This is part three to my fat bike tubeless journey. The last post, I had a crazy setback with my tire exploding in the back of my Prius. Sealant was indeed everywhere. I struggled for at least 5 days straight to convert my rims to tubeless. Eventually I gave up because the time I was putting in outweighed the return I was going to get. Especially when I realized that even if I do get these tires seated, if something ever went wrong I'd just have to do it all over again. I'm not a gear head, don't really care to be a mechanic. I bought this bike to ride folks. So I decided to buy tubeless ready rims for the bike but the lowest I saw was $900 😵💫 Long story short, I returned my fat bike and got a full suspension Salsa HorseThief. It fits all of my needs, I just want a smooth, all around bike and guess what… It was exactly $900 more to just get this bike. I absolutely LOVE the looks of fat bikes, especially the selections that Salsa has. But there's waaaaay too many drawbacks unfortunately. Fun as hell to ride, they look cool, amazing conversation starters. But I've been using the wrong tool for the job this entire time and trying to force it to work. Maybe I get one again in the future? Maybe not? I don't live in the snow. I live in the desert with plenty of trails around town. At the end of the day I just want to ride my bike and not worry about upgrades. This sport is fun to me and I love it! This new bike has a seat dropper built in and is tubeless ready out the gate for all those thorns that have been killing me. Lastly, I have some jumbo jim 26×4.8's that I'm willing to sell if anybody is interested. Let me know! Peace ✌🏽
by charlesjorden
1 Comment
Buy what fits you, going tubeless isn’t hard. All the tape nonsense is really the worst part. It does take some skill, making sure the rim is clean and dry. Plus applying the tape and making sure it’s not got any bubbles. Buying wheels that don’t require tape is the way to go. As it seems that’s what you got. Also, make sure to buy a tubeless repair kit for times you do get puncture that the sealant won’t plug. I’ve gotten flats and had to repair the flat on the trail, it happens. Don’t be afraid to ask if you are unsure. That’s how you learn.