soft sided panniers along with a 20 liter dry bag on the rear rack. I use a Salsa handlebar 'rack' to carry a sleeping back and tent poles. The most water I've had to haul was 22 liters in eastern Utah (so 22 pounds) and the bike performed flawlessly up and down the steep grades of Utah and western Colorado where I live. Its strong and stable and all things considered, not that heavy for a beefy carbon bike. I use it is a stripped down mode for mountain bike on single tack trails.
Here are a couple multi-day trips with pics to show the Les Fat in beast mode...
1. https://www.flickr.com/photos/64293959@N00/albums/72157717464544947
2. https://www.flickr.com/photos/64293959@N00/albums/72177720298070345
12-10-22, 09:48 PM
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12-11-22, 06:53 PM
#5
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Location: Carbondale (nicer than it sounds), Colorado
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Bikes: Several Italian bikes from the 50's - 83, 4 English Lightweights (1949-1970), Riding bikes-Trek 760, SOMA Triple Cross gravel bike, SOMA SAGA DC touring bike, Pivot Les Fat for winter riding and long distance bikepacking. One modern Carbon bike.
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You're 100% correct... Yes, 11 liters, not 22. I've never put the bike on a scale, but Pivot says 27 pounds with 4 inch tires. The bike came with a set of Chinese carbon wheels and my guess is they shave off maybe 1/2 to 1 pound off the factory weight. The 29+ wheel set (with SON front hub) actually weighs a little less than the wider but shorter carbon wheels. With 4 or 3 inch tires, I can ride pretty much any mountain bike trail... so I sold my full suspension Salsa and I ride this one on trails, longer tours, and as a winter bike. My steel SOMA Sage DC road touring bike weighs 36 pounds 'dry' for comparison. Both are capable, long distance bikes. Forestry Forest (Simon Lambert) and Iohan G both inspired me to get into fat bike touring. Rest in Peace Iohan...
