Those knobbies aren't helping the rest of us.
You may need to change the rim to get wider tires on.
Wide and smooth as possible.
I'm looking for a mountain bike frame for as wide a tire as possible and I plan to change the gears to a hubgear, but multi-sprockets do survive with care.
I may even change the width of the frame.
A bigger tire can help the roughness without the shocks, but I sure got beaten to death last year.
Most mountain bike suspensions seem to consist only of springs and fake shocks.
I may do something trick, if I can't find a decent seat.
If anyone finds the wide rims used, I'm interested.
They probably only show up on the west coast now.
And I'd be happy to find a frame or fork too, though unlikely.
Bicycle advice (I'm a newbie!)
gyre wrote:Those knobbies aren't helping the rest of us.
You may need to change the rim to get wider tires on.
Wide and smooth as possible.
I'm looking for a mountain bike frame for as wide a tire as possible and I plan to change the gears to a hubgear, but multi-sprockets do survive with care.
I may even change the width of the frame.
A bigger tire can help the roughness without the shocks, but I sure got beaten to death last year.
Most mountain bike suspensions seem to consist only of springs and fake shocks.
I may do something trick, if I can't find a decent seat.
If anyone finds the wide rims used, I'm interested.
They probably only show up on the west coast now.
And I'd be happy to find a frame or fork too, though unlikely.
The Surly Pugsley...definitely the widest rig you can find. I have riddden one in snow and sand and it really "floats" over loose terrain, would be fun on the playa but not a realistic option given the price tag (unless you are rich). Surly bikes makes a wide rim for the Pugsley, the Large Marge. You would need to have a good wheel builder build your wheels with these rims (if you don't know how). Wish there was a cheaper, ready made alternative suitable for the destructiveness of the playa and BM.
Yes, I've tried out the Surly on the playa, and it does work out there.
So, got any used rims?
Chances are nil of finding a used one here.
Also, I was under the impression that the Big Dummy longtail by Surly is a wide bike, but I was wrong about that.
The Pugsley frame is $575 by itself, and it is unfortunately a pretty specialized build.
You can get a fork to add to some mountain bikes, which is one option I may use.
That at least gets the Endomorph or Larry tire on the front.
It's about $90 for the fork, $100 each for tire and rim.
I guarantee the Pugsley won't get stuck out there though.
So, got any used rims?
Chances are nil of finding a used one here.
Also, I was under the impression that the Big Dummy longtail by Surly is a wide bike, but I was wrong about that.
The Pugsley frame is $575 by itself, and it is unfortunately a pretty specialized build.
You can get a fork to add to some mountain bikes, which is one option I may use.
That at least gets the Endomorph or Larry tire on the front.
It's about $90 for the fork, $100 each for tire and rim.
I guarantee the Pugsley won't get stuck out there though.
Gyre, thanks for the info, thought it would be a great playa ride. One thing to keep in mind is the Pugsley fork has 135 mm spacing (not the standard 100 mm). So you need a rear hub for it, usually single-speed. We have built a few of these wheel sets in the local shop where I work occasionally. Have not checked to see if anyone sells pre-built wheels in this size, but I would not be surprised. Would have to ship pretty damn fast to get it before the burn though!
Another potential solution if you can't go any wider is to go bigger, diameter that is like a 29" mtn bike wheel. I have been riding 29er mtn bikes exclusively for trail riding for several years and I really like how they simply roll over stuff a lot more easily than a 26" wheel. I would never take my Intense 29er to the playa. But last year, I built up an ad hoc 29er last year from a 26" mtn bike frame. Discovered that my 29er wheels just barely fit the rear triangle of the frame. Got a 29er fork from someone else in the bike shop and bingo. Unless you have the tools and ability to braze or machine you won't have back brakes with this set-up, but a front brake is sufficient for the playa. I wanted rear brake, but I did not want to ruin the paint job by brazing new brake bosses, so I machined special extensions that raised the bosses to the new rim height. Not optimal 29er geometry, but I was surprised at how well it worked!
Another potential solution if you can't go any wider is to go bigger, diameter that is like a 29" mtn bike wheel. I have been riding 29er mtn bikes exclusively for trail riding for several years and I really like how they simply roll over stuff a lot more easily than a 26" wheel. I would never take my Intense 29er to the playa. But last year, I built up an ad hoc 29er last year from a 26" mtn bike frame. Discovered that my 29er wheels just barely fit the rear triangle of the frame. Got a 29er fork from someone else in the bike shop and bingo. Unless you have the tools and ability to braze or machine you won't have back brakes with this set-up, but a front brake is sufficient for the playa. I wanted rear brake, but I did not want to ruin the paint job by brazing new brake bosses, so I machined special extensions that raised the bosses to the new rim height. Not optimal 29er geometry, but I was surprised at how well it worked!
It is actually quite noticeable if you were to compare a 26" wheel to a 29" wheel with the same dimension of tire. The 29er tire has significantly more air volume, and you can run them at lower pressure than a 26" tire without running the risk of "snake bite" punctures, lower pressure = greater area of contact with the ground. The 29" wheel also maintains more momentum and has a lower angle of incidence with objects sticking out of the ground.gyre wrote:
It never occurred to me that the larger diameter would work better in soft ground.
29er rigid single speeds are all the rage out west here. Turns out it is not everyone's cup of tea so I see them second hand quite often. Does not really help you out, not sure what the bike market is like in your neck of the woods.
Good luck!
I'm volunteering at the bike co-op and trying to learn how to work on these things.
My options consist of what shows up donated, unless I find a good deal.
Bikes here range from overlooked cheap gems to outrageously overpriced high end bikes.
I've seen one longtail at the bicycle film festival.
Few people here have even heard of Surly.
It would be worth the trouble to me to pick up a bike elsewhere, if it's the right bike.
I will be using gears, not being amish.
My options consist of what shows up donated, unless I find a good deal.
Bikes here range from overlooked cheap gems to outrageously overpriced high end bikes.
I've seen one longtail at the bicycle film festival.
Few people here have even heard of Surly.
It would be worth the trouble to me to pick up a bike elsewhere, if it's the right bike.
I will be using gears, not being amish.
Great bike! Yes, pad the seat as much as you can with a pillow, foam or fur. After miles of bouncing on a plastic seat, you will get "bike butt", rashes and sores. For the tennis ball on the kickstand, cut a small slit in the ball and fill it with GOOP or other sealant and then stick it on the kickstand.
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thejohnstamos
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2006 2:29 pm
- Location: Denver Co
For 4 or 5 years I rode a bike that had solid tube 10-speed type tires. It had absolutely no cushion at all and weighed a ton but that's the lengths I'll go to avoid changing a flat. My point is that darn near any bike will work, it just may not work well. Your Schwinn looks about a billion times better than my old one. Don't forget to leave your bike and walk sometimes, you will be amazed at the stuff you'll come across and people you'll meet just by walking.
Also, I highly recommend a flag or something similar. It'll help you easily locate your bike amongst a field of others (ie outside center camp). I picked up a flag for a kid's bike super cheap and just got crafty with it. Easy to put on and take off for travel.
Also, I highly recommend a flag or something similar. It'll help you easily locate your bike amongst a field of others (ie outside center camp). I picked up a flag for a kid's bike super cheap and just got crafty with it. Easy to put on and take off for travel.