[doughboyr6]

Hi all, hoping for some comments/insight/experience. I'm 5'10" (177cm). But have ridiculously short legs and average arm length for that height. My inseam only measures 28-29" (73cm). I'm a big (fat not fit) guy and wear XL/XXL and currently weight 250 kitted up. I'm currently riding a med 2021 Trek Fuel EX and feel comfortable on it; but of course never have tried back to back different sizing of the same bike because of covid.

I got into MTB this spring and want to carry that into winter. It will predominantly be used for winter but certainly cross over to other seasons (at least have option to); hence I'm leaning to 27.5. I feel the 27.5 tire market is catching up and more and more manufacturers are moving in that direction; so I don't feel tires will be an issue. I hear the quality wheels are very important in the fat bike world and that is the main reason why I narrowed down to Farley/Bigfoot (1) as both use Mulefut 80.

I've eliminated the following:

Salsa Mukluk - can't get in Canada​

Giant Yukon - the rear hub issues and 28h wheels seems like a hot mess​

Yukon Wo - don't love the look/colour compared to rest.​

I've narrowed down to either Trek Farley 5 or Norco Bigfoot (1). I know the drivetrain specs/threaded BB are not quite comparable and the price difference; but taking that out the rest is pretty darn close. Because of my size, I'm likely a medium in Farley and they only equip the medium with a 3.8 in the back rather than 4.5 in sizes large and up. Is that going to be an issue for me with my weight and intended use? Someone said I could pull the drop out further back and should fit a 4.5; but then I'm compromising the wheelbase and have to pay for a new 4.5 tire. Or I go up to a large and tires won't be an issue; but then I might be riding too big of a bike. Farleys are available near me immediately.

Alternatively Norco Bigfoot is 4.5 front and rear regardless of size. However none are available and I'd have to wait at least 6 months+ for the 2022. I just haven't narrowed down size as I seem to be in their large zone based strictly on height, but worry about my inseam....etc.

Trek Pros:

Bontrager Rapid drive 108POE hub (Norco uses bear pawl with 6 pawls 72POE)​

Immediate availability​

Much cheaper; but maybe upgrade drivetrain later bringing costs closer to Bigfoot 1 again.​

Norco Pros:

Threaded BB​

4.5 tires f/r in all sizes.​

Better drivetrain out of the gate and slightly larger rotor size.​

 

[Jayem]

If you are going to ride in the winter, you want the biggest tires to support your weight. Something that takes a true 26x4.8-5.0 will also do 27.5x4.5, but you don’t want to be starting out in the winter with 3.8-4.0 of either wheel size IMO at your weight. A lot of manufacturers spec small 4-ish inch tires stock because they are cheaper, lighter and they are trying to sell the bike outside of the more narrow winter usage.

 

[FatboyFarleyFuse1977]

Hi all, hoping for some comments/insight/experience. I'm 5'10" (177cm). But have ridiculously short legs and average arm length for that height. My inseam only measures 28-29" (73cm). I'm a big (fat not fit) guy and wear XL/XXL and currently weight 250 kitted up. I'm currently riding a med 2021 Trek Fuel EX and feel comfortable on it; but of course never have tried back to back different sizing of the same bike because of covid.

I got into MTB this spring and want to carry that into winter. It will predominantly be used for winter but certainly cross over to other seasons (at least have option to); hence I'm leaning to 27.5. I feel the 27.5 tire market is catching up and more and more manufacturers are moving in that direction; so I don't feel tires will be an issue. I hear the quality wheels are very important in the fat bike world and that is the main reason why I narrowed down to Farley/Bigfoot (1) as both use Mulefut 80.

I've eliminated the following:

Salsa Mukluk - can't get in Canada​

Giant Yukon - the rear hub issues and 28h wheels seems like a hot mess​

Yukon Wo - don't love the look/colour compared to rest.​

I've narrowed down to either Trek Farley 5 or Norco Bigfoot (1). I know the drivetrain specs/threaded BB are not quite comparable and the price difference; but taking that out the rest is pretty darn close. Because of my size, I'm likely a medium in Farley and they only equip the medium with a 3.8 in the back rather than 4.5 in sizes large and up. Is that going to be an issue for me with my weight and intended use? Someone said I could pull the drop out further back and should fit a 4.5; but then I'm compromising the wheelbase and have to pay for a new 4.5 tire. Or I go up to a large and tires won't be an issue; but then I might be riding too big of a bike. Farleys are available near me immediately.

Alternatively Norco Bigfoot is 4.5 front and rear regardless of size. However none are available and I'd have to wait at least 6 months+ for the 2022. I just haven't narrowed down size as I seem to be in their large zone based strictly on height, but worry about my inseam....etc.

Trek Pros:

Bontrager Rapid drive 108POE hub (Norco uses bear pawl with 6 pawls 72POE)​

Immediate availability​

Much cheaper; but maybe upgrade drivetrain later bringing costs closer to Bigfoot 1 again.​

Norco Pros:

Threaded BB​

4.5 tires f/r in all sizes.​

Better drivetrain out of the gate and slightly larger rotor size.​

Those 108 Bontrager fat hubs are absolute garbage. I ripped out the drive ring on TWO within 748 miles. My Specialized Stout first fat hub ripped the drive ring in 1800 miles, second currently has over 2200 miles. I have two DT350 Big Ride wheels as replacements for both, when needed.

Get the Trek and upgrade/replace parts as needed. I love my Farley 9.6.

 

[deuxdiesel]

Have you looked at the RSD Mayor as an option? Pricing seems pretty competitive and they are generally well reviewed. I owned an earlier version (V4) and it was a decent snow bike.

 

[htrdoug]

Something else to consider:
I have similar leg length,and switching to 165mm cranks on my Corvus made a incredible difference in pedaling effort and endurance,much more than any tire combination ever did. I even went so far as to put a square taper bottom bracket on my Kona Wo(2016 was a much better color than the latest Wo,plus it has sliders to adjust chain stay length) so I could put on 160mm Suntour crank, it works for me! (sram cranks are to narrow to fit on the Wo,RF shortest crank is 170)

 

[BansheeRune]

Something else to consider:
I have similar leg length,and switching to 165mm cranks on my Corvus made a incredible difference in pedaling effort and endurance,much more than any tire combination ever did. I even went so far as to put a square taper bottom bracket on my Kona Wo(2016 was a much better color than the latest Wo,plus it has sliders to adjust chain stay length) so I could put on 160mm Suntour crank, it works for me! (sram cranks are to narrow to fit on the Wo,RF shortest crank is 170)

Atlas is available in 165... Is compatible with 30mm Cinch and DM rings, carry on...

 

[htrdoug]

Atlas is available in 165... Is compatible with 30mm Cinch and DM rings, carry on...

I really couldn’t tell if they actually were compatible looking at RF documents, they only list the dh cinch as working with Atlas,plus 165 Atlas out of stock on website.
Looks like Hope has 165 setup that should work.
My Suntour experiment on cost 55 bucks to try,40$ cranks 15$ bb, a 32 chainring would not clear frame,used the 28 NW offset I had been running on the original 2by RF crank. Truthfully have not even ridden in months and immediately climbed a grade that I either have to push up or I am blown up at the top and was only moderately puffing.

 

[BansheeRune]

I really couldn’t tell if they actually were compatible looking at RF documents, they only list the dh cinch as working with Atlas,plus 165 Atlas out of stock on website.
Looks like Hope has 165 setup that should work.
My Suntour experiment on cost 55 bucks to try,40$ cranks 15$ bb, a 32 chainring would not clear frame,used the 28 NW offset I had been running on the original 2by RF crank. Truthfully have not even ridden in months and immediately climbed a grade that I either have to push up or I am blown up at the top and was only moderately puffing.

I have a set on my Sergeant V3 with 83mm BB shell that I can swap to any of the 30mm Cinch setups I have. They show green available but the rest are out of stock.
The Atlas and other 30mm Cinch are cross compatible so they can offer one spindle style in various lengths to allow for change from one bike to another. Cuts down on the number of different spindles they would have to make. With five bikes having either Turbine or Atlas cranks, I can use the same BB for each, regardless of BB shell width since they designed it around interchangeability.

Keep in mind, it is only Cinch 30mm that both arms can be removed from the spindle. 24mm spindle options are press fitted to the spindle on the drive crank arm. Rather a shame they didn't carry the same feature over from the 30mm versions.

 

[Edlik Zakah]

Have you ridden a fat bike, rented or trialed one? It’s not for everyone. I know folks who jumped in with the best and dumped them after a few rides, couldn’t stand the unresponsive steering. Others use them for everything. I use mine only in the winter on plowed gravel, which is way too soft for anything but fat tires. I can’t stand packed single track, it’s not enjoyable for me. Sometimes it’s ice so you need studs or you aren’t going to do anything but spin and slide back down. I also have another bike with studs. I’m a little different in my likes and for my opportunities. My driveway is a mile of plowed gravel and I can ride from my house on 10 to 20 miles of plowed gravel. So, I use 3.8 x 26 and would like to go with narrower rims, I don’t need the weight and the tires are plenty wide for what I do. Of course I can’t ride my rig on single track unless there’s been a thaw and it then froze rock hard. Each year I go on one hard packed single track night ride with a group in the winter, just to remind myself of how much I hate it. Ha.

 

[doughboyr6]

no I have never ridden one before. All bike rentals I know of have stopped because of covid and due to shortage; bike stores don't even have any on hand to try. they are all spoken for or sold the moment they arrive. there is nothing on the floor to try. so literally I think this is what it is. buy it. hope to love it, live with it. sell it if it doesn't work. I have an annual pass to a natural conservation park near my house and that is where I think I'll be using it mostly. I know the trails are not groomed during the winter.

from what I'm gathering; regardless of what bike I end up with, with my weight; it seems like I need to ensure tires are no less than 4.5". so its either I fit a Trek Large which comes with the 4.5 or Norco Bigfoot.

 

[Edlik Zakah]

no I have never ridden one before. All bike rentals I know of have stopped because of covid and due to shortage; bike stores don't even have any on hand to try. they are all spoken for or sold the moment they arrive. there is nothing on the floor to try. so literally I think this is what it is. buy it. hope to love it, live with it. sell it if it doesn't work. I have an annual pass to a natural conservation park near my house and that is where I think I'll be using it mostly. I know the trails are not groomed during the winter.

from what I'm gathering; regardless of what bike I end up with, with my weight; it seems like I need to ensure tires are no less than 4.5". so its either I fit a Trek Large which comes with the 4.5 or Norco Bigfoot.

Almost all big guys here gear their fat bikes way down, especially for winter. 1x with a 24 chainring. Hard to find one that fits all cranks. They use Wolf Tooth chainrings. All that spinning is why I don’t like winter fat bike single track riding. They love it and I watch them spin like a top.

 

[htrdoug]

You never know,maybe a local will let you take a spin on their fattie to see what you think. I just happened to stop by Einstein Cycles in Traverse city once when on vacation and took a quick ride on Cody’s demo bike…from that moment on I have never cared to ride a conventional tired bike again. I can ride my road bike to build up my stamina but one by one sold off all my regular mountain bikes.
I do get a bit freaked out ripping down a flow trail on a fattie so I just slow down a bit until it becomes fun again.

 

[Mcfarton]

I would go with the large trek. The top tube is sloped so you should be able to achieve the correct saddle height. The larger tire will be worth it for you.

You could get the medium if you are willing to eat the cost of the larger tire. I would be surprised if you would notice the difference in the wheel base. Riding a fat bike is fairly unresponsive. I have never road one in the snow. But in a trail it is fun if you don’t mind slow. I just ran over everything and didn’t even stay on the trail the entire time. And none of it mattered the bike just rumbled on.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[FatboyFarleyFuse1977]

You never know,maybe a local will let you take a spin on their fattie to see what you think. I just happened to stop by Einstein Cycles in Traverse city once when on vacation and took a quick ride on Cody’s demo bike…from that moment on I have never cared to ride a conventional tired bike again. I can ride my road bike to build up my stamina but one by one sold off all my regular mountain bikes.
I do get a bit freaked out ripping down a flow trail on a fattie so I just slow down a bit until it becomes fun again.

Both my Farley 9.6 and Fatboy Carbon were purchased after showing up at the shops with dress clothes after work...I wanted to test ride them in fancy shoes to see if I could wheelie. Ended up with two fat bikes! That's all I ride 99% with 15 total bikes.

 

[bcriverjunky]

Why not a Made in Canada Devinci? They spec 27.5 wheels this year. Minus NX 12S - Silver

 

[Jayem]

no I have never ridden one before. All bike rentals I know of have stopped because of covid and due to shortage; bike stores don't even have any on hand to try. they are all spoken for or sold the moment they arrive. there is nothing on the floor to try. so literally I think this is what it is. buy it. hope to love it, live with it. sell it if it doesn't work. I have an annual pass to a natural conservation park near my house and that is where I think I'll be using it mostly. I know the trails are not groomed during the winter.

from what I'm gathering; regardless of what bike I end up with, with my weight; it seems like I need to ensure tires are no less than 4.5". so its either I fit a Trek Large which comes with the 4.5 or Norco Bigfoot.

It sounds like you are on track.

IF you can fit a larger frame, possibly by shortening the stem 20mm and adjusting the seat/post, a larger frame is a nice thing on a fat-bike, because it will take a larger frame-bag and you can store more stuff in there. Make riding easier being able to get it all off your back or bring clothes and stuff to manage your body warmth/moisture. It is possible to make a large bike smaller by changing these things I mentioned above...but one can still get a frame that is too large with too much reach for their body size.

 

[doughboyr6]

I also asked the same question in a FB Trek Farley group and it seems that the medium is WILL take a 4.5 even though it is specced with a 3.8. Something about Trek having to comply with consumer product safety....etc. There seems to be several users with 4.5 in the rear with the drop out in the furthest back position which I believe is how they come set up stock anyway as the default position. It just means a little less clearance; but it does fit is what I'm reading. I'll check with the store and ask if they can install the 4.5 tire instead of the 3.8 and go from there. Maybe I can get the medium with the fatter tire after all. Will see. Hope they have both to try back to back; but I doubt it and doubt they will even let me try both...

 

[laurawho7]

I also asked the same question in a FB Trek Farley group and it seems that the medium is WILL take a 4.5 even though it is specced with a 3.8. Something about Trek having to comply with consumer product safety....etc. There seems to be several users with 4.5 in the rear with the drop out in the furthest back position which I believe is how they come set up stock anyway as the default position. It just means a little less clearance; but it does fit is what I'm reading. I'll check with the store and ask if they can install the 4.5 tire instead of the 3.8 and go from there. Maybe I can get the medium with the fatter tire after all. Will see. Hope they have both to try back to back; but I doubt it and doubt they will even let me try both...

Just bought a Med Farley 7 3 weeks ago. My tires were 4.8". IDK where you see they come with 3.8" tires. And Med fits perfectly. I'm 5'9" 230lbs and 29"inseam. Plenty of stand over. I have long arms and it fits perfectly.