Thinking about a Pugsley or a Mukluk...

[93legendti]

I love the look of those big tires....any Mukluk riders out there? I know Spidey has a Pug...

[maxdog]

I have no experience, but I'll be following this thread closely, as I also find them intriguing.

[Bruce K]

Our LBS is offering Mukluks for demo

No FRNs available - new cross rig on the way - so I won't waste their time

2 guys in our group have them and ride them everywhere. They say that they are a total hoot. Instead of either picking a line or climbing over the old colonial stone walls and similar objects in our New England woods, they just roll right over them

BK

[gavingould]

i don't have one, but i've ridden them... very very fun in snow/sand/messy stuff.

[93legendti]

Our LBS is offering Mukluks for demo

No FRNs available - new cross rig on the way - so I won't waste their time

2 guys in our group have them and ride them everywhere. They say that they are a total hoot. Instead of either picking a line or climbing over the old colonial stone walls and similar objects in our New England woods, they just roll right over them

BK

That's what I heard....the monster truck of bikes.

[93legendti]

i don't have one, but i've ridden them... very very fun in snow/sand/messy stuff.

So it's true, they roll right thru the sloppy stuff?

[Bruce K]

Oh yeah

Sand, snow, mud, you name it! Those mondo tires just kind of float through the soft stuff

BK

[boxerboxer]

Also check out the new Salsa Beargrease. Fully built its supposed to be around 28 lbs! That's probably XTR level stuff but still cool.

[gavingould]

yeah, basically they kinda float over most stuff.

ya know when you've been riding 23mm tires at 100psi all summer, then get on your 'cross bike with 32mm tubulars at 35psi?

kinda like that, but times ten.

[93legendti]

Cool. Can't wait.

What is the Salsa Beargrease?

[srice]

The Salsa Beargrease is a new "race" fatbike being introduced by Salsa this winter. Drops about 7 or 8 pounds from a Mukluk.

I picked up a Pugsley in the fall of 2010 and have used it to complete the Arrowhead 135 this year- it was a great ride even though I made a few really stupid mistakes which cost me hours.

If you are serious about a fat bike, you may also want to take a look at Fatbacks and 9:zero:7s - both from Alaska. If I was starting from the ground up, I would probably go that way. Surly Moonlanders are touted for maximum flotation with Big Fat Larrys and 100mm Clownshoe rims, but I was able to fit Big Fat Larrys and 82mm Rolling Darryls on a Pug with a 2x9 drivetrain.

It is only August 3, and I am already looking for snow!

Steve

[c-record]

I've got a Moonlander inbound when the 2013s come available. Salsas are lighter than the Surly and both are cool.

[apeescape]

One of our shop bikes is a pugsley, and you cannot ride that thing without having a smile ear to ear! Those bikes are just plain fun!

[spiderman]

Surly Moonlanders are touted for maximum flotation with BigS Fat Larrys and 100mm Clownshoe rims, but I was able to fit Big Fat Larrys and 82mm Rolling Darryls on a Pug with a 2x9 drivetrain.

It is only August 3, and I am already looking for snow
Steve

I will have to try this

[monkey1]

the mukluk is a better value

[fourflys]

I got the chance to ride a fat bike in Anchorage on the way over to Kodiak... it was cool and would be awesome if there was enough fresh snow... for any other conditions I think a regular mtn bike would be better...

[Chief]

Hell I thought we were talking about dogs not bikes. :confused:

[JAGI410]

I've had my Pugsley for nearly 2 years now and it remains my favorite bike. Winter commuter, summer sunday cruiser, full blown mountain bike, trailer puller, etc. It does it all, and it does it while turning its rider into a giggly kid again.

The 2013 Pugsleys and Mukluks have some great new changes, this is by far the best year to get into fatbiking.

[93legendti]

I'm looking forward to buying one. I remember riding one winter on a local trail and sinking in the snow and fighting every pedal revolution...no more.

[fourflys]

I did see a guy touring from Seattle to Anchorage on a fat bike... :eek:

[spiderman]

I'm looking forward to buying one. I remember riding one winter on a local trail and sinking in the snow and fighting every pedal revolution...no more.

But packed snowmobile trail is like a groomed trail for the pug

[93legendti]

Actually, it was only a couple of inches, but the top was really crusty and I kept breaking thru and sinking - it was a pretty hard ride.

[ctbiker]

...but don't want an experience like when my neighbor put in a hot tub. He loved it and couldn't say enough about how much he used it and how wonderful ... A couple years later and it sits unused.

I'm hoping it's a neat as srice makes it sound since I'm definitely interested

Ray in CT

[yatescc]

I rented at Pugsley while visiting Minneapolis a few weeks ago. I spent all last winter riding mountain bikes with studs. There was very little snow in Upstate NY last year, but that will hopefully be changing this year. A new Surly Moonlander recently arrived in my garage. Its a blast. Puts a smile on your face each time you ride. Its surprisingly nimble. Much more so, than you'd expect with 4.7" tires.

[stien]

I was thinking about one or two Pugs for the GF and I this winter. I would love love love being able to get out comfortably in ski helmets and such even in blizzards this year (we live in a very low traffic area, especially in winter).

Would love to hear more from someone who uses one a lot. What's the used price on them anyway, $1kish?

[CNY rider]

Now you got me thinking about one too.
Adam, I know we ride the same size road bikes.
Have you figured out which Surly would fit?

[93legendti]

Now you got me thinking about one too.
Adam, I know we ride the same size road bikes.
Have you figured out which Surly would fit?

No, I have not gotten that far. I am thinking about the Mukluk as well. I haven't even looked at geo charts yet. I'll let you know...

[93legendti]

I was thinking about one or two Pugs for the GF and I this winter. I would love love love being able to get out comfortably in ski helmets and such even in blizzards this year (we live in a very low traffic area, especially in winter).

Would love to hear more from someone who uses one a lot. What's the used price on them anyway, $1kish?

I think Spiderman is the Pugsley king here...

[spiderman]

:eek:I think Spiderman is the Pugsley king here...

but i do like to ride my fat tire bikes.
the idea of having at least two is brilliant.
i actually have three...
one on loan to clydesdale
who i would say owns the 20" pug
by way of it fitting him
and that it lives in his garage.
the other 18" is set up ss
and is my go to off road rig.
i do like my moonlander also 18"
and can travel in loose gravel, sand and snow
...a solid, secure ride for sure...
without considerable drag.
my wife rides it when we go out together
and has enjoyed the wider footprint on winter rides.
the test ride is a great idea for a fat tire bike.
try to get one out on a trail and you won't regret it
or be able to resist the ride of your life!
...it is a change of mindset to be sure...

reminds me of this derek walcott poem

love after love

the time will come
when, with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror,
and each will smile at the other's welcome,

and say, sit here. eat.
you will love again the stranger who was yourself.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
take down the love letters from the bookself,

the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your image from the mirror.
sit. feast on your life.

[559Rando]

I haven't seen a Mukluk in the flesh, but put some time in on a Pugsley. Huge fun! (pun intended)

[CNY rider]

So can anyone compare the handling in the snow of a Pugsley vs. a 700c bike with studded Nokians?

I'm talking about riding on the road in compressed slushy stuff, and also riding rural dirt roads on frozen gravel with powder snow on top.

Thanks.

[Clydesdale]

So can anyone compare the handling in the snow of a Pugsley vs. a 700c bike with studded Nokians?

I'm talking about riding on the road in compressed slushy stuff, and also riding rural dirt roads on frozen gravel with powder snow on top.

Thanks.

On dry ground or hard stuff - the pugs feels a little awkward, can be bouncy depending on tire psi and steers pretty slow.

On railroad beds, soft gravel roads, real bumpy trails - the pugs does ok and if you get the tire pressure dialed you can move along pretty well.

On slush, soft sand, loose snow, mud... it floats prety well and steers slack but ok. The pedaling can be tough in those conditions and you sometimes have to just grind it out.

On hardpack, old snow, snowmobile trails, hard drifts, or compressed sand - the pugs is a homerun. No other bike is as much fun. You'll kind of miss winter when it's gone.

[aosty]

Super fun on local trails and commuting... have had mine for ~9 months and have yet to take it on the beach or snow! :rolleyes: ;)

[twangston73]

I live in Anchorage and occasionally commute to work on a hardtail with studs. Unless there is a relatively fresh dump of snow, it is fine - the main commuter trails and roads pack down pretty well. In deeper snow or less used trails, the bigger tired bikes are the only way to go - the studs just wallow. (Personally, if there is fresh snow I'd rather ski, but i have friends that swear by the joys of lamp lit winter single track.) Just to support our locals, you might also consider Fatback as an alternative - they do fat tire frams in steel, aluminum, and Ti. (No affiliation, and i don't own one, but friends do).

[cnighbor1]

My freind is riding his down from alaska,"My first few days back on fat tires wear the nubs off the knobs, riding on pavement. Thereafter, I huff and puff up Fleecer Ridge, barreling down the other side. Being able to descend with abandon is fantastic, but I’m not willing to sacrifice the ability to climb with vigor for some cheap thrills– I require a bike that can do it all, fast. After a few days of dreaming about normal sized wheels and tires, something happened. Finally, I can ride the Pugsley the way I want. It has taken some acclimatization, literal and figurative, and some muscle development.

Leaving Anchorage, I labored up small hills and wondered if I would regret riding a fatbike through the other three seasons. Over Denali’s passes and the Top of the World Highway, my body responded with strengthened legs. Reaching the Great Divide Route, brutish climbs reawakened those climbing muscles. At every major junction in the process of touring on a fatbike, I’ve labored under new challenges and wondered if my heavy go-anywhere bike was a good idea. And finally, after fitting fat tires this week in Bozeman, I’ve had to grow a new pair of legs to keep up with myself. I’m realizing the perceived limitations are in the rider, not the bike. Even now, there’s more to this motor than has already been realized.

To propel a bike with as much utility and versatility as the Pugsley requires a strong motor, and following a few nights of sore muscles I can now ride the Pugsley like a cross bike, like I want. Gravel grinding– climbing fast and descending faster– is now fun and familiar. Doing it on 4 inch tires at 15 psi is new, but it is intoxicating and childishly fun. I barely ever scrub speed while descending; while climbing, it’s good to keep the wheels turning and the momentum up, but traction is never the weak link. And yesterday, across mild terrain, I pedaled and floated over 80 miles of gravel, culminating in a blistering sunset effort to Red Rock Pass. Laying down to sleep amidst tall grasses and sage, I smile and reflect that riding the Pugsley does not limit my riding style. I smile and laugh that I’ve spent the day riding it like a cross bike. I laugh, for there’s a lot more to riding fat tires than floating over gravel at 20 mph, but it’s just one of many things that can be done on a fatbike. Six months ago I was riding in the dark, in the snow. Now I’m sleeping at over 7000 ft on the Montana/Idaho border, thanks to a particular purple bike.'' More on his weekly web site
Charles


http://gypsybytrade.wordpress.com/2012/08/05/riding-cross-bannack-mt-to-idaho/

[deluxerider]

fat tire bikes are a ton of fun. Mukluk's have enough frame clearance for the even fatter tires that you get on the Moonlander as well. Mukluk 2 would be my personal choice. They're all pissers though.

Great for winter commuting too.

[stien]

Is the only way to get these new? Can't seem to find any complete fatbikes used.

[brando]

pugsleys are the jam.

[onekgguy]

I love the look of those big tires....any Mukluk riders out there? I know Spidey has a Pug...

Yes! Absolutely the most fun I've ever had on a bike! Tire pressure is key depending on the different conditions you'll be riding in. There's a whole other world out there just waiting to be explored and I'd been oblivious to it all this time.

My Mukluk (http://www.flickr.com/photos/onekgguy/sets/72157628518184475/with/6551581181/)

Kevin g

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6553709029_8f95db5ca5_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/onekgguy/6553709029/)
salsa mukluk (http://www.flickr.com/photos/onekgguy/6553709029/) by onekgguy (http://www.flickr.com/people/onekgguy/), on Flickr

[cetuximab]

Leadville 100 MTB
He was a little a head of me on Columbine

[dustyrider]

Is the only way to get these new? Can't seem to find any complete fatbikes used.

Check Craiglist in Colorado they turn up pretty regularly here.

What size are you looking for?

Colorado is a big place but I may be able to help you out if you find one in the western part of the state.