Which 29er or FAT bike for a nice spin

CramCycle

Looking around for either a 29er or a FAT bike and have narrowed it down to the following:

VooDoo Wazoo - tried it my local Halfords, it feels lighter than advertised, very comfy and its within my budget. It can also double as a commuter if we ever get hit with really bad winter again. Looks like fun and I can do some exploring up in the mountains with it. The main point is a decent frame that I can upgrade later.

Cube Aim or attention - same frame on both, just a price and component difference as far as I know. Again within budget. Can serve as a proper MTB for up around Wicklow and south Dublin. Same as above, a decent frame that can be upgraded later.

So the question is really, which will be more fun and which will be more suitable for tipping about off road.

My budget is 600 max, they both are under it with my local halfords matching the sterling price for the Wazoo which makes me think it will not last long.

I want one that if necessary, I can fix my kids child seat to it, preferably alu frame, and a good frame which can upgrade to a decent bike rather than an OK overall package.

CramCycle

Anyone any experience of the cube? How wide a tyre can the cube frame take?

How stable would the fat bike be with the child seat?

Ideas or opinions welcome

JBokeh

No personal experience with the Cube, but a lad I head out with has one, I think on the back you'll struggle to get more than a 2.3 from maxxis on it, which are narrower than advertised, otherwise it is a 2.25 from schwalbe.

You sound like a man that is after a 27.5+ machine, which are still very new, and quite expensive, Though I hear walmart have started selling mongoose ones for decent money, so they might be able to be sourced here somewhere.

I've a few 29er tyres on rims, i'll measure the width at the shoulders for you with a callipers later for you

JBokeh

I wrote these widths down in my best doctors handwriting, and abbreviated them to make it even more illegible

on a 23mm rim, inflated with a tube a 2.35 Schwalbe magic mary and hans dampf measure at 62mm at the widest part, and a 2.4 maxxis ardent comes in at 60mm, and another one is at 62 (I think these might be tubeless) , this discrepancy could be due to one being a front and one being a rear, where cornering makes the lugs separate from the casing a bit

on a 19mm XC wheel set, i've a nobby nic and another ardent in 2.25 size, these are both tubeless, and are 54mm.

If you want something to ride on tarmac i'd recommend ardents, they're reasonable as a fast rolling tyre, and don't sap much energy, the schwable ones I have are all of the large lug AM type, and make tarmac an awful experience. Most 29ers are aimed at XC so you'll find they are narrow at the chain stays which makes the high volume tyres tricky to fit

CramCycle

JBokeh wrote: »

No personal experience with the Cube, but a lad I head out with has one, I think on the back you'll struggle to get more than a 2.3 from maxxis on it, which are narrower than advertised, otherwise it is a 2.25 from schwalbe.

The wideness wasn't a necessity but I think I would like it for finding random trails and also heading up the mountains during the winter but its not essential. Are you saying the rear of the frame looks like 2.3 max? as I presume the forks could be updated at a later stage to be more accommodating.

You sound like a man that is after a 27.5+ machine, which are still very new, and quite expensive, Though I hear walmart have started selling mongoose ones for decent money, so they might be able to be sourced here somewhere.

There are a few within my price range from Cannondale but they don't strike me loooking at the geometry as the bike I want, and it appears as more of a, if you are on a small frame you get 27.5 rather than them being 27.5s at all sizes. With the disc brakes, could I put 27.5s on the Cube. i presume I will still be limited by the frame for width but maybe not. Might look stupid as well.

JBokeh wrote: »

I wrote these widths down in my best doctors handwriting, and abbreviated them to make it even more illegible

on a 23mm rim, inflated with a tube a 2.35 Schwalbe magic mary and hans dampf measure at 62mm at the widest part, and a 2.4 maxxis ardent comes in at 60mm, and another one is at 62 (I think these might be tubeless) , this discrepancy could be due to one being a front and one being a rear, where cornering makes the lugs separate from the casing a bit

on a 19mm XC wheel set, i've a nobby nic and another ardent in 2.25 size, these are both tubeless, and are 54mm.

If you want something to ride on tarmac i'd recommend ardents, they're reasonable as a fast rolling tyre, and don't sap much energy, the schwable ones I have are all of the large lug AM type, and make tarmac an awful experience. Most 29ers are aimed at XC so you'll find they are narrow at the chain stays which makes the high volume tyres tricky to fit

Thats great info, I have been reading up elsewhere and sizing in tyres seems to be a lottery unless you have them and can measure them as very few companies seem to be on the ball in terms of width when inflated.

Thankfully my new job emergency taxed me so its at least a month before i can make up my mind regardless.

I was thinking whatever I get would get two wheelsets, one for road and commuting and then the other for adventure times.

ford2600

CramCycle wrote: »

then the other for adventure times.

Adventure you said?

http://fatbiking.eu/?p=6247

http://www.highlandtrail.net/

Looks brilliant, not sure what best bike would be though

CramCycle

Thinking it over more and more, I think I am going to go for the Fat bike from Halfords. I then might invest in something like these if it will work:

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/WPOOFATNO/on-one-fat-not-fat-wheelset-29-inch

If I ever want to go faster. I am going to pop up to Halfords at the weekend to see is it still cheap and in stock, and also to measure the spacing and see will those fit on OK or I could even build my own eventually.

Eamonnator

@CramCycle,
Will you please let us know, how it goes with the fat bike.
I would be particularly interested in what it's like to climb on non technical off road.

CramCycle

Eamonnator wrote: »

@CramCycle,
Will you please let us know, how it goes with the fat bike.
I would be particularly interested in what it's like to climb on non technical off road.

It will be a next month thing or even christmas, so hoping that Halfords hold their stock and price but who knows. Will definitely put up a review once I get it though.

Anyone have any ideas on how the fat frame will handle with 29er wheels?

CramCycle

Well I went in to my local halfords and they have corrected the price discrepancy so it's 675 now rather than 375, which is a pity but I never got my tax back so not sure it would have made a difference.