# Gravity Bullseye Monster



## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Finally got my bullseye monster, and I wanted to post my thoughts about it, but there dont seem to be any threads about the specific models that bikes direct offers.










The bike went together pretty smoothly and was lighter than I expected it to be. I will publish the weight when I get around to putting it on a scale, but it was abouth the same weight as (maybe even a little less than) last year's pug. I will ballpark it around 35lbs.










The stem and possibly the handle bars will be replaced soon. Its way too long right now and wider bars are always a plus.









The bike had a minor scratch on the down tube from where the front rim was attached for shipping. It doesn't really bother me, but I thought it was worth mentioning.










Here's the bike next to last year's pug (14" frame). The head angle looks much steeper on the Gravity. Not sure what the actual number is for the Bullseye, but for reference I know the pug is a 70.0 degree HTA.










The mission on a 50mm rim next to a nate on a 65mm Marge lite. Both supposedly 4.0, although the nate seems significantly wider in addition to being much more aggressive.

First impression is that its a good start. It doesn't ride nearly as well as the pug does, but in addition to costing less than a third what the pug did, I haven't spent much time dialing it in yet. There are a lot of things im going to do to it, first I need to cut the seat post down, because even inserted as far as it will go, its still at least a full inch higher than I want it. Next will be trying to get some power out of the brakes. Even after bedding them in, they are unbearably weak. I have ridden other bikes with the novelas and know that they can be much more powerful. When set up correctly they can feel as good as a bb7. I will try hitting the rotors with brake cleaner, if that doesn't work I will sand the pads down a bit. Also the rear rim is out of true and the front one has a pretty noticeable hop. it's nothing i cant fix but kinda annoying that i have to work on the wheels of a brand new bike.
I was torn between this and the Boris x9, but didn't have the means to get the more expensive bike. I will report back after putting some more miles on the bike, but so far I am a little underwhelmed. I just remind myself that it was only $500 and remember that I have nothing to complain about. I think it is the best way that money could be spent, because it gets you a good, ridable platform to begin with and will allow me to upgrade parts as I need to.


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

Just curious, why not keep riding the pugs?


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Its my girlfriend's. She lets me take lt out, but its small for me and we want to ride together.


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## bepperb (Mar 26, 2004)

New handebars are a given and I would think cutting the stem and degreasing the brakes would be free, so things will improve pretty quickly. I'd add that the paint isn't very tough so I really wouldn't care about the scratch. Sorry to hear about the wheels, and I'd be interested in the weight.

I wonder how much the ride quality suffers from the tires, which people do complain about quite a bit. One option if you can sell your missions or when they wear out: Origin-8 Devist8er tires Project Fatbike: Origin-8 Devist-8er 26 x 4.0 FatbikeTires


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## MUSTCLIME (Jan 26, 2004)

thanks for the review...I was looking at that bike...i was also looking at the 120 foldable tires the same site sell for $99 for the pair...wonder if that would help the "feel"?


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## tundratrader (Mar 5, 2010)

MUSTCLIME said:


> thanks for the review...I was looking at that bike...i was also looking at the 120 foldable tires the same site sell for $99 for the pair...wonder if that would help the "feel"?


The vee 8 tires are much better than the mission.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

yeah, thinking about on one floaters or one of the new vee rubber offerings down the line.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Took it out for the first real ride tonight. Ive gotta say, for $500, this thing rips. After cutting the seat post down about 4 inches its fitting me much better. A shorter stem should make it nearly perfect. I also cleaned the rotors with brake cleaner. It helped a little bit, but riding them hard for 20 miles made a much bigger improvement and they were stopping much better at the end of the ride. They are getting into the usable range now. Overall im feeling pretty stoaked about this bike and think I made a great choice.









Steed on steed lean action









Out with the fat crew









Playing in a big tube we found


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## akacoke (May 11, 2011)

i got one too. unfortunately, 100mm rim with 4" tire doesnt clear the frame. from the way it didnt cleared. i dont think 3.5 tire would clear either


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

That's too bad. I wonder if it would clear on an 80mm


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

The front looks like it has plenty of clearance. Maybe you could run 100 in the front and 80 rear like the FB4 does.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Swapped out the bars and stem, what a difference! This is how I like to run most of my bikes.









Wider and shorter









Blue stem even matches the head badge a little bit.

Its perfect now. Nothing left to do but ride the wheels off of it!


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## akacoke (May 11, 2011)

got some 80mm rims. looks like it cleared the frame with 3.5 vee speedster will also work with 4" -4.25" tires. i also converted to single speed. for whoever wants to do it. ive tried many gear combos. only 32t front 18t rear with half link chain worked for me. its a perfect snug fit good chain tension only a tiny bit on tight side


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Thanks coke! Good to know if/when I upgrade wheels. I wonder how much tire it can clear on the stock 50mm rims. Seems like it has some space, I would like to know if a snowshoe or similar would fit.


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## akacoke (May 11, 2011)

the stock 50mm rim, 80mm and 100mm rim made the tire size change pretty dramatic. ill post some pictures when i get around


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

The missions have already started chunking.










I noticed this a couple days ago. It could be due to riding in construction sites and railroad shale, with lots of wheel spin in loose steep climbs. This tire has maybe 50 miles on it now. Anybody else having problems?


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## MANUALMAN (Jul 13, 2014)

I've just got one in Matte Black ( 14"). With $499 i have nothing to complain. Great bike. Love it so much. I'm living in Vietnam, juz ride it every morning doing exercise. 
Which stuff should we upgrade first ? I'm wondering does it fit 100mm rims and 4.8" tires ?
This is the only one FAT bike in my city, LOL. so fun.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

AkaCoke said that he couldn't fit 100mm rims in the frame. The fork looks like it has plenty of room.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

I have been riding this thing everywhere for weeks now. Its holding up like a champ.


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## Canuckistani (Jan 31, 2010)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> I have been riding this thing everywhere for weeks now. Its holding up like a champ.


Looks good. How does it fit? Large, small? I'm 6'3" and considering a 22" version. Thanks.


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## akacoke (May 11, 2011)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> AkaCoke said that he couldn't fit 100mm rims in the frame. The fork looks like it has plenty of room.


im pretty positive fork would work with 4.5 tire on 100mm rim. rear you can only fit up to 4" tire on 80mm rim. to me thats plenty fat enough.

i got some hope brakes, 80mm rims with sealed origin8 hubs and vee8 tires on it now. been gathering more parts . gonna finish soon. itd be single speed.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Canuckistani said:


> Looks good. How does it fit? Large, small? I'm 6'3" and considering a 22" version. Thanks.


mine is an 18". i'm 5'6" with a 30" inseam and i feel like it's a little bigger than other medium bikes i own. standover is about 29". in hindsight i probably should have grabbed a 16", but when i ordered my bike it was only small medium and large, all the in between sizes came out later.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

Dirtdawg: Your thread helped me make up my mind. I would have ordered the std Bullseye but I fell that with my weight and size, 288lbs, 6' 1" and 32" inseam, and our trails here I need a wider tire 4.0 on the monster compared to 3.8 on the bullseye. would be better suited to the dirt and gravel we encounter. So I ordered an 18" monster. I just gave my son my Mongoose Dolomite and I really enjoyed using it for everything.


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## rjedoaks (Aug 10, 2009)

Dirtdawg is 5'6" , you decided to go w/ the same size being 6'1" ? Seems a large would be preferred 


Pedaling


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## hykerwilson (Jan 19, 2014)

does anyone know if the bullseye and the bullseye monster frame are the same frame? I want the 3" tires cause I have extra 4" already and hated the missions when I got my Fantom this January. Have bud and lou on that bike


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## akacoke (May 11, 2011)

word is the bullseye is different , wont clear 4" tires. call BD to be sure.


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## hykerwilson (Jan 19, 2014)

*Bullseye Monster versus Bullseye*



akacoke said:


> word is the bullseye is different , wont clear 4" tires. call BD to be sure.


I believe you are correct. BD emailed that fact to me just a while ago. Unfortunately they were out of the 14" frames in the monster.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

rjedoaks: The reason I am choosing an 18 is because thew stand over height will allow me to throw my leg over the top tube. my Trek ss is a 17 and I just make it over the top tube. At 29" the Monster should be ok.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Im glad that my thread has been useful and helped you guys make decisions! Ive been having way more fun with this bike than I thought I would.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

I managed to pick up a big stick, but miraculously nothing was damaged.










Still not sure how it managed to miss the hanger. Anybody know where I can get a spare? Next time I wont be as lucky.


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## rjedoaks (Aug 10, 2009)

oldbear52 said:


> rjedoaks: The reason I am choosing an 18 is because thew stand over height will allow me to throw my leg over the top tube. my Trek ss is a 17 and I just make it over the top tube. At 29" the Monster should be ok.


I understand, I hadn't followed your story completely. Gotta go with what works. Rich


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## chuck732 (Jul 29, 2010)

Yes there the same frame. The difference is crank and tires.



hykerwilson said:


> does anyone know if the bullseye and the bullseye monster frame are the same frame? I want the 3" tires cause I have extra 4" already and hated the missions when I got my Fantom this January. Have bud and lou on that bike


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## AdventureRider (Jul 17, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Swapped out the bars and stem, what a difference! This is how I like to run most of my bikes.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Well played Sir. You did exactly what I planned to do and have a very short 50mm stem


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

akacoke said:


> word is the bullseye is different , wont clear 4" tires. call BD to be sure.


+1 i heard they were different.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

AdventureRider said:


> Well played Sir. You did exactly what I planned to do and have a very short 50mm stem


Nice. I like a really short reach. it also helps to cover up the steep HTA that most fat bikes run.


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## matto6 (Dec 28, 2013)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> I managed to pick up a big stick, but miraculously nothing was damaged.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Holy crap that stick is huge. How on earth did you do that? Impressive.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

matto6 said:


> Holy crap that stick is huge. How on earth did you do that? Impressive.


Honestly? i couldnt tell ya. one of those "just riding along (at a high rate of speed)" kinda situations.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

After 200 miles of abuse, the bike is still holding up from the most part.









I am so glad that the bike came with a bash, I have been thankful for it almost every time I ride it.









And the stock pedals tried their best. I was originally going to replace them with some saints or other quality flat pedal as soon as it arrived, but I was lazy and figured I would use up the stock ones first.

I still think that this is the best money I have ever spent on a new bike.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

:thumbsup: I am anxious to order mine soon. I am ordering on the first. Then the fun begins again. 
Dirtdawg: I was wondering what you did to have an epic pedal failure like that? I am going to order some sort of pedal, any recommendations? I am not going clipless because I don't have the money for new shoes. 
Also has anyone tried to put a rear rack on the Monster? I would like to have one so I can carry extra goodies for longer rides.


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## rjedoaks (Aug 10, 2009)

Check out Welgo mag for pedals. Probably best bang for the buck. You don't need clipless, this is supposed to be fun and healthy


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## FatBikeNoob (Aug 20, 2013)

oldbear52,

I use Wellgo pedal straps and a large flat platform BMX style pedals and they work great. They give you some security and upstroke efficiency but you can get out of them easily. They are also nicely adjustable for tightness with the double velcro closures. You can web search for "platform pedals" "Wellgo pedal straps" and find the straps/pedals in many color combos to match bike frame or other items you wanna color match.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

oldbear52 said:


> Dirtdawg: I was wondering what you did to have an epic pedal failure like that? I am going to order some sort of pedal, any recommendations? I am not going clipless because I don't have the money for new shoes.


I ride in a lot of rock gardens, pedal strike is unavoidable. they honestly held up for longer than i thought they would. i am ordering some Shimano saint MX80 flats. they can be had for around $70 all day long. i have ridden plastic flats and have a few sets, but if you are doing any kind of serious riding, the grip leaves a lot to be desired. the foot straps are alright on pavement (especially when running fixed gear) but personally i wouldn't run them offroad on anything technical. I'm trying to just get a decent set and not have to worry about screwing around with them, but it really comes down to what you want out of them. if i wasn't doing anything extreme i would just drop $20 on a set of matching green plastic pedals and call it a day, but i want some more traction.

And as for sugestions: Platform Pedal Shootout, the best flat is...
Here's 60 pages worth of them. 

Honestly, its mostly just preference. there are tons of perfectly good pedals out there. just figuring out how much you want to spend and what you want them to do will help you narrow it down.
I'm leaning towards the saints because I want grip and durability at a good value.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

*pedals, pedals , pedals!*

 I guess I can just ride the stock pedals for now, then, once they wear out or fail buy a new set.

'12 Trek Marlin single speed
1913 BSA road bike
1947 Schwinn Phantom, klunker


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Yup. That was my approach. Ive been riding the bike as is and upgrading as parts wear out or I get sick of them.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

*psi*

 I would like to know what psi the Monster comes with. I used to run 12 psi on my dolo and my daughter runs 10. I have a small battery operated compressor and I can adjust the psi accordingly. She has surly larrys on her bike. and now she looked at the BD and is considering a Monster too. my youngest son rode his brothjer's dolo and fell in love with it. they don't have the funds for a monster though. But it's only 6 days till I order and then another 5-7 days before the Monster gets here.:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

The tires come empty, but I've been running 8psi rear and 6 front.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Coming up on 400 rough miles and this bike has been nothing but good to me.









This is one of many local features that makes me really grateful that the bike came with a bash ring.









Its a big rock rollover with a very steep backside.









If you dont hop the wheel enough, the big ring takes a beating.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

I found a flat spot in my front rim this morning.









You can sort of see it in the picture. Im not sure how it didnt pinch. I have a feeling that this happened when I did a big drop and landed on a root. My wrists will confirm that I deffinetly touched rim. Im not sure how the tire didnt flat.


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## Polished Fuji (Jun 13, 2014)

Great thread and a good looking FB,

I'm thinking about buying a Gravity 2014 Bullseye Monster, Will it fit someone who is 6'5" ?


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## MUSTCLIME (Jan 26, 2004)

Great thread....I would buy one if they had the small size...


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Polished Fuji said:


> Great thread and a good looking FB,
> 
> I'm thinking about buying a Gravity 2014 Bullseye Monster, Will it fit someone who is 6'5" ?


A large or xl would. Its not a one size fits all like the dolo.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

MUSTCLIME said:


> Great thread....I would buy one if they had the small size...


You can still order one, but waiting sucks. I waited more than 2 months for mine.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

So im thinking about getting a pair of the green on one floaters. I need a more aggressive tire for winter and the floater fits the bill. I like the way it looks with black tires, but green could be fun. Do you think it will be too monochromatic?


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## MUSTCLIME (Jan 26, 2004)

I wish there was a good fat bike tire comparo review someplace...I have looked but I have not seen a good tires for riding rocks like we have in jerzy.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

MUSTCLIME said:


> I wish there was a good fat bike tire comparo review someplace...I have looked but I have not seen a good tires for riding rocks like we have in jerzy.


honestly, i have been rocking the wal-mart fat tires because they are so thick, and they have been standing up to all sorts of rocks and broken glass. they are not perfect, the tread pattern sucks and they are insanely heavy, but they are doing what i want them to.

EDIT - I should mention that this forum is full of information, and you can find a lot of information on any of the existing fat options simply by searching it. it may take some sifting and a lot of reading, but the info is out there. i agree that we should consolidate the information and put together a single thread about what tires are good for what conditions.


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## Polished Fuji (Jun 13, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> A large or xl would. Its not a one size fits all like the dolo.


Ok Great, I just did some digging and...

14" fits most 5'4" to 5'7"
16" fits most 5'7" to 5'10"
18" fits most 5'10" to 6' 1"
20" fits most 6'1" to 6'4"
22" fits most 6'4" to 6'7"

"fits most"
is a key word here LoL !!


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Polished Fuji said:


> Ok Great, I just did some digging and...
> 
> 14" fits most 5'4" to 5'7"
> 16" fits most 5'7" to 5'10"
> ...


the "most" part is because people have different proportions. for example, i'm 5'6" but i have short legs and a longer torso, so i fit well on either a small or medium depending on the reach and stand-over height. 
I think that reach is the most important measurement on a frame, because it can only be adjusted by swapping the stem or bars to get your hands where you want them. the conventional bb to seat collar measurement that manufacturers usually give for a frame size is not as important, because you can simply raise or lower the seat to optimize the distance from bb to seat. 
i'm rambling now, sorry.
my advice if you have a bike that you are comfortable on is to see how the frame measurements line up with the spec for the the fat bike you're looking at.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Still thinking about the green floaters. This is a quick Photoshop that nicole did to help me see what the bike would look like.










And the blue one is supposed to be her pug with white ones.


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## Polished Fuji (Jun 13, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> my advice if you have a bike that you are comfortable on is to see how the frame measurements line up with the spec for the the fat bike you're looking at.


Yeap, I was thinking the same thing, THX.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

this is tough. i want to get a more aggressive set of tires for winter anyway. the floaters fit the bill, but i really wanted a set of nates. just for some background info: the original plan was that the girl would get a set of the white floaters for her pug, and then i would buy the nates from her, offsetting the cost. she gets her white tires, i get my aggressive tires, we're both happy.
unfortunately, on one has changed their shipping policy and no longer offers free shipping on the 2 tires. the shipping charge is almost as expensive as a tire, and the new limit is 100gbp (about 4 tires). in order to not pay a ton on shipping, she has been trying to convince me to go in on the deal with her and get a set for myself. i'm still trying to figure out what i want to do. any input?


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

i ended up ordering the greenies. i will post pics and try to straighten out the front rim when they come in.


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## MUSTCLIME (Jan 26, 2004)

end up getting some Knards...tubless....nice....tough sidewalls for rocks.


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## tonygeo (Aug 20, 2013)

Way to go now I want one lol I've owned a Gravity 29'er that I regret selling. I'm new to this fat bike world so I'm leary of ordering one online before a test fit. I'm 5'10" so any input would help. I see the matte black is only available in 20", probably too big for me. My current MTB is 18.5 and that's kinda the ball busting limit.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

at 5'10" you're probably still safely in 18" territory. if youre after matte black you could check the availability on the borises, i havent looked lately, but they arent much more expensive and they may have some in stock.


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## pxpaulx (Aug 5, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> at 5'10" you're probably still safely in 18" territory. if youre after matte black you could check the availability on the borises, i havent looked lately, but they arent much more expensive and they may have some in stock.


Boris bikes aren't in stock yet, shipping anytime between now and month end though - they seem like they are just as good a deal as the Gravity when upgrades are considered - bikes direct told me last week that new gravity bikes aren't expected until at least the end of september (if sooner I probably would've went with one myself!).


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## tonygeo (Aug 20, 2013)

You pretty satisfied? I mean do you feel the urge to upgrade to the bigger brands?


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## tonygeo (Aug 20, 2013)

pxpaulx said:


> Boris bikes aren't in stock yet, shipping anytime between now and month end though - they seem like they are just as good a deal as the Gravity when upgrades are considered - bikes direct told me last week that new gravity bikes aren't expected until at least the end of september (if sooner I probably would've went with one myself!).


Well poop! I thought I was the only one that bought off that site lol


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Yeah, i'm totally satisfied. i don't really care what brand's stickers are on the side of my frame (they all came from the same Taiwanese factory anyway). i'm just looking for something thats ridable, functional, and will hold together. 
so far this bike has been great, the fun per dollar value has been through the roof.
on a bike like this, i consider the drivetrain to be consumable parts, and figure it won't last long in the brutal winter conditions regardless of if it's x4 or xo, so i just went for the lowest level that i could. the old 8 speed stuff is totally functional and sinfully cheap, so its a perfect match for a beater bike like this.
if i had to do it again, i might try to get a bike that can clear the massive 4.8's like the lurch or the night train, but those are significantly more expensive and right now i can't afford them (and still make my tuition payment).

so in short, yes. for the price i am 100% satisfied. i feel like i got more than what i payed for.


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## tonygeo (Aug 20, 2013)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Swapped out the bars and stem, what a difference! This is how I like to run most of my bikes.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That stem is sweet!!


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

haha thanks! i like it. it's a take off from a dirt jump bike.


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## tonygeo (Aug 20, 2013)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> haha thanks! i like it. it's a take off from a dirt jump bike.


Care to share the brand? I can't read that font lol


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## domoMKIV (Feb 29, 2012)

tonygeo said:


> Care to share the brand? I can't read that font lol


FUNN

Funn Mountain Bike Components


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Green floaters came in!









Shipped really fast. First impression is that this is an awesome tire for the money. 2 of them for $115, 120 tpi folding bead, ride really nicely. Lots of grip.









Nicole really likes hers too. She is the reason I got them, but now I'm glad that I did.









As you can imagine, They got a lot of attention. We got at least a doesen comments, ranging from "wow, nice bike" to "[email protected]! That $hit's fresh!" 
These things take attention whoring to a whole new level. I wouldn't recommend them unless youre willing to have the "what's a fatbikes and where do you get them and what do they cost and what they are for and..." conversation over and over. Because suddenly EVERYONE wants to know.


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## rjedoaks (Aug 10, 2009)

Those are cool
Hey, what happen to the sixty something dude w/ the heart problem? [Bear]. He was going to buy a Gravity on the 1st. Hope he's still with us


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## tonygeo (Aug 20, 2013)

Attention brings crooks!! Those are some slick tires though!


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

rjedoaks said:


> Those are cool
> Hey, what happen to the sixty something dude w/ the heart problem? [Bear]. He was going to buy a Gravity on the 1st. Hope he's still with us


Yeah, you're right. Haven't heard anything from him for a while. I hope he got his bike and has been too busy riding it to post about it on the internet.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Put over 100 miles on the bike this weekend. 









An abandoned building that has been converted into a skate park


















Checking up on the local dirt jumps









Visiting a rope swing to cool off









Road over a car

The bike is still holding up well, but the hub has started making a click in noise when I really torque on it mashing up hills and stuff. Not sure what's out there for 170mm hubs, but I might want to start looking...


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## Destr0 (Aug 15, 2014)

I am really liking those tires. The On One Floater in colors I may have to get some...
I see in the pics though you went back to the Missions, any reason other than using up the cheap tires first? The cheapskate in me wants to order the pink On Ones while they are still dirt cheap - but not quite sure I am manly enough to pull them off, LOL.

I may have to get a Gravity Monster for my son for Xmas - he is bugging me for one since I ordered a Sturgis Bullet for myself.  He is only 9 though so have to be a cheap fat bike for now because he is growing like a weed.

Cheers and awesome pics!


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## Barheet (Jul 13, 2012)

Your hubs might need to be repacked. I've heard several people say they needed to repack the hubs on these BD bikes. Not enough grease applied at the factory.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Destr0 said:


> I am really liking those tires. The On One Floater in colors I may have to get some...
> I see in the pics though you went back to the Missions, any reason other than using up the cheap tires first? The cheapskate in me wants to order the pink On Ones while they are still dirt cheap - but not quite sure I am manly enough to pull them off, LOL.
> 
> I may have to get a Gravity Monster for my son for Xmas - he is bugging me for one since I ordered a Sturgis Bullet for myself.  He is only 9 though so have to be a cheap fat bike for now because he is growing like a weed.
> ...


Yeah, i am saving my floaters for the snow when i will really need the aggressive tires for the traction. the missions and wal-mart beast tires have more than enough grip for dirt and summer riding. they roll much better too.
a small monster would be probably be perfect for your situation. depending on how big your kid is you may want to get a shorter stem and possibly trim the seatpost to get it low enough in the frame (i know i had to on the medium). if he outgrows it a few years down the line, you could probably flip it and make back most of your money.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Barheet said:


> Your hubs might need to be repacked. I've heard several people say they needed to repack the hubs on these BD bikes. Not enough grease applied at the factory.


i will tear them down and grease them up. i meant to do that before riding, but i was too excited to get it together and take it for a ride. i haven't really given the thing a break since i got it.


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## Destr0 (Aug 15, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Yeah, i am saving my floaters for the snow when i will really need the aggressive tires for the traction. the missions and wal-mart beast tires have more than enough grip for dirt and summer riding. they roll much better too.
> a small monster would be probably be perfect for your situation. depending on how big your kid is you may want to get a shorter stem and possibly trim the seatpost to get it low enough in the frame (i know i had to on the medium). if he outgrows it a few years down the line, you could probably flip it and make back most of your money.


Looks like I will be buying/trading an XS 2013 Pugsley for my son.  Spoiled kid.

He got to try out a Pugs that belongs to a friend's wife - and she is pregnant and wants to sell it... Fit him great and for $800 I think I am going to pull the trigger. He also needs some work done on his Jeep that I can do so partial barter.


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## Fairmont (Aug 9, 2014)

I might order this bike. It's available in all sizes in black (which will suit me better than green). I'm 6,0 with shoes on, so I wonder how accurate their chart is. Claims that an 18-inch is for me. I wear a 36/32 pants size.


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## pxpaulx (Aug 5, 2014)

It is not actually in stock right now, won't be until October.


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## tonygeo (Aug 20, 2013)

From last week. I almost ordered it thinking it was in stock but vacation money was more important.









I LIKE BIKES


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## Fairmont (Aug 9, 2014)

Wait, so it's listed as in stock and then you're told it's out of stock?

Last night I checked and it listed that the green was only available in 22 inch but showed black was available in all sizes. I didn't go to checkout because I'm still on the fence about a lot of bikes. Yet, I assumed that since those sizes were available in the drop down menus that they were in stock.

What am I supposed to think if their website isn't updated regularly?


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## Destr0 (Aug 15, 2014)

The ones showing as still available are the only ones you can still order. All of the first release (FB4) of the BD fat bikes sold before they ever shipped a single one. The green ones are already sold except the XL ones. They are not in stock but they are only making a certain number. Not just a BD thing. Salsa Bucksaws are now already sold out but they have not shipped a single one... I tried to order one but can't now. :-(


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## Fairmont (Aug 9, 2014)

Yep, you're right. I just went back to the site and chose my size and sent it to Checkout. Sure enough, I got a message saying it wasn't available.

That stinks.

Oh well. They need to keep in mind that there are impulsive people like myself who will chase a different shiny object if I have to wait too long.


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## pxpaulx (Aug 5, 2014)

Fairmont said:


> Wait, so it's listed as in stock and then you're told it's out of stock?
> 
> Last night I checked and it listed that the green was only available in 22 inch but showed black was available in all sizes. I didn't go to checkout because I'm still on the fence about a lot of bikes. Yet, I assumed that since those sizes were available in the drop down menus that they were in stock.
> 
> What am I supposed to think if their website isn't updated regularly?


For some reason that bike in particular, and in black, is not updated properly - you are correct, they don't have them but do list them as available. If you add to cart, enter your shipping zip code and click checkout, you'll be taken to a page that says they are currently out of stock.

Their site is run at a very basic level, most of their inventory listings do seem to be updated correctly, however this is certainly an exception. That is what you get buying direct at near wholesale pricing - their email address is still @aol.com, so don't expect perfection here!


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## dinkeldorf (Aug 16, 2014)

The drop downs aren't always upto date however when you check out (long before payment details) it has accurate inventory levels. Since I used a non American CC I called, about 2 minutes start to finish, bike ordered. It took exactly the 7 days.

I got & built up mine last week. It's my third Motobecane replacing the Gravity 29er SS for winter commuting; the other is a TI 29er X9. Only rode it the once before doing a major front & rear deralieur tune, and lubing the cable lines, was out of town since.

Mine came matt black, like it for stealth, installed with red wheel tape and came with yellow also.

It rides great. Swapping the pedals out for Wellsgo flats. Might put a CF bar on there for temperature management, shorter stem. Tyre pressure is a big variable. Sounds like I'll be doing the hubs too!











Fairmont said:


> What am I supposed to think if their website isn't updated regularly?


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## tonygeo (Aug 20, 2013)

Gosh it's terrible seeing these things still out of stock lol


I LIKE BIKES


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

waiting sucks, but i think its worth it. it was for me anyway. i'm really glad that i waited, because when the bike does finally arrive, its that much more rewarding. if you order now you guys will still get them in time for winter when you really need it. im glad i got in early and got to ride it all summer too.


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## Fairmont (Aug 9, 2014)

I've been on the fence for three weeks about what I'll get. I bounce back and forth between 29er and fat bike, and I keep reminding myself that a fat bike really isn't the right bike for me, but those photos are so enticing. Why are fat wheels so attractive?!

I'll most likely end up with a 29er, and I'm finally starting to find some luck with CL in my area. 

I have the patience of a cat.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Fairmont said:


> I've been on the fence for three weeks about what I'll get. I bounce back and forth between 29er and fat bike, and I keep reminding myself that a fat bike really isn't the right bike for me, but those photos are so enticing. Why are fat wheels so attractive?!
> 
> I'll most likely end up with a 29er, and I'm finally starting to find some luck with CL in my area.
> 
> I have the patience of a cat.


why compromise? just build up a second 29" wheelset for your fatbike and have both.
:thumbsup:


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

akacoke said:


> the stock 50mm rim, 80mm and 100mm rim made the tire size change pretty dramatic. ill post some pictures when i get around


Hey coke, are you ever gona get around to it?  im interested in seeing how the bike would look rolling 80mm rims. im gona keep riding the 50's until i cant anymore, but thinking about upgrading if i taco or something (not uncommon for me).


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

oldbear52 said:


> Dirtdawg: Your thread helped me make up my mind. I would have ordered the std Bullseye but I fell that with my weight and size, 288lbs, 6' 1" and 32" inseam, and our trails here I need a wider tire 4.0 on the monster compared to 3.8 on the bullseye. would be better suited to the dirt and gravel we encounter. So I ordered an 18" monster. I just gave my son my Mongoose Dolomite and I really enjoyed using it for everything.


Hey OldBear, youve been awful quiet for the past couple weeks. everything ok? did your bike ever come in?


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## tequilasunset (Aug 26, 2014)

Noob here... looked at this bike online then found this thread. Would this be a decent fat bike for the street and light off road... for I hate to say it, fat dude? I am just trying to get some exercise, eat better, and hopefully lose some weight. I just tried to buy the matte black and like everyone else, its not available.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

tequilasunset said:


> Noob here... looked at this bike online then found this thread. Would this be a decent fat bike for the street and light off road... for I hate to say it, fat dude? I am just trying to get some exercise, eat better, and hopefully lose some weight. I just tried to buy the matte black and like everyone else, its not available.


Yeah man, I dont see why not. Theres nothing about it that's weak or wouldn't hold up to you riding it around. I would say go for it.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Awye


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## tequilasunset (Aug 26, 2014)

I am now wondering if the Dolo would work just as well for half the price. I'm so new to all of this I'm not sure I can appreciate all the little nuances. I want to be able to mount this on the back of my Vanagon when I camp and I don't think 15lbs diff in weight will be a big deal for me.


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## pxpaulx (Aug 5, 2014)

tequilasunset said:


> I am now wondering if the Dolo would work just as well for half the price. I'm so new to all of this I'm not sure I can appreciate all the little nuances. I want to be able to mount this on the back of my Vanagon when I camp and I don't think 15lbs diff in weight will be a big deal for me.


from what i have read the dolo has a heavy wheelset that many replace. rolling weight can be a lot more work than overall weight, and upgrading the tires and tubes will bring you close to the cost of the gravity. you also have the benefit of having more gear range which will be very helpful when the hills roll around.


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## tequilasunset (Aug 26, 2014)

Thx... good to know Pxpaulx


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

tequilasunset said:


> I am now wondering if the Dolo would work just as well for half the price. I'm so new to all of this I'm not sure I can appreciate all the little nuances. I want to be able to mount this on the back of my Vanagon when I camp and I don't think 15lbs diff in weight will be a big deal for me.


there is a big dolomite thread on here, you can read up on it and decide for yourself if you think that the bike will work for you. i know i almost did, but personally i'm glad that i waited for the gravity. the information is all here, it really comes down to what you want out of the bike. if you think that the mongoose will serve the purpose that you want it to, then go for it. in the end the only thing that matters is that you're happy with whatever bike you end up with. it doesn't matter what strangers on the internet think.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Dolomite benefits are the cost and the really wide rims. downfall is the weight, non-sealed bottom bracket, heavy tires, and cheap metal. If you start replacing parts on the dolo right off the bat (new seatpost, handlebar, tires, and freewheel) you're pretty much at the price of the bullseye and it still won't be as reliable. If you get the dolo, ride it as it is and replace stuff as it breaks (most under warranty). Also, the dolo only comes in one size.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

watts888 said:


> Dolomite benefits are the cost and the really wide rims. downfall is the weight, non-sealed bottom bracket, heavy tires, and cheap metal. If you start replacing parts on the dolo right off the bat (new seatpost, handlebar, tires, and freewheel) you're pretty much at the price of the bullseye and it still won't be as reliable. If you get the dolo, ride it as it is and replace stuff as it breaks (most under warranty). Also, the dolo only comes in one size.


i didn't like that it doesn't follow any standards for bb or have a place to mount a FD. the freewheel rear hub makes it hard to upgrade/replace parts. that's just me though, i think that for just riding around it would be fine, but i wanted a bike that i could ride seriously and upgrade as i inevitably break things.
honestly, i think that it would be fine for what tequilasunset wants to do with it. not having to wait months to get it is nice too. 
(keep in mind that i have never ridden one and don't actually know what i'm talking about)


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## tequilasunset (Aug 26, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> i didn't like that it doesn't follow any standards for bb or have a place to mount a FD. the freewheel rear hub makes it hard to upgrade/replace parts. that's just me though, i think that for just riding around it would be fine, but i wanted a bike that i could ride seriously and upgrade as i inevitably break things.
> honestly, i think that it would be fine for what tequilasunset wants to do with it. not having to wait months to get it is nice too.
> *(keep in mind that i have never ridden one and don't actually know what i'm talking about)*


Gotta love the honesty!


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

tequilasunset said:


> Gotta love the honesty!


haha! yeah, honesty is big for me. i wish that people would stop trying to present their (often uninformed) opinions as fact. it's a huge pet peeve of mine, so i just wanted to put it out in the open that my speculations are based off of what i have read and heard from other people, and not my own first hand experience. i would hate to give you (or anybody else) false information. 
I CAN tell you for sure that the bullseye monster is a lot of bike for $500 and a great platform to build off of, but it sounds like you don't need that, and might be equally happy on the cheaper bike. i'm always in favor of getting what i want for the least possible cost. 
i'm happy to answer any questions about the BD bike, but like i said before, you should make up your own mind based on your personal preferences rather than just what people on an internet forum tell you. :thumbsup:


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## Destr0 (Aug 15, 2014)

The deal breaker for me is the 47lb weight stock for the Dolomite. I was going to get one for my son to ride this winter but the weight scared me off so I got him a used Pugsley. 
He wants a Boris X5 though so I may sell it (I can get and paid more for it than the X5)...


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Destr0 said:


> The deal breaker for me is the 47lb weight stock for the Dolomite. I was going to get one for my son to ride this winter but the weight scared me off so I got him a used Pugsley.
> He wants a Boris X5 though so I may sell it (I can get and paid more for it than the X5)...


what a little brat!

J/K, what a lucky kid. my dad never bought me a fat bike.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Still taking everything I can dish out.









And tonight I got a chance to put on the lock ons I got for it.









The color matches pretty well. I like it. Combined with the green tires it will be pretty neat looking.

I think if I do end up needing a new hub at some point, a set of the blue hopes would go really well with the stem and head badge.


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## dinkeldorf (Aug 16, 2014)

Did re-packing work?

And nice grips. I'm at barely 20KM so far, been too busy & out of town, and TBH riding the other bikes.



dirtdawg21892 said:


> i will tear them down and grease them up. i meant to do that before riding, but i was too excited to get it together and take it for a ride. i haven't really given the thing a break since i got it.


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## Destr0 (Aug 15, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> what a little brat!
> 
> J/K, what a lucky kid. my dad never bought me a fat bike.


LOL! I suppose I shouldn't tell you about the Salsa Horsethief 1 I am building him for Christmas either then? He already has a built Soma Groove hard tail so he needs a fat bike and a full squish bike for the bike Trifecta, right? ;-)


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Destr0 said:


> LOL! I suppose I shouldn't tell you about the Salsa Horsethief 1 I am building him for Christmas either then? He already has a built Soma Groove hard tail so he needs a fat bike and a full squish bike for the bike Trifecta, right? ;-)


Can I join your family?


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

dinkeldorf said:


> Did re-packing work?
> 
> And nice grips. I'm at barely 20KM so far, been too busy & out of town, and TBH riding the other bikes.


I haven tried it yet. I think the clicking might be coming from the pedals. Its my second set of the stockers, and needless to say the bearings are beyond shot. I ordered a set of flats from nashbar, but they are backordered and taking forever to get here.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Well, the clicking isnt the pedals.


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## Fairmont (Aug 9, 2014)

Any word on stock? It's September, after all. I went to the black 18 inch and it said sold out when I attempted checkout. But 20-inch seemed in stock (I didn't buy, but was checking). 

My worry is that I click to pay and then it says it's out of stock after taking payment.

Is 20-inch good for a 6,0 man with 32 inseam?


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## dinkeldorf (Aug 16, 2014)

Uh oh. Crank / Cogs? Arthritis?



dirtdawg21892 said:


> Well, the clicking isnt the pedals.


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## dinkeldorf (Aug 16, 2014)

@Fairmont - BD seem to keep their inventory tied to their payment processor; you can't pay for an item not in stock. So the drop downs on the webpage are a bit slow, when you check out is when it trues up inventory. A lot of smaller webtailers do that, avoids dynamic content (that minute inventory) until truly needed.

I'm 6'-0" & 34" IS. FWIW I got the 20" Grav Bull Mon; The stem is quite long, lots of seat post to play with, and lots of saddle rail.

For comparison I also ride a 19" 'beacne HT 29er; a 56CM roadbike; 19" Kona FS Kona 29er. I recently decommissioned a 'becane 21" Gravity G29 SS 29er.

YMMV.



Fairmont said:


> My worry is that I click to pay and then it says it's out of stock after taking payment.
> 
> Is 20-inch good for a 6,0 man with 32 inseam?


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

Sorry to hear about your problem dirtdawg. Check the bolts on e chainrings. and the front wheel to see if the QR needs tightning. Mine clicked a little and then I noticed that thje wheel moved a bit and I re adjusted the QR and the clicking stopped. I haven't made any additions to the bike except for a waterbottle cage and lights. Got close to 75 miles on the monster and I really enjoy it. I am looking for a rear rack and a better trailer to haul more stuff in. The little one I have hardly holds more than three of four bags of groceries. Peace and love and a cold one:thumbsup:


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

oldbear52 said:


> Sorry to hear about your problem dirtdawg. Check the bolts on e chainrings. and the front wheel to see if the QR needs tightning. Mine clicked a little and then I noticed that thje wheel moved a bit and I re adjusted the QR and the clicking stopped. I haven't made any additions to the bike except for a waterbottle cage and lights. Got close to 75 miles on the monster and I really enjoy it. I am looking for a rear rack and a better trailer to haul more stuff in. The little one I have hardly holds more than three of four bags of groceries. Peace and love and a cold one:thumbsup:


Glad to hear you're enjoying the new bike! I have always wanted a BOB trailer or something similar for hauling tools and doing trail work. i think i would be able to make one, the most difficult part looks like where it mounts to the bike. they probably wouldnt be the best option for groceries, but the narrow profile would fit nicely down the singletrack that i like to ride.

thanks to both of you for the suggestions, the QR's should be tight. i have the wheels off fairly often, but snugging it up a little bit shouldnt hurt. i will check the chainring bolts, as they could be clicking under pressure too. and as for arthritis.... i hope not, as i'm only 22. 


dinkeldorf said:


> Uh oh. Crank / Cogs? Arthritis?


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## porkloin (Jun 12, 2014)

I went ahead and pulled the trigger on a matte black Bullseye Monster! Super excited. I was really torn between this and the Lurch, but I think the price on the Gravity was perfect. I rode through all of last winter in Fairbanks, AK on a mountain bike with studs, so I'm excited to see what kind of opportunities the fatbike will open up.

On a related note, has anybody found a compatible rear rack solution for this bike? I know that it doesn't have lower braze-ons for attaching a rack, but I'm wondering if some of the skewer-style racks would fit. I've got two nice panniers I'd hate to have to shelve for the winter.


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## FatBikeNoob (Aug 20, 2013)

porkloin said:


> I went ahead and pulled the trigger on a matte black Bullseye Monster! Super excited. I was really torn between this and the Lurch, but I think the price on the Gravity was perfect. I rode through all of last winter in Fairbanks, AK on a mountain bike with studs, so I'm excited to see what kind of opportunities the fatbike will open up.
> 
> On a related note, has anybody found a compatible rear rack solution for this bike? I know that it doesn't have lower braze-ons for attaching a rack, but I'm wondering if some of the skewer-style racks would fit. I've got two nice panniers I'd hate to have to shelve for the winter.


You could use a rear rack and P clamps should work to attach to frame. You would just need to find right size P clamp and nuts/bolts. Find them at any hardware store and some even have rubber cushion like below (or use cut piece of old inner tube).


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## bigBuckets (Jan 8, 2012)

So, I'm converting to a 1x8 on my Gravity Bullseye (non-monster). I removed the front derailleur and now there's a gap between the bottom bracket lip (on the drive side) and the shell. Should I back off the non-drive side cup or maybe ad a spacer to fill that gap?

thanks!


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## dinkeldorf (Aug 16, 2014)

*5 - 10 CM of snow yesterday. Guess who did some detours on the ride home?*

Crazy Cowtown weather. Rode into work in torrential rain. This turned to puking snow by the after noon. So some detours were in order. Fun fun, didn't even notice I need to re-do front DR. New Wellgo pedals (thanks Amazon!) worked well. Will shorten stem but probably after a CF bar (from experience, around -20C a metal bar bites). Wooohoooo!


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## dinkeldorf (Aug 16, 2014)

Only joking on the arthritis! I swapped pedals out almost straight away, they're the same as my old recently retired but for spare parts Gravity G29 SS winter beater.



dirtdawg21892 said:


> thanks to both of you for the suggestions, the QR's should be tight. i have the wheels off fairly often, but snugging it up a little bit shouldnt hurt. i will check the chainring bolts, as they could be clicking under pressure too. and as for arthritis.... i hope not, as i'm only 22.


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## porkloin (Jun 12, 2014)

Got my bike in today! Didn't waste any time getting it out on the trails.









So far the bike seems great. Granted, I don't have any previous fatbike time in. Assembly was quick and easy - BD had greased everything properly before assembly, so it went real quick.

One other note for potential buyers: this bike does have lower braze-ons to receive a rear rack. Looking at photos on the BD website I couldn't ever tell if it did, since they usually protrude from the rear stays somewhat. I went with the advice above and used a Bontrager disc-brake compatible rack and threw it on with some p-clips. The bike does have upper braze-ons, but I couldn't get the rods to reach them. P-clips work just as well.

I'm thinking of replacing the missions with On-One Floaters, since I'm in Fairbanks, Alaska and the majority of my riding will be on snow. Opinions?


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

porkloin said:


> Got my bike in today! Didn't waste any time getting it out on the trails.


that's one helluva trail you got there. Is that ice slush?


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## porkloin (Jun 12, 2014)

watts888 said:


> that's one helluva trail you got there. Is that ice slush?


It's the ski trail system at our university. Most of the trails stay nice and dry through the summer and fall, but others (like this one) get real boggy. It's a mixture of the melting spongy active layer of permafrost and the summer rain flooding lowland spots that make it all puddly like this. Made for a really fun ride!


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## porkloin (Jun 12, 2014)

Hit up some more out of season winter trails today for my second day on the bike:

























The ground's all full of tussocks and super uneven and the brush is a little out of control, but it really makes me realize just how much more terrain a bike like this opens up.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

*I'm Back!*

:thumbsupirtdawag, Did you ever figure out what was clicking? I had a problem with the rear derailuer skipping and just adjusted it and it went away. As far as my protracted absence :madman:I had heart surgery in august and I was off my bike for a few days, they replaced my battery in my pacemaker, and I got to ride two days after the surgery. I found out that the Monster rides real well over technical sections. We rode a trail in an adjoining town that has loists of technical stuff, (root, rocks and rock gardens. Nothing rattled loose and the Mission tires were ok. I might try 45nrth's huskerdus on it. Any one try those tires?:thumbsup:


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## dinkeldorf (Aug 16, 2014)

Looks awesome Porkloin!


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

porkloin said:


> I'm thinking of replacing the missions with On-One Floaters, since I'm in Fairbanks, Alaska and the majority of my riding will be on snow. Opinions?


Ive got a pair and like them a lot. If you really want max snow traction then I still have to reccomend the nates, (somebody hurry up and make a competitive tire so I can stop recommending overpriced surly stuff!) but the floaters are still a big step up from the missions, and for the price totally unbeatable.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

oldbear52 said:


> :thumbsupirtdawag, Did you ever figure out what was clicking? I had a problem with the rear derailuer skipping and just adjusted it and it went away. As far as my protracted absence :madman:I had heart surgery in august and I was off my bike for a few days, they replaced my battery in my pacemaker, and I got to ride two days after the surgery. I found out that the Monster rides real well over technical sections. We rode a trail in an adjoining town that has loists of technical stuff, (root, rocks and rock gardens. Nothing rattled loose and the Mission tires were ok. I might try 45nrth's huskerdus on it. Any one try those tires?:thumbsup:


Glad to hear that everything went well amd youre back on the bike.
As for the hub, I havent gotten a chance to do anything about it. School started back up and ive been super busy. It doesn't really make the scary pop in noise anymore, but im going to crack it open anyway. After almost 800 miles The bb is ticking and the chain is totally shot, so it will be spending some time in the shop soon anyway.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

*School daze.*

:thumbsup: dirtdawg. I hope that School goes well. I have put close to 200 miles on mine now and I hope to tack on a few more before the winter hits us hard. (subzero wind chills and ice on the ground) I am seriously considering having a second set of wheels built with studded tires. We usually get snow several times each winter and sometimes it hangs around for a week. The I44 corridor thru central Missouri seems to be a conduit for winter weather. The only problem I have had was adjusting the brakes. They seem a little harder to adjust than on the Trek single speed. But I finally dialed them in. Originally I had to tighten the screws on the calipers. nut that was it . I rode it right out of the box.


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## porkloin (Jun 12, 2014)

As I'm researching more about wheel upgrades, I'm beginning to wonder if I should just pick up new rims as well as tires. Anybody have any experience with other rims on this bike? I know early on in the thread akacoke was saying 80mm was the biggest he could go with 4" tires. I'm curious to hear about how wider rims would effect performance on loose conditions. My understanding is that fat tires have a different "profile" depending on how wide the rims are. I've been keeping my eyes on craigslist and have seen a couple of full wheelsets come and go.


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## dinkeldorf (Aug 16, 2014)

What are you hoping to get out of studded tyres? I used a set on a 26er a few years back in Southern Alberta & they were never quite right for me. I found they were good on hard pack, but sucked on hard ice, roots, rocks, curbs & roads. Is it hardback you're mitigating or the nasty melt freeze stuff?

It could have been all me but I used to get a false sense of security on hard pack & lose it once the studs hard surfaces.

SO then I rode the last two winters with just a 29er OK, and the Fatty hopefully will be better again.

Good luck!



oldbear52 said:


> I am seriously considering having a second set of wheels built with studded tires.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

porkloin said:


> As I'm researching more about wheel upgrades, I'm beginning to wonder if I should just pick up new rims as well as tires. Anybody have any experience with other rims on this bike? I know early on in the thread akacoke was saying 80mm was the biggest he could go with 4" tires. I'm curious to hear about how wider rims would effect performance on loose conditions. My understanding is that fat tires have a different "profile" depending on how wide the rims are. I've been keeping my eyes on craigslist and have seen a couple of full wheelsets come and go.


Ive been looking into wheels/hubs too. Considering a sarma hub, the 170 is only $180 shipped and has 120 poe.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

*need info on racks.*

I was just wondering if anybody has mounted a rack on the rear of their monster? And if so what one works best?


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## fat beastard (Aug 20, 2014)

I have had my monster for about 3 months now and have put about 500 miles on it. I love this thing.

I am six one with a 32 inseam, bought the 20, wish I had bought the 18. I have been riding alot of rocks at the beach and the 20 feels big. The 18 probably would have been a betyer choice.

when I recieved the bike the front fork was bent, tweaked during shipping. BD customer service was awesome and took care of it immediately. I replaced the cassette and chain at 400 miles, it was skipping bad and was shot, (salt water fun, but not good for bikes). I too swapped the bars and stem and put on a set of rock bros flats.

I have a set of 80s on the way and will post pics when they arrive. Like others I replace as it breaks, or as I get bored. Good news is that most of the changes are from boredom, this is a well built bike for the cash. I am so glad I bought this bike and not the dolo. Love the beast for playing, love to ride yhe monster.


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## porkloin (Jun 12, 2014)

oldbear52 said:


> I was just wondering if anybody has mounted a rack on the rear of their monster? And if so what one works best?


Oldbear, as far as I know you can fit any disc-brake compatible rack onto this bike. I used this Bontrager one which I already had lying around. See the second photo on the site for the disc-brake specific version. I wasn't quite sure it was gonna span the rear stays exactly at first, but with a little stretching I made it fit.


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## porkloin (Jun 12, 2014)

As winter is rapidly approaching I've been talking to some folks around town here in Fairbanks to get a feel for what kind of maintainence I should be doing during the winter. I figured I'd leave this link here, an article written by the creator of the snowcat rim (first fat bike rim) who lives here in town. If you're riding in extreme temps you might look at winterizing your freehub and save yourself some wear and tear.

Winterizing Your Freehub


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## tequilasunset (Aug 26, 2014)

I still have not pulled the trigger (no job still and money going into my Vanagon instead) 

Now that I see the flat black is available I am so tempted, but I keep seeing how you guys keep pouring money into the bikes (that kind of worries me) I have a Vanagon I can and am doing that with 

One question, I have a knee that has been an issue for a while, and I would like to think this will help it more than hurt it (strengthen the muscles around it and tighten it up) Opinions on this from experience?


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

tequilasunset said:


> ...I keep seeing how you guys keep pouring money into the bikes (that kind of worries me)


I can only speak for myself, but the only money that I have poured into mine are either optional upgrades or routine maintenance that I would have to do on any bike that sees this kind of mileage. 
as I stated in the very first post, I think that this bike is totally rideable right out of the box, and if you don't want to upgrade it, you don't have to.


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## porkloin (Jun 12, 2014)

tequilasunset said:


> I still have not pulled the trigger (no job still and money going into my Vanagon instead)
> 
> Now that I see the flat black is available I am so tempted, but I keep seeing how you guys keep pouring money into the bikes (that kind of worries me) I have a Vanagon I can and am doing that with
> 
> One question, I have a knee that has been an issue for a while, and I would like to think this will help it more than hurt it (strengthen the muscles around it and tighten it up) Opinions on this from experience?


I would say that the amount of money you'll dump into the bike depends on what you want to do with it. Honestly, now that I'm looking at wheelset upgrades I almost think I would have been better off going with the Lurch since I'll be about at the cost of that bike when all is said and done, but with that said I'm happy I have this bike. But the only reason I really want to upgrade the rims and tires is for better performance on snow, since I'll be riding this as a daily commuter on cross country ski trails for ~4 months of the year. For me the extra cash to make the bike really float is worth it. If you're not planning on taking the bike into super extreme conditions then I don't think you'll have to put money into it. I could get by completely fine throughout the winter with the bike set up as it comes stock, but I want to make my winter ride as floaty as possible


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## tequilasunset (Aug 26, 2014)

Welp... I done pulled the trigger on the flat black, which will go well on the bike rack of my flat white vanagon  (need to get a rack) 2x as much as the Fat Wally but a lot lighter, and better from what everyone has said.

Thanks all for your input!


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## tequilasunset (Aug 26, 2014)

It's shipped!


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## dinkeldorf (Aug 16, 2014)

Congrats on the new fatty. Heck and the vanagon flat! Depends on the knee issue ( I've had a few my self! ). Start slow, build up, take it easy listen to cues for bikefit & strain. Work out what fit / cadence / watts is optimal for you. It's easy with new ride to hop on & hammer but with injuries, start slow to go speed up. YMMV. And enjoy.



tequilasunset said:


> One question, I have a knee that has been an issue for a while, and I would like to think this will help it more than hurt it (strengthen the muscles around it and tighten it up) Opinions on this from experience?


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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

How do you guys feel this stacks up against the Boris x5? it looks like the rims are smaller on this gravity? Any regrets?


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

curious about this too. This was the main reason I went with the dolo. Superwide rims with a superwide tire. Otherwise it seemed like it was just a litle bit bigger tire than on my 29er..


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## tequilasunset (Aug 26, 2014)

From their site


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

I am happy with the overall capabilities of my Monster and how it performs off road. I might swap out the tires for a lighter one and swap out the pedals too as the parts wear out. I have close to 300 miles on mine and have no complaints about how she handles except for the fact that my front brake occasionally squeaks. LOL And 5the tires are going to last me most of the winter depending how much snow and ice we have.


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## porkloin (Jun 12, 2014)

hankscorpio said:


> How do you guys feel this stacks up against the Boris x5? it looks like the rims are smaller on this gravity? Any regrets?


I'm hoping to upgrade the rims eventually. I honestly just wasn't sure how much of a difference the 50mm vs. 80mm would be. For the time being I'm just going to roll with the 50's and see how they do. Tires profile seems plenty fat compared to my hardtail. Granted, when I run into the bike shop and see the Surlys and Salsas I get a tad envious of the ~5", but really I don't see the rim size being a major buzzkill or anything. If I could go back I might consider getting the Boris instead, but I'm happy with what I've got.

Just took mine out grouse hunting last night - I keep finding new uses for this beast.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

*What a drag!*

:madman: You never know how much you miss riding until health sidelines you, even for a short time. I had a mini stroke, TIA, and can't ride until Saturday. Meanwhile I am getting ready to order a pair of wellgo pedals and maybe lighter tires and tubes to put on later this fall. My Wife keeps telling me how soon I can ride but it seems like an eternity. :skep:


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## fat beastard (Aug 20, 2014)

Here are pictures of two four inch tires one on my gravity a 50 mm the other on my beast which is a 100mm. The difference is big. My 80s came in yesterday as soon as I get the hubs and laced I will post pictures of them.

I ride on the beach and am looking forward to the snow, hence the reason I am upgrading the size of my rims. With that said, my gravity is my primary bike and the 50s make it very fast on the street. They aren't bad on the sand, I like them on trails, I was just looking for more flotation this winter. I also came across a deal that was way too good to pass up. I would not worry about what others spend on their bikes, and would echo the above posts, I feel like I got way more than what I paid for.


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## tequilasunset (Aug 26, 2014)

Well I did not read very carefully... I am in pre-order status and bikes are not shipping until mid-end of Oct 

So with that I changed my order because I had been looking at the Boris X7, and now I am waiting on my Burnt Orange Boris


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

*Enjoy your ride.*

Tequilasunset: I hope you enjoy your ride. i am still looking for a rear rack for the Bullseye Monster. I want to get one so I can get rid of the back pack I now use to transport items from the store an use grocery paniers.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Took a trip up to millstone in Barre vt this weekend. The fatbike stuck to the big steep rocks like glue









It was a perfect fall day, the leaves are starting to turn, and its nice and cool

















Locomotion









The New trail is a lot of fun, its called the angry gnome and has a ton of bridges like these.








top of a big climb

Overall the fat bike was great on the steep rocky tech stuff that makes up about Half of millstone, the other side is a lot of roots and winding trails thay left me wishing I had a lighter suspend bike. Normally I dont mind pushing the fat around, but it was a Long day. Lots of fun!


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

*I have roots in Barre!*

 My roots go back a long way in this country and My Great Grandfather worked in the Barre granite quarries. Dirtdawg, your pictures make me want to visit New England again. I am riding daily on my monster on the local trails and it hand les great. I have set my PSI at 8psi front and 12 rear. It is the optimum for me on both pavement and dirt. I hope that all is well with everyone on the thread as we head into a new month of fat adventures. Peace


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## Woodnmusic (Aug 4, 2014)

Welp, pulled the trigger on this. Was looking at a cheap fat bike to work on over the winter, and this seemed to fit the bill a little better than a Walgoose. Now we'll see when the heck this thing ships....


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## tequilasunset (Aug 26, 2014)

Woodnmusic said:


> Welp, pulled the trigger on this. Was looking at a cheap fat bike to work on over the winter, and this seemed to fit the bill a little better than a Walgoose. Now we'll see when the heck this thing ships....


Mid to end of Oct, congrats


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## Woodnmusic (Aug 4, 2014)

The waiting game begins!!!


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

oldbear52 said:


> My roots go back a long way in this country and My Great Grandfather worked in the Barre granite quarries. Dirtdawg, your pictures make me want to visit New England again. I am riding daily on my monster on the local trails and it hand les great. I have set my PSI at 8psi front and 12 rear. It is the optimum for me on both pavement and dirt. I hope that all is well with everyone on the thread as we head into a new month of fat adventures. Peace


Thanks OldBear! All is well over here. School is keeping me really busy, but I have been getting out for bigger destination rides on the weekends. I'm trying to enjoy fall as much as i can before the leaves come down and it gets cold.
Next weekend is a big MTB ride that i do every year, i'm planning to take the monster. It's 30 miles of the most brutal and technical trails in the area, and the fat bike will make that an even bigger challenge. should be a great time, i'm really excited!


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## Woodnmusic (Aug 4, 2014)

Someone calm my mind here, as I'm getting buyers remorse after not seeing a lot of reviews up about this bike. Any issues with frame strength? Any issues at all so far? I have like 3 weeks to fret about this now.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Woodnmusic said:


> Someone calm my mind here, as I'm getting buyers remorse after not seeing a lot of reviews up about this bike. Any issues with frame strength? Any issues at all so far? I have like 3 weeks to fret about this now.


None whatsoever.
I can almost guarantee that i ride it harder than you will, and it has held up wonderfully. it's seen 800 miles worth of drops, jumps, and really rough terrain and I have nothing bad to say about it. Hands down the best $$ to fun ratio i have ever had on any bike, period.
Sorry if that doesn't make the wait easier, but i can safely say that it's the best $500 I have ever spent.


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## Woodnmusic (Aug 4, 2014)

Eh, that helps. Not so much for me anyway, as much as for my GF. We're splitting a 2014 Pug right now, but splitting a fat bike isn't that fun.

Agreed on the riding harder part, although I'm more worried about the brutal Midwest winter we're supposedly in for.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

Woodnmusic: I own a Gravity Bullseye Monster. I tip the scales at the Doctors office at 269lbss. I ride my fatty over some trails locally and it has not failed me yet. There is no noticeable flex in the frame and the wheels seem pretty durable. I have almost 400 miles on mine and the tires still have the little 'spikes on the side nobs. By the way when I started cycling again in July I weighed in at 308. That's a 39 pound loss. My Doctors is happy, my Wife is happy and I am happy and getting fit.
So get your fat bike and enjoy. PEACE. Oldbear52


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## dinkeldorf (Aug 16, 2014)

Woodnmusic: it's incredible bang for the buck, probably the best there is right now. Relax, it's all good. I got into this wanting to try a fat bike without spending the big coin. Turns out I got a great bike & will be spending lots of time in winter riding out side!


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## momikey (Aug 6, 2014)

Milstone is a blast, we just moved to the area this past year, spent every other day on the trails with my 26'' ironhorse.









the granite is sweet, hope to hit up the angry gnome you posted pics of before the season ends









Really wanna try a fat bike this winter but I was looking between this and the Dolomite. It seems either way you have to expect $150-$200 in upgrades for either bikes because of bars/tires$$$/shifters/gearing on the dolo. Also looks like lots of people have drilled their wheels for weight savings. This tread makes this bike sound nice though.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

momikey said:


> Really wanna try a fat bike this winter but I was looking between this and the Dolomite. It seems either way you have to expect $150-$200 in upgrades for either bikes because of bars/tires$$$/shifters/gearing on the dolo. Also looks like lots of people have drilled their wheels for weight savings. This tread makes this bike sound nice though.


I have to disagree, I put a lot of miles on the bike before upgrading anything, and to this day the only upgrades have been preference. Personally I think it's totally ridable right out of the box (unlike the dolo). I like wide bars and a short stem, so I swapped on a set that i had kicking around. in this case it didnt cost me anything, but even if i went out and got a high dollar fat bike, i would be making the same changes because they dont sell a fatbike that is set up to my preferences.


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## momikey (Aug 6, 2014)

I get what your saying, I guess with any of these fat bikes you need a separate set of tires, for snow as compared to trail riding, is that right? I still see people adding rapid shift/rear cassette with bigger short gears/and a cup BB for only about $50, and with having a whole fleet of 26'' bikes for the summer Im trying to justify buying one of each (Gravity) for me and the lady to buy for just a winter bike be around $1000.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

I Have to Agree wholehearttedly with dirtdawg on this. The monster is a good bike right out of the box. You really don't need to change a lot of expensive components unless you want too. I only plan to replace my pedals right now. Maybe the tires come spring. But the other parts will only be replaced when they wear out or break. My drive train will suffice until It no longer functions likewise the wheelset. Really the Gravity Bullseye Monster is a great value for the price.


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## varider (Nov 29, 2012)

So is this bike just a 29er version of the bike in this thread:
Save Up to 60% Off 29Plus, 27Plus Fat Bikes, Mountain Save Up to 60% Off New Bikes

I don't know much about fat bikes.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Well, I Survived the big Kahana in the pouring rain on the fat bike, however the bike didn't fare so well...








In a nutshell, the drive train exploded. Not pictured is the 32t sprocket, which also folded so that it can't hold a chain anymore. Since it has a bash, I know it isn't because I hit it on rocks. This is just a matter of the gears folding under the torque required in the big ride. 
The 22t and other 7 gears on the cassette still worked fine, so I managed to finish the ride without any more issues. Despite the equipment failures (which I'm emailing bd about) it was an awesome ride







slippery skinnys
















Glouster is often referred to as little moab


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## MUSTCLIME (Jan 26, 2004)

found this on angry gnome

The Angry Gnome - YouTube


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Not even 24 hours later and bd is sending warranty parts my way. I can't say enough good things about them.


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## aClockworkJake (Sep 26, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Not even 24 hours later and bd is sending warranty parts my way. I can't say enough good things about them.


That's awesome! How many miles would you say you've got on your Monster now?

Biding my time debating between the Monster and X5.


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## Pasquale (Oct 7, 2014)

Just ordered a Bullseye Monster in 16" in Silver. 

Can someone tell me if these come with presta or schrader valves?
Also want to order Wellgo replacement pedals, do I get the 9/16" or a diff size?

New to fat bikes and new to this forum and new to MTB. Glad to be here.

Thanks


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Pasquale said:


> Just ordered a Bullseye Monster in 16" in Silver.
> 
> Can someone tell me if these come with presta or schrader valves?
> Also want to order Wellgo replacement pedals, do I get the 9/16" or a diff size?
> ...


Comes with Schrader tubes. And yes standard 9/16 pedals.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

aClockworkJake said:


> That's awesome! How many miles would you say you've got on your Monster now?
> 
> Biding my time debating between the Monster and X5.


Im coming up on 900 miles.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Apparently bikes direct found my thread!


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

Pasquale: welcome to the world of fat biking! I am sure you'll enjoys it! Are you sure you ordered a Monster in silver? when you get your bike, post some pics of it. By the way the pedals are 9/16. I haven't been on here for a while and I think it's neat to see some new blood. I took my Monster on a 40 mile trip on a rails to trails site called the Katy Trail state Park. It is an old railway right of way that runs from around St. Charles Mo. to Sedalia Mo. You can make a family vacation out of riding it. It is around 250 miles long and cuts through the center of the state. It is flat so climbs aren't an issue and there is camping sites, Both private and state along it. We rode west on it from Columbia Mo0. twenty miles and turned around. The Monster performed great and now it's closer to 500 miles on it since July.


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## Pasquale (Oct 7, 2014)

Thanks Dirtdog and oldbear. 

Yes - they now are offering Bullseye Monster in silver along with the green and matte black. 

I'll have to keep Katy Trails in mind if I visit MO. Thanks!


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## dinkeldorf (Aug 16, 2014)

Oldbear - you reminded me of the Katy Trail I used to run along in Uptown Dallas when there on work trips! I never knew but thanks to wiki now and your post it's origins. Sounds awesome.



oldbear52 said:


> I took my Monster on a 40 mile trip on a rails to trails site called the Katy Trail state Park. It is an old railway right of way that runs from around St. Charles Mo. to Sedalia Mo. You can make a family vacation out of riding it. It is around 250 miles long and cuts through the center of the state. It is flat so climbs aren't an issue and there is camping sites,


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## dmars3571 (May 17, 2008)

Fatty exploring a newly constructed lake. This place is a hidden gem begging for new trails. The Monster is still riding strong since June. I have ridden it everywhere including a 52 mile journey of mixed trails, highway, back roads, and gravel roads to 3 beautiful lakes around the area. I absolutely love this bike!


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## Woodnmusic (Aug 4, 2014)

Thanks for all the input guys, but I decided to cancel my BD order for a Bullseye Monster. Just too many questions with no answers is the main reason. Other things I had time to consider were (in no particular order) the good standing relationship I have with my LBS and their crew, the reliability+R&D behind the current Pugsley that I own, and the type of trail riding I do. 

I remember seeing a bent rim earlier in this thread, as well as chunking Vee tires, and some other things that I personally don't think you should be dealing with in the first few months of owning a bike. I'm not knocking the Bullseye Monster by any means, but it's not really my cup of tea. 

Even though I'm picking up a Pug Ops today, definitely keep posting about this bike. I'm interested in seeing how it wears over time. It may just be the next Motobecane (generally, the most accepted of BD fat bikes).

Thanks guys! Enjoy the fats!


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## Pasquale (Oct 7, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> After 200 miles of abuse, the bike is still holding up from the most part.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

Dawg did you ever post up a weight on this bike? I'm actually eyeing the Deadeye version. Also curious how you feel about the rims being 50mm? I know they aren't the lightest or strongest rims out there but curious if the owners of this bike wish they had wider rims?


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## Marna_Kazmaier (Sep 11, 2014)

LOVE THIS THREAD! I did not see it before today....last night, we ordered my GREEN Gravity Bullseye Monster. You guys have me chomping at the bit for it to arrive.

I am 57 y/o and overweight with lung issues. Can't help it/Can't stop the feeling, I want a Fatty to ride on Snow! (I used to be a Sled Dog Racer) I have been researching the Fatties for a while now. I have ridden the Dolomite, around Walmart, yes, really, and higher dollar Fatties on test rides at and around Bike Shops. I really shopped to find the best Fatty for me and my situation (we ride Mt Bikes 25 - 42 miles per week) I am pretty sure that the Green Bike coming my way.....IS IT!


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

*Excellent Choice!*

:thumbsup:Marna: You have made an excellent choice! I own one in matte black and have nearly 500 miles on it. I too am overweight, 262 lbs on a 6'1" med frame. Since I returned to cycling I have lost 46 pounds. Also My heart has become more functional. I am a congestive heart failure patient with diabetes type 2 and arthritis in my arms and knees. But cycling has helped with conditions too. So when you ride, ride for the pure enjoyment of it. You'll discover that the scenery is prettier and that you'll discover things you have never seen before. Old Bear52


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## Marna_Kazmaier (Sep 11, 2014)

Thank you Old Bear 52,
My husband and I Used to ride bicycles over 1000 miles per year, but had not in about 16 years. Our "good" and touring bikes are in storage in WI, we are in NW SD. So, this Spring, we bought Genesis 29" Bikes and have been riding almost every single day. I ride the Stationary Bike when it rains here.
Exercise and riding my bicycle has sure made me healthier again too!
THANKS FOR YOUR POST!
I can not wait for my Green Monster to arrive!


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

*BD customer comments.*

 Dirt Dawg: I was just looking at the BD site. I saw your comment on the Monster, and your post on it. ( I reread It for the second time), If you look above yours you'll see a comment by OB. It's me! I think it's funny that I never noticed it before. I like how BD pays attention to what we say. I am one of three fat bikers in this town that ride daily and the other two ride BD Gravity Bullseye Monsters. We meet once in a while out on the Lion's Club Trail Seems some MTN bikers around here like to poke fun of those on fat bikes until they get passed in loose gravel/sand. lol I guess they've never ridden one yet. PEACE. Oldbear


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

*Have Monster, will travel.*

:thumbsup: I just spent three hours with a good friend from Kuwait who is graduating in December, He is getting a bullseye monster in silver after he got to ride mine around a lake near his apartment. Then he tells me that in November he is giving us his car, a 2004 Crown Victoria. :thumbsup: He doesn't want to ship it home and wants us to have it because he doesn't want to ship it home. He says near his home theres lots of beach and sand dune riding he wants to do and his current Mtn bike just won't cut it. 
And so this brings me to the point of this post. Oldbear and his wife, Sue are going to take some trips that we haven't been able to do for about 15 years. First is Sedona in early April. We want to spend a week there and soak up some desert sun and warm our bones from the Midwest winter. Of course the Monster will be going with to get some sand and redrock dust on it. Next in May, we plan on attending the Dirt Fest in Pennsylvania. I hope that registration open soon so we can reserve a houseboat for my wife, son and I. I am personally looking forward to riding some of the excellent trails around the area and attending the bike expo and some skills clinics. then for the last week in September and first week ion October we plan on heading west again to out personal mtn biking Mecca, Moab #

Utah. It's almost 20 years since we have been there and we want to look fir a house or manufactured home to but so we can 'retire"' out there. If not in Moab proper maybe out in the area near Lasalle.
Plus if the VA gets it act together and gives me my disability, I hope to own a Gravity full suspension fat bike.
Soooo if you attend the Dirt Fest, and see a
gray bearded old fart on a well used black Gravity Bullseye Monster wearing a florescent green shirt and plaid baggies. 
It's most likely me! 
(of course Moab should be on almost everyone's bucket list)

 the Oldbear Fred Peace


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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

Is dirt fest at ray's town lake? If so those trails are great and you will love it. I've never been to the event but did a camping trip there last year.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

hankscopio: :thumbsup: That's the one! The last time I was in Pa. was 1981at Gettysburg, for a Civil war reenactment.


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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

Obviously tons of good trails in PA but Raystown is really nice if you are into flow and not looking for really steep technical trails (which there are plenty of nearby if you are into that) Ray's town was machine cut so its pretty smooth and while it out in the mountains there isn't a ton of climbing. Oldbear how do you feel about the rims on your gravity? Do you wish they were wider?


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

I haven't really given the rim situation much thought. But Yes I wouldn't mind an 80mm rim that would work with the tires and hubs without too much hassle.


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## Marna_Kazmaier (Sep 11, 2014)

oldbear52 said:


> :thumbsup: I just spent three hours with a good friend from Kuwait who is graduating in December, He is getting a bullseye monster in silver after he got to ride mine around a lake near his apartment. Then he tells me that in November he is giving us his car, a 2004 Crown Victoria. :thumbsup: He doesn't want to ship it home and wants us to have it because he doesn't want to ship it home. He says near his home theres lots of beach and sand dune riding he wants to do and his current Mtn bike just won't cut it.
> And so this brings me to the point of this post. Oldbear and his wife, Sue are going to take some trips that we haven't been able to do for about 15 years. First is Sedona in early April. We want to spend a week there and soak up some desert sun and warm our bones from the Midwest winter. Of course the Monster will be going with to get some sand and redrock dust on it. Next in May, we plan on attending the Dirt Fest in Pennsylvania. I hope that registration open soon so we can reserve a houseboat for my wife, son and I. I am personally looking forward to riding some of the excellent trails around the area and attending the bike expo and some skills clinics. then for the last week in September and first week ion October we plan on heading west again to out personal mtn biking Mecca, Moab #
> 
> Utah. It's almost 20 years since we have been there and we want to look fir a house or manufactured home to but so we can 'retire"' out there. If not in Moab proper maybe out in the area near Lasalle.
> ...


VERY KOOOOOL! AND GOOD FOR YOU!

I wanted to ask you if I could repost your first post to me about your health and how you have improved it with riding a bike on my Bicycle Blog at Does My Butt Look Big In The Saddle - Front Page as well as send it in a post to a Yahoo List I host with the same name?


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

hankscorpio said:


> Dawg did you ever post up a weight on this bike? I'm actually eyeing the Deadeye version. Also curious how you feel about the rims being 50mm? I know they aren't the lightest or strongest rims out there but curious if the owners of this bike wish they had wider rims?


I never got a chance to weigh it, and now that it's been modded it wont be a super accurate number. many others have it now though, somebody must have weighed it when it came out of the box. i'm gona stand behind my previous estimate of 34-35lbs, but if sombody has a real number, speak up! :thumbsup:
and on the wider rims note: i really like the way it handles on the trails with the slightly narrower profile. it makes the tires taller and offeres a bit more protection for the rims. that being said, i have been looking into building a second wheelset with 80mm rims for the winter, because i want more engagement and as much float as i can get.


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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

Thanks for the input. Actually considering the ss version also. Or kicking out a few more bucks for the fb4 comp


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

:thumbsup:Marna: I am not that computer savy to repost It. I will keep on writing and posting here if you see something you can print it out and put it on your blog and yahoo. com page. It's kinda hard when they only thing this laptop does is act as a portal to the web. 
On the bike front we are going to order a Gravity Bullseye monster for my oldest son who has autism. He can ride a bike and deserves one of these for himself. We are ordering in March cuz we gotta save for it. It will be a green 16 inch. He's currently riding a walgoose beat and keeps wanting me to lower the seat on mine to ride it  Then the next bike is for my wife next fall after her surgery to remove a tumor. :thumbsup::thumbsup: Your Humble Obedient Servant, OldBear


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

oldbear52 said:


> :thumbsup:
> (of course Moab should be on almost everyone's bucket list)
> 
> the Oldbear Fred Peace


Agreed. Moab is spectacular, and one of my favorite bike trips ever. 
Great post oldbear, Glad to hear everything is going well for you.


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## Marna_Kazmaier (Sep 11, 2014)

oldbear52 said:


> :thumbsup:Marna: I am not that computer savy to repost It. I will keep on writing and posting here if you see something you can print it out and put it on your blog and yahoo. com page. It's kinda hard when they only thing this laptop does is act as a portal to the web.
> On the bike front we are going to order a Gravity Bullseye monster for my oldest son who has autism. He can ride a bike and deserves one of these for himself. We are ordering in March cuz we gotta save for it. It will be a green 16 inch. He's currently riding a walgoose beat and keeps wanting me to lower the seat on mine to ride it  Then the next bike is for my wife next fall after her surgery to remove a tumor. :thumbsup::thumbsup: Your Humble Obedient Servant, OldBear


Thank you! 
Good Luck to your and your family.....we all look forward to seeing your family, all sitting on their Fatties....out on the trial!


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## stumpy69 (Oct 18, 2014)

just wondering if any one tried a 100 mm on the front and a 80 on the back. i am waiting for my monster and am very worried about the 50 mm rims didnt see that till after order. want it for snow so any help would be great thanks so much


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

*Gravity strikes again! JK*

 Marna: I just looked at your blog. It is really neat, When we lived off grid at a radio station in SE Missouri we had solar power and propane generators. We also kept goats. We rode Mountain bikes on some sweet Ozark hills down there and some old BMX/beach cruisers a neighbor gave us. So we know what it's like to live in the woods off grid.

I got some good news today from the Cardiologist.:thumbsup: He told my that a recent ultrasound of my heart showed that it's function has improved 10%! All because of diet and a matte black Gravity Bullseye Monster! My weight drops steadily month by month, week by week and day by day. So anyone who has doubts I have physical proof!
 Peace OLDBEAR


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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

congrats oldbear. Keep it up


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## FatBikeNoob (Aug 20, 2013)

*Gravity Bullseye Monster PRO Bluto Fork FatBike*

This looks SWEET! SALE $1099.95 (List $2899)

Save Up to 60% Off Rockshox Bluto Fatbikes









Frame: Tapered Head Tube, ALLOY 6061 FRAME, W/DISC MOUNT, TIG WELD, replaceable rear derailleur hanger, H2O bosses, T/T-35MM, S/T-31.8MM, D/T-44M, Rear Rack SeatStay Brazeons, 170mm symmetrical rear
Fork: ROCKSHOX BLUTO W/THRU AXLE, ALLOY BLACK CROWN, BRACE AND BLADE
Crankset: LASCO Aluminum 22T / 36T ALLOY BKx175MM
Bottom Bracket: LASCO 100x1.37
Pedals: VP BLACK PLASTIC BODY W/STEEL BLACK CAGE
Front Derailleur: SRAM FD-X7 2x10 HIGH DIRECT MOUNT CL-DDM 34.9 CLAMP+ADP-DDM-100MM
Rear Derailleur: SRAM RD-X7 SILVER CAGE
Shifters: SRAM SL-X5 TRIGGER 20-SP BLACK
Cassette/Freewheel: 11-36T-10 speed
Chain: KMC X-10 STEEL NP/NP+CL-566R LINK
Hubs: ALLOY BLACK W/ThruAxle 15mm front, 170mm rear (symmetrical)
Spokes: 14G STEEL BLACK W/BRASS NIPPLE
Rims: 26"x32H WEINMANN HL-80 WIDTH 80MM W/BIG HOLES, ALLOY BLACK
Tires/Tubes: VEE RUBBER 26"x4.0 VEE 8 72TPI
Brakes: DISC BRAKE W/F:180MM,R:160MM ROTOR
Brake Levers: TEKTRO ML-520 ALLOY BLACK LEVER W/ALLOY BLACK CLAMP
Headset: VP-A68E BLACK W/M-1D ALLOY BLACK CAP
Handlebar: Aluminum W:700MMx9 DEGREES, ALLOY BLACK
Stem: ALLOY 6061 EXT:80MM(15"~17")/90MM(19")/100MM(21")x7 DEGREES, ALLOY BLACK
Tape/Grip: WTB BLACK/GRAY KRATON
Saddle: WTB SPEED V SPORT SE, BLACK
Seat Post: Micro Adjust 350MM, ALLOY BLACK aluminum
Seat Post Clamp: ALLOY SEAT CLAMP
Sizes: See pull down
Colors: See pull down


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Well, bd came through with the warranty.








This is exactly what I would have replaced it with. The 34t cog will be super useful with this much traction.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

*Bluto on a Monster? and upgrades too?*

:thumbsup: WOW# now that bike is something to save for! when I get my taxes and va disability I can see one in gloss black coming my way! Nice components and sweet fork. Not that I need front suspension, but it will be nice to have for riding on rock gardens and tech sections in the Ozarks. Or should I get it in that electric blue? our '81 Honda Civic was that color and we will name the bike George. "And I will love him and pet him and make him my own."  P$EACE the OLDBEAR


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

Dawg: Nice to see your got your parts, are you going to break it in soon?


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## dtjessup (Oct 21, 2014)

Hi, I have been looking at this bike for beach riding - have an uninhabited 8 mile island nearby. Wonder how you think this bike would be on soft sand?

Also I have a gimp leg from an injury and have to step thru the frame. Could you give me the distance from ground to lowest point on top tube?

Thanks,


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

Depending on the size you want the 18" standover height is 29" and the 16" is 28". They don't make a "womens frame" in that style and the only wat to get that is custom or buy a beach cruiser. 
I have ridden My monster on some sand bars around here and the tires don't dig in like a 26 x 2.5 does. A bike with say 4" to 5" tires will carry you across or into sand buy the dig rate isn't deep enough to slow you down.The Monster comes stock with 4" tires and I weigh 259. My bike perform in sand and loose gravel excellently. 
On that line you might be able to squeeze into one of the Mango bikes a pair of 4" tires. that way it will ride easier over the path you choose. It all depends on your weight and riding style.
In fact the BD folks stock a few mo0dels of fat bike beach cruisers with 3.5 Veerubber speedster tires that would most likely work for your beach rides.If you are interested in also riding off road on some sweet single track get a Gravity Bullseye Monster. .


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

While I was waiting for parts I thought I would test out the versatility of the narrow(er) rims, and I must say I like it. 








These are some old 2.5s I had kicking around. The pictures don't really do any justice, but the wide rims give them a whole lot of volume and a nice square profile.








Rides pretty nice. More like a burly skinny bike than a fat, but boy is it quick and responsive.


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## dtjessup (Oct 21, 2014)

Thanks for the info. - I would step over as close to the nose of the saddle as possible since that is the lowest point- looks like that would be a couple of inches lower,


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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

I'm really considering the single speed version. This is a a second bike for me, a beater, I realize I might be punishing myself but I really dont want to fall into an upgrade trap. Not that the bike requires it but that I will be super tempted to. I could see it being a good training tool to have a ss and the fat tires will help put a smile on my face while my legs are burning. I realize it will probably be a pain in the butt in the snow with ss but the more i think about it the more I realize I'm not going to be doing climbing in the snow. I'm in SJ, snow is hit or miss here. If it snows I might hit up a local flatish trail or ride it around town for fun. I'm not commuting or trying to climb ski trails or anything


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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

Ive also convinced myself that the narrower rims are good for ss too as they are a little lighter. Id probably put some 3.7s on it.


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## Pasquale (Oct 7, 2014)

My silver Bullseye Moster shipped and is to arrive Tue. Oh yeah.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

Pasquale: Congrats! Be sure to post pics of it. I have decided to save for a Monster with a bluto and give my matte black one to my son.


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## Pasquale (Oct 7, 2014)

Thanks! I will post pics. 
I almost changed the order to a Bluto one, but decided to stay with this. I can always get one with Bluto later and use this one for guests.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

:thumbsup:you're welcome. I will probably also use the regular Monster for anyone who comes to visit. Thanks for thge Idea. I can raise or lower the saddle to accomodate people from 5'9" to 6'0'". I will probably order mine in April. It will be the gloss black one. I like black bikes my last four were black except for the dolo. 
I have encounter on little snag with my front wheel, it loosened up am was shifting back and forth when I braked. I readjusted the cones and iot seems to solved the problem.  and after 550 miles that'sthe only little problem I have had. 
I am getting new tires in December for a Christmas present . I am going to get 45north huskerdu's.. they seem to be a godn choice for my winter riding. :band: Until the next time Keep the rubber siode down! FRED


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## Pasquale (Oct 7, 2014)

Good report on the Monster! Sounds like it holds up well. 

I just looked up that tire since you mentioned it and it does look like a good tread design. Probably good for all year too. 

I like Silver, White or Black. So I prob will go gloss black too...once I sell my motorcycle. That may not be until the weather warms up again.

Thanks again Fred


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## porkloin (Jun 12, 2014)

stumpy69 said:


> just wondering if any one tried a 100 mm on the front and a 80 on the back. i am waiting for my monster and am very worried about the 50 mm rims didnt see that till after order. want it for snow so any help would be great thanks so much


Somebody early in the thread mentioned that they did 80mm, but haven't heard on the 100mm front.

For what it's worth, I just finally ordered a new wheelset with 80mm rims for myself. It's hard to beat $140 on Amazon. Check them out! Should be about on par with the quality of the stock hubs/rims but with extra width. I started kicking myself in the ass once we got snow on the ground for not having gone for wider rims in the first place. I'll report back later this week on how the new wheels fit, and Stumpy, I'll be sure to get you some numbers on the front fork clearance with 4" tires and the 80mm.


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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

What was the issue? Not enough float with the narrower rims? What tires are you using?


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## porkloin (Jun 12, 2014)

hankscorpio said:


> What was the issue? Not enough float with the narrower rims? What tires are you using?


Yeah, primarily float. My daily commute is about 4 miles of cross-country ski trail, so I definitely started to notice that I wasn't getting as much float as some others, especially once I rode with my buddy on his carbon 907 @ 100mm. I've also been having problems with tire seating - no matter how many times I reset them on the narrower rims the wheel rolled as if the rim wasn't true.

As far as tires go, I've got a 120tpi Nate in back and 120tpi Bontrager Hodag in front. Hoping that the Weinmann's will work for a tubeless setup also.


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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

so you had problems with the 3.8's seating? that is concerning.


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## porkloin (Jun 12, 2014)

hankscorpio said:


> so you had problems with the 3.8's seating? that is concerning.


It was definitely more noticeable on the Missions, but who knows. Might even just be user error - wouldn't be the first time I managed to butcher an otherwise simple task . Got any tips for getting tires to seat nicely?


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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

Ha, sorrry, no not really. I claim to be an expert at nothing. I have put a tire on with noticeable kick before but I just took it off an did it again. I couldn't tell you what causes it or how to fix it. 

I'm really on the edge with this bike. Its not really about this bike vs another fat bike though. Its more like spend $400 bucks on this as a fun 2nd bike that can be used for a few different things and ride some easier local trails or keep the $400 bucks for w/e else


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## Pasquale (Oct 7, 2014)

*Got My Silver Monster.*

Anyone Else Like the look of Silver like I do?






























And where I will take her...


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## rocklax (Mar 30, 2010)

What does everyone think of taking a Monster, putting 80mm wheels on, new stem, new bars, and a new saddle? Better option than just buying a Moto FB4 Comp?


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## Pasquale (Oct 7, 2014)

BTW - this is a size 16in. I'm 5'8.5", My inseam measures 31.5". The standover height on this if you measure where you actually stand over it, in front of the seat, is 29". I could have possibly gone with 14" too for more clearance, but am happy with the 16".


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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

rocklax said:


> What does everyone think of taking a Monster, putting 80mm wheels on, new stem, new bars, and a new saddle? Better option than just buying a Moto FB4 Comp?


not really/maybe? Take stem, bars, and saddle out of the equation. because those are really just fit things that you are likely to change on any bike. The question is going to be how much are you spending on the 80mm rims? the fb4 you are also getting 9 speed components, shimano over sram (which is a preference) and better brakes. They may not be the best brakes but the novella's suck.

Long story short if you were to upgrade the gravity to the fb4 specs it would be more expensive then just buying the fb4. If you are happy with the gravity specced the way it is and you can get 80mm wheels for less than 200 then sure, do it.

Also keep in mind the fb4 is offset


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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

Silver is looking sharp, especially with the red rim cut outs.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

porkloin said:


> Got any tips for getting tires to seat nicely?


I lay the wheel on its side and pump it up just enough for the tire to hold its shape, then i spin it and watch the bead to see where the low/high spots are on either side. if the tire pressure is low enough, you can push/pull on the sidewall and slide the bead so that it is even all the way around. then when you air it up, the beads pop in evenly. it's tedious and takes some practice, but it works.
you could also try lubing up the beads with soapy water and airing them up to around 30 psi, just make sure there aren't any outstanding high spots before airing up or the bead might jump off the rim. ive never had that happen on a fat bike, but even with low volume tires, its loud enough to make your ears ring (and possibly merit a new set set of underpants)


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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

That's a good point. Something I do that I didn't think about when you asked that question is when I put a new tire on (tubed) I seat it and air it up much higher than i would ride it. Like 40 psi. Than I spin it slowly to check it, then I put all my weight on it and rotate it a few inches at a time and keep putting weight on it to make sure its not going to pinch flat while riding


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## stumpy69 (Oct 18, 2014)

just go mine and have to say i am impressed, self-steer is bad till u get on the dirt than it is great. Anyone thinking about drilling the holes bigger with a step drill?


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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

Does the self steer get better on pavement if you increase the psi?


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## stumpy69 (Oct 18, 2014)

yes it does get better but if you drop it down you sure can tell lol


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## Pasquale (Oct 7, 2014)

*Bullseye Monster Gear and tuning question.*

Have two questions:

1) My bike has a two gear chainwheel, yet the front shifter is a three gear - is this normal or was I sent the wrong shifter?

2) My chain keeps jumping 2 to 3 times when shifting down from 4th to 3rd. I tried adjusting the "H" when in 1st to make it slightly out board and another time where it is directly inline with gear. It still jumps - meaning that it doesnt go to another gear comopletly but just starts to then comes back to 3rd. It only does this under stress when riding it, not when on work stand. All other shifting is great. Any suggestions on how to tune it to eliminate this?

Crankset: LASCO 22/32T 175MM ALLOY
Rear Derailleur: SRAM RD-X4-A1
Shifters: SRAM X4 TRIGGER

Thanks!


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## porkloin (Jun 12, 2014)

stumpy69 said:


> just wondering if any one tried a 100 mm on the front and a 80 on the back. i am waiting for my monster and am very worried about the 50 mm rims didnt see that till after order. want it for snow so any help would be great thanks so much


Stumpy, got my 80mm rims in yesterday and snapped a couple photos. The increase in surface area from the 3.8"/4.0" tires was pretty astounding. The tires look and feel quite a bit beefier on the wider rims. Took it out on the trails today into some deep snow and felt a little bit more floaty.

As far as the 100mm/80mm combo goes, I think it's possible. Here's my front fork with a Bontrager Hodag and an 80mm rim:








As you can see, there's still quite a bit of clearance there, so I don't doubt that you would be able to bump up to a 100mm. Alternatively, you might be able to run a 4.5/4.8 tire on a 80mm rim.

In the rear, however, it's a totally different story. As akacoke said way earlier in the thread, 80mm with a 3.8 is just about the maximum for the rear. With mine I get chain rub on the tire in the double granny (lowest rear and lowest front), as you can see in this picture:









I don't mind too much, since the next gear on the rear clears just fine, and I haven't ever used the double granny on this bike since I bought it. Your mileage might vary with other tires though, since the Nate has some pretty burly side knobs.


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## porkloin (Jun 12, 2014)

Pasquale said:


> Have two questions:
> 
> 1) My bike has a two gear chainwheel, yet the front shifter is a three gear - is this normal or was I sent the wrong shifter?
> 
> ...


1) My front shifter is the same - I assume everyone got a 3-gear click shifter despite only having two front rings.

2) Is your rear derailleur cable too tight? Also, you won't want to adjust the H or L screws for indexing. Those only limit the horizontal movement of the derailleur (to prevent over or undershifting past the gears themselves) Instead, set your cable tension at a reasonable tightness (probably less tight than you'll want to) then use the barrel adjuster on the handlebars to set the indexing. You're spot on as far as the check goes, just make sure it looks straight in line with the gears. Sheldon Brown's article on derailleur adjustment is pretty good, so I'd check that out.

Derailer Adjustment

Edit: Oh yeah, and make sure your derailleur hanger is tight - mine was loose when it came. That'd definitely result in some autoshifting behavior. And if you get stumped, take it to your LBS!


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## Pasquale (Oct 7, 2014)

porkloin said:


> 1) My front shifter is the same - I assume everyone got a 3-gear click shifter despite only having two front rings.
> 
> 2) Is your rear derailleur cable too tight? Also, you won't want to adjust the H or L screws for indexing. Those only limit the horizontal movement of the derailleur (to prevent over or undershifting past the gears themselves) Instead, set your cable tension at a reasonable tightness (probably less tight than you'll want to) then use the barrel adjuster on the handlebars to set the indexing. You're spot on as far as the check goes, just make sure it looks straight in line with the gears. Sheldon Brown's article on derailleur adjustment is pretty good, so I'd check that out.
> 
> ...


Thanks so much! I will give those things a try tomorrow and for now read that article.


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## stumpy69 (Oct 18, 2014)

Thanks pork loin how do u like the new rims let us know how they hold up


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## spicinit (Nov 2, 2014)

*my future love of my life*

check it out just saw the new Gravity Quigley FS FatBikes full suspension


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

spicinit said:


> check it out just saw the new Gravity Quigley FS FatBikes full suspension


Yes, we know. If you want you can start a new thread about it, I know I am personally very interested, but let's keep this thread about the monster so that it doesn't end up like the massive bikes direct thread.


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## tuareg (Nov 13, 2013)

dirtdawg, 

Thanks for starting this thread and for the ongoing review of the Gravity Bullseye Monster. I was on the fence about getting this bike, but after reading your in-depth reviews and viewing all the awesome pictures, I ended up pulling the trigger and ordered one in silver last night. 

Bikes Direct have already shipped and emailed me with a tracking number. Can't wait to get the bike and start riding. 

Currently riding a Salsa Fargo but we're expecting snow pretty soon here in Minnesota. The Fargo will not do. 

I will upload some pics once I have the bike assembled and ready.

Thanks again! Excellent thread! Ride Safe!


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## Pasquale (Oct 7, 2014)

Hey Tuareg - You'll like this bike and the silver looks great. Here is mine on trail...


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## tuareg (Nov 13, 2013)

Pasquale said:


> View attachment 937325
> Hey Tuareg - You'll like this bike and the silver looks great. Here is mine on trail...


Hi Pasquale! Yes, I saw pics of your silver monster on this post, and that is exactly why I went with the silver!  Sweet looking bike!

Hoping I don't have to wait too long for mine to come in. I already got a tracking number from BD, but status shows ready for UPS.


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## Pasquale (Oct 7, 2014)

Should be quick - be sure to have someone sign for it since signature is required. I think I got mine in only 3 business days from when it shipped. I live in IL and it came from TX.


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## stumpy69 (Oct 18, 2014)




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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

Did you paint the rims or are they upgrades?


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## stumpy69 (Oct 18, 2014)

Yeah I drilled them out bigger painted white and added orange duct tape I really like the white. I did find a set of the same rims already painted white with 3 in tires at bike island after I went through all the trouble. Go figure


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## tuareg (Nov 13, 2013)

Pasquale said:


> Should be quick - be sure to have someone sign for it since signature is required. I think I got mine in only 3 business days from when it shipped. I live in IL and it came from TX.


Got it! Checked on the status again and it is scheduled to be delivered upcoming Wednesday! I'll plan to work from home that day! 

We are expecting snow this Sunday.....perfect timing!

I suppose I should switch out those Mission tires as they don't offer much of traction in the snow. Looking at either 45NRTH Husker Du or Panaracer Fat B Nimble. Any suggestions???


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

Greeting one and all! I got my Huskerdu's and had a neighbor who was a bike shop employee before coming
g here for college mount them. I got to ride them for one day and they ride wonderful. (just can't wait for some snow). Recently I had a stroke and am now sidelined for six weeks doing the therapy thing. I lost some use on the left side, however they expect a full recovery. At the therapy clinic, I am riding a stationary bike. I do bring my own saddle and get strange looks form the thrapists and other patients. LOL So, everyone keep riding and I will keep on posting here and my other thread "Fatbiking and Health". Peace


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## Hardtale (Sep 10, 2014)

oldbear52 said:


> Greeting one and all! I got my Huskerdu's and had a neighbor who was a bike shop employee before coming
> g here for college mount them. I got to ride them for one day and they ride wonderful. (just can't wait for some snow). Recently I had a stroke and am now sidelined for six weeks doing the therapy thing. I lost some use on the left side, however they expect a full recovery. At the therapy clinic, I am riding a stationary bike. I do bring my own saddle and get strange looks form the thrapists and other patients. LOL So, everyone keep riding and I will keep on posting here and my other thread "Fatbiking and Health". Peace


Hey OB good luck with the rehab, keep ridin' bro.


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## stormscrambler (Aug 8, 2014)

i got mine about two months ago used from a guy in town and it is so much fun to ride. i have had had all different types but this is fun to ride every where street and trail


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## tuareg (Nov 13, 2013)

oldbear52 said:


> Greeting one and all! I got my Huskerdu's and had a neighbor who was a bike shop employee before coming
> g here for college mount them. I got to ride them for one day and they ride wonderful. (just can't wait for some snow). Recently I had a stroke and am now sidelined for six weeks doing the therapy thing. I lost some use on the left side, however they expect a full recovery. At the therapy clinic, I am riding a stationary bike. I do bring my own saddle and get strange looks form the thrapists and other patients. LOL So, everyone keep riding and I will keep on posting here and my other thread "Fatbiking and Health". Peace


Hi Oldbear,
Sorry to hear about your stroke. Hope you have a full and speedy recovery and are able to get back on your fat bike. I took a 6 month hiatus from riding due to back surgery and am just getting back into biking. More painful to not be able to ride than the surgery and recovery itself! 

Definitely leaning towards the Husker Du's. Better suited for Minnesota winters!


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## tuareg (Nov 13, 2013)

Quick question guys; how sturdy is the crankset and bottom bracket on this bike? I'm not necessarily a heavy rider but very aggressive and tend to stand quite a bit. Worried the crankset and bb may not be able to handle what I dish out....


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## tuareg (Nov 13, 2013)

stormscrambler said:


> i got mine about two months ago used from a guy in town and it is so much fun to ride. i have had had all different types but this is fun to ride every where street and trail


Sweet! More positive reviews from Bullseye riders! Seems I have made an excellent choice.


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## tuareg (Nov 13, 2013)

stumpy69 said:


> View attachment 937375


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## stumpy69 (Oct 18, 2014)

It is a charger spoon saddle from bike wagon it was $20 and I love it and its a 69 Cutlass


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## tuareg (Nov 13, 2013)

stumpy69 said:


> It is a charger spoon saddle from bike wagon it was $20 and I love it and its a 69 Cutlass


Great reviews on the Charge spoon. Very nice Cutlass!


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

:band: Today was a good day, no an excellent day! I went to the hospital for rehab and worked out for an hour and then asked if I could ride the stationary bike for thirty minutes. the therapist set up the machine to replicate a road ride with moderate hills and I rode without a hitch. They said I was improving rapidly and should be back out on my bike in FOUR WEEKS. :thumbsup: y heartrate, blood pressure, and Oxygen stay in the allowable range. I told the therapist that I owe it to fat biking on a regular basis and she agreed. They have internet at the clinic and I showed them what a fat bike looks like by going to the Bikesdirect website. One of the male therapists said he might get one. score another one for fat bikes! Above all else I owe a big debt of gratitude to fat biking in my ability to recover quickly.  kepp on cycling Fred


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

tuareg: I weigh 248 and the cranks and bb holdup pretty well, and thanks for the encouragement. :thumbsup: OLdbear aka Fred


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## stormscrambler (Aug 8, 2014)

the biggest complaint i have though is the brakes, i don't know if i am not used to manual disks or what but they are so weak, they have gotten better with some adjustments, i am at the point of getting new ones, any suggestions


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## Marna_Kazmaier (Sep 11, 2014)

I have to brag on bikesdirect.com and my FATTY BIKE, as well as ACME Bicycle Shop here in Rapid City, SD.

I had a problem with my cassette, bikesdirect said to take it to a Bike Shop....my husband has worked on and built bikes in the past, also vehicles, changed motors and 4 W Drive in our truck...he is not an average bike owner who would not know how to fix them. Anyway, he could not fix the bike gear problem. Saturday we took my bike to the ACME Bike Shop in Rapid City, SD. They not only worked on it, but did it right away. Off we went to the Bike Path.

Nope. Still had the problem. So we took it back. Again, they looked at it right away.

To their surprise and to our surprise, we needed a new cassette for the back gears. They put one on and away I went (I LOVE THAT BIKE!)

Deron contacted bikesdirect.com and they refunded the full amount for the parts and labor. We are quite thrilled!


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## Pasquale (Oct 7, 2014)

Marna_Kazmaier said:


> I have to brag on bikesdirect.com and my FATTY BIKE, as well as ACME Bicycle Shop here in Rapid City, SD.
> 
> I had a problem with my cassette, bikesdirect said to take it to a Bike Shop....my husband has worked on and built bikes in the past, also vehicles, changed motors and 4 W Drive in our truck...he is not an average bike owner who would not know how to fix them. Anyway, he could not fix the bike gear problem. Saturday we took my bike to the ACME Bike Shop in Rapid City, SD. They not only worked on it, but did it right away. Off we went to the Bike Path.
> 
> ...


Thanks for sharing Marna - Can you describe the problem you had because I'm having chain skipping problems on mine in gears 6-7-8 when under moderate or greater load, like climbing a slope.


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## tuareg (Nov 13, 2013)

oldbear52 said:


> tuareg: I weigh 248 and the cranks and bb holdup pretty well, and thanks for the encouragement. :thumbsup: OLdbear aka Fred


Excellet! I will not worry about those parts and switch them out when they wear out.

Glad you are recovering FAST Fred! Awesome news!


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## Marna_Kazmaier (Sep 11, 2014)

Pasquale said:


> Thanks for sharing Marna - Can you describe the problem you had because I'm having chain skipping problems on mine in gears 6-7-8 when under moderate or greater load, like climbing a slope.


My bike was "slipping" when in several gears, worse in the third from the bottom. It did most of them, right out of the box. The bike shop found that the cassette (gears) were not correctly shaped. They changed it out in a short time and the bike rides great now.


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## tuareg (Nov 13, 2013)

stormscrambler said:


> the biggest complaint i have though is the brakes, i don't know if i am not used to manual disks or what but they are so weak, they have gotten better with some adjustments, i am at the point of getting new ones, any suggestions


I'm not necessarily a fan of disc brakes in general. I have Avid BB7 disc brakes on my Salsa Fargo and I have yet to get them tuned to where they perform well. They are very weak as well.


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## Pasquale (Oct 7, 2014)

Marna_Kazmaier said:


> My bike was "slipping" when in several gears, worse in the third from the bottom. It did most of them, right out of the box. The bike shop found that the cassette (gears) were not correctly shaped. They changed it out in a short time and the bike rides great now.


"Slipping" is what I meant to say. That's exactly what I have and it was also worse at that same gear, 3rd from bottom. I wish these came with Shimano gears in back - I'd pay the extra $15- $20.


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## Pasquale (Oct 7, 2014)

Marna, Can you tell me what the bill came to for parts and what the labor cost? I'll be going to my LBS to see if they come to the same conclusion and also compare what they charge. BD asked me to go to the LBS to have them check it out.

Thanks


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## Marna_Kazmaier (Sep 11, 2014)

Pasquale said:


> Marna, Can you tell me what the bill came to for parts and what the labor cost? I'll be going to my LBS to see if they come to the same conclusion and also compare what they charge. BD asked me to go to the LBS to have them check it out.
> 
> Thanks


I do not have it in front of me, and Deron took care of it all. But it was about/approx, with both, $70. We were expecting a higher bill for sure just walking into the bike shop with a bike not bought from them. But they were more than fair on the price and took care of us right away! If you go and take your bike, get a written (wht they did) receipt.


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## Marna_Kazmaier (Sep 11, 2014)

I have to say, when Deron, my husband, is ready for another bike, or FATTY, we will surely buy from BD again. We are very pleased. I LOVE that Big Green FATTY Monster! LOVE IT!


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## Pasquale (Oct 7, 2014)

Marna, Thanks for the info. Just wanted an idea what to expect. I too love BD. I just bought another bike, a Fantom 29er LTD for my son. Putting it together tomorrow.


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## Marna_Kazmaier (Sep 11, 2014)

Pasquale said:


> Marna, Thanks for the info. Just wanted an idea what to expect. I too love BD. I just bought another bike, a Fantom 29er LTD for my son. Putting it together tomorrow.


I understand. When DB told us to take to to a LBS I was afraid it would cost us another couple hundred dollars. I am so glad they refunded us too. Fair, but still I was surprised.

Be sure and contact them first. Let them tell you to take it to a LBS. I don't know if it matters or not, but why take the chance.

Good Luck. I hope you get fixed up as well as I did.

And funny....I have been looking (on line) at the 29"ers. But I think I will probably stay with this FATTY for a while anyway.


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## tuareg (Nov 13, 2013)

Marna_Kazmaier said:


> I understand. When DB told us to take to to a LBS I was afraid it would cost us another couple hundred dollars. I am so glad they refunded us too. Fair, but still I was surprised.
> 
> Be sure and contact them first. Let them tell you to take it to a LBS. I don't know if it matters or not, but why take the chance.
> 
> ...


Well, just got my silver Monster in today and unfortunately it has issues right out of the box. The front fork is bent inwards to where I cannot slip the wheel in and tighten it. The rear derailleur is bent into the spokes and the rear derailleur hanger is obviously bent as well. Funny, the box that it came packaged in does not show any signs of impact or wear, so something happened during the actual packaging of the bike.

Time to contact BD and see how fast they will respond and what bike shop they will suggest taking the bike to for the necessary repairs. Bummed! I was hoping to get the bike assembled tonight and take it for a spin tomorrow. Not going to happen anytime soon!


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

Tuareg: I really fell for you Bro. I was lucky with mine. I have a problem with my casette too. maybe I will call BD and see if they will replace it. It doesn't bother me as much as it used too, but, I am going to call.

On the stroke front the Doctor said that I can ride the week of Christmas. :cornut: I am so happy. Today they took my cane away and my left side is getti8ng stronger. I don't walk with a limp. :thumbsup:

Marna: How much snow do you have? I hope that your husband gets a fatty.


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## tuareg (Nov 13, 2013)

fat beastard said:


> I have had my monster for about 3 months now and have put about 500 miles on it. I love this thing.
> 
> I am six one with a 32 inseam, bought the 20, wish I had bought the 18. I have been riding alot of rocks at the beach and the 20 feels big. The 18 probably would have been a betyer choice.
> 
> ...


Hi,

Could you please explain how BD helped with the issue of the front fork being bent? My front fork is bent as well. My LBS does not want to work on the fork for liability reasons and recommend replacing the fork. Thanks.


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## tuareg (Nov 13, 2013)

Hi Fred! Fantastic news! Glad to hear you're making a speedy recovery and will be riding soon! 

Yes, frustrating experience, however, BD have been very responsive so far! Excellent customer service I must say. They have offered advice on how to fix the bent fork and even refund to apply towards the service at my LBS. They have also shipped out a replacement derailleur hanger. Couldn't be more happy with their service! Just working on figuring out how to get the bike rideable so that I can get out there and start riding!


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

stormscrambler said:


> the biggest complaint i have though is the brakes, i don't know if i am not used to manual disks or what but they are so weak, they have gotten better with some adjustments, i am at the point of getting new ones, any suggestions


If you read the beginning of the thread, I had a similar opinion when my bike came in. It took about 50 miles for the brakes bed in, but they steadily got stronger and felt better. Now at 1000 miles they are still going strong and feeling good. I will upgrade to bb7's when it's time, but the pads aren't even showing any wear yet.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

tuareg said:


> Well, just got my silver Monster in today and unfortunately it has issues right out of the box. The front fork is bent inwards to where I cannot slip the wheel in and tighten it. The rear derailleur is bent into the spokes and the rear derailleur hanger is obviously bent as well. Funny, the box that it came packaged in does not show any signs of impact or wear, so something happened during the actual packaging of the bike.
> 
> Time to contact BD and see how fast they will respond and what bike shop they will suggest taking the bike to for the necessary repairs. Bummed! I was hoping to get the bike assembled tonight and take it for a spin tomorrow. Not going to happen anytime soon!
> View attachment 938686
> View attachment 938687


That hanger could be salvaged with a straightening tool, but that fork looks bad! I would be very surprised if bd doesn't send you a new fork and a spare hanger no questions asked when they see those pictures.


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## tuareg (Nov 13, 2013)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> That hanger could be salvaged with a straightening tool, but that fork looks bad! I would be very surprised if bd doesn't send you a new fork and a spare hanger no questions asked when they see those pictures.


Hi dirtdawg,

I suppose the hanger can be salvaged, except I don't have the straightening tool. I did email the pics to BD and they suggested carefully pulling at the fork legs to straighten them out. I did that and was able to slip the wheel through but it doesn't look right at all. The disc brake will not seat properly in the disc housing and the wheel is way off center. The fork legs look straight enough now but the stem appears off kilter. I don't think I want to play around with or trust this fork any longer.









In addition, after removing the protective packaging from around the derailleur and turning the bike upside down, found the cage of the derailleur to be badly warped.









I have emailed BD with these details and curious to find out what they have to say. They've been very reasonable to deal with so far. I'm getting a little frustrated though.

By the way, I previously owned a Surly Pugsley Necromancer. I'm itching to find out how the Bullseye compares to that!


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

Tuareg: Did you get a response from Bikesdirect? I hope they send a replacement for that bent fork. It looks horrible. By the way are those rack bosses on the fork? must be something new for 2015. Has anybody else got those bosses on their bikes?


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

oldbear52 said:


> Tuareg: Did you get a response from Bikesdirect? I hope they send a replacement for that bent fork. It looks horrible. By the way are those rack bosses on the fork? must be something new for 2015. Has anybody else got those bosses on their bikes?


I was looking at that too, but have been an addition for Rev 2. I don't miss them, but it would have been nice.


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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

stumpy69 said:


> Yeah I drilled them out bigger painted white and added orange duct tape I really like the white. I did find a set of the same rims already painted white with 3 in tires at bike island after I went through all the trouble. Go figure


What size did you drill the holes too? Any concern over the strength after doing that?


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## Pasquale (Oct 7, 2014)

Marna_Kazmaier said:


> I understand. When DB told us to take to to a LBS I was afraid it would cost us another couple hundred dollars. I am so glad they refunded us too. Fair, but still I was surprised.
> 
> Be sure and contact them first. Let them tell you to take it to a LBS. I don't know if it matters or not, but why take the chance.
> 
> ...


I brought my Bike in to the LBS and he adjusted it but it still slipped really bad. He then replaced the rear cassaette with a Shimano CS-HG41-8 and the slipping was instantly gone...so nice, I love this bike. I sent BD this info and a scan of the receipt. Mine also came to $70 total. Thanks again Marna!


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## stumpy69 (Oct 18, 2014)

I only went 1\4 in bigger so no concerns


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## Hardtale (Sep 10, 2014)

tuareg said:


> Hi dirtdawg,
> 
> I suppose the hanger can be salvaged, except I don't have the straightening tool. I did email the pics to BD and *they suggested carefully pulling at the fork legs to straighten them out. I did that and was able to slip the wheel through but it doesn't look right at all. The disc brake will not seat properly in the disc housing and the wheel is way off center*. The fork legs look straight enough now but the stem appears off kilter. I don't think I want to play around with or trust this fork any longer.
> 
> ...


Dealt with same issue with BD. Derailleur bent into spokes and my fork was bent badly enough that the paint actually stress cracked. The fork measured only 4" when measured at the dropouts (should 5.5-6"). The derailleur hanger took the brunt so that was replaced.

As far as the fork goes they also suggested multiple times that I just bend it back. They seemed to think I should just put my foot on it and yank it back into place. Said it was "simple" several times but I declined. I felt nothing would ever line up right and either way the paint was damaged. Seeing your situation now leads me think I as right.

I suggest you hold out for a new fork, *you paid what they asked *for a bike in new condition. It took a bit of back and forth but BD appears to be coming through with a new fork. They were fairly responsive (even if they were a bit condescending) so I still give the service a good grade but a lot of bikes seem to be coming thru with bent derailleurs and forks.


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## tuareg (Nov 13, 2013)

Hi Fred. Yes, BD came through after seeing the pictures. They have already shipped out a new fork which I should be receiving on Monday. I will ship back the damaged fork to them. Those are indeed rack braze-ons on the fork.


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## tuareg (Nov 13, 2013)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> I was looking at that too, but have been an addition for Rev 2. I don't miss them, but it would have been nice.


I looked through other Monster images on this thread, and so far only the silver Monsters have the front fork braze-ons. See images of member Pasquale's silver Monster.


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## tuareg (Nov 13, 2013)

Hardtale said:


> Dealt with same issue with BD. Derailleur bent into spokes and my fork was bent badly enough that the paint actually stress cracked. The fork measured only 4" when measured at the dropouts (should 5.5-6"). The derailleur hanger took the brunt so that was replaced.
> 
> As far as the fork goes they also suggested multiple times that I just bend it back. They seemed to think I should just put my foot on it and yank it back into place. Said it was "simple" several times but I declined. I felt nothing would ever line up right and either way the paint was damaged. Seeing your situation now leads me think I as right.
> 
> I suggest you hold out for a new fork, *you paid what they asked *for a bike in new condition. It took a bit of back and forth but BD appears to be coming through with a new fork. They were fairly responsive (even if they were a bit condescending) so I still give the service a good grade but a lot of bikes seem to be coming thru with bent derailleurs and forks.


Hi Hardtale,

Yes, I was told exactly the same, and I did go through with the procedure to straighten the fork legs the best I could. You were right in suspecting that things would not line up properly. They certainly did not for me.

A couple of email messages back and forth with BD and they shipped out a replacement fork to me. I'm so far impressed with their service and handling of the situation.


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## tuareg (Nov 13, 2013)

Pasquale said:


> I brought my Bike in to the LBS and he adjusted it but it still slipped really bad. He then replaced the rear cassaette with a Shimano CS-HG41-8 and the slipping was instantly gone...so nice, I love this bike. I sent BD this info and a scan of the receipt. Mine also came to $70 total. Thanks again Marna!


Pasquale, 
Thanks for posting the part number to the Shimano cassette! Makes it easy to locate the part online. Since I'm going to be replacing my bent derailleur hanger, I will replace the cassette as well so as to avoid the gear slipping issue.


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## Hardtale (Sep 10, 2014)

tuareg said:


> A couple of email messages back and forth with BD and they shipped out a replacement fork to me. I'm so far impressed with their service and handling of the situation.


I don't know how many people hey have answering service emails but seems they are working from a playbook. Good your getting a new one.


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## tuareg (Nov 13, 2013)

Hardtale said:


> I don't know how many people hey have answering service emails but seems they are working from a playbook. Good your getting a new one.


I agree. Having a customer service phone number would have made things a bit easier. Looking forward to putting the bike together!


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

Tuareg;
congrats on having great success. looking forward to reading your riding experiences!


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## tuareg (Nov 13, 2013)

oldbear52 said:


> Tuareg;
> congrats on having great success. looking forward to reading your riding experiences!


Thanks Fred!

It has gotten a little crisp here in Minnesota. We already have snow on the ground and looking at below freezing temps. The Monster is going to be my daily winter work commuter. A little nervous about the stock Vee Mission tires. Most reviews seem to indicate that they are pretty much worthless in winters, but willing to at least try them out before ordering the Husker Du's.

Will update the thread with ride details and pics once I'm up and running.


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## Pasquale (Oct 7, 2014)

REFUND RECEIVED: Just received a refund from BD for the rear cassette and labor. Customer service has been amazing. This sort of response from a mail order business is crucial. We can't try the bikes out before buying them and items may get damaged in shipping, but knowing that BD customer service is there to make it right takes away any hesitation to order from them.


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## stumpy69 (Oct 18, 2014)

Had same rear cassete problem you could see that the teeth are not all the same shape emailed BD they are shipping a new one, WOW that is service.


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## tuareg (Nov 13, 2013)

stumpy69 said:


> Had same rear cassete problem you could see that the teeth are not all the same shape emailed BD they are shipping a new one, WOW that is service.


I agree completely! Fantastic customer service! Very satisfied with my purchase from BD and will not hesitate giving them future business. I received my replacement derailleur hanger on Friday and replacement fork on Monday. Put the bike together Tuesday and rode it into work today. Absolutely love it! Pics coming later this evening.


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## Woodnmusic (Aug 4, 2014)

Tektro Novela's aren't the best brakes. I started out with those on my SS 29er and they weren't properly bedded...things screeched like crazy. Could hear me coming from a mile away. Switched over to Shimano Deores and all was better.


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## homeslice (Jun 3, 2008)

Send the whole thing back, the fork bend out job at a local bike shop is 30-$50 and the derailer hanger is at least $30. They'll try to flake you with a $40 credit. Get a return bike in better shape or get ready to get hosed.$$$$


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## stormscrambler (Aug 8, 2014)

well i love this bike but i am going to have to sell it, some unexpected bills came up, i will miss the fatty, it will be a while before i can a ford another


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

stormscrambler said:


> well i love this bike but i am going to have to sell it, some unexpected bills came up, i will miss the fatty, it will be a while before i can a ford another


Im sorry to hear that. You can't like, sell a kidney or something instead?


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## stormscrambler (Aug 8, 2014)

i wish but they both make stones so no one wants that, i am going to 86 the dirt jumper first and keep the fatty though


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## dinkeldorf (Aug 16, 2014)

Haven't been on here a while, been too busy riding the bike 20KM a day through this snowy winter! Let's just say the commute has become a fun thing now!

Two things: better 1/2 now wants one (yeah) but this will be a drive down to Montana as BD don't ship directly to Canada. 

Not so good: I too have been getting the skipping issue but had put that down to to non-optimal tuning / lube so will check tonight. It's dark on the morning & night rides so maintenance is a weekend / day light thing. So thanks for detailing this!


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

I haven't been here for awhile because I was recovering from a stroke.
I was released Wednesday from rehab therapy and was told I could ride anytime I want. So Thanksgiving day I rode for the first time in over three weeks .:thumbsup: 
During my 'time off', I put my Monster in the shop for routine maintainence and had the rear casette replaced. It was doing the skipped gear thing and although it really didn't bother me I want my fatty to have a full range of gears. 
Any way yesterday, Friday I finally got to ride the Lion's Club trail for about a hour or so. i had put on new tires just before all this happened (Huskerdu's) and believe me they are really nice! I rode at a moderate pace and those tires hooked up on the leaf covered trail! 
the original tires and tubes went on my handicapped son's bike. ( a walgoose beast)


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## Pasquale (Oct 7, 2014)

Hey Oldbear, glad you are doing well enough to ride again! Also, thanks for the report on those tires.


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## Pasquale (Oct 7, 2014)

Has anyone hung our Bullseye Monster on a scale? Curious as how it compares in weight to the Lurch (20" Lurch w/o pedals is 38.14lbs on Lurch Lounge)

If anyone does weigh theirs, please also mention what size it is.

Thanks!


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## Pasquale (Oct 7, 2014)

Pasquale said:


> Has anyone hung our Bullseye Monster on a scale? Curious as how it compares in weight to the Lurch (20" Lurch w/o pedals is 38.14lbs on Lurch Lounge)
> 
> If anyone does weigh theirs, please also mention what size it is.
> 
> Thanks!


Ok me, I just threw my 16" Bullseye Monster on a doctor's scale and it comes up as 35.25 lbs and that's with Wellgo LU-B18 BMX Aluminum pedals.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Sorry I haven't reported anything for a while, the semester is in full swing and calculus has been keeping me super busy. We had a white Thanksgiving here in New England and 1200 miles later the bike finally got to see snow for the first time.








Fatty flotilla.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm really impressed with this bike. Even without nice tires, this thing was kicking ass in the snow and I stayed in the front of the pack for most of the day. The gravity was not holding me back, and proved that it can float and ride snow as well as any of the other bikes. (mostly blizzard's and fat boys, with a muk and a pug)








looking sharp with some white floaters, these tires really bring the bike to life.








watch out for falling trees, the storm left several trails unpassable.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Happy holidays!


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

*The Monsterm on the Berryman!*

:thumbsup: Dirtdawg: Neat pictures. I even liked the ornaments hanging on your seat!

I finally got to ride for distance on the Berryman Trail yesterday, The trail is leaf covered and was fairly slick from our recent rains. The New tires, some Huskerdu's hooked up real well during the ride. Our crew consisted of my daughter, middle son, our friend Tom and yours truly. all of us rtode fat bikes and all were Gravity products. Three Monsters and a SS Deadeye Monster. The SS is my early Christmas gift from my wife. We rode ten mile out and ten miles back. My had brought down his Walgoose Dolo and when he saw the SS he wanted to ride it. So we switched off and on and I must say i LOVE THESE BIKES I was really impressed by the tires. Not once Didf they fail me or lose traction on the climbs and not once ddid they wash out on the downhills.

Once we returned home we had a bike cleaning party. We discussed our plans for rides the rest of this month. We are going to ride the KATY Trail next weekend and then the weekend before Christmas we are going to ride ar Binder Lake park up near Jefferson City. To round out the month New Years Day we are going to ride the complete length of the Berryman. My son has a nice van and he is going to bring it down so we can ride point to point.

We are all going to buy new pedals at the turn of the year. Miner are starting to show signs of wear and I am looking for some decent platforms to use. Can anyone recommend any? 
PEACE Oldbear (aka Fred):cornut:


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

Hey all,

Thanks to you guys, I have a black Gravity Bullseye Monster scheduled for delivery on Wednesday. I bought my wife a Dolomite as an early Xmas gift, and decided to get myself a fatty, too. Lots of research later, including time here, I pulled the trigger on the Monster.

We tried the Dolomite on the beach today and it was fun. I've hit that same beach many times in the past on my old Treks (7000 and 950) and my Jamis, and the difference the 4.0s make is cool. Three of us tried the bike on the beach and all came back smiling.

I'll be doing some mods over time (I'll put on OnOne Floaters and give my Missions to my wife), and I'll post photos when the Monster hits the trails and beach.

Thanks again, all. Your posts have been truly helpful.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

oldbear52 said:


> We are all going to buy new pedals at the turn of the year. Miner are starting to show signs of wear and I am looking for some decent platforms to use. Can anyone recommend any?
> PEACE Oldbear (aka Fred):cornut:


I got a really nice set from nashbar for like $40, I like them a lot. 
http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/mProduct4_10052_10053_549650_-1

There are even cheaper ones on Amazon but I don't have any firsthand experience with those.


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## skeered1 (Jul 30, 2007)

Dirtdawg, great job on the no non-sense write-ups. You're really putting this bike thru the wringer. I don't own a fatbike yet but def like the snow/sand capabilities. Two questions if you can:
1. In performance, what's your foresight on pros vs cons of adding a Bluto fork besides the extra weight and squish?
2. What's your take on the bikes handling with a slightly steeper headangle compared to your girlfriends fatbike?

I'd appreciate your input.


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## twentyniner29 (Dec 2, 2014)

Just got done with my second ride on this. Much better then the first ride. Before I went on my first ride I pumped the tired to what I thought was 10psi. The bike was so hard to handle and I began to wonder if I made a mistake buying it. It felt like the tires were steering against each other. I checked the pressure when I got home and they were at 5psi. Park tool pump was off. Second ride today at actual 10psi was awesome. Very happy with the purchase. I bought it used (3 weeks old) locally. Has a new shims I cassette and specialized lock on grips.


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## MUSTCLIME (Jan 26, 2004)

Anyone got one with a bluto yet? Is the frame different?


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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

The frame has to be somewhat different because it has a tapered head tube. 

I also have those pedals dirtdawg recommends from nashbar. You can catch them onsale from nashbar with one of their 20% off sales get them shipped for right at or under $40. They are really nice, solid pedals. Nice large platform but a relatively narrow profile and dont weigh a ton. Not going to compare to 100+ dollar set of Spanks but they compare very well to other pedals in the 60-70 dollar range


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## clarence (Mar 31, 2008)

I went with the single speed. I also went with a small. I'm on the cusp sizewize and bike shops usually put me on a medium which can feel a little big. The small is giving me a little more maneuverability, but I didn't consider crank length would be shorter. (it's been a while since I bought complete.) 

What tire pressure are you all running? 

For the geargrinders, what ratios do you use most often? Mine came 32/22 and I've riden 32/19 on my 29 for five years and I figured I'd be setting this up that way too but I like the feel of the 22 and I'm sure I will like the ratio even more on snow. 

And has anyone flatted out yet? I'm trying to imagine what finding the puncture on these tubes is going to look like. What's a good spare tube?


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## x3speed (Jan 18, 2012)

Get a q tubes 2.7 ultralight tube.


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## MUSTCLIME (Jan 26, 2004)

I was wondering if the 120mm fork bluto changed the frame angles. thats why I was asking about the frame.


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## Georgia Drifter (Dec 11, 2014)

Great thread guys....thanks for starting it Dirtdawg. I ordered the black Gravity Bullseye Monster yesterday and got the shipping email today. I am excited but half expect to get a bent fork and damaged derailer. I hope I'm wrong. Hopefully BD has improved the packaging to prevent damage. 

I'll post first impressions to this thread. I'm in Western North Carolina with plenty of trails and forest service roads. I forgot to add....I'm an old dude like Old Bear and some of the others here. 57 years old. 

Thanks again.

PS....just got my shipping info.....it will be here Monday...that's three business days! It lists the shipping weight as 30 pounds!!! That can't be right can it?


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

Ordered mine last Friday. It arrived here (NY) Wednesday. Only thing that keeps it from being perfect is a small dent in the left fork -- not worth making a stink about. I already installed the Ergon GP-5-L grips with integral bar ends. Got some other stuff on order (pedals, fenders, stuff like that).

I told my boss today that I am leaving work early tomorrow to ride the bike for the first time. I'm stoked. I'll be riding with my wife (got her a Dolomite for early Xmas gift). Hopefully, we'll end up at the beach so I can do a sand run.

BTW, it is a 20", and I'm 6', 260. 'Nad clearance is less than I'd like for a singletrack, but I don't expect this bike to see hardcore trails on Long Island.

I'll report on my impressions, and mods as they happen.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

Hi Everyone! I went for a total of 18 miles today. fourteen at Binder Lake up near Jefferson City and four more on a local trail near home. 

I helped two new friends put their Monsters together today. I love spinning wrenches on new bikes and there's that rubber smell right out of the box that I crave. Tom came along and swapped out their tires for some Husker du's and put on the new pedals, some VP platforms. 

I also received word from a good friend offering my wife, son and I a double wide home in Moab for free. He knows about our situation and has offered to let us live there. He'd like us to move in May but I talked him into letting us move in in October. My wife and I are going to talk about it and give him an answer by January 15th. :thumbsup:


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## dbauer (Jul 15, 2009)

Can anyone tell me the axle to crown lenght on the fork? Thanks.


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## Marna_Kazmaier (Sep 11, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Sorry I haven't reported anything for a while, the semester is in full swing and calculus has been keeping me super busy. We had a white Thanksgiving here in New England and 1200 miles later the bike finally got to see snow for the first time.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Great Review! Thanks!

I am loving my Gravity Bullseye Monster, I have over 120 miles on it now. Everyone that tries it falls in LOVE with it.

And Holligan, I love the Christmas Decor on your bike!


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## Marna_Kazmaier (Sep 11, 2014)

Let me see if I can upload a photo of the Pogies I made to match my Gravity.

And a Photo of my New Bell Helmet.








I am loving this bicycle, LOVING it!


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## TMO8853 (Apr 22, 2014)

I own a Airborne Goblin 29er that is an XC bike. Airborne is an established internet bike company (like BD), so I am familiar with online bike companies and doing my own maintenance. I've done everything I can to make the Goblin more fun... 60mm stem, flat pedals, longer bar, maxis ardents, but 29er wheels just don't feel right on pump tracks or parks for me. I understand that an XC bike is not meant to be agile or used at a bike park. Also, the Goblin is a very nice bike for XC and climbing up long hills. 

Anyways, I've been looking for an affordable 26 inch bike for the local pump tracks, dirt jump park, etc... Do the fatbikes belong on the pump tracks or should I just look for a DJ bike / bmx bike? 

I'm no pro or anything... I just want to have some fun. I'm not looking to start hitting 5-6ft jumps... I just want to be able to cruise around the pump track, get some air on the jumps and enjoy the feel of a smaller bike.


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## mercury168 (Nov 11, 2014)

Here's my Gravity Bullseye Monster Pro. Cheapest fatbike available with Bluto. 16" frame. Complete stock bike weighs in at 37.5 pounds with pedals.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

Hello everyone! It's been awhile since I last posted. annnnnd was just going to catch up on what's been going on with a lot of you guys. 

tmo8853: You relly have a lot of choices when it comes to BD fatbikes. I would say, after 1200 miles on mine, The Monster is holding up really well. I do a lot of off road stuff and have tried to ride trails that are technical. I have even tried to do small jumps with it without any damage to it. By the way Gravity makes a nice singlespeed, the Deadeye Monster that would probably fit your needs for a pump track bike. (I own one of these too,) 

:thumbsup::thumbsup: Marna: Love those pogies! When is your husband going to go fat? lol you look thinner too! 

mercury168: :thumbsup: That bike is sweet! I am getting one in March. same color as yours! I am a sucker for black bikes. How does it handle? How is the Bluto? 

dirtdawg: How does the mOnster handle in the snow? I read your post and loved the pics. 

:thumbsup: I am going to be moving to our retirement city, Moab Utah in October. A good friend told us he has a older double wide 4 bedroom home that he wants to give us to live in. We wanted to move back to the desert for the past ten years and we had set a tentative date of September 2017, but, now our dreams are coming to pass early.  We will be able to have people come out in March of next year. 

UNTIL NEXT TIME..........PEACE
Oldbear (aka Fred)


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## mercury168 (Nov 11, 2014)

The Monster Pro handles like a monster truck. It doesn't feel quick, but it lets you plow through everything. I love the Bluto. I wouldn't go Fat without it!


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## Georgia Drifter (Dec 11, 2014)

Well my Gravity Monster arrived this afternoon.










I opened the box and carefully scrutinized the forks and deralleur.....no damage. WooHoo!










Everything appeared to be carefully packaged and wrapped with copious amounts of foam sheeting. After emptying the box I did find a few "crumbs" in the bottom of the box. I have no idea where they belong so it's no biggie.










There was a scratched area on one of the tubes but I'm willing to accept that.










I had it assembled in about 45 minutes. Brakes are adjusted and stop the bike well. I'm still playing with handlebar and seat height.









This bike will be used primarily to facilitate my photography hobby as well as getting me to some isolated trout streams.

Lastly.....I put it on the scale....36 lbs. (20-inch frame). I am a 33-inch inseam and have about an inch 'nad clearance.


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## Georgia Drifter (Dec 11, 2014)

I took a second look....the small bits are off the sacrificial spacer that is clipped into the fork to prevent damage. I guess it did it's job. The cap...I have no clue where it might go.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

TMO8853 said:


> I own a Airborne Goblin 29er that is an XC bike. Airborne is an established internet bike company (like BD), so I am familiar with online bike companies and doing my own maintenance. I've done everything I can to make the Goblin more fun... 60mm stem, flat pedals, longer bar, maxis ardents, but 29er wheels just don't feel right on pump tracks or parks for me. I understand that an XC bike is not meant to be agile or used at a bike park. Also, the Goblin is a very nice bike for XC and climbing up long hills.
> 
> Anyways, I've been looking for an affordable 26 inch bike for the local pump tracks, dirt jump park, etc... Do the fatbikes belong on the pump tracks or should I just look for a DJ bike / bmx bike?
> 
> I'm no pro or anything... I just want to have some fun. I'm not looking to start hitting 5-6ft jumps... I just want to be able to cruise around the pump track, get some air on the jumps and enjoy the feel of a smaller bike.


if you just want a pump track bike then get a pump track bike. you can find used DJ and BMX bikes for way cheaper than these fatbikes anyway. the fat tires are too soft and squirrely when youre pumping hard and in the berms. the outer diameter of the tires is about 29" anyway, so youre not really at any advantage there either. on a pumptrack, i look for low standover and a short wheelbase. i ride a 20" bmx on the pump tracks and dirt jumps and i love it. 
the beauty of a fat bike is that it can go anywhere, but if youre just gona ride the pump track i think you would be much happier on a bike built for it.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

oldbear52 said:


> dirtdawg: How does the mOnster handle in the snow? I read your post and loved the pics.


It handles great in the snow! on par with the pugs and muks ive ridden (that cost 3x as much).

also, I love Moab. thats where my profile picture was taken. i would love to take a fat bike on slickrock, it would probably stick like glue to that sandstone. Seems like a great place to retire, I will have to come visit you


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## hicksjerry (Dec 14, 2014)

I just ordered my 14" matte black Gravity Bullseye Monster today! As I've read in the thread...carefully inspect the derailleurs, fork, and consider repacking the bearings. Anything else? 

This will be my first non-road bike, so I'm pretty psyched. Up until now, I've trained through the Winter (upstate NY) on my rollers/trainer, so I'm excited to get outside and ride all year-round!


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

The more I ride this bike, the more I like it. When you're leaving work early to go ride a bike, I think that's a good sign.

I took it on the beach for the first time today. Wow. It just motors along.

The bike now has a front mud guard, rear rack/bag, handlebar bag (it handles much better without that, though), and the Ergon grips with bar ends.

I'm eager to put more miles on it, but the days are too short right now (and there's the whole two jobs thing).

There are some photos on my FB page: https://www.facebook.com/bob.muller.99


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

:thumbsup: dirtdawg: You will be welcomed with open arms. We are excited about the move. 

 I am glad that everyone is enjoying their fatties. I will get to ride in snow for the first time this season this weekend. I know a lot of people complain about snow and 2" seems to shut down everything in this state. I come from the Chicago suburbs and we only gotm out of school due to snow when the sn ow hit 6"+.


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## Georgia Drifter (Dec 11, 2014)

I'm excited and having a blast on the Monster. I did notice on occasion that the chain would slip in one of the lower gears when under load. Upon closer look I noticed some of the sprocket teeth were irregular in shape. I'm a total noob to this and attributed it to an out-of-tune situation. Anyhow...I'm wondering if this is just a cheap gear cassette or possibly a flawed part. Can you all take a quick look and let me know if this is messed up before I contact Bikes Direct?

Rear sprocket



















Front sprocket










Thanks in advance for your feedback.


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## StiffNeck (Jul 17, 2012)

Gravity derailleur hanger / drop out
Derailleur Hangers for Bicycles, Mountain Bikes, Road Bikes, Hybrid, Comfort and More Save Up to 60% Off New Bikes


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## Georgia Drifter (Dec 11, 2014)

Okay....thanks....I checked the link....but are the irregular teeth on the sprockets normal?


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## stumpy69 (Oct 18, 2014)

Rear cassette is junk contact bikes direct and they will send a new shimano replacement. They are awesome at service I had the same prob


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## Georgia Drifter (Dec 11, 2014)

Thank you! That's kinda what I thought.


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## Georgia Drifter (Dec 11, 2014)

Any other Monster owners have these substandard sprockets? Seems to be a quality control issue to me. It makes me wonder what other inferior parts are on the bike.

Still....I'll be happy with the purchase if BD makes good on the parts. I sent the email last night w/photos.

Meanwhile.....the bike is parked.


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## twentyniner29 (Dec 2, 2014)

Just go buy a shimano cassette for $15! That's what I did. If they send you a replacement then you have a spare.


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## edge (Oct 17, 2004)

Look like ramped cogs to me. They're shaped that way to help the chain on and off while shifting.


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## Georgia Drifter (Dec 11, 2014)

Thanks for your feedback. That makes sense. I just looked at some Shimano cassettes and they have the same irregular pattern.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

*Moab*

 DIRTDAWG: i have to post here because for some reasonj I can't send you a message Of course I was serious.:thumbsup: We could put you up for as long as you'd like. 
:madman: On another note, I have shingles. been off the bike for a week. Once the itching stops and the rash goes away I will be back at it strong. I just can't wait.
Moving to Moab will be great for Sue and I. when we lived up in Price we didn't get sniffles and colds as much because of the dry air and clean air. Right now although they say it's a minor symptom of the shingles, my nose runs like a faucet. I have to take Benadryl anbd I get so sleepy. But once I move I won't be taking it. 
Georgia drifter: I had some problems with my stock casette but BD replaced it for free. It skipped in the mid range, and replacment took care of it. 
Well everyone have a Merry Christmas and a Pedalin' New Year.

Until later---------PEACE
Oldbear (aka Fred)


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Thanks OldBear! I look forward to it  
I'm sorry to hear that you have shingles, I wish you a speedy recovery and hope you are back on the bike soon.

In other news, the green fairy strikes again, this time with some sweet flat pedals
View attachment 949006


They go pretty nicely with the paint on the bike.








Can't wait to go scatch them up, my Nice things never seem to stay that way.


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## daverx1 (May 24, 2014)

I bought my girlfriend one of these for Christmas (gave it to here early).. Foe the money it looks great! I had to do some derailleur adjustments and the brakes need to bed in, but it rides pretty nice..


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## Muzik76 (Dec 24, 2014)

*Just got mine yesterday!*

Just got mine yesterday! 2 rides in and totally loving it. Very impressed with the bike (the price point is insane!). This is near the Flying Dog Trail near Park City, Utah.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Ermahgerd grrrn!









Still a work in progress, but I'm pretty stoaked about the footprint that the 80mm rims provide. Yet to come: green cable housings, different grips, and a brand new drivetrain.


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## hicksjerry (Dec 14, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Ermahgerd grrrn!
> 
> View attachment 949619
> 
> ...


Looks great! How much clearance is there in the back between the tire and the chain?


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## Tim Kretz (Dec 24, 2014)

After reading all these posts on the Bullseye and doing a ton of research I am so stoked to get my 2015 Gravity Bullseye Monster. Should be here on Friday. You all were extremely helpful to a newbie rider as far as all the tech talk. I am 5'8" 155 so I went with a 16, I think it was the right call after testing a 17. Have a ton of trails in CT that my golden retriever and I cannot wait to hit.


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## Georgia Drifter (Dec 11, 2014)

Merry Christmas everyone. I too am thankful for all the guidance....especially this thread. Larry from BD sent me an email with tracking number...replacement cassette is on the way. Add another vote for a happy Bikes Direct customer.

I had a great ride this past Saturday. No snow up high but fun nonetheless!


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

*Loving it more and more*









Took another ride on the Monster today. The only problem I am having is that 6th gear skips and slips (I have ordered a Shimano cassette). Everything else is perfect. The brakes are setting in, the seat is comfortable...

I took it on the really soft sand at Jones Beach the other day, with 11-12psi, and it did okay unless I turned (I had the pressures up for paved trails and the boardwalk).

So far, this $500 bike was a steal. Thanks again for all the info that helped me decide to get this bike. Merry Christmas, all.


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## bcriverjunky (Jul 8, 2014)

mercury168 said:


> Here's my Gravity Bullseye Monster Pro. Cheapest fatbike available with Bluto. 16" frame. Complete stock bike weighs in at 37.5 pounds with pedals.


Any updates? How do you like it after you've had it a few days. I have a lady friend interested in this but in a 14". More pictures would be awesome cause it looks a 100% better than that photochopped picture BD has up for this model.


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## stumpy69 (Oct 18, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Ermahgerd grrrn!
> 
> View attachment 949619
> 
> ...


What wheels did u get and what brand are the pedals. I want some


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

stumpy69 said:


> What wheels did u get and what brand are the pedals. I want some


The wheels were a cyber Monday deal throug bikes direct, they called them boris wheels and gave no details. and the pedals are wellgos, I got them as a christmas present.

EDIT: here is a link to the wheels: Save Up to 60% Off FatBike, MTB, Road, Lifestyle Bicycle Bike Wheels for Bicycles, Mountain Bikes, Road Bikes, Hybrid, Comfort and More Save Up to 60% Off New Bikes they are the second ones down on the left


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## momikey (Aug 6, 2014)

Dirtdawg, I have been following this thread and the Dolo thread for a while. I decided on the Dolo myself, but with those 80mm wheels it looks like you have a whole new bike!

I like it, keep up the good work!


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

The Monster continues to prove itself to be a great all-around bike.

There was some slippage in first gear on hard climbs today, but the new Shimano cassette is already on the way. Hopefully, that will cure the only complaint I have about the bike.

I just wish we'd get some snow...


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Got mine for Christmas! Fork was a little bent out of the box,not bad. Straightened it in the vice. Came with the back wheel installed wrong, had to readjust the bearings. Did a full tune up x4 actually shifts on par with the slx on my full squish. Hit all gears out of the box but the limit screws were not adjusted at all (open on both sides). Switched the pedals to wellgo flats. And an old shorter post and saddle that I like. Have some bb7s on my old hard tail, thinking about trading but will see when these bed in. I ordered hussefelt stem and bars the ones that came on it are terrible! I'm wider than the bars on it now. So far it rides great! Really all the changes are typical fit things that I expected. Running tires at 9 front and back seems perfect. I'll post some pictured when the bars and green raceface grips come in!


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## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

New to fat bikes and have been following this thread for a bit. I see this bike comes with 50mm wide rims. Also saw someone mention that 80mm would be better. Why is that?

I'm looking at this bike for primarily riding in the snow.


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## twentyniner29 (Dec 2, 2014)

I love riding my monster, but just wondering how this bike actually compares to say Fatboy, Pugsley, or any other middle to high end bike. Does anyone have experience with these other models? I'm starting to wonder if I need to upgrade already. Thanks in advance


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

prj71 said:


> New to fat bikes and have been following this thread for a bit. I see this bike comes with 50mm wide rims. Also saw someone mention that 80mm would be better. Why is that?
> 
> I'm looking at this bike for primarily riding in the snow.


Wider rim= larger footbprint with the same size tire. Smaller Rim= more choices of tires (you can even run some DH tires on the 50mm rim). This is great in the summer!

You can run big tires on the smaller rim, it just may not have as much control as if it were on the larger ones. (relying more on the rubber for lateral forces).

Honestly, unless you are riding in deep powder and VERY picky the stock rims and tires on this bike are fine. I would say this setup would work for 99% of people if they didnt spend their days on here reading how much better things could be for another few hundred dollars. (the fun to money ratio just doesnt make sense).

I rode mine on the VASA in northern MI last week in the snow with stock wheels and tires at 9PSI and it was a blast. The Missions were fine and I didnt feel like I was lagging behind the group because of equipment (I was lagging behind the group because those jerks are fast.)


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## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

JackNicholls62 said:


> Wider rim= larger footbprint with the same size tire. Smaller Rim= more choices of tires (you can even run some DH tires on the 50mm rim). This is great in the summer!
> 
> You can run big tires on the smaller rim, it just may not have as much control as if it were on the larger ones. (relying more on the rubber for lateral forces).
> 
> ...


Thanks. That makes sense now.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Dirtdawg: Did you shorten your chain out of the box? I have a ton of chain slap. It sure seems like the spring in the X4 is strong enough to keep it tensioned.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

JackNicholls62 said:


> Dirtdawg: Did you shorten your chain out of the box? I have a ton of chain slap. It sure seems like the spring in the X4 is strong enough to keep it tensioned.


No, however I did wrap the chainstay with an old inner tube after the first ride. I was getting some serious chain slap, but its fairly normal for me so I wrap the stay on all my bikes.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

As I come up on the 6 month mark since receiving my bike, I have 1500 miles on it and still love it. I went and took it on a beach for the first time on Saturday. 10 miles of sugar sand did in the old cassette, but it was far overdue anyway.



































It was a lot of fun, and I'm sure that I will log more beach miles in the future.

We road in the woods that day too.


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## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

I'm 5'8" with a 32" inseam. I currently have a Trek 3 series bike with 19.5" frame that fits me real well. So would I go 18" or 20" frame with the Gravity Bike?

DirtDawg...What 80mm rims did you install on your bike?

With the possibility of riding this bike more in snow than anything else I was looking at the 45NRTH Vanhelga tires, but they only fit on 65-102mm rims. Unless someone knows of similar tire that would fit on the 50mm rims that come with the Gravity.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

twentyniner29 said:


> I love riding my monster, but just wondering how this bike actually compares to say Fatboy, Pugsley, or any other middle to high end bike. Does anyone have experience with these other models? I'm starting to wonder if I need to upgrade already. Thanks in advance


ive ridden most of them, and in my opinion it holds its own very nicely. on page 1 of this thread i compared it to the pug.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

prj71 said:


> I'm 5'8" with a 32" inseam. I currently have a Trek 3 series bike with 19.5" frame that fits me real well. So would I go 18" or 20" frame with the Gravity Bike?
> 
> DirtDawg...What 80mm rims did you install on your bike?
> 
> With the possibility of riding this bike more in snow than anything else I was looking at the 45NRTH Vanhelga tires, but they only fit on 65-102mm rims. Unless someone knows of similar tire that would fit on the 50mm rims that come with the Gravity.


the rims are DHL80's, they come stock on most of the BD bikes.
And i wouldnt worry about the 45NRTH tires not fitting on the 50mm rims, it will be fine. i like the way the Vanhelgas look, nice and aggressive. should handle real well in the snow but ive never ridden them. However i do have experience with the Nates and can assure you that they do real well in the snow.
People forget that at the end of the day, it comes down to rider ability more than anything else. obviously a good set of tires helps, but they will not magically make the bike unstoppable.

*EDIT* i would go for the medium 18". youre only slightly bigger than me and i cant imagine comfortably riding anything bigger than the 18.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

prj71 said:


> I'm 5'8" with a 32" inseam. I currently have a Trek 3 series bike with 19.5" frame that fits me real well. So would I go 18" or 20" frame with the Gravity Bike?


I'm 6'0 34" inseam and the 20" fits me nicely. I could probably even go down to 18. For comparison, my Jamis 26er is a 19.5. I would definitely not go bigger than the 18, prj71.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Wildbird99 said:


> I'm 6'0 34" inseam and the 20" fits me nicely. I could probably even go down to 18. For comparison, my Jamis 26er is a 19.5. I would definitely not go bigger than the 18, prj71.


+1... Im 6'0" 32" inseam. Got the 18" its perfect. 20 would be too big for me. Good news is you can easily and cheaply sway out the stem to longer or shorter to help with the fit.

I really dont see a reason why those tires wouldnt fit the 50mm rims... maybe they just started at 65 because its more popular?


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## LosPollos (Jan 23, 2014)

5'7", 31" inseam and got the 16". Fits perfect. I would not want any bigger.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

:thumbsup: I haven't written for awhile, but, here goes. I run Husker Du's on my 50mm rims with no problem. As far as size goes, I am 6' 11" and ride an 18". 
Dirtdawg: Love the picks pf the greenj machine! And the beach ones too. 

Georgia drifter: Keep on Riding and posting! 

As far as comparing fat bikes, my monster rides just as good as a Trek Farley. It is the only one I have test ridden so far. I am hoping to test ride a few others in Sedona at the Mountain Bike Fest. 

Until tomorrow-------------PEACE
Oldbear (aka Fred)


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Wildbird99 said:


> There was some slippage in first gear on hard climbs today, but the new Shimano cassette is already on the way. Hopefully, that will cure the only complaint I have about the bike.
> View attachment 950842


Depending on how many miles you have on the chain, I would replace that too. Mine was junk after like 500 miles. No sense running a new cassette with an old chain, the skipping will only get worse.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Depending on how many miles you have on the chain, I would replace that too. Mine was junk after like 500 miles. No sense running a new cassette with an old chain, the skipping will only get worse.


Thanks, Dawg. I have less than 80 miles on it, and only maybe 18 that have been at all abusive. If I change the cassette and there are any issues, I'll get on the chain right away. Thanks again.


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

Just finished putting mine together.
Wheelset came in from BD in TWO delivery days!
Had to call and have them "hold for pickup", as we were still in MI for the holidays.

I was GIVEN this frame!!! (will send Mike a carbon seat/storage for his training bike)

Tried to take pics of the upgrades, (parts bin) and purchased stuff. Camera phone battery is turning off the phone when I take shots. (new phone time)

Replaced;
stem....Nashbar 90mm 106g's
bars.....Easton EC70's 45 bucks at Bluesky (bought 4 sets for stock at that price!)
levers...TRP carbon
seat......Sella Italia SLR
post....old USE Alien carbon from a road bike frame in the shed (barely long enough)
grips Spec. clamp-on (added 1 g each over stock but I cut them off)

180mm front rotor (TRP)
TRP 160 rear
135/170 wheelset from BD with "free" rubber (120tpi folding)
Almost pulled a new set of Spykes out but will try the cheapo brakes/shifters.

The weight reduced from the parts swap was 1lb 9oz.

I would not have tried a fat bike if my good friend hadn't bought the 2 bikes.
This will make a great winter/snow bike and my wife wants to take it to the dunes in SW CO, (in the spring).

Now if a customer wants a fat bike. I can recommend they go for it!

Only went for a short ride tonight. Threw on gloves/hat and just tried it.
The brakes do feel really weak? The snow is deep and hardpack mix.

Will try to break them in before using any new parts.

Also bought 26x3.5 tubes for spares,
digital gauge,
Blackburn HV pump,
cage.

Will work on carbon tool boxes and fenders.

WHAT A BLAST!
JM


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## bermboy (Dec 30, 2014)

Dirtdawg... I've been wanting to get a fat bike for awhile. Long winters in Central Canada get pretty boring. After researching and checking the LBS the gravity bullseye ranks on par as a build with the Norco 6. 3 which costs almost $1200 Cdn. 
So after reading your posts I decided to order the monster. Have to drive to ND to pick it up but its still saving me $500. Doing the basic upgrades, wide bars short stem and better pedals.
Thanks for the detailed build and test post. Always helps me make a decision when I hear a real riders opinion.


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## rycolos (Dec 30, 2014)

Hey! New member here.

SO I just got one of these from Bike Island w/o a fork/crown race for a good deal. I emailed BD to ask about the stock fork measurements and they don't know (?!?!). Could anybody measure at least their axle-to-crown with the stock fork? I'd be forever grateful! I'm thinking of a Moonlander/Pugsley fork but I just want to be sure it'll work right. Then again, it's not like there are a lot of options for budget aftermarket forks...


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

bermboy said:


> Dirtdawg... I've been wanting to get a fat bike for awhile. Long winters in Central Canada get pretty boring. After researching and checking the LBS the gravity bullseye ranks on par as a build with the Norco 6. 3 which costs almost $1200 Cdn.
> So after reading your posts I decided to order the monster. Have to drive to ND to pick it up but its still saving me $500. Doing the basic upgrades, wide bars short stem and better pedals.
> Thanks for the detailed build and test post. Always helps me make a decision when I hear a real riders opinion.


No problem! I'm glad that I could help.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

rycolos said:


> Hey! New member here.
> 
> SO I just got one of these from Bike Island w/o a fork/crown race for a good deal. I emailed BD to ask about the stock fork measurements and they don't know (?!?!). Could anybody measure at least their axle-to-crown with the stock fork? I'd be forever grateful! I'm thinking of a Moonlander/Pugsley fork but I just want to be sure it'll work right. Then again, it's not like there are a lot of options for budget aftermarket forks...


I will measure the fork tonight, but my guess is that any normal (non-suspension corrected) fork will work fine without significantly changing the geometry.


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## rycolos (Dec 30, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> I will measure the fork tonight, but my guess is that any normal (non-suspension corrected) fork will work fine without significantly changing the geometry.


That'd be awesome! And yeah, I'm really not expecting too many issues. I'm really only looking at the Pug/ML fork and the Salsa Enabler. After that, they are all just too expensive to throw on a sub $500 bike. I'll basically just go with whatever is closer.


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

rycolos said:


> Hey! New member here.
> 
> SO I just got one of these from Bike Island w/o a fork/crown race for a good deal. I emailed BD to ask about the stock fork measurements and they don't know (?!?!). Could anybody measure at least their axle-to-crown with the stock fork? I'd be forever grateful! I'm thinking of a Moonlander/Pugsley fork but I just want to be sure it'll work right. Then again, it's not like there are a lot of options for budget aftermarket forks...


Looks like 450mm (didn't pull the wheel) Guessing at 45-48 offset.
465-485m should be fine. The HT angle "looks" steeper than the 71 degree (claimed)

JM


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Widened the wingspan today! What an improvement!


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Oops that last photo is before...

I think it's funny that the stock bars and stem come with a sticker on them that say not for downhill or rough off-road use... The hussefelts sure are! Still waiting on my green raceface grips to come in... I'll be done for a while.

Another note.... The crank arms looks like they come from the same casting as my older raceface ride cranks (2007) from my hard tail... They are identical except the bottom bracket type. raceface does outsource their lower line stuff...


----------



## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

Has anyone determined if a 29+ tire will fit on the Bullseye Monster?


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

Monster shots



Only measured the weight of the Easton bar. No downhill or big hit riding for me.

Happy Holidays!


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

JohnnyMagic said:


> Looks like 450mm (didn't pull the wheel) Guessing at 45-48 offset.
> 465-485m should be fine. The HT angle "looks" steeper than the 71 degree (claimed)
> 
> JM


My measurement agree, im getting 445mm. Anything in that ballpark should be fine.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

JackNicholls62 said:


> Oops that last photo is before...
> 
> I think it's funny that the stock bars and stem come with a sticker on them that say not for downhill or rough off-road use... The hussefelts sure are! Still waiting on my green raceface grips to come in... I'll be done for a while.
> 
> Another note.... The crank arms looks like they come from the same casting as my older raceface ride cranks (2007) from my hard tail... They are identical except the bottom bracket type. raceface does outsource their lower line stuff...


Careful or your bike is gona end up exactly like mine... Awesome.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

JohnnyMagic said:


> Monster shots
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hmm, looks like the bike changed a lot. Really digging that color, are 80mm rims and v8's standard equipment now? :thumbsup:


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## Marna_Kazmaier (Sep 11, 2014)

JohnnyMagic said:


> Monster shots
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I really like that darker green your bike came in.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Careful or your bike is gona end up exactly like mine... Awesome.


Sometimes there is just a right way of doing things...


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## Mobz (Apr 21, 2008)

I'm very interested in buying a Bullseye but am worried about tire width. I will be riding in snow 99% of the time and think the first thing I would upgrade on the bike would be to bigger/wider tires. How wide of tires can the Bullseye handle? The bike comes with Vee 4.0 tires and a Bluto for and am thinking of buying Bud/Lou tires. Would those tires fit?


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Hmm, looks like the bike changed a lot. Really digging that color, are 80mm rims and v8's standard equipment now? :thumbsup:


Got a free frame from a friend with only the original 650b+ rear wheel.
Ordered the wheelset from BD because I could not find listed weights on the better sets available. And wanted 26x4's.

Changed the front rotor size to 180, (TRP rotor),
rear is still 160

JM


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

I would bet the 4.5's will fit this frame.
There is 1/2" on either side at the rear. 
A little less at the front. 
With the 170 rear hub, you might have to ditch the granny?

JM


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

Marna_Kazmaier said:


> I really like that darker green your bike came in.


It's funny. When my buddy said it was "green". The green hater in me was preparing an excuse NOT to take a "free frame offer"?

When he pulled it from the box, I was quite pleased with the shade.
The brighter one above doesn't bother me either.

JM


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## cardnation (Jul 2, 2014)

JohnnyMagic said:


> It's funny. When my buddy said it was "green". The green hater in me was preparing an excuse NOT to take a "free frame offer"?
> 
> When he pulled it from the box, I was quite pleased with the shade.
> The brighter one above doesn't bother me either.
> ...


Where did he acquire the frame?


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## rycolos (Dec 30, 2014)

Thanks for the measurements, guys.

One more question: I'm a bit confused about this rear disc hub/front disc hub stuff on surly forks. If I get a surly fork that is meant for a rear disc hub, will this pose a problem with the Gravity front wheel?


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

cardnation said:


> Where did he acquire the frame?


He, like so many others, bought the orange, slightly higher spec model with 26x4's.
After weighing the front wheel ( a whopping TEN lbs!). He ordered the second Gravity Monster for the 650b+'s.

His other frame is the Motobecane with the 135 offset rear. He built up an offset wheel with the 650b Dually rim.

Now his Moto frame has both wheels that fit.

He looked into a return from BD. 20% re-stocking fee PLUS that huge box they use is another 229.00 to ship!!!???

So, for a 500 dollar bike, he would have netted 180 bucks.
He is the kind of guy that has way more than 10 bikes and would let someone borrow one for any length of time.

He is one of my sponsored riders.
He kept the 650b+ wheels and gave me the frame. Tried to just pay a "fair market price" for it. If he would have bought a second wheelset (hindsight?), it would have cost him closer to 349 for the offset rear.

I am sending him a seat w/tunnel and fender to compensate. Was gonna swap that seat anyway. But it would be a 475.00 (retail) value. My cost time and materials would be closer to 200.00.

Everybody (especially me) is happy with how it worked out.

Funny thing is, He doesn't mind the weight (when riding in snow) of the heavy tires.
Now he has both options for winter training and has been riding 12-15 miles per/day since he got the Moto. in Nov.

JM


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

Here is his Moto;



After riding this, I was sold on the whole "fat is fun" thing!
Before that I had talked THREE customers OUT of going full-fat. (sorry guys).

JM


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

Second shot looks pink?
He must have sent me the first one as I do not recognize the background?

JM


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Overhauled my drive train last night. The stock one was getting pretty bad.








Broke another cog on the stock cassette while riding on the beach, time to put the new (warranty) one on.







new chainrings







new chain and cassette







Still need some Rotors, but wheelset number 2 is ready for snow. 







out with the old


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

On some of my high-end wheels, I run a carbon spoke protector.

It prevents the chain from jumping off and ruining my spokes, and my day.

Wrecked the rear wheel (including the hub) on the first gen. Mavic Cross-Max's.
When they had regular spokes. (long walk with the rear wheel stuck/tangled)

That's how you do it. 
Actually WEAR OUT the stuff before just up-grading and re-placing!

JM


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## rycolos (Dec 30, 2014)

Can anyone tell me if the front wheel's hub has rear or front disc spacing?


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

rycolos said:


> Thanks for the measurements, guys.
> 
> One more question: I'm a bit confused about this rear disc hub/front disc hub stuff on surly forks. If I get a surly fork that is meant for a rear disc hub, will this pose a problem with the Gravity front wheel?


The front hub on the monster has front disk spacing, so yes that will cause an issue. You can mod the caliper adapter, but unless you have acess to a mill I would just get a front spaced fork.


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## rycolos (Dec 30, 2014)

Oof. Methinks I should've just avoided the deal and got a stock one of these. All the cheap forks use rear spacing.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

rycolos said:


> Oof. Methinks I should've just avoided the deal and got a stock one of these. All the cheap forks use rear spacing.


You can do this: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=900372
It's really just modding a brake adapter.


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## Mobz (Apr 21, 2008)

JohnnyMagic said:


> I would bet the 4.5's will fit this frame.
> There is 1/2" on either side at the rear.
> A little less at the front.
> With the 170 rear hub, you might have to ditch the granny?
> ...


Thanks for the reply. I think I am going to order one but would really like to know if a wider tire fits on the Bullseye, any second opinions on the widest tire that would fit the frame and bluto?e


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Mobz said:


> Thanks for the reply. I think I am going to order one but would really like to know if a wider tire fits on the Bullseye, any second opinions on the widest tire that would fit the frame and bluto?e


If you're really just going for width, you should try to spring for a lurch or sturgis. They will take the biggest tires for not that much more.


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## Tim Kretz (Dec 24, 2014)

Total newbie here who just got his bike yesterday !!!! Had a local shop finish the build ( I know, I know....it is my goal to become bike handy) anyway....on my first 500 yards pedaling I changed gears and the chain/derailer is now making a terrible sound as the chain is rubbing the derailer frame....wish I could send a vid.....hoping for advice on a quick fix so I can go for a NYE ride....the shop is closed until Monday. Thanks all


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## Mobz (Apr 21, 2008)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> If you're really just going for width, you should try to spring for a lurch or sturgis. They will take the biggest tires for not that much more.


Thanks and I would buy the Strurgis but it won't arrive until possibly early march which leaves us with not much snow left. The Bullseye would come in a week which is a huge to me


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## LosPollos (Jan 23, 2014)

Mobz said:


> Thanks for the reply. I think I am going to order one but would really like to know if a wider tire fits on the Bullseye, any second opinions on the widest tire that would fit the frame and bluto?e


For the Monster Pro: You could fit a bigger tire on the front. Not any bigger on the rear without running into issues with the chain.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Tim Kretz said:


> Total newbie here who just got his bike yesterday !!!! Had a local shop finish the build ( I know, I know....it is my goal to become bike handy) anyway....on my first 500 yards pedaling I changed gears and the chain/derailer is now making a terrible sound as the chain is rubbing the derailer frame....wish I could send a vid.....hoping for advice on a quick fix so I can go for a NYE ride....the shop is closed until Monday. Thanks all


Most likely not rubbing on the cage as that would mean that it is bent or chain routed wrong, the shop would have (should have)caught that. More likely rubbing on the next ring on the cassette. Should be as easy as adjusting the tension knob on the shifter. Just need your thumbs! if its on either limit you might need to adjust the limit screws with a phillips screwdriver. Youtube is FULL of helpful videos for adjusting this specific derailleur.

If it is rubbing on the cage you may need to bend it out, another thing to check is that the x4 has a tab on the frony of the cage that keeps the chain in. I've seen people mistakenly run the chain outside that tab without noticing.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Oh, and congrats on the new ride! hope it gets sorted out.... worst case bring it back to the shop on monday they should fix it free if you paid for the setup, unless its defective and you need a part.


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## Tim Kretz (Dec 24, 2014)

Thanks for the advice ! I will try that as soon as I get home.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Tim Kretz said:


> Thanks for the advice ! I will try that as soon as I get home.


I made the mistake of assuming its the rear... if its front it is even easier the cage is wide and easy to adjust. Same process with limit screws then its all about tension. Make sure the cable is hand tight, then crank the tensioner on the shifter until it shifts right/doesnt rub.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

The Shimano HG31 cassette eliminated my slipping/skipping issues. I rode in some sand yesterday, and had some decent climbs today that tested it well. The trail we rode today was hillier than many other Long Island trails, with some sand, exposed roots, and some loose rocks adding to the fun. The Monster handles it all surprisingly well (I did notice the lack of front suspension in one or two spots, so my next fat bike will have a Bluto). The down side was when we got on the road to go to another trail. That's when the bike feels like I'm pedaling an 18-wheeler.


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## Marna_Kazmaier (Sep 11, 2014)

Tim Kretz said:


> Total newbie here who just got his bike yesterday !!!! Had a local shop finish the build ( I know, I know....it is my goal to become bike handy) anyway....on my first 500 yards pedaling I changed gears and the chain/derailer is now making a terrible sound as the chain is rubbing the derailer frame....wish I could send a vid.....hoping for advice on a quick fix so I can go for a NYE ride....the shop is closed until Monday. Thanks all


CONTACT BD! I had a cassette problem with my bike, right out of the box. They not only took care of the part, they paid the LBS that fixed it!


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

New drive train is holding up well, except that I got some of the worst chain suck ever one of the first times I upshifted in the front.







I think it was due to the fact that I'm using mismatched sprockets. I'm hoping it's just a one time thing, but I've still been careful when shifting.

I also met my first Farley today.







beautiful bikes, really.


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

Double-stick or bolt something to that E-type FD.

Like the X-guys using the "Third-eye" chain keeper.
There are a few models that will completely eliminate "chain-suck", (if installed correctly)

We were taking off the granny gears in the mid 90's. MI doesn't have that big of hills.

Now 1x10 or 2x10 is "all the rage"???
I will leave the drivetrain "as-is" unless it gives me trouble.
The front might need a little adj. but the rear der. was adjusted fine and shifts very well.

JM


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

JohnnyMagic said:


> Double-stick or bolt something to that E-type FD.
> 
> Like the X-guys using the "Third-eye" chain keeper.
> There are a few models that will completely eliminate "chain-suck", (if installed correctly)
> ...


Yeah, the chain suck is a personal problem, not related to the stock bike in any way. It only happened once so far, if it happens again I will run a matching set of sprockets.


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## Tim Kretz (Dec 24, 2014)

Thanks to JackNicholls6 - your recommendation was all it was. Very happy it wasn't anything I had to go to the shop for. My goal is too teach myself to be 'bike handy'. Had a great ride yesterday on both pavement and trail, GBM is a blast, we are getting 2-4 inches tomorrow so I am excited to try this on a little snow.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Tim Kretz said:


> Thanks to JackNicholls6 - your recommendation was all it was. Very happy it wasn't anything I had to go to the shop for. My goal is too teach myself to be 'bike handy'. Had a great ride yesterday on both pavement and trail, GBM is a blast, we are getting 2-4 inches tomorrow so I am excited to try this on a little snow.


Great news! Glad it was an easy fix.


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## Polycrono (May 11, 2012)

Dirtdawg I had issues with chain suck with the stock chain rings. Try flipping the granny around the other way. Also is your big ring facing the right way? It's hard to tell in the picture. I also run mismatched rings now without any issues. And I added a 42t.


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## Zeph (Jan 3, 2015)

I just pulled the trigger on this bike, I called my brother to talk me off the ledge of punching the buy button, but it didn't work...............


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

You're gonna love it, Zeph. If you've read this whole thread, you already know what to expect. I've had mine about a month, and the more I ride it, the more I love it.


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## bermboy (Dec 30, 2014)

Drove down to ND yesterday (blizzard all the way from Winnipeg to ND) assembled the bike when I got home and tried it out in the fresh powder. No surprise the missions aren't great in the soft stuff. Been looking at snow tires, but other than the surly nates all other tires (45nrth, vee snowshoes) require a minimum rim width of 62-80mm. There was some posts on here of trying different rim widths and tires.
So my question is, does anyone know if a 4" 45nrth dillinger or vee snowshoe 4.5" would work on the bullseye monster?


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

The frame I got, (Gravity Bullseye Monster???)
Came with the 650B+ tires.
I ordered the 26x4 w/"free" Missions for $200.00, 135/170 spacing and free shipping.
Could not find weights on more expensive wheelsets.
The tires don't seem great in the snow but I've only ridden 3 times.

There is 1/2" (clear) on both side of the rear stays. Less in the front fork.
Not sure on all the wheel width/tire width combos or how they affect OA widths?

I am sure I could order some 4.5's if that is the total width on 26x80mm rims.
Would double check front fork? 


JM


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

honestly the most fun I've ever had on a bike! Dropped the tires to 7 psi. Handled fine!


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## bermboy (Dec 30, 2014)

Repackaged the hubs with extreme low temp grease, they spin way better now.-40 here today with the windchill! Rode to the creek down the road from me to test it in the snow, 5 psi and it goes pretty decent in the soft stuff. Im very impressed with this bike for the price...


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Awesome! That's freezing! What cold gear do you wear for -40?


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## bermboy (Dec 30, 2014)

Long johns, cycling tights, snowboard pants, 2 pairs snowboard socks, under armour compression layer long sleeve and a snowboard jacket. Had a belaclava and neck wormer with snowboard goggles, snowmobile mitts and -45 hunting rubber boots. Haha. Thats all. Supposed to be a deep freeze for awhile Glad I got a fat bike it gets me outside. Or else I would be playing video games. I hate this weather.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

bermboy said:


> So my question is, does anyone know if a 4" 45nrth dillinger or vee snowshoe 4.5" would work on the bullseye monster?


they will both work fine. ive put some serious miles on some of the older 4.5" snowshoes (in reality, closer to a 4.0) and they are awesome. as long as the tire is narrow enough to fit in between the stays youre good to go. the rim width changes the profile a bit (tire sits narrower and taller) but everything still handles fine. i would (and do) ignore the manufacturer's rim recommendations.


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## bermboy (Dec 30, 2014)

Thanks again for the advice Dirtdawg!


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

bermboy said:


> Thanks again for the advice Dirtdawg!


Not a problem, i'm glad I could help.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

My On One Floaters have shipped from Portland. When they get here, I'm putting them on the Monster and putting the old Missions on my wife's Dolomite. Both are getting Qtubes Superlights. Should improve both bikes.


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## Marna_Kazmaier (Sep 11, 2014)

Wildbird99 said:


> My On One Floaters have shipped from Portland. When they get here, I'm putting them on the Monster and putting the old Missions on my wife's Dolomite. Both are getting Qtubes Superlights. Should improve both bikes.


The On One's....do they weigh a lot less than the factory Gravity.....actually? <smiles> What part is the Floater?


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## Marna_Kazmaier (Sep 11, 2014)

Zeph said:


> I just pulled the trigger on this bike, I called my brother to talk me off the ledge of punching the buy button, but it didn't work...............


Wait til it arrives, and you ride it for the first time.....YOU WILL BE THRILLED! WE (my husband too) LOVE Mine!


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## bermboy (Dec 30, 2014)

They are wicked bikes for the price. Im not dissapointed. I just put a pair of surly nates on last night. But I live in a harsh part of Canada where we get alot of snow and icy conditions.


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## Marna_Kazmaier (Sep 11, 2014)

You Know? You all need to stop saying "for the price" about this bicycle. It IS a nice bike! Just that. A great deal, and a great bike. <smiles>

Has anyone ridden on Ice. Or snow covered Ice? How did that go for you?


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## bermboy (Dec 30, 2014)

All depends on you're ability as a rider. Lower psi helps. Im a light rider so im running 5 psi (could probably go a bit lower). I ride ice, snow and whatever else is out there. Studded tires would definitely help. If you have the time you can do it yourself.Or pay big bucks for a set. 
It is a nice bike. Like I said I already got a set of more aggressive tires. The stock ones are ok. All depends where you live and ride I guess.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

bermboy said:


> They are wicked bikes for the price. Im not dissapointed. I just put a pair of surly nates on last night. But I live in a harsh part of Canada where we get alot of snow and icy conditions.


when you get a chance you should post up some pix with the nates. I wanted a set, but got talked into going with the green floaters instead. I don't regret it, but the nates are very good tires.


----------



## bermboy (Dec 30, 2014)

Was trying to last night but it kept saying upload failed. Got em for $80 on kijiji. Someone took them off a new bike and upgraded. Also have a snowshoe coming next week. I will try to post again tonight. Just went for a good 3 mile through the forest. Very impressed with the traction.
I like how this is turning into a gravity bullseye bike club all over the world!


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Marna_Kazmaier said:


> The On One's....do they weigh a lot less than the factory Gravity.....actually? <smiles> What part is the Floater?


they are the tires. the green ones i have are floaters. they are not as light as the stock missions, but other than that they are superior in every way.


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## rycolos (Dec 30, 2014)

Just got mine in from Bike Island. Now I only have to wait for the new headset to be installed and the new crankset to arrive before I can take it out!


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

Marna_Kazmaier said:


> The On One's....do they weigh a lot less than the factory Gravity.....actually? <smiles> What part is the Floater?


I don't necessarily expect the Floaters to save me weight, but I've read that they are much better tires than the Vee Missions (I think at least two people here have mentioned that). My wife doesn't use her fatbike for trails and climbing -- she uses hers mostly as a cruiser, whereas mine has become my go-to bike -- so I figure I'll put the better tires on my bike (with lighter tubes), and upgrade her tires and include lighter tubes. Everyone wins. 

</smiles>


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

Marna_Kazmaier said:


> You Know? You all need to stop saying "for the price" about this bicycle. It IS a nice bike! Just that. A great deal, and a great bike. <smiles>


Agreed. I love mine.


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## bermboy (Dec 30, 2014)

The nates. ..


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

bermboy said:


> The nates. ..


That looks sweet! I like that Thompson too, what is the diameter?


----------



## bermboy (Dec 30, 2014)

I believe its 27.4 same as my kona and specialized. I have alot of spare parts laying around.


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## bermboy (Dec 30, 2014)

Sorry its 27.2 duh. I should remember it by now...


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Went out for a ride tonight... 
















Brr.


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## bermboy (Dec 30, 2014)

I like the tires dude. What state do you live in?


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

New Hampshire. How about yourself? Wind chill to - 40° is no joke.
As for the tires, I really like them. I was hesitant at first, but now I'm glad I got them.








They do great in the snow. I may throw the stock missions and rims on to compare and remind myself what it's like (it's been a while, and never in snow).


----------



## bermboy (Dec 30, 2014)

Oh cool. Is that close to the Appalachians? Saw the picture of the river you posted. Reminded me of a place on Vancouver Island. So beautiful.
I live in Manitoba the south eastern part of the province, close to the Canadian shield and very close to North Dakota. Its exactly 12 hours to Deadwood South Dakota, I've timed it!
It was -36 today!


----------



## Zeph (Jan 3, 2015)

Dumb question time. Are the stock tire (Missions) tubeless? My bike gets here Friday, one more long miserable day of waiting................


----------



## bigeyedfish (May 30, 2013)

bermboy said:


> The nates. ..


Did your fork come with anything cage mounts, or did you install them yourself?


----------



## Mangomon (Apr 29, 2010)

Hey Zeph,

Just got mine, it came with Tubeless ready Missions on it, and I have bottle mounts on my fork.


----------



## Mangomon (Apr 29, 2010)

*Hello Fellow Fatty Ridesr !!*

Just wanted to say Hello, just got my Green Monster, finally got it out for a sort ride, WOW, This is what i call FUN !!!!!. Getting a lot of great info from here and helped me get through the waiting for the bike to come !! Will post up some pics soon!!!!

Ride On !!!


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

To anyone with the Bullseye Monster,

If you had a $600-$700 budget, would you still buy this bike? If not, what would your bike choice be in that range.


----------



## x3speed (Jan 18, 2012)

Mongoose Vinson


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## bermboy (Dec 30, 2014)

Those are fender/rack mounts on the fork. I would still buy the bike, I did have a bit more to spend. But I used some of the money I saved to buy new tires, wider bars and better pedals.
the motobecane boris x5 looked decent. You get wider rims. But I wouldent pay more for any sram drivetrain. Im a shimano guy 100 percent if I have to replace a drivetrain. I have a deore one im swapping over soon. Sram = Taiwan Shimano deore and up = japan. Some ppl don't care about this. 
Just get the monster and use the money you save to buy a few parts. By the time I got my bike to Canada it cost me $800. You guys are lucky


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Andrew Charles said:


> To anyone with the Bullseye Monster,
> 
> If you had a $600-$700 budget, would you still buy this bike? If not, what would your bike choice be in that range.


I love my Bullseye but honestly... 700 is another 40% more money. So no, If i had 700 up front I would not buy the bullseye. By the time I'm done I may have 700 into it but that is spread out over time. And Yes Im still happy. but for 700, that pushes you into real bike territory. at 700 I would buy the framed Minnesota 1.0 no question.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Andrew Charles said:


> To anyone with the Bullseye Monster,
> 
> If you had a $600-$700 budget, would you still buy this bike? If not, what would your bike choice be in that range.


I would 100%, but I use this bike for everything. 
I read in your thread that you just want it for snow, and that the 50mm rims are a drawback rather than a benifit for you. I don't know much about the mongoose, but at a glance it looks like a very comperable bike. (Only thing I would look out for is weight, anybody know if there's a meaningful difference between the two?) For snow You will want to replace the tires on either bike, but the 100mm rims on the goose will give a lot of volume and be a benifit.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Zeph said:


> Dumb question time. Are the stock tire (Missions) tubeless? My bike gets here Friday, one more long miserable day of waiting................


As previously stated, The vees are 'tubeless ready', but they are not set up tubeless. I haven't bothered, and probably won't in the future. I like the Ease of changing tires and don't have problems with pinch flats (on the fat bike  )

Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk 2


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Thanks for the reply brother. I think I may go find a vinson at the store and look at it before making a final decision.

I also may just bite the bullet and add 200 to my budget and just getting a MN 1.0. I keep reading on here how great they are for the price. Love to hear your thoughts on that bike. 


dirtdawg21892 said:


> As previously stated, The vees are 'tubeless ready', but they are not set up tubeless. I haven't bothered, and probably won't in the future. I like the Ease of changing tires and don't have problems with pinch flats (on the fat bike  )
> 
> Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk 2


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## x3speed (Jan 18, 2012)

Minnesotas are great too. I have a 3.0. Love it


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## LosPollos (Jan 23, 2014)

Andrew Charles said:


> Thanks for the reply brother. I think I may go find a vinson at the store and look at it before making a final decision.
> 
> I also may just bite the bullet and add 200 to my budget and just getting a MN 1.0. I keep reading on here how great they are for the price. Love to hear your thoughts on that bike.


I sold my Minneosta 2.0 last year and bought a Monster Pro this year. I like the Monster way better - although Bluto fork makes it an unfair comparison.

I was not a fan of the short top tube and the gearing was way too tall on the Minnesota 2.0. Both could be remedied with part changes though. I think the 1.0 has different geometry which I preferred but is only a 1(33T)x9 which was deal breaker for me. I've got way to many steep hills to climb.

The gearing is completely dependent on what you'll be riding, just keep it in mind or you'll have to budget for a new crank.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Oh. That's a good point about the gears. I will also be climbing hills.. So how do you like the monster pro?

lol, after you've made that point, I'm now leaning back towards the monster (and just putting 80mm on it). Does having 4.5 tires make a huge / noticeable difference anyway? Or try to find a Mongoose Vinson on sale.



LosPollos said:


> I sold my Minneosta 2.0 last year and bought a Monster Pro this year. I like the Monster way better - although Bluto fork makes it an unfair comparison.
> 
> I was not a fan of the short top tube and the gearing was way too tall on the Minnesota 2.0. Both could be remedied with part changes though. I think the 1.0 has different geometry which I preferred but is only a 1(33T)x9 which was deal breaker for me. I've got way to many steep hills to climb.
> 
> The gearing is completely dependent on what you'll be riding, just keep it in mind or you'll have to budget for a new crank.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

I love 1x setups. the 33front 34 rear combo is pretty easy. If you need an easier gear its simple to switch in a RaceFace narrow wide up front with 30T up front $30 bucks on amazon. 

The monster pro is a COMPLETELY different bike, the only thing it shares in the name. The frame and geo are way different. just look at the pictures, curved downtube. If you had a G to spend I'd reccomend it. 

I'm not saying dont get the monster. I love it! you probably would too! Im just saying that for what you want there seems to be better fitting bikes.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Here is what I'm currently working with lol. So, realistically any thing we have discussed so far will out perform this guy.









But, if you guys think the monster with 80mm is sufficent for hunting/scouting, then I may go ahead and order it! Gonna give it another day or two of pondering. If I can't find a better affordable solution by then, then the gravity monster it is!



JackNicholls62 said:


> I love 1x setups. the 33front 34 rear combo is pretty easy. If you need an easier gear its simple to switch in a RaceFace narrow wide up front with 30T up front $30 bucks on amazon.
> 
> The monster pro is a COMPLETELY different bike, the only thing it shares in the name. The frame and geo are way different. just look at the pictures, curved downtube. If you had a G to spend I'd reccomend it.
> 
> I'm not saying dont get the monster. I love it! you probably would too! Im just saying that for what you want there seems to be better fitting bikes.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

You will definitely see an improvement! I think 4" tires on 80mm wheels would be enough... And you'll have two sets at that point... At the 700 mark if you order the wheels from BD.


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## bermboy (Dec 30, 2014)

I was just out riding in another fresh snow fall, following a deer trail through the forest. I have 50mm rims with 4" surly nates. The 50mm rims really rounds the tire making it a bit squirmy and it realky had trouble going through 4" pockets of snow. And im only 140LBS with all my winter gear on. knowing that now I would get something with 80-100mm rims. That would give you a nice big stable footprint. Especially if your following animal trails and in an area that gets sufficient snow falls. 
just something to consider.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Yessir! I know 80mm rims work on this bike. But, I thought 100mm didn't. Anyone have 100mm on theirs that can attest to whether it works or not? If 100mm fits, then I'm sold on it and will order it today 💪👍🍻



bermboy said:


> I was just out riding in another fresh snow fall, following a deer trail through the forest. I have 50mm rims with 4" surly nates. The 50mm rims really rounds the tire making it a bit squirmy and it realky had trouble going through 4" pockets of snow. And im only 140LBS with all my winter gear on. knowing that now I would get something with 80-100mm rims. That would give you a nice big stable footprint. Especially if your following animal trails and in an area that gets sufficient snow falls.
> just something to consider.


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## bermboy (Dec 30, 2014)

I believe there was a post near the beginning of a guy that tried 100mm rims. He said they don't fit. Would suck to order it all and find out it doesn't clear.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Berm, I did read that as well but then another person said 100mm fit.

Was hoping someone who has tried it would chime in and give a "yay" or "nay"



bermboy said:


> I believe there was a post near the beginning of a guy that tried 100mm rims. He said they don't fit. Would suck to order it all and find out it doesn't clear.


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## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

bermboy said:


> I was just out riding in another fresh snow fall, following a deer trail through the forest. I have 50mm rims with 4" surly nates. The 50mm rims really rounds the tire making it a bit squirmy and it realky had trouble going through 4" pockets of snow. And im only 140LBS with all my winter gear on. knowing that now I would get something with 80-100mm rims. That would give you a nice big stable footprint. Especially if your following animal trails and in an area that gets sufficient snow falls.
> just something to consider.


I would be a snow rider and this is why I haven't pulled the trigger on this bike yet. By the time you equip it with decent tires for snow and 80mm rims you now have a ~$1000 wrapped up into this bike. I can pick up a Minnesota 2.0 for less than that that already has 80mm rims and decent snow tires on it.

The only downside I see on the Minnesota 2.0 is the taller gearing. But that can be remedied by spending $25 on 22T chainring.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Its true, some extra $ will need to be put into rims/tires. But, I'll only be at around $700 if I buy the BD 80mm set ($199 sale).

So, ladies and gentleman, thanks for all your help. I have decided in the the Gravity Bullseye Monster! I'll be ordering tonight!

For the price and great feedback from this thread, I see no reason to not at least try it. If I don't like it or want to upgrade, I can always sell or trade it later on.



prj71 said:


> I would be a snow rider and this is why I haven't pulled the trigger on this bike yet. By the time you equip it with decent tires for snow and 80mm rims you now have a ~$1000 wrapped up into this bike. I can pick up a Minnesota 2.0 for less than that that already has 80mm rims and decent snow tires on it.
> 
> The only downside I see on the Minnesota 2.0 is the taller gearing. But that can be remedied by spending $25 on 22T chainring.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## bermboy (Dec 30, 2014)

U said it. But remember a $1000 bike in America is alot more in Canada. I refuse to pay anymore than I did for a bike with bike tires. Fat bikes are still a fad. I've just built a top of the line bike, full xt drive train, xt brakes, hope and blackspire parts, sid fork, pretty much every bad ass part out there and its got full suspension (29er)for under 2000 canadian. Chain reaction is boss.
Expensive fat bikes are a rip off compared to something that's actually loaded with technology. I wont be riding mine in the summer. I fly by guys on fat bikes on the trails.


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## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

Andrew Charles said:


> Its true, some extra $ will need to be put into rims/tires. But, I'll only be at around $700 if I buy the BD 80mm set ($199 sale).


Yeah, but those still come with crappy tires. For me another $200-$250 would have to be spent for tires that are good in the snow and I would be up to a ~$1000 for the Gravity Monster Pro.


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## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

bermboy said:


> U said it. But remember a $1000 bike in America is alot more in Canada. I refuse to pay anymore than I did for a bike with bike tires. Fat bikes are still a fad. I've just built a top of the line bike, full xt drive train, xt brakes, hope and blackspire parts, sid fork, pretty much every bad ass part out there and its got full suspension (29er)for under 2000 canadian. Chain reaction is boss.
> Expensive fat bikes are a rip off compared to something that's actually loaded with technology. I wont be riding mine in the summer. I fly by guys on fat bikes on the trails.


That's the problem right now. Supply and demand Big demand and low supply of fat bikes are keeping the prices high. I expect fat bikes will come down in price over the next 2-5 years.


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## bermboy (Dec 30, 2014)

Me too. And that's when I 'll shell out some real coin. I like some of the american made frames. Thats what I 'll buy. Support our economy. Even some of the $3000 bikes I looked at were china frames. Thats why I got a monster.


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## majack (Mar 10, 2010)

bermboy said:


> Fat bikes are still a fad.


Wow, I thought this type of thinking was long gone. Fat bikes ARE NOT A FAD. They are hear to stay and only growing. That is why the fat bike market is the fastest growing cycling segment for the past 2 years.


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## bermboy (Dec 30, 2014)

Im sorry to have offended you. I will use more appropriate wording next time.


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## majack (Mar 10, 2010)

bermboy said:


> Im sorry to have offended you. I will use more appropriate wording next time.


No offense taken


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## DC_Bunkster (Dec 20, 2007)

*14" or 16"?*

I'm 5'6 but have short legs and a long torso. 14" or 16"?

Looking at their size chart, I'm thinking 14". But that sounds really small.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

DC_Bunkster said:


> I'm 5'6 but have short legs and a long torso. 14" or 16"?
> 
> Looking at their size chart, I'm thinking 14". But that sounds really small.


Im the same size with similar proportions and I think a 16 would be a good fit. (got an 18 myself, and I think a bit smaller would have been a better choice) I have ridden 14s before (not this specific bike though) and they are fun to tool around on, but a bit cramped on longer rides.


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## Tim Kretz (Dec 24, 2014)

*First snow ride*

Took the Bullseye out today for its first snow ride. Just a 3 inch fluffy dusting. It was a blast, traction held great on the stock missions. Can't wait to make a few changes to drop a little weight on the bike.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

I just ordered my black 18" monster!! I'm very excited. Wanted to say thanks to everyone who participates in this thread! You really helped me with my choice to go with this bike. 

Anyone know of any good deals on 80mm rims?


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

congrats Andrew! best deal I've seen is the one on bikes direct 199.99 free shipping, includes tires! great deal. havent been able to pull the trigger yet myself but many have.


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## akacoke (May 11, 2011)

100mm rims by themselves fit, but with tires they make the tires too big at the sidewalls so they dont clear the frame. there is plenty of room in the stock fork to fit bigger rim plus with 4"+ size tires. although i doubt itd clear 4.8 or 5" tires . 

since a lot of people are talking about updating the wheels. when i bought mine, right the way i removed all of the parts. so they are new take off condition. sold the brakes with rotor levers for 85. sold the wheelset with tires for 250, i still have the entire drivetrain bars. and such to sell. all the money can be used toward to upgrade parts


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

akacoke said:


> 100mm rims by themselves fit, but with tires they make the tires too big at the sidewalls so they dont clear the frame. there is plenty of room in the stock fork to fit bigger rim plus with 4"+ size tires. although i doubt itd clear 4.8 or 5" tires .
> 
> since a lot of people are talking about updating the wheels. when i bought mine, right the way i removed all of the parts. so they are new take off condition. sold the brakes with rotor levers for 85. sold the wheelset with tires for 250, i still have the entire drivetrain bars. and such to sell. all the money can be used toward to upgrade parts


Really good info coke, thanks! 
What did you end up replacing it with? You should put up some pix of the finished bike :thumbsup:


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## LosPollos (Jan 23, 2014)

Wildbird99 said:


> My On One Floaters have shipped from Portland. When they get here, I'm putting them on the Monster and putting the old Missions on my wife's Dolomite. Both are getting Qtubes Superlights. Should improve both bikes.


I just swapped out the Vee8's to Floaters. OMG the difference in the snow is phenomenal!! The price for this much tire performance for is hard to beat.


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## rycolos (Dec 30, 2014)

Got this bad boy built up but, of course, two problems

1) In trying to put on my BB7 rotors, three of the T25 bolts were VERY stuck and I mean VERY stuck. I tried heating them, nothing. I even tried grind in slots in the heads and using a flathead. Nothing. This last one always works as a last resort. Finally, I had to take a grinder and drill bit to the heads. I ended up getting the rotor off and the bolts out but got a bit frustrated and over eager with the drill and went through to the hub, enlarging the top of one of the holes. I got the screw threaded properly with loctite for the new rotor so methinks it's not a HUGE issue, but still... Those should not have been that tight! I emailed BD about it and they said they'd said me a new rotor. I guess that's nice of them? I guess gouging the hub was my own fault so I don't know what more I want really. 

2) I'll try and get a pic up later, but my front wheel isn't centered in the fork. The fork is a Fatback steel. The brake rotor seems to line up fine so I'm thinking this isn't really an issue. Is anyone else's front wheel not centered?


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## DC_Bunkster (Dec 20, 2007)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Im the same size with similar proportions and I think a 16 would be a good fit. (got an 18 myself, and I think a bit smaller would have been a better choice) I have ridden 14s before (not this specific bike though) and they are fun to tool around on, but a bit cramped on longer rides.


Thanks for the feedback Dawg. I just pulled the trigger on the 16" in WR green. Got a set of floaters in pink, as well as some pink ODI lock on grips on the way as well---which ought to be a nice contrast to the green. I'll post up when she's built.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

It was pathetic, as far as snowfalls go, but I finally got some of the white stuff on my Monster's tires. :thumbsup:


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Jack,

Thanks man, can't believe I didn't seee this deal before! I'm going to jump on it! Although, I think after I get it I'll put the missions on the 80mm since it seems like it has more traction.



JackNicholls62 said:


> congrats Andrew! best deal I've seen is the one on bikes direct 199.99 free shipping, includes tires! great deal. havent been able to pull the trigger yet myself but many have.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

I can't wait for mine to get here!



Wildbird99 said:


> It was pathetic, as far as snowfalls go, but I finally got some of the white stuff on my Monster's tires. :thumbsup:
> 
> View attachment 954265


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

You're gonna love it, Andrew. I have tweaked mine to my tastes, and it is nearly perfect for me now. My other bikes are collecting dust. I keep thinking that I should ride my 26er, just for comparison, but when it comes time to ride, I eagerly load up the Monster.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Bob,

Your post makes me certain I've made the right choice! I can't wait for my bike to arrive.

For everyone who is riding the monster as their main ride, what mods have you made that are the "necessities". I am a realist and know that for $500, some things will need to be changed.

I'd love to hear from yall and see exactly what you think is important to change, in your opinion. 


Wildbird99 said:


> You're gonna love it, Andrew. I have tweaked mine to my tastes, and it is nearly perfect for me now. My other bikes are collecting dust. I keep thinking that I should ride my 26er, just for comparison, but when it comes time to ride, I eagerly load up the Monster.


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## Zeph (Jan 3, 2015)

I got mine after work, and for general info it only takes 1 1/2 Tall Coors to put it together and get everything adjusted. I'm about 5' 10", and I got the 18" frame, the 16" may have been a little better as far as clearance for the baby-maker go's. But this one will work fine. 17 year old vasectomy, so I guess I'm good to go anyway................


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

Andrew,

Mine had shifting issues. Crappy cassette. Some guys here called BD and received a better one, free of charge. I ordered one from Amazon for about $15 (solved my shifting issues). I installed Ergon grips/bar ends because of decades-old wrist issues. I added storage (top tube bag that has a clear top for my smartphone, and a seatpost rack and bag), fenders (SKS frame-mounted dirt board and a Topeak fender mounted on my rear rack), and larger, low-profile platform pedals. I was using a handlebar bag, but didn't like the way it affected handling. I'm waiting on OnOne floaters and QTubes superlight tubes. And I just ordered a Wisecrackers bottle opener. I'll probably order the 80mm wheelsets from BD at some point. For $500, this is a heck of bike, and it leaves $$ for personalization. That's an equation for fun.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Awesome rundown! thanks!

anyine else make any big changes?



Wildbird99 said:


> Andrew,
> 
> Mine had shifting issues. Crappy cassette. Some guys here called BD and received a better one, free of charge. I ordered one from Amazon for about $15 (solved my shifting issues). I installed Ergon grips/bar ends because of decades-old wrist issues. I added storage (top tube bag that has a clear top for my smartphone, and a seatpost rack and bag), fenders (SKS frame-mounted dirt board and a Topeak fender mounted on my rear rack), and larger, low-profile platform pedals. I was using a handlebar bag, but didn't like the way it affected handling. I'm waiting on OnOne floaters and QTubes superlight tubes. And I just ordered a Wisecrackers bottle opener. I'll probably order the 80mm wheelsets from BD at some point. For $500, this is a heck of bike, and it leaves $$ for personalization. That's an equation for fun.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Anyone know how hard it would be to get the "gravity" logo off the bike?


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

LosPollos said:


> I just swapped out the Vee8's to Floaters. OMG the difference in the snow is phenomenal!! The price for this much tire performance for is hard to beat.


Yeah, no doubt that the floaters are an awesome tire. I'm keeping the Vee's for a summer tire, the do really well in the dirt without as much rolling resistance.


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

Aw, what the heck, I just ordered a 20" BM in silver.

Hmm, maybe I shouldn't refer to it as a "BM"... Anyway, dipping my toe in the fatbike world, curious how I'll get along with the wide Q factor, heavy wheels, etc.

Let the waiting commence!


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

seat_boy said:


> Aw, what the heck, I just ordered a 20" BM in silver.
> 
> Hmm, maybe I shouldn't refer to it as a "BM"...
> 
> Let the waiting commence!


A 20" BM? Sounds like you're having a pretty good day.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

DC_Bunkster said:


> Thanks for the feedback Dawg. I just pulled the trigger on the 16" in WR green. Got a set of floaters in pink, as well as some pink ODI lock on grips on the way as well---which ought to be a nice contrast to the green. I'll post up when she's built.


Please do! I thought about getting the pinks because when I was tire shopping they were 50% off, but I couldn't turn down the greens. I don't regret it, but I would love to see what it would have looked like!


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

porkloin said:


> Stumpy, got my 80mm rims in yesterday and snapped a couple photos. The increase in surface area from the 3.8"/4.0" tires was pretty astounding. The tires look and feel quite a bit beefier on the wider rims. Took it out on the trails today into some deep snow and felt a little bit more floaty.
> 
> As far as the 100mm/80mm combo goes, I think it's possible. Here's my front fork with a Bontrager Hodag and an 80mm rim:
> View attachment 935836
> ...


This is a great report Porkloin. Can't believe I missed it before! Well, that answers my question for sure then. 80mm with 4.0 is the limit.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

Andrew Charles said:


> Anyone know how hard it would be to get the "gravity" logo off the bike?


It will be a LOT easier to "add graphics", than remove the sticker. (it's not a sticker)
IMAG1031_zpsx3lut0g9.jpg Photo by JohnMorciglio | Photobucket

Photobucket is acting weird? Click on and enlarge to see how I covered it with some faux carbon from an auto parts store.


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## Calvin27 (Mar 25, 2014)

WHY NO SALE TO AUS BD?!! All this northern hemisphere fat bike talk is making me jealous.


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## Zeph (Jan 3, 2015)

Took my bike out with my Siberian Huskie for some bikejoring on a snow covered mostly packed trail, This bike is a blast


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## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

JackNicholls62 said:


> congrats Andrew! best deal I've seen is the one on bikes direct 199.99 free shipping, includes tires! great deal. havent been able to pull the trigger yet myself but many have.


It would be nice if BD sold the wheels without the tires on them.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

prj71 said:


> It would be nice if BD sold the wheels without the tires on them.


No doubt. But considering the price, the tires are pretty much free anyway.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Wildbird99 said:


> No doubt. But considering the price, the tires are pretty much free anyway.


True dat. And this way you have a sweet set of summer tires so you can save your good ones for when you really need the traction 

Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk 2


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## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

Better yet, BD should offer the 80mm rim set on the Gravity Bullseye Monster instead of the 50mm. How much more would it actually increase the price of the bike from a 50mm to 80mm rim?


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

My guess is they spec the narrower rims to get people to upgrade to the next bike up as much as to save money on this model.



prj71 said:


> Better yet, BD should offer the 80mm rim set on the Gravity Bullseye Monster instead of the 50mm. How much more would it actually increase the price of the bike from a 50mm to 80mm rim?


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

seat_boy said:


> My guess is they spec the narrower rims to get people to upgrade to the next bike up as much as to save money on this model.


YUP! And it's very smart. The 50mm rims almost deterred me from buying the bike. But, ultimately I pulled the trigger and am now just on standby until I get the bike tomorrow night. Still wondering if the Vinson is a better value but hey, only time will tell.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

prj71 said:


> Better yet, BD should offer the 80mm rim set on the Gravity Bullseye Monster instead of the 50mm. How much more would it actually increase the price of the bike from a 50mm to 80mm rim?


It wouldn't increase the price significantly, but it would make the bike a lot less versatile. The 50mm rim was actually a selling point for me, as it makes it possible to run the bike as a 26+. In my opinion, The 50's also make the bike a lot more fun as a trail bike in the summer without making it any less capable in the snow.
If it's really that important to you, The lower spec boris comes with 80's and isn't much more expensive. Just something to think about.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Dirtdawg, what do ya mean by 26+? Sorry for the question but, I'm still learning 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

in short it's a term coined by surley for wheels that are wider than a conventional bike, but not quite a fat bike. 
50mm rims allow you to run normal 26" tires, so if you don't need the additional float and weight, this bike can double as a rigid mountain bike. i road it with some 2.5" downhill tires for about 100 miles and it was a totally different bike. really quick handling and a lot less cumbersome. i like having options.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

in fact, the whole point of getting the second wheelset was to free up the 50's so that i could run studs, and then swap out the wheels depending on the trail conditions. 
i havent needed the studs yet so i never brought it up.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> in fact, the whole point of getting the second wheelset was to free up the 50's so that i could run studs, and then swap out the wheels depending on the trail conditions.
> i havent needed the studs yet so i never brought it up.


Oh sweet! Well, I have the second 80mm wheelset headed my way so, looks like I'll have to get some thinner road tires for the 50mm. Great idea bro.

Thanks!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Bugout Bikes said:


> Oh sweet! Well, I have the second 80mm wheelset headed my way so, looks like I'll have to get some thinner road tires for the 50mm. Great idea bro.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks! 
A set of maxxis hookworms or other wide cruiser tires are sweet for ripping around town, I love mine.

Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk 2


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## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

seat_boy said:


> My guess is they spec the narrower rims to get people to upgrade to the next bike up as much as to save money on this model.


I made some contact with BD yesterday regarding this issue. They stated that Gravity wanted the price point to be at $500.

I then asked how much it would cost to offer the bike with with 80mm rims and mission tires and they said the bike would be $100 more than it is now. I then suggested they offer the bike with that option and call it Gravity Bullseye Monster Pro WT or something like that. They responded and said that they would take that idea into consideration.

IMO, This would be better than buying the bike for $500 and then paying the $200 for the 80mm wheelset they sell. A person would be ahead $100 with this option and not have to deal with selling the mission tires to put on something better.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

prj71 said:


> I made some contact with BD yesterday regarding this issue. They stated that Gravity wanted the price point to be at $500.
> 
> I then asked how much it would cost to offer the bike with with 80mm rims and mission tires and they said the bike would be $100 more than it is now. I then suggested they offer the bike with that option and call it Gravity Bullseye Monster Pro WT or something like that. They responded and said that they would take that idea into consideration.
> 
> IMO, This would be better than buying the bike for $500 and then paying the $200 for the 80mm wheelset they sell. A person would be ahead $100 with this option and not have to deal with selling the mission tires to put on something better.


They already have a bike like that, its called the boris x5. 
if you guys are so bent on 80mm rims, i have a spare set complete with spokes and nips that you can have for $100. should lace right up to your stock wheels.


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## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> They already have a bike like that, its called the boris x5.
> if you guys are so bent on 80mm rims, i have a spare set complete with spokes and nips that you can have for $100. should lace right up to your stock wheels.


IMO the boris is ugly and the geometry is different. It wouldn't hurt to have a cheaper gravity option with 80mm rims for those of us that are considering the bike for snow use.

Snow type tires installed on the 50mm rim don't work as good as when installed on a 80-100mm rim, from what I am understanding, due to the tires being rounded out more instead of a flatter foot print.

The fact that you have 80mm rims for sale only addresses the need of one person.


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## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

Damn these Bikes Direct Guys sure do bring things to market quickly!

Save Up to 60% Off 29Plus, 27Plus Fat Bikes, Mountain Save Up to 60% Off New Bikes


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

prj71 said:


> IMO the boris is ugly and the geometry is different. It wouldn't hurt to have a cheaper gravity option with 80mm rims for those of us that are considering the bike for snow use.
> 
> Snow type tires installed on the 50mm rim don't work as good as when installed on a 80-100mm rim, from what I am understanding, due to the tires being rounded out more instead of a flatter foot print.
> 
> The fact that you have 80mm rims for sale only addresses the need of one person.


the point you bring up are all true. i guess i'm just getting frustrated by all the "different" models that bikes direct offers now. they are completely redundant and cluttered, and there is getting to be a lot of overlap. In my opinion, they should offer the frame as a model, and then have the different builds as subsets listed on a separate page. obviously, the nature of what they do prohibits too much customization, but it would be nice if they organized it a bit, because as it is now that page is a mess.


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## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> the point you bring up are all true. i guess i'm just getting frustrated by all the "different" models that bikes direct offers now. they are completely redundant and cluttered, and there is getting to be a lot of overlap. In my opinion, they should offer the frame as a model, and then have the different builds as subsets listed on a separate page. obviously, the nature of what they do prohibits too much customization, but it would be nice if they organized it a bit, because as it is now that page is a mess.


I agree. That website is a mess and a complete eye sore. None of the listed geometry specs or standard specs between the different bikes is listed the same. It lacks consistency.

Its the only website I visit where I actually have to use the horizontal scroll bar to see the bikes that run off the right side of the page. Ha ha ha...

Cheap bikes...cheap website I guess. I think a 10 year old kid could design a better website.

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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Somthing is missing here..........oh wait, it's the bike that never showed up tonight. Shipment got pushed to tomorrow 

the 80mm wheel set did show up on time however! Have to say, this is a nice combo for $199!










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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

I guess 1 extra day isn't too bad!









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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Finally here! Initial inpressions are: fit and finish are amazing for a $500 bike! Very very impressed so far. More input tomorrow after I put it together and tune it









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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

Got mine as well. I got home late tonight, so it's still only partially unwrapped.


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## Zeph (Jan 3, 2015)

You'll have a blast on it. I'm digging mine.


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

Quick ride up and down the street, and I'll have to agree with both the above posters: fit and finish is surprisingly good, and it looks like fun. The Mission tire's self steer, though... now I see what folks are talking about.

Also, a very quick check indicates that it should fit a 29x3" Knard. Good times ahead.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

When yall received yours, was the seat stuck between the frame and the spokes? I think my brake rotor may have been bent by the seat. 

Edit: rotors turned out to be just fine.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Looks like this front wheel is very wobbly? the tire is being a pain in the butt and not wanting to seat correctly. May head to the shop tomorrow to make sure the wheel is aligned correctly also. 

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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Installed my bb7's and housings, this bike is amazing.


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## GnarDude (Jan 16, 2015)

Cool thread bro, I bought a Gravity Monster Bullseye a few weeks ago. I got a green one as well. Best $500 I've spent to date. What I thought was going to be a novelty bike for snow turns out to be a rock garden killer. Haven't ridden my Trek GS 29'er since.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Looks awesome dirtdawg. Got my up and running and absolutely love it. 


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

GnarDude said:


> Cool thread bro, I bought a Gravity Monster Bullseye a few weeks ago. I got a green one as well. Best $500 I've spent to date. What I thought was going to be a novelty bike for snow turns out to be a rock garden killer. Haven't ridden my Trek GS 29'er since.


Thanks man! glad you like it. i'm with you on the value proposition, it is a lot of bike. i love mine in the tech too. :thumbsup:


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Bugout Bikes said:


> Looks awesome dirtdawg. Got my up and running and absolutely love it.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


 Thanks! glad youre having fun with it


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Got another good snow ride in. Now that the breaks are beaded in I dont really see the need to swap in my BB7's. In the we stuff the front did wash out some. The answer was just to go faster and trust your skills. It's amazing how beautiful the woods are in the snow! I find that I never get off the big ring in the front. Thinking of ditching the front mech and going with a narrow wide chain ring.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Jack, looks awesome!! I got a chance to ride today as well. Really lovin the Great Plains and this bike!









Here's another from today










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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

Haven't been in here much as I have the deadeye (same bike but ss) dawg did you get 80mm rims? If so did you put 100 mm hub on it? Did an 80 fit in the rear? I think the rear stays are wider on the bullseye but i know i dont have any more clearance in the back. I have the floaters and q tubes on mine which was a major upgrade. I have been curious about an 80mm rim up front though


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

I finally got the monster out in a little snow last Sunday, on a new trail, nonetheless. The trail had a lot of short climbs and descents (for a Long Island trail), with leaves under the snow. I left the pressures at about 11psi. It really is a fun bike.

I'm having some rear derailleur noise and some shifting issues -- probably cable stretching. I plan on setting up the bike stand in the living room to work on the derailleur and mount the new Floaters and tubes this weekend. I'll probably grease the hubs, too.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Great pictures bugout! Makes the plains look fun!!


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

JackNicholls62 said:


> Great pictures bugout! Makes the plains look fun!!


Thanks brother!

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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Are those snowshoes? I know a guy that wants to sell me his 4.5s for a hundred is it worth it? Do they fit?


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Jack, was that question for me? If so, I don't believe many tires wider than 4.0 will fit on the bike. 80mm seems to be a bout the limit for rim size 


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Understood, just looks like big snowshoes in the photo


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

I got my 20" BEM assembled and was finally able to get it out for a short shakedown ride and some pictures:



















Overall, I'm pretty satisfied with it so far, though I want to change up the riding position and get the brakes to work better. I put more details up here.


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## Zeph (Jan 3, 2015)

My brakes are great after getting some miles on them and jumping on them pretty good to seat them, The rear derail isn't the best, but I got it adjusted so it works well enough to use til' I break it and replace it with something better. I am really liking this bike.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

JackNicholls62 said:


> Are those snowshoes? I know a guy that wants to sell me his 4.5s for a hundred is it worth it? Do they fit?


Yes, its a good deal and they fit fine. Personally I would hop on it.

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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

4.5s fit? Sorry, jack. Gave ya some bad info. Looks like I need to order a set for myself as well.  👍


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## Zeph (Jan 3, 2015)




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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

hankscorpio said:


> Haven't been in here much as I have the deadeye (same bike but ss) dawg did you get 80mm rims? If so did you put 100 mm hub on it? Did an 80 fit in the rear? I think the rear stays are wider on the bullseye but i know i dont have any more clearance in the back. I have the floaters and q tubes on mine which was a major upgrade. I have been curious about an 80mm rim up front though


My 80s are working out great. These bikes have a 135/170 spacing, so for me there was no hub swapping needed. How much clearence do you have with your current setup? I can measure the floaters on an 80 vs 50mm rim and see if your bike can accomidate the wider rims.

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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Ok, I've been getting some questions about weather or not normal mtb tires will work on the 50mm rims. I have had great luck running 2.5's, but "normal" tires to me are in the 2.1 ballpark. There's no reason that it shouldn't work, but just to put my mind at ease I figured I would go ahead and try it.

This is a 2.1 tire on a normal rim. 

















And this is it on the 50mm








Looks pretty sweet.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Bugout Bikes said:


> 4.5s fit? Sorry, jack. Gave ya some bad info. Looks like I need to order a set for myself as well.  ?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Yes, on the stock 50's the snowshoes fit fine. to be honest they run closer to a 4.0, but they are still a very decent tire. I think I had some pictures of mine wearing them earlier on in this thread.

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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

skeered1 said:


> Dirtdawg, great job on the no non-sense write-ups. You're really putting this bike thru the wringer. I don't own a fatbike yet but def like the snow/sand capabilities. Two questions if you can:
> 1. In performance, what's your foresight on pros vs cons of adding a Bluto fork besides the extra weight and squish?
> 2. What's your take on the bikes handling with a slightly steeper headangle compared to your girlfriends fatbike?
> 
> I'd appreciate your input.


Sorry for the late response, but with the short stem I find the handling preferable to that of the pug. Personally the bluto is not a priority because with this bike I'm looking for simplicity and low maintenance*, but they do improve the ride substantially when riding rough terrain at higher speeds.

*I have a couple full suspension bikes already and I don't really want another fork to service.


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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

The deadeye has regular hub spacing. 100/135 which was actually appealing to me so I could throw my spare 29ers on with hybrids if I want to tool around town with family. I would have to either get 80s laced to 100 qr hub or get a different fork and get a regular front 80 mm on 135hub.


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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

That's a 4mm Allen key


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## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

hankscorpio said:


> That's a 4mm Allen key


How wide is the tire in this pic?


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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

It's 4.0 floater


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

hankscorpio said:


> That's a 4mm Allen key


Yeah I don't think it would clear on an 80. The floater on the 50 should be a pretty good setup though, I ran it for a while and liked it.

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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

Oh definitely not. rear clearance is at its max. The front has room but those 100 mm hub are limited. One of the reasons I went dem over bem was just to keep the cost down. Right now I've upgraded to floaters and lite tubes and put on some bars, stems, and speed dial levers I had laying around and the bike is a blast. There is plenty of float on the 50mm rims with the floaters. If I really start riding it Alot I could see deore hydros going on. The only other upgrade would be getting a lighter fork and front wheel so it would be fatter lighter front. I don't see that happening or at least not in the near future as I'm happy with it and not looking to put money into it. I like popping into this thread though and checking out the bullseye escapades


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## bermboy (Dec 30, 2014)

Gettin a set of Surly Rolling Darryl 82mm rims today. Lacing them up this week. See if I can fit a 4.5 snowshoe or 4" nates after.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Did a sweet 19mi ride today. Bike held up great! I'm at 60mi on the bike total now and have to say this is a great bike for such a small investment.

Pics from today



















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## DC_Bunkster (Dec 20, 2007)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Please do! I thought about getting the pinks because when I was tire shopping they were 50% off, but I couldn't turn down the greens. I don't regret it, but I would love to see what it would have looked like!


Ta da.


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

I was going to try and keep this bike stock until stuff wore out, but I wasn't happy with the cockpit. I raided my other bikes and parts bin for a new pedals, stem, wider bar, and narrower saddle:










The shipping box kept the kids entertained while I did this swap:


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Ok everyone. It's upgrades time. I have $200 and looking to shed some weight. 

Current upgrades:

80mm rims 
vee8 tires
q-tubes
shimano hg31 cassette
Lighter platform pedals

I'd like to try to get this bike as light as possible. Any suggestions for upgrades?


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## MUSTCLIME (Jan 26, 2004)

carbon bars, stem.....carbon fork ......seat and seat post.....crank set/bb


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## LosPollos (Jan 23, 2014)

Bugout Bikes said:


> Ok everyone. It's upgrades time. I have $200 and looking to shed some weight.
> 
> Current upgrades:
> 
> ...


I'm a big supporter of the "just ride the bike and you'll lose more weight than you'll ever lose throwing money at it" approach. You'd be surprised how easy it is to drop 10 pounds at a cost of $0.00 compared to the fatty riding the fatty spending $2k on carbon wheels.

Invest the $200 in some Apple stock.

Note: I am by no means implying that you are a fatty


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Lospollos, I run 30 miles a week and bike at least 20. I am always striving to be at my optimal weight. Your suggestion is great and I absolutely agree. But, I'm also looking to shed weight from the bike and was hoping for suggestions 


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## Zeph (Jan 3, 2015)

LosPollos said:


> I'm a big supporter of the "just ride the bike and you'll lose more weight than you'll ever lose throwing money at it" approach. You'd be surprised how easy it is to drop 10 pounds at a cost of $0.00 compared to the fatty riding the fatty spending $2k on carbon wheels.
> 
> Invest the $200 in some Apple stock.
> 
> Note: I am by no means implying that you are a fatty


Bingo. Unless a guy is racing, I don't get the save 4 grams thing........These are pretty good bikes from the get go, A "performance" Fat bike is kind of an oxi-moron to me. LET'S RIDE CHICAS!!!!!!


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## LosPollos (Jan 23, 2014)

Bugout Bikes said:


> Lospollos, I run 30 miles a week and bike at least 20. I am always striving to be at my optimal weight. Your suggestion is great and I absolutely agree. But, I'm also looking to shed weight from the bike and was hoping for suggestions
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


In that case: Focus on the wheels to get the rotating mass down. That will be the best & most noticeble change while riding. Why not go tubeless? For about $60, the Vee8s are easy setup using the split tube method.

I own the Vee8s, they are not that light. Wait to buy a set of Kenda Juggernauts 120 tpi (whenever they come out) to save almost 300grams/wheel.

Lastly, if you are a fit guy, your plasma is probably worth some bucks. Go donate some plasma to get another $100 into your budget and get a carbon fork for $250-$300.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Zeph, Lol. I understand what you guys are saying. But, like I said, I am an athlete and there's not much more weight to be shed. So, for fun, I'm going to see how light I can make this bike. Right now I have $200 and I was really hoping g to hear what other would get to lighten weight with that budget 


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

LosPollos said:


> In that case: Focus on the wheels to get the rotating mass down. That will be the best & most noticeble change while riding. Why not go tubeless? For about $60, the Vee8s are easy setup using the split tube method.
> 
> I own the Vee8s, they are not that light. Wait to buy a set of Kenda Juggernauts 120 tpi (whenever they come out) to save almost 300grams/wheel.
> 
> Lastly, if you are a fit guy, your plasma is probably worth some bucks. Go donate some plasma to get another $100 into your budget and get a carbon fork for $250-$300.


Sweet. How much weight can a carbon fork save?

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## Zeph (Jan 3, 2015)

Bugout Bikes said:


> Zeph, Lol. I understand what you guys are saying. But, like I said, I am an athlete and there's not much more weight to be shed. So, for fun, I'm going to see how light I can make this bike. Right now I have $200 and I was really hoping g to hear what other would get to lighten weight with that budget
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I get it, I am a 50 year old lard ass, so for me I just need to ride. Tricked bikes are a cool thang.


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## LosPollos (Jan 23, 2014)

Bugout Bikes said:


> Sweet. How much weight can a carbon fork save?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I don't know the spec'ed weight of the Gravity Monster fork, but since it's steel it's probably around 1000-1200 grams compared to other steel forks that have published weights.

Compared to a carbon fork that is 600-700 grams, depending on which one you go with. For example, the Carver O'Beast carbon fork is 570 grams @ $300. That is probably half the weight of your current fork.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

For anyone wondering. With the BD 80mm wheelset with vee8s, the bike is right at 35lbs (I made my own rim strips so weight may be +/- .10-.20 or so). Also, this is with aftermarket pedals.










Decided to go light brown camo for now.










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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Bugout Bikes said:


> For anyone wondering. With the BD 80mm wheelset with vee8s, the bike is right at 35lbs (I made my own rim strips so weight may be +/- .10-.20 or so). Also, this is with aftermarket pedals.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


thanks for weighing it, its good to finally get some numbers. 
as others have pointed out, the most noticeable savings will be the rotating mass in the wheels. Q-tubes are an easy way to save a pound between the wheels. when i swapped my brakes i noticed that the novela calipers are pretty heavy. not gona save a ton of weight there, but i thought it was noteworthy. the drivetrain (specifically the cassette) is fairly hefty, and upgrading it might help lighten it a bit. the wheels are pretty heavy too, but $200 won't be enough to do anything about it. for me a bike at this pricepoint is what it is, and i personally havent taken any actions to try to lighten anything. these are just my observations after working on it.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

I can't help with Bugout's questions, but I do want to give some thoughts on my bike, as I keep putting more miles on it...

Yesterday, I rode in the rain on icy, rutted singletrack. While my wife and friend wiped out multiple times on their 29ers and ended up battered and bruised, the Monster rolled over everything, even at 10psi. I love this thing. It made me look better than I really am.

Today, I rode my 2005 Jamis Exile 26er for the first time since getting the Monster over a month ago. I did a little single track and a little doubletrack, but the rain and thawing left the trails in bad shape (and my wife is still in pain from yesterday), so we ended up on pavement for most of the time. The Jamis is lighter, faster, and handles quicker, but is somehow not as much fun. Two things really stood out: 1. I forgot what it's like to spin the rear wheel climbing. My Monster has never done that. Today, I did it several times, and 2. the X7-equipped Jamis shifts much better. I have the Monster on the bike stand in the living room and I'm going to work on the rear derailleur while I change the tires and tubes and grease the hubs this week.

I came across three guys getting ready to go riding, and one of them had a black Monster -- a smaller frame than mine. He was raving about his, too (which looked stock). Has anyone heard of anyone who bought one of these and didn't think it was a great bike, especially for the $$?


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## Zeph (Jan 3, 2015)

These bikes make a great "dog sled" when we're lacking snow but have mud-slush and ice.


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## bermboy (Dec 30, 2014)

Installed 82 mm surly rims. 4. 5 snowshoe on rear, removed 7 th gear and put a spacer behind cassette.
No chain rub in small front ring at all, or in first on rear after spacer install.


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## GnarDude (Jan 16, 2015)

*MLK riding*

Got out to Buffalo Creek yesterday, this thing is a beast.


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## Woodnmusic (Aug 4, 2014)

twentyniner29 said:


> I love riding my monster, but just wondering how this bike actually compares to say Fatboy, Pugsley, or any other middle to high end bike. Does anyone have experience with these other models? I'm starting to wonder if I need to upgrade already. Thanks in advance


I know that there are a few people in my community that have Gravity fat bikes, but most of us have Fat Boys, Beargreases, Mukluks, a Borealis, or in my case a Pugsley. I happened to be picking up a bike from the LBS while a Monster SS was being worked on and took a minute to ask how it rode. Sounded not that good.

Way heavier than a my geared Pug Ops. And the brakes were crap. Old Tektro brakes that were one step up from a model that were recalled. Handlebars were uber heavy as well. Autosteer seemed pretty plausible and the tires themselves did not look to have a 4 inch width.

Overall, I still find this bike intriguing as a project, kind of like how people buy a Dolomite to see how much they can improve on it. But eventually, I feel like I would get tired of spending money and/or hitting up BD about failing parts (like the rear cassette, bent derailleur, bent fork. And I fear something would eventually fail that would cost more than the entire bike to replace.

Just my 2 cents.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Wildbird99 said:


> Has anyone heard of anyone who bought one of these and didn't think it was a great bike, especially for the $$?


Nope.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

ok, so i'm having a problem that isn't really related to the bike, but i guess i will throw it up anyway just to maintain the completeness of my bike's ride log. 
I have probably 50 miles on my green floaters now, and after a pretty hard ride saturday, it seems that both tires are developing lumps. about 2/3 through the ride i noticed the front tire had a huge wobble. upon closer examination the tire was still seated pretty straight but i had knocked the rim out of alignment slightly, however nothing even close to how bad the irregularities in tire were. checked the rear and it was doing it too. by the end of the ride the rear tire was so bad that it was rubbing the stays on the non-drive side.

So after getting the tires off to take a closer look at them, it appears that my casings are junk.







.








I hope on one will make it right.


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## Woodnmusic (Aug 4, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> ok, so i'm having a problem that isn't really related to the bike, but i guess i will throw it up anyway just to maintain the completeness of my bike's ride log.
> I have probably 50 miles on my green floaters now, and after a pretty hard ride saturday, it seems that both tires are developing lumps. about 2/3 through the ride i noticed the front tire had a huge wobble. upon closer examination the tire was still seated pretty straight but i had knocked the rim out of alignment slightly, however nothing even close to how bad the irregularities in tire were. checked the rear and it was doing it too. by the end of the ride the rear tire was so bad that it was rubbing the stays on the non-drive side.
> 
> So after getting the tires off to take a closer look at them, it appears that my casings are junk.
> ...


Hey dirtdawg,

Not showing the same wear as in this thread, but if you're running your pressure low, like real low, the sidewalls will go quicker than the rest of your tire.

https://forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/one-floaters-sidewall-wear-891942.html


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

yeah thanks, but i havent ridden them far enough to wear anything. the tread is still covered in little molding hairs, and the fact that its happening to both suggests that this is clearly a manufacturing defect. they probably just had a problem with the casings in this batch. Fat tires are notorious for not running round, and if it wasnt rubbing the stays, i probably would have just kept running them. as it is they are unusable for me, even just the mile back to the car wore a dime sized patch of paint off the inside of my frame.


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## Woodnmusic (Aug 4, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> yeah thanks, but i havent ridden them far enough to wear anything. the tread is still covered in little molding hairs, and the fact that its happening to both suggests that this is clearly a manufacturing defect. they probably just had a problem with the casings in this batch. Fat tires are notorious for not running round, and if it wasnt rubbing the stays, i probably would have just kept running them. as it is they are unusable for me, even just the mile back to the car wore a dime sized patch of paint off the inside of my frame.


If it were just one, I would say bad luck, but because it's 2, maybe check your pressure as well. The treads wouldn't necessarily show as much wear as your sidewall. Also a good reference here:

Bulge in Tire


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Woodnmusic said:


> If it were just one, I would say bad luck, but because it's 2, maybe check your pressure as well. The treads wouldn't necessarily show as much wear as your sidewall. Also a good reference here:
> 
> Bulge in Tire


pressure has been 10lbs rear, 8 front. nothing out of the ordinary there.
thanks for the responses.


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## Woodnmusic (Aug 4, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> pressure has been 10lbs rear, 8 front. nothing out of the ordinary there.
> thanks for the responses.


It's probably the casing wearing out. What kind of terrain are you riding with those pressures?

I usually do about 10psi in snow, 12 on singletrack, and 15 on road (not often).

I'd have your LBS take a look to confirm the tires are dead and then replace. Any idea what you will put on next?


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Woodnmusic said:


> It's probably the casing wearing out. What kind of terrain are you riding with those pressures?
> 
> I usually do about 10psi in snow, 12 on singletrack, and 15 on road (not often).
> 
> I'd have your LBS take a look to confirm the tires are dead and then replace. Any idea what you will put on next?


Ive been riding them purely in snow (because i want them to stay green). i have been saving the aggressive green tires until now when we finally get some accumulation. 
i think it's highly unlikely that both tires would simultaneously "wear out" in only 5 rides. as previously stated, the tread still has molding hairs, these tires are not even broken in yet. 
i've contacted On-One about a warranty, because i think it's pretty obviously a manufacturing defect.
To answer your last question, if they don't follow through with it, i will be replacing with nates (like i originally wanted). these tires are great in snow, but if On-One is going to bone me out of a set of tires i'm not gona give them any more of my money.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Here is a little review I did on the monster for my youtube channel. Love to hear what you think


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## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

Bugout Bikes said:


> Here is a little review I did on the monster for my youtube channel. Love to hear what you think


Very nice. It almost makes me want to buy one.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

I've looked through all of the posts and maybe I missed it, but what is the stock weight on these? 

I'd likely replace the tubes, handlebars, and stem with lighter parts, but other than that I'd like to keep it stock. Hoping to hear around 35lbs but that may be wishful thinking at $500.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

prj71 said:


> Very nice. It almost makes me want to buy one.


Video is now featured on the BD website!


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

I saw that today, must have been recently added!


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Heck ya!









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## dmars3571 (May 17, 2008)

Well done, Bugout. Well done!


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## aireguitar (Dec 25, 2007)

well shot and edited, but your video is more of a sales pitch and less of a review. seems you read the spec sheet with some nice footage of the bike in action. 
first review I have ever seen of a bike where the all steel rigid fork is attributed to the "super lightweightness" of the bike. 35 pounds is light? guess I better stop drinking the WW Kool aid.
Im not a BD hater, and am planning on buying one of their sub $800 models ( trying to figure which one, thats why Im on this thread), but there had to be something to criticize on a 500 dollar bike , right? I wish you had elaborated on why 50mm rims are more versatile than 80mm rims, That info would be helpful.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Aireguitar, hi. I thought I did elaborate on the rims ? I said they are better for all around/all terrain / all season use because they have less real estate on the ground, less rolling resistance, yet, you can still adjust pressure to get more traction. 

Also, I said 35lbs is light for the price  and in comparison to other bikes in its comparable price range. 

Please consider, this video wasn't just for knowledgable bike people like the people on his forum. It was designed for the average joe and tell them they have a good budget option for a fatbike. 


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## aireguitar (Dec 25, 2007)

thanks bugout, how does your bike work in the dirt? Im in SoCal, never snows, I will never ride any bike on a beach, im concerned about the under steer tendency of 4.0 tires on pavement/hard trails. Im leaning toward the BD 27.5 x 3.25 bike, I dont think I need the float some need for snow. also what size is your frame. Im between a 18 and 20 and seeing yours on tape gives me a good sense of size compared to a stock photo


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Finally got some q-tubes in. The monster with the BD 80mm wheelset and q-tubes is 34.4lbs for anyone who is curious










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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Thanks for the weight bugout!


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Dietz,Yessir! 

Has anyone had self steer issues with the mission Vee8s on 80mm+ rims? Took it for a ride tonight and the self steering was way worse than with the 50mm rims and Vee missions 


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## akacoke (May 11, 2011)

what does this selfsteer mean? you hang on to the bars and the bike turns by itself?


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Bugout Bikes said:


> Aireguitar, hi. I thought I did elaborate on the rims ? I said they are better for all around/all terrain / all season use because they have less real estate on the ground, less rolling resistance, yet, you can still adjust pressure to get more traction.
> 
> Also, I said 35lbs is light for the price  and in comparison to other bikes in its comparable price range.
> 
> ...


Good video, congrats on getting featured on the page. Did you send it to them with the intention of them using it?
Thanks for being such a big player in this thread too, I apreciate your contributions.

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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Thanks dirtdawg! And thanks for this thread! 👍 
I just created the video for my YouTube channel. I didn't know they would like it enough to use it on the page so that's pretty darn cool!

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## distracted (Jan 16, 2015)

Bugout Bikes said:


> Has anyone had self steer issues with the mission Vee8s on 80mm+ rims?


Yes, until I found an accurate pressure gauge and realized they were at 4.5 PSI. Much better at 10 PSI.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

distracted said:


> Yes, until I found an accurate pressure gauge and realized they were at 4.5 PSI. Much better at 10 PSI.


I'll take a look again at the psi and make some adjustments. The self steer was so bad, I almost did have fun riding and wanted to throw the old wheels back on lol.

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## LosPollos (Jan 23, 2014)

Bugout Bikes said:


> Dietz,Yessir!
> 
> Has anyone had self steer issues with the mission Vee8s on 80mm+ rims? Took it for a ride tonight and the self steering was way worse than with the 50mm rims and Vee missions
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Ohh yeah. 80mm rims, Vee8s = really bad self steer below 7 psi.

I run 18-20 psi on pavement and 9-10 psi on dirt with no issues. The Vee8 lateral traction sucks in the snow so I don't even bother using them for that. On One floaters go on for snow duty.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Ya, it was probably user error (me LOL). My current pump is small and ghetto. Any recommendations on a good cheap pump that I can also use to over inflate the wheel is I have seating problems?


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

*bb7 and speed dial levers*

Swapped in my bb7's and speed dial levers from my old hard tail. Bumped the front up to 180mm. It's really incredible how much better the braking feels now. These levers are bigger and feel stronger. The brakes are smoother and have way more control. I cant believe I let myself get used to and OK with the old Tektro's!


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Wow. Looks cool. What stem is that?


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Truative Hussefelt bars and stem. Really made for downhill but I like how wide they are. I wont use a 2 bolt stem like the one that came on it. They are always flexing and creaking. Make me nervous. 

Swapping bars and stem is something that I have always done on every bike I own. It's amazing what you let yourself get used to from stock when it really doesnt fit. swap the seat, bars, and stem, and you can make almost any bike feel like it was made for you.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Has anyone gone 1x? Im seriously considering a NW chainring up front. I think that would pretty much open up space in the rear for most and wheel/tire combo you could throw at it.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Jack, sounds like good advice ! 


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

JackNicholls62 said:


> Has anyone gone 1x? Im seriously considering a NW chainring up front. I think that would pretty much open up space in the rear for most and wheel/tire combo you could throw at it.


+1!

I hope so because I am also considering this!

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## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

Wouldn't the limit be the width between the chainstays?

With 170 mm hub on the GMP I dont think you can go much wider than 4-1/4" tire. 

Seems the bikes with 190mm hub support 4-1/2" to 5" wide tires. 

Maybe I'm totally wrong.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

not totally wrong, the stays would be the limiting factor in the 1x setup. It looks like it could probably go 80mmx4.5 tire. My concern though is with the cheaper wheels I would buy just a little bit outta true might cause some rub on the stays.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

what are the hubs on these bikes? Just some no name loose bearing cup/cone type deal? I assume the hubs are the same on the these and the Boris x5's?

Also, in the event that the crankset bearings go eventually, are the frames English threaded bottom brackets? So I could easily swap an x5 fat crankset if need be? Something like this for example?
SRAM x5 GXP100 175 36 22 10 Speed Fatbike Crankset English Cranks Fat Bike GXP | eBay

Thanks -


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

hubs are cheap cup cone with loose bearings. Personally I have no problem with that I always prefer a serviceable part to a throw away part. Bearings are cheap and so is grease. dont know for sure but would be willing to bet that they are the same hubs as on the boris x5. 

The bottom bracket is a cheap square taper. it is a standard 100mm bottom bracket so your Sram x5 fatbike crankset you linked should fit just fine. another thing to consider is that you can use pretty much any ISIS crankset if you but a 100mm ISIS bottom bracket. this can be done for less than that x5 (if going cheap is what you are looking for)


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Awesome, thanks for the reply. That's exactly what I was hoping to hear. I have no problem with cup/cone hubs either, I've used many shimano that are just fine and easy to service. 

The more I look into it, I think this is the bike for me. You can spend a couple hundred extra bucks, but at the end of the day you're still getting the same or similar frame, wheelset, and tires. Everything else is cheap and easy to replace and I have a bunch in the parts bin already that I can use to upgrade the cockpit. And I'll likely run 3.8 or 4.0 tires so no need for the 80mm rims. Thanks again.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

the way i see it now... Ive got 55 bucks into stem bars and grips (thank you amazon). parts bin welgo flats, bb7 brakes and levers. 

555 in total and I have a decent bike. Really it's a toy for me in the winter. I know its not as good as one of the major brand bikes but it gets me out there. 

As things break, replace em. jenson has sick deals... 

My plan after i blow up the current drive train is to go 1x10. combo of SLX and vee components (rear, cassette, chain and shifter) runs about 125.
plus 30 for the raceface NW ring from amazon
personally I dont mind the square taper bottom bracket and I like the crank arms. So if it ever wears out its 40 bucks. 

After all that 710 in and it is almost as good as the 1500 dollar bikes out there. Exception is the wheelset but again if you know how to service cup cone bearing systems then who cares!

Man I wish stuff would brake so that I could justify spending money.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

just weighed it at 35.9 as it sits. I geuss those q tubes must be worth it


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

That's my take on it. I'm not going to argue that I'm getting a $1200 bike for $500. I enjoy tinkering/wrenching on bikes. I've done my research and understand what I'm buying and what the compromises are. I'm planning on buy some lighter tubes and will watch for some BB7 deals. Then upgrade as things brake.

Also, I'm not going to lie. That green color is awesome and you can't get that till you hit Boris x9 level!


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

I'm with you the green is what made my decisions between this and the Boris x5


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Anyone know of any good but budget carbon handle bars and stem for the monster?

Also looking for a good lightweight and comfortable seat suggestion. 


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Carbon bars and stem can be had cheap for sure, particularly if you don't mind waiting for it to ship from China. It's the length that kills you. There are lots of ~680mm but once you get into the 720mm+ there aren't many options under $100.

$24 w/free shipping for 680mm riser or flat bar (ships from USA, your guess is as good as mine regarding weight):
Cycling MTB Mountain Bike Full Carbon Fiber Flat Riser Bar Handlebar 31 8mm | eBay

Here is a name brand one that actually gives you a weight, for around $45:
ORBEA Riser OC III Carbon Fiber 31 8 Handlebar 670mm MTB Mountain Bike New | eBay

Here's a stem, lot of stems are "alloy wrapped with carbon" in the budget range, search around to find what size you need:
Exotic Carbon Reinforced Stem Oversize 31 8mm Ext 80mm 1 1 8" Steerer Black | eBay

I've always been a fan of WTB rocket v or pure v saddles. This is the exact model that I use:
New WTB Rocket V Race CR MO Rail Saddle Seat White | eBay

Good luck! I think the problem with "budget carbon" is that it's often the same or more weight than its quality aluminum counterpart. Just an observations as I've never used any carbon before. The made in china no name stuff scares me away and I can't afford Easton stuff.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

dietz31684 said:


> Carbon bars and stem can be had cheap for sure, particularly if you don't mind waiting for it to ship from China. It's the length that kills you. There are lots of ~680mm but once you get into the 720mm+ there aren't many options under $100.
> 
> $24 w/free shipping for 680mm riser or flat bar (ships from USA, your guess is as good as mine regarding weight):
> Cycling MTB Mountain Bike Full Carbon Fiber Flat Riser Bar Handlebar 31 8mm | eBay
> ...


Wow! Thanks man!!

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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

Bugout Bikes said:


> Anyone know of any good but budget carbon handle bars and stem for the monster?
> 
> Also looking for a good lightweight and comfortable seat suggestion.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


blueskycycling.com has Easton EC70 for 45-60 bucks. 
Name brand, light and strong.

When I see these deals (2012-13) models, I snag 3-4 of them.
It's like Nashbar, they sell XT Shadow 9-speed for as low as 50 bucks.
Dealer cost is about 77. I get at least 5 when the run that deal.

JM


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Awe ya! Got a carbon handlebar (China) and origin8 stem headed my way! $50 extra into the bike now leaving $150 left for upgrades. 

Next, I would like to upgrade saddle/post and brakes. Suggestions??


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Saddle is all about fit. I put the retrospec urban/fixie saddle on all oft bikes. Light, durable, and perfect fit for me. Rock hard though. If you ride it you want padded shorts. It goes on Amazon prime for 12 bucks. I usually keep a few of em around. The post is 27.2, this limits options. My favorite cheap post is the raceface ride. Cut it down to save weight. Can be found for under 30.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

JackNicholls62 said:


> Saddle is all about fit. I put the retrospec urban/fixie saddle on all oft bikes. Light, durable, and perfect fit for me. Rock hard though. If you ride it you want padded shorts. It goes on Amazon prime for 12 bucks. I usually keep a few of em around. The post is 27.2, this limits options. My favorite cheap post is the raceface ride. Cut it down to save weight. Can be found for under 30.


Thanks jack!

Anyone have any suggestions on the best brakes for the price? For fun, I've decided to build the monster in to a bullseye gravity "BEAST" lol

Also, for those of you wondering, the stock handlebar and stem are 515 grams (so, going light weight and/or carbon will probably save you about 180-200ish grams)










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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Bugout Bikes said:


> Thanks jack!
> 
> Anyone have any suggestions on the best brakes for the price? For fun, I've decided to build the monster in to a bullseye gravity "BEAST" lol
> 
> Also, for those of you wondering, the stock handlebar and stem are 515 grams (so, going light weight and/or carbon will probably save you about 180-200ish grams)


Thanks, that's great news. Shouldn't be too hard to drop a half pound from the front end. I'll save 190 grams with parts-bin bar/stem plus whatever from the Q-tubes.

I'm going to order the bike today. I'm contemplating just ordering some Floater tires too and selling the missions as new take offs. I'd like to at least try the missions but I haven't heard a single good thing about them. Thoughts?

Also, what size are you guys riding? Obliviously it's preference to a point, but I'm 5'11" and wear 30" jeans. Actual inseam ~31.5 till the boys are in trouble. I'm 99.99% sure on the 18" but wanted feedback. My FS bike is a 19" prophet.

Prophet: 29" standover and 625mm ETT w/ 60mm stem
Monster: 29.8" standover and 599mm ETT w/ 80mm stem (my plan)


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

*29+*

With a Gravity Vidar 29+ tire mounted on a regular 700c rim, just a mock up check for clearance:


















You're not supposed to mount a big tire on a ~25mm (outer width) rim, but I leaned it over pretty far on the street, and didn't find anything objectionable.

Compared to the full fat setup I'd just been riding, even putting a skinnier tire just on the front made the bike feel a lot more lively.

With a Surly Knard on a Blunt 35 rim. I have the tire mounted on a 100mm hub (it came off my single speed), so I used a long metal rod through the axle to roughly locate the wheel in the correct spot:


















The tightest clearance is to the front derailer cable:









Since I will likely convert this bike to 1x at some point, this is no concern for me.

I see a Minnesota Fattie Slims wheelset in my future...


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

seat_boy said:


> With a Gravity Vidar 29+ tire mounted on a regular 700c rim, just a mock up check for clearance:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Wait.... Are you 100% sure fattier slims will fit? If so, in buying them now! Let me know!

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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

The 9 speed cassette won't work the stock 8 speed stuff on the BEM, but otherwise the wheels will line right up.



Bugout Bikes said:


> Wait.... Are you 100% sure fattier slims will fit? If so, in buying them now! Let me know!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

So, I'll just need a different cassette? 

I have a shimano 11-34 8 speed on order. Would that work?


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## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

dietz31684 said:


> Carbon bars and stem can be had cheap for sure, particularly if you don't mind waiting for it to ship from China. It's the length that kills you. There are lots of ~680mm but once you get into the 720mm+ there aren't many options under $100.
> 
> $24 w/free shipping for 680mm riser or flat bar (ships from USA, your guess is as good as mine regarding weight):
> Cycling MTB Mountain Bike Full Carbon Fiber Flat Riser Bar Handlebar 31 8mm | eBay
> ...


I notice these parts on Amazon also for about the same price or less.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Does anyone know if the stock x4 RD will go 9 speed if the limit screws are adjusted? I have a spare xt 9 speed cassette and could source a x7 rear shifter for $20. Besides the gear range, I'm sure that stock cassette isn't light.


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

That would work fine.



Bugout Bikes said:


> So, I'll just need a different cassette?
> 
> I have a shimano 11-34 8 speed on order. Would that work?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Sweet. I'm totally going to order some 


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

I just ordered a pair myself :thumbsup:



Bugout Bikes said:


> Sweet. I'm totally going to order some
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

What was the total cost on yours? I just ordered and it ended up being $120. Little shitty since it said shipping was free, then charged me $19.99 for it. And the 8% active junky thing didn't work. Wtf lol


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

Same thing, $120. There was a "*" next to the free shipping, which excluded wheels (and probably bikes and frames as well)



Bugout Bikes said:


> What was the total cost on yours? I just ordered and it ended up being $120. Little shitty since it said shipping was free, then charged me $19.99 for it. And the 8% active junky thing didn't work. Wtf lol
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Gotcha. 


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

Has anyone taken off the freehub on a Monster? I can't figure out how to get mine off. It grinds a little and does not spin nearly as well as it should. BD sent me a replacement when I asked about it, lickety-split. The new one spins nice and I have the tools to install it, but I can't figure how to get the old one off.

It feels kind of embarrassing. I'm no bike mechanic, but I've wrenched bikes at home since I was a kid, and I spent 8 years as a military aircraft mechanic and never lost a bird.

Also, I mounted my Floaters tonight (and put the Missions on my wife's Dolomite, along with a Shimano Megarange 14-34 freewheel). We're supposed to get 1-3 inches of snow overnight. I'm getting up early to hit it before work. It had better not end up being rain...


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Wildbird99 said:


> Has anyone taken off the freehub on a Monster? I can't figure out how to get mine off. It grinds a little and does not spin nearly as well as it should. BD sent me a replacement when I asked about it, lickety-split. The new one spins nice and I have the tools to install it, but I can't figure how to get the old one off.
> 
> It feels kind of embarrassing. I'm no bike mechanic, but I've wrenched bikes at home since I was a kid, and I spent 8 years as a military aircraft mechanic and never lost a bird.
> 
> Also, I mounted my Floaters tonight (and put the Missions on my wife's Dolomite, along with a Shimano Megarange 14-34 freewheel). We're supposed to get 1-3 inches of snow overnight. I'm getting up early to hit it before work. It had better not end up being rain...


Is it a shimano style freehub that threds into the hub shell? Or some kind of pawl system? I've never had this hub open, so A picture of what they sent would help.


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## aireguitar (Dec 25, 2007)

freehub is probably 10mm hex wrench for removal , look at park tool website for directions


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

I just ordered mine this morning. Will post up some pics when i get it put together.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

It's a naked bullseye monster! Any suggestions on colors? The bikes new name is going to be "bug-out 1"



















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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Nice! How labor intensive of a process was that?


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Dietz, I've got 3 hours into it. But, I'm very picky lol.

Primer is on!










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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Update. Painting went ok. It will look good but, it's not as smooth as I would have liked. Oh well. First time lo

This phone pic doesn't show the color too well. Sorry. I'll take some better ones tomorrow.

The color is oregano. And text says "BUG-OUT"










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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Learned a ton during this paint session. Overall, I am happy with the turnout. But, I did ding up the paint several times and completely messed up the lettering which then had to be hand drawn instead (oops). Also, if you do paint yours, remember, just because the paint feels dry, doesn't mean it is 100% dry. Lol










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## akacoke (May 11, 2011)

spray paint would never be hard, its always very easy to chip doesnt matter what paint you use. in bay area we get frames sand blasted and powder coated for about $80-120. well worth it


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Akacoke,

I used automotive overcoat/acrylic. So, this paint is as strong as the paint on your car. Oh, and it's important to mention I lost .22lbs after the repaint!!

















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## jabrobbins (Dec 21, 2006)

*Another Green Monster*

I have been on mine for three great rides so far. Mods include 80mm BD wheels with Vee8's, different seat and post, 9-speed XT cassette (all from parts bin). Swaping out parts it is still 35 pounds. I don't mind the bar and stem after adding some used Ergon grips. I bought this specifically to explore beautiful Northern California beaches. I have been experimenting with tires. I tried Vee8s and Floaters. I like the handling of the Floater on the front. It improved my handling a lot. However, with 80 mm rims the clearance in back is minimal. Today I road with a front Floater and rear Vee8, and eventhough wierd looking, it performed well.









Rear floater clearance minimal (1/8" left chainstay), had rubbing once sticky sand built up on edge of tire.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Breaking trail. 








Even with the stock wheels it's a lot of fun. I know it's not a popular opinion, but the missions on 50mm rims are plenty capable when aired down. 
However I still miss my floaters, and really hope that on one gets back to me tomorrow.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Dirtdawg, I think you should go orange on the floaters. Could be cool !


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

I need some technical help. I stuck a hyper glide cassette onto my 80mm BD wheelset (on my gravity monster). And it's working ok except, it's skipping the fourth gear. I've tried adjusting the screws and check the derailer hanger. Anyone happen to know why their might be happening? I put the original cassette back on and it works just fine. 


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Bugout Bikes said:


> I need some technical help. I stuck a hyper glide cassette onto my 80mm BD wheelset (on my gravity monster). And it's working ok except, it's skipping the fourth gear. I've tried adjusting the screws and check the derailer hanger. Anyone happen to know why their might be happening? I put the original cassette back on and it works just fine.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Not sure about that cassette specifically... I would try adjusting the dérailleur starting on the 4th. Get the tension right for that gear and then tweak it to the rest. Limit screws should have Zero impact on that gear. It's all tension.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

On Saturday we got a really good snow storm, and it packed beautifully.








Unfortunately it's all getting buried, I went out and road in the blizzard last night.
















Around 2am it got too deep to ride.

^^as you can see, the snowshoes fit with more space than the floaters.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Still on you mission tires? Looks like a fun ride!


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

dietz31684 said:


> Still on you mission tires? Looks like a fun ride!


For the storm I broke out the big guns and ran snowshoes on 80mm rims.

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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Nice!


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> For the storm I broke out the big guns and ran snowshoes on 80mm rims.
> 
> Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk 2


This may have been discussed else where but I missed it if it was. So the snowshoes on the 80mm rims fit with no clearance issues in the back?


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

dietz31684 said:


> This may have been discussed else where but I missed it if it was. So the snowshoes on the 80mm rims fit with no clearance issues in the back?


On the 80's it rubs in the inner most gears, but I don't use them so its not a problem for me.









Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk 2


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Awesome, thanks man. You've been a huge help in this thread!


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Mail call!!

New Origin8 pro fit stem (135g) and BB7 brakes with HS1 rotors










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

dietz31684 said:


> Awesome, thanks man. You've been a huge help in this thread!


Not a problem! I'm glad that my thread has been useful to so many people.

Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk 2


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## Triggsie (Jan 12, 2012)

dietz31684 said:


> Does anyone know if the stock x4 RD will go 9 speed if the limit screws are adjusted? I have a spare xt 9 speed cassette and could source a x7 rear shifter for $20. Besides the gear range, I'm sure that stock cassette isn't light.


I'm thinking about picking one of these up and throwing on an X7 shifter I have and a new cassette in the rear. This thing has a cassette, right? Not a freewheel? The X4 rear derailleur uses 1:1 actuation so any like SRAM shifter would work.


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

Yeah, it's a cassette.



Triggsie said:


> I'm thinking about picking one of these up and throwing on an X7 shifter I have and a new cassette in the rear. This thing has a cassette, right? Not a freewheel? The X4 rear derailleur uses 1:1 actuation so any like SRAM shifter would work.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Update.

New carbon fiber bar, stem, carbon fiber seat post, saddle and BB7 brakes installed.

New weight 33.69lbs (with only 1 q-tube. Other had a hole)



































Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

Finally had some real snow. Rode in the storm the first night...









On semi-plowed roads the second night...








And went to a state park today. The Floaters have been great in the snow.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Here's the new weight with both q-tubes. 33.38lbs










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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Time has come...


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)




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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

Is that a different color? It looks much less neon green than the earlier green ones.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

I dont think so. Probably the fluorescent light drowing out the brightness.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

After a 4 mile ride my first impressions are very good. If anything I was expecting a little less out of the components I suppose. The components are very acceptable as is. The brakes are not good but I knew this would be the case and already have some shimano hydraulics on order. Got some deore's for $87 and I'm going to sell the tektro's as a full package with rotors on ebay. I should be able to recoup about half of the cost, so ~$40 to upgrade seemed like a no brainer. I think the stock brakes are fine for just cruising around but I plan on using this on single track to go fast too so I need some more power. The tires are not terrible, they're the mission command 72tpi version. Again, I knew these weren't the best tires when I ordered but they'll until I can get new ones. I'm going to order the black floaters when they're in stock. The stock junk pedals actually gripped my boots very well. Unfortunately, about 2 miles into the ride the bike started making a knocking when my right crank was at the top of a revolution. I swapped pedals when I got home and it's gone. So the pedals didn't even last one ride. Again, no big deal but I'm actually kind of bummed since they worked and I don't have any other flats. I'll probably just get some DMR V8's for $30 and call it a day. I didn't realize it was 25.4mm handlebar/stem diameter until I took everything off the bar and tried to put a 31.8 one on...doh! I felt bad cutting brand new grips off but those suckers were on there. Reminded me why I use lock-ons exclusively. My biggest surprise is how nice the drivetrain feels. The X4 shifters/derailleurs are pleasant to use. I have X7/X9 on my other bike and while the shifts are a bit more crisp with that setup the x4 isn't sloppy by any means. Weight posted above is with new seat and post which saved about 1/2lb. So figure about 35 stock for an 18". Quite acceptable for a $500 fat bike IMO. After tires, light q-tubes, stem, and brakes I'm riding it till something breaks. At that point I'll have about $700 into it.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

The paint around the top of the headtube is a little bit chipped on mine. It's about 1/2 of the circumference of the headtube. Not a big deal but something I noticed. The rest of the finish is great.


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

Must be " what-ever color is in the gun that day"?
Much darker.

Mine has an MFG. date of Nov. '14 ( even thou it was delivered a month earlier)?

Went back to the stock seat since my wife and son will be riding this.

JM


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Thats a sweet color you got.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

I think yours is 27 or 29 plus color. I did notice that they added red! Red would be sweet!


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

JackNicholls62 said:


> I think yours is 27 or 29 plus color. I did notice that they added red! Red would be sweet!


Yes, it was a 27.5+.

Man, I WISH it was red! Still not hating that shade of green.

JM


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Still too much fresh unpacked snow to ride trails out here. 









We went and did shuttle runs on a sled Hill instead. 








Stupidly fun.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Did you hit the sweet jumps at photo right?


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

dietz31684 said:


> Did you hit the sweet jumps at photo right?


you bet! got bucked pretty hard. makes me want to go to a ski slope and hit the terrain parks.


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

Different frame--note the tapered head tube.



JohnnyMagic said:


> Must be " what-ever color is in the gun that day"?
> Much darker.
> 
> Mine has an MFG. date of Nov. '14 ( even thou it was delivered a month earlier)?
> ...


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

seat_boy said:


> Different frame--note the tapered head tube.


Good eye!
It's not tapered, just bulges, top and bottom.
The headset is loose (again). Don't think I have any in stock that will fit but will check.

I might make a fork for it, (dual-crown, carbon, ridged).

Will be making fender plugs/molds soon.
JM


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Alright ladies and gentlemen, I'm getting impatient waiting for the Floaters to come back in stock at Planet X. I'm guessing 4" is about as wide as I can get away with on the 50mm rims, is that assumption correct? I was thinking about a bulldozer up front but I'm worried about the tire rolling in corners. If I had it my way I'd drop $240 on 120tpi nates but that's not going to happen. I can get the 27tpi Nates with a coupon for $59 each with free shipping, but worried about the weight. 

The missions aren't fun to ride in the snow. I still think my best option is waiting for the floaters but I dont want the whole winter to come and go by then. I've emailed Planet X and they were to be in stock in "2 weeks", that was over 2 weeks ago. So I emailed a few days ago and they didn't have a date.


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## LosPollos (Jan 23, 2014)

dietz31684 said:


> Alright ladies and gentlemen, I'm getting impatient waiting for the Floaters to come back in stock at Planet X. I'm guessing 4" is about as wide as I can get away with on the 50mm rims, is that assumption correct? I was thinking about a bulldozer up front but I'm worried about the tire rolling in corners. If I had it my way I'd drop $240 on 120tpi nates but that's not going to happen. I can get the 27tpi Nates with a coupon for $59 each with free shipping, but worried about the weight.
> 
> The missions aren't fun to ride in the snow. I still think my best option is waiting for the floaters but I dont want the whole winter to come and go by then. I've emailed Planet X and they were to be in stock in "2 weeks", that was over 2 weeks ago. So I emailed a few days ago and they didn't have a date.


Just order the Floaters from the UK website. I ordered mine on Monday and got them on that Friday to Chicago, IL.

On-One Floater Fat Tyre | On - One


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

I tried but shipping is nuts. You paid $70 to have em shipped?


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## LosPollos (Jan 23, 2014)

dietz31684 said:


> I tried but shipping is nuts. You paid $70 to have em shipped?


Yikes! No, my shipping was only $34. In total, it was only $134 for two floaters shipped.

Looks like they have raised the shipping price since I got them, which was only a month ago.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Went for a 20 mile ride on snowmobile trails today. It's the only place that's packed enough right now.

In other news on one got back to me and said they would send a new set of tires Monday. I'm glad they made it right, I was really digging the floaters. They would have been hugely helpful on my ride today.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Couldn't help it! 1x10 here we go! Can't wait for it to get here.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Calling for lots of snow tonight. Early morning ride in the powder is in order


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Real nice on the 1x man!


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## Ricky Garner (Feb 1, 2015)

So I've purchased a Gravity Bullseye Monster, rode it for a few minutes stock then stripped it down. 

Currently:
Shimano XT Hydraulic Brakes
Shimano XT rotors 160 rear 180 front
Raceface Turbine Fatbike crank
Absolute Black 34t Oval chain ring
shimano xt shadow plus derailleur with radcage
shimano xt cassette 11-36 w/ Oneup 42t cog
easton carbon bars
Bontrager stem

I still want to put the wider wheels on, and after reading through here I still don't have a solid answer if the 100mm hoops I have will fit with a 4" tire. The fork looks to have plenty of room but the frame is questionable. 

could someone confirm or deny this positively for me?


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

See post 674, doubt 100mm would work out back.

Slso, pics please!


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## Ricky Garner (Feb 1, 2015)

dietz31684 said:


> See post 674, doubt 100mm would work out back.
> 
> Slso, pics please!


First, thanks for the quick answer even though it makes me a little sad. I actually use my climbing gears, so even 80mm is out for me it seems. I really wanted to use these hoops.

(Dirty)Pics as requested(I got caught on a sandy trail as it started raining today):


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## LosPollos (Jan 23, 2014)

JackNicholls62 said:


> Calling for lots of snow tonight. Early morning ride in the powder is in order


Had about 7" (and counting) of wet snow this morning to ride through. 80 mm rims, Floaters @ 5 psi and it made it through no problems* if I was going completely straight and had momentum*. As soon as I took even a slight turn or stopped, it was a hot mess. It was really tricky to get going again from a dead stop in snow this deep & loose with the Floaters. I went down to practically 3 psi but 5 psi seemed to be the sweet spot. I can see why a different front & rear tire are much better for snow. The Floater on the front worked well but not-so-well on the rear. My wife's "Big Adventure" rear tire did better. I may put the Vee8 back on the rear until the snow gets compacted.

Super fun though.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

The mission tires did much better in hard pack (as expected) but still terrible in corners (also as expected). Man, i need new tires! Great ride regardless.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Ricky Garner said:


> First, thanks for the quick answer even though it makes me a little sad. I actually use my climbing gears, so even 80mm is out for me it seems. I really wanted to use these hoops.
> 
> (Dirty)Pics as requested(I got caught on a sandy trail as it started raining today):


I may be mistaken, but i think he was getting rub w/ 80mm rims and 4.7 snowshoes. I think you're fine w/80mm and 4.0 tires. Not positive tho since I havent tried it.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

I'm still on the missions and really can't hate on em. They're not the best obviously but in a storm like we got in Chicago last night everyone Is slipping around


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

My main beef was the front end washout even in hard pack. Need some knobs not 2mm ramped Vs. I agree though, they are quite usable. I was planning on selling mine afyer i get new ones but I just watched a folding pair go for $39 plus ship on ebay. For that price ill definitely keep mine for the summer.


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

I went out and did some local riding this morning, connecting up a few singletrack trails in the parks with some paved multi use paths in between:










This is my first extended experience on a fatbike, and I gotta say, this thing is slow. Especially on the lightly snow covered paved trails, it was just a painful grind to get from point A to point B. Once in the woods, it was OK, but I'm still working to make it more fun... mostly by something like this:










After I slogged my way home, I swapped out the fat wheels for some 29 Plus tires mounted on my new Fattie Slims wheels. I turned around and re-rode some of what I just did. What a transformation! It felt like riding a normal bike, not something pulling a sledge. I need to try the fat wheels in some deeper snow, but in the 1~4" of snow I rode today, the 29er was better just about everywhere.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Swithced the direction of my rear mission. Tire weighed 3lb8oz. Tube was 1lb. Total rear wheel weight with skewer, cassette, wheel, tube, tire was 9lbs! So yeah...


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## iRideDrunk (Feb 1, 2015)

Well I hated these mission tires so I drilled holes in them and put some stove bolts thru the back side and nutted them on the front side. May have added a bunch of weight but I don't slip or spin anymore I can come to a dead stop on icy concrete too.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Pretty good up to about 6 inches. Dropped the tired to about 4 psi and felt stable. Honestly after this ride I'm not spending money on tires


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Looks fun! Maybe thats my ticket, ill try lower pressure next ride. Running 10/8 all rides so far.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Yep go as low as you can. I think if I went lower the bead woulda slipped... Just find the sweet spot


edit* riding on such low tires takes some getting used to. Almost like flat tires. They sit flat and get tons of traction though


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

iRideDrunk said:


> Well I hated these mission tires so I drilled holes in them and put some stove bolts thru the back side and nutted them on the front side. May have added a bunch of weight but I don't slip or spin anymore I can come to a dead stop on icy concrete too.


Those studs look look pretty cool. What did you do on the inside to protect the tube? Duct tape? Would be interesting to try but I want to be able to ride on dey stuff too


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Ricky Garner said:


> First, thanks for the quick answer even though it makes me a little sad. I actually use my climbing gears, so even 80mm is out for me it seems. I really wanted to use these hoops.
> 
> (Dirty)Pics as requested(I got caught on a sandy trail as it started raining today):


You're running a 1x setup, so your chainring is further out than my 22t (climbing gear). You should be able to run 80's no problem.


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## iRideDrunk (Feb 1, 2015)

JackNicholls62 said:


> Those studs look look pretty cool. What did you do on the inside to protect the tube? Duct tape? Would be interesting to try but I want to be able to ride on dey stuff too


The tape just wouldn't stick so I cut up some inner tube squares and super glued them over the screw heads. I definitely doomed these tires to be ice/snow-only tires tho. I just like to tinker and experiment

I also tried running these at high pressure and I like it a lot. Feels faster with high pressure and the studs take care of the traction.


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## DirtyThirty (Nov 29, 2014)

Greetings all !! Very informative thread here, Thanks !!

I have had a rigid Lurch pre ordered since November and just got an email saying it would be another 2-3 weeks at least before they got through the port congestion out in LA. My main reason for getting a fatty is so I don't put my Salsa Vaya through the brine and salt in the winter here in Iowa. A lot of long touring is done on it and want to keep it solid for that reason. I would do some single track with the fatty but nothing crazy like DD does. Mainly to just get around/commuting during the winter months with limited fun in the summer when I feel like it.

After reading through this thread I have a hair trigger to call BD and have them switch my order to one of these. The geometry looks pretty similar. I am 5'10" with just over a 32" inseam and chose a 20" Lurch based on LBS testing and recommendations in the Lurch thread. From what I read in hear everyone would probably recommend the 18" in the Bullseye correct? I am looking not to be cramped in the cockpit and it will be more of a commuter in the winter. 

Will I really notice a difference going from 190 - 150 to 170 - 135 hub size and the difference in rubber profile and size limitations in my intended use? Huge difference in drivetrain?? (never ridden SRAM before..)

Now while I really liked the orange with the Lurch my choice of Bullseye would be the black. Heck, for the price difference I can paint it...

Any and all feedback is appreciated !!t


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## Marna_Kazmaier (Sep 11, 2014)

I am 5'6" with 32" inseam. I bought the 18". My husband who is 6'1" also with a 32" in seam fits on my bicycle.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

No way I'd go up to 20" unless my inseam was in the 34" range. Im 5-11 with 32 actual inseam. look at the standover numbers on bikes direct. Also figure if you dismount in snow your shoes may well sink another inch. Reach and be tuned with stem and saddle position if need be. I cant comment on rims size since ive only run the stock 50. The sram componts seem to be quite competent and i haven't had issue with them...granted i have 20 miles on the bike.

YMMV, fit is personal and all those disclaimers apply!


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

full winter gear:








I've found the snowboard helmet and goggles are perfect for winter riding.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

DirtyThirty said:


> I am 5'10" with just over a 32" inseam and chose a 20" Lurch based on LBS testing and recommendations in the Lurch thread. From what I read in hear everyone would probably recommend the 18" in the Bullseye correct? I am looking not to be cramped in the cockpit and it will be more of a commuter in the winter.


I'm 6' with a 34 inseam and like the 20. If I was using it for more aggressive riding, I might go 18.


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

I'm 6'3" and riding a 20". I could have fit the 22", but I wanted try a little smaller frame in hopes to increase the maneuverability.

By the way, my cassette was skipping on one of the small cogs. A quick email to BD, and a new cassette is winging its way towards me. Nice!


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## Marna_Kazmaier (Sep 11, 2014)

I Agree.

I LOVE the 18" and the smaller frame would have not fit well. I have a 32" in seam and have over 150 miles on my bike. 

Can you tell me what YMMV is please.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

DirtyThirty said:


> Greetings all !! Very informative thread here, Thanks !!
> 
> I have had a rigid Lurch pre ordered since November and just got an email saying it would be another 2-3 weeks at least before they got through the port congestion out in LA. My main reason for getting a fatty is so I don't put my Salsa Vaya through the brine and salt in the winter here in Iowa. A lot of long touring is done on it and want to keep it solid for that reason. I would do some single track with the fatty but nothing crazy like DD does. Mainly to just get around/commuting during the winter months with limited fun in the summer when I feel like it.
> 
> ...


Lurch is a better bike hands down. Wait it out if you can you wont be dissapointed! The GBM is a good bike for the money, a good upgrade platform. Honestly on the Lurch I probably wouldnt change a thing X7/X9 stuff, snowshoes, BB7, it's what us GBM folks are trying to get to!


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## DirtyThirty (Nov 29, 2014)

West Coast Ports Could Shut Down in Days, Cripple Asia Trade - NBC News

This could make my mind up though...


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

I agree with Jack, if you want to buy a bike and ride it without fussing around replacing things, then the Lurch would be a better choice IMO. The Lurch also has Novatec hubs (cartridge bearings I believe?) VS no name cup/cone hubs. I really do like my Monster and I love to tinker/upgrade thing, but I'm not going to lie, I'd trade my Monster for a Lurch in a heartbeat. Although I would perfer Nates or floaters, Shimano hyrdos, and I already have x7/x9 stuff so that made my decision easier too.

Untimately you'll need to decide for yourself. My gut says that you'd be happier with the lurch.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

DirtyThirty said:


> West Coast Ports Could Shut Down in Days, Cripple Asia Trade - NBC News
> 
> This could make my mind up though...


wow, yeah...buy whatever they have in stock! haha...seriously though, from what I've read on these forums it seems like BD is having a tough time getting bikes and their dates often keep getting pushed back.


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## Marna_Kazmaier (Sep 11, 2014)

Have you all seen this:

Thrill-seekers bike on ice for fun on coldest week of the year - CBS News


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

I love steel bikes, so I looked long and hard at the Lurch. Two big things kept me away from it:

- wide bottom bracket and corresponding wide Q factor

- track ends (I HATE these things)

Too bad, because the geo looked pretty good. And it was steel...



dietz31684 said:


> I agree with Jack, if you want to buy a bike and ride it without fussing around replacing things, then the Lurch would be a better choice IMO. The Lurch also has Novatec hubs (cartridge bearings I believe?) VS no name cup/cone hubs. I really do like my Monster and I love to tinker/upgrade thing, but I'm not going to lie, I'd trade my Monster for a Lurch in a heartbeat. Although I would perfer Nates or floaters, Shimano hyrdos, and I already have x7/x9 stuff so that made my decision easier too.
> 
> Untimately you'll need to decide for yourself. My gut says that you'd be happier with the lurch.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

seat_boy said:


> - track ends (I HATE these things)


Very good point, I didn't even notice the track ends since I never really researched the Lurch frame. I much prefer vertical drop outs also.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Marna_Kazmaier said:


> Have you all seen this:
> 
> Thrill-seekers bike on ice for fun on coldest week of the year - CBS News


I love this quote from the article:

"The bikes can cost upwards of $6,000. It costs $2,500 alone for the wheels and five-inch-wide tires built to grip snow and ice."

hahaha


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Just got back from a ride. I have changed a couple of opinions. First off the brakes arent as bad as i first thought, they seem to have bedded in. Still swapping to hydros when my order gets here but they arent horrible. Secondly the missions aren't horrible either. Id still like some knobs but i went to 6psi both ends and gained a huge amount of traction uphill and cornering. 

Solid advice in this thread.


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## DirtyThirty (Nov 29, 2014)

Thanks for all the input guys. 

Wide bottom bracket had me a little worried as well until I rode an Ice Cream Truck and it really didn't bother me.

On the comment of not have to mess with things on the Lurch... you must not have read through the thread... there are still things to mess with... albeit any bike you will have some things to dick with...

Still on the edge since the purpose of this purchase isn't for a bike that will become much more than something to keep my Vaya out of the crap in the winter... by the time I get anything now that almost won't be a friggin problem LOL.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

Well I'm in. My silver XL should be here Wednesday. This thread has been an interesting read. I buying this as a winter / sand / backup bike. I have a beautiful expensive rigid steel 29er rocket ship that I put away during the winter for maintenance and upgrades. I can't fathom giving up that speed demon(max recorded speed of 42 so far) for a fat bike, but I do want to commute during the winter and the idea of riding all the beaches at Presque Isle is appealing. 

I don't plan on many upgrades, but I do have a few in mind. I'm going 1x right from the start. I HATE front derailleurs and decided a while back that I would never run one again. I have a spare N-gear jump that will replace the derailleur and I'm going to pull off the 22t. I also have a stem, bar, and grips in my parts bin that will go on. I also expect to fork out $15 for a HG20 cassette. And I don't want to to spend the money on a backup bike, but it's likely the monster will have a set of BB7s and 160 HS1s by next winter.

Xethur


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## security58 (Jul 27, 2011)

Looking to pull the trigger on one of these bad boys, just dont know whether to go with the 26×4.0 or the 29+ ×3.0...

I live in south texas, owned a few 29ers and 26ers...just want to try something new....im thinking the 26 would be a lil Harder to ride due to the wheel size...any advice would be greatly appreciated


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## jabrobbins (Dec 21, 2006)

One option I wished I'd done was to buy the 29er and then buy a second 26 fat wheel set. I believe all the frames are the same except for the wheels they come with and color options. I really like the 27.5 green color.


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## bigeyedfish (May 30, 2013)

I've been debating the same thing. I'll probably end up with the 26x4.0 and build another wheel set for 29+. I'm thinking is that I'd rather the 29er wheels be lighter and better quality than the 26.


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

The BD 29+ model has something like 480mm chainstays, that's stupid long. I thought long and hard about the 27.5+ model when I got my BEM, but I wanted to try out the fatter tires. For all around biking, the 27.5+ is probably a better wheel size. If you do buy the 27.5+ model, you can get a decent set of 26" fatbike wheels and tires for another $200. You can also make a 29+ wheelset by combining the Fattie Slims 29er wheelset ($120 shipped) with some Gravity Vidar tires ($40 each/shipped), though the narrow rims on the Fattie Slims aren't ideal for wide tires. So, lots of options.


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## security58 (Jul 27, 2011)

I went with tbe 27.5...thx


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

I'm getting my money's worth out of this thing.


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## security58 (Jul 27, 2011)

Now idk if i should call bikes direct and tell them to gimme the 26 instead of the 27.5 .....what yall think?


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

security58 said:


> Now idk if i should call bikes direct and tell them to gimme the 26 instead of the 27.5 .....what yall think?


You can add the 26x4 with "free V's" for 200 bucks shipped.
You can NOT order any 27.5+ wheels (from them for that cheap).

My friend that gave me my frame, mostly rides with the 27.5's (hard-core racer type).

I have been having a blast and not really riding any other bikes.
Really got it dialed in for matching (my custom 29'r) fit with some swept-back bars.

A little more upright than my 29'r. Good for having fun and riding with the wife and kids. The weather here has been in the 70's!

25+mi. on the S Platte river trail yesterday.


TOO much fun for a few 100 dollar investment!
JM


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

Pumped the tires up to 15-16 psi for cement and gravel riding.
Pretty much eliminated the "self-steer".
Still pretty compliant over some dried mud trails.


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## security58 (Jul 27, 2011)

Got a pic with the 27.5x3.25 setup?


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

security58 said:


> Got a pic with the 27.5x3.25 setup?


My buddy used the 27.5's for his other frame he kept.
It was an "offset rear stay" model so he built a new rear wheel for it.
I got the original 27.5 bare rear wheel. No tires.

If they had a set for those prices I would buy. Will probably just use the 170 rear I have on another build.

Isn't there a pic on their site with the 650b+'s???

JM


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/fat-bikes/bullseye-275plus-blk-21.jpg

Does that work?


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

He also said, (if I recall correctly), that the 27.5's weighed in at 7lbs, compared to the 10lb (for front only), 26x4's.
Should be a 6lb (fr.+rear), lighter build?


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Still think this bike rocks! Great ride yesterday!

















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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Bugout Bikes said:


> Still think this bike rocks! Great ride yesterday!
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


what rack is that on the back?


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Tbh, I don't remember. I'll take a look real quick. 

Here's a link to a pic of it: http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/ODAwWDgwMA==/z/L~wAAOxyFiRRzi1P/$T2eC16d,!y0E9s2S7w6SBRzi1Pnpeg~~60_57.JPG

Still looking for the brand 

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## security58 (Jul 27, 2011)

JohnnyMagic said:


> My buddy used the 27.5's for his other frame he kept.
> It was an "offset rear stay" model so he built a new rear wheel for it.
> I got the original 27.5 bare rear wheel. No tires.
> 
> ...


What's the link for the 26x4.0 shipped for $200...is it wheels and tires?


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## security58 (Jul 27, 2011)

Bugout Bikes said:


> Update.
> 
> New carbon fiber bar, stem, carbon fiber seat post, saddle and BB7 brakes installed.
> 
> ...


What name brand seat is that? Btw nice color scheme


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Thanks, it's a retrospec fixie seat. 


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

security58 said:


> What's the link for the 26x4.0 shipped for $200...is it wheels and tires?


Looks like they're $250 now. Yes, wheels and tires. They were just $200 last week.

FREE SHIP 48 STATES* FAT BIKE Wheels Wheelsets + FREE TIRES PROMO SALE 120TPI Folding Bead Vee Rubber Vee8 26x4inch Tires


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Bugout Bikes said:


> Tbh, I don't remember. I'll take a look real quick.
> 
> Here's a link to a pic of it: http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/ODAwWDgwMA==/z/L~wAAOxyFiRRzi1P/$T2eC16d,!y0E9s2S7w6SBRzi1Pnpeg~~60_57.JPG
> 
> ...


Amazon.com : Sunlite Gold Tec Sport Rack - (Black) : Bike Racks : Sports & Outdoors

This looks like it. I could just barely make out "Sunlite" on top on that link you posted. Did you have to bend to accommodate the 170mm rear end or was it adjustable? That's the part that confuses me. Thanks much!


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Must be very recent, website still says $200 but when you click the link to order it's $250.



dietz31684 said:


> Looks like they're $250 now. Yes, wheels and tires. They were just $200 last week.
> 
> FREE SHIP 48 STATES* FAT BIKE Wheels Wheelsets + FREE TIRES PROMO SALE 120TPI Folding Bead Vee Rubber Vee8 26x4inch Tires


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## security58 (Jul 27, 2011)

thanks, i called BD to see if they can give me the 26x4.0 version but it was too late, my 27.5 had shipped already lol....so will i be able to mount 26x4.0 on my 27.5 then?


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## bigeyedfish (May 30, 2013)

According to their website, that frame should fit 26x4.0 and 29+.


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## security58 (Jul 27, 2011)

10-4


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## slimbean mcgee (Oct 25, 2014)

I have had the27.5 since Oct. and picked up the 26x4 wheelset, fits great...


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Got the new brake installed, I had to cut the lines and swap levers (bought from UK) but everything went very well, no bleed necessary.









Hung it up in the garage so my wife's car will still fit.








Wrapped the chain stay since it's already got a few chips taken out of it.








I went for a short 5 mile ride after the brake upgrade and it's amazing how it changed the bike. I can now bomb down hills without checking my speed the entire way. This thing is really starting to feel like a real mountain bike. Planet X is supposed to get more floaters this week and I plan on picking up a pair of those. I think after that I'll have this bike pretty dialed for my wants.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

I'm getting tired of waiting for the On One Floaters to come back in stock. If it doesn't happen this week I'm either going with Nates 60TPI or possibly the Panaracer Fat B Nimbles.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Check out the new kenda juggernaut


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Devist8er ul looks ok for the price 


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

My bike arrived and I figured I'ld post my first impressions. This being a $500 bike I got exactly what I expected. The fit and finish of the frame was a plesent surprise. I have to admit that I've gotten use to expensive parts so the cheap bearings felt like sand paper and I really hope they smooth out. The rear wheel does need to be trued and I'm not happy about that but the BD site did warn me that might happen. I converted it to 1X but it didnt go as planed. I had forgotten that the front derailuer was bb mounted and I didnt have a spined removal tool so for the moment the derailer itself is acting as my chain catcher. I also swapped out the bar and stem for some cheap name brand stuff.




























The scrap pile from my brand new bike







my super secret tool to reconnect the chain

I'll post more after I put some miles in.

Xethur


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

I'm really enjoying this much more as a 29+ than as a fatbike:










Much faster, more nimble, and, strangely, smoother.


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## Marna_Kazmaier (Sep 11, 2014)

I am glad to hear you are enjoying your new bicycle!


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## bigeyedfish (May 30, 2013)

Did you go with the fattie slims or something different?


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

Fattie Slims. Not the recommended rim for fat tires, but it's working OK so far. I'm not running super low pressures.



bigeyedfish said:


> Did you go with the fattie slims or something different?


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

Got out for a short shake down ride yesterday. Only 1.3mi but it was -2F and I don't have proper gloves yet. I was very happy with the way it climbed the big hill and the way it floated over the drifts of snow. I was not impressed with the cassette. It jumped and clunked, But I was expecting that from reading this thread. I'm planning to swap in the old XT 9 speed setup from my 29er when I upgrade it to a 10 speed. I also plan to upgrade the brake pads to some TruckerCo pads, run full length white cable housings, and swap the pedals for some vp bear traps.

On another note, its going to take me some relearning to ride this thing. I'm in the habit of leaning during cornering from lots of miles on my 29er. As you can imagine that doesn't work so well in the snow even with fat tires.

Xethur


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

The floaters are back in stock at Planet X USA. Just ordered a black pair. 

I was out for a short 5 mile ride today, some deep snow in the woods where the sunlight isn't hitting all day. I aired down to 5psi but it was still tough going...the paths where people walk were a lot of fun though. Especially along the edge where there is still some powder but it's packed below.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Hopefully someone can chime in. That bike seemed like a good deal with the bluto but i could find very little info on it when i was shopping. Regarding the grease etc, i had no issues on mine. Everything was perfect down to the derailleur alignment.


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## Marna_Kazmaier (Sep 11, 2014)

*I Love My Gravity Bullseye Monster! Even on very COLD days!*


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## security58 (Jul 27, 2011)

Will i be able to fit a bluto on my 27.5x3.25....thanks in advance


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## Marna_Kazmaier (Sep 11, 2014)

Xethur said:


> Got out for a short shake down ride yesterday. Only 1.3mi but it was -2F and I don't have proper gloves yet. I was very happy with the way it climbed the big hill and the way it floated over the drifts of snow.
> 
> [Xethur


I love Pogies. They keep your hands warm, and the wind off, without having huge gloves to mess you up when you shift gears or brake. I also like that I can wear my bicycle gloves under the pogies and still have the cushion.


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## Marna_Kazmaier (Sep 11, 2014)

Xethur said:


> Well I'm in. My silver XL should be here Wednesday. This thread has been an interesting read. I buying this as a winter / sand / backup bike. I have a beautiful expensive rigid steel 29er rocket ship that I put away during the winter for maintenance and upgrades.
> 
> Xethur


I would be interested to know how you feel about the bicycle after it arrives and you ride it a while.... <smiles> You might be surprised how much you like your "Back up Bicycle".


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

security58 said:


> Will i be able to fit a bluto on my 27.5x3.25....thanks in advance


I dont think so. I dont believe they have a tapered headtube.


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

Have been having a blast riding this bike!
Have many bikes to choose from and this one keeps getting all my early (feels like spring in Denver) riding.

Should have monster power when I switch back to racing bikes. Will still ride this if going with the wife or kid.

Have not had any issues with "rough" bearings or anything else.
Never even "went over" everything like I "politely" remind customers to do.
Adjusted the front brake (kind of weak but adequate) and front der.
Rear der. was spot-on from the beginning.

Picked up a bunch of thorns on my last ride so finally had 2 flats.
Other than that the stock tires/tubes did not leak 1psi since Christmas.

The rims have a lower spoke bed than the bead shelf? Kind of weird but maybe common among fat rims?
This caused me to bail on a first attempt at tube-less. And understand the "sill-seal" method for building up the spoke bed.

Need to find out a little more about the "cosmetic"? rim strip; does it hold air by it's self or do you need additional tape there?

Great fun bikes. Look forward to building one in the near future.

JM


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

JohnnyMagic, what is that above your BB? Is that a hard sided frame bag?

Also, what bars are you running? Looks like maybe mary or clarence? Thanks!


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

The bars are Kona "handplant.
Have been wanting to try "swept" bars since the original Titec "H" bars came out.

Really like the hand angle and position they put me in.
The AL REALLY feels stiff and harsh compared to the EC70's (carbon) bars.

The "bag" is a hard carbon toolbox I whipped up;




Held on with the bottle boss' at the seat/down tubes. Fixed at the bottom just above the bb. 240g's total.
Decided not to put an access door on it. Just 3 (Ti) bolts on the left and I made a "bag to fit inside to hold tubes/tools/etc.

Been using a backpack for water since moving to CO.

JM


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Thanks for the details. Im like you regarding the sweep bars, never used them but I like the "idea" of them, haha. They give a unique look but its hard for me to imagine riding single track in that position. Guess its something I'll just have to try eventually to see if I like them. Real nice work in that box, pretty damn cool.


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

I like the bars so much, (but not the harshness) am thinking about pulling a mold off of them?
This would be a "bladder" mold. I always work with "open" or on anything "closed I use tooling foam cores.

Might be worth the learning exp.?



(bar shots)


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Ive never used carbon bars so I have no idea what I'm missing. Probably better that way...

Your bike looks killer BTW. One of the nicer monsters I've seen.


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## JohnnyMagic (Dec 7, 2014)

dietz31684 said:


> Thanks for the details. Im like you regarding the sweep bars, never used them but I like the "idea" of them, haha. They give a unique look but its hard for me to imagine riding single track in that position. Guess its something I'll just have to try eventually to see if I like them. Real nice work in that box, pretty damn cool.


I knew I liked "bullhorn" on X-Cross and I used to like bar-ends.
For me, bar ends do NOT belong on riser bars (totally cosmetic reasons 

Those weighed more than the stock BD boat anchors (360-something g's!!??)

Thanks!


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Sorry I've been quiet, school is busy and there's too much fluffy dry snow to do much riding anyway.

I have been trying some new tires though. 








Nates on 80's are a tight fit, but they clear.









And I was wrong about larrys, after riding them for a bit, they are actually a pretty good tire. Good balance of grip and smooth rolling.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

Marna_Kazmaier said:


> I would be interested to know how you feel about the bicycle after it arrives and you ride it a while.... <smiles> You might be surprised how much you like your "Back up Bicycle".


I put in 12.5 miles the other day. I still have some issues to work out. 6th gear jumps constantly so I've been skipping it. The tires self steer/wobble so I'm going to get the wheels trued, buy a better tire gauge, and play with different pressures. The saddle made the boys numb so I'm looking at the pure v. I've always had better luck with less padding. I'm very happy with my fat bike but I still can't wait to get back on the 29er, but that's what happens when you build a bike from the ground up to perfectly suit yourself. What I enjoy the most about the fattie is the ability to continue riding when the 29er is put away. It's going to relieve a lot of the cabin fever I develop during the winter. That's why I bought it. I still stand by the fact that it's exactly what I was expecting for $500 and I'm good with that.

Xethur


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

New pedals arrived. Just some cheap $15 VP bear traps in white. I've used them before so I'm fairly certain they will suffice. 








And I don't want to give people the wrong impression. I'm not unhappy with my purchase. It all started with the thought that a fattie would be nice for winter time. A few google searches uncovered a in stock mongoose dolomite at a local walmart so I went to see it. Turns out there is something riveting about Fat tires. Soon I discovered this thread, then I stopped in at my bike store and held a Trek Farley and I was in love, untill I asked the price. Back to this thread I came and after some more reading I concluded the same as others. I could afford a gravity and ride it as I worked to accumulate cash to upgrade. Its much easier to convince the wife $30 or $50 at a time vs $1800 for a Farley. I know I said I wasn't going to spend much on my back up bike, but who really believed that? My list of future upgrades has grown.

-I have full length Jag Wire White cable housings on the way and I will prep them to give everything the smooth feel it should have.
-Origin8 80mm wheels
-Origin8 Dev8 UL or some Surly tires and probably going tubeless
-The 9 speed XT drive train off my 29er (when I upgrade to 10speed on the 29er)
-BB7s, SD7s, and 180 HS1s
-Race Face NW 32t chainring
-a two bolt seat post and a new saddle
-some Egron GA1 grips, white of course

That will put this bike in at about $1200 which I think is pretty awesome all things considering. Until then I will ride and ride some more and some more and keep you posted. I can't wait to ride the beaches. I have somewhere around ten miles of beach here....

Xethur


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

I got new pedals and qtube super lights. It's been easy to drop a couple of pounds from the stock weight. I'm quite happy with the drive train. The drivetrain and the wheels/hubs won't be replaced until necessary. The Floaters are coming on Wednesday. After they're installed the bike should be about 33# even and remain there for a while.

Pictures of tube weights. I saved about 0.90lbs (408 grams). I wouldn't necessarily buy lighter tubes for the fun of it, but I needed a spare to carry so I figured I'd give the qtube lights a try as they're actually one of the cheaper options for fatbike tubes at $8.00. The pedals are Redline LoPro model w/ replaceable pins.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Forgot to mention that I recently got a ground control too.








It's significantly bigger than the nate, and makes a perfect front. As a pair they are a really good combo. 









Did I mention that we have an absurd amount of snow?


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

*Some work through the cold*

Rust and wear finally got me. I also bent my smaller chainring. So I replaced some parts.

I couldnt afford 250 for 80mm wheels so I ordered Origin8 80mm rims off ebay and laced them to the current hubs. I was actually happy to do that since I had packed the bearings and they spun perfectly.








Tires on it rubbed on the lowest gear. Figured this might happen so had my stuff to go 1x ready!














Losing the granny gear up front may as well get some range on the rear so I went with the 11-36 10sp cassette and a zee derailleur








Love my new rims








And the bars are clean without the front shifter.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

JackNicholls62 said:


> Rust and wear finally got me. I also bent my smaller chainring. So I replaced some parts.
> 
> I couldnt afford 250 for 80mm wheels so I ordered Origin8 80mm rims off ebay and laced them to the current hubs. I was actually happy to do that since I had packed the bearings and they spun perfectly.
> View attachment 966181
> ...


How is your chainline in the lowest gear?


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> How is your chainline in the lowest gear?


It's actually better in the low gear than the high. I'm thinking about losing the bash guard and moving the ring outside if it gives me any problems. But with a clutch derailleur and NW chainring I dont think itll be bad at all. Hard to show in the pictures... But I think you can see that it is straight enough.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

JackNicholls62 said:


> It's actually better in the low gear than the high. I'm thinking about losing the bash guard and moving the ring outside if it gives me any problems. But with a clutch derailleur and NW chainring I dont think itll be bad at all. Hard to show in the pictures... But I think you can see that it is straight enough.
> 
> View attachment 966214
> View attachment 966215


I don't think I would move the sprocket out any further. I realized that the reason I was cracking cassettes and folding chainrings was because I was mashing on a bad chain line. Since the snow I have started using the 22 and spinning, my drive train longevity has greatly improved. 
I'm thinking about going 1x with a 26t ring, but that range would likely be lacking in the summer.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

I went 32 front and 36 rear. I cant imagine needing a lower gear here in IL. There's always the 1-up options for the rear. 

10sp stuff is so cheap now its hard to stay away. zee shifter,zee der., raceface chainring, deore chain ad cassette. All $120 shipped. Remember though if you want taller than 36 in the back the zee would need a 1-up cage. better off going XT. I just got Zee stuff hoping to never worry about breaking anything. 

Another note.... crank arms are soft. The removal threads stripped on the drive side when using my puller. I've never had that happen. and when punching it off I caused more damage than I would have expected. Not terrible and still useable but a little dissapointing. you will want to be more careful than I was when pulling the arms off. 

Removing the front der. because of the direct mount bracket requires taking the non drive side off and cap for the bottom bracket. then the BB appart on the drive side. 

I think this helped the chainline issue you bring up DD. The bracket was essesntially a spacer.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Anyone posted a pic of their monster with fatty slims yet!? I'm dying to see how it looks!


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

Fattie slims, but with 29+ tires:












Bugout Bikes said:


> Anyone posted a pic of their monster with fatty slims yet!? I'm dying to see how it looks!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

JackNicholls62 said:


> I went 32 front and 36 rear. I cant imagine needing a lower gear here in IL. There's always the 1-up options for the rear.
> 
> 10sp stuff is so cheap now its hard to stay away. zee shifter,zee der., raceface chainring, deore chain ad cassette. All $120 shipped. Remember though if you want taller than 36 in the back the zee would need a 1-up cage. better off going XT. I just got Zee stuff hoping to never worry about breaking anything.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the warning. My cranks are getting super marred up on all the rocks out here, makes sense that they are unusually soft. Lately with all the snow most of my riding has been less than 10 mph, just trying to stay up in the snow (and that's just the rare occasion when its actually ridable). Out here super low gearing is a must. Even my ss fatbike is a 32-22 and that's pushing it sometimes. 
I think in my situation the 26 would be a good compromise (although it would be overkill if running a 10 spd with a 36). The simplicity of a 1x is enticing, but honestly having a full gear range and running 2 chainrings is working out pretty well, and personally I'm in no hurry to change it.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

My freehub has a rough spot when turning it. Always in the same place of the revolution. I can't feel it with the cassette on, but I removed my cassette to ditch the plastic dork disc and noticed it when spinning without a cassette. Maybe I'll shoot bikes direct am email and see what they say. My last ride I heard a POP loud enought for me to get off and check the frame for cracks. Makes me wonder if that was the freehub? Anyone had their freehub off? I wonder if they're like shimano where I just need a big allen key. Anyways, Im heading out for a ride. Hope it holds up!


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Thanks for the warning. My cranks are getting super marred up on all the rocks out here, makes sense that they are unusually soft. Lately with all the snow most of my riding has been less than 10 mph, just trying to stay up in the snow (and that's just the rare occasion when its actually ridable). Out here super low gearing is a must. Even my ss fatbike is a 32-22 and that's pushing it sometimes.
> I think in my situation the 26 would be a good compromise (although it would be overkill if running a 10 spd with a 36). The simplicity of a 1x is enticing, but honestly having a full gear range and running 2 chainrings is working out pretty well, and personally I'm in no hurry to change it.


I hate to be the one to ruin your plan, but I'm 90% certain you can run a 26t chainring. I haven't measured the bolt circle diameter (BCD) on the crank but I'm almost sure it's 104mm (most common and thus the least expensive). If it is 104mm the diameter of the bolts is larger then the diameter of a 26t ring. The smallest you would be able to run is a specially made race face 30t ring. You can read about it here.
Race Face Narrow Wide Chainring - Review - Pinkbike

Swapping to a 10 speed 11-36 might be a simpler option. Or you could swap the BB and run a SRAM XX1 setup like this one.
SRAM XX1 GXP 100 Fat Bike Crank Set 170 or 175 mm x 76mm BCD Pick Chainring 11S | eBay


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Look at the range charts. You really don't lose much (with a new cassette) and it's so much simpler


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

dietz31684 said:


> My freehub has a rough spot when turning it. Always in the same place of the revolution. I can't feel it with the cassette on, but I removed my cassette to ditch the plastic dork disc and noticed it when spinning without a cassette. Maybe I'll shoot bikes direct am email and see what they say. My last ride I heard a POP loud enought for me to get off and check the frame for cracks. Makes me wonder if that was the freehub? Anyone had their freehub off? I wonder if they're like shimano where I just need a big allen key. Anyways, Im heading out for a ride. Hope it holds up!


Mine has that too. They mailed me a new one. Not putting it on until current one fails


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

JackNicholls62 said:


> Mine has that too. They mailed me a new one. Not putting it on until current one fails


Sweet, ill go that route and just keep an eye on it. Had a great 9 mile singletrack ride today, bike was flawless.










Guess something had a bad day...


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Xethur said:


> I hate to be the one to ruin your plan, but I'm 90% certain you can run a 26t chainring. I haven't measured the bolt circle diameter (BCD) on the crank but I'm almost sure it's 104mm (most common and thus the least expensive). If it is 104mm the diameter of the bolts is larger then the diameter of a 26t ring. The smallest you would be able to run is a specially made race face 30t ring. You can read about it here.
> Race Face Narrow Wide Chainring - Review - Pinkbike
> 
> Swapping to a 10 speed 11-36 might be a simpler option. Or you could swap the BB and run a SRAM XX1 setup like this one.
> SRAM XX1 GXP 100 Fat Bike Crank Set 170 or 175 mm x 76mm BCD Pick Chainring 11S | eBay


Absolute black makes them. They bolt on to the 64mm circle where the 22 goes. It would make the chain line a lot better too.

Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk 2


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

Won't running it on the 64mm cut down on the tire clearance?


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Xethur said:


> Won't running it on the 64mm cut down on the tire clearance?


A little bit. Id rather have slightly less clearence than keep wrecking drivetrain componants because of the extreme chain angles. As it is I run a nate on an 80mm rim and spend a lot of time in the 22. its only the first 2 gears that rub, but they still work. Just smear grease on the green tires haha

Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk 2


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

Honestly with the mounting bracket gone from the front the chain line is a non issue. Just put 10 miles in this morning no issues.... You want it centered for the middle cogs that way you don't have a bigger angle at either extreme.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> A little bit. Id rather have slightly less clearence than keep wrecking drivetrain componants because of the extreme chain angles. As it is I run a nate on an 80mm rim and spend a lot of time in the 22. its only the first 2 gears that rub, but they still work. Just smear grease on the green tires haha
> 
> Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk 2


Lol, It's all good then. I'm planning to look at different cranks to achieve a better chain line without rubbing. Although I plan to run a ring bigger then 26t, but I'm use to really straining on climbs. I run a single 44t on my 29er with a 11-32 9 speed. That setup really does a number on the calves, but I'm unwilling to give up the speed at the other end of the range for easier climbs.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

JackNicholls62 said:


> Honestly with the mounting bracket gone from the front the chain line is a non issue. Just put 10 miles in this morning no issues.... You want it centered for the middle cogs that way you don't have a bigger angle at either extreme.


Good to know. I'm planning to remove it as soon as my $3 bb socket arrives from China.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

JackNicholls62 said:


> Honestly with the mounting bracket gone from the front the chain line is a non issue. Just put 10 miles in this morning no issues.... You want it centered for the middle cogs that way you don't have a bigger angle at either extreme.


I'm glad to hear that removing the bracket centers it up a bit.

Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk 2


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

Hey dawg, I can't help but notice you've tried a lot of tires. I'm curious what your all around favorite setup has been.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Xethur said:


> Hey dawg, I can't help but notice you've tried a lot of tires. I'm curious what you're what your all around favorite setup has been.


Yeah, I've been trying everything I can get my hands on. As for favorite, That's totally dependant on the conditions. For an all arounder that's pretty good at everything, the on-one floater has been my favorite (especially for the price)
Right now we have a lot of very dry fluffy snow, and the nate/ground control combo has been awesome (and the only thing making it possible to ride)
So it really depends on the conditions and what you want the tires to do. Rim width and pressure also changes the handling characteristics a lot.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Yeah, I've been trying everything I can get my hands on. As for favorite, That's totally dependant on the conditions. For an all arounder that's pretty good at everything, the on-one floater has been my favorite (especially for the price)


So how do your on ones handle hard pack snow and ice?

Got another short 2.6mi shake down ride in. Got my tire pressures dialed in. 14psi front and 10psi rear, but I have to start the tires 4psi higher due to the effect of riding snow. After getting the pressures right the fattie was a lot more fun to ride.

Went to swap in my new brake pads and discovered I have tektro novela's instead of aquila's. That explains why the brakes have lacked power. So when my cable housings arrive in going to swap over my bb7s from my 29er.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Xethur said:


> So how do your on ones handle hard pack snow and ice?
> 
> Got another short 2.6mi shake down ride in. Got my tire pressures dialed in. 14psi front and 10psi rear, but I have to start the tires 4psi higher due to the effect of riding snow. After getting the pressures right the fattie was a lot more fun to ride.
> 
> Went to swap in my new brake pads and discovered I have tektro novela's instead of aquila's. That explains why the brakes have lacked power. So when my cable housings arrive in going to swap over my bb7s from my 29er.


The floaters do pretty well on snow and ice, very rarely do I feel the need for more dig and they hang on to ice better than most.
Those pressures seem pretty high to me. I normally run 8 rear, 6 front and in the soft snow I air down until it feels right (usually about 5ish). usually in snow, you want to air down so that the tire spreads your weight across more area, resulting in less surface pressure. This is what people call "float"

*I know you didn't ask for advice, but this is MTBR, so I'm going to go around and assert my opinion like its fact. 

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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

I should have noted that I'm taking readings with a 50¢ stick. I have a accurate gauge on the way, But by feel I would say the stick isn't too far off. I do plan to continue dialing it in, but I've found that at low pressures that front mission drags me all over the place. Of course almost all of my riding is on hard packed snow and ice covered dirt roads. Eventually I'll ride some of the snowmobile trails and I will probably have to change my tire pressures for those.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

Rode another 2.6mi shake down ride. Ran the pressures (13 and 8) a little lower and ended up with wobble again. Dawg I thought about what you said and your right I should be able to run lower pressures. So it's got to be the equipment. I'm going to swap the tire from front to rear to see if it's the tire casting or if the wheels are more untrue then I thought.

On another note, I think I'm going to try some Michelin c4 latex tubes. I thought about going tubeless, but then I stumbled across these.

Michelin C4 AirComp Latex MTB Bike Tube | Chain Reaction Cycles

Edit: Well that didn't work. Time to go get the wheels trued.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

I'll be putting my 9 speed xt cassette and x7 RD and shifters on soon. I just ordered 10 speed stuff to go 1x on my full suspension bike so the 9speed stuff will go to the fatty. 

I emailed BD about my freehub having a rough spot, here's their response...we'll see how it goes.

"Hello,
Those freehubs use a loose ball bearing and come set tight so they will seat themselves into the race. Give it a few more miles and it should be looser and roll smoother.
Please let me know how it goes.
Best regards,
Larry @ Bikes Direct"


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Xethur said:


> Rode another 2.6mi shake down ride. Ran the pressures (13 and 8) a little lower and ended up with wobble again. Dawg I thought about what you said and your right I should be able to run lower pressures. So it's got to be the equipment. I'm going to swap the tire from front to rear to see if it's the tire casting or if the wheels are more untrue then I thought.
> 
> On another note, I think I'm going to try some Michelin c4 latex tubes. I thought about going tubeless, but then I stumbled across these.
> 
> ...


Nice! Can those tubes stretch enough? I've had a 29x2.1 let go on me before.
As for the self steer, it is inherent in some tires. Putting a different tire on the front would solve the problem if its really bothering you. As I've said before, the floaters are really good for the price. If you don't want to give up the fast rolling, The larry is a pretty good tire too. And if you really want to go all out, the ground control is the best front tire I've ever ridden.

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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

I had my first ride on floaters, first thing that I noticed is lack of self steer on pavement compared to the missions (before I hit the snow). Once in the snow, I immediately noticed was how great they are in corners and downhill. Going uphill I definitely had an advantage too and rolling resistance on didn't feel much different. Deeper snow performance was slightly improved, but not really drastically. This is all coming from one 5 mile ride so that opinion may change as I ride in different snow conditions. The snow was wet, heavy, and deep so I'm not sure any tire would necessarily excel in that. I'd say the biggest improvement for me is cornering at speed and the braking traction going downhill.

Having never really shopped fat tires in person, I've not seen a ton of them and it's hard to really get an idea for knob depth and volume from pictures. I'm really happy with the floater tread. It's exactly the chunky knobs that I was looking for without being over the top. Very happy with them, and that's not even mentioning the price. Speaking of price, I see planet X usa changed their website. I wonder if the $55 free shipping floaters will remain?


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

My mechanic found the problem. He says the bead on the front isn't symmetrical like it should be. He called it wavy. So I think I'm going to do what jacknicholls did and get some origin8 80 rims laced to current hubs. Until then I'll run it at 15 psi.



dirtdawg21892 said:


> Nice! Can those tubes stretch enough? I've had a 29x2.1 let go on me before.


Yes the latex tubes can stretch up to 700% they take a bit more time and fiddling to setup kinda like tubeless, but the guys who take that extra time run these for years without issues. And they're 130g so it'll drop close to 2 lbs from the wheels for $32.


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## beardedmark (Feb 28, 2015)

Hello, new to mtbr, picked up a 20" bullseye monster through a local sale, been out for one short ride and am happy to get my own rig for the world of fat, previously rode a borrowed pugs, excited to get out and ride some trail on my own gear. New to wrenching on bikes, I am a contractor by trade and a avid auto mechanic, any recommendations on stands or tool sets would be appreciated. I don't have a ton of cash to dump but want something that will last more than just a few months. Plan to upgrade my monster as things wear out and would like to learn to do the work myself.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

SNOWPOCALYPSE !!!! Lol. Well, wishing it was anyway 

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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

Just starting out, I would recommend some all-in-one kit, like this:

Nashbar Essential Tool Kit

Most online places seem to have them for about the same price. If you want to forgo that, you can do 80% of the work on your bike with only a few tools:

4-5-6 allen wrenches
screwdrivers
cable cutters (don't use regular diagonal cutters, get something made for cutting Bowden cables)

Hmm, looking at the Nashbar kit now, I see it doesn't include cable cutters. The next level of kit up (~$100) does include those, and maybe the tools are better:
Spin Doctor Team 33 Tool Kit

The Park Tools website has some good instructional pages for working on your bike.



beardedmark said:


> Hello, new to mtbr, picked up a 20" bullseye monster through a local sale, been out for one short ride and am happy to get my own rig for the world of fat, previously rode a borrowed pugs, excited to get out and ride some trail on my own gear. New to wrenching on bikes, I am a contractor by trade and a avid auto mechanic, any recommendations on stands or tool sets would be appreciated. I don't have a ton of cash to dump but want something that will last more than just a few months. Plan to upgrade my monster as things wear out and would like to learn to do the work myself.


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

I had a decent ride today on my BEM, I think partly because I added quite a bit of air to the tires and they weren't so dog slow (how much air? I can't say, my pump doesn't seem to read below 20 psi). Going a little faster over any slippery surface exposed the weaknesses of the stock Mission rubber, so I planned on ordering some Floaters this evening. But $66 shipping! From the US website! Their store always seemed to have free shipping before, but maybe they have to pay for that fancy new website... Anyway, how about suggestions for similarly priced tires that work better than the Missions?


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## bcriverjunky (Jul 8, 2014)

seat_boy said:


> Just starting out, I would recommend some all-in-one kit, like this:
> 
> Nashbar Essential Tool Kit
> 
> ...


Pricepoint has a nice kit too. Tools | Accessories | Discounted Mountain Bikes, Road Bikes and Cycling Gear at PricePoint.com


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

beardedmark said:


> any recommendations on stands or tool sets would be appreciated. I don't have a ton of cash to dump but want something that will last more than just a few months.


For tools I would guess you have allens and screw drivers so I would recommend some tire levers, a tire valve tool, a pump or compressor, a good low pressure gauge (I bought a accu-gage 0-30). Hit up eBay for a stand. I have a Feedback Sports stand and I love it, but it's fairly expensive. I would hold off on anything more then that until you know what your comfortable working on. For instance I work on everything on my bikes except the wheels. If they need trued or hub maintenance I take them to my favorite mechanic.


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## Bugout Bikes (Jan 8, 2015)

Awesome kansas ride today in the post Snowpocalypse melting snow.

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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Fun at Winterbike. Got 50+ comments on the green tires and had a lot of pictures taken by strangers.

































The foes are sooo nice.


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## WalrusWrangler (Feb 27, 2015)

So I am a complete newbie to fat biking and I have been following this thread closely trying to gain some information on this bike. When I checked Bikes Direct and saw the their list I also spotted the Motobecane Boris x5 which is only $100 more than the bullseye monster. Is the Motobecane worth $100 more?


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

WalrusWrangler said:


> So I am a complete newbie to fat biking and I have been following this thread closely trying to gain some information on this bike. When I checked Bikes Direct and saw the their list I also spotted the Motobecane Boris x5 which is only $100 more than the bullseye monster. Is the Motobecane worth $100 more?


Yes and no. It really depends on what your long term goal is. If you want a budget fattie that you can ride out of the box then Gravity BM fits the bill. If your like me and you plan to upgrade until you have an awesome fattie and you can do the wrenching yourself then the Gravity BM fits the bill. If you plan to upgrade through a bike shop I would say save your money for a Boris Lurch or Surly Pug. The big advantage to the x5 is the 80mm wheels and slightly better drivetrain and they are well worth the extra $100 especially if you're planning on upgrading to those on the Gravity BM.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

WalrusWrangler said:


> So I am a complete newbie to fat biking and I have been following this thread closely trying to gain some information on this bike. When I checked Bikes Direct and saw the their list I also spotted the Motobecane Boris x5 which is only $100 more than the bullseye monster. Is the Motobecane worth $100 more?


As previously stated, it comes down to preference and what you want out of the bike. 
Personally If I had to do it again, I would get the boris. I've ridden one and it feels like a very nice bike right out of the box. I prefer the way the frame looks, 9 speed is nice, and 80mm rims are good for snow. to me it's worth the upcharge, but it comes down to preference. 
That being said, in no way do I regret the gravity. It is a great and functional fat bike for $100 less.
Think about what you want out of a bike and Buy the one you like/best suits your needs. They are both great bikes for the money and honestly at this pricepoint you can't lose.

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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

We are getting dumped on now and its supposed to continue all day. Just took the dog for a run around the block, conditions are great. I put my 2 weeks notice in last friday and have some time to use, so taking a snow day today! Will have some pics later.

Edit: pics


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

Hey all,

A couple of questions:

1. Is anyone having stock brake squeal issues? My front started a few rides ago and seems to be getting worse. The rear has been fine.

2. Has anyone tried a different chain? Mine has been noisy. I'm using the White Lightning Clean Ride lube. I was thinking of trying a different chain to see if that helps.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Wildbird99 said:


> Hey all,
> 
> A couple of questions:
> 
> ...


I never had squeal with the stock brakes, so I cant comment on that, however I'm on my fourth chain. When they get noise it's a good indication that they are getting worn out. You can measure stretch with a ruler (each link should be exactly a half inch) 
The rollers will develop play as it wears too, making noise and changing the effective length of each link. 
Replacing the chain is cheap and makes the rest of the drive train last longer, however I occasionally slack and run them into the ground. (earlier in the thread I put over 1000 miles on the original chain because the cassette was busted) 
As for suggestions, others may have them, but personally I just get whatever is cheapest or readily available. A chain is just a chain to me, I run it till it's stretched and then replace it.

(I have recently started running 3 chains at a time in a rotation, to try and get my cassettes to wear evenly (because I have several sets of wheels) but I can't really report on that yet.)


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

I needed some wider bars for the fatty so I got a new set for my mountain bike and the old ones from that went to the Monster - 660mm to 711mm. I went with 760mm for the new bars on my full sus.

My main mountain bike has a 27.2 seat tube as well so I can put my gravity dropper onto the fat bike. Now that I have some real estate on the bars I can actually fit the lever on there too. I think the dropper will be particularly advantageous when re-starting in deep snow.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

WalrusWrangler said:


> So I am a complete newbie to fat biking and I have been following this thread closely trying to gain some information on this bike. When I checked Bikes Direct and saw the their list I also spotted the Motobecane Boris x5 which is only $100 more than the bullseye monster. Is the Motobecane worth $100 more?


If I had to do it all over again it would still be just at hard to decide as the first time. Forget about components and base the decision solely on 2 things:

1. Do you want 50mm or 80mm rims?
2. Do you have any desire to run 5" tires?

For some reason I really don't like the lines/tube shape of the Boris and I love the Gravity Green. On the other hand, for $100 more you're getting the 80mm wheelset and the ability to run 5" tires on the back. Solely for that I'd almost be inclined to say that the Boris is the better choice. You can still ride the 80mm rims in the summer and why limit yourself to 4" tires? I plan on riding mine all season so the 50mm rims will be killer in the summer and don't hold me back too much in the winter. I still wonder how much better 5" tires would be...

I wouldn't let components sway you at all, they both have cheap but adequate components. X4 vs X5 isn't night and day by any stretch.


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

After playing around some more with tire pressure--I was running too low, and it felt extraordinarily slow--I decided it was worthwhile to invest a little more money into my BEM (also, it's my only mountain bike at the moment). I picked up a pair of NIB On One Floaters from another list member, thus avoiding about $50 in shipping charges. They arrived Saturday afternoon just as I pulled into the driveway from a library run on my Cross Check:









I mounted them right then:









and headed out into our remaining snow. What a difference! Before, cornering and control was minimal, and I would stop at any deep powder. Now, cornering is still sketchy (it's on snow, after all), but there's some control and bite there than I can learn to utilize. And when I got off the packed trail, I had traction available to keep churning forward. It's not an overstatement that to say these tires transformed this bike.

Three cheers for the Floater!









As I mentioned above, this is currently my only bike, which means I had a set of hydraulic discs around waiting to go on a bike. I decided to do that as well, but what's this?









The stupid closed cable stop on the seatstay prevents easy removal of the cable brake. Nothing a few minutes with a dremel can't fix:









Nice to have good, strong brakes again. The Tektros were slowly breaking in and getting to be marginally acceptable, but they can't compare to the easy modulation of these Deore hydros.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

*It's been awhile.......*

 Hello everyone! '
It's been awhile since i posted here on this thread so I thought I might let you all know what's been happening in my little corner of the kingdom. 
I had been in rehab for a stroke i suffered some months ago, and in the middle of it, about two weeks ago I had a minor heart attack. It didn't do any further damage to my heart and I was back to rehab the following Monday and riding a stationary bike, with ny own saddle, for 40 minutes at a stretch. This past Thursday i was allowed to finally get back on my Monster and ride around town ad out to the trails in our local park. It was glorious to say the least! :thumbsup:
 Today our little group went out to the Kaintuck Rec. area and rode around it and put o9n fifteen mile total.
I have to change my chain this week as it is getting a little slack and stretched out. This is the first time i have to do this. Also by April I will have to replace or repack my bottom bracket. It's not showing any signs of wear yet but I would rather be safe than sorry. '
 During the week after the episode, we had about 5-7 inches o0f snow. I didn't get to ride in it, but My daughhter and Tom took out their fatties for a spin at the height of the storm and loved it! lucky dogs. 
I am getting my Gravity Bullseye monster Pro next month. of course it will be black likwe my monster.

Until,Tomorrow........PEACE:rockon:
Oldebear (aka Fred)


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

oldbear52 said:


> Hello everyone! '
> It's been awhile since i posted here on this thread so I thought I might let you all know what's been happening in my little corner of the kingdom.
> I had been in rehab for a stroke i suffered some months ago, and in the middle of it, about two weeks ago I had a minor heart attack. It didn't do any further damage to my heart and I was back to rehab the following Monday and riding a stationary bike, with ny own saddle, for 40 minutes at a stretch. This past Thursday i was allowed to finally get back on my Monster and ride around town ad out to the trails in our local park. It was glorious to say the least! :thumbsup:
> Today our little group went out to the Kaintuck Rec. area and rode around it and put o9n fifteen mile total.
> ...


Glad to hear that you are back on the bike and ok, we missed you!


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## crowm (Dec 27, 2014)

I got the 14" bike. It weighs 35.125 lbs out of the box, in case anyone is curious. I'm about to start changing things up. 

Wondering if anyone has any ideas about crank arms for this? These 175mm arms are always too long for me and they seem ridiculously long on this bike in general (shorter wheelbase I guess), my foot is sure to hit the front tire. 

I'd like 165mm or even 160mm if possible crank arms without having to buy a whole new bottom bracket or spend a whole lot of money. Any ideas?


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## akacoke (May 11, 2011)

stock cranks are square taper, any square taper crank arms would fit, you dont need the whole thing


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## crowm (Dec 27, 2014)

The only ones I can find in 165mm are bmx which have 5 bolts instead of 4 and a few that come with bottom bracket and/or are really expensive. Maybe what I want is not available unless I pay half again what I paid for the bike?


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## Polycrono (May 11, 2012)

There's one set of FSA alpha drive 165mm square taper cranks on eBay. Those were the only ones I could find. Must be pretty rare. Good luck!

I converted the BEM to 1x10 today. Didn't really get a chance to ride it, but it looks cool. I tried for a good long while to ghetto tubeless the BD 80mm wheels with panaracer 60tpi fat b nimbles. I like the tires a lot but the beads are so loose even after building up the inner channel and the bead shelf, I probably would never have any confidence in the setup anyway.


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## akacoke (May 11, 2011)

comparing how much total money you will spend . you might as well just get raceface crankset for around $100 new.

or you can get this FSA Platinum DH 100mm ISIS drive Bottom Bracket offered by Fatbikes.com and buy isis cranks


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Glad to hear that you are back on the bike and ok, we missed you!


Thanks dirtdawg.It's good to be back on my fatty. I really hated being sidelined for so long. But I really am in just in as good a shape as I was when the heart attack happened thanks to my riding schedule. 
When we changed the chain last week Tom did a bottom bracket overhaul too. Just repacking and re adjusting it was all that was necessary. Plus when i get my Pro I am going to change brake pads on the Monster before I pass it on to Sean, (my son). 
Did you know i have a thread on here too? 'fat biking and health" check it out.

Until later..................PEACE
Oldbear (aka Fred)


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## akacoke (May 11, 2011)

Its been a long time. finally pieced mine together. i converted to single speed. got hope race x2 brakes. origin8 sealed hubs dual wall 80mm wheelset. half link chain surly 32t chainring.

for whoever wants to do it. ive tried many gear combos. only 32t front 18t rear with half link chain works for me. its a perfect snug fit good chain tension only a tiny bit on tight side. although chain doesnt make loud noises. 

the bike tilts the scale at 32lbs 2ozs as it sit now with undrilled rims and fat tire tubes. ive already got new wheelset novatec 9/10mm QR thru axle with dual wall 80mm rims. gonna drill the rims and put smaller mtb tubes hopefully it gets down under 30lbs


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## beardedmark (Feb 28, 2015)

Thinking of upgrading my 29er to ss, gonna steal parts for the monster. anyone know/try putting a 9spd cassette on the stock rear hub, have 9spd x7 rear derailleur was hoping to run the monster 2x9 without changing anything on the crankset, anyone have any advice or input.Thanks


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

beardedmark said:


> Thinking of upgrading my 29er to ss, gonna steal parts for the monster. anyone know/try putting a 9spd cassette on the stock rear hub, have 9spd x7 rear derailleur was hoping to run the monster 2x9 without changing anything on the crankset, anyone have any advice or input.Thanks


Yeah, it will be a straight swap. 8, 9, and 10 speed cassettes are all the same width.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

akacoke said:


> Its been a long time. finally pieced mine together. i converted to single speed. got hope race x2 brakes. origin8 sealed hubs dual wall 80mm wheelset. half link chain surly 32t chainring.
> 
> for whoever wants to do it. ive tried many gear combos. only 32t front 18t rear with half link chain works for me. its a perfect snug fit good chain tension only a tiny bit on tight side. although chain doesnt make loud noises.
> 
> the bike tilts the scale at 32lbs 2ozs as it sit now with undrilled rims and fat tire tubes. ive already got new wheelset novatec 9/10mm QR thru axle with dual wall 80mm rims. gonna drill the rims and put smaller mtb tubes hopefully it gets down under 30lbs


Alright Coke, you win. I think that's the sleekest fatbike I've ever seen.

Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk 2


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

Finally got back on the bike for a ride today. Two weeks ago the snow semi melted and refroze leaving three inches of ice on everything, and last week the kids brought me home the gift of the flu. 

Some observations. 
Removing the front derailleur does better center the chain line and to accomplish that you have to unthread the non drive side bb cup a bit.

The missions are by far the worst tires I've ever ridden. After your guys reviews I'll be buying a set of on one floaters but not until next winter.

Overall the ride today was amazing. This bike will probably end up being the one I grab when the weather is bad. Today it was slushy, muddy, and wet with a touch of rain and the fattie loved it.


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## siebermd (Feb 27, 2015)

Got my Gravity Bullseye Monster in the mail today. Here is a time lapse of me building the bike up.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Cool video!


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

siebermd said:


> Got my Gravity Bullseye Monster in the mail today. Here is a time lapse of me building the bike up.


Congrats on the Bike! Now get n ride!


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## akacoke (May 11, 2011)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Alright Coke, you win. I think that's the sleekest fatbike I've ever seen.
> 
> Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk 2


thanks man. just wanted to have something unique


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## akacoke (May 11, 2011)

Xethur said:


> Some observations.
> Removing the front derailleur does better center the chain line and to accomplish that you have to unthread the non drive side bb cup a bit.


there should be a 2.5mm spacer in place of the e type derailleur plate if you remove it tho. therefor your chainline would not change as its desinged unless you put the spacer in the non drive side. doing so you entire crankset will shift 2.5mm over to the left. by all means the bb cup should not be loose when you ride.

just saying


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## seat_boy (May 16, 2006)

I took my BEM monster out for my first ride on real trail that didn't involve snow:










I was very impressed by the amount of grip I had, but it was a LOT of work lugging these big tires up the many hills of this trail.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

seat_boy said:


> I took my BEM monster out for my first ride on real trail that didn't involve snow:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yeah man i hear ya on that. I did a 5 mile round trip to the grocery store on a paved trail which is all uphill coming home and it was killer. I wasn't sure if there was snow on the trail still so I took the BM. I'll take the road bike next time! The BM is so much more fun to ride though. No curb jumping or stair riding shenanigans if I drag out the skinny tires.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Winter is still in full swing here in NH. We got some fresh snow to play in this weekend.








I can't wait until I have the option to take the road bike, as I recently got one to match the fat bike with the hopes that it would get me through the transitional spring weeks (when its too slushy/muddy to ride trails without damaging them).


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Nice stable, Dirtydawg! Keep it fAt!


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

BansheeRune said:


> Nice stable, Dirtydawg! Keep it fAt!


Thanks! This is only a small portion of my stable. The rest live in the basement or at my parents house for the winter while they aren't used


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

My collective lives in my office year round, but yeah, it's a collective and I've been absorbed!


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## ikernel (Mar 24, 2015)

Been following this thread since shopping for a fat bike late last year. I bought my green 18" Bullseye Monster from BD almost three months ago.

In the same boat with the freehub. It will run smooth in good conditions, even in snow. But wet/muddy conditions, will grind and lock up after a few miles even when it is clean and smooth starting out. I am upgrading to a Shimano freehub. The rear wheel hub is currently apart, the 12 point captive bolt is accessible from the left side of the hub.

The stock cassette is kind of awesome, the second gear is a sweet climbing gear. It was replaced after 3rd and 4th gears were somehow mangled. The replacement is an HG41, not as nice in 2nd gear but more durable.

Aside from this, the only necessary upgrade on mine: presta tubes since low pressures (10-15) caused the schrader valves to move around.
Future upgrades will include 80mm hole rims (keeping the stock hubs) and some more agressive tires in the 3.8-4.0" ballpark. Thinking of possibly eliminating the e-type mount on the front derailleur with this: ORIGIN8 Front Derailleur Fat Bike Mount > O > origin8 | Jenson USA


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Its still very much winter over here.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

akacoke said:


> there should be a 2.5mm spacer in place of the e type derailleur plate if you remove it tho. therefor your chainline would not change as its desinged unless you put the spacer in the non drive side. doing so you entire crankset will shift 2.5mm over to the left. by all means the bb cup should not be loose when you ride.
> 
> just saying


I don't know if I can explain what I mean but I'll try. The threads are cups that are seperate pieces from the bb itself. As you tighten them, both drive and non drive side, they compress the bb to hold it tight. There is a lip on the drive side to hold the e type, but no lip on the non drive side. All I did was loosen up the non drive side maybe 2mm to make the drive side flush and still compress the bb to hold it tight.








To the rest of you, I've decided I hate you. I don't want to admit it, but I've fallen in love with a fattie. I rode my 29er to the atm the other night and it felt stiff and twitchy. I have no idea what I will do at this point, but the fattie has earned its place in my stable. The 29er will probably become my trail only bike. I'm looking forward to riding the fattie on the trails here. I also finally got a chance to compare my fattie and my 29er on my gps app. The 29er's average speed was only 2.5 mph faster. I was rather surprised by that because I'm running Chris King hubs on moderately light wheels with a 44t 1x setup as compared to the heavy wheels and 32t setup on the fattie.


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## akacoke (May 11, 2011)

Xethur said:


> I don't know if I can explain what I mean but I'll try. The threads are cups that are seperate pieces from the bb itself. As you tighten them, both drive and non drive side, they compress the bb to hold it tight. There is a lip on the drive side to hold the e type, but no lip on the non drive side. All I did was loosen up the non drive side maybe 2mm to make the drive side flush and still compress the bb to hold it tight.


never mind, i had a brain fart earlier. i for some reason i was picturing a different bb


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## kyle242gt (Nov 12, 2012)

New owner - Got the bug for a fatbike for a couple reasons - looking for a way to make slow rides with my kids more challenging and fun, and a way to slow down and smell the roses, since I'm starting to ride my other bikes like a crazy person.

Selected the Monster as the lowest price point with 4" tires and a decent build. Arrived intact, some chipping on the fork dropouts and brake mount.

My question relates to the cables. They're routed wacky. I left the rear brake on left, moved the rear dir to the middle, and the front dir to the right. I read of similar complaints.

What I didn't read about is housing length - my bike looks like they put housings from a larger bike on - there's at least and inch of extra housing length in the rear segments for the rear brake and derailleurs.

Anyone else run across this? Not sure if I should just cut them down (losing the metal end in the process) or email BD for replacements.

Thanks for any tips.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

kyle242gt said:


> New owner - Got the bug for a fatbike for a couple reasons - looking for a way to make slow rides with my kids more challenging and fun, and a way to slow down and smell the roses, since I'm starting to ride my other bikes like a crazy person.
> 
> Selected the Monster as the lowest price point with 4" tires and a decent build. Arrived intact, some chipping on the fork dropouts and brake mount.
> 
> ...


Pictures would help us make an assessment.
I trimmed my shifter cable a bit, but it wasn't having any issues, I just wanted to snug it up a bit to avoid getting snagged out in the woods. I don't think its worth asking BD, even if they are willing to send you another housing and possibly cable, you will still be in the same position of trimming and instaling it. You will probably wait a few weeks for little to no gain. If it is causing issues, trim it. 
Again, this is without seeing how bad it is. If pictures show it to be really bad my answer might change a little bit.


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## kyle242gt (Nov 12, 2012)

Thanks Dawg, it occurred to me as I posted that pics would really help. The ders aren't too bad (suboptimal but workable), but the brake housing stands about 2" out from the seatstay because of the slack.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

The road bike I got from them also suffers from too much brake cable.







It works fine, so I'm just going to run it until it starts binding and deal with it then.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

After looking over my cables and housings I bought a Jagwire kit from ebay for about $13. I plan to drill the cable housing stops and run full length housings. The housings on my monster weren't very well built (bad cuts and no prep work on the end of the housing). I'm big fan of full length housing because it makes them practically maintenance free. I'll post pictures once it's done.


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## kyle242gt (Nov 12, 2012)

Finished assembly... Other than a mangled der hanger and the aforementioned housings, it seems pretty solid. Rode it up and down a steep hill to bed the brakes. Tomorrow we go to the park.

16" is a little small for a 5'9.9" fella, but I kinda knew that going in. Figured I'd pass this to my sons if (when?) I got the bug for a Sturgis or Lurch with a Bluto.


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## akacoke (May 11, 2011)

Xethur said:


> After looking over my cables and housings I bought a Jagwire kit from ebay for about $13. I plan to drill the cable housing stops and run full length housings. The housings on my monster weren't very well built (bad cuts and no prep work on the end of the housing). I'm big fan of full length housing because it makes them practically maintenance free. I'll post pictures once it's done.


if its modifiedbicycles or components its from me haha


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## kyle242gt (Nov 12, 2012)




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## xbmedic (Jan 6, 2015)

*Bullseye Monster on the Big Island*

My GBM 16" arrived on the Big Island of Hawaii last Thursday. Everything was great out of the box. Rear wheel needed a little truing. The Tektro mechanical brakes were easy to set up and work fine once the pads are scuffed in with a little braking. I put on some Shimano Saint pedals and did some shakedown rides around my neighborhood. On Tuesday, I took it out to a service road between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea at 5600 - 6000' elevation. Here are some pictures.

GBM on the lava flow









Loose gravel climbs









Mossy lava rock covered with dead leaves









The Pu'u O'o trail









Lots of sections with big loose rocks like this









And this









A lava tube that has creatures that have adapted to underground life









Riding over pahoehoe lava flows


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## bigeyedfish (May 30, 2013)

Has anybody drilled out the stock 50mm rims to have larger holes? Also, has anyone had success converting to tubeless without using a split tube? I'll probably attempt it either way, but if anyone has already tried, I'd gladly accept any tips.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

I had my monster out for the first proper dirt ride with the floaters on. The bike handled great. I was worried about the steeper headtube on steep downhill but it wasn't a problem in the slightest. While the traction was great so was the rolling resistance. I'm going to consider some fat b nimles or something with a bit less tread when I have some spare cash. Definitely felt the wheel weight but nothing I can't live with. Also, I didn't miss suspension a bit with the volume of the tires. I'm still very impressed with the bike especially for the price. I've got about 700 into the bike and I couldn't tell that it isn't 2x the price while riding.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

bigeyedfish said:


> Has anybody drilled out the stock 50mm rims to have larger holes? Also, has anyone had success converting to tubeless without using a split tube? I'll probably attempt it either way, but if anyone has already tried, I'd gladly accept any tips.


A "uni bit" will help with that.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

Finally got the cable housings run. Also swapped in a set of bbdb's and my old 9 speed xt drive train.


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## xbmedic (Jan 6, 2015)

Looks great, Xethur! I will have to run full length cable housings myself. Way too much work to maintain open cables.


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## ikernel (Mar 24, 2015)

Received my new freehub, the captive bolt is 12mm. The mechanic who'd verified the bolt's size appreciated the stock Vee tires. There was a Mongoose Dolomite in for service. The other mechanic immediately comments on it's 52lb weight.

Also found a picture of the mangled stock cassette from a few months back. Never seen this before.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Insert AAMCO commercial here...


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

ikernel said:


> Received my new freehub, the captive bolt is 12mm. The mechanic who'd verified the bolt's size appreciated the stock Vee tires. There was a Mongoose Dolomite in for service. The other mechanic immediately comments on it's 52lb weight.
> 
> Also found a picture of the mangled stock cassette from a few months back. Never seen this before.


my stock cassette exploded too, im still convinced that it was the result of mashing on the bad chainline.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

I didn't like the look or feel of the stock cassette from out of the box. It just felt flimsy and 6th gear skipped consistently. I think that flimsy cassette combined with the bad chainline equals epic failure. I was very happy to get my old xt drivetrain on my fattie.


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## bigeyedfish (May 30, 2013)

BansheeRune said:


> A "uni bit" will help with that.


Yeah, the plan is a step bit up to 3/4" and see if I'm comfortable removing any more material after that. I might just do split tube tubeless. I've got a 20" tube in the basement that I could use.

I'll ask again just in case. Has anyone set up these stock rims tubeless without using a split tube?


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

bigeyedfish said:


> Has anyone set up these stock rims tubeless without using a split tube?


personally i have not. i swap tires too often to be interested in tubeless. maybe now that its not snowy i will settle on one and give it a shot, but personally i will be giving split tube a shot. it seems too simple and effective for me to ignore.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

My new hub came in today! 170mm, 54poe, and sealed bearings all around. Really excited to get it laced up.


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## ikernel (Mar 24, 2015)

Ordered a Shimano Deore freehub. Then ordered the 12mm wrench... Find my Shimano part is totally incompatible. Trying to find a compatible freehub and it looks it's more SRAM or A-Class: the spline is opposite of a typical Shimano setup. Any ideas of what will work with the stock hub? Want to order an SRAM body but not willing to wait longer for more disappointment with compatibility.


----------



## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Delete, sorry, wrong thread.


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## ikernel (Mar 24, 2015)

watts888 said:


> Delete, sorry, wrong thread.


Should've specified anyway- It's for my Bullseye Monster. I'm the only one going this route seemingly, others have requested a warranty replacement. Skeptical of going the replacement route but considering sending Bikes Direct an email.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

ikernel said:


> Should've specified anyway- It's for my Bullseye Monster. I'm the only one going this route seemingly, others have requested a warranty replacement. Skeptical of going the replacement route but considering sending Bikes Direct an email.


wouldnt hurt. even if its just to get you rolling while you find a match for the busted one.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> My new hub came in today! 170mm, 54poe, and sealed bearings all around. Really excited to get it laced up.


So is this a stock replacement or an upgrade?


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Xethur said:


> So is this a stock replacement or an upgrade?


it's a huge upgrade. it's a FB340R from bike hub store. pretty much the same freehub as their (very popular) MTB270, but obviously with a wider axle and shell. 
I have wanted a new hub since day 1, mostly because i can't stand only having 18poe when i ride tech. i dont notice as much in the snow when there's not much coasting, but now that its warming up again i decided to pull the trigger. the faster engagement makes a huge difference when im trying to ratchet over a big rock or something. I initially had my eye on the Sarma, but i chose this over it because the prices went up substantially.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

Dawg I know exactly what you mean. I have Chris King hubs on my 29er and my only complaint with them is that they don't make fat hubs. Next tax return I'm planning to build an awesome wheel set for my fattie I can't wait to hear what you think of your new hub. Those may end up being the hubs I was looking for.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Dawg, 

I would like a 108 poe rear for mine, 'cause my trials bike has me spoiled rotten...
I9 offers it along with a complimentary wallet extraction!


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## bdundee (Feb 4, 2008)

BansheeRune said:


> Dawg,
> 
> I would like a 108 poe rear for mine, 'cause my trials bike has me spoiled rotten...
> I9 offers it along with a complimentary wallet extraction!


They also will get you a week on the couch when the wife see's the bill but well worth it. True story.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

Put a long 11.2 mile ride in today. The distance itself wasn't what made the ride long, it was the 5.7 miles on sand. From beach 1 to 11 on Presque Isle. The missions handled the sand with ease. It's too bad they self steer on any form of hard pack. At this point I'm planning on picking up a or8 devist8er 120tpi to run up front and keep the missions in the rear. I know the devist8er is also made by vee but I've read good things about the 120tpi. That is unless you guys can point me to an on one floater shipped for $55.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

19 miles for me today. Went out to the Cape to finally ride some dirt this year!


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Looks like a nice playground, Dawg!


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## ikernel (Mar 24, 2015)

I have resolved my freehub issue. First, contacted BD, the part is on order but not in stock, asked to have one sent anyway. Also contacted Gravity, still have yet to respond. Determined the hubs are Formula. Ordered an SRAM freehub. Either way, got a part on the way that should fit.


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## blown240 (Nov 4, 2009)

Does anybody know the widest tire for the rear of a Monster Pro? The rims are 80mm and there is decent room on both sides with a 4.0. I wonder if a 4.5 would fit, mounted to the 80mm rim?


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

The 80's will likely have the profile for it, tho' it might be close for mud clearance. This would not deter me from fatter fatty's cause I try to avoid mud bogging my fAtty...

if you know someone with a 4.5 you can test with before ya buy, that would be the way to go.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

I've already stated that a 4.0 nate on an 80mm gets chain rub in 2 gears. I don't see anything larger fitting.


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## blown240 (Nov 4, 2009)

I wonder if the pro and the regular have different rear triangles. This bike has plenty of space in the lowest gear with a 4.0 Vee8.


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## bcriverjunky (Jul 8, 2014)

blown240 said:


> I wonder if the pro and the regular have different rear triangles. This bike has plenty of space in the lowest gear with a 4.0 Vee8.


Post some pictures


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

240 forgot to pump up the tire!!


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## blown240 (Nov 4, 2009)

LOL. I'll post some pics tomorrow, but I just looked at it while taking out the trash and there is roughly 1/4 inch clearance between chain and tire in the lowest gear. And maybe a 1/2 clearance between frame and tire. It's a 4.0 Vee8 on the 80mm rim.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

80's do help maintain some clearance with the fAt tires. 4.0's are fat, 4.something is fAt!


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

the pro is a totally different bike, i cant really offer any insight.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

Read through this thread, and bought a monster. put it together last night and took it for a ride today. WOW I love it, totally new mtn bike experience


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## xbmedic (Jan 6, 2015)

Right on, Byron! I just got finished riding 20 miles on the Hilo coast of the Big Island of Hawaii. Rocks, sand, gravel or pavement, this bike can handle it. It's not fast, but will plow through anything as long as I have the leg strength.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Byron,

It's a Jeep on two wheels! Just point and pedal and it conquers... 

Can't be ridden without a big grin either! 
Enjoy the new toy! Many adventures to follow.

xbmedic, you lucky dog! On the Island? Sounds like a place to ride fat!


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## kcdirtbro54 (Mar 29, 2011)

Not sure if this counts since it's the pro version of the bike that started this thread, but I picked this up the other day.


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## xbmedic (Jan 6, 2015)

That GBM Pro looks awesome in black, KCdirtbro!


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## kcdirtbro54 (Mar 29, 2011)

Thanks! I'm not a black bike fan but when the last blue one sold right before I ordered, my only choice was black. $1000 for everything shipped w/bluto seemed like a steal to me!


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## Polycrono (May 11, 2012)

My bestie has the pro and it's very nice. Probably the only thing I don't like about my BEM is the lack of a tapered head tube, since the only straight steerer suspension fork I've come across is a $140 eBay pogo stick.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

*In Door County...*

Did about 22 miles of mountain biking in Peninsula State park this weekend on the Monster, lots of fun!









Does anyone know the diameter of the stock handle bars? I want to get a wider one and I am not sure of the clamp size


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

If there is no bulge close to the stem it is 25.4. With a bulge in the bar, it's 31.6.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

It does have the Bulge, The bars I am looking at are 31.8.... .2mm should be close enough right


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Doh! 31.8 is correct. Sorry for the misinformation.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

2000 miles and still going strong.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Dawg, 

You haven't broken it yet cause it's actually a good product. Should give you some good rides to come.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

The brakes on mine work much better now that it has about 35 miles on it. But I figured heck for $22 I can up grade the front to a 203mm rotor with the adapter for the caliper. It should really help the feel and power of the front. These wheels have a lot of rotating mass, larger diameter rotors should really help. Still need to order bars, but in the end it will be around $45 to upgrade/fit the bike to what I want.

On a side note on my way to Door County I stopped at an LBS to look for new bars, the mechanic looked at my bike and was super impressed. He said it looked better set-up then their entry level Fattie at $900, and he was going to look into stocking one or two.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Byron,

Disk brakes take time to bed in. It helps to get 'em wet and go out and use 'em while they are wet. 203's may not be necessary. They will make some noise but when they dry it will stop making noise. 
My Hopes with 160's make plenty of stopping power and will lock up the wheels without much effort at the lever.


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## Triggsie (Jan 12, 2012)

BansheeRune said:


> Byron,
> 
> Disk brakes take time to bed in. It helps to get 'em wet and go out and use 'em while they are wet. 203's may not be necessary. They will make some noise but when they dry it will stop making noise.
> My Hopes with 160's make plenty of stopping power and will lock up the wheels without much effort at the lever.


I agree. 203's are not really necessary. They will improve power but will lessen modulation. They are more appropriate on a downhill bike the needs the heat dissipation.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

BansheeRune said:


> Byron,
> 
> Disk brakes take time to bed in. It helps to get 'em wet and go out and use 'em while they are wet. 203's may not be necessary. They will make some noise but when they dry it will stop making noise.
> My Hopes with 160's make plenty of stopping power and will lock up the wheels without much effort at the lever.


Very true, the rear works just fine and I can lock it up, my front works ok, it may get better. but at $22 to upgrade the front to a 203mm it should improve control and power nicely. With the 160mm upfront I can't get the rear tire to lift on hard stops like I can with my 99 GT Avalanche or on my 08 Yamaha WR250r (yes a motorcycle). There have been times on both that I needed strong fronts to avoid crashing into something (downed rider, tree, etc). And yes grabbing a fist full of front brake can be a tricky proposition and can put you down, but at times the alternatives can be worse.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

Oh and you are right that the 203 really is not totally necessary, I am just suiting the bike to my perceived needs. And it needs very little.

Stock out of the box this bike is an absolute steal! 

I was running a long steep downhill in Peninsula State Park that had wood erosion beams half buried every so often. I was going about 20 - 22mph by the last one and probably got about 2.5' of air off it. Bike was rock solid the whole way down.


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## blown240 (Nov 4, 2009)

Here is my buddies Pro. Its got a few upgrades and he is looking for the best deal on a light weight rear tire before we make it tubeless:


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

Bryon I would swap the stock stem at the same time. The splines in the stock stem will really do a number on a new set of bars. If your ebaying this stuff a decent four bolt stem will only run another $15 and if you go with a short stem it will give those new bars a better feel IMO.

Dawg I'm still eagerly awaiting a review of that new hub. I've got my eyes on those hubs and some Chinese carbon 80mm wheels come tax return time.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

The biggest trouble with disk brakes is alignment. when they are spot on, they are powerful. If you are cool with wrenching, you may wanna inspect the front to make sure it's adjustment is correct.

"If they don't throw ya thru the windshield, they don't work" is what a friend of mine says at the the LBS. Kinda do agree, cause working properly you don't have to grab a fist full of lever to do the job.



byron555 said:


> Oh and you are right that the 203 really is not totally necessary, I am just suiting the bike to my perceived needs. And it needs very little.
> 
> Stock out of the box this bike is an absolute steal!
> 
> I was running a long steep downhill in Peninsula State Park that had wood erosion beams half buried every so often. I was going about 20 - 22mph by the last one and probably got about 2.5' of air off it. Bike was rock solid the whole way down.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

I would save your money for better brake calipers. The brake pad contact area of those tektro's is pretty small. I swapped mine for avid bb7's.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Xethur said:


> I would save your money for better brake calipers. The brake pad contact area of those tektro's is pretty small. I swapped mine for avid bb7's.


I hear the BB7's changed design in the last few years. In the trials world they are not as popular as the older model. How do you like 'em, Xethur?


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

BansheeRune said:


> I hear the BB7's changed design in the last few years. In the trials world they are not as popular as the older model. How do you like 'em, Xethur?


I did it too, and I like them a lot.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

The ones I have on the fattie are bbdb's which is the first style. They work but the adjustments on them are finicky. The red knobbed bb7's I have on my 29er with 180mm rotors and sd7's are awesome in every aspect. It did take some time to learn how to properly adjust them though. The newest style have black knobs and the only difference is they are lighter due to upgraded hardware. 

On the fattie the bb7's work better the the tektro's but I'm still working out cable stretch on the new cables and I will probably upgrade to 180 HS1's because I'm 6'3", 220lbs, and riding a 22" monster. Wow that sounds...


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Trials riders are a finicky lot, I know cause I am one. My bike is a dual disc stock, which is rare. It is good to know Sram didn't kill the power of the BB7's


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

The cable housings are the biggest trouble with 'em. You can find compressionless housing for them that will resolve most of the "cable stretch" issue. It'll make them feel like a different brake all together. Stockli Boy is a fan of the BB7 and his work amazingly well with Nokon cables. His are the older ones tho'.

Thanks for the reply Xethur, Dawg



Xethur said:


> The ones I have on the fattie are bbdb's which is the first style. They work but the adjustments on them are finicky. The red knobbed bb7's I have on my 29er with 180mm rotors and sd7's are awesome in every aspect. It did take some time to learn how to properly adjust them though. The newest style have black knobs and the only difference is they are lighter due to upgraded hardware.
> 
> On the fattie the bb7's work better the the tektro's but I'm still working out cable stretch on the new cables and I will probably upgrade to 180 HS1's because I'm 6'3", 220lbs, and riding a 22" monster. Wow that sounds...


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

I treat it just like I do bedding. I'll wait for the cabled to finish stretching and then I'll tighten everything up. After that, because the full length housing and the wax chain lube I put on the cables, I will probably never have to fiddle with the housing or cable again.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

BansheeRune said:


> Dawg,
> 
> You haven't broken it yet cause it's actually a good product. Should give you some good rides to come.


i whole heartedly agree and have been saying so since post #1 :thumbsup:


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> i whole heartedly agree and have been saying so since post #1 :thumbsup:


Werd!


----------



## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

Went on the sandbars near my house on the WI river, I had to cross a stretch of water about 25' long and 10-20" deep, and my main observation was that the bike gets lighter in the water due to the sizable volume of air in the tires. In the super loose sugar sand it is imperative to keep speed up and weight fairly centered front to back to keep going. I nearly rode into a 5' deep water hole when I was returning. The flat 2.5 mile stretch back to my house I was able to maintain a 17mph avg without much issue, which I thought was quite amazing with those 4.0s at 15psi. I think a fat bike is going to make a great contrast to my roadie for workouts.


----------



## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

The grin will be far bigger with the far bigger tires! Welcome to the big time, uh, big tires!


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

byron555 said:


> The flat 2.5 mile stretch back to my house I was able to maintain a 17mph avg without much issue,


If you did this on sand, very impressed.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

Not on the sand no... that would be more than impressive


----------



## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

byron555 said:


> View attachment 983541
> 
> 
> Read through this thread, and bought a monster. put it together last night and took it for a ride today. WOW I love it, totally new mtn bike experience


byron:

Cool, you finally got one! Like Banshee says your grin will just get bigger and bigger!
Before I got my Pro, My Monster had turned a whopping 1246 miles on it. The only major maintainence I had to do was replace the chain and I did switch out the tires for some Husker Du's, (that are now on the pro.) I love the way BD handles their customers. I also notice you bought an orange one. The picture makes it look like a salmon color or like campbell's Tomato soup. Now Brudda, get out and ride! I theink you will get a lot more use for your fatty than you think. I live in a small college town , we are home to the Missouri Science and technology university, and I use bikes to get around town. I love being a fathead. 
Don't worry about your brakes mine took 70 miles to get broke in and seated properly.

To everybody else on this thread: 
I went out and bought a Pro, I wanted a front fork to ease my arthritis in my hands and shoulders. the price is worth it! That Bluto really helps with the strain I get on longer rides. 
So far I have around 200 miles on it since the 8th when it came in.The brakes bedded themselves quickly and after I swapped out the mission v-8's for the Husker Du's The handling and traction in the dirt improved a bunch. I went to Castlewood State Park in the west county area of St. Louis county and I discovered how much this bike climbs and handles downhills. It was fantastic!

One quick personal note in closing this post. In March It was determined that i have skjn cancer on my right ear. So on May 5th I am going to undergo surgery on my ear to remove the cancer. That means I will lose the top half of my ear. The cause if the cancer is the years I spent riding out in Utah and Colorado's sun did the damage. I am now an advocate for using sun screen on the tops of the ears. SO PLEASE PLEASE Take my hard learned lesson to heart and use sun screen!

Until Later
Oldbear and family


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

oldbear52 said:


> byron:
> 
> Cool, you finally got one! Like Banshee says your grin will just get bigger and bigger!
> Before I got my Pro, My Monster had turned a whopping 1246 miles on it. The only major maintainence I had to do was replace the chain and I did switch out the tires for some Husker Du's, (that are now on the pro.) I love the way BD handles their customers. I also notice you bought an orange one. The picture makes it look like a salmon color or like campbell's Tomato soup. Now Brudda, get out and ride! I theink you will get a lot more use for your fatty than you think. I live in a small college town , we are home to the Missouri Science and technology university, and I use bikes to get around town. I love being a fathead.
> ...


Glad to hear that you're liking the bluto! 
Sorry to hear about your ear though, that really sucks.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

Well I ordered some 720mm bars and a short DH stem. I did not ride the fattie today, but I dropped 3 minutes on my near daily 12 mile short roadie ride.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

byron555 said:


> Well I ordered some 720mm bars and a short DH stem. I did not ride the fattie today, but I dropped 3 minutes on my near daily 12 mile short roadie ride.


already making you stronger


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

It would seem that way, but to be fair I have been pushing pretty hard this year too


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## Fordzilla85 (Apr 30, 2015)

Hey everyone total newbie here. I must say great thread dirtdawg, and after reading the whole thing I'm going to pull the trigger tonight and order my monster. I'm very excited and already dreading the wait. Look forward to sharing my experience with what seems to be a great starting point into the whole fat bike world.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Fordzilla85 said:


> Hey everyone total newbie here. I must say great thread dirtdawg, and after reading the whole thing I'm going to pull the trigger tonight and order my monster. I'm very excited and already dreading the wait. Look forward to sharing my experience with what seems to be a great starting point into the whole fat bike world.


Thanks Fordzilla! Welcome to the club.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Let the jones begin!


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## kcdirtbro54 (Mar 29, 2011)

Luckily the wait is only a couple days. I ordered mine on a Tuesday and had it Thursday, standard shipping.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

My wife called while riding to have me pick something up at the gas station. So when 30 seconds later I come out and (the bike is still there) but some kids are looking at it and as I ride out and a sketchy dude in an old Caravan gives me props for the bike. Point is, I can park this $500 Fattie next to my wife's $1200 Bianchi Roadie, and I would bet $100 the fattie would get stolen first. I am getting the impression that these types of bikes are theft magnets


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## Fordzilla85 (Apr 30, 2015)

Just placed my order for my monster I can't wait for it to get here. Thanks again to everyone here it put my mind at ease knowing that it's worth the money. Can't wait to get it out on the trails.


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## xbmedic (Jan 6, 2015)

You will have fun with it guaranteed. My other mountain bike doesn't see much use since I got the Monster.


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## Fordzilla85 (Apr 30, 2015)

So my bike will be here wensday I can't wait. Hope ton have as much fun as everyone else has been talking about. I'm sure I will. Now I just need to find a way to pass some time. I hope to have pics soon. Happy rideing!


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## siebermd (Feb 27, 2015)

This is my Daughter riding our Bullseye Monster. I am riding my Boris. Great day out on the trails.


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## YJGUY (Mar 16, 2005)

Looks like a fun day!


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## MUSTCLIME (Jan 26, 2004)

siebermd said:


> This is my Daughter riding our Bullseye Monster. I am riding my Boris. Great day out on the trails.


1)...she needs a helmet
2) who took all your rocks?. I don't think I saw one....whats mountain biking without a constant stream of goat heads? I could ride my road bike there.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

I pulled a dozen "Goatheads" outta my tires the other day, good thing they are tubless with stans in 'em


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

Slebrmd: 
I agree with Mustclime on one thing, you guys need helmets. But that video is sweet. looks like there some beginner to intermediate riding to be had there. '

To everyone else, I just woke up from my sleep and had to take some pain meds. I have had surgery on my right ear, losing about 90% of it to Basal Cancer. So after years of going without it I am now an advocate of Sunscreen. I used to do a lot of riding out in Utah and Colorado back in the day (1990's ) and never thought of using any. Now I am going to use a really effective screen. Looking for one around 50 spf or even more. Seems some of my heart meds makes me more prone to the sun. Although I lost my ear, the cancer was Basal and didn't spread any further than the exterior. Now I have to endure seven days of enforced idleness and my Monster just sits there tempting me. 
I will post a post-op picture on my profile, 'cuz for some reason i can't post it here.

Until later====================PEACE
Oldbear===========AKA Fred


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## crowm (Dec 27, 2014)

Here's my GBM 14" next to a Framed Minnesota 2.0 16". A few other things have been changed since this photo was taken so I'll add more later, maybe when I get my new pedals. I love the bike. Most of what I changed was for fit/personal comfort. It's a great bike right out of the box.


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## Fordzilla85 (Apr 30, 2015)

Glad to hear you won that battle old bear. My bike should be here tomorrow and I can't wait to get it out on the trails. I must say this day is taking forever to go by. I'll post pics as soon as I get it together


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## siebermd (Feb 27, 2015)

oldbear52 said:


> Slebrmd:
> I agree with Mustclime on one thing, you guys need helmets. But that video is sweet. looks like there some beginner to intermediate riding to be had there. '
> 
> To everyone else, I just woke up from my sleep and had to take some pain meds. I have had surgery on my right ear, losing about 90% of it to Basal Cancer. So after years of going without it I am now an advocate of Sunscreen. I used to do a lot of riding out in Utah and Colorado back in the day (1990's ) and never thought of using any. Now I am going to use a really effective screen. Looking for one around 50 spf or even more. Seems some of my heart meds makes me more prone to the sun. Although I lost my ear, the cancer was Basal and didn't spread any further than the exterior. Now I have to endure seven days of enforced idleness and my Monster just sits there tempting me.
> ...


Glad you are getting better and back out on the trail sooner then later. I know we screwed up, we packed everything and then some, but forgot to toss in the helmets. We do wear them. It is a great trail, has a little bit of everything, and a lot of roots. However no rocks, this isnt a rocky area. Definitely my favorite local trail.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

Hi everyone!

Just thought I would post a couple of pics the first will be my post-op selfie.







As you can see not much left. Now for a shot of my Monster







I am off the Fatty until next Tuesday. That's when i will have my stitches out. I want everyonr who rides even causally Please Please
Please!!!!!!use your Suncreen. I am going to bathe in it.

Until later_++_+_+_+_+_+_+PEACE
Oldbear>>>>>>>>>AKA fred


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

Well I am continuing to ride the GBM nearly everyday (everyday if you include short rides with the kids) And I can now say there is no question, when paired with a Road bike (alternate between the two) I am getting stronger, and faster very quickly.

I am still waiting for delivery of the new bars and 203mm rotor. So right now my bike is bone stock (except for my shin shredding welgo pedals). No question, at $499 this is the best fat bike on the market at any other price point


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## MUSTCLIME (Jan 26, 2004)

oldbear52 said:


> Hi everyone!
> 
> Just thought I would post a couple of pics the first will be my post-op selfie.
> View attachment 986525
> ...


No more fights with Mike Tyson for you.......JK, get well and take care of yourself.


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## JackNicholls62 (Mar 9, 2014)

GBM on some pretty sweet singletrack at SWK park in IL. Ends with a pretty pathetic lay down. Still not sure what happend!


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

FrankenMonster













I won't be reporting much on my monster because I had to combine my two bikes. The freehub on the fattie has developed a disturbing grid while rotating. And I destroyed the front end of the 29er by bending the rim and fork. I would love to fix both bikes properly, but work has been slow. So my bike fund contains about 38 cents. Thus the FrankenMonster was born. I could send in a warranty claim for the hub, but then I would have to get it laced up. I just don't see the point of doing that when I plan to build a new wheel set asap.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

I'd try to get warranty anyway. Even if they won't do anything, at least try. You should be able to swap the freehub with a big allen key. It's a pain, but can be done.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

I had a grind at one spot each rotation of the frehub. You couldn't feel it with the cassette attached when spinning by hand, you had to remove the cassette and spin the freehub by hand to feel the grinding. I tried to warranty and they said the bearing have tight tolerances and need to bed in. I rode it another hundred miles and it's gone. I'd still like to have a spare on hand.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

Hey Ho neighborinos! 








Here's a pic of me before the cutting began. The hair will grow out and soon I will cover my ear with it. LOL 
I have a son, that maybe some of you readers of the 'fat biking abd health" might have seen and here is a pic of him with his el-cheapo Walgoose that somebody in our complex threw away.







He had a Gravity Deadeye Monster ss but unfortunately it was stole along with my other bikes except My Good Old Monster that I was out riding at the time of the break in. He asked when he can get his monster back and I had to tell him we'd have to get another. So now all bikes in our family now sit in the Living room. It is a lesson learned not to trust cheap storage locker hasps in our apartment building.:madman:

On my recovery, I am anxious for Tuesday for the Doc to take out the stitches. Then I can back on my fatty and ride. So everyone get out and ride a couple for me anf Sean tomorrow.

Until later..........................PEACE
Oldbear and his cub..........................Fred and Sean


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

While we are posting pictures of ourselves, here is me on my bike:








I hope you can ride again soon fred.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

Thanks dirtdawg! Tuesday can't come soon Enough!


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

Tried out the 203mm rotor today, and it has certainly improved the braking. Both in power and control. Still waiting for the delivery of the handle bars.


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## Fordzilla85 (Apr 30, 2015)

So I have close to 100 miles on the monster now. Both trail and street, I still can't get the smile off my face! I would have to say Im 100% satisfied with my purchase. I would like to give a huge THANK YOU to every one in this thread, like I said I'm beyond happy with this bike. I'll try to get pics up sooner the later but having to much fun riding. On another note great to see that old bear is going to get back on the bike soon, and thank you I really never put much thought into sun screen while on the trails.Until next time happy riding


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

That's great news Fordzilla! Keep on truckin"! My Monster has over 1000 miles on it and it never gets old. Tomorrow morning is the big day. I get mmy stitches out at 9am. I am anxious to get back on my bike. I don't know if I posted these pic before, but, we'll try to get three in.
This is a selfie of me pre-op







Here is one the same day as the surgery. 
My new Yoda ear.







Now for one of my Monster 







I will post one after the stitches come out. I hope every one has a great day and get out and ride your fatty!

Untgil later========PEACE
Oldbear-------Aka Fred


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

*Quarry ridge trail*

Rode at Quarry Ridge mtn bike trail today South of Madison. It was fun









This is how the 203mm rotor looks installed


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## FlightMedic (May 10, 2015)

I have read every page of this thread over the last several days and I am seriously contemplating a BEM, Lurch or BEM Pro. I have never ridden a rigid MTB before but I also like the idea of picking up the BEM for $500 and buying another FS 29er sometime down the road just so I can get the bike sooner. 

If it has already been answered I must have missed it but I'm assuming the BEM is not upgradable/compatible to the Bluto fork, correct?

Also a big thanks to everyone in this thread because without this thread I wouldn't have even considered a $500 online fat bike from BD and you have all sold me on their quality and customer service (if not their extremely cheap looking and unorganized website).


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

it's 90s organized.

I don't think you'd want to put a bluto on the regular BEM. For the price, can't go wrong with the pro. I'm seriously contemplating it, but I have to sell 2 bikes before I can bring a new one home.


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## akacoke (May 11, 2011)

FlightMedic said:


> I have read every page of this thread over the last several days and I am seriously contemplating a BEM, Lurch or BEM Pro. I have never ridden a rigid MTB before but I also like the idea of picking up the BEM for $500 and buying another FS 29er sometime down the road just so I can get the bike sooner.
> 
> If it has already been answered I must have missed it but I'm assuming the BEM is not upgradable/compatible to the Bluto fork, correct?
> 
> Also a big thanks to everyone in this thread because without this thread I wouldn't have even considered a $500 online fat bike from BD and you have all sold me on their quality and customer service (if not their extremely cheap looking and unorganized website).


unfortunately, BEM is not compatible due to straight 1 1/8 ht. you would need a fork with straight steerer because bluto is taper only


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## FlightMedic (May 10, 2015)

I really like the Pro but I made the mistake of telling my wife I wanted to spend about $500 on a new bike (I have pro-deal on another brand and was looking at a mid-level 29er). If I do get the BEM Pro I will likely have to wait until August when we get back from our road trip unless I can get stealthy and have BD bill half to two different cards. :devil:


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

So it looks like my fork has been slowly bending over time. 









Looks like It's dimpling a little bit too.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> So it looks like my fork has been slowly bending over time.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hey Dawg: Are you going to get ahold of BD about a new fork? That looks pretty rough. Is it affecting the ride any? Itlooks like it is bent about an inch or almost. I am lucky I guess. But then I don't try to ride too Gonzo these days. I have a bit more weight before I will try anything too wild. Maybe ease off on the numps a bit Dawg. LOL
I finally changed out my OEM chain today. I was starting to have little problem with rough shifting and a bit of jump in between the two front chain rings. the new Chain solved it. My riding buddy To who is also a bike tech did the change and some minor adjustments to the Derailuers. Next up new brake pads. But at 1100 miles that isn't too shabby.

I went out and did a few laps on the the trails today I put in about 16 iles in the dirt plus another three running an errand for my wife, Mama Bear. She wanted (Icecream from Krogewr's and I just had to go. LOL I had locked my Fatty to tghe lid of a trash can and when I came out I saw a Kid and His grandpa looking over the bike. The manasked all th eusual quuestions and his grandson was all ovewr the Bike. (He was about 4-5) When he lofted it he remarked how light it was compared to one he looked at at Wallyworld. (Read Dolomite) I wrote down BD's web address and he said that a fatty is what he's looking for.

Until Later ----------PEACE LOVE ANND FATNESS
Oldbear and family ----------Fred, Sue (Mama bear ) and Sean (the Cub)


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

oldbear52 said:


> Hey Dawg: Are you going to get ahold of BD about a new fork? That looks pretty rough. Is it affecting the ride any? Itlooks like it is bent about an inch or almost. I am lucky I guess. But then I don't try to ride too Gonzo these days. I have a bit more weight before I will try anything too wild. Maybe ease off on the numps a bit Dawg. LOL
> I finally changed out my OEM chain today. I was starting to have little problem with rough shifting and a bit of jump in between the two front chain rings. the new Chain solved it. My riding buddy To who is also a bike tech did the change and some minor adjustments to the Derailuers. Next up new brake pads. But at 1100 miles that isn't too shabby.
> 
> I went out and did a few laps on the the trails today I put in about 16 iles in the dirt plus another three running an errand for my wife, Mama Bear. She wanted (Icecream from Krogewr's and I just had to go. LOL I had locked my Fatty to tghe lid of a trash can and when I came out I saw a Kid and His grandpa looking over the bike. The manasked all th eusual quuestions and his grandson was all ovewr the Bike. (He was about 4-5) When he lofted it he remarked how light it was compared to one he looked at at Wallyworld. (Read Dolomite) I wrote down BD's web address and he said that a fatty is what he's looking for.
> ...


To be honest, I think it rides better this way (due to slacker head tube). this wasn't the result of one jump, this has been slowly happening over time. I remember looking at it about a month ago and thinking "wow, that fork is pretty raked out" but not really thinking anything of it. Last night on a ride, sombody made a comment about my fork being bent, and then after looking at it objectivly I realized that it had gotten worse and they were right. It managed to bend perfectly straight and I can't tell while riding it. I will see what BD has to say. (I've been talking to them an awful lot lately).
Worst case I may get one of those cheap suspension forks from alibaba. I heard that they ride pretty well, but have a big weight penalty.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

I had a steel fork fold up on me years ago. zero warning. Get it replaced. 

The suspension fork will have a longer crown to axle length, so you'll get a slacker HT angle. I won't chime in if that's a good thing or not from a frame damage standpoint. I also wonder if there is enough frame clearance for the fork crown on the BEM if the handlebars turn 180 degrees.


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## Beicster (Feb 9, 2007)

Anybody know if those are the same forks offered on the Boris X7? The descriptions are different on the website but they are so different that it could just be two different ways of describing the same thing.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

well, that was easy.
not 2 hours after sending BD an email with the fork picture, they have replied and are sending me another. i say it every time, but these guys are awesome in the customer service department.
at this point, i'm pretty much on a first name basis with Larry in the service department. he didnt even have to ask for my address.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

tried it out with the 720mm bars and DH stem, and WOW what an improvement. Better control and it automatically put me in a better balancing stance when standing and it is much easier t get behind the seat


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

*Forgive me, fellow fatbikers, for I have sinned...*

After riding the Monster all winter long through snow, ice, and sand, I've been riding my new 29er for the last several weeks. Today, with flats on my 29er and 26er, I took the Monster out to one of my favorite trails and had more fun than I've ever had on that trail. Small stumps on the new sections that smack the 29er around cried "uncle" as the Floaters ate them up. Man, that was fun. The setting sun is all that stopped me.

I'm upgrading it to 2x9 X7 as soon as I have the time, probably after Memorial Day.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

Was anyone who was deciding between the 20" and 22" get the 22"? I am 6'3" 31" inseam with a long torso. I am wondering if I should size up or down. I love having a big bike that I can stretch out on but don't want it to be so big that it hinders handling.

My daily rider is a 21.5" Trek FX 7.3 that is a high step-over for me but feels like I could have more height when I ride it, at least in the handle bars.

Thanks in advance for any advice.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

I went with a 22". I'm 6'3" with a 33.5" inseam. I love the size. I don't feel cramped like I do on my 21" 29er. 

Well, I put my monster back together. The frankenmoster wasn't any fun to ride. I did tear down the rear hub on the monster. The bearings are fine but the free hub has a narly grind. So hopefully it will hold out till I get my new wheel set built.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

I am 5'10" and a 30" inseam and I bought the 16". I would not want it larger as the stand over height is about right (a little more would be better) but I think the 14" would have been too small. I'd be wary of going 22" in your case. In an normal 26" Mountain bike 18" is right for me, with the added height in tire size on fat tires 16" is better. You can always change the stem length


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

Byron you have a point. The stand over on my 22" monster is way up there. I was much more concerned with reach then stand over when I bought mine. I also have really come to love short stems and wide bars and will probably never go back to longer stems. So with that in mind I will happily live with the leg lifts to get on the bike in exchange for the comfort while riding.


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## bigeyedfish (May 30, 2013)

I'm 5'-11 and riding a 20". I like short stems and I like a slightly longer bike. I like the fit, but I wouldn't go any bigger. One size smaller probably would have been fine too.


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## kcdirtbro54 (Mar 29, 2011)

I'm 6'3 with around a 33" inseam. I ordered the 20" PRO over the 22 just because I'm coming from a BMX background and am used to smaller rides that are easier to whip around. After riding mine a bit, the 22 would have been just fine with the possibility of some standover issues, but I would have probably grabbed a shorter stem for it.
As for my 20" PRO, I'll be getting some riser bars (20mm) in the future just for comfort.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

5'11" 30" inseam and I'm on an 18" due to standover. No way I could stand flat footed on a 20". The standover on the 18" monster is higher than my 2005 19" full suspension standover.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Ok, fork time.








They clearly bumped me up to a beefy model.


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## adw31 (Feb 16, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Ok, fork time.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Looks like an FB4 fork, I'd look it over, I had two creak after 20 miles or so.


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## xbmedic (Jan 6, 2015)

That new fork looks like it is aluminum instead of steel.


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

Hey everyone this is my first post! I've been riding for about 8 or 9 years single track and a little down hill on my specialized, and it is finally at the point where I am just going to buy a new ride. Been itching to try a fatty and after reading this whole thread I've got an 18 inch hot red Bullseye Monster being delivered on friday! Slightly worried about receiving a bike with a bent fork or hanger but it sounds like that hasn't happened to anyone in a while. Love this thread and can't wait to be part of the conversation.
Thank you all!


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

adw31 said:


> Looks like an FB4 fork, I'd look it over, I had two creak after 20 miles or so.


So what exactly is going on there? Is it the steerer tube moving around in the crown?


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

The weight difference is huge.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

Just ordered a 20" sliver Monster! Woohoo! Thanks dirtdawg and everyone for their help.

Went to an LBS Specialized dealer today that I never had been to. He was trying to sell me $3-6K dual suspension 27+ bikes. The only bike there that peaked my interest was the owner's $6K carbon fiber beauty. I will go for $500 tyvm.

Will let you know how the unboxing, first ride etc, goes.


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## adw31 (Feb 16, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> So what exactly is going on there? Is it the steerer tube moving around in the crown?


I think poor fit before welding left gaps in it. It looked fine and couldn't see any cracks, the second one wasn't as bad but still creaked. So if your bars or stem start getting noisy after a few rides it's probably that.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

218traverse said:


> Hey everyone this is my first post! I've been riding for about 8 or 9 years single track and a little down hill on my specialized, and it is finally at the point where I am just going to buy a new ride. Been itching to try a fatty and after reading this whole thread I've got an 18 inch hot red Bullseye Monster being delivered on friday! Slightly worried about receiving a bike with a bent fork or hanger but it sounds like that hasn't happened to anyone in a while. Love this thread and can't wait to be part of the conversation.
> Thank you all!


Congratulations 218! Looks like you and I ordered our bikes almost at the same hour lol. Let's keep in touch and compare experiences. I got the silver. The red looks nice though.


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

soarftb said:


> Congratulations 218! Looks like you and I ordered our bikes almost at the same hour lol. Let's keep in touch and compare experiences. I got the silver. The red looks nice though.


Definitely, I am so stoked! Especially since I just got my girlfriend a specialized 650b bike and realized how old my current rig was. Can't wait.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

soarftb said:


> Just ordered a 20" sliver Monster! Woohoo! Thanks dirtdawg and everyone for their help.


No problem and congrats on the new bike!
I'm glad that i have been able to help.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Just realized that I never posted after pictures from the fork swap:

















between the difference in axle to crown height and the big flange at the bottom of the race, its pretty goofy looking. I think i will like the taller fork though.

Also gave me a good excuse to put on my new stem cap and a green spacer I had.


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## riverat (May 22, 2015)

Hello there folks, finally decided to buy my first fat bike and I went with this glorious beast. I'm pretty new to the mountain biking world (long time roadie now joining the dark side) So far I love this thing more than any bike i've owned in a very long time. Makes me feel like a young kid again. So far i've added a few little upgrades (pedals, grips, brooks saddle, stickers etc,) I love it the way it is however there is one more upgrade I need and that's a shorter stem. I'm looking for something way shorter but still has good rise to it. Any suggestions? :thumbsup:


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

Nice red and black colorway and welcome.


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## kcdirtbro54 (Mar 29, 2011)

Well it hasn't stopped raining here for over a week, but that hasn't stopped me from looking for fatty upgrades. $35 later and I've got everything ordered for bigger brakes. 180 to 203mm up front and I'll be moving the front rotor to the back to go from 160 to 180mm. Pretty excited. the bike has few miles so the reused front rotor is basically brand new


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## Paulbunyan (May 24, 2015)

Hi,
I'm looking at buying a fat bike and it appears that Bikes Direct is the place to go for decent budget bikes. I'm not going to be in any crazy terrain or riding the bike hard, mostly riding dirt roads with my young kids, maybe a bit of level off road riding. I'll be taking it pretty easy on the bike. I'm looking at all of the bikes that are $600 and under on the Bikes Direct Fat Bike page. I see that a lot of you are modifying your BD bikes, I would like to keep it simple and keep my bike stock, just replacing things that need fixing. 

With all of the choices available and myself not being very knowledgeable on what components are better than others, I was hoping to get some recommendations on which of these $600 and under bikes have the best bang for my buck, which are the best right out of the box and will need the least amount of after market mods to make them a good reliable bike. I've been looking at all of them for a while and they all seem to look good, but I'm sure some are better than others.

I'm also wondering how they compare to the Minnesota 1.0, would it be worth it for me to spend the $750 for that bike? How do the $750 BD bikes compare to the Minnesota 1.0? Are there other brands I should be looking at? I really would prefer to stay at $600 or under if possible, but I would go higher if the bike quality was a lot better at the higher price. I'm hoping whatever bike I get will last for many years,

I'm 6'2", 200 pounds if that helps.

Thanks!


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

Can you mount a Bluto shock on the GBEM? From my understanding it does not come with a tapered head tube so the answer is 'No'. However with some advanced mechanical work can it be done? Or is the mechanical transformation not that bad? Thanks.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

Paulbunyan said:


> Hi,
> I'm looking at buying a fat bike and it appears that Bikes Direct is the place to go for decent budget bikes. I'm not going to be in any crazy terrain or riding the bike hard, mostly riding dirt roads with my young kids, maybe a bit of level off road riding. I'll be taking it pretty easy on the bike. I'm looking at all of the bikes that are $600 and under on the Bikes Direct Fat Bike page. I see that a lot of you are modifying your BD bikes, I would like to keep it simple and keep my bike stock, just replacing things that need fixing.
> 
> With all of the choices available and myself not being very knowledgeable on what components are better than others, I was hoping to get some recommendations on which of these $600 and under bikes have the best bang for my buck, which are the best right out of the box and will need the least amount of after market mods to make them a good reliable bike. I've been looking at all of them for a while and they all seem to look good, but I'm sure some are better than others.
> ...


Paul, welcome to the GBEM thread. At $600 and under you would be looking at the GBEM or the Boris X5 from BD. The main technical difference I see between the two is the wheel width which is larger for the Boris at 80 mm versus 50 mm for the GBEM. With a wider wheel you get more stability which is better for snow conditions but you would lose some control that results from the rubber protruding over a narrower rim. A 50mm rim is non-standard because most fat bikes seem to built for snow. The drive train specs may be slightly higher in the Boris, I have not looked too closely. And the dropped, curved geometry of the main frame bar on the Boris makes it easier to get on and off and less likely to crush your nards if you get bounced off. So it depends a lot on where you are located. If you plan to ride in the snow I would probably choose the Boris. I chose the GBEM because I am in a Mid-Atlantic city and will probably be riding trails more and rarely in snow.

You asked about the bike being low maintenance. I think the quality of the two is probably very similar. I know a lot of people on this forum have modded their GBEM because of the narrow wheels but if that may not an issue for you because of what I outlined above. I can't really speak to maintenance having not owned either bike, yet. dirtdawg has put a lot of miles on his GBEM. You could read the Boris thread to get more details there.

If you get the bulls-eye I would strongly recommend the 2015 Monster which is $50 more than the older Bulls-eye without the "Monster." You get the wider 4" tires that way.

You asked about the Minnesota 1.0. My impression is that bike is probably the lowest level entry point into the more supreme branded bike market, which pretty much includes all other fat bikes from known companies except BD or big box stores. You also don't get free shipping like you do with BD, so tack on another $50-100 and they may charge tax, I don't remember. The people who have Framed bikes seem to have the higher end Alaska which I have only read good things about but will probably run you $3K minimum.

You and I are in the same position. I was just asking the same questions as you, you can check out my thread here:
http://forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/wh...ntry-level-bikes-direct-fat-bikes-970093.html
(maybe you should have searched first :nono

Now, understand that I have my bike on order and have not ridden a fat bike yet so take my advice with a grain of salt. I have, however, been doing a ton of reading on this forum and elsewhere online over the past week or so, so I feel like I already know enough to advise you.

My only buyers remorse at this point is I think having the Bluto front suspension shock would be nice. I have heard it recommended from a number of people for reducing arm fatigue and handling more technical terrain. But, since I am entering this fat bike market blind, like you, I didn't want to shell out more than $700 for the bike, especially if ordering online and untried. The Bluto shock alone is $500. If I decide I like my GBEM and the fixed fork is killing my arms I can always sell it and get something like a Boris X7 FS with the Bluto for $1200 or so.

I have really not heard any bad things about BD, from bike quality to customer service. You are not going to get a carbon bike weighing 23 lbs with a Bluto for anywhere near BD prices. But for what they sell, it seems like an excellent value. dirtdawg2189 would back me up on this.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.


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## Paulbunyan (May 24, 2015)

Thank you soar! I have read your thread, quite a few times actually, along with a lot of other related ones. I guess I still don't have a handle on these bikes as I still felt the need to post. This will be my only bike so our circumstances are a bit different, but still similar.

I don't think I'll be riding in snow, or need any suspension. I will be mostly be leisurely riding dirt roads with my kids. I'm getting a fat bike mostly for the fun factor. 

How about the plus size Bullseyes and the Motobecane 29+X5? They also look interesting.

Would the narrower tires on the cheaper bullseye model work better for me since I'll be mostly riding on gravel? Is the monster model a better build than the regular bullseye? They must be different bikes since the regular bullseye won't fit 4" tires and the monster will (I'm fine with not running 4" tires if the bike is better).

I mentioned the Minnesota bike because it's the only other branded, non Walmart bike I could find near the BD bikes price. I was wondering if it's worth the extra money, or if the BD bikes are decent out of the box.

Thanks again soar, you were very helpful. I'd love to hear from anyone else that has ridden these bikes or has any info on them. I've been burned by bargain bikes before, but they were quite a bit cheaper than these fat bikes, so it wasn't too big of a deal that they were crap. I'm really just looking for a quality bike that I can ride out of the box that will last for a while. I don't have room in the garage for another bike that will arrive via UPS that I ride once and never touch again because I can't stand riding it. Also, I live in a very rural area, very far from a LBS, so online buying is really my only choice.

Thanks!


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## slimbean mcgee (Oct 25, 2014)

I have had the 27.5+ for 6 months, along with the 26x4 wheelset for winter, and other than the seat and a shorter stem, run it stock and it does just fine...I mostly use it for gravel, some off road and rides with my kids and similar uses to what you are thinking..happy choosing and have fun...


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## Paulbunyan (May 24, 2015)

Thank you slimbean, that's actually the bike I've been leaning towards. Looking at the geometry, I'm between a 20" and 22", both of which are sold out right now, the sizing guide puts me at a 22".

Do you find the bike runs true to the sizing guide?


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## slimbean mcgee (Oct 25, 2014)

I'd say yeah I went with the 18" and it seems just right..I contemplated the 20", but I thought it might be a bit tall..The stock stem is longer than I like so I got a 50mm and it's just right for me...


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## Paulbunyan (May 24, 2015)

Ok, thanks. I was thinking I'd probably go with the 20", but I'm not sure. I'd rather have it be a little small than a little big.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

@soar - there is no way to mount the bluno with out cutting and welding the frame and that is expensive and risky.

@paul honestly any of the bikes bd offers are very usable out of the box for your purposes. Most of the upgrades people like myself and dawg are doing are to improve confidence while pushing the bike hard. At this point you do have a lot of different wheel sizes to choose from. If I were you I would Google them and read up on their intended purpose and make a choice based on that. The following are offered by bd for less the $500: 26x3, 27.5x3, 29x3, 26x4. Good luck.


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## recumbenttoad (Aug 6, 2006)

I've went through about 30 pages of this thread and have decided to pick one of these bikes up. I was originally going to pick up a Boris X7, but I like what I am reading here. My question is this, I have read a couple of times that the standover height on the 18" is 29". Is that measurement you are getting at the top tube/seat tube or more in the middle of the top tube? The smallest frame size available is the 18" is the reason I'm asking.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

Paul, if you are only interested in the 29x3, 27x3 fat bikes you could get a regular 29 mountain bike. The only difference in tire size is less than 1" of width and you would get a better frame and a front suspension fork for your price range.


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## Paulbunyan (May 24, 2015)

Xethur said:


> @paul honestly any of the bikes bd offers are very usable out of the box for your purposes. Most of the upgrades people like myself and dawg are doing are to improve confidence while pushing the bike hard. At this point you do have a lot of different wheel sizes to choose from. If I were you I would Google them and read up on their intended purpose and make a choice based on that. The following are offered by bd for less the $500: 26x3, 27.5x3, 29x3, 26x4. Good luck.


Thanks Xethur, I was thinking I'd probably order the 27.5+, but I emailed BD and it sounds like they will be out of stock in my size until October. I was thinking that the narrower tires might be better for gravel roads. I see the regular bullseye and the 29+ come with 3" tires. Which of these 2 bikes do you think has better components and frame?

Thanks!


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## Paulbunyan (May 24, 2015)

soarftb said:


> Paul, if you are only interested in the 29x3, 27x3 fat bikes you could get a regular 29 mountain bike. The only difference in tire size is less than 1" of width and you would get a better frame and a front suspension fork for your price range.


I've thought about that also, I was looking into the 27.5plus as it has 3.25" wide tires and I like 27.5 bikes, but they will be out of stock for a while.

Would any of the BD 27.5" bikes accept these 26x3 tires and rims, http://bikeisland.com/cgi-bin/BKTK_STOR20.cgi?Action=Details&ProdID=2960 ? Sorry if this is a stupid question.

If I could find a good 27.5 bike that would take 26x3 tires without a bunch of mods I would be all set.

Thanks!


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

Received my Monster on Friday but was out of town this weekend so I didn't have a chance to post about it. Unfortunately the fork was pinched upon arrival and the front wheel would not fit. On the positive side bikes direct customer service was great and responded immediately. Should have a new fork in the next couple of days. In the meantime I bent it back and assembled the bike, but I couldn't get the fork to be quite right. The fit and finish is great, and I'm overall quite impressed. Bummer about the fork but their customer service was so responsive it's not that big of a deal. Gonna take it out for a ride on some single track Wednesday, and I will post about that


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

218traverse said:


> Received my Monster on Friday but was out of town this weekend so I didn't have a chance to post about it. Unfortunately the fork was pinched upon arrival and the front wheel would not fit. On the positive side bikes direct customer service was great and responded immediately. Should have a new fork in the next couple of days. In the meantime I bent it back and assembled the bike, but I couldn't get the fork to be quite right. The fit and finish is great, and I'm overall quite impressed. Bummer about the fork but their customer service was so responsive it's not that big of a deal. Gonna take it out for a ride on some single track Wednesday, and I will post about that


Thanks for the update. Sorry about your bad fork. Another report of great bd support. Let us know if they send you an fb4 fork like dirtdawg. Good to hear about the nice fit and finish. Post up some pics! My silver gbem is set to arrive Wednesday. I have a guerrilla repair stand setup in mind from a speaker stand. I will post more about it.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

Paulbunyan said:


> Thanks Xethur, I was thinking I'd probably order the 27.5+, but I emailed BD and it sounds like they will be out of stock in my size until October. I was thinking that the narrower tires might be better for gravel roads. I see the regular bullseye and the 29+ come with 3" tires. Which of these 2 bikes do you think has better components and frame?
> 
> Thanks!


I really can't speak to the 29+. I don't own one. I imagine they are very similar in quality and parts. So the real question is whether you want a fat or a plus. I actually plan own both. I want to replace my 29er with a 29+ at some point down the road.


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## Beicster (Feb 9, 2007)

I went back and forth between the BEM, the Boris and the Motobecane 29+ before I settled on my Boris. My wife told me that I should go with a full fat instead of the 29+ because that is what got me interested in it to begin with. That was good advice.

As to the decision on the Boris over the BEM, I finally went with color (love my orange X7) and part quality. It was close though because the Monster looks more like a bike to me with the standard tube layout. Ultimately, though, I think it would be hard to go wrong with any of them


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## Paulbunyan (May 24, 2015)

Xethur said:


> I really can't speak to the 29+. I don't own one. I imagine they are very similar in quality and parts. So the real question is whether you want a fat or a plus. I actually plan own both. I want to replace my 29er with a 29+ at some point down the road.


Thanks Xether, good points!


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## Paulbunyan (May 24, 2015)

Beicster said:


> My wife told me that I should go with a full fat instead of the 29+ because that is what got me interested in it to begin with. That was good advice.


Thanks Beicster, that makes sense, and I suppose you can always get narrower tires if you want later.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

ok, so I have had mine for a bit over a month now. the rear wheel did not run as smooth as it should, and just today the x4 shifter was sticking. Fixed both, lubed the shifter for the rear and re-packed the rear wheel/axle assembly. In reality the rear axle was a bit too tight. all is good now. Still a bargain at $499 shipped to your house.

Rode it this morning and it is like the bike rolls sooo much better


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

Paulbunyan said:


> Thanks Beicster, that makes sense, and I suppose you can always get narrower tires if you want later.


If I remember right you can fit a 29+ wheel set on the Monster if you use the right hubs. Also the 29+ says you can fit 26x4. So you could always buy or build a different wheel set for the bike. Its actually a fairly common thing in the fat bike world for riders to have different wheel sets for different seasons.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Xethur said:


> Its actually a fairly common thing in the fat bike world for riders to have different wheel sets for different seasons.


I can second that. I have a set of 80's for snow and run the stock 50's for trails. I'm also working on another set with better engagement for riding tech.

Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk 2


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

*Bullseye Monster, got it rolling*

I posted on here a few days ago about how I received mine with a bent fork and BD is sending me a new one. I tried to bend it back and couldnt get it quite right....Well I actually worked on it a bit more and got it as close to perfect as I could.










That is my end result but this is what the fork came looking like...










I am still probably going to take it to my LBS and see if they think I should still install the new fork or keep the one as is and send the new one back. I kind of think just putting the new one on is the best idea, but I'm not really sure. Either way bikes direct has been amazing and I am going to get them one of the forks back. Just thought I would update.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

218traverse said:


> I posted on here a few days ago about how I received mine with a bent fork and BD is sending me a new one. I tried to bend it back and couldnt get it quite right....Well I actually worked on it a bit more and got it as close to perfect as I could.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


If the replacement is actually a bullseye monster fork, you can send it to me instead. 

Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk 2


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> If the replacement is actually a bullseye monster fork, you can send it to me instead.
> 
> Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk 2


Haha not digging that fb4 fork you have there? I think it is the Bullseye Monster fork but it's black and no brazeons.


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## Snoborderphx (Apr 15, 2015)

So I've had my GBEM for about 1 month now, and it's been a great bike to ride. I'm just getting back into riding, so I've been learning a lot about riding the trails. I've had to replace the BB (and replaced the Crankset as well) because the softer aluminum crank set and my large self (365lbs) did not go well when I was hucking it around the trails and jumping the bike. So, I've upgraded to the FSA ISIS BB and FSA Alpha 175 crankset. Have not had time to install them yet, but plan on getting to in the next few days. 

Also planning on making the stock wheelset tubeless. Anyone else make their GBEM stock wheelset tubeless?

Sn0


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

It can be very challenging if the stock rims don't have a UST style beadseat. Burping and such can be annoying at lower pressure.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

218traverse said:


> Haha not digging that fb4 fork you have there? I think it is the Bullseye Monster fork but it's black and no brazeons.


I don't dislike it, but i would rather have the original. even though it was heavy, the steel gave a nicer ride and didnt have the goofy flare on the crown.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Snoborderphx said:


> Also planning on making the stock wheelset tubeless. Anyone else make their GBEM stock wheelset tubeless?
> 
> Sn0


ive been thinking about it, but i change tires so often that im not sure its worthwhile. i may give it a shot with the split tube method pretty soon, but im not super motivated because in 2500 miles ive never pinched a tube, even when running very low pressures.


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## Snoborderphx (Apr 15, 2015)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> ive been thinking about it, but i change tires so often that im not sure its worthwhile. i may give it a shot with the split tube method pretty soon, but im not super motivated because in 2500 miles ive never pinched a tube, even when running very low pressures.


I'm wanting to do it to drop some weight in rotating mass...It's about 250 grams (8.8 oz) going tubeless vs 450 grams (15.9oz) with tubes. I'm going to see how much of a difference that makes for my riding style.

Sn0


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

I'm pretty sure that running Q-tubes will be lighter than tubeless due to the ammount of sealant required in the big tires. The stock wheels and tires are also pretty heavy, as is to be expected at this pricepoint, and would be a meaningful upgrade if you're passionate about reducing rotating mass.
Not trying to discourage you in any way.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

*The GBEM silver build*

:cornut:

I received shipment of my Gravity Bullseye Monster in silver grey today. UPS were quite late, getting here at 7 PM. I live in an apartment building and I kept calling the guard to see if they had come, checking the UPS web site and checking my email.

This post might be TLDR but clearly I have too much time on my hands and this forum has been my go-to community for fat biking so I might as well describe it all. I will post pics in a follow-up post. The sun was setting towards the end when it all came together so I will take more pics in the daylight.

The Packaging

The packaging was fine. I was surprised they even had the big 'Gravity' logo stamped on it. I imagine they could have saved a few bucks with shipping all of their brands in generic boxes. The box is big and sturdy but the interior packaging is minimal, when all taken off it filled one small grocery bag. The bike was all bound together but the handlebars, seat and front wheel were not mounted. A small box containing the pedals, reflectors, an extra set of orange rim tape and manuals for the brakes and shifters was also included.

There was one plastic piece shattered in the bottom of the box that almost looked like a bike tire tool, but which I think was for packaging only. One small nut for the front reflector was missing or I may have lost it in the unpacking. There were no instructions whatsoever on how to assemble a BD bike in general or the Monster specifically in the box. There were manuals each for the disk brakes and the shifters.

The Fit

At this point, my only regret is that I didn't get the bigger size frame. I got the 20" and it looks small to me, especially the cockpit. The center triangle between the beams or whatever you call it looks like such a small space. I can almost spread my hand through it, which I show in one pic. I read a lot of posts on how it runs big and stand-over height can be a problem. I definitely could take the 22" and it would still look medium or small to me probably. As I have said I am a Clydesdale. When out of shape I am probably 6'2" to 6'3" and 265. When I am in shape I am 6'4", 250 lbs or lower. I think i was more out of shape when I bought it, I have been on a diet and exercise regime since then :thumbsup:

Edit: Looking at the pics, the angle of the head tube or fork looks too small so the front wheel is too close to the front of the bike. This may be because nothing had been tightened up yet. This makes the book look smaller to me. Does it look defective to anyone?
Edit 2: Never mind, I see now that my fork is on backwards which is why it is angled inwards and not outwards. I will let the LBS flip it. Oops.

I have a 21.5" 2015 Trek FX 7.3 road/commuter bike and its cockpit is still a little small for me. The stand-over is more than enough in the Trek and I have to tip it over to mount it. I think stand over height may be overestimated but with a mountain bike I guess it important to be able to protect the family jewels. I put it side by side with the Trek and the overall length and height are the same. I have pics of them together. The fat tires do a lot to affect the exterior size of the bike.

I almost thought BD shipped me too small a size but I measured the top tube and it was right. I should have looked more closely at the geometry chart before I ordered. But that is the risk you take with ordering online and it is offset by the cost. Sigh, I always have some form of buyers remorse, but as others have said, for $500 you can't go wrong.

I will know more about the fit once I ride it. But I don't see any way that I would not be cramped horizontally the way it is now. The seat post is really tall and I think vertically I should be OK.

The Build

The build took about an hour start to finish. I realized quickly that I do not have the mechanical skills to build this thing to anywhere near a ride-ready state. Beforehand, I wasn't sure whether I would have to take it to my LBS or whether I could do it all myself. I realize I definitely have to take it to my LBS. Shout out to my great LBS Breakaway Bikes in downtown Philadelphia. I assembled it to the minimal degree such that everything is together and I can roll it the 0.7 miles to the shop.

All I did was unpack it, adjust the stem to align with the fork and tighten it up, attach the handle bars, attach the reflectors, screw in the pedals, insert and tighten the seat and post, insert the skewer into the front wheel and mount the front wheel. I didn't want to deal with aligning the disk brake on the front so I mounted front wheel backwards which will be enough to roll it to my LBS.

I thought I would need some sort of repair stand to work with but that proved to be untrue for the minimal build. If I had to adjust anything then a stand would be needed. I did have this great idea of using these expanding speaker stands as a homemade stand but it didn't work out well. The bungee cord attachment did not hold well enough and the bike seemed too heavy for the stand. Pics attached of the stand before I abandoned it.

The Bike

It's heavy, at least compared to my Trek, obviously. The frame has a nice simple, classic mountain bike look. The tires are huge and look to be of high quality. The wheels looked true but I will have LBS check and the rims look OK but not of particularly high quality.

The design of the bike is really simple with no frills. The grey makes it look especially industrial and utilitarian, like you could see a group of fat bike militarily troops patrolling a dystopian city on them. I like the look of the WTB seat as I had one on my old mountain bike and my Trek Bontraiger seat is hard on the crotch. The fork looks fairly to the point but nothing special.

I was a little confused by the shifters. I have trigger shifters on my Trek and you use your pointer finger for one and thumb for the other. I can see how to use your thumb on these but the other trigger is recessed and forward such that it is awkward to get at with either thumb or finger. I will hopefully get used to it or maybe I didn't look at it right.

I like the handlebars because these are the kind that are swept back in a U-shape and are a little narrower which I like. On my last mountain bike I had bars that were too wide and too low.

There were no defects with the bike that I could see. The build quality all looks good. There were no scratches on the frame and the fork was fine unlike the ones some of our other GBEM compatriots had to deal with.

More on the bike after I ride it.

The Ride

http://forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/gravity-bullseye-monster-920263-45.html#post12012437

The End

OK guys, hoped you enjoyed the post.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

Went riding today at Blue Mounds State park. Single track, rocky, roots and super wet today. The BEM worked very well in these conditions, there was standing water on much of the trails and it was a bit treacherous in areas. Since purchasing the BEM I have not ridden my other Mountain Bike, I don't think it would have been able to cope with the conditions I rode in today. The Fat tires provide so much more traction and stability compared to a traditional MTB.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

*Pics of the GBEM silver build*

Out of the box, all wrapped up:








Contents of the smaller inner box:








All packaging cut off 1:








All packaging cut off 2, flip flop for perspective:








Speaker stand collapsed:








Speaker stand expanded:








My hand in triangle:








Complete 1:







Complete 2:







Complete 3:







Complete 4:







With Trek 1:







With Trek 2:







With Trek 3:


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

Your fork is backwards


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

byron555 said:


> Your fork is backwards


Yup just realized that, thanks.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

Anyone know how to remove 'Attached thumbnail' images from posts? I was in the image manager but saw no way to delete an image. Thanks.


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## Mangomon (Apr 29, 2010)

*UnHoly Rolling Darryls*

Hey Fat Bike Peoples!!

Quick question, I have a set of UnHoly Rolling Darryls, I want to go tubeless, since no holes in the rim, just clean up the insides and put in new stems, juice them? I know I should drill them out, but for now.

Thanks for reading!!

Think I got my answer on Youtube, need to run rim tape over the nipples!!


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## joebikesdirect (Sep 5, 2014)

double post


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## joebikesdirect (Sep 5, 2014)

Paulbunyan said:


> Thanks Xethur, I was thinking I'd probably order the 27.5+, but I emailed BD and it sounds like they will be out of stock in my size until October. I was thinking that the narrower tires might be better for gravel roads. I see the regular bullseye and the 29+ come with 3" tires. Which of these 2 bikes do you think has better components and frame?
> 
> Thanks!


Something to think about - all of our Hardtail Ti and Alu Motobecane and Gravity 29ers can fit a 27.5x 2.8 tire in the existing frame and forks. This makes an excellent riding bike. Slightly lower standover by a few tenths of inches. Same geometry of course. INcredible traction and plush riding.


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## joebikesdirect (Sep 5, 2014)

PS - we tested a WTB TCS Trailblazer 27.5x2.8 with TCS rims that have Internal width of 25mm


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

joebikesdirect said:


> PS - we tested a WTB TCS Trailblazer 27.5x2.8 with TCS rims that have Internal width of 25mm


Good to see someone from BD finally get on here. Saw the facebook post earlier, and started looking at tires already.


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## Paulbunyan (May 24, 2015)

joebikesdirect said:


> PS - we tested a WTB TCS Trailblazer 27.5x2.8 with TCS rims that have Internal width of 25mm


Thank you Joe, I'm going to think about that, sounds like what I'm after.

Also, do you think any of the BD 27.5" bikes would accept these 26x3 tires and rims, http://bikeisland.com/cgi-bin/BKTK_S...ls&ProdID=2960 , or any other wide 26" tires?

Thanks again!


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## joebikesdirect (Sep 5, 2014)

Paulbunyan said:


> Thank you Joe, I'm going to think about that, sounds like what I'm after.
> 
> Also, do you think any of the BD 27.5" bikes would accept these 26x3 tires and rims, http://bikeisland.com/cgi-bin/BKTK_S...ls&ProdID=2960 , or any other wide 26" tires?
> 
> Thanks again!


Thanks - we'll test the fitment of those Duro 26x3" on some 27.5 bikes. That is an interesting idea
http://bikeisland.com/cgi-bin/BKTK_STOR20.cgi?Action=Details&ProdID=2960
will report back

However - the wheelset will NOT fit as the hubs on that Duro Wheelset are 135/170


----------



## Paulbunyan (May 24, 2015)

joebikesdirect said:


> Thanks - we'll test the fitment of those Duro 26x3" on some 27.5 bikes. That is an interesting idea
> http://bikeisland.com/cgi-bin/BKTK_STOR20.cgi?Action=Details&ProdID=2960
> will report back
> 
> However - the wheelset will NOT fit as the hubs on that Duro Wheelset are 135/170


Cool, it will be interesting to see if it will work, I think that would be a good combo if it did.

Thanks!


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

joebikesdirect said:


> PS - we tested a WTB TCS Trailblazer 27.5x2.8 with TCS rims that have Internal width of 25mm


To put some of this where it will help the 29er folks. A couple questions too.
http://forums.mtbr.com/29er-bikes/new-bikesdirect-gravity-29point1-697603-22.html#post11993764


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

soarftb said:


> Thanks for the update. Sorry about your bad fork. Another report of great bd support. Let us know if they send you an fb4 fork like dirtdawg. Good to hear about the nice fit and finish. Post up some pics! My silver gbem is set to arrive Wednesday. I have a guerrilla repair stand setup in mind from a speaker stand. I will post more about it.


So I received the replacement fork which was a good thing as the fork that they had me bend back was making some interesting noises riding singletrack on wednesday. The fork that they sent is the aluminum fb4 fork. I'm not sure if they just don't have the steel forks for these bikes or what, but I do not mind as the aluminum is lighter and should be as durable. LBS is mounting it up for me and I've got new stem, bars, pedals, and grips on the way.
Also wanted to mention that I remember people having trouble with the stock cassette but on the bike I received there is a very nice shimano cassette and I've experienced no problems shifting. 
Another big thanks to bikes direct, I have had nothing but a positive experience with them and the bike so far.


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

218traverse said:


> So I received the replacement fork which was a good thing as the fork that they had me bend back was making some interesting noises riding singletrack on wednesday. The fork that they sent is the aluminum fb4 fork. I'm not sure if they just don't have the steel forks for these bikes or what, but I do not mind as the aluminum is lighter and should be as durable. LBS is mounting it up for me and I've got new stem, bars, pedals, and grips on the way.
> Also wanted to mention that I remember people having trouble with the stock cassette but on the bike I received there is a very nice shims no cassette and I've experienced no problems shifting.
> Another big thanks to bikes direct, I have had nothing but a positive experience with them and the bike so far.


*shimano cassette


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

Going to ride with the new fork tonight hopefully, I will post after.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

218traverse said:


> Also wanted to mention that I remember people having trouble with the stock cassette but on the bike I received there is a very nice shimano cassette...


Interesting, I have to look at my rear cassette, never checked the brand. Good on BD for keeping up with returned inventory and online complaints and proactively rectifying the issue for future customers.

A friend offered to complete the build of my GBEM bike for me instead of my LBS. This is great because although I like giving my LBS business, they kind of annoyed me at my latest visit. They tried to up-sell me on everything and did an adjustment which left dirt all over my handle bars. They wanted $75 to build the bike which seems a reasonable price but they had a two week wait and wanted the money up front if I wanted to make the appointment. They didn't really seem to know much if anything about fat bikes.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

soarftb said:


> Interesting, I have to look at my rear cassette, never checked the brand.


I confirmed that mine shipped with the Shimano rear cassette.


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## recumbenttoad (Aug 6, 2006)

I ordered a Gravity Bullseye Monster last week from Bike Island. Today I received a bike, but it wasn't the Bullseye Monster. It is a single speed and the frame is bigger than what I ordered. Pretty disappointed.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

That's a bit odd. However, if you like it, ask them how much they'd sell it for if you decided you want it. They save on shipping cost, because they're already out $$$ on that one.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

recumbenttoad said:


> I ordered a Gravity Bullseye Monster last week from Bike Island. Today I received a bike, but it wasn't the Bullseye Monster. It is a single speed and the frame is bigger than what I ordered. Pretty disappointed.


Sounds like the dead eye. I wonder if they would swap it out for the bike you actually ordered?


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

recumbenttoad said:


> I ordered a Gravity Bullseye Monster last week from Bike Island. Today I received a bike, but it wasn't the Bullseye Monster. It is a single speed and the frame is bigger than what I ordered. Pretty disappointed.


If they shipped you the wrong item I am sure they will ship out the right one at no cost to you or get you set up to your content. It was entirely a shipping fault on their part so they are responsible.


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## recumbenttoad (Aug 6, 2006)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Sounds like the dead eye. I wonder if they would swap it out for the bike you actually ordered?


Well, they had just this one listed and when I bought it it was gone. They issued me a return label and didn't even ask if I would keep it at a reduced price. Not sure if I would have, but I kind of figured they would try to keep from getting it back.


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## recumbenttoad (Aug 6, 2006)

I guess it's back to the drawing board. Bike Island apologized and issued me a return shipping label first thing this morning. Apparently there were no more in stock as they didn't offer to send me the correct bike. They didn't even ask if I would keep this one at a reduced price to keep from shipping it back. And, Bikes Direct is out of any 16" frame sizes. I couldn't decide between a 16" and 18". I like a longer top tube but I didn't want to fight standover height, so, I went with the 16". Bikes Direct had the 18" listed for people 5'10"-6'1". Well, I'm a short (5'8", 30" inseam) fat guy trying to lose some weight and thought a fat bike looked like a lot of fun, but I guess I'll have to wait for now.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

I would not recommend cheap carbon fiber bars from eBay. ..








Broke in two landing a jump at 20mph. Spectacular crash resulted and a tweaked fork. Luck for me I didn't cut my stomach open on the sharp end, I did get a slight scratch from my belly button down to my pelvic region. Both shins are cut up and bruised. All in all I was extremely lucky. Went to the lbs and got a take off set of bontager bars for 20 bucks


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

noted, thanks.
glad you're alright


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

Upon further checking the fork is not tweaked the wheel was knocked out of kilter in th fork. Causing the fork to flex into a tweaked look. Removed the wheel and put back on the fork looks strait again. It really was a nasty crash, but the gbm parts all held up


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

Ready to rock. Singletrack tomorrow.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

byron555 said:


> Upon further checking the fork is not tweaked the wheel was knocked out of kilter in th fork. Causing the fork to flex into a tweaked look. Removed the wheel and put back on the fork looks strait again. It really was a nasty crash, but the gbm parts all held up


Glad it wasn't worse for you. Hope your wounds heal soon. Post up the link to the cheap Chinese bars so we know to avoid them. Are you going to run the stock bars now or get new ones? Good to see the rest of the GBM holding up.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

218traverse said:


> Ready to F#%$ing rock. Singletrack tomorrow.


Very nice. I will be going on my maiden voyage soon too.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> noted, thanks.
> glad you're alright


I blame DD for the crash :rant: ... jk.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

218traverse said:


> Ready to F#%$ing rock. Singletrack tomorrow.


Nice recovery!
Looking sharp with the black fork too.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

soarftb said:


> I blame DD for the crash :rant: ... jk.


I will take responsibility only for my own crashes


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Nice recovery!
> Looking sharp with the black fork too.


Wheelies for days man. This bike rocks. Thanks dirtdawg for inspiring this purchase. It's taken a couple weeks to get it into riding status but I am so happy with this bike. It kills the singletrack, beach, and streets. Duluth, Minnesota represent!


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Nice recovery!
> Looking sharp with the black fork too.


Also how is your aluminum fork holding up? Mine seems solid, going to need a lot more trail time to know for sure...


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## Paulbunyan (May 24, 2015)

joebikesdirect said:


> Thanks - we'll test the fitment of those Duro 26x3" on some 27.5 bikes. That is an interesting idea
> http://bikeisland.com/cgi-bin/BKTK_STOR20.cgi?Action=Details&ProdID=2960
> will report back
> 
> However - the wheelset will NOT fit as the hubs on that Duro Wheelset are 135/170


Hi Joe,
I was wondering if you had a chance to test 26x3 tires on any 27.5 bikes yet. 
Thanks!


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

He edited his post. the axles are for the fatbike 170/135mm width standard. They probably couldn't check them out because they couldn't get them to fit without swapping hubs. I doubt they'd fit inside a normal suspension fork though. 3" tires on 50mm rims is pretty wide.


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## Paulbunyan (May 24, 2015)

watts888 said:


> He edited his post. the axles are for the fatbike 170/135mm width standard. They probably couldn't check them out because they couldn't get them to fit without swapping hubs. I doubt they'd fit inside a normal suspension fork though. 3" tires on 50mm rims is pretty wide.


OK, I see that now, thank you for responding.


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## riverat (May 22, 2015)

soarftb said:


> Very nice. I will be going on my maiden voyage soon too.


Damn, that red bullseye looks so much better in person than on the bikesdirect photos. Yours is one of the best looking in the thread, hands down!

I've added a few upgrades to my bullseye. Brooks saddle (the springs in the seat actually help a lot), Funn Funnduro 45mm stem (So much more comfortable now, the long stock stem was lousy), and a pair of easton 31.8mm bars. I'll upload a few pix tomorrow when I hit the trails!


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

riverat said:


> Damn, that red bullseye looks so much better in person than on the bikesdirect photos. Yours is one of the best looking in the thread, hands down!
> 
> I've added a few upgrades to my bullseye. Brooks saddle (the springs in the seat actually help a lot), Funn Funnduro 45mm stem (So much more comfortable now, the long stock stem was lousy), and a pair of easton 31.8mm bars. I'll upload a few pix tomorrow when I hit the trails!


Nice, let us know how it goes.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

After riding in lots of snow and sand over the winter, my monster remains my favorite bike to ride as I have shifted to singletrack (although I do prefer my 29er for rail trails). We rode some new trails today that had lots of rocky/sandy/rooty climbs and descents, and the bike just rolls along (the OnOne Floaters have ridiculous grip). Definitely the best $500 I've ever spent. I probably have 500-600 miles on the bike now and have had no problems with it. the only mods have been the tires, pedals, and grips. If I could put a Bluto on this thing, it could be my only bike.


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## kcdirtbro54 (Mar 29, 2011)

Well with the crazy amount of rain we've got the past couple weeks here in Wichita, I've made some purchases for the monster pro. Hopefully you guys don't mind a monster pro pic every once in awhile.

Stock brakes have seemed a little weak in my limited experience with it. 180/160 rotors have been swapped for 203/180 (moved front to back). Total expense $35! I've got a set of trail riser bars still to come and a fat b nimble folding tire as well. I weighed the stock rear vee tire and tube vs my new rear origin8 captiv8r and q tube and lost 1.12lbs! The bike now weighs in at what it did out of the box without pedals. And I swapped the seat which didn't save any weight. 
What do you guys think?


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

That's a pretty slick tire on the rear, huh? 
This frame looks like what they based the quigley on. 
How are you liking it overal?


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

Wildbird99 said:


> After riding in lots of snow and sand over the winter, my monster remains my favorite bike to ride as I have shifted to singletrack (although I do prefer my 29er for rail trails). We rode some new trails today that had lots of rocky/sandy/rooty climbs and descents, and the bike just rolls along (the OnOne Floaters have ridiculous grip). Definitely the best $500 I've ever spent. I probably have 500-600 miles on the bike now and have had no problems with it. the only mods have been the tires, pedals, and grips. If I could put a Bluto on this thing, it could be my only bike.


Glad to hear the GBEM is holding up well for you. Where and when are you riding that you feel the need for the Bluto? Thanks.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

kcdirtbro54 said:


> Well with the crazy amount of rain we've got the past couple weeks here in Wichita, I've made some purchases for the monster pro. Hopefully you guys don't mind a monster pro pic every once in awhile.
> 
> Stock brakes have seemed a little weak in my limited experience with it. 180/160 rotors have been swapped for 203/180 (moved front to back). Total expense $35! I've got a set of trail riser bars still to come and a fat b nimble folding tire as well. I weighed the stock rear vee tire and tube vs my new rear origin8 captiv8r and q tube and lost 1.12lbs! The bike now weighs in at what it did out of the box without pedals. And I swapped the seat which didn't save any weight.
> What do you guys think?


Sure, we welcome GBEM Pros, with the requisite envy of course. So besides the Bluto, are the pro specs the same as the regular specs?

If I like by GBEM enough I am looking at the Boris FS X9 Bluto as my next fat bike. I keep hearing how the Bluto will change your life, lol.

That is an interesting set up you have with a slick rear and knobby front tire. Why do it that way?

And like DD said, that does look like the Quigley frame which differs from the GBEM frame by that curve in the tube. I guess that design is to support the tapered head tube or the weight and travel of the Bluto.


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

riverat said:


> Damn, that red bullseye looks so much better in person than on the bikesdirect photos. Yours is one of the best looking in the thread, hands down!


If you're talking about mine, thanks  I love the red and black, it's the color scheme of my other mtb too. Got out on single track today and it rides so much nicer with the new stem and wider bars. Wrapping the chain stay cut out all the chain slap, and the wellgo pedals were amazing as well. The aluminum fork is definitely lighter, rides nice but made a few funny noises. Never had a rigid fork mtb so maybe that's how they are. Overall this thing is great, and I'm just as fast as my friends on their 29ers.


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## kcdirtbro54 (Mar 29, 2011)

soarftb - From what I remember the Pros have slightly upgraded components over the GBEMs. I'd have to pull both models up on BD and do a side by side.
That tire really looks like a slick in that pic. here's a close up of it.









It really does look more "grippy" in person. I have another tire for the front on the way. It'll be more of a knobby than the rear still. I've seen a few people with a similar setup that do similar riding to me and love it. Most of my riding is commuting and hard packed(for the most part) singletrack and trails. 
Maybe I don't need the Bluto but just in case I do, I ordered it from the start, and for those times I take a longer road trip to some more adventurous trails outside the city.

And I'll have the front rim strip turned around once the new tire arrives so it matches the back one


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

the BEMpro has a better drivetrain than the BEM, but it's not that much better. BB5 brakes, x5 shifter, x7 rear derailure, and 80mm rims. Other than that, not much difference. Hard to justify the cost upgrade for those parts, but that bluto almost makes up for it.

Any issues putting a 180mm rotor in back? no frame rub? I find it odd that BD didn't do that from the start.


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## kcdirtbro54 (Mar 29, 2011)

I just had to buy a 40mm adapter (has 20mm stock) and moved the front rotor to the back. The 203 fits nicely upfront as well. 
With Blutos going for 500-700 new alone and the BEM not having a tapered headtube, it made my decision pretty easy and the slightly upgraded components were just icing on the cake. Plus, my wrists are thankful for the extra squish up front.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

218traverse said:


> Also how is your aluminum fork holding up? Mine seems solid, going to need a lot more trail time to know for sure...


mine has been good so far. If it starts creaking you will hear about it, but i'm not worried about it.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

218traverse said:


> Wheelies for days man. This bike rocks. Thanks dirtdawg for inspiring this purchase.


no problem! thanks for the shout out, i'm glad youre having fun with it!


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## riverat (May 22, 2015)

Probably a stupid question that has been answered many times in this thread but what is the.maximum tire & rim size you can put on this bike?


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

Looking to trade my brand new GBEM Silver 20" for a 22". If you are interested hit me up. It is all built and everything, has 0 miles on it. It is just a little too small for me. Or, if you are about to buy a silver 20", take mine and spare yourself the build and help me by ordering a 22" and we can swap. I would really appreciate it. I am in Philadelphia and would rather not deal with shipping. I can drive. Thanks for reading.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

Do not buy these bars....

31 8mm 3K Carbon Fiber Straight Handlebar MTB Bike Bicycle Flat Bar Riser Bar DH | eBay


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## kcdirtbro54 (Mar 29, 2011)

Dayum! Hopefully no injuries from the part failure


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## AZINGER (Mar 13, 2015)

byron555 said:


> Do not buy these bars....
> 
> 31 8mm 3K Carbon Fiber Straight Handlebar MTB Bike Bicycle Flat Bar Riser Bar DH | eBay
> 
> View attachment 993575


The tip-off is the low feedback and they're selling bow ties, hair clips and auto accessories. The Chinese are going to kill us, one at a time.
Contact a lawyer, then eBay.


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## Polycrono (May 11, 2012)

I have had the exact same bar on mine for the last year except UD instead of 3k. Time to throw it away and buy something of reputable manufacture, before I get impaled.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

I can see these on a hybrid or commuter, but obviously not for trail use. you have to admit, for $20, they worked well. I would get probably consider some for casual gravel/road/asphalt riding.


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## bcriverjunky (Jul 8, 2014)

nevermind


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## Polycrono (May 11, 2012)

bcriverjunky said:


> nevermind


I still want to know how you did it.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

Polycrono said:


> I still want to know how you did it.


It's further up in the thread.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Byron555 was out hucking his fatty!!!


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

BansheeRune said:


> Byron555 was out hucking his fatty!!!


Mine has also seen a few 7ish footers in its day and can assure you that the welds are solid.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

I'm not letting Byron ride my bike, I heard he's destructive!  :thumbsup:


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

BansheeRune said:


> Byron555 was out hucking his fatty!!!


Not really, just pulled some air over a light berm with root at speed, probably no more than 24" of air, with not a very jarring landing. Very lucky, I was not going over a real jump that launches you higher in the air.

Of course at 38, I try to avoid those type of jumps most of the time.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Now, cut that out! You're 38, and having fun on a bike! Good thing is, that you were not severely injured when the handlebar failure occurred. Shows the saying is true...If it seems too good to be true. Glad you are ok.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

*First ride report for my GBEM.*

On The Street

I live in a city, Philadelphia, so I had to ride a few miles to get to a park that would have trails.

It takes a lot of energy to ride this thing around on the street. There is little coasting and each pump takes energy. That is to be expected because of the weight, wheel contact and geometry. I could never see using this as a commuter or everyday bike. It is just too impractical. I think I could have walked some areas faster and with less energy. It is my first ride so I am getting used to it and I am using muscles I probably have not used in a while.

Riding across grassy fields is fun. I did notice the bumps so the rigid has a disadvantage there.

The ride is smooth, I had no issues with the brackets, hubs or bearings. Shifting was jarring at times but once you get accustomed to your setup it is OK. It does not feel like premium components but it gets the job done.

I was running at 22 psi so I was tuned for street riding. At lower psi I imagine it being harder to pedal. I would say drive this one to your trails if you can.

On The Trails

The thing climbs really well considering its size. There were few hills that I had to walk up and probably none had I got my shifting down correctly.

Going down hill is a blast and the thing steers itself. Turning is confident with the sidewalls gripping the trail. The brakes were a little soft but I heard other reports of that and hopefully they will improve.

Riding this is a good workout. I am not much of a cyclist in general and a new mountain biker but this really works all of your body. If you are looking for a light, easy pedal, this is not it. Again, I am a Clydesdale at 6'4" 250 lbs.

Most bumps were absorbed well and I did not want for a suspension on the trails, but I was so focused on riding I don't think I would notice them anyway.

Problems

The big thumb lever on both shifters takes a lot of force to engage and it feels like the plastic tab will almost snap off with the amount of force I have to apply. The rear shifter tab does not return to position after down-shifting so I have to move the tab back myself often. Has anyone else had this problem? Could it be an issue with the springs in the shifter? Or do they somehow need to be lubricated?

My hands and ass hurt after the ride. I was not wearing any gloves or padded shorts. My wrists had a lot of pressure on them. I get this with most bikes but it was pretty severe. Maybe a riser stem would help. A lot of my upper body weight seems to be over my arms causing strain.

I am thinking the frame is too small for me at 20" and the 22" would be better providing a more stretched out cockpit and higher rise for less strain on my arms. What do you guys think?

Conclusion

It is a fun bike, I will need to ride it a few more times to get used to it. It is heavy and I see why people obsess about weight, especially rolling weight. It excels on the trail and makes riding fun in a way only a fat bike could. For $500 the value is incredible as we have said before. The frame is really well built and welded. The package works as something you can go anywhere with. But be prepared to expend some energy.


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## kcdirtbro54 (Mar 29, 2011)

Just installed my fat b nimble and q tube on the front of my pro. Went from 36.9 to 36 even. Not bad. 

In response to soar, I use this bike to commute with and don't feel the issues you mentioned, stock tires or the upgraded ones. Maybe it'll just take some getting used to for ya. Hopefully the kinks will work out and it'll be all smiles from here on out


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

kcdirtbro54 said:


> Just installed my fat b nimble and q tube on the front of my pro. Went from 36.9 to 36 even. Not bad.
> 
> In response to soar, I use this bike to commute with and don't feel the issues you mentioned, stock tires or the upgraded ones. Maybe it'll just take some getting used to for ya. Hopefully the kinks will work out and it'll be all smiles from here on out


KC thanks for the update. What frame size is your bike? What psi do you run it at?


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## kcdirtbro54 (Mar 29, 2011)

I've got a 20 and could easily ride a 22. I'm 6'4 and was trying to decide between the 2 and ultimately went with the 20 for the ease of being able to whip and maneuver the smaller frame. And for commuting I'll run around 20 in my tires. I'm still messing with my new ones for best psi on pavement


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

*Saddle angled down too much.*

Edit: Disregard, sorry, I see how there is a bracket under the saddle that can be angled any way you want. Problem solved.


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

Got out yesterday on one of my favorite singletracks, bike did not disappoint. Super nimble in the twistys and downhill was incredible. Climbing was a little more work than my old specialized but really not any slower. The gearing on the monster is great. Running 8 psi front and 12 rear, seems to work perfect on more technical sections but on hardpack the self steer and grip is a little slow but I like the combo. One hard (drunken) crash in my alley and everything held up fine. Wheelies and air over some fun parts of trail add to the fun. Still very impressed with the setup and bike. Bar, stem, and pedal upgrades are a must. Have fun


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Big ride today. Went up to North Conway and road for 8 hours. 
3560 feet of climbing over 30 miles, the bike preformed well. I installed my bitex hub yesterday and now have 50 hard miles on it, so far so good. It's a huge improvement.





































My friends all ride carbon wonderbikes, but I still stayed in the front of the group and cleared a lot of steep loose stuff that they couldn't.


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Big ride today. Went up to North Conway and road for 8 hours.
> 3560 feet of climbing over 30 miles, the bike preformed well. I installed my bitex hub yesterday and now have 50 hard miles on it, so far so good. It's a huge improvement.
> 
> 
> ...


I know you've probably posted this before but are you running 80mm wheels and 4.0 tires?


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

*Couple of questions.*

1. I am really struggling with this frame size decision. I have the 20" and it feels cramped in general. My back is arched over and there is a lot of pressure on my wrists and shoulders. I rotated the bars forward as much as they can be. I measured myself at 6'2" today but get taller when in better shape  Should I get the 22" frame? I am pretty sure it will help my issues but not even sure. I don't quite understand bike ergonomics. A larger frame would be longer which would make me have to reach for the grips farther so I would be more horizontal. This may relieve my back pain by removing the curvature in it. Would it reduce pressure on my arms? I tried scooting way back on my saddle and it seemed to relief the pressure on my wrists.

On the BD site the 22" frame looks different than the smaller frames with a space between the down tube and top tube where they connect at the head tube and a more horizontal angle on the top tube. Is there anything to be concerned with due to this different geometry in the 22" or is it just to designed to support the larger frame? The matte black picture on this page is the biggest size versus the others:

Save up to 60% off new Fat Bikes and Mountain Bikes - MTB - Gravity Bullseye Monster

2. Would this work stem raiser work on the GBEM or can you recommend one?

Weanas® New MTB Bicycle Bike Alloy Stem Riser 1-1/8" Rise 28.6 x 117mm Black | Amazon.com: Outdoor Recreation

Thanks guys.

Your ever-fretting bike consumer,
Soar


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Soar, what bars does your bike have currently? If they are less than 2" rise, bars may be a better choice.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

BansheeRune said:


> Soar, what bars does your bike have currently? If they are less than 2" rise, bars may be a better choice.


Hi Banshee, thanks for the reply. I have the stock bars:
ALLOY RISE HANDLEBAR, W:620MMxR:30MMx6 DEGREES, ALLOY

Here are a couple of pics where I rotated them forward in an effort to a larger cockpit and hopefully some more comfort.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Try repositioning the bars, they look to be rolled too far forward in the second pic...


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

I'd agree with rotating the bars for now, but a shorter stem might help some too. I'm 6'5" and I was much more comfortable with a shorter stem (~$8) and 2" riser 780mm wide bars (~$30 on amazon). The pressure points on the hands were distributed better (wider shoulders want wider bars). The shorter stem let me sit up a bit more, not so elongated. It also gave me more flexibility to shift my weight while riding. I wouldn't go under 60mm on stem length though. Some people like super short stems, I found them far too twitchy.


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## bigeyedfish (May 30, 2013)

I'm 5'-11 on a 20. I have a 40mm stem, and don't have any issues with it being twitchy. The stock tires self steer pretty bad, and the short stem makes it easier to correct with less effort.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

218traverse said:


> I know you've probably posted this before but are you running 80mm wheels and 4.0 tires?


yes, for this ride i ran missions on DHL 80's. 
my go-to trail setup is the green floaters on the 50's that you normally see me run, but i just built a new wheel on a sweet hub and the 80's are what i had. they ride pretty well, but unless im in the snow i would rather roll 50's.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> they ride pretty well, but unless im in the snow i would rather roll 50's.


Do they have better traction and less self steer? It seems 4" tires on 50mm rims would more closely match tire profile of a 2.1" tire on 21mm rims. I'm looking at getting some new hubs and I'm at a toss up of lacing my 100mm rims to new hubs or buying the complete 50mm wheelsets off bikeisland.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

watts888 said:


> Do they have better traction and less self steer? It seems 4" tires on 50mm rims would more closely match tire profile of a 2.1" tire on 21mm rims. I'm looking at getting some new hubs and I'm at a toss up of lacing my 100mm rims to new hubs or buying the complete 50mm wheelsets off bikeisland.


the floaters on 50's dont give me any self steer. 
i'm not sure that 100's will fit on this bike, but assuming thats not an issue it comes down to what you want out of the wheels.
building up a wheelset will probably put you back more than just buying the 50mm wheelset frome bike island. if you just want a set of wheels for cheap, its hard to beat. however they are fairly heavy and come with pretty crap hubs.

after i got this bike, i wanted to get a set of 80mm rims for the snow. i went out and found a set of DHL80 take offs and spokes from a lurch. my intention was to lace these to a nice set of hubs, but before i settled on what i wanted, BD had the cyber monday deal and i bought a full 80mm wheelset for less than i could have gotten hubs for. 
fast forward 6 months and i decide that i really do need better hubs after all, and i'm building up the wheels that i originally intended anyway. not saying that there is a right way to do it, or not to waste your time or anything like that. it really comes down to what you want them to do. i dont regret buying another set of cheap wheels, but after riding them i decided that i still wanted better ones.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

More pictures from yesterday:


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

watts888 said:


> I'd agree with rotating the bars for now, but a shorter stem might help some too. I'm 6'5" and I was much more comfortable with a shorter stem (~$8) and 2" riser 780mm wide bars (~$30 on amazon). The pressure points on the hands were distributed better (wider shoulders want wider bars). The shorter stem let me sit up a bit more, not so elongated. It also gave me more flexibility to shift my weight while riding. I wouldn't go under 60mm on stem length though. Some people like super short stems, I found them far too twitchy.


watts what frame size do you have? Can you post a link for the stem and bars you bought on Amazon? Thanks.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

soarftb said:


> Glad to hear the GBEM is holding up well for you. Where and when are you riding that you feel the need for the Bluto? Thanks.


I ride on lots of roots on the Long Island area singletrack (Stillwell and Trailview banged me around yesterday) and I have had a few put a real jolt through my body at speed. I have some cervical vertebrae issues that cause pinched nerves in my neck. I figure front suspension will prolong my cycling career. My 26er and 29er have it and it definitely seems to help.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> yes, for this ride i ran missions on DHL 80's.
> my go-to trail setup is the green floaters on the 50's that you normally see me run, but i just built a new wheel on a sweet hub and the 80's are what i had. they ride pretty well, but unless im in the snow i would rather roll 50's.


I'm of the same opinion. But I'm only willing to purchase one high end wheel set. With that in mind I've decided on light bicycles carbon 65mm and bitex hubs. I think the 65mm will be the best in between.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

Since frame sizing is always a topic... I'm 6', 260 with a 33" inseam and ride a 20" frame on my Monster. Stock seat, stem, and bars, and it is my most comfortable bike (I always change the grips to Ergons w/bar ends). With wrist and neck issues at 51 y.o., cockpit ergonomics are important for me. I'm going to try a Thudbuster LT to see how that affects the ride. I have one on my 29er right now and it was easier to adjust to than I expected -- I just need to lift my butt more if I am changing seating position.

Yesterday, my riding buddy and I took the fatbikes 26 miles from Woodbury, NY to Jones Beach. 18-ish miles of trails, with the rest paved paths and roads (lots of pics on my FB page). The bike was, once again, awesome. The Floaters make a hellacious noise on pavement, but they grip like mad on sand/rocks/loam/roots. I rarely spin the rear tire on climbs (a little yesterday on some loose stuff).

One of the local dealers had a Pivot Bikes display at one of the trail parking lots yesterday. The Les Fat is about as much of an antithesis to the Monster as possible. As we rode by, I heard someone on the crowd utter the word "Gravity." I doubt the context was one of praise. ;-)

I can't stop riding the Monster long enough to do the X7 9-speed conversion. As I'm getting my skills and confidence back, I am riding it more aggressively, so a brake upgrade -- and eventually hubs/rims -- might be down the road (singletrack/snow/beach).

My Monster and Kevin's Minnesota 2.0:








In Trailview State Park. Accessories include the GoPro, Delta stem-mounted phone holder, two Cateye Volt 300s (set on flash for the road section of the ride -- for night rides on the trails, one goes on the helmet), a bear/Bigfoot bell for two-way singletrack with limited sight lines (one group of hikers appreciated the advance warning), and the fork-mounted Lezyne Micro Floor Drive HV pump (awesome pump):


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

*A couple of weight questions.*

1. Our stock GBEM forks are steel, right? How much do they weigh? Thanks.
2. How much of a weight difference would there be between the GBEM wheel setup and the GBEM Pro wheel setup? Here are the specs:

GBEM:
Hubs ALLOY BLACK W/QR, 135mm front, 170mm rear (symmetrical)
Spokes 14G STEEL BLACK W/BRASS NIPPLE
Rims 26"x32H HJC P-50 WIDTH 50MM W/BIG HOLES, ALLOY BLACK
Tires/Tubes V-Rubber MISSION 26x4.00, WIRE BEAD, BK 72TPI

GBEM Pro:
Hubs ALLOY BLACK W/ThruAxle 15mm front, 170mm rear (symmetrical)
Spokes 14G STEEL BLACK W/BRASS NIPPLE
Rims 26"x32H WEINMANN HL-80 WIDTH 80MM W/BIG HOLES, ALLOY BLACK
Tires/Tubes VEE RUBBER 26"x4.0 VEE 8 72TPI

Thanks in advance.

- Soar.


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## kcdirtbro54 (Mar 29, 2011)

I guess I should have weighed my wheels when I did the tire swap on the Pro over the weekend. I do know the stock tire and tube weigh about 4.25lbs each (1 tire & 1 tube)


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

kcdirtbro54 said:


> I guess I should have weighed my wheels when I did the tire swap on the Pro over the weekend. I do know the stock tire and tube weigh about 4.25lbs each (1 tire & 1 tube)


Thanks Kc. I'm thinking about getting the pro! I just don't have enough experience riding my fatty right now to know if I would enjoy the Bluto or not or if I should just stick with Rigid . The value is just so good on the pro that I'm thinking even if I don't like the Bluto I can easily sell it and get the carbon fork for for $200 from bikes direct. They only have 1 22 inch pro left and I almost clicked the buy button a couple times last night.


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## kcdirtbro54 (Mar 29, 2011)

5-700 for a Bluto by itself or 1000 for a complete WITH a Bluto. That's where my choice was made. Only issue I've run into is wheel options. Wheelsets either come with 135/170 hubs or 150/190. I haven't seen any 150/170. But if you don't plan on swapping out wheels or anything then you're golden. I'd hit that buy button. When I was thinking about buying mine, there was 1 blue 20" left and I waited an extra day and it was gone. I'm not a black bike fan, but I wasn't going to miss out again


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

soarftb said:


> watts what frame size do you have? Can you post a link for the stem and bars you bought on Amazon? Thanks.


Unfortunately don't have a bem yet, have to sell a bike to get a bike. The 20" almost has the same dimensions as my gravity 29.2 29er though, which fits great. The 20" BEM has a slighly shorter standover. I'm 6'5" with a 34" inseam; so a long torso, short legs.

The handlebar is only a 30mm rise. I thought it was higher. i'm also cheating by using an uncut steer tube with about 50mm of spacers. When I bought the bar, it was $27, so just add it to your wishlist and wait.
Amazon.com : Control Tech 4X MTB Handlebar, 750mm, Sand Black : Bike Handlebars : Sports & Outdoors

The stem was $8 when I bought it. I was mostly interested in testing the length, and I'll end up getting a better quality mountain stem eventually.Its creaking, but I might have the bearing preload off.
http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B008Y3LP0Y?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00

This is the 45mm one I used. It actually worked really well. no creaks, stayed tight when torqued properly, setting the handlebar angle was difficult though.
http://smile.amazon.com/Cycling-Mou...n&ie=UTF8&qid=1433858067&sr=1-1&keywords=45mm


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Xethur said:


> I'm of the same opinion. But I'm only willing to purchase one high end wheel set. With that in mind I've decided on light bicycles carbon 65mm and bitex hubs. I think the 65mm will be the best in between.


That will be a sweet wheelset


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## pspycho (Aug 31, 2005)

*31.8 vs. 25.4 Stem & Handlebars*

Hello Everyone,

I just ordered one of these as a wedding present for my future son-in-law. How many of you received your GBEM with a 31.8mm vs 25.4mm Stem & Handlebar?

Thanks in advance.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

all the standard BEM should have the 25.4 stem/handlebars. If they have larger, the manufacturing plant probably ran out and swapped in the larger bars just to get them out the door. The motobecane's and the BEM Pro have the 31.6 stem/handlebars.

I would almost immediatley swap out the bar for a wider one though, along with a shorter stem.


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## riverat (May 22, 2015)

riverat said:


> Probably a stupid question that has been answered many times in this thread but what is the.maximum tire & rim size you can put on this bike?


Anyone? Kinda disappointed with the stock 50mm/3.8s on loose sand and I assume their not much better in snow.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

riverat said:


> Anyone? Kinda disappointed with the stock 50mm/3.8s on loose sand and I assume their not much better in snow.


I am pretty sure that dirdtdawg runs 80mm rims with the One One Floater tires which are basically the same tire as stock but with a different tread. I don't know if a wider tire would fit. The stock Vee Mission tires are known to be poor. The On One Floaters are supposed to be better and are available for $45 from planet X.

Hope that helps.


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## Fordzilla85 (Apr 30, 2015)

I've been riding mostly single track, the stock tire and wheel combo work out well for me there. I would like to know how everyone else feels about this setup in sand and snow. Should I start looking for a different set up for the winter? Thanks. On an off topic I can't seem to figure out how to post pictures any help there would be greatly appreciated.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

Fordzilla85 said:


> On an off topic I can't seem to figure out how to post pictures any help there would be greatly appreciated.


To post pics you have to 'Go Advanced' when you reply. You will see an icon that looks like a picture frame. Click that and you will be able to upload pics or post them from a link.


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## riverat (May 22, 2015)

soarftb said:


> I am pretty sure that dirdtdawg runs 80mm rims with the One One Floater tires which are basically the same tire as stock but with a different tread. I don't know if a wider tire would fit. The stock Vee Mission tires are known to be poor. The On One Floaters are supposed to be better and are available for $45 from planet X.
> 
> Hope that helps.


 thanks. I wonder if 4.8 inch tire would fit up front with a 75 or 80mm rim. I know it wouldn't fit in the back though.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Fordzilla85 said:


> I've been riding mostly single track, the stock tire and wheel combo work out well for me there. I would like to know how everyone else feels about this setup in sand and snow. Should I start looking for a different set up for the winter? Thanks. On an off topic I can't seem to figure out how to post pictures any help there would be greatly appreciated.


As I have stated previously, the missions are good in the trails and sand, but you will want a more aggressive tire for snow. Wide rims will help but are not mandatory


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

riverat said:


> thanks. I wonder if 4.8 inch tire would fit up front with a 75 or 80mm rim. I know it wouldn't fit in the back though.


Sorry I didn't see this earlier. 
A 4.0 on an 80 Is the biggest you're going to clear out back, but the fork can do a lot more. This winter I ran a ground control on an 80 and it still had room. 
If you go back in the thread I tried out a lot of tires last winter and had pictures.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

riverat said:


> thanks. I wonder if 4.8 inch tire would fit up front with a 75 or 80mm rim. I know it wouldn't fit in the back though.


I have a bud I can try one of these days. I still have the stock fork kicking around in the shop.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> I still have the stock fork kicking around in the shop.


DD can you get me a weight on that stock fork? Thanks.


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## Daholla77 (Jun 7, 2015)

Two questions are parts hard to find for these bikes and could you upgrade the front fork to a suspension fork. Thank you


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

Daholla77 said:


> Two questions are parts hard to find for these bikes and could you upgrade the front fork to a suspension fork. Thank you


You cannot upgrade the fork to a Bluto because the Bluto needs a tapered head tube and this does not have one. There are some cheap suspension forks on Alibaba and eBay that have a straight head but they are not recommended. Search this forum for a thread called 'Cheap Chinese suspension fork' for more info.

Drive train parts and all components are standard on this bike so switching to other parts should not be a problem. The only slightly non-standard thing is the 50mm wheels. Most come in at least 80mm. But any 3.8 or 4" tire will fit on this wheel.

Hope that helps.

- Soar.


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## Fordzilla85 (Apr 30, 2015)

RST has plans to release a straight steer fork that should work for this bike. I belive it should come out this year and is rumored to be a couple hundred cheaper then the bluto


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## ikernel (Mar 24, 2015)

Replaced my hub after giving up on my freehub ordeal, no dice there. Should've been my decision from the start. Picked up an Origin8 OR8 170mm 32 hole hub. Fits perfectly with the stock rims and spokes. Looking to build a wheelset since the bike shop accidentally ordered an Origin 8 elite front hub. Going for Pro 801ULs to complete the build.


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## bcriverjunky (Jul 8, 2014)

Fordzilla85 said:


> RST has plans to release a straight steer fork that should work for this bike. I belive it should come out this year and is rumored to be a couple hundred cheaper then the bluto


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

:incazzato:

I had a shitty ride on my GBEM today. 4.5 miles of pavement to 0.5 miles of fire road to 1.5 miles of single track which was hilly, slightly damp, twisty but not too much, significant log obstacles, few roots, few rocks. I lowered my PSI before the ride, not sure how low, didn't measure it. I had one rim strike. I felt really unsteady on the single track downhills. The steering was terrible. Before it got up to speed it waved around and I almost tipped over. I was afraid of going over rock and log obstacles. I had trouble staying on the single track because of the steering. I may just be my mountain biking skills but the obstacles were killing me. When I got back on the pavement you could feel a bounce in the whole bike when it got up to speed from the lower psi tires. It was like one of those tricked out low rider cars. I think I heard a ticking from my BB but not sure. I was just exhausted out there on the trails and hard to enjoy. The most fun part of the ride was barreling across a grassy field before I hit the trails.

The pavement and gravel riding is OK at higher PSI. If you want a good workout without having to ride far then the rolling resistance and weight of the wheels will give it you.

Looking at a 29er hard tail now if I want to stay cheap and with BD for $500.
Or I could go really upscale and get a FS 29er or 26.5 from my LBS if I feel the need to tackle these technical single tracks.

Sigh, oh well.

- Soar.


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## bcriverjunky (Jul 8, 2014)

soarftb said:


> :incazzato:
> 
> I lowered my PSI before the ride, not sure how low
> 
> ...


Why did you lower your air pressure? Pump them up to 20 and go back out there.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

bcriverjunky said:


> Why did you lower your air pressure? Pump them up to 20 and go back out there.


Everything I have read about fat biking says to run a low pressure.


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## bcriverjunky (Jul 8, 2014)

soarftb said:


> Everything I have read about fat biking says to run a low pressure.


In the snow maybe... Not on dirt


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

bcriverjunky said:


> In the snow maybe... Not on dirt


High pressure like that gets bouncy in a hurry. I'm 175 and run 6f and 8r, maybe 10 or 12 if its smooth.

Fatbikes aren't for everybody, there's no shame in liking what you like (Or not liking what you don't).
The real beauty of these bikes is that if you mess with it for a while and decide that its really not for you, you're only out $500, which you can quickly make back by selling it. Its a pretty low risk way to test the waters.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

bcriverjunky said:


> Why did you lower your air pressure? Pump them up to 20 and go back out there.


I agree. I run my vee missions at about 18 (according to my cheap stick gauge) on hard pack of any kind. 15 and below gives me self steer and tire roll in the corners. Keep in mind I weight in at 220. I don't get bounce until 22-25. Also a lot of my riding style comes from years of riding rigid.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

@soar this might be a worth while read.

http://forums.mtbr.com/beginners-co...eginner-rigid-mtb-zero-suspension-654214.html


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

Got a chance to ride CRP in FL. Mostly hard packed sand single track with lots of short, root filled climbs and descents. A couple of the corners were loose sand. I have really come to love the way the monster handles especially on climbs. It broke free and slid a couple of times but it was always expected and easily controlled.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

I have the stock missions and floaters as far as tires go. I typically ride dirt but will be taking the bike to the beach with me in a week. Anyone ride both of these tires on sand that could comment on which ones I should go with? I have the floaters mounted now.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Either one will be fine in the packed stuff, but the floaters will have more dig in the loose. Neither one will make you magically float over sugar sand, but you might make it a few more feet with the floaters.
Have fun!


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

dietz31684 said:


> I have the stock missions and floaters as far as tires go. I typically ride dirt but will be taking the bike to the beach with me in a week. Anyone ride both of these tires on sand that could comment on which ones I should go with? I have the floaters mounted now.


I probably put 50+ beach miles on the Floaters in March/April and they were fine. Once the summer is over and the beaches clear out, I'll be back out there on the Floaters. I put my old Missions on my wife's Mongoose Dolomite and she had no problems on the beach.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

dietz31684 said:


> I have the stock missions and floaters as far as tires go. I typically ride dirt but will be taking the bike to the beach with me in a week. Anyone ride both of these tires on sand that could comment on which ones I should go with? I have the floaters mounted now.


Run the floaters...drop the pressure some and have fun.


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## phoolish (Jun 3, 2015)

I am surprised that there aren't more Q factor complaints specific to the GMP. Its wrecking my ride. The low tire pressures stated by other riders are just not even on my radar. I tried lower pressures than 20 and ate **** big time on self steer in the rutted hardpack. The bluto is awesome though. With realistic tire psi and the stock V8's I can rip and plow like I thought I would be capable on a fatbike. The q factor is ruining everything for me though. The crankset seem way oversized as there looks to be plenty of clearance for a narrower spindle.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

is this on the BEM or BEM pro? I assume the Pro, but just want to make sure. 
What's wrong with the q-factor? Hurting knees/hips or a lot of rock strikes? The q-factor on fat bikes is wide, and nothing will change that. I definately notice a riding style change going from from my 29er to fat mode (like beast mode, but with more twinkies and BBQ). No where close to as much bike lean and body english. The bike goes where it wants, and I'm along for the ride.


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## kcdirtbro54 (Mar 29, 2011)

Q-factor? I guess I haven't quite learned all the mtb lingo. I do own a Pro and I'm not quite having the issues you are. Most of the guys in this thread have non-Pros with rigid forks so their tire pressure setups, I'd think, should vary from Pro owners' just because we have the Bluto up front. Tire psi in my view is all preference. If you like yours at 20+, then I wouldn't worry about others that say they're running 6psi (or whatever). 
Since the crank arms are alloy, they're going to be beefier than chromo cranks. Are you hitting your ankles on them or just not pleased with the appearance?

EDIT: I just checked and the normal GBM have 50mm rims and the Pros are 80mm rims so that might play into tire inflation as well...maybe?


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## MUSTCLIME (Jan 26, 2004)

phoolish said:


> I am surprised that there aren't more Q factor complaints specific to the GMP. Its wrecking my ride. The low tire pressures stated by other riders are just not even on my radar. I tried lower pressures than 20 and ate **** big time on self steer in the rutted hardpack. The bluto is awesome though. With realistic tire psi and the stock V8's I can rip and plow like I thought I would be capable on a fatbike. The q factor is ruining everything for me though. The crankset seem way oversized as there looks to be plenty of clearance for a narrower spindle.


Loose the tires! Tires make the fat bike...if you are having issues with the q-factor, look at changing you cleat location( if you are ridding clipless) . I find most people that have Q problems tend to ride with the cleats forward, you move them back 1/4 to 3/8th of a inch and things feel better


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

MUSTCLIME said:


> Loose the tires! Tires make the fat bike...


Any "lost" tires are welcome to come to my house  I seem to be the only person who likes missions and V8's.


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## devans (Apr 27, 2015)

Tyre pressure is everything on a fat bike, run the rear harder as most of your weight will be on the back wheel, if you have a short stem like me, run the front quite soft, you won't be able to stand up and rag it, but instead spin up hills sat down, 

But when it comes to downhills the front tyre will eat up everything and the rear will grip nicely.

I've got 120mm travel Bluto set up at 115PSI i'm 12 stone and it's great.

My fronts around 10psi and my rears around 15psi.

Fat bikes aren't built for road or hills so just take it easy and save your energy for going down.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

From reading this thread, I think optimal tire pressure depends highly on the rider's weight. It seems heavier riders should run higher pressure. I was having a lot of steering issues at lower pressure and I am 250lbs, so I am trying with a higher tire pressure next. I imagine the Q factor is the same on the regular and pro. I couldn't find a BB width measurement in the geometries.


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## phoolish (Jun 3, 2015)

Im still in *****ing mode! I haven't tried adjustments other than pedal changes and looking into narrow souled shoes. I'll look into forward aft positioning also. Thanks for the tip!


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## phoolish (Jun 3, 2015)

Lol! I have no problem with the V8's either! So if anyone has some 120 tpi's ........


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## MUSTCLIME (Jan 26, 2004)

the only people that don't have problems with v8 tires have not been on anything else...their rubber compound sucks, so does the casing....Loved knards for anything but mud and love Hodangs for everything.....


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## kcdirtbro54 (Mar 29, 2011)

Tonight's upgrades


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

MUSTCLIME said:


> the only people that don't have problems with v8 tires have not been on anything else...their rubber compound sucks, so does the casing....Loved knards for anything but mud and love Hodangs for everything.....


I have tried a lot of tires, and while there are much better ones out there I think the V8's are fine for hardpack and pavement. Especially if you're saving a nice tire for when you need it.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

After breaking my cheap carbon fiber 720mm bars, I put some 680mm Bontagers on (take offs from LBS). All I can say is the wider the better... Widebars certainly make a difference in reducing self-steer and improve control. The short DH stem is a nice addition with the wide bars though. I will be ordering 750mm aluminium bars soon


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## Beicster (Feb 9, 2007)

I am sure it is body style, but I love the wide Q factor on fat bikes. It works for how I am built.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

phoolish said:


> Im still in *****ing mode


 What exactly does that mean?


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## phoolish (Jun 3, 2015)

that means the board won't let me say b i t c h ing mode and in case it does it again, sounds like fitching mode....


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

phoolish said:


> that means the board won't let me say b i t c h ing mode and in case it does it again, sounds like fitching mode....


Lol OK but what is happening to you on the bike? I am just curious. Thanks.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

soarftb said:


> Lol OK but what is happening to you on the bike? I am just curious. Thanks.


he's getting fitched at by his bike. "why didn't you cut the grass", "take the garbage out", "why do you spend so much time out riding", "Weekend at my parents",... You know, fitching.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

Welp, gonna return my GBEM to BD. 20" is just too small for me and the shifters are sticking. I put it up for sale in numerous venues, had one local interest that fell through, so with three days left I am going to RMA it.

Again, customer service at Bikes Direct has been great. The normal return shipping label charge for a fat bike was $100 and Karla said she can do it for $50 without me even asking. Got some packing materials from my LBS for free and will have to break the bike down, box it up and ship her out. Luckily I kept the BD box.

Went to two of my LBS today to test ride some FS 29er bikes. Neither the Specialized or Trek/Scott dealers had any XL bikes in stock nor did any shop in an hour radius of me. I was interested in a Spec Camber 29 at $2K. I am not going to buy a $2K plus bike without a test ride, sorry. I test rode a Spec Rockhopper or Stumpjumper HT 29er, forgot which one, MSRP $800. It was OK, cockpit size was nice and large but the components were the same or lower than a BD 29er for $500.

Going to get order this 29er from BD today just so I have something to ride. Looks well specced for the $500:

Save up to 60% off new Mountain Bikes - MTB - Motobecane Fantom 29COMP

It's been a fun time with you fat bike pioneers. I will continue to lurk and post and may get a fat bike in the future. I still love the concept, the execution just wasn't practical for me right now. If I lived in Alaska I would have one.

Enjoy your fat bikes guys and most of all, keep riding and having fun.

- Soar.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

If it fits, check out this 29er. Awesome price for what it's got, especially if a 21" frame will work for you. 
Save up to 60% off new Mountain Bikes - MTB - Gravity 29Point5 29er Mountain Bikes

I have a bike with the XC28, and it is not worth writing home about. It works, but the above bike is so much better.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

watts888 said:


> If it fits, check out this 29er. Awesome price for what it's got, especially if a 21" frame will work for you.
> Save up to 60% off new Mountain Bikes - MTB - Gravity 29Point5 29er Mountain Bikes
> 
> I have a bike with the XC28, and it is not worth writing home about. It works, but the above bike is so much better.


Watts, thanks for the info. That is a nice bike and I am a size 21". I know the Reba is really good. I think $5-600 is my stopping point for buying online. Anything more I need to test ride and buy local to support my LBS. Plus I want to try a Motobecane since I had a Gravity, even though they are probably made in the same plant!

Well, just found out they sold out of that 29er I posted above so I am looking at this. Has tubeless ready wheels and remote lockout, though the fork is a Suntour. Not sure how much worse it is than a spring fork by Roxshock, but I will have to decide.

Save up to 60% off new Mountain Bikes - MTB - Motobecane Fantom 29Elite


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

watts888 said:


> If it fits, check out this 29er. Awesome price for what it's got, especially if a 21" frame will work for you.
> Save up to 60% off new Mountain Bikes - MTB - Gravity 29Point5 29er Mountain Bikes
> 
> I have a bike with the XC28, and it is not worth writing home about. It works, but the above bike is so much better.


Watts is the 21" the biggest frame on the Gravity 29er? On the geo chart they show a 23" but I think the geo chart is mislabeled. Thanks.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

I think I saw a 23" once on one of the 29.4's, but none of the others. I'm pretty sure the 21" is normally the biggest size they have for these. For reference, I have one and I'm 6'5" with a 34" pant inseam, and it fits me fine. I think the geometry is supposed to be very similar to the gary fisher 29er bikes.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

watts888 said:


> I think I saw a 23" once on one of the 29.4's, but none of the others. I'm pretty sure the 21" is normally the biggest size they have for these. For reference, I have one and I'm 6'5" with a 34" pant inseam, and it fits me fine. I think the geometry is supposed to be very similar to the gary fisher 29er bikes.


Thanks watts.

I looked at a few of the Gravity 29ers and they all list 4 sizes on the main page and in the dropdown with 21" being the biggest, and all have the same geo chart with 23" being the biggest. I think 21" is the biggest they sell but I emailed BD just in case.

So do you like your gravity 29er geo? I wish the 2015 had a tapered head tube, then the Reba would be future proof and I could always replace the frame if I had to.

I got my GBEM all boxed up and ready to ship back tomorrow. All in all it has been a good experience meeting and chatting with you guys about it and I learned a hell of a lot about bikes. I think on my next bike I will be much more confident in working on it myself.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

soarftb said:


> All in all it has been a good experience meeting and chatting with you guys about it and I learned a hell of a lot about bikes. I think on my next bike I will be much more confident in working on it myself.


Sorry it didn't work out, but I'm glad that you got something out of it.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

soarftb said:


> So do you like your gravity 29er geo? I wish the 2015 had a tapered head tube, then the Reba would be future proof and I could always replace the frame if I had to.


I like the geo, but i wish the chainstays and wheelbase was a bit longer. A 23" would have fit me better, but the standover is just too high. Good idea to check with bikesdirect to see what they have in a 23" (or 22") in their other bikes too. I have a 23" motobecane and it was a lot of fun on the trails, except for the standover. That hurt. If you have more questions about the gravity 29point, head on over to this thread so we're not bogging down the BEM thread with evil 29er talk.
http://forums.mtbr.com/29er-bikes/new-bikesdirect-gravity-29point1-697603-22.html


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Oops.










Guess that hanger came in right on time...


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## phoolish (Jun 3, 2015)

I was having knee pains with the q factor. I rode again with knee support socks and pain was minimal. I feel fine on my Camber 29 for reference. I think its me not the bike though. Interesting that you have decided to return the bike. I went so far as to buy a shipping label. However, for 1k you are just not going to find a bike at the level of the Gravity. (I looked) So I emailed Karla again and told her to refund the label cost. That's where I'm at this weekend. I see your fit issues though. My 20 feels like a smaller frame when riding even with my spider monkey body. Good luck on your search for a good fit!


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

So after much fun in the woods I managed to break something... bent the steerer tube on a hard crash :/ 
















So that's that.. time for a new fork. BD offered to send the same fork to me with a little bit knocked off the price. It's a great fork, but I'm considering buying the on one carbon fork because it has the straight 1 1/8 steerer tube.. it's also $280 shipped..


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

I've thought about carbon forks, but I'm still leering of them breaking. I know I shouldn't be, but I weight over 250lbs when geared up and hit lots of rocks and roots. Not too many jumps, but they are there.


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

watts888 said:


> I've thought about carbon forks, but I'm still leering of them breaking. I know I shouldn't be, but I weight over 250lbs when geared up and hit lots of rocks and roots. Not too many jumps, but they are there.


Yeah I've been reading about them all morning and it seems like more risk and trouble with fit than its worth at this point on this bike but the on one carbon fork is made by mitsubishi, so I would think they would be solid. Maybe if I upgrade to a higher end bike. I'm gonna stick with the same fork I have on it for now. I'm a little concerned about being able to get that bent steerer tube out of my bike though.. we'll see.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

From the looks, it shouldn't be a problem unless i'ts really bent from front/back. If you bent the steer tube, I'd probably go ahead and get a new headset too.


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

watts888 said:


> From the looks, it shouldn't be a problem unless i'ts really bent from front/back. If you bent the steer tube, I'd probably go ahead and get a new headset too.


For sure that's what I was thinking, any recommendations?


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

FSA - "The Pig" or "The Hammer"

both are good quality headsets. the pig has beefier lower bearings. I'd go with it because it's only $5 more.


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

Right on pig it is thank you


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

218traverse said:


> Yeah I've been reading about them all morning and it seems like more risk and trouble with fit than its worth at this point on this bike but the on one carbon fork is made by mitsubishi, so I would think they would be solid. Maybe if I upgrade to a higher end bike. I'm gonna stick with the same fork I have on it for now. I'm a little concerned about being able to get that bent steerer tube out of my bike though.. we'll see.


They are solid. On One makes awesome stuff. I won't go carbon unless it's full carbon. I don't like mixing alum and carbon components. I've also found that I really, really like steel. So I look at carbon bikes and think "oh that's pretty" in the same way I do with super cars. Now I will admit carbon wheels have caught my attention and held it for some time now.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

I think I'd trust a carbon wheel long before I'd trust a carbon fork. The fork/stem/handlebar combo. either all carbon and assume its fine, or stick with aluminum/steel. I'm a clyde, so it's not like I'm really appreciating the weight loss other than being able to pick up the front end easier. to do that, just add some big water bottles to the fork. Do that for a couple rides and remove them, lifting the front end is super easy.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

watts888 said:


> I I'm a clyde, so it's not like I'm really appreciating the weight loss other than being able to pick up the front end easier.


So am I but that doesn't stop me from drooling every time I look at the 22lbs sarma fattie.


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## GnarDude (Jan 16, 2015)

*Repairs and Upgrades for my Green Gravity Monster*

My Bullseye Gravity first acquired a sticker array to throw off the douchebags that are all about branding. This thing gets ridden mostly at Buffalo Creek, CO. I've replaced quite a bit to make it bomb proof and because I ride about 250 miles a month, some of the stock components wore out. I've replaced both sets of brake pads, just now at about 1200 miles I've replaced the front pads.









The next logical thing I replaced were the pedals. I found that running clipless on this bike just didn't feel right nor did it seem like much of a difference. I went with Modovo Aluminum Alloy MTB Pedals.









The rear cassette was the first thing I actually had to replace due to wear and tear, so I went with Shimano CS-HG31 Hyperglide Cassette (11-32T 8 Speed).









I replaced the thumb triggers with Shimano finger trigger shifters. I prefer these over the thumb shifters.









Next I had to replace the rear derailleur as it became quickly apparent that XRAM derailleurs and Shimano triggers are not fully compatible. So I went with the Atlus and I am very happy with it.









The chainrings wore out after about 1000 miles so I replaced them with RaceFace 36/24 for dirt and RaceFace 34/22 for snow.









Also went with a 50mm RaceFAce stem and RaceFAce handlebars to bomb proof the green bastard.









Finally a nice Lime Green Skull Kustom Stem Cover.









I still have a Gary Fisher Trek 29er that I rode clipless. But ever since I got this Green Bastard I've only went back to the 29'er once and it felt all wrong. FAt, flat and fast is the only way for me man. The uphill is a little more work but the downhill is completely worth it. The tig welds on the front fork are the only thing that worry me a bit, but I've taken this thing down some pretty gnarly terrain and have put 1200+ HARD miles on it, so far so good.


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## ikernel (Mar 24, 2015)

*Ouch*



dirtdawg21892 said:


> Oops.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Sorry to see your derailleur hanger snapped Dirt Dawg. Bent mine a while back and it seems like a solid piece of metal. By comparison, my 14 Trek X-Cal's hanger has snapped numerous times, finally picked up a spare hanger.

Had to swap the small chain ring on the stock crankset. Still had a seriously bad chain suck after replacing the hub. Luckily there was an old LX crank lying around with a barely used small chainring. The bolt circle and 24t chainring was an exact fit to the stock Lasko crankset. No more chain suck or drivetrain lock up. Since, put more miles on my Gravity in the past week and a half than since the beginning of 2015 when I got this bike. It's been rainy and wet here, saving my Trek for better days.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

GnarDude said:


> My Bullseye Gravity first acquired a sticker array to throw off the douchebags that are all about branding. This thing gets ridden mostly at Buffalo Creek, CO. I've replaced quite a bit to make it bomb proof and because I ride about 250 miles a month, some of the stock components wore out. I've replaced both sets of brake pads, just now at about 1200 miles I've replaced the front pads.
> 
> View attachment 997706


Hilarious. I was looking at that same pack of stickers off amazon earlier. Similar reason. Not so much to hide to moto, but because I wanted to liven up the black frame. Maybe some pinstriping would work just as well.


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## GnarDude (Jan 16, 2015)

Yeah LOL! Stickers from China off Amazon, I buy stickers wherever I see them. Right now we are apartment dwelling, once we get a house/garage I'll paint it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

GnarDude said:


> Next I had to replace the rear derailleur as it became quickly apparent that XRAM derailleurs and Shimano triggers are not fully compatible. So I went with the Atlus and I am very happy with it.


SRAM and Shimano use different ratios of cable per click.


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## GnarDude (Jan 16, 2015)

Xethur said:


> SRAM and Shimano use different ratios of cable per click.


LOL, after a couple hours of tweaking the Shimano/SRAM combo, I could get it to shift on 7 of the 8 rear sprockets. I was able to either omit the lowest or the highest gear. That's when I went to the internets and found the ratio difference. It was a bit of a bummer, as the stock SRAM served me well. Rode it without the granny gear until the Shimano Atlus arrived.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

@Gnar. The brand bashing has got to irritating, especially where your located. 

There is a flip side of the coin though. Here everyone rides mongoose, next, and roadmaster. They have no idea what the difference between a $50 and a $500 bike is. I finally convinced one of my friends to buy a decent bike by pulling him off his skinny tired, full squish, 50lbs mongoose and letting him ride a few trails on my fattie.


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## jet987 (May 19, 2014)

I'm considering buying a new Gravity Bullseye Monster, but bikesdirect didn't have the 16" size in stock until recently. Bikesdirect site now shows PrePay Bikes for July delivery have New 80mm Wide Rims plus Newest MissionCommand Tires. Are these updated 2015 models or new 2016 models?


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

BD doesn't seem to do model years. They do production runs and make changes in-between runs without any regard to what time of year it is. I actually wish more companies would operate in this laid back straight forward fashion.


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## GnarDude (Jan 16, 2015)

Good info Xethur. Gotta say that I really like the 50mm rims for dirt, may get the 80mm set off BD for $250 as a snow set. 


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## TrailMasonJones (Apr 24, 2011)

Hello I just got done skimming throught all 49 pages of this thread and i am still left with a simple question as a new GBEM owner. is there a simple list of proven wheel and tire combos that have worked on the GBEM. As far as i can tell mission 4.o on 50 and 8omm work front and back, same with v8 4.0s, snowshoe 4.5 on 50mm works on the back and up to the snowshoe 4.7 on 80 mm works on the front, one one floaters work but are to expensive now that on one dosent like the USA any more. also the ground control will work on the front. 

ok what am i missing and what do i have wrong.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

TrailMasonJones said:


> Hello I just got done skimming throught all 49 pages of this thread and i am still left with a simple question as a new GBEM owner. is there a simple list of proven wheel and tire combos that have worked on the GBEM. As far as i can tell mission 4.o on 50 and 8omm work front and back, same with v8 4.0s, snowshoe 4.5 on 50mm works on the back and up to the snowshoe 4.7 on 80 mm works on the front, one one floaters work but are to expensive now that on one dosent like the USA any more. also the ground control will work on the front.
> 
> ok what am i missing and what do i have wrong.


(in my experience) Any 4.0 on an 80 will work out back, and in the front anything goes.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

Stock chain question,

Will the stock chain work with a 9 speed cassette? Or is it too wide? I am thinking of switching to 9speed with shimano shifter and deraillur. The stock stuff has worked ok, but my regular mtn and roadie shift so much smoother, faster and better under power load.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

Well I finally ordered some replacement wide bars (780mm) from Jensen USA. I really like wide bars on this bike. Chromag Fubars OSX in a sale priced purplish only color. They may not really match, but my bike will stand out... Basically I bought the best bars I could find for the least amount of money ($56 shipped)


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

byron555 said:


> Stock chain question,
> 
> Will the stock chain work with a 9 speed cassette? Or is it too wide? I am thinking of switching to 9speed with shimano shifter and deraillur. The stock stuff has worked ok, but my regular mtn and roadie shift so much smoother, faster and better under power load.


It will probably work, but I wouldn't recommend it. Combining Old chain and new cassette doesn't always go well. If your looking for the best for the least with chains look at the KMC X9.93


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

Xethur said:


> It will probably work, but I wouldn't recommend it. Combining Old chain and new cassette doesn't always go well. If your looking for the best for the least with chains look at the KMC X9.93


That is true however the bike only has 250 miles on it


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Try out 10 speed with an X9 type 2 rd...shifts so much better than my 9 speed bike ever did or will.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

500-600 miles in, with my 260 lbs on top, my Monster is better than it was new. The stock shifting has improved with time, as has the rear hub (which was not smooth when new). We did another 21 miles of singletrack today and the bike ate it up. I'm thinking of upgrading the brakes to hydraulics. The Shimano M447s on my Trek Superfly are so much nicer.

I've decided to upgrade my wife's fatbike from a Mongoose Dolo to a Monster (one of the new ones with 80mm wheels and Mission Commands, in Pearl White). I'm just not sure on the size. She's 5'7", which puts her right at the line between a 14 and 16. According to the specs, she'll clear a 16" top tube by about an inch... Once I decide, I'll pull the trigger. Then I can start the mods.


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

GnarDude said:


> The chainrings wore out after about 1000 miles so I replaced them with RaceFace 36/24 for dirt and RaceFace 34/22 for snow./QUOTE]
> 
> So I just bent the crap out of my 32t chainring on a bad shift. Was looking at the raceface turbine. Which raceface are you using?


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

218traverse said:


> So I just bent the crap out of my 32t chainring on a bad shift. Was looking at the raceface turbine. Which raceface are you using?


I've be running the race face narrow wide 32t single. I'm willing to bet any race face ring(s) will be better then the stock rings.


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## GnarDude (Jan 16, 2015)

Xethur said:


> I've be running the race face narrow wide 32t single. I'm willing to bet any race face ring(s) will be better then the stock rings.


Agreed RaceFace is bomb proof.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

*9 speed drivetrain*

With the blessings of the wife I went ahead and ordered a 9 speed drivetrain from Jenson USA. 12-36 shimano cassette, deore shifter and derailleur and a 9 speed shimano chain.

The sram gear that comes on the bike is ok, but I really do prefer shimano. My other bikes (much older with many more miles) are shimano and shift far better. In addition I am used to the shifters.

I am going to enter the WORS race at Cascade Mtn (near Portage WI) in July in the "try it out" group and really want smoother shifting to tackle the hills. My goal is to not come in last, and this is my first "race" of any type

By the way, to update those who have seen my earlier posts. In early March I weighed about 227 lbs, I am now down to 194 lbs. All biking, no forced change in diet. I feel great, like I am 28 instead of 38. Feasted on a dinner of steak and Caesar Salad tonight.


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## phoolish (Jun 3, 2015)

Love it! Its so awesome when cycling starts changing your body and your life! I remember my first race in the early 90's. It was life changing. Don't get discouraged and fear is normal! EAT IT UP! LOL! My battle weight in those days was 190. Still there but old goat now! Good luck and don't give up!


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## GnarDude (Jan 16, 2015)

There is nothing better than having the great outdoors as my gym! 


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## joebikesdirect (Sep 5, 2014)

Wildbird99 said:


> I've decided to upgrade my wife's fatbike from a Mongoose Dolo to a Monster (one of the new ones with 80mm wheels and Mission Commands, in Pearl White). I'm just not sure on the size. She's 5'7", which puts her right at the line between a 14 and 16.


Most riders around that height ride the 16 inch. Unless they want to be more aggressive. Then pick the 14 inch for max clearance and more agile handling, lower handlebars. If she has shorter legs or arms or is not quite 5'7" then perhaps opt for the 14 inch  Final choice is up to you


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## kcdirtbro54 (Mar 29, 2011)

Got the Pro down to 34.75lbs tonight by going to single gear up front. Just over a pound saved.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

kcdirtbro54 said:


> Got the Pro down to 34.75lbs tonight by going to single gear up front. Just over a pound saved.


That's a sweet looking guard. And I see your running an n-gear jump stop. I tried that but couldn't get the plate close enough to keep the chain from jumping so I swapped for a race face narrow wide and the chain hasn't jumped off since.


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## kcdirtbro54 (Mar 29, 2011)

Thanks. It's a BBG guard. They sell them pretty cheap and they're pretty light. I used one on my old 29er and it worked great! This one, however, had to be modified a little to fit these cranks which is why it's scratched up. I put the n-gear on because I used one on the 29er, as well. There is a pretty big gap making it useless. I'm going to try and make something to extend it out farther. I used an FSA singlespeed gear and it doesn't appear to want to jump off it, but with the modified n-gear I won't have any worries.

I know this isn't the classifieds but if anyone is wanting a SRAM x5 front shifter and/or a SRAM FD-X7 front derailleur with basically no use. pm me


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

*New Brakes*

As I've been getting stronger and more aggressive on the bike, an area of need has made itself obvious: The brakes. While I have never had them not stop or slow me adequately, the difference between them and the hydraulic brakes on my Superfly has become glaring. And since my Monster is my workhorse, it was just a matter of time until the upgrade.

I've been researching inexpensive-yet-acceptable brakes for a few months, and decided on Avid DB1s. I had a set delivered today from Rock Bros (via Amazon) for less than $80 (with HS1 discs, which I have not yet installed). Installation was easy, with the only concern being that the rear brake line is just barely long enough for my 20" frame. Non-trail testing is positive. Tomorrow, I'll trail test them.

This bring my total list of upgrades/changes since buying the bike last December:
Ergon grips
Redline pedals
OneOne Floater tires
Gravity Turbo dropper seatpost (until it snapped this week - see photo)
Thudbuster LT seatpost (in testing, but I think I like it)
Delta smartphone holder
Cateye Volt 300 headlight and taillight
SKS MudX front mud guard
Avid DB1 brakes
(I still haven't installed the 2x9 X7 RD/shifter, since the X4 has been working well and I've just been lazy)

Brakes before and after:


























Seatpost failure (no injuries resulted):


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

*9 speed Deore gear installed*

I got home from work at 1030p last night and the box from Jenson USA was there. It took me about an hour to install the new drivetrain. Removing the grip seemed to be the hardest part, since everyone was sleeping I couldn't use the compressor to do it the quick and easy way.
















Will be out later this morning for fine tuning and testing


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

12 mile test ride complete... Their is no comparison, The Deore drive train with 9spd 12-36 is a 100% improvement. Shifts buttery smooth even under power. The gear spacing is almost exactly like my road bike. With my old cassette it always felt like I was in the wrong gear... This one is too hard this one is too easy... Not any more. I am going faster and using less energy. Totally worth the money. Although I have no plans to take off the small chain ring right now, I am not sure it needs it at all anymore.

Oh and I love the new bars, I thought the 780mm was going to be too wide (could always cut em) But they are super comfy with great control.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Still loving my BEM. Drive train is next upgrade but it's working so no rush. I did trash the RD but had a 9speed x7 laying around which works fine with 8 speed shifters.





















The rack and pannier bags are not fat specific. I had no problem getting the rack onto the fattie, plus was able to put it right back onto my commuter road bike after vacation. Just had to spread it a bit. It never bent or kinked, just a bit of finesse and it was on in 5 minute. Just FYI that you don't need to spend $100 on a fat specific rack for these 170mm rear ends. Rack is axiom journey, bags are axiom Appalachian. The set cost me about $50 on amazon with free shipping.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

9spd is proving to be the best upgrade I have done... If you are thinking about it you should do it... All the shimano stuff I listed previously was $93 shipped to my door and totally worth it


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

So I trail-tested the new Avid DB-1 hydraulic brakes this past week. Wow. Huge difference. I didn't change the discs. As long as it works this well with the stock ones, I'll keep the others for when necessary.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

*A full week of Fat only*

To prepare for the Cacade Mtn Wors race in Portage WI, I now have completed a full week of "fat only" bike riding. Whether it be road or trail the GBM is the only bike I have ridden in the past week and the only one I will ride this week till race time. It is a lot more work than the road bike. However when I do hop on the roadie it will probably feel like a feather.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

byron555 said:


> It is a lot more work than the road bike. However when I do hop on the roadie it will probably feel like a feather.


Yup, that'll be fun. I did a road ride last week after riding fat-only for a while. It's very cool to mix it up like that -- part of the fun of cycling, for me. I rode the 29er on trails today and that felt like a rocket, especially on the hills.

In other news, I ordered a Monster for my wife today. 16" Pearl White, with the new 80mm rims and Mission Commands. I think I'm more excited about it than she is.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

So I figured it is time for an update on how I feel about this bike. If you read the whole thread you know I thought I would use this for snow and as a backup bike. The case has been quite the opposite. I have an expensive 29er I built from the ground up that I feel out of place on now. I've actually been stripping the expensive parts off the 29er to put on the fattie. This cheap fattie has rewritten everything I thought I knew about riding. I'm not sure what direction I will go from here, but I can't wait to swing a leg over a 5" fattie with modern/aggressive geometry, but the budget says that's a few years down the road. I will continue to ride the crap out of the monster and I still plan to build an awesome wheel set with my tax refund. 

For those that geek out on specs like me, the following is what I have done with the bike so far. 

I swapped the brakes for 180mm HS1 rotors and Avid BB7s. Putting decent brakes on this thing really open up the lines you can take with coincidence. 

Swapped the front rings for a race face narrow wide 32t. I plan on a 28t down the road. It just doesn't have the climbing gear ratios I need.

Swapped the rear drive train for an old XT 9 speed setup and then for a 10 speed X0/X9 setup. I plan on going back to shimano parts. I like the way they shift. A 9 speed 12-36 rear cassette will probably work just fine with a 28t front, but i'm also looking at a 10 speed with a 42t rear cog. 

Swapped the bars for a set of 620mm bars. I tried a set 740mm bars, but they just didn't feel right. They didn't give me the control I needed when pulling the front off the ground.

Pedals to ones without plastic, duh

Saddle to one I favor.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Xethur,

I'm currently running X9 type2 28 front 11-36 rear with a short cage. It works flawlessly.
the nice thing of a short cage is that it is up and away a wee bit more than the long cage. damn, if the fatty isn't a Jeep on 2 wheels!

Sounds like you're getting 'er dialed right in...


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

My wife's Monster arrived Thursday, and she rode it for the first time today. She likes it, although she is used to Shimano shifters and doesn't find the SRAM shifters intuitive (yet).

The new batch of Monsters have 80mm wheels, Mission Command tires, and a different cassette (I haven't counted the teeth, but there is a bigger jump between 1st and 2nd). Hers also came with an extra derailleur hanger, which mine did not. Everything else seems the same.

The bike showed up in perfect shape, with even the derailleurs in adjustment. Very impressive.

16", Pearl White (the color is nice)...








Hers and his...








You can see the difference between her 80mm wheels and my 50mm. Also, the big jump between the two biggest gears...


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

My wife's Monster arrived Thursday, and she rode it for the first time today. She likes it, although she is used to Shimano shifters and doesn't find the SRAM shifters intuitive (yet).

The new batch of Monsters have 80mm wheels, Mission Command tires, and a different cassette (I haven't counted the teeth, but there is a bigger jump between 1st and 2nd). Hers also came with an extra derailleur hanger, which mine did not. Everything else seems the same.

The bike showed up in perfect shape, with even the derailleurs in adjustment. Very impressive.

16", Pearl White (the color is nice)...
View attachment 1004234


Hers and his...
View attachment 1004235


You can see the difference between her 80mm wheels and my 50mm. Also, the big jump between the two biggest gears...
View attachment 1004236


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## Generalg (Apr 20, 2004)

Been looking to get back into cycling again after a 9+ year leave. This Gravity Monster may just do the trick. Thanks to you Wildbird99 posting those pictures, I will be ordering up the white 22" monster in the AM. Just hope my 6'6" frame will fit the 22.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Welcome to the fAt side! Nothing puts as big a smile on your mug as a fat bike does.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

really? I can think of a couple other things that bring a big ole smile to my face. And no, you're not invited.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Generalg said:


> I will be ordering up the white 22" monster in the AM. Just hope my 6'6" frame will fit the 22.


should fit fine. I'm 6'5" on a 21" gravity 29er bike. When comparing the dimensions, the 22" BEM was a litle bit bigger on most measurments.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

watts888 said:


> really? I can think of a couple other things that bring a big ole smile to my face. And no, you're not invited.


Get yourself a room, and NO, I Want NOTHING to do with it, nor do I care to hear about it...just sayin'


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

Wildbird99 said:


> My wife's Monster arrived Thursday, and she rode it for the first time today. She likes it, although she is used to Shimano shifters and doesn't find the SRAM shifters intuitive (yet).
> 
> The new batch of Monsters have 80mm wheels, Mission Command tires, and a different cassette (I haven't counted the teeth, but there is a bigger jump between 1st and 2nd). Hers also came with an extra derailleur hanger, which mine did not. Everything else seems the same.
> 
> ...


Great pics!

And thanks...

I now have a white Gravity Bullseye Monster on the way!


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

It's nice touch that they're now spec'ing the 80mm rims.


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

dietz31684 said:


> It's nice touch that they're now spec'ing the 80mm rims.


^^^

One of the main reasons that I finally decided to buy.

Plus Wildbird's pictures of the white look a lot better than the ones on the BD website. Seems White / Orange / Red is about all they have left right now for BEM's until fall.

I recently test rode a Fatboy and loved it! Hoping the Gravity gives me at least 80% of the Fatboy experience for a lot less dosh.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

Generalg said:


> Been looking to get back into cycling again after a 9+ year leave. This Gravity Monster may just do the trick. Thanks to you Wildbird99 posting those pictures, I will be ordering up the white 22" monster in the AM. Just hope my 6'6" frame will fit the 22.


The discussions on this board were what made me decide to buy mine. I'm glad I could help pay that forward. I still maintain that my Monster is the best $500 I've ever spent. It's my least expensive bike, but the one I ride the most.

A guy your size might find the bars to be a bit narrow, but that's a relatively cheap mod. You might want larger pedals, too. My Redlines were less that $30 and have worked well enough that I put a pair on my 26er today.

Have fun, stay safe, and post pics. Like this one, of our Monsters caught in a thunderstorm yesterday...


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

Wildbird99 said:


> The discussions on this board were what made me decide to buy mine. I'm glad I could help pay that forward. I still maintain that my Monster is the best $500 I've ever spent. It's my least expensive bike, but the one I ride the most.
> 
> A guy your size might find the bars to be a bit narrow, but that's a relatively cheap mod. You might want larger pedals, too. My Redlines were less that $30 and have worked well enough that I put a pair on my 26er today.
> 
> ...


I'd have to agree with the above comment... I am not your size, but a shorter stem with wide bars makes the bike better. I originally had 720mm cheap carbon bars (broke them on a jump) I now have 780mm. I would not go narrower than 720mm, after trying them I can't stand anything narrower on a mountain bike


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## Generalg (Apr 20, 2004)

First ride with the Monster. My youngest daughter had to ride along as well. Def need wider bars.


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

Generalg said:


> First ride with the Monster. My youngest daughter had to ride along as well. Def need wider bars.
> View attachment 1005516


Sweet! How's the fit?

Looking forward to mine arriving in a few hours. Hopefully it shows up early enough that I can get out on some trails with it yet today! Bought some other bits to put on it, so may take a spell to get it all together and adjusted.

Very cute that your daughter likes to ride with you! Mine just rolls her eyes when I ask her if she'd like to go riding with me. Sometimes I even get an eye roll + face palm. Seems my cool dad days are over :/


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## security58 (Jul 27, 2011)

Hello, ive had my monster 27.5+ since January...was wondering if theres a suspension fork out there that will fit the bike...aside from the bluto...thanks in advance


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Couple pages back there's links to a Chinese manufactured coil spring fork, similar in design to the suntour XCT. It's not a great fork, but it is probably one of the only 1 1/8" steer tube forks that will work with the bullseye frame.


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

*First Impressions*

My new Gravity Bullseye Monster arrived a few days ago. I ordered a 20" Monster in the Pearl White color. I originally wanted flat black or silver, but both were out of stock.

The box had one corner that showed a little damage, but I wasn't able to find anything damaged inside. I wasn't able to find any issues with the paint or the derailleur hanger as others have observed. It did come with an extra derailleur hanger, which is nice touch.

I set to work unpacking everything and installing the upgrades that I had purchased. After reading this thread in it's entirety, I had also ordered just about every upgrade that was mentioned short of a new fork.

The pearl white color looks much better in person than it does in pictures, especially the pictures on the BD website. Seems a camera has a difficult time picking up on the pearl aspect of the color. I'm very happy with the color.

Upgrades:

Raceface Atlas 785mm bars / 30mm rise
Truvativ 40mm downhill stem
Shimano Saints Pedals
Control Tech Seat Post
Raceface Grips
Raceface 36T Bash Guard (bling!)
Seat off my old Gary Fisher Hardtail (not sure of brand but not original - most comfortable seat I've ever had on a bike)

The bike came with the 80mm rims (vs the original 50mm) and the Vee Mission Command Tires. It also came with a Shimano rear cassette with a 34T granny, hopefully addressing the issues others have had in this thread with rear cassette wear / failure.

Some notes on the assembly:

- The front brake caliper was loose. It just took a few turns on the mounting screws and it was tight. The rear was fine.

- I pulled the front hub apart to check the grease. It was barely adequate. I added a bit more and reassembled the hub and set the preload a bit on the loose side. The hub does not roll very freely no matter how I set it. It probably will need an upgrade at some point, but I'll see how it wears in. I didn't take apart the rear yet, but I may after my experience with the front.

- Getting the grips off the old bars to remove the shifter / brake assemblies was a bear without cutting them off. I was eventually successful.

- The stock bar is way narrow. I'm thankful for the advice on this thread to order wider bars.

- The brakes required significant adjustment to get them anywhere close to working correctly.

- The levers on the SRAM shifters to shift to the lower tooth count rings seem to be a bit challenging to get to. I wonder how hard they will be to reach with gloves in the winter...

- Final assembled weight with upgrades was 37.6 lbs per my bathroom scale.

After a few hours I had the bike together with all the upgrades. I pumped up the tires to 10 psi front / 12 psi rear and set out for an initial shakedown ride around my local neighborhood.

A caveat on my shakedown ride - I've been riding a road bike almost exclusively this year, so riding a fat bike is a very different experience than what I am used to right now.

The 20" frame size is a good fit for me (6'2", 33" inseam), albeit a tad small. I probably could have gone with the 22" and been OK. I have plenty of standover with the 20". The cockpit is a bit small, but this is probably due more to the short Truvativ 40mm stem upgrade. I set the seat all the way back on the rails and it seemed to help. I measured the distance from the bars to the seat post and compared it to my Fisher hard tail, which fits me just about perfectly, and the Fisher measured 730mm, while the Monster measured 670mm, so some 2 1/2" shorter. I do feel more upright on the Monster. With the stock 100mm stem, the distance from the seat post to the bars would have been nearly identical to my Fisher. I may experiment with a slightly longer stem if the short stem bothers me because of the associated cockpit geometry. I have a road 90mm stem laying around that I could try. I also may experiment with flipping the spacers on the stem. I left the bars at the top of the spacers for the initial setup, but I think lowering the bars may also help with the upright cockpit.

I left the Raceface bars at their full 785mm width. They are WIDE, and definitely took some accommodation on my part. I was originally riding with my hands as far inboard as I could get them on the grips, such that my thumbs were rubbing on the shifters. Eventually I adjusted, just very different from my recent experience with my 42cm road bar. I stopped several times on my shakedown ride and played with the bar adjustment, eventually settling with them tipped slightly forward to give me a bit longer reach.

The brakes initially don't work very well at all, and I couldn't get them to lock no matter how hard I yanked on them. Hopefully they will break in and work better. I did several bedding runs and it did seem to help a bit.

The new center pattern on the Vee Missison Command tires seems to have mitigated the self steer issues. The center of the Command tires has a V shaped pattern that permits the center blocks to overlap each other sightly when rolling, which I think helps the self steer issue.

The shifting seems a bit clumsy, albeit serviceable. I may not have the derailleurs dialed in yet, but I'll wait a bit for the cables to stretch and then dial them in. It particularly seems clumsy when going to the larger back rings, often pausing and then finally engaging with a clunk.

The bike was a lot of fun to ride! It seems like I'm pulling a tractor after all my recent time on my road bike . There aren't many MTB type features around my house, but I did manage to find a 15 ft or so high mound behind the Buffalo Wild Wings that I rode up and down several times. One advantage of the shortish cockpit is that it's much easier to drop off the back of the seat for a downhill!

So far so good.

The next day I took it out for its first maiden voyage. I went to the John Muir trails in La Grange, Wisconsin. These are known to be some of the best MTB trails in the area, and many people drive up from Chicago to ride them. I rode the 12 mile blue loop, which is the most challenging of the several loops they have, albeit not terribly technical.

Some things to note on my maiden voyage:

- I haven't been on these trails during this riding season, since I have been primarily road biking, so first time on a new trail (they redo them slightly every year) with a new bike is bound to create some issues.

- I rode a 35 mile road bike group ride on my Orbea in the morning before heading to the trails around noon, so I was already a bit spent from my morning ride.

The first thing I noticed is the "Monster Truck" aspect of the Fat Bike. Rock gardens? Just ride over them, no need to pick a line unless it's to avoid the 2ft boulder. Sand? Welcome to the world of float! It doesn't seem like sand slows it down at all, unlike a 2" tired mountain bike. Climbing? Piece of cake, as long as you can keep planted on the seat and spin like a madman. I definitely think riding the Monster will help me with my spinning for the road bike, because it's by far the best way to get the heavy Monster up a hill, Trying to stand and mash just results in spin outs because of the float of the rear tires. Weight on the rear wheel is much more important to fat bike climbing than it is on a regular MTB, such is my experience.

The wide bars / short stem came into their own on the trail. This combination definitely helps with steering the heavy front end of the Monster through tight corners and to make quick adjustments while riding in obstacles. There were a few places on the trail were I wasn't sure if the wide bars were going to fit between the trees, but I never caught a bar once. Again, I found the shorter cockpit useful for dropping off the back of the seat during downhills.

It's a full rigid. This part became very evident during my ride. The Muir trails are best ridden on a FS bike because of the many many rocks and roots. After an hour of being pounded by the rocks and roots, I was definitely considering if I should have held out for a fat bike with a front suspension fork or full suspension. The big tires help, but they are not a replacement for real suspension. Next time I try this trail, I plan to lower the tire pressures further from the 10/12 of my initial setup, which will hopefully help more with the ride. The lack of suspension became most evident on a few downhills that were very rocky and often had stair steps. The heavy bike was moving / bouncing so much that it became hard to control, and I often had to brake significantly - which did have the added benefit of helping to bed the rotors - the brakes were working much better by the end of the ride.

The Shimano Saints pedals work very well, and I felt very glued to the pedals in my Chuck Taylors, so much so that I sometimes felt as though I was clipped in and unconsciously pulled up on the pedals to climb hills, only to have my feet come off 

Some issues I had during the maiden voyage:

About mile 2 I noticed rattling coming from the front wheel. It seems that I had left the front hub bearing a bit too loose, and as the bearings seated they hub loosened and began to rattle. I pulled the front wheel and tightened the bearings a bit and they seemed good for the remainder of the ride.

About mile 4 the bike developed a fairly substantial creak. I had a hard time telling initially if it was the seat post or the bottom bracket, but eventually determined it to be the bottom bracket. Towards the end of the ride, the creak became better, but was still there, especially when climbing. I plan to let it settle and see if it goes away. If not, I'll pull the bottom bracket and re-grease it.

The issue with the rear derailleur engagement became quite annoying. It seemed to take forever to shift when climbing a hill, and often I'd lose all momentum waiting for it to shift and would have to stop. I learned to get into the lowest gear I thought I would need before climbing a hill or I'd have little chance of making it up. If I guessed wrong before the hill, I almost always ended up stopping.

The number of poe on the rear free hub must be about 4. It seems to spin forever before it engages, again making for issues when climbing hills and maintaining momentum with the heavy bike. As above, another reason to find the best gear to climb a hill before attempting it, because trying to shift while climbing almost always results in losing all momentum. New front and rear hubs may definitely be in order if I decide to stay with the Monster long term.

As a note, the bike snobbery with mountain bikers seems to be just as bad as the roadies. The parking lot at the trail was full of people on $$$ FS 29ers that all seemed to sneer at me on my rigid Chinese Fattie. During one long downhill, someone came up behind me on a FS 29er, and I didn't have a good place to get out of the way while doing 20mph on a downhill through some fairly tight singletrack, so I planned to get out of the way at the bottom of the hill. The person started getting angry with me (?!) and yelling at me to move over. Ugh. Sorry for delaying you for 20 seconds, buddy :skep:

I'm overall very happy with the bike! For $500 shipped to your door, it's an amazing deal, and a heck of a lot of bike. My upgrades were about another $250, but it's all stuff to make the bike more useable and I can always take them to a new bike or sell them if / when I decide to upgrade. The Monster definitely has it's shortcomings, but for the price it's a heck of a deal!

Many thanks to dirtdawg and all who have contributed to this thread with all their great suggestions!

I definitely plan to enjoy my Monster!


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

Pushrod said:


> The issue with the rear derailleur engagement became quite annoying. It seemed to take forever to shift when climbing a hill, and often I'd lose all momentum waiting for it to shift and would have to stop. I learned to get into the lowest gear I thought I would need before climbing a hill or I'd have little chance of making it up. If I guessed wrong before the hill, I almost always ended up stopping.


Nice run-down, Pushrod. I hated my rear derailleur at first, but it broke in and/or I got the adjustments nailed after a while.

My brakes, on the other hand, never got as strong as I wanted. Changing to hydraulics, even with the stock discs, changed that. That was a good thing today when my buddy low-sided right in front of me on a turn at the bottom of a downhill. The front brake tossed me right over him, Superman-style, but our bikes never touched, nor did he end up with knobby rash. I got a slightly bruised shoulder, but also a story we'll laugh about for years.

My wife has ridden her new Monster a few times and it is already making her more confident on a bike. She hit some moguls and a log pile today, as well as her nemesis: sandy patches on the trail.

Screw the snobs. A good bike is a good bike.


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

Wildbird99 said:


> Nice run-down, Pushrod. I hated my rear derailleur at first, but it broke in and/or I got the adjustments nailed after a while.
> 
> My brakes, on the other hand, never got as strong as I wanted. Changing to hydraulics, even with the stock discs, changed that. That was a good thing today when my buddy low-sided right in front of me on a turn at the bottom of a downhill. The front brake tossed me right over him, Superman-style, but our bikes never touched, nor did he end up with knobby rash. I got a slightly bruised shoulder, but also a story we'll laugh about for years.
> 
> ...


Oh boy! Glad you and your friend are OK! That sounds more than a bit scary!

Cool that the hydraulic brakes work much better. The nearly 20 year old V-brakes on my Fisher work a ton better than the Novelo discs on the Monster. I think I found the hydraulics that you ordered from Amazon (DB1's?). I'll have to add them to my list. Did you have to modify the cable tabs on the frame to run the hydraulic lines for the brakes?

It also seems that my discs might be warped. They rub for about 30 degrees on every revolution of the wheels, both on the front and the back. I'm not an expert on disc brake setup on a bicycle, so perhaps I'm missing something somewhere in the setup to prevent the rubbing.

Great that your wife is enjoying riding her new Monster! It definitely feels much more stable in sand than a normal MTB!

I took my Monster out for some more shakedown last night and spent a bunch of time playing with the rear derailleur trying to get it to shift better. I actually think the cable for the rear derailleur might be a bit too tight. It seems the more slack I make it with the shifter adjustment, the better it shifts. I currently have it all the way slack at the shifter and the derailleur still hangs from time to time, especially when going to a bigger ring in the cassette, although it's better than it was. It also may have something to do with the new chain on the bike. I've found that new chains will often be a bit stiff and can result in poor shifting performance until they wear in a bit and move more freely.

I swapped the spacers on the stem to lower the bars (full spacer stack above the bars now) and I like the riding position much better. Perhaps I should have ordered bars with less rise.

I'm crossing my fingers that the hubs will get better as they wear in a bit. Right now they really suck, no matter how I adjust them. The Campy hubs on my Orbea road bike will spin for 5+ min if I spin the front wheel hard. These hubs are lucky to make it 15 seconds. Given the physics of the wheel, the hubs on the Fat Bike should spin much longer than the Campy hubs on my Orbea, all things being equal, since the inertia of a spinning fat bike wheel is much greater than a 700c road bike wheel. I am tempted to totally disassemble the hubs on the Monster, repack them with quality grease, and set them tight so that they are forced to wear in more quickly.

Agreed on the snobs!


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

Pushrod said:


> I'm crossing my fingers that the hubs will get better as they wear in a bit. Right now they really suck, no matter how I adjust them. The Campy hubs on my Orbea road bike will spin for 5+ min if I spin the front wheel hard. These hubs are lucky to make it 15 seconds. Given the physics of the wheel, the hubs on the Fat Bike should spin much longer than the Campy hubs on my Orbea, all things being equal, since the inertia of a spinning fat bike wheel is much greater than a 700c road bike wheel. I am tempted to totally disassemble the hubs on the Monster, repack them with quality grease, and set them tight so that they are forced to wear in more quickly.


You can try that, but I have a feeling that you'll be picking up pieces of rear hub in short order. It certainly wouldn't hurt to pull them apart and regrease them though. The grease that's in those hubs is as cheap as the hub. It's been mentioned that the Origin8 fb-1100 hubs fit our spokes and they only run around $120 for the set. If higher quality hubs are on your radar look to bikehubstore.com (bitex) or Sarma for reasonable priced options.


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## Beicster (Feb 9, 2007)

Great write up, pushrod. I almost ordered the monster when I bought my Boris. I just could not pull myself away from the hotrod Orange so I got the Boris. I don't have any experience with Mission Commands but I would not give up on standing and climbing yet. Even the stock V8s that came on my Boris got good traction in everything except mud. Standing and climbing was no problem. This weekend I put on some H Billies and they are even better.


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

Xethur said:


> You can try that, but I have a feeling that you'll be picking up pieces of rear hub in short order. It certainly wouldn't hurt to pull them apart and regrease them though. The grease that's in those hubs is as cheap as the hub. It's been mentioned that the Origin8 fb-1100 hubs fit our spokes and they only run around $120 for the set. If higher quality hubs are on your radar look to bikehubstore.com (bitex) or Sarma for reasonable priced options.


Yeah, probably not the best idea to set them tight. Regreasing them may definitely be in order, though. For now, I plan to see how they run in. I did spend some more time playing with the front hub last night and I think I have it about as good as it will get. I also straightened the front rotor and reset the brakes. I haven't had a chance to test it out yet since making the last few adjustments, so hopefully it's better.

Thanks for the hub recommendations. I don't know if I would spring for new hubs for it. If anything, I'd be inclined to get a second / better set of wheels for it, possibly upgrading the cassette / derailleur at the same time. For now, I just plan to ride it and see how it goes.

When I took the hubs apart, the quality of the cup / cone surfaces was about on par with my 1978 Huffy Santa Fe that I had as a kid. Hopefully as the hubs wear a bit, some of the roughness in the cup / cone will wear in and they will roll better.


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

Beicster said:


> Great write up, pushrod. I almost ordered the monster when I bought my Boris. I just could not pull myself away from the hotrod Orange so I got the Boris. I don't have any experience with Mission Commands but I would not give up on standing and climbing yet. Even the stock V8s that came on my Boris got good traction in everything except mud. Standing and climbing was no problem. This weekend I put on some H Billies and they are even better.


Thanks Beicster! With my summary, I was hoping to pay it forward and share how the latest models of the Monster compared to the earlier versions.

Very cool on the Boris! I took a long, hard look at the Boris, too, before ordering the Monster. Unfortunately the stock on the Boris was at about zero, and I think they only had one color in my frame size. The orange color is very cool! An orange Monster would have been my second choice.

I hear you on the climbing. I'm sure it may have more to do with my lack of MTB skills than anything. As I mentioned, I've been mostly riding road this year, so my MTB skills are definitely off. Couple that with riding a new bike and I was bound to have issues. Another thing that may have affected my climbing ability was that we've had very little rain here lately, and the trails were very dry and heavily packed down, making it hard to get a grip on the hills. The trail I visited is very busy, too, which further adds to the heavily packed dirt. Perhaps next time things will go a bit better with the climbing. I do seem to have better luck climbing on grassy hills than I did on the trails, and it does seem to dig in much better than I remember it digging in on the trail.


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## Beicster (Feb 9, 2007)

I skipped a sentence in that write up, pushrod. I meant to add that the Mission Commands are generally considered to have less traction than the V8s, which are good but not great. With a better set of tires on your Monster, I bet standing and climbing will be much easier than it currently is.


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

Beicster said:


> I skipped a sentence in that write up, pushrod. I meant to add that the Mission Commands are generally considered to have less traction than the V8s, which are good but not great. With a better set of tires on your Monster, I bet standing and climbing will be much easier than it currently is.


Ah OK, thanks! That's good to know! I'll make do with the Mission Commands for the time being and if I really start to feel that I need more grip, I'll look into some different tires. So far I only really have a single data point with my one trail ride, so not really enough to make a decision on tires yet (in my opinion).

So it sounds like I might be best to spring for new wheels with better hubs and different tires if I decide to stay with the Monster long term... something to think about, anyway... although it the upgrades keep adding up, I may be better off to sell the Monster and upgrade the entire bike.

I really became interested in a fat bike when I test rode a Specialized Fatboy on a whim. From my recollection, the Fatboy (carbon fork version) was much more lively and handled much better than the Monster (and some 7+ lbs lighter). Of course it also costs some $1500 more! As I mentioned earlier, I've been mostly road biking, and bought the fat bike for something different, not sure how much I'd end up riding it. I also bought the fat bike for riding in the long Wisconsin winters. So, not knowing how much I'd actually end up using it, it didn't seem to make much sense to spend the $2k on the Fatboy, hence the Monster. Overall I'm very pleased with the Monster for the money. It's definitely a great value!


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

Pushrod said:


> When I took the hubs apart, the quality of the cup / cone surfaces was about on par with my 1978 Huffy Santa Fe that I had as a kid. Hopefully as the hubs wear a bit, some of the roughness in the cup / cone will wear in and they will roll better.


I have no concerns with the cup and cone bearings. They are functional. My concern has always been with the free hub. Not only does my bike shop not have a tool to remove it, they also claim that finding a replacement free hub is impossible. And my free hub has been less then smooth from almost the beginning.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Xethur said:


> And my free hub has been less then smooth from almost the beginning.


I doubt you'll find a replacment easily when it goes. I used an origin8 fatbike hub on my boris. $65 on newegg. laced up fine with the stock spokes, and I'll make a good bet that the boris and the BEM have the same hub or at least the same hub dimensions.

If you haven't done it yet, I actually had really good luck fixing a freehub that was acting all sorts of stuckup when I dripped some transmission fluid in it. And yes, this is a legitimate suggestion. Transmission fluid doesn't mess up seals or anything, it's a light weight oil that doesn't break down, and it coats very well. Remove the cassette, tilt the wheel to 45 degrees, drop some trans fluid around the hub and give the freewheel a spin. Wherever one piece of metal spins against a piece that doesn't, it'll start pulling the oil into the hub. In time, it will smooth out and displace the cheap grease inside the freehub making it work better. It took a couple times to get it to work well in mine, with multiple long rides inbetween.


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## riverat (May 22, 2015)

Figures once I buy the one with 50mm rims they upgrade to 80mm right after.. just my luck hah


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

watts888 said:


> I doubt you'll find a replacment easily when it goes. I used an origin8 fatbike hub on my boris. $65 on newegg. laced up fine with the stock spokes, and I'll make a good bet that the boris and the BEM have the same hub or at least the same hub dimensions.
> 
> If you haven't done it yet, I actually had really good luck fixing a freehub that was acting all sorts of stuckup when I dripped some transmission fluid in it. And yes, this is a legitimate suggestion. Transmission fluid doesn't mess up seals or anything, it's a light weight oil that doesn't break down, and it coats very well. Remove the cassette, tilt the wheel to 45 degrees, drop some trans fluid around the hub and give the freewheel a spin. Wherever one piece of metal spins against a piece that doesn't, it'll start pulling the oil into the hub. In time, it will smooth out and displace the cheap grease inside the freehub making it work better. It took a couple times to get it to work well in mine, with multiple long rides inbetween.


Did you find the Origin 8 hub to be a big improvement?

I don't doubt the Boris uses the same hubs as the Monster. I've seen wheels on eBay for like $220 with the Origin 8 hubs, too, which might be a possibility for a second set of wheels with some better rubber.

And thanks for the tip on the ATF! Definitely something to try!


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Pushrod said:


> Did you find the Origin 8 hub to be a big improvement?
> 
> I don't doubt the Boris uses the same hubs as the Monster. I've seen wheels on eBay for like $220 with the Origin 8 hubs, too, which might be a possibility for a second set of wheels with some better rubber.
> 
> And thanks for the tip on the ATF! Definitely something to try!


The origin8 hubs are different (and a lot nicer) than the ones that come stock. Higher engagement and sealed bearings. If anybody has a link to them, by all means please post it up.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

the price varies some, but this is the one you want. Search around or wait a bit and you'd probably find a better price.
http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H63L9S6?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00

Can't compare it to stock. I bought my boris from bikeisland (BD's scratach & dent site) and it didn't come with a freehub or fork. I got $200 off the price though, so it was definitely worth it. Upgraded rear hub and a salsa fork.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

Pushrod said:


> I think I found the hydraulics that you ordered from Amazon (DB1's?). I'll have to add them to my list. Did you have to modify the cable tabs on the frame to run the hydraulic lines for the brakes?


Yeah, I installed DB1s. I'm very happy with them. I'm much more confident on the trails with them. If you're concerned about your stock discs, I'd just change them. They're cheap. Mine never exhibited any sort of warping, but I have had a little vibration with the new calipers. I figure that's the result of new pads on old discs, and it'll probably be fine with some time.

I didn't modify the cable tabs yet. My plan is to overhaul the bike when I can force myself to stop riding it for an extended period -- then I'll work on that. For now, I used zip ties. The beauty of matte black is that it hides that sort of thing.


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## kcdirtbro54 (Mar 29, 2011)

Those of you that have upgraded to these db1 brakes, is anyone using larger rotors than the 160mm that comes in the kits? I've already upgraded my pro to 203mm front and 180mm rear rotors. I was just wondering if the calipers would work with the adapters I already have.


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> The origin8 hubs are different (and a lot nicer) than the ones that come stock. Higher engagement and sealed bearings. If anybody has a link to them, by all means please post it up.





watts888 said:


> the price varies some, but this is the one you want. Search around or wait a bit and you'd probably find a better price.
> Amazon.com : HUB RR OR8 FB1100 QR 6B 32x170 8-10sCAS SB BK : Sports & Outdoors
> 
> Can't compare it to stock. I bought my boris from bikeisland (BD's scratach & dent site) and it didn't come with a freehub or fork. I got $200 off the price though, so it was definitely worth it. Upgraded rear hub and a salsa fork.


Awesome! Thanks guys! It looks like Newegg still has the rear for $65, but they don't stock the front (??). Definitely something to consider for an upgrade.

The Origin 8's are the same as the Quanta hubs, right? I saw someone selling a set of the Quanta hubs on eBay shipped from China for $120.


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

Wildbird99 said:


> Yeah, I installed DB1s. I'm very happy with them. I'm much more confident on the trails with them. If you're concerned about your stock discs, I'd just change them. They're cheap. Mine never exhibited any sort of warping, but I have had a little vibration with the new calipers. I figure that's the result of new pads on old discs, and it'll probably be fine with some time.
> 
> I didn't modify the cable tabs yet. My plan is to overhaul the bike when I can force myself to stop riding it for an extended period -- then I'll work on that. For now, I used zip ties. The beauty of matte black is that it hides that sort of thing.


How big are the hydraulic lines on the DB1's? Will they fit through the cable tabs if I drilled the stops out for the rear brakes? With the larger 20" frame, there's about 2 ft between the cable stops on the frame. Are the hydraulic lines rigid enough to make it between the tabs, or would I need to add a middle support somehow?

After looking more closely at the rear brake setup last night, I wonder if I'd be better off to get some BB7's which would still use the cable stops on the frame and are about the same price. I like the idea of the hydraulics though...


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

One thing I'm somewhat curious about is how the bike seemed to gain a few pounds since the start of this thread. It seems most of the earlier posts / models are closer to 35lbs where mine is nearly 38lbs. I can't imagine the 30mm additional rim width would add 3 lbs, but maybe it does. 

Anyone have any ideas? Is it the tires?


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

kcdirtbro54 said:


> Those of you that have upgraded to these db1 brakes, I was just wondering if the calipers would work with the adapters I already have.


Yes hydro brake calipers bolt up the same as cable actuated brakes.



Pushrod said:


> How big are the hydraulic lines on the DB1's? Will they fit through the cable tabs if I drilled the stops out for the rear brakes? With the larger 20" frame, there's about 2 ft between the cable stops on the frame. Are the hydraulic lines rigid enough to make it between the tabs, or would I need to add a middle support somehow?
> 
> After looking more closely at the rear brake setup last night, I wonder if I'd be better off to get some BB7's which would still use the cable stops on the frame and are about the same price. I like the idea of the hydraulics though...


I have drilled my cable guides out and yes it will fit hydro lines. You will have to put a good deal of time into smoothing the drilled guides. A better option may be the stick on guides that jagwire makes. I'm running BB7s and I love them. They do require more adjustments over time, but setup is easier then hydros. I like being able to feel my brakes through the cables which of course requires decent levers. I'm also running 180mm HS1 rotors so honestly my setup is probably better then DB3s. Although BB7s will never compare to high end hydros.



Pushrod said:


> One thing I'm somewhat curious about is how the bike seemed to gain a few pounds since the start of this thread.


The New Tires, Wheels, and Cassette could easily account for 3 pounds, And I think it was a medium that was 35lbs.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

*Gravity Bullseye Monster, still the best deal for a fat bike but....*

Knowing now that fat bikes are the bomb... I would have bought the Motobecane Sturgis (now has Sun/ringle Mulefut rims). This is only because I am riding so much more than I have in 20 years. I am riding the crap out of my roadbike and the BEM. I have since upgraded the drive train on the BEM to 9spd Deore (huge improvement), but the lack of sealed wheel bearings and now that I am doing upgrades leads me to believe that I should have paid more in the beginning for some "extras". I am still not convinced that a Bluto is necessary, but even that is debatable. That being said I am enjoying the crap out of my BEM, still the best $500 I have ever spent and a really great bike...

Just to update, since March, I have gone from 225-227 to about 187 lbs just from biking


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Good job on the weight loss. 

I doubt getting the Sturgis would give you that much better hubs. Bikesdirect is notorious for providing basic hubs on pretty much all their bikes. Not bad hubs, just basic. As long as you don't loose the rubber seals, repack the bearings occasionally, and adjust the bearing preload properly, there's no reason the hubs shouldn't last many years. The freehub is a different story, and that will probably give out before anything else does.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

They are Novatec sealed hubs with thru axles on the Sturgis... and yes my freehub on the BEM is not as smooth as I would like. I have re-packed the rear bearings once already since April and now it would seem that both need servicing soon on the BEM


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## Fatnasty3 (Aug 6, 2015)

I've been following this thread for 3 months now....my GBEM 20" Blk matte was delivered 2 weeks ago....and I've been on it ever since! Thanks for all the great info, and reviews! BD,Should send all of us rebates!


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

The beauty of the monster is that it's $500. Sell it on Craigslist, lose a hundred bucks and get a bike with better quality components...better yet build what you want!


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

dietz31684 said:


> The beauty of the monster is that it's $500. Sell it on Craigslist, lose a hundred bucks and get a bike with better quality components...better yet build what you want!


Exactly, it is the perfect bike to try out fat biking, and it is an excellent bike, by no means am I trying to bash the BEM. I may not even upgrade.


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

Xethur said:


> Yes hydro brake calipers bolt up the same as cable actuated brakes.
> 
> I have drilled my cable guides out and yes it will fit hydro lines. You will have to put a good deal of time into smoothing the drilled guides. A better option may be the stick on guides that jagwire makes. I'm running BB7s and I love them. They do require more adjustments over time, but setup is easier then hydros. I like being able to feel my brakes through the cables which of course requires decent levers. I'm also running 180mm HS1 rotors so honestly my setup is probably better then DB3s. Although BB7s will never compare to high end hydros.
> 
> The New Tires, Wheels, and Cassette could easily account for 3 pounds, And I think it was a medium that was 35lbs.


Cool, thanks for all the info! I found some BB7's online last night with FR7 levers that I'm seriously considering. The brakes seem to be getting better on the Monster, but still have a long way to go.

I looked up the Monster Commands on the Vee website and Vee claims they weigh nearly 2KG each, which would certainly account for a few pounds since the two tires are nearly 1KG more than most other tires. Who knows if they went to different tubes, too.


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

byron555 said:


> Knowing now that fat bikes are the bomb... I would have bought the Motobecane Sturgis (now has Sun/ringle Mulefut rims). This is only because I am riding so much more than I have in 20 years. I am riding the crap out of my roadbike and the BEM. I have since upgraded the drive train on the BEM to 9spd Deore (huge improvement), but the lack of sealed wheel bearings and now that I am doing upgrades leads me to believe that I should have paid more in the beginning for some "extras". I am still not convinced that a Bluto is necessary, but even that is debatable. That being said I am enjoying the crap out of my BEM, still the best $500 I have ever spent and a really great bike...
> 
> Just to update, since March, I have gone from 225-227 to about 187 lbs just from biking


I'm right there with ya on whether I should have bought a better bike initially. I really do love the Monster, but at the rate I'm going, I'll easily have $1000 into it before I get it totally to my liking, at which point it would have made more sense to get something better in the first place.

Awesome job on the weight loss, Byron!


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

dietz31684 said:


> ...better yet build what you want!


I ALMOST did exactly that. I was strongly considering one of the bluto forked frames that BD had on their website for $700. I did some estimates, and by the time I was done, I would have had about $1500 into a build, so I decided to go with the $500 Monster and see how I liked having a Fat Bike. Now that I have had a chance to experience all the fun that comes with a Fat Bike, I'm somewhat regretful that I didn't go the Bluto + Frame route.


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

Fatnasty3 said:


> I've been following this thread for 3 months now....my GBEM 20" Blk matte was delivered 2 weeks ago....and I've been on it ever since! Thanks for all the great info, and reviews! BD,Should send all of us rebates!


Awesome! Glad you're enjoying your new Monster! :thumbsup:

I'd settle for an upgrade program from BD...


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## Yooper2001 (Aug 1, 2015)

I am going to pull the trigger this week, and am on the rail between the monster and the monster pro......is the Bluto worth the 500 premium? I'm a bigger guy with back and joint problems that is planning to use this as logging road transportation while hunting starting in a couple of weeks.


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

*Trail Ride #2*

Yesterday I cut work a bit early to head to a new trail on the Monster. That says something: I can't recall the last time I cut work early to go ride a bicycle!

I went to the Glacial Blue Hills Recreation area in West Bend, Wisconsin. It's a very cool trail for being a city trail, and had some serious climbs and downhills, a few of which I had to walk. I'm not confident enough on the bike, nor do I trust the brakes enough yet to take on 10 ft+ drops. The trail isn't terribly well marked, but it's not that long (outer loops is about 3 miles), and you can hear the highway in the distance, which is on the east side of the trail, so it's fairly easy to know which direction you are heading. This trail had a lot less rocks and roots than the Muir trail, and I didn't feel nearly as pounded after my ride as I did at the Muir trails. Lots of fun!

Before heading out, I dropped the pressure in the tires to 7.5/10 psi and it seemed to handle and ride much better than it did at the 10/12 I had it for my first ride.

The shifting continued to be abysmal, resulting in a few choice words uttered at my handlebars. I have no idea what more I can do with it. I've reset the derailleur about 10 times and it still shifts poorly, and often the longer lever for the rear derailleur will get stuck after I push it and I have to bring it back manually. I'm beginning to wonder if the cables might be sticking.

The brakes did seems a bit better, but I still have to really yank on them to slow the 38lb Monster and my Clydesdale self down significantly on a downhill.

I did much better with the climbing on this ride. The trail was a bit wet from a recent thunderstorm, so the Mission Commands were able to dig in a bit better than they did on the very dry Muir trails last weekend. I found that sliding all the way to front of the saddle and sometimes taking my weight off the saddle while still staying back on the bike seemed to work quite well for climbing hills. If I stand and mash like I do on my road bike, it would still spin out.

Completely frustrated with the shifting, I stopped by my LBS on the way home to see if they could check it out. After explaining to them what was wrong and what type of bike it was, they told me I would need a "full tune-up" at the cost of some $70 and they couldn't get to it for 2 weeks. Ironically, I had been in the same shop a week ago to get a new Campy Record chain put on my Orbea road bike and they got me in right away and were more than willing to help me out. Seems the bike snobbery transcends to my local LBS as well. :skep:

I'm seriously considering getting some grip shifters for the Monster. I've always been a fan of grip shift over trigger shifters, and have an early SRAM 9.0 set of grip shifters on my Fisher which have never given me any trouble. Furthermore, right now I have 4 different bikes with 4 different shifters, and it would be nice to have at least a couple of them common.

Overall, I'm still loving the Monster and Fat Biking! Hopefully if I can fix the last few issues, I can worry less about the bike and start focusing more on the ride!


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

Yooper2001 said:


> I am going to pull the trigger this week, and am on the rail between the monster and the monster pro......is the Bluto worth the 500 premium? I'm a bigger guy with back and joint problems that is planning to use this as logging road transportation while hunting starting in a couple of weeks.


Awesome! I highly recommend getting a Monster! They are definitely a lot of fun!

Just a note - make sure when you are checking stock on the bikes on the BD website that you place the bikes in your cart and go all the way to the payment screen. Sometimes the bikes will show in stock on the drop downs but actually aren't in stock when you go to purchase. I know when I ordered mine a few weeks ago, the Monster Pros showed in stock on the drop down menus, but weren't in stock when I would go to purchase.

If you're riding logging roads that are fairly smooth, I would think you'd be fine without the Bluto. If they are like some logging roads that are made from 3" diameter rocks, you might be better off with the suspension fork. I find that with the tires aired down a bit on my rigid Monster, that riding fairly smooth surfaces is very easy on the body. It's only when I'm riding trails with many rocks and roots that I start to wish I had suspension on the bike.

Good luck with your decision!


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

@ Pushrod

The FR7s are a huge improvement over stock levers. The brake pads on the BB7s are almost twice the size of the stock tekros. With 180mm rotors I've never felt the need for more brake. More skill and better tires, yes, but not brakes.

@Bryon555

I'm actually planning to pick up a motobecane sturgis as my next bike. I've decided I want to run the full bud and Lou combo for winter and 3.8s for summer. I'm working my way through the sturgis/night train thread now.


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## kcdirtbro54 (Mar 29, 2011)

Yooper2001 said:


> I am going to pull the trigger this week, and am on the rail between the monster and the monster pro......is the Bluto worth the 500 premium? I'm a bigger guy with back and joint problems that is planning to use this as logging road transportation while hunting starting in a couple of weeks.


I went the PRO route because of the bluto. I first got into mtn bikes with a rigid 29er and my wrists hated trail riding. So that bike eventually got a suspension fork. The pro does come with some better components that the regular BEM. IF you decide you don't need the Bluto, you can always sell it and recoup a good chunk of money then throw one of BD's stock forks back on in its place (the carbon fork is 200 and saves 2lbs over the bluto).
I'm pretty happy with my pro. I've made quite a few changes to it since I bought it though. Tires/tubes, stem, bars, pedals, seat, 1x front gearing, bigger rotors.


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## Fatnasty3 (Aug 6, 2015)

I have replaced my handle bars with Diety villians3 and my stem with Diety phantom stem....any recent news on RTS releasing shocks for a straight stem (non tapered) frame?


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Pushrod said:


> Awesome! Glad you're enjoying your new Monster!
> 
> I'd settle for an upgrade program from BD...


As someone pointed out, you could get your new bike and flip the monster. Hell, wait until late fall and you could probably get the full $500 back (or even more, because the buyer won't have to wait for it to ship). People are amazingly instant-gratification orientated.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Pushrod said:


> The shifting continued to be abysmal, resulting in a few choice words uttered at my handlebars. I have no idea what more I can do with it. I've reset the derailleur about 10 times and it still shifts poorly, and often the longer lever for the rear derailleur will get stuck after I push it and I have to bring it back manually. I'm beginning to wonder if the cables might be sticking.


Sounds like a bent derailleur hanger.

And I have a set of X0 shifters that stick. What happened was the long arm (machined aluminum on those ones) got tweaked in a crash and catches on the body of the shifter pod ever so slightly. Not likely, but it may be a similar situation on yours.

The x4 setup shifts fine when it's properly adjusted, but a lot can go wrong during shipping.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

@pushrod

I put on a 9spd 12-36 cassette with deore shifter and derailleur (9spd chain too) and it transformed the bike. Of course I have the tools and know-how to do it myself so the cost was $93 from Jensen USA... I was not able to tune the x4 stuff to my liking. I tried for quite a while before I gave up and upgraded


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

According to the ups tracking website, I'll be having a fat friend over for dinner tomorrow night. Can't wait.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

I think that the real message here is that the GBEM is, in a way, a "gateway drug" to fat bikes. And that is not a bad thing... it really speaks to the price point and quality of the bike. Myself and many of us here would not have tried a fat bike had we not found the $499 GBEM, and for that reason I declare the GBEM the best entry level fat bike available!


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> As someone pointed out, you could get your new bike and flip the monster. Hell, wait until late fall and you could probably get the full $500 back (or even more, because the buyer won't have to wait for it to ship). People are amazingly instant-gratification orientated.


Good point, Dawg. For now, I think I'm going to upgrade the issues I find to get the Monster to my liking and then possibly get something better next year if I continue to ride the Monster regularly. You're right, I probably could get the full retail price for it used if people end up having to wait months to get a new one from BD.


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Sounds like a bent derailleur hanger.
> 
> And I have a set of X0 shifters that stick. What happened was the long arm (machined aluminum on those ones) got tweaked in a crash and catches on the body of the shifter pod ever so slightly. Not likely, but it may be a similar situation on yours.
> 
> The x4 setup shifts fine when it's properly adjusted, but a lot can go wrong during shipping.


Thanks for the info! I checked over the derailleur hanger last night and it appears to be straight per my eyeballs. I could always throw on the spare that came with the bike and see if it makes any difference. I also put some Finish Line lube on the cable by the derailleur and on the derailleur pivot points. I haven't had a chance to test it yet.

I did play some with the shift lever a few days ago, loosening it slightly, and it didn't seem to make any difference as it still hangs when it shifts. I may end up taking it off and getting a better look at it.

The guy at the bike shop said the X4 stuff normally shifts OK, too, so hopefully I can figure out what might be going on with it.


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

byron555 said:


> @pushrod
> 
> I put on a 9spd 12-36 cassette with deore shifter and derailleur (9spd chain too) and it transformed the bike. Of course I have the tools and know-how to do it myself so the cost was $93 from Jensen USA... I was not able to tune the x4 stuff to my liking. I tried for quite a while before I gave up and upgraded


Thanks for the info, Byron. What issues were you having with the shifting?

I would probably upgrade it myself if I was to upgrade. As I mentioned, I'm strongly considering getting some grip shifters for it. My Fisher has a properly working full SRAM grip shift 8 sp setup that I could try swapping over, too, if I decide to go that route. I'm not terribly worried about having the extra gear, although I'm sure it would be handy. It seems many places have NOS XO 9 speed grip shift setups in stock from a few years ago for a fairly reasonable price if I decide to go new. Right now, I'm thinking I'll give it a few more rides before I pull the trigger on the upgrade. I'd really like to figure out what's wrong with it and get it shifting as well as I can before I choose to abandon the X4 setup.


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

byron555 said:


> I think that the real message here is that the GBEM is, in a way, a "gateway drug" to fat bikes. And that is not a bad thing... it really speaks to the price point and quality of the bike. Myself and many of us here would not have tried a fat bike had we not found the $499 GBEM, and for that reason I declare the GBEM the best entry level fat bike available!


Agreed!

I would have never sprung for the $2000 Specialized Fatboy that I test rode and liked so much, but for $500 for the Monster, it seemed to be worth it to give fat biking a try and see how much I liked it. I figured I could upgrade anything that I thought was insufficient, and I'd read this entire thread beforehand, so I had a pretty good idea what I was getting into with the Monster (narrow handlebars, bad brakes, etc).

I did spend some time considering the Mongoose Vinson before buying the Monster, but they are almost harder to come by than the Monster is. I was able to find one in stock at Sports Authority, but with shipping, it came to $100 more than the Monster, and they seemed quite comparable as far as the components, so I chose to go with the Monster. The Mongoose is only available in the 18" frame size, and I was concerned that it might be a bit too small for me as well.

Now that I have the Monster and learned how much fun fat biking can be, I do somewhat wish I'd bought the Fatboy, but as they say, hindsight is 20/20.


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

Xethur said:


> @ Pushrod
> 
> The FR7s are a huge improvement over stock levers. The brake pads on the BB7s are almost twice the size of the stock tekros. With 180mm rotors I've never felt the need for more brake. More skill and better tires, yes, but not brakes.


Cool, good to know that the BB7 / FR7 is a huge improvement. :thumbsup:

The set I found has the 160mm rotors. Would the 160mm rotors still be a big improvement or should I try to find the 180mm?


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

Pushrod said:


> Agreed!
> I would have never sprung for the $2000 Specialized Fatboy that I test rode and liked so much, but for $500 for the Monster, it seemed to be worth it to give fat biking a try and see how much I liked it. I figured I could upgrade anything that I thought was insufficient, and I'd read this entire thread beforehand, so I had a pretty good idea what I was getting into with the Monster (narrow handlebars, bad brakes, etc).


That's where I'm at as well. I rented a fatboy in teluride last winter and had a blast. It was a little warm the day we rode, so we had plenty of offs in the afternoon once the snow got soft, but it was killer fun. I live in TN, so there isn't as much opportunity for snow riding, but I'm real close to the smokies, so I'm hoping to be able to hit some of the roads in the snow when it does come to town. Clingmans dome road is closed for like 3 months, and It's over a mile high, so there is snow up there way more than down in town. Twice last year I made it into snow on the mountain bike when I was riding one of the dirt "road" loops that I like to hit. Nothing too deep, but enough to make it interesting. I also go to corolla, nc every year at the end of summer, so I'll probably get a solid week of sand riding as well. I'm probably going to head up to the state line this year and try to ride the trails in false cape state park (va).

My BEM should be here this evening, and I'm just hoping that it's 75% the bike the fat boy is. I know it won't be perfect, but with a few mods, it should be good enough for me, and cost a ton less. I'll let you know...


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

Pushrod said:


> The set I found has the 160mm rotors. Would the 160mm rotors still be a big improvement or should I try to find the 180mm?


160mm do work well. I like the 180mm rotors because they work better on the descents that still scare me. I found the HS1 rotors to have the most stopping power where as the G2/3 rotors self clean really well. If you're on a budget you can always use the rotors, cables, levers and hardware already on the bike. Also be wary of the mounting hardware and rotors from China on ebay. The bb7 calipers from them seem to be the real deal, but the rest is cheap junk.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

Pushrod said:


> Thanks for the info, Byron. What issues were you having with the shifting?
> 
> I would probably upgrade it myself if I was to upgrade. As I mentioned, I'm strongly considering getting some grip shifters for it. My Fisher has a properly working full SRAM grip shift 8 sp setup that I could try swapping over, too, if I decide to go that route. I'm not terribly worried about having the extra gear, although I'm sure it would be handy. It seems many places have NOS XO 9 speed grip shift setups in stock from a few years ago for a fairly reasonable price if I decide to go new. Right now, I'm thinking I'll give it a few more rides before I pull the trigger on the upgrade. I'd really like to figure out what's wrong with it and get it shifting as well as I can before I choose to abandon the X4 setup.


Either it would not drop fast enough or it didn't like to go up a gear, always seemed to be one or the other and under power (going up hill) it would get stuck between gears and I would lose all momentum. Oh and the thumb lever would stick periodically. The Shimano deore stuff just works way better and the gearing now is way better. To each their own but I HATE grip shifters....


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## biglornej (Aug 7, 2015)

I decided to stop lurking and join the discussion. Thank you to all the posts/comments on the Monster. Based on what I read here (and other places, mostly here) I took the plunge . It arrived Wednesday and I took my time with the assembly, which went well. I have been riding it for the last few days and absolutely love it. I do like the description of this bike as the "gateway drug" to fat bikes, rather apt description. 

I am looking forward to some longer rides this weekend and have not enjoyed a bike this much since I was a teenager.


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

Phorine said:


> That's where I'm at as well. I rented a fatboy in teluride last winter and had a blast. It was a little warm the day we rode, so we had plenty of offs in the afternoon once the snow got soft, but it was killer fun. I live in TN, so there isn't as much opportunity for snow riding, but I'm real close to the smokies, so I'm hoping to be able to hit some of the roads in the snow when it does come to town. Clingmans dome road is closed for like 3 months, and It's over a mile high, so there is snow up there way more than down in town. Twice last year I made it into snow on the mountain bike when I was riding one of the dirt "road" loops that I like to hit. Nothing too deep, but enough to make it interesting. I also go to corolla, nc every year at the end of summer, so I'll probably get a solid week of sand riding as well. I'm probably going to head up to the state line this year and try to ride the trails in false cape state park (va).
> 
> My BEM should be here this evening, and I'm just hoping that it's 75% the bike the fat boy is. I know it won't be perfect, but with a few mods, it should be good enough for me, and cost a ton less. I'll let you know...


Sweet! I hope your bike arrived in good order!

In my limited experience, I'd say the Monster is 75-80% of the Fatboy, and ton of fun! From my recollection, the Fatboy seemed to be much livelier and handled better when I test rode it. I'm sure it helped that the one I rode was the carbon fork version and was some 7 lbs lighter than the Monster.

Lots of beautiful countryside (and hills) in Tennessee! I'm sure there's some great places to ride! Enjoy!


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

Xethur said:


> 160mm do work well. I like the 180mm rotors because they work better on the descents that still scare me. I found the HS1 rotors to have the most stopping power where as the G2/3 rotors self clean really well. If you're on a budget you can always use the rotors, cables, levers and hardware already on the bike. Also be wary of the mounting hardware and rotors from China on ebay. The bb7 calipers from them seem to be the real deal, but the rest is cheap junk.


Thanks for the great info!

The BB7 / FR7 set I found on eBay is from Rock Brothers, so I'm sure it's coming directly from China. For $100 though, even if the levers and the calipers are genuine and the rest is junk, I'm still coming out ahead. I would surmise that the rotors in the set are about on par with the stock ones on the Monster, so I may as well just try them with the stock rotors first and see how they do.

Still mulling over whether I want to spend another $250 to upgrade the brakes and the shifting...


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

*Fat's where it's at...*

My pearl white BEM showed up tonight. I had to go do some work, so I haven't ridden it, other than a quick roll thru the living room. I'm sure the brakes and shifters will need adjusting, but it looks great. I haven't found any damage and the paint/frame look way better than I expected. It showed up with an extra derailleur hanger another set of yellow rim strips, heavy pedals and some stupid reflectors. My luggage scale says 36.6 without pedals. I put an old set of wellgos on it. The 80mm rims look way more badass than my buddies 50mm deadeye rims...


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

byron555 said:


> Either it would not drop fast enough or it didn't like to go up a gear, always seemed to be one or the other and under power (going up hill) it would get stuck between gears and I would lose all momentum. Oh and the thumb lever would stick periodically. The Shimano deore stuff just works way better and the gearing now is way better. To each their own but I HATE grip shifters....


Ha! That's exactly my experience with the SRAM X-4 shifting that comes stock on the Monster! Good to know that I'm not the only one!

Last night I lubed up the cable area by the derailleur where the cable wraps around. This did seem to help some on my ride today and the bike shifted better, although still not as well as I would like it to. The big lever for the rear derailleur continued to get hung up, which became a real pain when I would be trying to climb a hill and it would get stuck.

The picture below shows the area that I lubed and my old tube chain stay protector. The paint on the chain stay was already beginning to take a beating after only a few rides.

Yes, grip shifters seem to be a love / hate relationship. Either you like them or you don't. I've always liked them because it's much easier to tell which gear I'm in and I can grab a fistful of gears if needed. I know some people have issues with random shifting when they pull on the bars or are being bounced around heavily, but I typically won't rest my hand completely on the grip shifter, and I've seldom had the issues with random shifts.


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

Phorine said:


> My pearl white BEM showed up tonight. I had to go do some work, so I haven't ridden it, other than a quick roll thru the living room. I'm sure the brakes and shifters will need adjusting, but it looks great. I haven't found any damage and the paint/frame look way better than I expected. It showed up with an extra derailleur hanger another set of yellow rim strips, heavy pedals and some stupid reflectors. My luggage scale says 36.6 without pedals. I put an old set of wellgos on it. The 80mm rims look way more badass than my buddies 50mm deadeye rims...
> 
> View attachment 1007011
> View attachment 1007012
> ...


Sweet! Glad it made it safely!

Agreed that the pearl white looks a lot better in person than it does in pictures. It's a very cool color in person IMHO.

Completely agree on the 80mm rims, too. It was one of the things that clinched the deal for me!


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

Pushrod said:


> Lots of beautiful countryside (and hills) in Tennessee! I'm sure there's some great places to ride! Enjoy!


It's a good place to ride, that's for sure. Well, unless you don't like hills...


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

*Trail Ride #3*

I had the day off work today, so I headed back to the Muir trails to see if things went better with the Monster than they did the first time. I was originally hoping to go to a different trail in the area, but there was a huge blob of red on the radar just to the north for most of the day, and the idea of getting caught in a major downpour on some poorly marked trail with which I'm unfamiliar didn't sound all that enticing, so I went back to Muir.

I checked the air pressure in the tires, and they were at 8/10, so I left them as is, hoping that the lower pressure than last time's 10/12 would soften the blow a bit from all the Muir rocks and roots. I was pretty fresh physically, although my legs were a bit sore from a pretty aggressive group road ride the evening prior.

I did a much better job of maintaining my speed this time and my climbing is definitely improving with the fat bike! Leaning forward while climbing or unweighting the seat while still staying back on the bike seems to do the trick and it becomes a matter of conditioning.

The shifting continued to be problematic, although it was shifting about the best it has since I put it together. I still had issues with it hanging when going to a larger ring on the rear and still had issues with the lever sticking. It also would sometimes hang when it was going to a smaller ring in the rear. Since it's hanging both ways, there's not much I can do to adjust it further. Unless the shifting makes huge improvements as it wears in more, I don't think it will get much better.

With my increased speed through the rocks and roots, etc, I had many pedal strikes on rocks, some of them hard enough to make the bike jump sideways a good 6". The bike held up great and the Shimano Saints pedals never missed a beat. Some of the strikes would have destroyed the stock pedals. I'm happy that I upgraded!

The brakes were working about the best they've worked so far, which doesn't say much. At this point they're passable, but if I really need to stop the bike in a hurry, I'd be in serious trouble.

The ride at 8/10 psi was much better and it soaked up the rocks and roots about as well as I could have hoped. Unfortunately, running the Mission Commands at 8psi in the front at my size (6'2" 210 lbs) resulted in some pretty significant self steer on the trail, which can be quite scary. One time I nearly went off an embankment. It seems 10 psi is about as low as I can go on the front without self steer issues with the Mission Commands.

With about 4 miles to go, the rain hit and I rode the rest through a downpour. It was fun muddin'! :thumbsup:

The pic below is the only pic I managed to get today. It was at the top of a hill after a pretty steep climb. If you look closely directly above the handlebars, you can see the fawn that was standing in the middle of the trail waiting at the top of the hill for me. We checked each other out for a good 30 seconds before he jumped into the woods just as I shot the picture. Very cool. The rock by my front tire in the pic is an example of many of the rocks that are on this trail (the ones that caused my pedal strikes). While I'm certainly able to ride over them with the fat bike, having a bunch of them on a quick downhill results in quite a bit of punishment to both bike and rider on a rigid bike like the Monster.

At this point I pretty much know what I have with the Monster, and I'm very happy with it. The value is truly impressive! The bike is certainly good enough for me to learn that I love fat biking, so in that regard, the Monster has definitely accomplished the goal I had when I bought it. As Byron said earlier, the Monster is a gateway drug.

That being said, I'm mulling over whether to spend the money to upgrade the brakes and shifting or to just ride it as is and upgrade to a new bike at some point in the near future. Even if I upgrade, I'm sure I'll end up spending money on the new one to get it where I want it. Every bike I have has had significant upgrades done to it. So in that respect, maybe spending the money on the Monster is a better move, since I'll just end up spending that same upgrade money anyway on a more expensive fat bike...


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

I did some quick weighing last night in case anyone is interested in the new wheel and tire combo. I guestimated the red rim strips off the yellow ones and the rotor weight is off the intarweb. Oh, and I only really weighed one tire and tube. Here are the results. 

front wheel (about 9 lbs whole)	
qr front	62
front rim (with rotor and red strip)	1842
tire	1690
tube	429
rotor 130

rear wheel (about 10.2 whole)	
qr	67
cassette	329
rear rim (with rotor and red strip)	2008
rotor 130
tire	1690
tube	429

My analysis: Once you back the rotor and rim strip out of the rim weight, they are not that much heavier than a set of origin 8 wheels or the stockers on a fatboy. They aren't light, but they aren't ridiculous. The real weight seems to be in tubes and tires. I pulled my rubber rim strips already and saved more than half a lb. I'll probably order some q tubes and drop another 1/2 poundish per wheel on the cheap. It looks like there is probably another pound or more to be dropped with different tires. Even the folding version of the mission commands would drop a half lb per wheel.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

In regards to up grades... I have spent about $130 ish on them, a 203mm front rotor ($30 total) and the 9spd deore drive train ($93). I am not going to include the 780mm bars and short stem as those are fit and comfort items that a person would do on any bike (about $50 fyi)

The rotor and drive train really improved the bike more than the $130 price tag would suggest. I will not be upgrading anything else because at this point it would make more sense to upgrade the whole bike and sell the GBEM on craigslist. I would keep the bars for the new ride of course.


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

byron555 said:


> In regards to up grades... I have spent about $130 ish on them, a 203mm front rotor ($30 total) and the 9spd deore drive train ($93). I am not going to include the 780mm bars and short stem as those are fit and comfort items that a person would do on any bike (about $50 fyi)
> 
> The rotor and drive train really improved the bike more than the $130 price tag would suggest. I will not be upgrading anything else because at this point it would make more sense to upgrade the whole bike and sell the GBEM on craigslist. I would keep the bars for the new ride of course.


I'm with you on the bars and stem. I'll definitely be doing something like that, I just haven't decided what. I'm not sure about other upgrades. I'll give the 8 speed a shot, but I wouldn't rule out drivetrain stuff to make it work better. I'm definitely in for losing a pound for $20 with some light tubes. If I wear out the tires or decide I need different ones, I'll probably try to shed weight there. I agree that it might not be worth putting a ton of cash into, but I suspect that if you were thrifty for $1000ish total ($500 purchase, $500 upgrades), you could get a BEM down to 31.5-32 lbs.


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

Finally got time to do a short ride. The brakes are weak, but I'm sure they will get better. It actually shifts pretty well, except that I dropped the chain off the inside of the cassette once. I'll have to set the limits in a little, but so far, so good.


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

byron555 said:


> In regards to up grades... I have spent about $130 ish on them, a 203mm front rotor ($30 total) and the 9spd deore drive train ($93). I am not going to include the 780mm bars and short stem as those are fit and comfort items that a person would do on any bike (about $50 fyi)
> 
> The rotor and drive train really improved the bike more than the $130 price tag would suggest. I will not be upgrading anything else because at this point it would make more sense to upgrade the whole bike and sell the GBEM on craigslist. I would keep the bars for the new ride of course.


So the only brake upgrade you did was the larger rotors? If so, how much of an improvement did you see in the braking performance with the larger rotors?

I find the brakes to be passable now that they've broken in a bit. Perhaps with larger rotors, they can get to "good enough"...


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

Phorine said:


> I did some quick weighing last night in case anyone is interested in the new wheel and tire combo. I guestimated the red rim strips off the yellow ones and the rotor weight is off the intarweb. Oh, and I only really weighed one tire and tube. Here are the results.
> 
> front wheel (about 9 lbs whole)
> qr front	62
> ...


Thanks for posting this, definitely some useful info!

As I mentioned earlier, my 20" framed version is 37.6 lbs per my bathroom scale, so saving a few pounds would be very useful, although I don't think I'd be able to get down to the 30ish range without spending a bunch of money on it.


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

Phorine said:


> Finally got time to do a short ride. The brakes are weak, but I'm sure they will get better. It actually shifts pretty well, except that I dropped the chain off the inside of the cassette once. I'll have to set the limits in a little, but so far, so good.


Glad to hear the shifting is working pretty well on yours!

Any issues with the lever on the pod shifters hanging at all? Right now, the hanging is by far the most frustrating aspect of the shifting with my bike.

The brakes definitely do get a bit better over the first 20 miles of riding or so. In my case, they started at non-functional and have progressed to being at least passable. I still can't lock the front wheel if I'm going downhill, no matter how hard I yank on the lever. As I mentioned before, I'm a clydesdale with a larger framed bike, so they have a bunch of extra work to do in my case. Someone that has 50 less lbs to arrest might find the brake performance satisfactory once they break in.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Pushrod, if you wanna improve the brakes performance without spending any coin, get 'em adjusted properly, as the pads need to be perfectly parallel with the rotors, once this is done, pour water over the calipers and ride/use the brakes to speed the bed in process...
Sound advice from a trials rider!


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## PeteTheMeat (Aug 9, 2015)

*Just Got My GBEM!*

Hello! This is my first post, but after reading this entire thread, I ordered myself a Burnt Orange Gravity Bullseye Monster. Then, after a really long week of anticipation, it arrived in the mail just in time for the weekend!

I am 6'0" with a 32-34" inseam (not exactly sure which). I went with the 18" frame, and I am glad I did not go with the 20"; the 18" is about perfect for standover height. I am totally new to fat bikes and generally inexperienced at mountain/off-road biking. The opinions of people on this thread were instrumental in helping me to make my choice to purchase this bike, so I will try to pay it forward to anyone who may value my perspective with a few of my first thoughts:

1. *The bike's appearance is surprising.* If you have no experience with fat bikes (like me), nothing can really prepare you for what 4" tires on 80mm rims looks like. When first open the box, my first thought was, "Umm...these tires are ridiculous." If you are used to narrow road tires, these tires look like the clown shoes equivalent of bike tires. You get used to it, but others (presumably also not familiar with fat bikes) will react the same way the first time they see it. The appearance of the rest of the bike is quite attractive; I haven't seen many people posting with the Burnt Orange bike, but I think it looks really nice.

2. *The bike performs well.* The first time I took the bike for a ride, I was not expecting to be speeding around. On the road, with the tires inflated to 13 psi in the back and 10 psi up front, the thing was really quite speedy. Once off-road, geared down a bit, it still sped along the grass and dirt fairly well (the tires were a bit bouncy at this pressure, so I backed them off about 4 psi each). Riding the trails was a blast on this thing; I think I was smiling the whole time (keep in mind, I am mostly a road cyclist, so this bike very suddenly opened up a whole new world of off-road adrenaline for me). I can't wait to go back out!

3. *You may want to make SOME modifications.* Despite being very rideable and fun right out of the box (it was not difficult to put together if you have some minimal bike tinkering experience and the right wrenches on hand), there are some things you may want to do with the bike soon after getting it:

There is definitely some chain-slap against the chainstay when off-roading. Protect your chainstay with some tape or an old innertube. The paint on mine is already chipped from the first ride.
The shifters and disc brakes will probably need some immediate tweaking after your shakedown cruise. Mine did. Also, double-check that you have really tighten all the bolts during assembly; mine came loose a couple of times during the first ride, causing the handlebars to turn sideways or the seat to suddenly "adjust."
I totally understand why people quickly upgrade to longer handlebars. The set that the bike comes with are good enough, but short enough to make steering somewhat finnicky at low speeds. I can see where more control would be desired at higher performance levels and trail difficulty.


*I want to make sure that it is clear that I am happy with my purchase of this bike.* I think it handles well, and I have already had several fun and thrilling rides with the bike. People stare when you ride it past them, but that's part of the fun (the very shy/sensitive should probably steer clear of fat bikes or any unusual modes of transportation). I am looking forward to many more rides on my Gravity Bullseye Monster, as-is out of the box. For $500 and free shipping to your door, this bike gets you on the road (or, as it were, OFF the road) quickly and cheaply. Those who are spoiled by the quality of a fat bike at a much higher pricepoint may not be impressed, but I am perfectly happy with the quality of this bike, if only because I may not know what I am missing. I would recommend this bike to anyone looking to get into fat bikes.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

A Gravity Bullseye LTD model is announced for a Fall release on the bd fb page. It has a tapered head tube, vee h-billies tires but that is all they revealed. There are a few pictures of a matte black model. Here is a link:



__ https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10154344789184368&id=122199864367


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## PeteTheMeat (Aug 9, 2015)

Well, they say that whenever you buy something, something better comes out as soon as you do. However, I am still very happy with my purchase of the Gravity BEM, and the announcement of a newer model does not lessen my enjoyment in the slightest!


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## doseny (Aug 11, 2015)

My fatty just came in! Everything was as I expected, but will be changing stem and handlebars soon!


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

I managed to get in about 10 miles tonight before dark(ish) on mostly dirt roads. It was sweet. Definitely felt slower going up than on the other bikes, but comparing it to my other rides on strava, I was still in the range I normally ride. Probably slower, but not horrible. Coming down was great. I rolled top gear a bunch and running 15 psi, it seemed to soak up the bumps ok, definitely more comfortable than the cross bike. It gripped well and rolled like a freight train. I only had one hit that was a little harder than if like on my wrists, but truth be told, it was getting really dark, I was going fast and couldn't see crap. There are some huge potholes up there, and it would have probably been pretty big hit even with suspension. Overall, I'm really happy. The bike is definitely well worth the $500. I ran into a few people I knew at the parking lot and they all had to take a short spin. Everyone loved it.


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## ikernel (Mar 24, 2015)

Made a chainstay protector from the tape from my first XC race. Noticed it was the same color as WR Green. Also might start some rumors that Cannondale got fat too.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

I just had mine out for a 14 mile rip last night including a few night miles with lights. This thing is such a blast! I bought it as a winter ride and it's now my preferred bike for certain trails. I still hold back on taking it to super technical rocky places just because I don't quite trust the cheap rims/hubs and don't want to trash them too quickly.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

I don't have doubts about the durability in the rocky stuff. I have more doubts about bouncing around too much on the rocky stuff. Even at low psi, I get a lot of bounce and loose of steering control on the rocky stuff.


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## Snugg (Aug 12, 2015)

Hey Everybody, 
First, let me state how excited I am to be here and to thank those dedicated members of this forum for their research, opinions and builds. Special thanks to dirtdawg2189.... reading your account and experience has led me to purchasing my first Fat Tire Bike. I ended up ordering the 2016 Pearl White edition and I'm very much looking forward to it's arrival. 
I also ordered a few extra parts to add:
Answer ProTaper carbon 780 SL riser bar (red)
Answer Products DJ Stem Rove 35mm stretch 62mmFP(white)
WTB Speed V Progel Saddle
Lizard Skins Carbon Chainstay Protector


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

watts888 said:


> I don't have doubts about the durability in the rocky stuff. I have more doubts about bouncing around too much on the rocky stuff. Even at low psi, I get a lot of bounce and loose of steering control on the rocky stuff.


I have ridden on some fairly rocky down hill sections in Devils Lake state park at a good clip and with the wider bars and short stem I have had few problems with bouncing and control (Rocks ranging from 1/2 buried bowling balls to soft ball size.) I run between 8 to 10 psi.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Snugg said:


> Special thanks to dirtdawg2189


Not a problem! Always glad to help. Welcome to the club and most importantly, enjoy the ride!


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## Fatnasty3 (Aug 6, 2015)

I just ordered wellgo my1 pedals....I have wide feet and the stock pedals just feel to small. I'm not going to change anything else until I have to...I've been riding about 7 to 10 miles a day, used my BEM to stop smoking. It's been so fun, I feel like I'm 10 years old again. Waiting on my came helmet to arrive so I can hit the local mtn bike trails! This thread convinced me to get this bike, and helped me quit smoking after 15 years! My BEM is perfect I'm going to keep it forever!


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

Fatnasty3 said:


> I just ordered wellgo my1 pedals....I have wide feet and the stock pedals just feel to small. I'm not going to change anything else until I have to...I've been riding about 7 to 10 miles a day, used my BEM to stop smoking. It's been so fun, I feel like I'm 10 years old again. Waiting on my came helmet to arrive so I can hit the local mtn bike trails! This thread convinced me to get this bike, and helped me quit smoking after 15 years! My BEM is perfect I'm going to keep it forever!


I smoked for 15 years and quite smoking 5 years ago.... Of course I still use my e-cigarette daily, but it seems to have no ill effects on me thus far. I am not saying this is the route for everyone. During my physical I was told that I have excellent lung function and capacity.

keep up the good work... I really pushed on the biking this year and have now lost about 43 lbs since March (227ish lbs now at 183)


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## doseny (Aug 11, 2015)

byron555 said:


> I smoked for 15 years and quite smoking 5 years ago.... Of course I still use my e-cigarette daily, but it seems to have no ill effects on me thus far. I am not saying this is the route for everyone. During my physical I was told that I have excellent lung function and capacity.
> 
> keep up the good work... I really pushed on the biking this year and have now lost about 43 lbs since March (227ish lbs now at 183)


I am on the same boat quit smoking little over 6 years ago and switched to ecig and my doctor says my lungs sound like i don't smoke. I used to smoke 2 packs a day for over 20 years. Now I got the fatty to drop the quit smoking weight.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

I sold another Monster today. Got into a discussion about the beach with a construction site super today (I'm a building inspector) and I mentioned my Monster, and my wife's. He was intrigued, partly because he has tried riding his mountain bike on the beach, so I showed him photos and told him more about the bike and how it has held up. He called me at my office at the end of the day to tell me he ordered a 20" Gloss Black one. I'm going to help him assemble and accessorize it when it arrives.

I think the members of this forum should be on commission. ;-)


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Wildbird99 said:


> I sold another Monster today. Got into a discussion about the beach with a construction site super today (I'm a building inspector) and I mentioned my Monster, and my wife's. He was intrigued, partly because he has tried riding his mountain bike on the beach, so I showed him photos and told him more about the bike and how it has held up. He called me at my office at the end of the day to tell me he ordered a 20" Gloss Black one. I'm going to help him assemble and accessorize it when it arrives.
> 
> I think the members of this forum should be on commission. ;-)


Me too! I've been at it for over a year now, I wonder how many sales I have contributed to at this point


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

I put in 22 miles on the monster last night. We were going to do a loop up bluff mtn but ended up running short on time and turned it into an out and back. I think it came out to a little over 1300 ft of climbing, some of it pretty rocky and steep stuff (and some rocky shallow creek for a few hundred yards). The grip was awesome and I never felt like I needed more gearing. I definitely walked fewer times on that route than I normally do on the mountain bike. I was running about 15 psi, and I suspect that if I drop some, it'll be ridiculously grippy. I didn't do quite as well coming down. Had a couple of minor offs, but it was pretty much dark so I couldn't tell what I was riding over. After the first one, I turned on the light, which helped when it wasn't getting vibrated all over the place and pointing further and further down, because the bar is too small. The bike did great and definitely held up to a decent pounding. After 1300 ft of decent, my brakes are feeling way more broken in...


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## Fatnasty3 (Aug 6, 2015)

byron555 said:


> I smoked for 15 years and quite smoking 5 years ago.... Of course I still use my e-cigarette daily, but it seems to have no ill effects on me thus far. I am not saying this is the route for everyone. During my physical I was told that I have excellent lung function and capacity.
> 
> keep up the good work... I really pushed on the biking this year and have now lost about 43 lbs since March (227ish lbs now at 183)


Thanks Byron555! Your tearing it up bro, Your a inspiration to us all!....And when I grow up, I wanna be just like you!


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

Some one asked about the 203mm rotor... Better feel/modulation and much stronger


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## bill38hum (Aug 14, 2015)

*Hello All!*

Hello to all, after a few weeks of research, and this awesome forum/thread, I purchased an 18" Gravity Bullseye Monster in White. I am 5'10" and the 18" frame fits me perfectly. The first thing I want to say is how great of a deal this bike really is for being only $500. Since buying the bike I have added a few aftermarket parts to fit my needs. 
1. Answer DJ Rove Stem, 50mm, red
2. Answer ProTaper AM 720mm Riser bar, white
3. RaceFace lightweight chain bash, red
4. Ergon GS-1 locking mtb grips
5. Kustomcaps Sugarskull stem cap, black with red bolt
6. Carbon Fiber stem spacers
7. Wellgo B087 Platform Pedals
8. Lizardskin carbon chainstay protector
9. Ibera Alloy Water Bottle Cage, white

As many others have stated on this thread, wider handlebars and a shorter stem are a must on this bike. I have only ridden it twice since the mods but it already feels way better. I would highly recommend this fat bike to anyone considering it, you cant beat the value you get for the money. Here are a few pics of the last ride and some of the add-ons. Thanks to everyone for the advice thus far. -Bill


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

Killer mods, Bill. Beautiful bike. Thanks for sharing. I am definitely getting one of those bash rings. I have started to change some parts over to red on my matte black Monster and that will add nicely.


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

Knocked out another 10 miles out and back on dirt roads in the park tonight, and I have to say, I'm impressed at how this bike rolls downhill. I dropped my tires down to 10 psi and the bike definitely pulls a little more on weird surfaces, but it rolls over things much better. I wasn't rolling slow on the way down, but I didn't think I was really pushing it that hard. Strava claims I had my fastest time ever on that stretch, out of 20 something rides between the cross bike and the mtn bike. I'll keep playing with tire pressures, but I'm thinking 10 psi might be my go to for dirt. It apparently works for me. I need to head back up there when its not getting dark and see what I can do...


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## kcdirtbro54 (Mar 29, 2011)

It's pretty cool to see all these new owners all at once. 
Question for everyone... My BEMpro paint scuffs just by looking at it. I know these are budget bikes and all but is it just me or do these get paint scuffs/chips/etc easier than other bikes? Just an observation. I'm not jumping ship or anything like that. And I have plenty of cool stickers if I wanted to cover up these beauty marks.


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

Mine isn't scratched up yet, but I have definitely lost some paint under the skewers. Probably would have happened eventually on any bike, but it happened reall fast on this one. I'm definitely thinking the paint is not as durable as it could be.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

I know my gravity 29.2 gets paint rubs all the time. bungee cord, frame bag, tie-down strap, crashing. the aluminum underneath seems good though, so I don't worry about it.

riding my fatbike (boris), I averaged about 1-2mph faster than I do on my 29er. Grip in corners really comes out. I just doesn't feel as fast though. I guess, once you get the speed, you don't loose it cornering, while on the 29er, I'm constantly adjusting my speed.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Mine is missing a bit of paint but nothing that even crossed my mind.


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## Fatnasty3 (Aug 6, 2015)

I am going to paint my bem camo anyway! Love this bike so much!....I'm shopping for some 50mm rims and 3" black Floyd tires for the road.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Me too! I've been at it for over a year now, I wonder how many sales I have contributed to at this point


yes I do believe you are the #1 contributor for sales of the BEM... Bikes direct would be smart in hiring you.


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## Fatnasty3 (Aug 6, 2015)

I brought my bem because of this thread! It absolutely sold me on my bem!


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

Bikes direct is advertising on fb a gbem comp model for 700 with an rst suspension fork. Just some more info for you guys.


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## Fatnasty3 (Aug 6, 2015)

soarftb said:


> Bikes direct is advertising on fb a gbem comp model for 700 with an rst suspension fork. Just some more info for you guys.


Thanks.....does that mean we can get the forks for a non taped frame?


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

Fatnasty3 said:


> Thanks.....does that mean we can get the forks for a non taped frame?


I think they will offer them in a straight tube format per one article I read. It is hard to find much info on them. They are being sold now on the Framed fat bikes but I don't see them for sale just as a fork. Your Google search may find more info. I think it is called the RST Renegade fork.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Looks like it's tapered, but they may have a straight steer tube option. would also require a new front hub with the 150mm wide 15mm thru-axle. Unless they go on sale, for the cost, I think I'd stick with the bluto. Of course, this will be the first in a long line. I'm sure suntour will come out with something comparable to the ebay suspension fork, but with slightly better internals.
RST Renegade Tapered 100mm Bike Fork 2015


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

It would be awesome if there was a good option for a straight steerer suspension fork to fit the bem, but I'm a bike whore. To be be honest, if I decide that I need a bouncy fork and I have to spend a few Hundo to get one and get another front wheel/hub, I'm probably just going to get a boris with a bluto and have two fat bikes...


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## Yooper2001 (Aug 1, 2015)

Since the bullseye monster LTD has the 4.25 vee hillbillies on the back....does that mean they will fit on the monster/monster pro?


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

Yooper2001 said:


> Since the bullseye monster LTD has the 4.25 vee hillbillies on the back....does that mean they will fit on the monster/monster pro?


I think they will fit on the 50mm rims, but on the 80s you will most likely end up with chain rub.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

I assembled/adjusted a gloss black Monster this week (for the guy I talked into buying it). I didn't think I'd like the gloss black (I believe they call it Jett Black), but is actually pretty sharp. I still prefer my Matte Black.

Here's the bike. He's supposed to do his first beach ride this week. I expect I'll hear from him when he does.









And here's my beast from a ride this past week...


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

A few mods after work today...

-- X7 9 speed RD with 11-34 SRAM PG 950 cassette, PC971 chain, and X5 shifter (about $125, I believe)
-- RaceFace Ride 90mm 6-degree stem and low rise handlebar (about $55)

I was really happy with the feel of the original stem/bars, but I figured I'd save a little weight and... just because. I should be able to do a full shakedown ride after work tomorrow.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

I rode eight miles of trail today. Loved the new stuff, except for one issue: I should have changed the 22T chainring, since it has about 700 or so trail/beach/snow/road miles on it, many of them rough. The chainring looks fine, but I'm getting chainsuck under any sort of power. I had to stay on the big ring for the ride -- it was fine there. Fortunately, I chose a flat trail for the trial run. I already have a 22T on order.

The RaceFace Ride bars and stem have a similar geometry to the original items, but are just a bit wider.








The X7 derailleur is a nice step up from the X4. Smoother, faster shifts.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Looks very similar to my set up! Floaters, x7 RD, hydros, new cockpit, the old 50mm rims. Nice ride! Had mine out on a 12 mile technical ride with no issues. I keep waiting for the wheels or hub to break but so far so good. The fork is always on my mind when riding hard after seeing what happened to dirt dogs...


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## kcdirtbro54 (Mar 29, 2011)

Anyone notice BD had 2 new BEM models up? A comp and LTD . Pretty cool. Wish the Ltd was out when I bought my pro


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Looked at the specs quickly on my small phone screen. Basically hbilly tires, aluminum frame, tapered HT, and colored rims on the ltd add the the rst fork and v8 tires on the comp model?


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

dietz31684 said:


> Looks very similar to my set up! Floaters, x7 RD, hydros, new cockpit, the old 50mm rims. Nice ride! Had mine out on a 12 mile technical ride with no issues. I keep waiting for the wheels or hub to break but so far so good. The fork is always on my mind when riding hard after seeing what happened to dirt dogs...


I keep eyeing the fork and hubs, too. So far, so good.


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## Snugg (Aug 12, 2015)

Awe man.... Last night I was on a ride downtown and while going over some steps, I damaged my rim. Everybody says I need to replace it and I really have no idea where to start. I did some research and can't find anybody having to replace a fat tire rim here yet. Any suggestions?
I'll take a few pics today and post them.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Snugg said:


> Awe man.... Last night I was on a ride downtown and while going over some steps, I damaged my rim. Everybody says I need to replace it and I really have no idea where to start. I did some research and can't find anybody having to replace a fat tire rim here yet. Any suggestions?
> I'll take a few pics today and post them.


is it the 50mm rim, or an 80? the 80's are super easy to come by (Weinmann DHL80)
I don't have a source for the 50's, but if anybody does, throw it up. i'm looking to build a new set of skinny rims and don't know of any other than the rabbit holes (which i'm not paying for)


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Why go back to 50mm rims. Take this as an oportunity to go 80. The spoke length shouldn't be much different, and you'll probably want to get new spokes anyway if you've ridden them a lot. 

I relaced a wheel that came on my motobecane boris. Not that hard, but I did have to go back after a coule rides to tension the spokes some.


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## joebikesdirect (Sep 5, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> is it the 50mm rim, or an 80? the 80's are super easy to come by (Weinmann DHL80)
> I don't have a source for the 50's, but if anybody does, throw it up. i'm looking to build a new set of skinny rims and don't know of any other than the rabbit holes (which i'm not paying for)


Hi - You asked if anyone had a source for 50mm ish rims? Here is a wheelset if you don't mind white rims

BikeIsland.com - Bicycle Parts, Accessories and Clothing at Affordable Prices with Free Shipping


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

*Heading to the outer banks tomorrow night...*

I'm heading to Corolla, NC for a week. I can't wait to try out the bem in the sand. Anyway, I just finished modding my roof rack to handle the fatty. I found a longer strap online ($10 for two delivered) and then made the front skewer from some 5/16 rod ($1.50 at lowes), a couple of rockler ratcheting handles ($5 a pop) and two spacers that stacked up to 35mm from the hardware store ($6). It seems pretty solid. Not as convenient as a quick release, but it's not bad. At least it doesn't require any tools.


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## bigeyedfish (May 30, 2013)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> is it the 50mm rim, or an 80? the 80's are super easy to come by (Weinmann DHL80)
> I don't have a source for the 50's, but if anybody does, throw it up. i'm looking to build a new set of skinny rims and don't know of any other than the rabbit holes (which i'm not paying for)


Trials rims are reasonably cheap.
Hugos are 52mm I think.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

watts888 said:


> Why go back to 50mm rims. Take this as an oportunity to go 80. The spoke length shouldn't be much different, and you'll probably want to get new spokes anyway if you've ridden them a lot.
> 
> I relaced a wheel that came on my motobecane boris. Not that hard, but I did have to go back after a coule rides to tension the spokes some.


I already have a set of 80's. they are great in the snow, but pinch flat very easily on rocks. i like the profile of a 4" tire on a 50mm rim for trail riding. maybe i will look into a set of 65mm, i know there are some good carbon options out there in that size.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> i like the profile of a 4" tire on a 50mm rim for trail riding.


Me too. I'd like to get a set of 80s for snow and sand, but I am fine with 50s on the trails.

In other news: My wife's x4 rear shifter broke on the trail tonight. She probably has about 100 miles or so on her Monster. The shifter's cheap and easy to replace, but that means she is 29er-bound until about mid-week. Maybe I'll ride the 26er or 29er tomorrow as a show of solidarity.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

joebikesdirect said:


> Hi - You asked if anyone had a source for 50mm ish rims? Here is a wheelset if you don't mind white rims
> 
> BikeIsland.com - Bicycle Parts, Accessories and Clothing at Affordable Prices with Free Shipping


Hey Joe, thanks for the response. I've seen this wheelset, but I'm looking for sealed bearings and more engagement. Do you guys offer these rims on any hubs other than the cup and cone quandos that came on the bike? I have heard the boris x9 came with decent hubs, any chance you could offer a 50mm wheelset using those?


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## TucsonBamaRider (Aug 30, 2015)

I've been lurking around this thread since December 2014. Thanks to DirtDawg and others, I got a BEM back then, and I've been very pleased. I ride solidly intermediate-level trails in the Tucson area, and this bike has been great for that. Here are my observations over the last 8-9 months:

I'm a relatively big guy - 6-1, 230 lbs - and this fatty has been very forgiving when I choose a bad line. I've taco'ed a number of std 26 rims, but not even close on the BEM. (margin for error for 200+ lb'ers is smaller)

I went to 710mm handlebars, and that was a nice improvement

BD replaced my original cassette, about a month into ownership, within 2 days. Their CS was great for me as well. I had the same issues with skipping cogs.

After about 5 months, I upgraded the tires to On-One Floaters. While the Missions were serviceable, I was noticeably faster on the Floaters with no self-steer.

I trashed my pedals, kind of like DD. I'm breaking and upgrading components along the way.

I had serious chain suck on the 22T chainring about 3 months in. I replaced it with a steel Truvativ - and it fixed the problem.

I broke a tooth on the 32T chainring last month (user-error, bad shift) and replaced with an aluminum Truvativ - and it fixed the problem.

I have about 800 miles on the bike now. For my uses, I really like the 50mm rims. They're lighter, less likely to pinch flat, and stand taller - thus giving a little more "suspension." The stock brakes are still on, and I've found them to be fine. I also go back and forth about wanting a front suspension fork (I know the issues by having a straight steering tube). While the suspension could be nice, I'm liking the weight savings and simplicity of the stock fork.

Anyway, it's now my go-to bike.


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## Boo Bear (Aug 11, 2008)

Great thread, and I'm thankful for it! I recently pre-ordered a 2016 Sturgis Bullet for myself, and was going to get my wife a fatbike next year as a gift for finishing an ironman - but this thread got me looking at the Bullseye, and I just ordered the BEM LTD in flat black for her. For $599, seems like an awesome bike. And oddly, on the BD site it says the price will be $1099 later. And from what I've seen in the past, when they've said there is going to be a price increase, (Lurch comes to mind), there is. Though I imagine they'd have to up the specs on the LTD for it to command $1099 from BD.

Anyway- totally excited that wifey will be able to ride with me on her own fatty! (And I might be a little jealous- think I actually like the looks of the BEM LTD more than the Sturgis. Ha.) 

Thanks for all the great info here.


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## yeroc40 (Sep 2, 2008)

Another happy bullseye owner here. Just build up 20 inch monster last night and was thoroughly impressed with the quality. Hubs were well adjusted and greased, headset had grease, and the shifting was almost spot on as well. The only thing missing was the loose parts, front skewer, pedals, and spare derailleur others had mentioned.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

Replaced my old 22T chainring this week, and it got totally rid of the chainsuck. Replaced the shewers with red Hope ones. I also added a decal. Not sure what I think of it. Opinions?


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

I was just out in the garage loading up some kayaking gear and looking at my fat bike. The GBM is certainly my favorite bike and I was thinking if I only could have one bike that would be it... If a non-serious rider who only wanted one bike I would specifically recommend the GBM. Why? Price, durability and flexibility. It is so easy to ride a fat bike pretty much anywhere, even a novice can tackle most trails. The more experience you have the faster you can go. On the road it may not be very fast, but the vibration free ride means you can at least go in comfort. Anyone who thinks fat bikes are a trend, clearly has not ridden one for an extended period of time. In my case I have only ridden 2 bike this year, Fat bike and Road bike.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

byron555 said:


> The GBM is certainly my favorite bike and I was thinking if I only could have one bike that would be it... If a non-serious rider who only wanted one bike I would specifically recommend the GBM. Why? Price, durability and flexibility.


I agree. It can do everything. Over the last four days, I have ridden mine on single track, doubletrack, sandy beach, pebbly beach, and road. I was comfortable and confident on all surfaces.

I have not been gentle with mine (and I'm around 260 lbs) yet I have not broken anything. It's a tough bike.

It also handles well, is easy to upgrade and personalize, and is not as slow as most would think: I set my personal bests at one of the local trails today (faster than on my Jamis 26er and Trek 29er times).

When someone new to the sport is interested in a bike and asks me what type of bike to buy, I tell them to ask themselves where they think they will want to ride, and to get a bike that won't limit them. Having to stop at some point and think "Gee, I wish I could ride over there" is a bummer. Especially if you live on an island with lots of accessible beaches, and a snowy season.

Side note: Although I've had lots of people go out of their way to ask me about the bike, yesterday was the first time the curious person was on a personal watercraft. That was pretty funny.


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## Smeggywulff (May 22, 2015)

I see that they're now selling the GBM with an RST renegade fork. I've seen a lot of people calling RST shocks "pogo sticks" and other less than flattering things. I've only ever had Rock Shox before. All that said, is it really worth the extra $300 for the bluto? Is the Bluto really that great?


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

$300 for a Bluto is way cheap, lest you know of a better price...


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

Smeggywulff said:


> All that said, is it really worth the extra $300 for the bluto? Is the Bluto really that great?





BansheeRune said:


> $300 for a Bluto is way cheap, lest you know of a better price...


I agree. If you read the Sturgis/Night Train thread, a lot of those guys were very happy to fork out $300 for a bluto. The bluto works as advertised and it has a lot of adjustability for different riders and styles.

http://forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/motobecane-sturgis-night-train-thread-932345-90.html


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

The difference would be similar to using a hardtail bike with a suntour XCM fork vs. a rockshox reba. The RST fork will work. It won't work as well as the bluto though. It is comparable to asking if the $80 XCM fork will work as well as the $400 Reba. A lot of people will say the Reba is mandatory, there will be some who say the XCM is good enough, and there will always be some who say you should just stay with a rigid fork. Those are the same people who say single speed is awesome though. Crazy people.

If money isn't a huge concern, the BEM with bluto is a great bike. I'd probably step it up to the boris or nighttrain though, just for better rims, drivetrain, and brakes. If money is a concern, the RST fork will work, but maintenance will be next to impossible. The bluto has internals almost exactly like the rockshox reba, so service and parts are easy to get.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

watts888 said:


> and there will always be some who say you should just stay with a rigid fork. Those are the same people who say single speed is awesome though. Crazy people.


HEY...alright most of what you say is true, But single speed just doesn't work for the calf shredding climbs I like to do. Andfor the record, I ride better(crash less and go faster) on rigid then I do on squish.

On another note, I am currently running a Race Face micro N/W 24t chainring and it is Awesome. It cuts down my top speed on the road, But has given me the perfect range with a 11-36 cassette. And it is a fat bike so I would much rather be able to use the enormous amount of traction for climbs over the capability of 20mph on the road.


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## Borch (Sep 30, 2011)

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. I just pulled the trigger on a GBM LTD largely thanks to this thread. I had it narrowed down to the X9, the GBM LTD or the Framed 2.0 but given what I've read here I think the GBM is gonna be the best value of the three for me. NOw the hard part is just waiting for it to get here sometime in October. Thanks again y'all.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Borch said:


> Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. I just pulled the trigger on a GBM LTD largely thanks to this thread. I had it narrowed down to the X9, the GBM LTD or the Framed 2.0 but given what I've read here I think the GBM is gonna be the best value of the three for me. NOw the hard part is just waiting for it to get here sometime in October. Thanks again y'all.


no problem Borch, welcome to the club.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> no problem Borch, welcome to the cult.


fixed that for you.


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## domoMKIV (Feb 29, 2012)

i guess i could have missed it, tried to search and found the bullseye but not the deadeye. Anyone know the standover of the 19" deadeye monster?


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## Senzo (Sep 10, 2015)

New to the forum and after reading this thread I decided to take the plunge and got a Gravity Bullseye Monster "16. I am 5'10 350 lbs so I hope I made the right choice being new to trails and fat bikes. Trying to get back in shape, this seems to be the best route. 

Anyway, thanks for all of the good information.


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## TucsonBamaRider (Aug 30, 2015)

Senzo, Congrats on your purchase! I think that you'll find the fat bike very forgiving on the trail. I love being able to roll over stuff. From my experience, on trail, I usually run my tire pressures at 12-15 psi, and I'm 230 lbs. You'll see several posters running very low pressures (6-8 psi). As a newbie, you might try ~10psi if you're riding over rock gardens and down obstacles for stability. As your skills improve, you'll want to go faster. Enjoy!


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Senzo said:


> New to the forum and after reading this thread I decided to take the plunge and got a Gravity Bullseye Monster "16. I am 5'10 350 lbs so I hope I made the right choice being new to trails and fat bikes. Trying to get back in shape, this seems to be the best route.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for all of the good information.


Welcome to the forum, and good decision to ride a bike. It's much better than sitting on a couch.

Because of your starting weight, I'd set the tire pressure closer to 15 in front and 17 psi in back until you get a better idea for pressure. Much less than that, you could pinch the tubes if you hit rocks/logs/curbs. Usually more a concern with the back tire. I've never had a flat tire up front, but when i ride rock gardens at lower pressure, my rear tubes get flats all the time.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

Senzo said:


> New to the forum and after reading this thread I decided to take the plunge and got a Gravity Bullseye Monster "16. I am 5'10 350 lbs so I hope I made the right choice being new to trails and fat bikes. Trying to get back in shape, this seems to be the best route.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for all of the good information.


Good luck Senzo, I got back into biking this year in March and went from 227lbs to about 185lbs (5'9"). At one point I weighed 181, but now I have settled into a consistent average. I did by road biking and mountain biking on my GBM. I am no expert, but I think because I keep a pretty high cadence and shift a lot, that helped to keep my heart rate up and burn more calories. I started out with 12 mile road rides daily, now I try to do no less than 18 (some days I don't have the time though). On the fat bike I tend to to 12 miles of trails on average.

At your current weight I agree with the mentioned 17psi rear and 15psi front. I started at 12psi in both, and after the weight loss I now run about 10 psi in both


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

Has anyone seen the "Gravity Knockout Aluminum Fat Bike Frame Fork Set Project!"on Amazon? For $170. Here's the description:

"Knockout Frame: Gravity Knockout Fat Bike Frame and Fork Description: Gravity Knockout Fat Bike Frame and Fork Okay, here's your chance to build a fatbike on a budget. There is a small rub though....and it's an actual rub. Once built the chain rubs the inside of the drive side dropout when on the smallest cog on a 8 speed cassette. This is a factory design flaw that can be fixed by adjusting your limiting screw so the chain can't go into the smallest cog or you could build it up as a single speed or you could do something else we have not thought of. This frame has a factory warranty against defects but the chain clearence issue will be excluded. This frame comes with a fork, headset and stem already assembled. It also comes with a quick release seat post clamp. Frame: 6061 Aluminum - Replaceable Rear Derailleur Hanger Fork: Rigid with disc mounts, fender eyelets on dropouts and three sets of side braze on's down each blade Rear Spacing: 170.0 mm Front Spacing: 135.0mm Sizes: 14", 16", and 18" Bottom Bracket: Sealed bearing 68mm X 100mm English Thread included :Seat Post Clamp: 31.8 mm ( included) Seat Post Size: 27.2 Headset: Cane Creek - Threadless - 1 1/8 inch VP A71"

Amazon.com: Gravity Knockout Aluminum Fat Bike Frame Fork Set Project! (Pink, 16 inch)


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## domoMKIV (Feb 29, 2012)

They are $149 from bikeisland 
BikeIsland.com - Bicycle Parts, Accessories and Clothing at Affordable Prices with Free Shipping

i wonder about rim size with a 4" tire. A reviewer on Amazon said it won't work with an 80mm rim but I swear I saw a post on Facebook about a guy setting one up with a 4"er


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## kcdirtbro54 (Mar 29, 2011)

Seen them. If only they had those in 20 or 22" I would really consider one. Also if I weren't building other bmx projects this would be something i would've looked into too


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## Aly (Sep 14, 2015)

Did anyone try the Gravity Knockout Complete Fat Bike ?
Now they are selling the complete bike instead of the frame alone
BikeIsland.com - Bicycle Parts, Accessories and Clothing at Affordable Prices with Free Shipping

I deduced from the prictures they are using the following wheel sets:
BikeIsland.com - Bicycle Parts, Accessories and Clothing at Affordable Prices with Free Shipping

Is it a good value with 299$ ?


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

If you go with the knockout, get the complete bike from bikeisland. It's only $300 for the complete bike, so the price difference over that frameset is worth it. Only real problem, as mentioned, is size availability. Only goes up to 18". It's listed as a "womens" bike, but I think the only real diffeence is the colors are lighter, and it has a womens specific seat. End of day, it's a seat and it works fine for guys too. Just has an extra cutout for women. 
BikeIsland.com - Bicycle Parts, Accessories and Clothing at Affordable Prices with Free Shipping

It's been discussed some on MTBR. some people got the 8-th gear to work fine by simply adding a washer to the axle, some just adjust the derailure so you don't use the smallest gear. You can easily fit a bigger tire up front. I think it uses the same fork as the bullseye monster, so it should be able to clear a 4.5". The frame in back does limit the tire width, but I'd much rather have a big tire up front. And it's not like riding a narrow tired 26" hardtail is a new thing. If you fit on one, it's a heck of a deal for a fun bike. Other than the stuff I've listed, very comparable to a BEM. same rim width, same drivetrain, same fork.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

yeah, ive seen these before. they look pretty neat, if i didnt have way too many bikes as it is i would probaby pick up a mint green in 16". 26+ is fun, ive ridden a lot of miles on my BEM with the 50mm rims and 2.5" tires mounted, its a good change of pace and keeps things interesting.
ive been looking really hard at the TI sturgis, but i think at best it will have to wait until next year, as i dont have the funds for it right now. i'm also trying to convince myself i dont need another fatbike right now, but if something happens to this one i may make the jump.
I found a deal for an orgin8 crawler (the one with the NuVinci IGH) and if it had been my size, i would probably own it right now. i love the concept of losing the derailleur, and plan on buying a gearbox bike as soon as it gets more affordable and readily available. the future is looking up


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

My pearl white GBM arrived today, very good quality bike and it came with the 80mm rims, I thought I bought the 50mm but looks they screwed up or I got lucky. Way better quality components than my Trek radioactive yellow 29er Marlin 5 which was $500 also. It rides very good and I love the front derailleur. My huffy excess is going to stay as a play toy now since I got the GBM. This is the best investment I've ever made, too much bike for the price. This thread was very helpful to decide which bike was the best for the money and I'm very happy I joined MTBR. I took some pics for your enjoyment and thanks again for sharing yours experiences with this amazing bike.


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## Aly (Sep 14, 2015)

watts888 said:


> If you go with the knockout, get the complete bike from bikeisland. It's only $300 for the complete bike, so the price difference over that frameset is worth it. Only real problem, as mentioned, is size availability. Only goes up to 18". It's listed as a "womens" bike, but I think the only real diffeence is the colors are lighter, and it has a womens specific seat. End of day, it's a seat and it works fine for guys too. Just has an extra cutout for women.
> BikeIsland.com - Bicycle Parts, Accessories and Clothing at Affordable Prices with Free Shipping
> 
> It's been discussed some on MTBR. some people got the 8-th gear to work fine by simply adding a washer to the axle, some just adjust the derailure so you don't use the smallest gear. You can easily fit a bigger tire up front. I think it uses the same fork as the bullseye monster, so it should be able to clear a 4.5". The frame in back does limit the tire width, but I'd much rather have a big tire up front. And it's not like riding a narrow tired 26" hardtail is a new thing. If you fit on one, it's a heck of a deal for a fun bike. Other than the stuff I've listed, very comparable to a BEM. same rim width, same drivetrain, same fork.


Thanks watts for your reply
They are putting a 150$ worth wheelsets on it 
BikeIsland.com - Bicycle Parts, Accessories and Clothing at Affordable Prices with Free Shipping

I do not know if they are any good
What do you think of the other specs ?


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## Aly (Sep 14, 2015)

Luis_fx35 said:


> My pearl white GBM arrived today, very good quality bike and it came with the 80mm rims, I thought I bought the 50mm but looks they screwed up or I got lucky. Way better quality components than my Trek radioactive yellow 29er Marlin 5 which was $500 also. It rides very good and I love the front derailleur. My huffy excess is going to stay as a play toy now since I got the GBM. This is the best investment I've ever made, too much bike for the price. This thread was very helpful to decide which bike was the best for the money and I'm very happy I joined MTBR. I took some pics for your enjoyment and thanks again for sharing yours experiences with this amazing bike.


Check the note from BikesDirect:
NOTE: JettBlack, PearlWhite, BurntOrange have New 80mm Wide Rims PLUS Newest Mission Command Tires. All Forks have Triple Braze-ons


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

Aly said:


> Check the note from BikesDirect:
> NOTE: JettBlack, PearlWhite, BurntOrange have New 80mm Wide Rims PLUS Newest Mission Command Tires. All Forks have Triple Braze-ons


Noted, I'm glad I chose that color haha. I'm in love with these fatties, haven't stopped smiling since yesterday.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Aly said:


> Thanks watts for your reply
> They are putting a 150$ worth wheelsets on it
> BikeIsland.com - Bicycle Parts, Accessories and Clothing at Affordable Prices with Free Shipping
> 
> ...


Same 50mm wheelset that was on the original BEM before they swapped to 80mm rims. Lots of people liked them, and they gave a nice round tire profile for dry conditions. Probably a bit too narrow for fat tire snow use. Heavy 3" downhill tires, but not any heavier than 4" tires. Very chunky from the looks, so they'd handle some abuse and will give good traction. The drivetrain is a standard entry level SRAM x4. It works, but nothing to write home about. Similar to what's on the $400-$500 LBS bikes, and a step above what's on a wallyworld bike. Everything else is standard beginner level mountain bike parts stuff except the steel handlebar (don't know if it's really steel or if BD messed up the spec), but an aluminum replacment is easily available for cheap, or you might end up liking the vibration damping that the steel handlebar provides. There's a reason a lot of people like steel frames, even with the weight penalty.


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## UncleDirtnap (Sep 15, 2015)

I'm about to pull the trigger- LTD or normal?? It's only $100..... But then again, that's $100!


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

UncleDirtnap said:


> I'm about to pull the trigger- LTD or normal?? It's only $100..... But then again, that's $100!


The only difference is the tires. For $100 you are getting the H-billies. The Missions are not that great as I and others have found.

You also get a tapered head tube with the LTD which means better control and the ability to add a Bluto easily if you want. I guess the symmetrical 170mm rear is different too. So if you want to upgrade the LTD would be better.

The LTD has different colorways and is not available yet.

Hope that helps.


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## Boo Bear (Aug 11, 2008)

I ordered the LTD for my wife, as I want the option of putting a Bluto on it for dirt use, down the road. Also wanted the wider tires for snow.


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## UncleDirtnap (Sep 15, 2015)

No snow here (Florida) and I'm crossing my fingers that I can still keep up with my non-fat riding buddies. It's my first big bike purchase ever- up till now it's been tacking together scraps-

-rj


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

*Beach Riding!*

I Managed to get about 80 miles on the BEM in the outer banks a couple of weeks ago. This bike is awesome, as long as you stay out of the really loose sand. You can still ride through most of it if you air down, but man it's a lot of work.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

I don't think the LTD is worth it. the hillbillies are nice tires, but I'd get the standard BEM and if the stock tires don't work for you, put the $100 toward the tires I want. I've heard Kenda Juggernaughts are really nice, and I know specialized ground control tires are good. I don't know the minimum width that ground controls come in though, so they might not work in the BEM frame. As far as the tapered headtube, if you plan on upgrading in the future, just buy a bike with a bluto on it now or get the comp level with RST fork. No sense in waiting. Get the bike you want now, because it will always cost more when you try to upgrade.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

watts888 said:


> I don't think the LTD is worth it. the hillbillies are nice tires, but I'd get the standard BEM and if the stock tires don't work for you, put the $100 toward the tires I want. I've heard Kenda Juggernaughts are really nice, and I know specialized ground control tires are good. I don't know the minimum width that ground controls come in though, so they might not work in the BEM frame. As far as the tapered headtube, if you plan on upgrading in the future, just buy a bike with a bluto on it now or get the comp level with RST fork. No sense in waiting. Get the bike you want now, because it will always cost more when you try to upgrade.


the GC will only fit in the front, but its true that its cheaper to buy it all at once if you know what you want. i think the beauty of this bike is that you have the option to upgrade later if you decide that suspension is something you want. I think the H-billies and fork compatibility are totally worth a $100 upcharge, but as usual it comes down to what you want out of your bike. options are good. (now if they could just organize the website to reflect that...)


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> (now if they could just organize the website to reflect that...)


A litle bit better website would be nice. Select the options you want and it removes the rest. I've noticed they're changing their ad banners to a blue color instead of that obnoxious yellow/red. maybe they really do listen. I doubt it, but I can dream.


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## Boo Bear (Aug 11, 2008)

I agree that if you know you're going to want a Bluto in the future it is cheaper to get it up front. In my case there will already be a Bluto in the house I can throw on the BEM LTD, so I didn't feel the need to order it with a Bluto. But I did need the tapered HT.....


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

watts888 said:


> A litle bit better website would be nice. Select the options you want and it removes the rest. I've noticed they're changing their ad banners to a blue color instead of that obnoxious yellow/red. maybe they really do listen. I doubt it, but I can dream.


in a perfect world, they would organize it by frame, and you could select your prefired build from there. 
so you could select from a boris, bullseys, lurch, sturgis/night train (which would be one bike) etc. and then on the following page list the different build options offered on each frame.
would that be difficult? right now its just an overwhelming explosion of bikes with little to no rhyme or reason. like, i know what im looking for when i go there, and it still takes me way too long to navigate that mess.
anyway, BikesDirect, if youre reading this, if you could spend a few hours organizing your website, it would be awesome.


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## soarftb (May 18, 2015)

LOL, their web site is the absolute worst. But I guess their attitude is 'if it aint broke, don't fix it'. They may purposely have a cheap looking web site to propagate that bargain image that they have. Anyway, it works and in a way is a refreshing change from all of the over-designed sites out there.

There is a whole thread about it here:
http://forums.mtbr.com/motobecane/petition-have-bikesdirect-redesign-their-website-948491.html


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## jawabikeco-op (Aug 8, 2015)

watts888 said:


> If you go with the knockout, get the complete bike from bikeisland. It's only $300 for the complete bike, so the price difference over that frameset is worth it. Only real problem, as mentioned, is size availability. Only goes up to 18". It's listed as a "womens" bike, but I think the only real diffeence is the colors are lighter, and it has a womens specific seat. End of day, it's a seat and it works fine for guys too. Just has an extra cutout for women.
> BikeIsland.com - Bicycle Parts, Accessories and Clothing at Affordable Prices with Free Shipping
> 
> It's been discussed some on MTBR. some people got the 8-th gear to work fine by simply adding a washer to the axle, some just adjust the derailure so you don't use the smallest gear. You can easily fit a bigger tire up front. I think it uses the same fork as the bullseye monster, so it should be able to clear a 4.5". The frame in back does limit the tire width, but I'd much rather have a big tire up front. And it's not like riding a narrow tired 26" hardtail is a new thing. If you fit on one, it's a heck of a deal for a fun bike. Other than the stuff I've listed, very comparable to a BEM. same rim width, same drivetrain, same fork.


It's funny that you guys are discussing the Knockout, because I've been lurking on this thread for months and just ordered an 18" mint green KO last night. It may end up being a mistake, because I'm not sure how much being stuck with a 3" rear tire will limit the bike in the snow, but I plan to slap a 4" tire on the front and give 'er a go on the snowmobile trails around my house this winter. In the meantime, the 3" tires should be a blast on dirt. All in all, it shouldn't be hard to get $300 worth of fun out of it.

I rented an Origin8 Crawler this summer, my first time on fat, and I haven't been able to shake the urge to get one since then. It made me feel like I've been doing mountain-biking wrong all these years.

Thanks to dirtdawg and everyone else who has contributed to this thread. It's been a fun and informative read.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Aly (Sep 14, 2015)

watts888 said:


> Same 50mm wheelset that was on the original BEM before they swapped to 80mm rims. Lots of people liked them, and they gave a nice round tire profile for dry conditions. Probably a bit too narrow for fat tire snow use. Heavy 3" downhill tires, but not any heavier than 4" tires. Very chunky from the looks, so they'd handle some abuse and will give good traction. The drivetrain is a standard entry level SRAM x4. It works, but nothing to write home about. Similar to what's on the $400-$500 LBS bikes, and a step above what's on a wallyworld bike. Everything else is standard beginner level mountain bike parts stuff except the steel handlebar (don't know if it's really steel or if BD messed up the spec), but an aluminum replacment is easily available for cheap, or you might end up liking the vibration damping that the steel handlebar provides. There's a reason a lot of people like steel frames, even with the weight penalty.


Actually is not Sram at all
It is Shimano Alivio
Front Derailleur: Shimano AlivioFD-M410E bottom bracket mount Rear Derailleur: Shimano Alivio RD-M410 
Shifters: Shimano ST-EF51 8 Speed trigger with V brake levers 
Cassette/Freewheel: Shimano CS-HG31 Mega Range 11t-34t 
Chain: KMC Z narrow 8 speed


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

I spent four days in the hospital this week (not crash-related ), and my wife and boss wouldn't let me go back to work today, so I did what many of you would have done: worked on my beloved Monster.

I changed the seatpost and seat (Easton and Ergon SMC), upgraded the crankset to a Raceface Ride with external BB (the old BB blew out on the beach on Sunday), changed the bashguard to a red Raceface, and changed the discs to HS1s (my Tektros had both developed squeaks/chatters) with red rotor bolts.

So now I have changed everything but the FD/shifter, hubs/wheels (I'm considering Hope Pro2 hubs), and fork (anyone know of a carbon that'll work with 1 1/8"?). The bike was great to start with and has just gotten better.


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## hankscorpio (Jun 20, 2012)

I currently have a dead eye monster. the bd fb post announcing 80mm rims piqued my interest. might sell the dead eye and pick up a bem. but I'm also looking at the boris x5. I'm assuming a lot of guys in here looked at them also. so now they both have 80mm rims it seems like with the boris you get x5 over 4 obviously and a better bottom bracket. That's about it though I think. Has anyone had an issue with the crank or bb with the bem?


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## bigdhusker (Mar 3, 2011)

jawabikeco-op said:


> It's funny that you guys are discussing the Knockout, because I've been lurking on this thread for months and just ordered an 18" mint green KO last night. It may end up being a mistake, because I'm not sure how much being stuck with a 3" rear tire will limit the bike in the snow, but I plan to slap a 4" tire on the front and give 'er a go on the snowmobile trails around my house this winter. In the meantime, the 3" tires should be a blast on dirt. All in all, it shouldn't be hard to get $300 worth of fun out of it.
> 
> I rented an Origin8 Crawler this summer, my first time on fat, and I haven't been able to shake the urge to get one since then. It made me feel like I've been doing mountain-biking wrong all these years.
> 
> ...


I also just ordered a pink Gravity Knockout for my wife. There is a thread with some good info on them here Check out these $150 shipped Fatbike frames! | Rat Rod Bikes

I've done some research, and it looks like the Panaracer Fat B Nimble in 26x4 should fit when mounted on the stock 50mm rims. There are several threads showing the width on 50mm and 65mm rims right at 3.3 inches would should work perfect in the Knockout. The bike is supposed to be here Wednesday and the tires friday, so by next weekend I should know how it all works.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

My bottom bracket lasted nine months and around 7-800 miles with no maintenance. I was not easy on it, using the bike on trails, beaches, pavement, and snow, with my 250 lbs plus gear. When I removed the old BB, a bunch of water poured out. Like I said, I was not easy on it.


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## Orphere (Sep 20, 2015)

Any thoughts on the Gravity BullseyeMonster COMP FatBikes with the RST Renegade Air Forks?


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

Orphere said:


> Any thoughts on the Gravity BullseyeMonster COMP FatBikes with the RST Renegade Air Forks?


I haven't seen/heard anything yet, but I am curious about that fork, which I heard will be released with a 1 1/8 straight stem version. If it would fit on my Monster, I would probably give it a shot. Lots of roots on the local trails.


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## 5TOEZ (Sep 22, 2015)

I love my BM Comp!
and the RST works pretty good too,although I only weigh 107lbs.


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## Orphere (Sep 20, 2015)

Do you know how much it
Weighs?


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## Orphere (Sep 20, 2015)

Are the forks lockable?


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## bigdhusker (Mar 3, 2011)

I got the bike today, and the Fat B Nimbles also arrived a couple days early. I assembled the bike and got everything adjusted in a couple of hours. The Alivio components are solid entry level gear and provide fast crisp shifts. I have an 1/8" clearance on the lower chainstays with the Fat B Nimble installed. The best part of all, the "rub" that made the bikes defective and selling for $299 is non-existent on this bike. I can use the smallest cog with 1/8" clearance from the dropout. This bike is perfect, and an absolute unbeatable deal. It weighs a hair over 35 lbs with the new tires. With some component upgrades, this could easily be a 30 lbs Fatbike. I am impressed and 100% satisfied with my purchase.


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## Orphere (Sep 20, 2015)

How much weight do you think the new tires saved?


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## jawabikeco-op (Aug 8, 2015)

I've had the same experience, bigdhusker - no rub whatsoever, even under load. I just got mine yesterday, and haven't finished adjusting everything yet. Glad to know the Fat B Nimbles fit. I'd peg the weight at 38-40 pounds stock, but I didn't measure and I've already swapped bars and stem. 

This thing is a steal and if (close-to) 4" tires fit, it's a no-brainer, even with the added cost of new tires. The only downside I've run into is that everyone immediately knows it was intended to be a woman's bike (mint green), although that's purely because of color, not geometry. I've got a Gravity Deadeye SS too and they're pretty much identical frames, except for the wheel spacings. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## bigdhusker (Mar 3, 2011)

jawabikeco-op said:


> I've had the same experience, bigdhusker - no rub whatsoever, even under load. I just got mine yesterday, and haven't finished adjusting everything yet. Glad to know the Fat B Nimbles fit. I'd peg the weight at 38-40 pounds stock, but I didn't measure and I've already swapped bars and stem.
> 
> This thing is a steal and if (close-to) 4" tires fit, it's a no-brainer, even with the added cost of new tires. The only downside I've run into is that everyone immediately knows it was intended to be a woman's bike (mint green), although that's purely because of color, not geometry. I've got a Gravity Deadeye SS too and they're pretty much identical frames, except for the wheel spacings.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


I am contemplating picking up a Peacock Blue one for myself. The silver is sold out in 18", and the mint green, aqua, pink, and grape all look really feminine. I have seen a Surly Ice Cream Truck in a blue similar to the Peacock Blue, so my manhood may not take such a hit riding that color  I was having so much fun riding and tuning my wife's yesterday that I didn't even care if I was seen on a "woman's" bike!

EDIT:
What is even better, is the Fat B Nimbles are right at 3.75 inches wide and fall right into our hitch mounted bike carrier. A tire that had even a 1/4" more girth would require me to modfy our carrier.


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## bigdhusker (Mar 3, 2011)

I didn't weigh it with the stock tires, the tire swap was the first thing I dd when I opened the box. The stock tires are Duro 26x3 downhill style meats, and I am guessing they weigh almost double what the Fat B Nimbles weigh--they are heavy. I don't have a fancy little scale that will tell me how many grams they weigh.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

bigdhusker said:


> I have an 1/8" clearance on the lower chainstays with the Fat B Nimble installed. The best part of all, the "rub" that made the bikes defective and selling for $299 is non-existent on this bike.


nice bike. cool to hear about the small gear clearance. Must have been a welding and alignment issue on certain frame sizes or batches. That's close clearance on the chainstays between the tire, but unless you start picking up mud, it should be good. Any chainrub on the tire in any of the gear combos? What is the actual width of the bottom bracket hub? I've asked BD, and they said it was 68mm, which I find very unlikely.


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## Snugg (Aug 12, 2015)

Sorry for the delay in responding, life has thrown me multiple curve balls and I am striking out at the moment.
Does anybody have a line on replacement 80mm rims? I flat-spotted mine pretty bad and would like to buy a new one and then take it to a shop and have them swap my old hub/spokes onto it.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

New BD rims would be easiest to just get a new wheelset from bikeisland. $250 for new front/rear with tires and tubes (wheelset & tires off the borix x9). If you want to have the LBS rebuild, I'd get something like a surly or salsa rim, but it will cost for the rim and the LBS shop time. Except for a long boat from China, I doubt you'll find a cheap alloy rim comparable to the BD's stock rim without having to pay a litle more than you'd expect. Could probably get an inexpensive origin8 rim off amazon, but you'd probably also have to buy new spokes.


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## Snugg (Aug 12, 2015)

Hey Watts888,
Thanks for the info. I was checking out bikeisland and I don't see the rims you are speaking of. I'll try to look deeper. BikeIsland.com - Bicycle Parts, Accessories and Clothing at Affordable Prices with Free Shipping.


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## Snugg (Aug 12, 2015)

I did find some Weinmann HL80 which come on the Boris right at BikesDirect for the price you mentioned. Looks like a direct swap.


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## domoMKIV (Feb 29, 2012)

bigdhusker said:


> I am contemplating picking up a Peacock Blue one for myself. The silver is sold out in 18", and the mint green, aqua, pink, and grape all look really feminine. I have seen a Surly Ice Cream Truck in a blue similar to the Peacock Blue, so my manhood may not take such a hit riding that color  I was having so much fun riding and tuning my wife's yesterday that I didn't even care if I was seen on a "woman's" bike!


Just pick up some plastidip and change the color.
I'm debating between this bike (and a plastidip paint job) and something that can handle 29+. The price on the knockout is really hard to argue with.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Snugg said:


> I was checking out bikeisland and I don't see the rims you are speaking of. I'll try to look deeper.


Memory failed me. I guess the borix x9 wheels were on the bikesdirect website, not the bikeisland.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

domoMKIV said:


> The price on the knockout is really hard to argue with.


If it fits. Unfortunately it stops at medium frame.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Snugg said:


> Sorry for the delay in responding, life has thrown me multiple curve balls and I am striking out at the moment.
> Does anybody have a line on replacement 80mm rims? I flat-spotted mine pretty bad and would like to buy a new one and then take it to a shop and have them swap my old hub/spokes onto it.


Amazon.com : Weinmann DHL80 Alloy Rim - 26" x 4.0, 32H, Black : Bike Rims : Sports & Outdoors

or i have one that i would sell. PM me for details.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

I you haven't seen BD's facebook post, they are selling their old 2015 BEM with the 50mm rims at $370. Not a huge deal, but if you're on the fence and like the 50mm rims, maybe a litle push. I think I'd still go with the 80mm rims though.


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## Snugg (Aug 12, 2015)

Thanks, I did see that post but decided to stick with 80mm.


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## domoMKIV (Feb 29, 2012)

watts888 said:


> I you haven't seen BD's facebook post, they are selling their old 2015 BEM with the 50mm rims at $370. Not a huge deal, but if you're on the fence and like the 50mm rims, maybe a litle push. I think I'd still go with the 80mm rims though.


I was ready to buy all of them. Then I saw its $470 on the site, lol.


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## bigdhusker (Mar 3, 2011)

watts888 said:


> nice bike. cool to hear about the small gear clearance. Must have been a welding and alignment issue on certain frame sizes or batches. That's close clearance on the chainstays between the tire, but unless you start picking up mud, it should be good. Any chainrub on the tire in any of the gear combos? What is the actual width of the bottom bracket hub? I've asked BD, and they said it was 68mm, which I find very unlikely.


No interference between the chain and tire at all. It's a 68mm x 100mm bottom bracket


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

That's what they say on their website, but it just doesn't make sense. Most skinny mountain bikes have a 68mm shell with a 113mm (give or take) spindle. Fat bikes use a 100mm bottom bracket shell with anywhere from a 137mm to 198mm axles (go mongoose dolomite with your psycho long impossible to replace axle). I can somewhat see it having a 68mm shell because the frame is limited with the narrower tires, but the100mm long axle length just doesn't make sense. It would also require a specialized crankset with a pretty big crankarm and chainring offset. I imagine they'd use a 100mm shell, because the 100mm/137mm bottom brackets are getting more common, they're cheap, and they allow cheaper standard mountainbike cranksets to be used.


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## 5TOEZ (Sep 22, 2015)

38.3lbs. out of the box (hope my scale is off).......heavy, but it will be on a diet soon!!


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## 5TOEZ (Sep 22, 2015)

Yes the forks are lockable!


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

should I pull the trigger and order a Motobecane Sturgis.... Love the GBM but I want better hubs and wheels. I figure with the deore 9spd upgrade I can get around $525 for the gbm on CL and I would sell my 1999 gt Avalanche and get about $275 for that and sell some of my hobby grade RC cars


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## hicksjerry (Dec 14, 2014)

Can someone please link me to a youtube video on how to remove the crankset? I need to swap out the chainrings and can not figure out how to get the crankset off. I have removed the outer bolts on the crankset, but that's about it. I wish there were a way to take the chainrings off without having to remove the crankset.


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## Beicster (Feb 9, 2007)

byron555 said:


> should I pull the trigger and order a Motobecane Sturgis.... Love the GBM but I want better hubs and wheels. I figure with the deore 9spd upgrade I can get around $525 for the gbm on CL and I would sell my 1999 gt Avalanche and get about $275 for that and sell some of my hobby grade RC cars


I wish you nothing but the best on getting your price but I have never had much luck getting a decent price for an old mountain bike. Unless you have upgraded your GT, $275 may be wishful thinking.


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## Guy.Ford (Oct 28, 2009)

hicksjerry said:


> Can someone please link me to a youtube video on how to remove the crankset? I need to swap out the chainrings and can not figure out how to get the crankset off. I have removed the outer bolts on the crankset, but that's about it. I wish there were a way to take the chainrings off without having to remove the crankset.


here this should help. You need a square taper crank puller to remove the crank arms to get to the rings. There is a video on page shows you how the tool works.

Crank Puller for Square Taper Cranks - Park Tool


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

hicksjerry said:


> Can someone please link me to a youtube video on how to remove the crankset? I need to swap out the chainrings and can not figure out how to get the crankset off. I have removed the outer bolts on the crankset, but that's about it. I wish there were a way to take the chainrings off without having to remove the crankset.


I just changed out my entire crankset and bottom bracket. This is what I used: Park Tool CCP-22 SQR Taper Crank Puller > Accessories > Tools > Crank & Chainring Tools | Jenson USA

Pedro's makes one, too: Pedros Universal Crank Remover > Accessories > Tools > Crank & Chainring Tools | Jenson USA


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

Beicster said:


> I wish you nothing but the best on getting your price but I have never had much luck getting a decent price for an old mountain bike. Unless you have upgraded your GT, $275 may be wishful thinking.


It came with a hollowtech LX crank and a mix of lx, xt, xtr shifters and Mavic rims... It was before Pacific cycles bought them and cheapened the **** out of the GT line. 275 could be a bit optimistic, but I sold a GT I-drive for the same and that had much lower components on it.


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## hicksjerry (Dec 14, 2014)

Guy.Ford said:


> here this should help. You need a square taper crank puller to remove the crank arms to get to the rings. There is a video on page shows you how the tool works.
> 
> Crank Puller for Square Taper Cranks - Park Tool


Thanks for the help!


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## hicksjerry (Dec 14, 2014)

Wildbird99 said:


> I just changed out my entire crankset and bottom bracket. This is what I used: Park Tool CCP-22 SQR Taper Crank Puller > Accessories > Tools > Crank & Chainring Tools | Jenson USA
> 
> Pedro's makes one, too: Pedros Universal Crank Remover > Accessories > Tools > Crank & Chainring Tools | Jenson USA


Thanks. If you don't mind sharing, what did you upgrade the BB and crankset to? I'm looking to do the same.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

hicksjerry said:


> Can someone please link me to a youtube video on how to remove the crankset?


If you're just getting into doing maintenance on your bike, or want to start learning, get a tool kit. The following one off Jenson will have everything you need for most bike assembly/disassembly, including a cartridge bottom bracket tool and the external bearing bottom bracket tool. When it comes to removing the crankarms, you have to be careful with the tool you use. The Park tool listed above will work fine, but some of the simpler crankarm pullers (ones that require wrenches) have a small cap on them that needs to be removed. If you don't remove the cap, you can end up damaging the crankarms.
JensonUSA 728 Tool Kit > Accessories > Tools > Tool Kits | Jenson USA


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## porkloin (Jun 12, 2014)

Winter is back!









Also, I just got my 1x wolftooth setup put on here after retiring my hardtail for the winter. Nothing like a nice clean drivetrain for the first day of winter riding!


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## patirwin (Jan 14, 2004)

*Seatpost*

Can you guys please tell me what size seatpost comes on these? All it says on the website is that it's 400mm long. I hope it's 27.2


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## Aly (Sep 14, 2015)

My knockout Aqua finally arrived.
The frame is light and looks sturdy
All components are good with a shimano drivetrain
Even the rims are light 50mm of good quality
The only bad thing is the heavy 3inch downhill Duro tire
buying additional 2 new Fat tires will cost around 150$

My model had a very strong rub at the last cog (the main frame design flaw)
the problem is not only of a simple rub but when you shift back to the 7th cog the chain gets stuck in the frame.

Those who say their frame had no issues are really lucky but still be careful


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## patirwin (Jan 14, 2004)

What size seatpost comes on the Monster?


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

patirwin said:


> What size seatpost comes on the Monster?


27.2


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

porkloin said:


> Winter is back!
> 
> View attachment 1018925
> 
> ...


What tires are you running? Lots of snow already! Where do you live?


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## J-Canns (Sep 30, 2015)

*Gravity BEM LTD*

Hi all, long time listener first time caller. Well not really but, whatever. Lol
My Gravity BEM LTD is due to arrive today! Very excited and I'd like to share my experiences with the group so here is the back story;
My brother got a BEM from his boss as a bonus (the boss is a fat biker with the motto "don't let work get in the way of a good time".....my kind of guy lol). So my bro gets this bike and insists that I give it a spin so I take it down the block to some dirt hills and just took around a little. Needless to say I loved it but didn't consider getting one at that moment. 
Fast forward a few weeks, as my brother and I and a few friends were sitting at the bar watching football, the fat bike conversation came up again. I asked my brother where to find a fat bike and told me BD was the place so I, being me, pulled out my phone right then and there and pulled up BD. 
The BEM was shown at 5 dead presidents and the LTD at 6. With little to no research I pulled the trigger on the LTD then realized it wouldn't even ship until 10/12/15! Bummer!! No big deal though I can wait. As it turns out, got an e-mail from BF last week and now I'm waiting like a child at my front door for the UPS truck to come a rolling down the block. Hopefully it gets here before I leave for work at 3:30 pm. 
I found this thread after I'd ordered the bike hoping to take the edge off the wait and I've got to say I'm impressed by the quality of reviewing on here. I'd like to thank dirt dawg, great reviews and writing, you should get paid for that, oldbear, good on you bro! Keep hammering your way to better health! (I totally dig your fat bike and health thread) also I think it was Byron, thanks for the heads up about the cheap carbon bars. Luckily you didn't get hurt, I've had a few run ins with broken carbon fiber and it is the sharpest thing I've ever come across. 
And thanks to every in the community who contributes to the greater knowledge of the group!

Stay tuned for a full review from me and more than likely some pretty rad mods. Until then, go fat, stay skinny and ride happy!

-J-Canns-


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## porkloin (Jun 12, 2014)

dietz31684 said:


> What tires are you running? Lots of snow already! Where do you live?


I've got a nate rear, hodag front. Best upgrade I ever made for my bike. And I'm up here in beautiful Fairbanks, AK! We got about 10" of snow yesterday

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk


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## porkloin (Jun 12, 2014)

Also I should make a little PSA here reminding people how important it is to grease everything on these bikes when they arrive. I just pulled my bottom bracket after one year of use and it was damn near seized to the frame - I had to get the bb removal tool in the bench vise and really wrench on her for a good forty five minutes. And guess what? That was the only part I didn't grease when the bike arrived, and BD sure as hell hadn't thrown any grease in there. Especially with these square taper BBs it's important to get some grease in there if you ever want it to come back out. 

I know getting a new bike is exciting, but don't skimp on the grease points during set up! 

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk


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## J-Canns (Sep 30, 2015)

Thanks porkloin. I was also warned about that by my brother also who was warned by his boss. Knowing my brother he didn't do anything to it! I'm quite the opposite. Almost borderline OCD with maintenance.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

J-Canns said:


> I'd like to thank dirt dawg, great reviews and writing, you should get paid for that.


thanks man! I appreciate the recognition. I look forward to hearing more about your longterm experience. I'm glad this thread has taken off and been a help to so many people.


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## 5TOEZ (Sep 22, 2015)

Just returned from another technical ride up Case Mtn. on My GBM Comp.

Every ride gets better as I tweak the tires etc; to my liking!

LOVE THIS BIKE!!


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## Boo Bear (Aug 11, 2008)

My wife's bike arrived today! It is beautiful- I'm quite impressed with the bike for $600. It was packaged meticulously too- not a single scratch or anything- box was completely in tact when received. Unfortunately she just had foot surgery today and it will be a few months before she can use it. But she was very surprised and psyched when I rolled it into the living room to show here.


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## 5TOEZ (Sep 22, 2015)

Nice...shes gonna LUV it!!


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## patirwin (Jan 14, 2004)

Thanks !


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

All this seized bb talk had me worried. Its been raining for 2 days here so I figured it's a good time to tear into it. BB came out with no problem and was lightly greased but sufficient. Repacked the rear hub as well and although the grease was dirty (read: black) it wasn't gritty and no scoring of the race, cones, or bearings. I'm pretty impressed with the quality of everything. Granted I only have a few hundred miles on the bike but everything is smooth as buttah! 

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Just put of curiosity, is anyone having problems with the headset? Mine is fine, but damn do they seem cheap...just wondering if I should plan on upgrading at some point.


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## porkloin (Jun 12, 2014)

dietz31684 said:


> All this seized bb talk had me worried. Its been raining for 2 days here so I figured it's a good time to tear into it. BB came out with no problem and was lightly greased but sufficient. Repacked the rear hub as well and although the grease was dirty (read: black) it wasn't gritty and no scoring of the race, cones, or bearings. I'm pretty impressed with the quality of everything. Granted I only have a few hundred miles on the bike but everything is smooth as buttah!
> 
> Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk


Glad to hear it. Did you grease yours when it arrived? Mine definitely hadn't been greased by BD, though I wouldn't be surprised it is kind of a crap shoot whether you get good factory assembly or not. It's the same with guitars - budget models aren't terrible, they just have terrible (read: inconsistent) quality control!

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Na, I assembled and rode it. I've made quite a few changes but have never done any lubricating or maintenace till now. I'm sure that you're 100% correct, depends how much of a **** whomever assembled it gave that day.

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk


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## Aly (Sep 14, 2015)

Boo Bear said:


> My wife's bike arrived today! It is beautiful- I'm quite impressed with the bike for $600. It was packaged meticulously too- not a single scratch or anything- box was completely in tact when received. Unfortunately she just had foot surgery today and it will be a few months before she can use it. But she was very surprised and psyched when I rolled it into the living room to show here.
> View attachment 1019420
> View attachment 1019419


These red peals !!
Do they come with it ?
I think you had them replaced


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## Boo Bear (Aug 11, 2008)

The red pedals are Wellgo MG-1's - the pedals that come with the bike are cheap and crappy- I ordered the Wellgos off of Amazon for $40. They were waiting when the bike got here...I got lucky on how well the hues match. Also, I LOVE the pedals, and I've been clipless for the last 16 years. In fact, I'm so impressed with them that I ordered a blue pair for my Sturgis Bullet which is due to arrive tomorrow.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

hicksjerry said:


> Thanks. If you don't mind sharing, what did you upgrade the BB and crankset to? I'm looking to do the same.


Raceface Ride. I've got some miles on it now. It is smooth. And I'm sure it is lighter than the stock.

http://amazon.com/gp/product/B00F54F6WI?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

I got a scale this week, so I weighed a few bikes tonight (with pedals, bottle cages, phone mount, and small bag)...

My wife's 16" Monster weighs in at 39.15 (her old Mongoose dolomite was 44.95)
My 20" Monster (with the 50mm wheels and a bunch of mods) is 36.42
My Trek Superfly and Jamis Exile both were at 31.92.

I'm thinking about a carbon fork. That should carve some weight off: Hoboy Carbon Fat Bike Fork: 450mm, Straight Steerer 1-1/8", Quick Rele | Sarma USA

Lastly: Great pedals, BooBear.


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## Boo Bear (Aug 11, 2008)

Ha- thanks, Wildbird.

For those who care, I weighed my wife's 16" BEM LTD, and it was 36.9 lbs, with pedals. Everything is stock.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

I have a question regarding the square taper cranks. I don't have much experience with this type of crankset but understand it's very bad for the arms to loosen and destroy the taper interface. Any torque for the bolts that hold the arm to the BB or just tight as hell? Also, blue lock tight the keeper bolt to make sure it never backs out or not necessary? Thanks in advance -


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## bigeyedfish (May 30, 2013)

Too much torque can be bad too. It will lead to a bad fit if you have to remove them a few more times. That said, I've never used a torque wrench on them. I always go by feel and haven't had a problem. Just don't get carried away.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

dietz31684 said:


> Just put of curiosity, is anyone having problems with the headset? Mine is fine, but damn do they seem cheap...just wondering if I should plan on upgrading at some point.


They're cheap, but they work. on my main 29er, i've put over 500 miles of hard rain/hot/dirty use. Only thing I've done is grease the bearings once a year and they've been fine. I've repacked the grease multiple times on all my BD bikes. Not because they needed it, but because it's easy to do and just bunched it into the "prevantive maintenance" stuff. Right there with repacking wheel bearings.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

dietz31684 said:


> I have a question regarding the square taper cranks. I don't have much experience with this type of crankset but understand it's very bad for the arms to loosen and destroy the taper interface. Any torque for the bolts that hold the arm to the BB or just tight as hell? Also, blue lock tight the keeper bolt to make sure it never backs out or not necessary? Thanks in advance -


I just tighten it down as tight as I can with a small hex key. I figure it's short enough that I'm not putting that much torque on the bolt. Park tools has a recommended torque chart (bottom of the linked page) where they say an average torque for crankbolts is 350 inch-pounds (30 ft-lb). 
Torque Specifications and Concepts - Park Tool


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## porkloin (Jun 12, 2014)

watts888 said:


> They're cheap, but they work. on my main 29er, i've put over 500 miles of hard rain/hot/dirty use. Only thing I've done is grease the bearings once a year and they've been fine. I've repacked the grease multiple times on all my BD bikes. Not because they needed it, but because it's easy to do and just bunched it into the "prevantive maintenance" stuff. Right there with repacking wheel bearings.


Speaking of that, how's repacking these hubs? Anything to watch out for? And does anybody know where to source new cartridges?

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Nothing special, typical cup/cone bearings. What cartridges?


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

watts888 said:


> I just tighten it down as tight as I can with a small hex key. I figure it's short enough that I'm not putting that much torque on the bolt. Park tools has a recommended torque chart (bottom of the linked page) where they say an average torque for crankbolts is 350 inch-pounds (30 ft-lb).
> Torque Specifications and Concepts - Park Tool


Pardon my stupidity, but isn't it a hex head bolt? Confused by the hex key part.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

porkloin said:


> Speaking of that, how's repacking these hubs? Anything to watch out for? And does anybody know where to source new cartridges?
> 
> Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk


No cartridge bearings. as mentioned, these are good old cup/cone bearings. Look up Sheldon Brown's guide for repacking bearings. There's also a pretty good youtube video put out by performancebike. Easy to do, just need the cone wrenches. new bearings should cost less than $10 at your LBS, or about $4 off amazon.

tips/tricks
- Get a magnetic pickup tool to help remove the bearings from the hub
- don't hold the wheel up high when you remove the hub & axle or you'll drop bearings all over the place.
- Use whatever grease you want, but I've used white lithium grease, marine (boat) axle grease (personal favorite), and Park tools lubricant. they all work.
- I find it's best when putting everything back together to "lock down" one of the cones and lockdown nut. This side is never loosened again. All adjustments are then made off the other cone nut and lockdown nut. 
- Finger tighten the bearing and lockdown nut, gently tighten, and do fine adjustment after that. If you don't get the adjustment lockdown nut tightened up enough against the cone nut, it will work itself loose in time.
- For me, the rear wheel adjustments are made on the brake side and the front wheel adjustments are made on the non-brake side.
- be careful to clean the brake rotor when you're all done.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

dietz31684 said:


> Pardon my stupidity, but isn't it a hex head bolt? Confused by the hex key part.


Sorry, allen key = hex key = allen head wrench = head head wrench. Same thing, way too many names.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Thanks for the replies all, just torqued to 30 ft lbs to make sure.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

I just got my motobecane sturgis to upgrade from the gbm. And the biggest improvement are the sealed hubs and mulefut rim set. The bike is definitely an upgrade, but the gbm is still a great bike for the money. The sturgis needs some run in on the brakes as they don't work as well as the gbm front 203mm set up.

I sold th gbm to my dad.

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Tapatalk


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## porkloin (Jun 12, 2014)

dietz31684 said:


> Nothing special, typical cup/cone bearings. What cartridges?


Brainfart. I forgot I upgraded my wheels :thumbsup:, and now I've got origin8 hubs with sealed cartridge bearings. Derp.


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## DVS906 (Oct 5, 2015)

This thread is the reason I now own a Gravity 2016 Bullseye Monster. Thanks!

A quick question. Is the steerer tube 1 inch or 1 1/8 inch? The specs for the headset are "VP-A71 BLACK W/M-1D ALLOY BLACK" which doesn't seem to answer the question. I've measured it several times and get stuck at inside/outside diameter of tube vs headset body. Anyway I'm sure someone here has the definitive answer. Thanks in advance.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

DVS906 said:


> This thread is the reason I now own a Gravity 2016 Bullseye Monster. Thanks!
> 
> A quick question. Is the steerer tube 1 inch or 1 1/8 inch? The specs for the headset are "VP-A71 BLACK W/M-1D ALLOY BLACK" which doesn't seem to answer the question. I've measured it several times and get stuck at inside/outside diameter of tube vs headset body. Anyway I'm sure someone here has the definitive answer. Thanks in advance.


Its a 1&1/8 headset with external cups.
http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/tech/fix/?id=howfix_headtypes


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## DVS906 (Oct 5, 2015)

Thanks DD - These oid bones need to sit a bit taller. Hopefully a shorter angled stem will do the trick. If it doesn't I may try a steerer tube extention.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Took a nice ride today, it actually snowed a little. It won't be long until fatbikes will once again be necessary.

I have been running the stock 50mm wheels for a long time now and they are quickly reaching end of life. The freehub is binding pretty bad, the rims are dented and warped, and spokes are fatigued and popping faster than I can replace them (5 new spokes on the rear wheel now. Seems like I break one every time I ride.). I'm looking for some replacement options, but having some trouble sourcing cheap 47mm trials rims in the US. The more I look, the better the wheel set from bikes direct looks. I really want better hubs though. So many decisions.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Here are a couple options for trials rims...

26" Rear Rims - at WebCyclery|WebSkis|Bend, Oregon

Trials Bikes at TartyBikes - The World's Leading Online Bike Trials Shop


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

I went to the Motobecane Sturgis rigid... what a difference. I did it primarily for the upgraded hubs and rims. The bike has been great so far, lighter faster..... better in every way, well except it cost twice as much. Riding the GBM I could tell that I was being to rough on it. Now I only put about 550 miles on the GBM and it held up, but I could see evidence that it's life span would be kind of short in terms of years. My dad bought it and with him riding it, it will last for a long time. I am pretty sure I will need to replace the freehub soon...

Will a standard shimano freehub fit?


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Not sure what freehub fits the stock hub (I've emailed BD about it, but didn't get an answer. They responded with the classic, "we don't know" answer.). However, I know an origin8 fatbike hub will work on the boris's rear wheel using the stock spokes. I'd make a good bet the BEM and boris have the same hub, so an origin8 fatbike hub should be an OK swap. Of course, you'll have to deal with relacing the wheel. Fun to learn how to do it, but time consuming.


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

Hey everybody. I'm new to the board. 

I've had a Bikes Direct road bike for 5+ years and have put around 4,000 miles on it. 

Recently, I started looking for something I could ride in bad weather/snow as I really hate riding on a trainer indoors all winter and came to fat bikes. 

I spent a few days working my way through all 60+ pages of this thread. Thanks for all the great information here, I've decided on the Gravity Bullseye Monster. 

I was planning on waiting a month or two until the weather really started to turn where I'm at so I could save up a bit more, but saw this on the GBEM page - 

"Order now for your best deal. Due to Industry Wide 4th Qtr Delivery Service Rate Increases Prices will be +$100 Oct 31st"

So, if you are on the fence about picking one of these up, the price is gonna go up $100 next week.


Lastly, I'm 6'1'' with a 30" inseam (31" inches from the ground to the jewels with shoes on). Assuming the 18" GBEM is gonna be my best bet (29.8" standover) as the standover height on the 20" GBEM is 31.5". 

Any thoughts?


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

@ Tendertoe

The GBM is a great bike for the price especially if you are unsure if you are going to like fat biking. I bought one in April and found that I absolutely love them. I upgraded it to a deore 9 spd set up and it was soo much better. The bike was taking everything I was doing very well, but when I saw the Motobecane Sturgis with Sun Mulefoot rims and sealed bearings well I wanted it. My dad had tried the GBM and really liked it, he bought it from me and I now have the rigid Sturgis. Both are great bikes for the $$$ but the Sturgis (for me) works far better. Either way you can't go wrong. When I got the GBM the sturgis did not come with the Mulefut wheels, and from what I have heard this upgrade was a huge improvement over the original.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

i just ordered another set of the stock wheels from bike island. they are just cheap enough that i cant justify spending the money on better ones.
i may look into rebuilding them onto a better hub, but i couldn't find a pair of hoops for less than $100 shipped. add $140 for the rear hub i want and probably $80 for the front, then spokes are like $1 each and before you know it im spending as much on wheels as i did on the bike.

normally that wouldnt bother me because i look at a bike as a sum of parts that can be moved from bike to bike, but i think the next fatty i buy will have a 197 rear end and through axles, so i wouldnt be able to swap over the wheels.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Did you get the white rim 50mm ones from the knockout, or the 80mm Boris rims with the VeeMission tires?

FYI general announcement, if you haven't seen it yet, amazon has forks for the BEM for $50. Just in case you've bent yours. Sun Cycle Warehouse seems to be bikedirects and bikeisland's amazon store.
http://smile.amazon.com/Economy-Int...W1BQ/ref=aag_m_pw_dp?ie=UTF8&m=A37XMQ09GSQCOX


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

watts888 said:


> Did you get the white rim 50mm ones from the knockout, or the 80mm Boris rims with the VeeMission tires?
> 
> FYI general announcement, if you haven't seen it yet, amazon has forks for the BEM for $50. Just in case you've bent yours. Sun Cycle Warehouse seems to be bikedirects and bikeisland's amazon store.
> http://smile.amazon.com/Economy-Int...W1BQ/ref=aag_m_pw_dp?ie=UTF8&m=A37XMQ09GSQCOX


great find! thank for the heads up.
and i went with the white 50's. i got a set of those 80's around this time last year. i was looking to replace my stock wheelset, as my originals are clapped out and needed replacing. i went the cheap route as the 170 qr will not be compatible with my next bike.


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## RYDRRY (Oct 24, 2015)

Oh man- well it all started here so Im posting here- wanted a FATBIKE and got totally persuaded by you all  I was super happy that all the GBEM's now have 80mm rims standard makes the choice super easy- went with Matte Black after a super hard decision process that required me actually taking a ride to stop reading threads  thanks for the dialogue- photos etc guys/gals-


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## owensky (Oct 19, 2015)

I finally decided to buy a Bullseye Monster earlier this week after all the positivity coming from this thread. I made the trip down to the border this afternoon to pick it up. The box was a little bigger than I had expected so I had to strap it to the roof rack despite all the "DO NOT LAY ON THIS SIDE" warnings. I figured to hell with it, it's going to get dinged any who. I got it together and took it for a ride tonight. The stem is way too long and I really started to feel it in my back. This seems to be common with most people on this thread. I mainly bought this for a winter commuter however I think it'll be hard to stay off even in the summer months. Just based on a test ride tonight I love it. Certainly different than my fixed gear which I commute on the rest of the year. I'm sure I will end up spending a bunch of money getting it how I like it. I already started by adding Hydraulic brakes. I went with the burnt orange color and wasn't sure if I would like it. However I do. I'd say if you're on the fence go for it. The quality seems to be there just by looking at it and overall I am very impressed.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

I took the fat bike on its second "Wicked ride of the East" on Sunday. It rained all morning and turned it into a 25 Mike slog through mud, wet rocks, and roots. My freehub was binding pretty bad the whole time, and I lost another spoke, but otherwise the bike did well. The new wheels can't come soon enough.


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## joebikesdirect (Sep 5, 2014)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Its a 1&1/8 headset with external cups.
> www.cyclingnews.com news and analysis


Yes - this is correct  can officially confirm it's 1.125 inch steeerer external (traditional) headset


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## BoTheNovice (Oct 28, 2015)

Hey man I'm looking to buy a gravity but I live in Wisconsin as you now know that means heavy snow that being said how does this bike preform in snow if anyone has experience with it in snow?


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

It's designed to be a dirt/sand/snow/WTF you want to ride bike. I've used the tires in snow, and I thought they worked OK. Other's swear that the stock tires are junk and you have to buy different tires. If you're expecting the same traction on snow that you get in dirt, not going to happen. If you expect to ride in the snow, it's fun as all hell.


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## BoTheNovice (Oct 28, 2015)

watts888 said:


> It's designed to be a dirt/sand/snow/WTF you want to ride bike. I've used the tires in snow, and I thought they worked OK. Other's swear that the stock tires are junk and you have to buy different tires. If you're expecting the same traction on snow that you get in dirt, not going to happen. If you expect to ride in the snow, it's fun as all hell.


I understand that , I was asking how they were right out of the box. I plan on buying new tires but not directly after I purchased the bike but soon after. Thank you sir.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

It's a good bike. It's appropriately priced for what you get. It's built like a tank and parts are heavy. If you wanted to loose weight, there are places where you can (handlebar, seatpost, tubes, fork), but it costs money. Balancing act between price and weight. However, it's not ungodly wally world POS bike heavy. Most of the parts are comparable to any other $500 LBS bike, just without the fancy powder coat

Assembly can be hit or miss. Usually it's good, but in the rare instance where the bike was assembled at 11:30 at night by a tired man in china, something could be missed. I've received brand new bikes from bikesdirect where everything was dialed in perfect except for the rear derailures high limit screw. I've received bikes where there were a couple minor alignment issues with the brakes and derailures. Every bike is different, and bikedirects customer service has always worked out OK for me in the past. If you expect perfect setup (in theory), buy from a local bike shop. If you want to be hands on and wrench on the bike yourself, buy from online.


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## BoTheNovice (Oct 28, 2015)

Sounds good I'll put it together myself if I run in to a problem oh well but on the other hand weight doesn't matter to me as I am only using this to beat up in the winter thank you buddy I appreciate it.


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

So, I pulled the trigger on a 20" Burnt Orange GBEM.

The customer service/sales team there has been awesome to deal with. I had a few sizing questions (I'm 6'2'' with shoes on and have a 32.5" cycling inseam - they recommended a 20" GBEM in case anyone is exactly my measurements and is wondering what size to get). I also had some questions on the colors as Jett Black is sold out of 20". If you have any sizing questions or any questions at all, shoot them an email and they'll take care of you.

At any rate, I was out on my road bike a few days ago on the paved trail here. The fallen leaves had totally obscured the edges of the trail and I'm riding along and don't notice a slight curve in the trail. My front wheel goes off the tiniest shoulder drop from the pavement onto dirt and the bike goes out instantly from under me. I skinned my elbow and knee pretty good and bruised my chest from falling flat on the pavement and bruised my thigh from either the seat or the handlebar ends. 

In short, I can't wait for the GBEM to show up! 

It's going to be my inclement weather bike. I've been out twice since the crash earlier in the week on my road bike and even the leaves just by themselves on the wet pavement are dangerously slick even without going off onto dirt. I can't wait to get out there with the Monster and see how it handles.


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

I'm closing in on 200 miles on my Bem. You're going to like it for questionable riding conditions. I've done a bit of trail riding with it lately, and it's really confidence inspiring. I'm an ok mountian biker, Not amazing, but better than some people. I suspect that it's more work than my mountian bike, but honestly, I'm not really noticing it being slower overall. I rode it one lap in the hill of truth race last weekend and my lap time was about the same. 

All that being said, buy a short stem and wider bars now, you'll want them once you get it. Oh, and it's not a miracle bike, so be careful on wet leaves.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

BoTheNovice said:


> Hey man I'm looking to buy a gravity but I live in Wisconsin as you now know that means heavy snow that being said how does this bike preform in snow if anyone has experience with it in snow?


It is a great bike for the $$$ rode mine for 500+ miles... Now I have a Motobecane Sturgis twice the bike at well twice the cost... But the gbm told me that Fat was were it is at. The gbm is a "gateway drug" for fat bikes. My dad bought the gbm from me.

oh and I am in Madison Wisconsin


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Byron's dad is now a fellow addict!


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

What size stem and handlebars would everyone recommend if one were to upgrade?

I'm looking for something inexpensive.

Links?


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

I ended up with this: 
Truvativ Hussefelt Stem > Components > Stems > Threadless | Jenson USA

And some 720mm flat bars.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

A good width is 700 to 750mm. However, personal preference on width based on how big you are and trails you ride. Too wide of bars, you can easily start clipping trees. If you're short and go too wide, and you're stretching your arms out to the side instead of forward. Stem can be shortened up with a wider bar, but you loose leverage. Some people say its "quicker", I say its twitchy.

My setup is a 740mm bar with a 70mm stem. I'm 6'5", and width is limited by the trail.


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## RYDRRY (Oct 24, 2015)

RYDRRY said:


> Oh man- well it all started here so Im posting here- wanted a FATBIKE and got totally persuaded by you all  I was super happy that all the GBEM's now have 80mm rims standard makes the choice super easy- went with Matte Black after a super hard decision process that required me actually taking a ride to stop reading threads  thanks for the dialogue- photos etc guys/gals-


update is it arrived super fast- BD is awesome on that front for certain- the HOT RED paint is dripping with awesomeness- excellent all around and besides the seat post, handlebars and pedals I will keep it stock (til I replace the tires) got some wider handlebars on the wasy- but after putting it together with the forks backwards and such I rode it and am super happy for this price I would argue its far better than almost anything LBS has below 1200


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

Thanks for the input on stems and handlebars. 

What are you guys doing to get such low pressures in the tires? 

I have a 1-20psi stick gauge for ATVs and such. 

I don't have a compressor. 

The bike is scheduled to arrive in 2 days. Can't wait.


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

Beats me. The gauge on my pump starts about 10. I pretty much put 10-15 in it and then back it down by feel for what I'm riding. I need to get a gauge that reads lower and do it all science like. 15 works good on smooth trails and pavement, but I think it's awful bouncy on rough stuff. I'm probably backing it down below 10 if it's not smooth. If it's that low, the self steer blows on pavement.


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## chuck732 (Jul 29, 2010)

Has anyone tried or even got a 5" tire fit a Gravity 2016 Bullseye Monster or a Gravity 2016 Bullseye Monster LTD?


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

chuck732 said:


> Has anyone tried or even got a 5" tire fit a Gravity 2016 Bullseye Monster or a Gravity 2016 Bullseye Monster LTD?


I can't speak for the Ltd, but the original frame isn't going to clear more than a 4.0 on an 80mm rim. Up front it has plenty of room, but don't expect to run a matching set. 
However it still rides very well with a larger tire out front. For reference, my favorite combo in the snow is a ground control 4.6 out front and a nate on the rear on 80mm rims. 
In the dirt you don't need the volume or massive tread, so I roll on one floaters on 50mm rims.


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

Dirtdawg: have you ridden the floaters in snow? If so, how did they stack up? I'm in tn, so I won't be riding a ton in snow, but It'll happen some. I've been thinking about tracking down another set of tires for it, I'm just not sure I want to drop big dollars to do it, considering. 

Honestly, if the shipping was reasonable, if already have a set of floaters, anyway.


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## RYDRRY (Oct 24, 2015)

never thought it would be so hard to find decent wide handlebars but all the LBS's say the 25.4 clamp Bikes Direct put on is outdated- even online its been tough- unless I want to order from England ) anyone find good wide bars 700mm or above?


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

RYDRRY said:


> never thought it would be so hard to find decent wide handlebars but all the LBS's say the 25.4 clamp Bikes Direct put on is outdated- even online its been tough- unless I want to order from England ) anyone find good wide bars 700mm or above?


buy an new stem... they can be had for $12 all day long on ebay, and then you have more choices in bars


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

^^^ bingo!

The hussefelt stem I bought was $20 and it fits normal bars. Plus you want a shorter one to help out with your steering. The only complaint I have is that it looks so bad @$$ that I constantly have ladies cheering when I ride by and it's really distracting.


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## byron555 (Apr 24, 2015)

watts888 said:


> A good width is 700 to 750mm. However, personal preference on width based on how big you are and trails you ride. Too wide of bars, you can easily start clipping trees. If you're short and go too wide, and you're stretching your arms out to the side instead of forward. Stem can be shortened up with a wider bar, but you loose leverage. Some people say its "quicker", I say its twitchy.
> 
> My setup is a 740mm bar with a 70mm stem. I'm 6'5", and width is limited by the trail.


I am 5'10" 30" inseam.... I found I like a really short stem (30-50mm) with really wide bars (720-780mm).... I broke my cheap Carbon fiber 720 bars, which worked great steering wise... I like the 780mm even better. And yes on one or two parts of the trails I ride, the bars are marginal at best, and I will nick trees.


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## RYDRRY (Oct 24, 2015)

thanks!!!


Phorine said:


> ^^^ bingo!
> 
> The hussefelt stem I bought was $20 and it fits normal bars. Plus you want a shorter one to help out with your steering. The only complaint I have is that it looks so bad @$$ that I constantly have ladies cheering when I ride by and it's really distracting.


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## DVS906 (Oct 5, 2015)

Azor/Steco Pickup frame mounting front rack

For many of you this won't make sense but I'm looking for a version of this product that is available in the US. $42 shipping from UK is a deal breaker. It's a frame mounted front rack, I'm hoping that will be better than mounting my load on a rear rack.

Been searching then realized there is a crowd of bike pros here that may be a resource. Having a blast riding - so happy I made the choice.


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

I was looking for on one floaters on Planet X USA and the shipping is 69$. Is this some kind of joke? Ridiculous!!


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

DVS906 said:


> Azor/Steco Pickup frame mounting front rack
> 
> For many of you this won't make sense but I'm looking for a version of this product that is available in the US. $42 shipping from UK is a deal breaker. It's a frame mounted front rack, I'm hoping that will be better than mounting my load on a rear rack.
> 
> Been searching then realized there is a crowd of bike pros here that may be a resource. Having a blast riding - so happy I made the choice.


I know there are multiple fork mounted racks where you can put paniers etc. over the front wheel, but they move with the front wheel. Due to bike design, really hard to get something to really leverage out over the front of the bike unless the bike was designed for it. If top tube saddle bags won't work and you really want something out over the front, the best I can think of is one of the seatpost mounted panier racks, but attached to the steer tube. It'll really stick out, but a quality seatpost rack would work well. Could also easily attach a bag to it (one of the Ibera quick connect bags) or attach a wider metal rack.
http://smile.amazon.com/Ibera-Bicyc...446757672&sr=8-3&keywords=seat+post+bike+rack

Edit: looks like the seatpost size is limited to something like 33mm, so you might want to measure the steer tube first before you buy a seatpost rack. Some have a different style of mount so they might work better.


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## DVS906 (Oct 5, 2015)

The load is a LiFePo 40ah battery that while compact is pushing 50 lbs. So I'd want it snug up against the tube. I'm set to put it on the rear rack but I'd like the option of trying it up front.


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

My GBEM showed up yesterday. I got it all setup and dialed in today and went for a 30 min ride around the neighborhood.

This thing is going to be fun. Even going off on a bit of dirt or grass is so liberating after riding strictly road bikes my entire adult life.

Can't wait to see it on the snow. I may even be interested in some light mountain biking type stuff with it.

I had both tires inflated to 12psi to give it a try. On pavement, I can see what people are talking about with the self steering. Wasn't terrible but you really have to be cognizant of where you want the bike to go.

If anyone is looking for a gauge to measure low psi, AutoZone has a low psi gauge for 4 bucks.

http://m.autozone.com/tire-repair-a...encil-gauge-with-bonus-valve-caps/978156_0_0/

If you're also looking for a hook to hang the bike from the rafters, Harbor Freight has a utility hook that works great.

http://m.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty-utility-hook.html?utm_referrer=direct/not provided


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

Glad you're having fun with it. Definitely try some trail rides. It's different than my mountian bike, but it's super fun on trails. The grip is awesome, and it rolls over stuff like crazy. 

If you're on pavement, try running like 15 psi or so. It seems like the self steer gets more manageable around there for me. If I'm riding pavement to get to some dirt, I'll run 15 or so, then stop and air down a bit once I'm off road.


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

Luis_fx35 said:


> I was looking for on one floaters on Planet X USA and the shipping is 69$. Is this some kind of joke? Ridiculous!!


I'm in the same boat. I'd like to try some floaters, and the per tire price is cheap, but the shipping is crazy. There is no way it costs that much to get them to the states...


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

DVS906 said:


> The load is a LiFePo 40ah battery that while compact is pushing 50 lbs. So I'd want it snug up against the tube. I'm set to put it on the rear rack but I'd like the option of trying it up front.


That much weight begs to be low and centered. I assume the desire to use a front mount rack is because the drive motor is on the front wheel? Or is this a modified bottom bracket / direct drive sort of setup? I'd try mounting it on the downtube or seat tube as close to the bottom bracket as possible. I'd be surprised if LifePo (or a manufacturer that works with them) doesn't have a bike frame mount for their batteries. Purpose built and after buying all the parts/labor probably cheaper than DIY.

And remember to post pictures, parts list, and what didn't work as planned when you're done with this project.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Phorine said:


> Dirtdawg: have you ridden the floaters in snow? If so, how did they stack up? I'm in tn, so I won't be riding a ton in snow, but It'll happen some. I've been thinking about tracking down another set of tires for it, I'm just not sure I want to drop big dollars to do it, considering.
> 
> Honestly, if the shipping was reasonable, if already have a set of floaters, anyway.


Yes, they do very well in the snow. Not as good as a Nate, but they are awesome. 
When I bought mine there was a loop hole in the shopping policy, and buying over 3 of them (100gbp) would get you free shipping, so I got 2 sets.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

*'Nother Orange GBM - Nates Anyone???*

Hello Dawg and All-

My name is Ted, aka Volksbike. Thanks for the all the great info on this thread, I enjoyed reading up on other folks experiences with the GBM fat bike and decided to 'get fat' myself. I ordered it on a Sunday night, it shipped from BD in Garland, Texas and appeared on my porch (West of Boston) on Friday afternoon. Arrived in mint condition, no issues. 









I'm 6'7" so I went with the 22" and added Origin 8 760mm bars and a Bontrager 100mm stem from my LBS. Overall the fit is pretty good for me. I ride a XXL 24" frame Surly Ogre 29er but the GBM 22" frame is fairly large considering what other fat frames are available on the market today.

So far the GBM has been solid 'basic bike' for an introduction to fat biking, I have been riding at night on mountain bike trails and put 50 miles on the bike in the first week over 5-6 rides! On a group ride the other night, I was able to hang with a group of very experienced full suspension mountain bikers with one TREK Farley fat bike in the pack. The only issue I had was squeezing the bars though all the trees along the tight switchbacks on the trail...:madman: A learning experience for sure...

Today I just bit the bullet on some Nate 3.8's from REI. I tried using the Vee Rubber Mission Commands for trail riding, even reversing the direction of the tread on the front tire to avoid self steering (on the road) and that helped a bit, but in the woods on steep trails, the stock Missions were slipping on all the leaves at 6-8 psi. I just mounted the Nate 3.8's on the stock 80mm rims this AM and pumped them up to 8psi and first ride on the road, the self steer was gone and also the rolling resistance seemed to be much improved? No tire clearance issues.

Can't want to try the Nates in the woods later this afternoon.

Does anyone have experience with the 120 TPi version of the Nates? I went with the lower end 27 TPi wire bead versions in stock at REI and they seem fine other than both front and rear are slightly more out of round than the Vee Missions.  I'm gonna ride 'em and see how they break in...

Hope to hear more GBM fat stories from everyone and do several rides over the winter!

Peace Out,

Volksbike


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## DVS906 (Oct 5, 2015)

watts888 said:


> That much weight begs to be low and centered. I assume the desire to use a front mount rack is because the drive motor is on the front wheel? Or is this a modified bottom bracket / direct drive sort of setup? I'd try mounting it on the downtube or seat tube as close to the bottom bracket as possible. I'd be surprised if LifePo (or a manufacturer that works with them) doesn't have a bike frame mount for their batteries. Purpose built and after buying all the parts/labor probably cheaper than DIY.
> 
> And remember to post pictures, parts list, and what didn't work as planned when you're done with this project.


Well I lost last nights reply...The battery is for this Bafang Finally Releases A 1000W Mid-Drive Codenamed BBSHD That Fits A 68-120mm BB With Giant Fins | Electric-FatBike.com and it shipped yesterday. The battery is coming on a slow boat (6-12 weeks), surface shipping was free and express was $385. I can wait thank you.

LiFePo or LiFePO4 is short for "lithium ferrophosphate" and are a type not a brand. I will send photos.


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## crowm (Dec 27, 2014)

Can you all help me out? I changed the crankset on my GBM to FSA Alpha Drive with 3 rings 44/32/22. 32/22 is the same as came off the bike (original part) but the 44 is added. Everything is fine with the crankset but no matter what I do I cannot adjust that front derailleur to use all the rings and I'm stuck on the 32. I don't have much use for the 22, but I'd really really like to use the 44. It seems the derailleur that came with the bike is too small? It has a dip in the metal on the inside of it and when I get it adjusted the chain rubs on it. Do you have any advice for another derailleur that will fit on this 3 ring set up? I don't want to change the crankset again because it's so hard to find 165mm crank arms and those work so much better for my legs and the size of the bike frame (I got the 14" bike).


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## crowm (Dec 27, 2014)

tendertoe said:


> I had both tires inflated to 12psi to give it a try. On pavement, I can see what people are talking about with the self steering. Wasn't terrible but you really have to be cognizant of where you want the bike to go.


I put these tires on my bike and the self steering issue disappeared. They've also made a HUGE difference for trail riding sand, loose gravel etc isn't even noticeable anymore.

Panaracer Fat B Nimble 26"x 4 0 Folding Bead 120TPI Fat Bike Fast Tire Fit Surly | eBay


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## RYDRRY (Oct 24, 2015)

crowm said:


> I put these tires on my bike and the self steering issue disappeared. They've also made a HUGE difference for trail riding sand, loose gravel etc isn't even noticeable anymore.
> 
> Panaracer Fat B Nimble 26"x 4 0 Folding Bead 120TPI Fat Bike Fast Tire Fit Surly | eBay


excellent thank you for the link! I all can report my self steering with the missions has gone from moderate to very mild once I installed ORIGIN 8 space handlebars very happy with them improves the steering a great deal!! and I was able to find them in 25.4


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

crowm said:


> Can you all help me out? I changed the crankset on my GBM to FSA Alpha Drive with 3 rings 44/32/22. 32/22 is the same as came off the bike (original part) but the 44 is added. Everything is fine with the crankset but no matter what I do I cannot adjust that front derailleur to use all the rings and I'm stuck on the 32. I don't have much use for the 22, but I'd really really like to use the 44. It seems the derailleur that came with the bike is too small? It has a dip in the metal on the inside of it and when I get it adjusted the chain rubs on it. Do you have any advice for another derailleur that will fit on this 3 ring set up? I don't want to change the crankset again because it's so hard to find 165mm crank arms and those work so much better for my legs and the size of the bike frame (I got the 14" bike).


in its stock configuration, the front is set up for 2 chainrings. personally i would swap the bash guard in place of that giant 44t ring, as the ratio is way too tall for a fatbike.
if you're set on having a big ring, adjusting the limit screws will probably allow it to get into the third position. I will have to look at my bike to confirm, but i dont think the front shifter and derrailer are 2x specific or anything special.


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## aciresi (Nov 12, 2015)

What frame size would recommend for someone 5'8". I currently ride a 15.5 Gary Fisher Piranah, which leads me to believe that 16" is the way to go. Any thoughts?


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

That sounds reasonable. I'm 5'10" and I went 18", if I remember correctly. I'm happy with the fit. You could definitely ride an 18" (I have plenty of seat post showing), but the stand over might be tight.


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## RYDRRY (Oct 24, 2015)

Phorine said:


> That sounds reasonable. I'm 5'10" and I went 18", if I remember correctly. I'm happy with the fit. You could definitely ride an 18" (I have plenty of seat post showing), but the stand over might be tight.


I'd agree with the frame slope
You
Should be set with 16-
So
Follow up I Learned that while my origin8's handlebars help especially in the sand yesterday on my first snow ride here in Colorado Sprigns-they did great butthese mission tires are god awful and really quite dangerous on basic gravel and dirt the self steering is insane- I would think at this point probably bikesdirect is going to stop issuing them a standard tires on the bull's-eye or at least I would hope so -it shouldn't have this much trouble


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## qclabrat (Aug 16, 2011)

just ordered one for my 5'4" teenager, got the 14" size and hoping she'll ride with me in the winter when we get some snow. Plan to swap out some parts at arrival to lighten the load a bit. 
- 1x10 SLX or 1x9 Deore (need to weigh the cassettes to see what makes sense, the 34T max seems a bit high) leaning towards the Deore
- change out bars and to lighter and wider Bonty Selects
- change out stem to shorter and lighter, about 50 mm
- remove 22 chainring (considering swapping in Holzfeller/howitzer combo, but heavy), what do the Lasco and VP BB weigh?
- on the fence on the Novela brakes, either BB5s or Juicy7s laying around (thoughts?)
- carbon seatpost
- lighter seat
- eventually upgrade tires to either B Nimbles or Origin8s (which one is better on snow?)
- got the 50mm rims some if she continues to ride will get 100mm/80mm

I planned to take apart the bike anyways to make sure its put together correct anyway, so the swaps are not a big deal


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

RYDRRY said:


> Follow up I Learned that while my origin eights help especially in the sand in now yesterday on my first snow right they did great these mission tires are god awful and really quite dangerous on basic gravel and dirt the self steering is in sane I would think at this point probably bikes direct is going to stop issuing them a standard tires on the bull's-eye or at least I would hope so -it shouldn't have this much trouble


air pressure is key. My missions are fine on dirt, but on road they self steer like crazy. that self steer goes away if I add 3 psi. It's a pain to adjust pressure in a fatbike tire by 3 psi, but it does make a huge difference.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

qclabrat said:


> just ordered one for my 5'4" teenager, got the 14" size and hoping she'll ride with me in the winter when we get some snow. Plan to swap out some parts at arrival to lighten the load a bit.
> - 1x10 SLX or 1x9 Deore (need to weigh the cassettes to see what makes sense, the 34T max seems a bit high) leaning towards the Deore
> - change out bars and to lighter and wider Bonty Selects
> - change out stem to shorter and lighter, about 50 mm
> ...


Sounds like you've got a solid start on weight loss. I'd go with the lightest parts available when comparing stuff. At 5'4", she probably doesn't weigh much, so the bike needs to be light to reflect that. BB5 brakes would perform fine, but so do the novelas for a light rider. I weight 240lbs, and the novelas worked fine for years, when setup right. Just go with the lightest ones. Same with tires, but for snow use, I'd go with the widest tire possible that has an aggressive cross tread. I'd also swap out the tubes to some super light 2.7" DH tubes or consider a split tube tubeless setup.

A more expensive upgrade, but I'd also look at a carbon fiber fork. The stock steel fork is steel. Probably loose about 2 pounds of weight up front, which will make lifting that front wheel much easier.


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## qclabrat (Aug 16, 2011)

watts888 said:


> Sounds like you've got a solid start on weight loss. I'd go with the lightest parts available when comparing stuff. At 5'4", she probably doesn't weigh much, so the bike needs to be light to reflect that. BB5 brakes would perform fine, but so do the novelas for a light rider.  I weight 240lbs, and the novelas worked fine for years, when setup right. Just go with the lightest ones. Same with tires, but for snow use, I'd go with the widest tire possible that has an aggressive cross tread. I'd also swap out the tubes to some super light 2.7" DH tubes or consider a split tube tubeless setup.
> 
> A more expensive upgrade, but I'd also look at a carbon fiber fork. The stock steel fork is steel. Probably loose about 2 pounds of weight up front, which will make lifting that front wheel much easier.


good to know about a confidence of the novelas, I know it gets a bad rap. what did you need to do to get it right?


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Just make sure alignment is good, make sure that rotor was as true as I could get it, bed them in properly, minimize the float as much as I could, adjust the brake lever position so it was comfortable with easy reach.


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## qclabrat (Aug 16, 2011)

found a good price on a second hand White carbon fat fork, weighs about a pound and a half, did someone here weight their fork? was going to hold off buying parts, but this just fell on my lap. Also if I can trouble some one to check the axle to crown measurement, thanks

Any thoughts on Origins, B Nimbles or Knards to replace the Missions? I plan to run them in the snow and dirt


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## J-Canns (Sep 30, 2015)

aciresi said:


> What frame size would recommend for someone 5'8". I currently ride a 15.5 Gary Fisher Piranah, which leads me to believe that 16" is the way to go. Any thoughts?


I don't know if the piranah is a 29er, if it is, fine but you may want to consider the stand over height. I usually ride a 19" frame got an 18" gravity and the stand over is a little lacking. I'm 5'11" with a 32 inch-ish inseam. Those extra inches on the tires make a difference, especially if you plan to upgrade to a suspension fork in the future.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Forgot to post that My new wheels showed up a while ago. Running 26+ is fun.









Not really a fan of how the white rims with green tires clash, but I didn't buy it to look at it.


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

Here's a thread on the DIY fenders I made for the GBEM - https://forums.mtbr.com/showpost.php?p=12312579


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## crowm (Dec 27, 2014)

Nice! I bet those are a lot more sturdy than the "mud shovels" I got.


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

I coulda used those in the last cyclocross race...


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

yeah, i may have to give those a shot too. these bikes sure move a lot of mud.


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

*Long Term Update*

It's a cool bike, and a great gateway to Fat Biking!

I have about 350 miles on it per my Strava account. It's the 3rd most ridden of my bikes, next to the Ridley and Gitane, which are road bikes and are easier to pack on the miles. I would say the Monster and my Ridley are about the same for seat time.

Earlier upgrades:

Seat post 
Handlebars - 785mm Raceface Atlas - love the wide bars!
Grips - Raceface Lock On
Seat - Old Terry Fly that I love
Stem (started with 40mm and went to 60mm, I like 60mm much better)

Recent Upgrades:

Shimano Drivetrain ->
XT 10 Speed Shifters (2x10) - didn't go 1x10 because the granny does come in handy when needed - or when I feel lazy. 
11-36 10 Speed Cassette with Chain
Shimano SLX Dyna Sys Rear Derailleur 
Kept the front Alivio. It seems to work OK with the XT shifters.

Drivetrain upgrade improved the enjoyment of the bike immensely! I can now shift on hills without the bike hanging between gears. I also like the 10 speed rear. Much easier to find the right gear when needed.

New Brakes!
Much needed on this bike. Found an amazing deal at Jenson USA for Hydraulic Shimano's with 180mm rotors included for $30 a wheel. I no longer fear downhills because of fading brakes and the modulation is about 10x better.

Maxxis Mammoth 120TPI Tires - found a great deal today and will be installed tomorrow with light tubes. Should save a few pounds. Hope to do some racing with it over the winter and would like to shed some weight.

In my opinion, the wheel hubs MUST be completely disassembled, cleaned, relubed and reassembled with a decent grease on these bikes. Furthermore, there's some weird assembly stuff going on that causes all kinds of additional friction in the rear hub. Mine had a washer that was dragging on the inside of the cassette locknut. I wonder if the clunkiness in the rear hub that may have mentioned is related to this washer / locknut issue? After carefully playing with shims and the assembly of the hubs, particularly the rear, the wheels roll much better and the rear freehub might actually make it through the winter.  The grease that comes on these bikes is horrible. It's sticky and doesn't allow the wheels to roll freely at all.

Would I buy a Bullseye Monster again? Probably. It's a great entry level fat bike. I paid $500 for it, and have sunk close to another $400 into it with upgrades. If I had to do it all over again, I would spend a bit more money and get a better bike. Even after the upgrades, it's still terribly heavy and doesn't really support a suspension fork because of the straight steerer.

One thing I know for sure, the Gravity Bullseye Monster is a lot of fun!


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

I have a Deadeye Monster, can I post here about it? It's pretty close to a Bullseye......


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Go for it. Only real difference is SS vs geared. And we all know SS people are crazy, so we don't want to anger you.


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

I posted about the recent changes/improvements to the Deadeye, but I thought I would repeat them here: at least as of 11-12-2015 the Deadeye has a 100mm BB, and 80mm wheels w/M6 hardware. It looks like the frame set is now the same as the Bullseye....

I got the SS as it was a very simple conversion into an eBike, I bolted on a Bafang BBSHD 52v 1000w mid-drive in about 3.5 hours. Everything was plug and play and the black motor looks like a factory install. I have a 20ah battery in a triangle bag for about 35 miles range and since I finished the bike on Friday last, I have been exploring the fire roads and single track in the Santa Monica Mountains.

I am running a 46t chainwheel with the stock 22t sprocket, but I hope to have a 42t chainwheel in a week or so so I can slow down when climbing to about 10mph from about 12/15mph. I don't use a throttle (just pedal assist mode) and top out about 20mph on the flat so I am fully CA legal for bike trails. The problem is the the motor is pretty powerful and when pedeling it tends to go a bit fast uphill on the trails and with a SS I can't drop down a gear to stay in the torque band w/o going too fast.


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

WoodlandHills said:


> I posted about the recent changes/improvements to the Deadeye, but I thought I would repeat them here: at least as of 11-12-2015 the Deadeye has a 100mm BB, and 80mm wheels w/M6 hardware. It looks like the frame set is now the same as the Bullseye....
> 
> I got the SS as it was a very simple conversion into an eBike, I bolted on a Bafang BBSHD 52v 1000w mid-drive in about 3.5 hours. Everything was plug and play and the black motor looks like a factory install. I have a 20ah battery in a triangle bag for about 35 miles range and since I finished the bike on Friday last, I have been exploring the fire roads and single track in the Santa Monica Mountains.
> 
> I am running a 46t chainwheel with the stock 22t sprocket, but I hope to have a 42t chainwheel in a week or so so I can slow down when climbing to about 10mph from about 12/15mph. I don't use a throttle (just pedal assist mode) and top out about 20mph on the flat so I am fully CA legal for bike trails. The problem is the the motor is pretty powerful and when pedeling it tends to go a bit fast uphill on the trails and with a SS I can't drop down a gear to stay in the torque band w/o going too fast.


Post some pics brah


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## qclabrat (Aug 16, 2011)

Bike Island messed up my order and oversold the GBM they had on sale in the 15" size, so I'm back to square one for a super budget bike. Found another deal there for a build kit, will need to find a frame and fork with 135/170 hub spacing. I know it's kind of backa$$ed to do it that way, but I think the smaller tires will be the way to go for my teenager. Considering an On One Fatty frame unless I find a bare frame/fork locally. not the first time Bike Island has oversold an item for me, so going to wait till I receive the parts before ordering a frame/fork.


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## jawabikeco-op (Aug 8, 2015)

qclabrat said:


> Bike Island messed up my order and oversold the GBM they had on sale in the 15" size, so I'm back to square one for a super budget bike. Found another deal there for a build kit, will need to find a frame and fork with 135/170 hub spacing. I know it's kind of backa$$ed to do it that way, but I think the smaller tires will be the way to go for my teenager. Considering an On One Fatty frame unless I find a bare frame/fork locally. not the first time Bike Island has oversold an item for me, so going to wait till I receive the parts before ordering a frame/fork.


I've been eyeing that "build kit" on bikeisland for a while myself. Just beware - I think that front wheel will actually have a 150mm front hub, because the original bike had a Bluto fork. I think they might have mislabeled it in their listing.

Sent from my Le Pan TC802A using Tapatalk


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

Makes you wonder just how Bikeisland ended up with a bike with no frame or fork.......?


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

Luis_fx35 said:


> Post some pics brah


 I will in a week or so: I am waiting for some upgrades on the bike first. I want to get it in its final configuration before I wash it and take pics. Just yesterday I reworked the wiring installation and replaced the zip-ties with Velcro One wraps so it looks a lot cleaner. I am still not satisfied with the routing at the stem, but I am getting a new one for a better cockpit fit, so I will redo it then. I also have replacements coming for the Mission 8's the bike came with.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

WoodlandHills said:


> Makes you wonder just how Bikeisland ended up with a bike with no frame or fork.......?


Didn't know what the poster was talking about with the "build kit". I get it now. I've actually bought bikes from bikeisland before that were without the frame/fork. Basically they're smashed in shipping. bent top tube and fork. Worked ok to get the parts to build up a frame, but a lot of the low end parts aren't worth it in comparison to just buying the bits and pieces separately online.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

watts888 said:


> Go for it. Only real difference is SS vs geared. And we all know SS people are crazy, so we don't want to anger you.





WoodlandHills said:


> I got the SS as it was a very simple conversion into an eBike,


E-bike conversion? You just lost all singlespeed cool points.

I've gota see pictures too. Do you just carry the battery in a frame bag, or does it have a solid mount to the frame (water bottle cage bolts) inside the bag? Don't know if it can be done with the deadeye rear hub, but can you set the bike up as a dingle speed? Looks like the crankset would support it.


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

I have a Luna Cycles waterproof triangle bag, the 20ah 52v battery pack is a very snug fit on a 17" frame but it works. I don't know what a dingle drive is. I have a Nuvinci hub I will be lacing to the stock 80mm Deadeye rim once I see how the new 42t chainwheel works with the stock SS 22t freewheel.

I am using the Nuvinci 171 since it is rated for 125 ft lbs and the BBSHD geared BB motor only puts out 100 ft lbs (170/140 Nm) continuous. It heavy, but will let me shift at a stop if necessary and lightness is secondary to having a good power train.

A full 100% charge at 52v is really 58.8v so the nominal 48v motor has a lot of pep! I am not so sure I would put one of these HD's onto a light FS MTB: it would turn it into an ultralight MXer, all roost and uphill wheelies and I don't really think MTBers are ready for that yet. A fat bike with low pressure tires has too much traction to spin up the rear tire, but a 2" tire is a different thing, my skills are not up to that yet!

My battery pack weighs 12lbs and is good for about 35 miles and I am thinking of getting a second one and having a double triangle pack made up to allow 60+ mile range at a decent rate of speed. I imagine that an MTB set up the same way and ridden frugally as an enduro could get close to 80 or 90 miles in the hills. Would anyone here be interested in something like that, because I think a lot of the non-bicycling, motorcycling community might.........

Here's some food for thought: This Is Why They Hate Us : BBSHD 1000W Singletrack Testing | Electric-FatBike.com. This is where I got the recipe for my conversion, if you really are interested in Fat eBikes here is a good place to start.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

WoodlandHills said:


> I don't know what a dingle drive is.


basically adding a second set of gears to the crank and the rear hub. The gearing is matched so the same chain works on both gears (ie. 40/18 and 36/24) so all you need to do is loosen the wheel and swap the chain over. Very useful if you have a single speed and you want to swap gears for different riding conditions such as road vs. trail.
Additional discussion:
Surly Dingle Speed | Bike Carson


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

That wouldn't work: the mid-drive replaces the stock BB with another that has a geared motor attached and there is currently only one proprietary chainwheel that will fit. The smallest from the mfg is 46t, but the aftermarket is tooling up for replacements with more choice and I have a 42t on order for delivery in a week or so. The previous BBS02 drive could go down to a 34t chainwheel, so we will have to wait and see......

BTW, had a 14 mile ride on Dirt Mulholland today, 12.6 moving average and when I got home I plugged in and the bike took 6.15ah. That gives approx 45.5 mile range from a full pack. I was being frugal with the power and spent much of the time in Power Assist level 1 on the flats and PAS 3&4 when climbing. I am CA legal anywhere since I have a top speed under power of under 20 mph and I left the thumb throttle at home, but was still climbing hills easily. (All numbers are from a Garmin GPS)

I am seriously thinking of adding a second battery in a dual triangle bag for double the range. Of course Diminishing Returns sets in with the added weight (12lbs/pack) and I won't actually get double the range. But if I could get a true 70/75 miles from a full charge I sure could do some exploring out here!


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

WoodlandHills said:


> That wouldn't work: the mid-drive replaces the stock BB with another that has a geared motor attached and there is currently only one proprietary chainwheel that will fit.
> 
> I am seriously thinking of adding a second battery in a dual triangle bag for double the range. Of course Diminishing Returns sets in with the added weight (12lbs/pack) and I won't actually get double the range. But if I could get a true 70/75 miles from a full charge I sure could do some exploring out here!


The stock gearing is limited, but I'd bet a creative individual could fabricate a chainring adapter that'll bolt onto the motor. Definitely needs to be steel. That's a lot of torque. Always go up to a 26T cog in back. Less wear on the chain considering how much torque the motor is throwing out.

for the battery, I'd use a 3-way switch to swap from one to the other. Full range out of both batteries, no worry about load balancing, and only need to put on the second battery when you plan on exploring.


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## chuck732 (Jul 29, 2010)

I finally bought a Fat bike. It's the Gravity 2016 Bullseye Monster LTD. It's suppose to be here next Friday. Has anyone here bought this model bike? It comes with 4.25" tires hope I can fit at lease a 4.7" tire on the rear. It's my winter bike. Tired of riding my 26" Trek mountain bike to work on the roads.


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

Electric-Fatbike.com has more than you would ever want to know about tires and mods to the Bullseye and Deadeye......


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## beardedmark (Feb 28, 2015)

I know some of you have upgraded to 180 mm discs up front, which adaptor has been the best fit. There are a lot of options and I am kind of new at wrenching on bikes, want to get it right on the first try. Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

Do you really need 180mm? Better calipers would be an easier bolt-on and might be enough. Avid BBS7's seem to be a cheap upgrade and a full kit will have the Avid rotors too. 

Are you having trouble getting the brakes to stop dragging? My rear caliper can't be adjusted far enough to keep the disc from rubbing on the inboard pad. I am going to try shimming the disc away from the hub with a washer or two and see if that helps. These bikes have enough rolling resistance without the brakes adding to it!


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Here ya go, WoodlandHills!

https://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=52017&category=13

These will keep it all straight. Washers can be varying in thickness.


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

Nice tip! I have a bunch of AN washers in thick and thin in varying sizes in my scrap drawer I was going to try. I'll measure them first to check the thickness.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

I know this wasn't the question asked, but the best upgrade I made on my Monster was Avid DB1 hydraulics with HS1 discs. It made a huge difference in braking.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

Has anyone tried a carbon fork? I'm looking at the Sarma. I haven't seen any bad reviews of it, it is pretty cheap ($210), and it comes with a 1 1/8/on-tapered option.

Hoboy 465mm Carbon Fat Bike Fork (Quick Release) | Sarma - siberian born fat bikes

Carver has a couple of straight steerer options, too: O'Beast Fork - Carver Bikes


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## owensky (Oct 19, 2015)

Wildbird99 I did the same brake upgrade. I didn't even give the tektros a chance. These ones seem to be great considering the price.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

Decided to post the final touches to my monster. At this point the only original part is the frame. Newest additions are surly nates, 80mm wheels, lighter tubes, and a wider bottom bracket.









@Mark. What your looking for is a IS 180 front adapter. It's actually the same as the one used on the rear of your bike so if you plan to upgrade both rotors you can use the rear adapter for the front and only buy the rear 180 IS adapter. Although I agree with everyone else and recommend you swap for better brake calipers. I run avid bb7s with 180mm rotors and love that setup.


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## aciresi (Nov 12, 2015)

I just ordered one before the shipping increase! I am now awaiting it to arrive so I can begin my fat bike adventures!


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## chuck732 (Jul 29, 2010)

I just got my Gravity 2016 Bullseye Monster LTD yesterday late and had to wait till today to put it together. I notice that see the seams on the rims. Poor quality. Do all the rims on the Gravity Bullseye Monster bikes come with the same problem with the rims. Do you guys see the same thing I mentioned?


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

You can see the seams on almost every rim unless they are welded, which these are not. Are they just visible, or are they bent/overlap/uneven? 

On my Boris rims, I can see the seam, but they're even all the way across the width. To date, haven't had any problem under clyde duty with the rims with rocks, roots and jumps. I do have an issue with lateral trueness at the seam though. More of a quality control issue with my wheel building skill. Until I get better, I'd probably have the same problem with any wheel I build.


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## RUBZERK (Aug 16, 2015)

Wildbird99 said:


> I know this wasn't the question asked, but the best upgrade I made on my Monster was Avid DB1 hydraulics with HS1 discs. It made a huge difference in braking.


Is this a direct bolt on? 
Any modification needed?


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## Pushrod (Jul 27, 2015)

Xethur said:


> Decided to post the final touches to my monster. At this point the only original part is the frame. Newest additions are surly nates, 80mm wheels, lighter tubes, and a wider bottom bracket.
> 
> View attachment 1031607


Looks great!

Which bottom bracket did you install? Did you upgrade the crank? Did you end up adding shims to the drive side of the bottom bracket? If so how many / what thickness?

I recently upgraded mine to 1x10 with the stock crank and a raceface NW 30T chainring. With the stock bottom bracket, the bottom bracket won't screw all the way in after removing the front derailleur mounting bracket from the bottom bracket. I haven't decided if I want to fix the current bottom bracket or just install a better crank and a more standard bottom bracket.

How do you like the Nate's?


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

chuck732 said:


> I just got my Gravity 2016 Bullseye Monster LTD yesterday late and had to wait till today to put it together. I notice that see the seams on the rims. Poor quality. Do all the rims on the Gravity Bullseye Monster bikes come with the same problem with the rims. Do you guys see the same thing I mentioned?


 Just like my Deadeye and for $399 I think I will overlook the cosmetics of the wheel seams, besides the dust and dirt cover them up after a couple of miles.....


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

RUBZERK said:


> Is this a direct bolt on?
> Any modification needed?


It's been a while since I did it, but I don't remember any problems. I think I had to use cable ties to hold the lines to the frame. The lines were just long enough for my 20" frame. A 22" frame would have been a problem. I used the stock discs until I got around to installing the HS1s.

My new Farley came with the same brakes. I'm completely happy with them on both bikes.

Here's the set I bought: Amazon.com : AVID DB 1 DB1 MTB Hydraulic Brake Set Front and Rear Black HS1 160mm Rotor 2014 : Bike Brakes : Sports & Outdoors


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

[BB]http://imgur.com/KWcIWwB[BB]

looking for studded tires.. will vee snowshoe XLs fit the frame on 50 mm wheels? Otherwise it's dillinger studs but I can't afford new wheels so I like the idea of 4.8 snowshoes.. any feedback or suggestions are welcome


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## chuck732 (Jul 29, 2010)

Does anyone know where I can get the rubber rim strips for the rims on the Gravity in different colors? *And no I do not what to use duck tape*


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

Pushrod said:


> Looks great!
> 
> Which bottom bracket did you install? Did you upgrade the crank? Did you end up adding shims to the drive side of the bottom bracket? If so how many / what thickness?
> 
> ...


I didn't upgrade the crank. Honestly the only reason to do that is to lose weight and I have never weighted my bike so...

The bb is a square taper Origin8 100mm x 164mm(19mm wider). I went wider to clear the nate in the rear. I'll post pictures later. I'm running a 24t race face nw on the small bolts.

To tighten your bb all the way you have to loosen the non drive side plug. And there is nothing wrong with square taper bbs although my old one was pretty well packed with mud. I like the fact that they are cheap. My new bb was $14.50 shipped.

The nates are amazing. I can't wait to try them on snowmobile trails.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)




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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Well, managed to bend the aluminum replacement fork they sent me. 









I have emailed them asking for a replacement, we will see how they respond. They have been very good thus far, so I'm hoping that it's not a big deal and they send me another one. I had a fat ride lined up and now my bike is down.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

Xethur said:


> The nates are amazing. I can't wait to try them on snowmobile trails.


Update - After putting 100 miles on the Nates in the woods, running at 9 psi in front and 7 in rear with the heavy stock schrader tubes, the Nates are a great all round tire lots of traction on rocks, sand wet leaves and mud. I went with the wire bead 27 tpi "boat anchors" which actually seemed to add over a pound ++ to each wheel over the stock mission commands! I still would not trade them for the missions, but the Nate 3.8 120 tpi folding bead would have been a better "diet" option and I found them for $79 shipped which wasn't too bad a price.

Dawg- it seems like you got many more miles out of the steel fork than the replacement aluminum job. Hope you get the steel one this time!:thumbsup:


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Well, managed to bend the aluminum replacement fork they sent me.
> 
> I have emailed them asking for a replacement, we will see how they respond.


I hate to say, I don't think that'll be covered by warranty. That's not just standard jumping and landing hard like your steel fork, that looks like you took a nose dive into the grand canyon.

If they don't do a warranty, their amazon store has replacement steel forks for under $50. Not color matching, but might be worth grabbing a rattle paint can and checking out.
Amazon.com : Economy 26 Inch Fat Bike 135mm Integrated Disc Brake ATB Mountain Bike Fork Threadless Replacement Rigid : Sports & Outdoors


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

watts888 said:


> I hate to say, I don't think that'll be covered by warranty. That's not just standard jumping and landing hard like your steel fork, that looks like you took a nose dive into the grand canyon.
> 
> If they don't do a warranty, their amazon store has replacement steel forks for under $50. Not color matching, but might be worth grabbing a rattle paint can and checking out.
> Amazon.com : Economy 26 Inch Fat Bike 135mm Integrated Disc Brake ATB Mountain Bike Fork Threadless Replacement Rigid : Sports & Outdoors


That's definitely a possibility, and thank you for the link.

The impact was not very hard. The front tire washed out on some leaves and caught a rock. I was absolutely shocked when I picked my bike back up and the fork was tucked in and the headset was bound up.


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## nhgeezer (Dec 1, 2015)

Another happy Bikes Direct customer. UPS delivered my GBM yesterday. Perfectly packed, no dings.
Assembled easily, everything lined up. 
Big gyroscopes feel strange.

Off to dodge the deer hunters in the woods.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Make sure you have a firearm, so you can shoot back...

Hunters be hunted!


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

nhgeezer said:


> Big gyroscopes feel strange.


Stock tires will do that at pretty much any pressure under 12 psi and road. Once you get on dirt, it feels much better.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Ok, yet another warranty update:
As I hoped, they are continuing to help me out an offered a crash replacement type deal. Not 10 hours after I sent my email with a picture of the bent fork, I got a response: 

"Hello again,
Man, what did you hit???
I do have a replacement fork here that is the correct steel one for your bike that I can send you for the cost of shipping ($25) please let me know and I will invoice you for the amount.
Best regards,
Larry @ Bikes Direct"

I love it! Talk about customer service. I really can't say enough good things about my overall bikes direct experience. They may take my quotes out of context, and I may not agree with their approach to advertising, but they have repeatedly come through for me time and time again. 

Enough of that, I'm just excited to get back on my bike!


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

Hey MTBR, glad to see you're still around. Several years ago I rode regularly on a Spec Stumpjumper Pro FS bike and hung around here quite a bit. But life changes... 

So I was looking into something to have fun on but less serious ( meaning less $$ ) and stumbled upon fat bikes. Long story short, this thread and some other info and I have a Monster Bullseye showing up tomorrow. It is a '15 version with 50mm rims but, I don't ride snow or heavy sand so I should be fine. 

I am already looking into a shorter stem, wider bars, lock-ons, maybe a new saddle depending on how I like/dislike the stocker. 

This thread has been helpful, thanks to dirtdawg and all the other contributors. Of course it has cost me more money already, much to the wife's dismay


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

If you ordered yours after early Nov it should have 80mm wheels. I think BD decided to get a better deal on wheels by standardizing on the Weinmann 80mm's. Ditto with the 100mm BB and crankset, they probably got an even lower price by making all their bikes with the same parts. Those of us who know a good deal are the ones who really profit! I am having a $100 Nexus 3 laced into my rim to turn my SS into a 3 speed. Once I find a used bluto I'll add that in a year or so....


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

BD still offered the BEM with the 50mm rims, but at a reduced price. The 80mm rims are standard on their $500 model. Everything else stayed the same. If you're just riding dirt, the 50mm rims give a rounder profile. If you plan on riding snow or sand, go with the 80mms which will give a slightly bigger footprint.
Save up to 60% off new Fat Bikes and Mountain Bikes - MTB - Gravity Bullseye Monster
Save up to 60% off new Fat Bikes and Mountain Bikes - MTB - Gravity Bullseye Monster


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

Larry is the best! He helped me out with a very similar situation. Customer service can't be beat.


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## C-Gypsy (Nov 7, 2015)

Quick question, and I am NOT trying to hijack this thread.

I've been going through a lot of stress & confusion trying to compare the Monster Bullseye with the Monster LTD.

I've been told that everything is the same on both bikes with the exception of the tires, but that is not what BD's website indicates. 

Has anyone else looked at the specs and figured out what the bottom line is?


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

I could be wrong, but I suspect the monster is the normal old school gravity and the ltd is the new frame with a Tapered head tube. If you want to put a bluto or carbon fork in it later, that's the one. If you don't care about those, but the classic, because it's awesome.


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## C-Gypsy (Nov 7, 2015)

You are correct in that the LTD frame will accept the Bluto fork. To be honest I don't care about that.

On the other hand according to their website the BB is different, the tires are different, along with several additional differences.

I don't like the color combinations on the LTD but if the hardware is better I'll spend the extra $100.00.

My other thought is that perhaps their website needs updated, but I would like to know for sure before plunking my money down. 



Phorine said:


> I could be wrong, but I suspect the monster is the normal old school gravity and the ltd is the new frame with a Tapered head tube. If you want to put a bluto or carbon fork in it later, that's the one. If you don't care about those, but the classic, because it's awesome.


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

I haven't had any complaints with the reg bullseye crank and bb, but that's not to say it could n't be improved on. The h-billies are supposed to be better tires than the mission commands that came on mine. My tires are ok. The aren't bad on pavement about 15 psi and up, but they definitely help you steer a bit under that. On dirt or other soft surfaces, the self steer is gone. 

And there is no doubt that the website needs updated


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## Phorine (Aug 7, 2015)

C-Gypsy said:


> I don't like the color combinations on the LTD but if the hardware is better I'll spend the extra $100.00.


This is blasphemy, but if you are looking at the LTD, you might check out the boris x5 as well.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

rob5589 said:


> It is a '15 version with 50mm rims but, I don't ride snow or heavy sand so I should be fine.


I have the 2015 with 50mm wheels and it has hauled my 260lb self over plenty of snow and sand. Point it. Pedal. Have fun.


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

If you want to add a Bluto, you can do that to any of the Gravity Fat Bikes: just use a Cane Creek adaptor for about $20.


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

WoodlandHills said:


> If you ordered yours after early Nov it should have 80mm wheels.


Like watts said, there are two options. I ordered the 50mm version. The rest of the specs look the exact same far as I can tell.



Wildbird99 said:


> I have the 2015 with 50mm wheels and it has hauled my 260lb self over plenty of snow and sand. Point it. Pedal. Have fun.


Good to know, thanks. I am only 30 less than you and hopefully can pare off another 20 riding this thing around.

Two big take away's from this thread were the poor brakes and sketchy RD/cassette. So along with a wider 740mm bar, shorter 70mm stem, full alloy pedal, and lock ons, I ordered a set of Avid BB7's (180/160) and FR 7 lever's (Xethur provided some good info on them). I had some crappy brakes in the past and it drove me nuts so I figured let's alleviate some headache from the get go.


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

I am still running the stock brakes, I can lock them up if I grab too hard and I can drag and feather them when descending. Will the Avid calipers make a real difference? I'll eventually be replacing my rotors with genuine Avids, will that be something I can feel at the lever too?


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## bigeyedfish (May 30, 2013)

I'm still running stock brakes with some avid levers I had sitting around. I was really surprised how much difference those levers made on a different bike, so I don't think I even rode it with the stockers. The tektro brakes are a bit weak, but my other bike is a cross bike with v-brakes, so I don't really notice most of the time. When I eventually upgrade it will be to hydraulics. The improvement there is so much better than going to bb7s.


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## chuck732 (Jul 29, 2010)

Has anyone with the Bullseye Monster mounted a front rack on there bike? And looking to buy one but for less then $100.00 can someone advise me?

Another question, this is about the disc brakes. Are everyone replacing them with BB's or Hydro? I saw someone mention 180mm front rotor, what's with that?


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## cwkemp (Dec 6, 2015)

Just bought green/white LTD a couple of weeks ago. Chose it over the reg model mostly for the tires. I rode on missions before and didn't like them. I think the stem is shorter than the other model also. The assembly on mine was good requiring very little adjustment and the brakes, while not great, seemed to bed in nicely around 50 mi. or so. I figured the tire difference was enough to justify the additional $100


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## C-Gypsy (Nov 7, 2015)

Thank you for posting this. You must be reading my mind as I too believe just the tires might be work the extra $100.00.

I printed out the specs on the Bullseye and the LTD and there seem to be several places where the LTD has better hardware.

I emailed BD and got a reply that nothing but the tires are different, so perhaps their website needs updated. Or perhaps my observation is correct. 



cwkemp said:


> Just bought green/white LTD a couple of weeks ago. Chose it over the reg model mostly for the tires. I rode on missions before and didn't like them. I think the stem is shorter than the other model also. The assembly on mine was good requiring very little adjustment and the brakes, while not great, seemed to bed in nicely around 50 mi. or so. I figured the tire difference was enough to justify the additional $100


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## OrbeaAbsalon (Jun 26, 2008)

I would take a good look at your frame. That little black line looks like a crack starting on the downtime at the gusset.



dirtdawg21892 said:


> That's definitely a possibility, and thank you for the link.
> 
> The impact was not very hard. The front tire washed out on some leaves and caught a rock. I was absolutely shocked when I picked my bike back up and the fork was tucked in and the headset was bound up.


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

OrbeaAbsalon said:


> I would take a good look at your frame. That little black line looks like a crack starting on the downtime at the gusset.


Hmm, interesting. It does look suspicious.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

WoodlandHills said:


> I am still running the stock brakes, I can lock them up if I grab too hard and I can drag and feather them when descending. Will the Avid calipers make a real difference? I'll eventually be replacing my rotors with genuine Avids, will that be something I can feel at the lever too?


The BB7s brake pads are almost twice the size of the novelas.








The rotor won't make much of a difference unless you are going bigger. I prefer the 180mm avid HS1s over anything else I've tried.


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

Thanks, that's evidence one cannot overlook!! I was going to grade anyway, I can't help it..... What about 200mm in the front and 180mm in the back?


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

Just fyi, Jenson has/had the BB7's in 160 & 180 for 49.95. Best price I could find at the time.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

OrbeaAbsalon said:


> I would take a good look at your frame. That little black line looks like a crack starting on the downtime at the gusset.


After closer examination, I think you're right. 









I guess I will tell Larry about it, but for now I'm going to keep an eye on it and try to keep both wheels on the ground.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

dirtdawg's a destructive individual...

Get that frame warranted before it has a catastrophic failure. Not worth a hospital bill, 
just saying'.


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## joebikesdirect (Sep 5, 2014)

The LTD has a tapered head tube so is Bluto suspension fork ready.
The other BullsEye Fatbikes are straight 1.125 inch

Other differences include tires and custom color rims 



C-Gypsy said:


> Thank you for posting this. You must be reading my mind as I too believe just the tires might be work the extra $100.00.
> 
> I printed out the specs on the Bullseye and the LTD and there seem to be several places where the LTD has better hardware.
> 
> I emailed BD and got a reply that nothing but the tires are different, so perhaps their website needs updated. Or perhaps my observation is correct.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> After closer examination, I think you're right.


You are a little bit destructive, aren't you? I'd try to warranty that frame too.


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

watts888 said:


> You are a little bit destructive, aren't you? I'd try to warranty that frame too.


you should see him in the sack!

wait, who said that?


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

watts888 said:


> You are a little bit destructive, aren't you? I'd try to warranty that frame too.


Yeah, I do get that reputation around here. The way I wreck stuff You would think I was a hack that weighs 400 pounds. It's like free stress testing for them, they get to see the worst case scenario. 
This one gets two thumbs up.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

NicoleB said:


> you should see him in the sack!
> 
> wait, who said that?


Haha! Hey keep my personal life out of this. This Is about the BIKES that I ride too hard.


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

i mean, you crash bend bikes in the sack you dodo, obv 

but yes, dont let DD ride your bike. or your friend. Or let him fart on your bike. Or dont follow his lines. there are lots of rules.....


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

WoodlandHills said:


> Thanks, that's evidence one cannot overlook!! I was going to grade anyway, I can't help it..... What about 200mm in the front and 180mm in the back?


I don't like 200mm rotors. I think it's too easy to bend them out of true. I run 180s front and rear and really like that setup. Besides if you go with 180s, the rear 160mm IS caliper adapter is the same size and spacing as a 180mm front adapter.



rob5589 said:


> Just fyi, Jenson has/had the BB7's in 160 & 180 for 49.95. Best price I could find at the time.


That's a pretty good deal. I usually buy mine on eBay straight from china.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

NicoleB said:


> i mean, you crash bend bikes in the sack you dodo, obv
> 
> but yes, dont let DD ride your bike. or your friend. Or let him fart on your bike. Or dont follow his lines. there are lots of rules.....


stop talking about my sack.


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## Velo Celt (May 11, 2015)

So, there's no actual Gravity Bullseye 29+ thread, but I figured I'd post here since the Bullseye seems to be almost the same bike, except for a slight difference in the head tube. The Bullseye 29+ has an integrated threadless headset. I bought one and swapped some parts around and took it out for a test ride today. I can't be 100% sure, but I think, for starters that one fork leg might be bent backwards slightly compared to the other. I have the tire lined up perfectly with the frame, but it looks like the right hand fork leg is a couple millimeters back compared to the left. It actually looks more apparent when looking from above because the fork crown area looks not exactly perpendicular compared to the top tube.

The second and probably even more disconcerting thing, is I noticed under braking, even light-ish braking from about 12-14 mph that the fork legs noticeably flex backwards! I swapped out the stock Tektro Novelas for some brand new Avid BB7s that I bought, along with included GS-3 rotors. I know the Tektros are kinda sucky compared to the BB7s, but I didn't expect to see the entire fork bend backwards under the braking force. I see that BD doesn't have any alternative forks available except for carbon, which I wouldn't want anyway, because I need the braze-ons for bikepacking.

The only other fork they make is for the Bluto-equipped frames and besides, it's 150mm instead of the Bullseye's 135mm. So, I don't think that even if I contacted BD that they'd have a decent replacement. If the fork legs are really out of whack, they'd just send me another of the same kind of fork, and it'd flex grievously under load just the same. So, I'm already thinking about putting a Surly or Soma fork on there as an alternative. Anyone else notice this disconcerting amount of rearward flex in their fork under braking? I realize it's only a $500 bike, but I was pretty impressed by the sheer number of posts in this thread praising what a lot of folks deride as a cheap bike that's only barely a step above a Walmart fat bike.

It didn't seem like you were really getting any better component spec until you hit something like the Lurch anyway, as the rest of the bikes seemed kinda lame in terms of components. I already upgraded several things right off the bat - Jones Loop bar with Avid BB7 brakes/GS-3 160mm rotors and Speed Dial 7 levers, rear Shimano SLX derailleur, and for shifters Shimano Ultegra 8 speed bar end shifters mounted to Paul Components Thumbies. Crank Brother Mallet 4 pedals and Ergon Cork GS1 cork grips and a Ritchey adjustable stem (until I dial in my riding position), round out my initial upgrades. It looks like you don't even get a tapered-leg fork until you hit the Lurch and Sturgis anyway, so I can't imagine any replacement fork from BD is going to not have the same flexing issue. Thoughts? Should I contact them anyway to see if one of the other forks is stronger somehow and could be substituted for the fork that comes stock with the Bullseye frame?


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

I cannot comment on the fork flex but, BD seems to have responsive CS, why not give them a shout and see what they have to say. Someone in this thread did receive a tweaked fork due to shipping damage so that is a possibility.

As far as the Bluto/tapered head forks, I seem to recall seeing/reading that Cane Creek has a "conversion" headset to go from straight head tube to tapered fork steerer. But I could certainly be mistaken.


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## tfinator (Apr 30, 2009)

Velo, that's a long post so I won't quote it.
You've found a problem with your fork and assumed it's an issue for every single fork of that make.
Call customer service, take photos, and get it taken care of.
If the second one is the same then there's a real issue.


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## Velo Celt (May 11, 2015)

rob5589 - tfinator : thanks for the replies. I've been steadily reading through this entire thread, and still can't find any mention of major fork flex under braking, only forks that arrive tweaked in the box. I'm going to have to look at it more closely in the workstand tomorrow and see if by laying some metal rulers on the fork legs I can determine if there's actually something out of whack. I don't think even if the fork is torqued out that would cause the leg flex I'm seeing. It looks like kinda what I'd expect if the tubing wall was too thin, or what you'd get with *not* having a tapered leg/butted tubing. I suspect it's just a crap fork and they'd only replace with another of the same. I'm surprised no one else has noticed this, or maybe I'm just the outlier and I'm not used to seeing this kind of flex in a fork. My Yuba Mundo has a pretty beefy fork (and BB7s as well), but honestly, all my other disc brake experience has been with Surly forks which are tapered and butted, so they're really not going to flex noticeably. We'll see what BD says about the fork flex whenever they get back to me.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

So I got in touch with Larry again, and he said to send them the frame, some info, and a return label (I guess the warranty doesn't cover shipping the stuff across the country and back. Fair enough, but I'm going to have to make an account with UPS)

Got my bike stripped down to the frame last night, and decided I would weigh it in case anybody was curious.



















4.4 lbs, not bad.


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## Velo Celt (May 11, 2015)

Heard back from BD, but they want to see a video of the fork flexing under braking. There's pretty much nothing they can do except send me another fork. This is just a cheap, straight-tube cromoly fork and so it's going to flex. The only thing I can think, is perhaps the fork is slightly shorter on the Monsters than it is on the Gravity 29+, so maybe that's why there's no mention in this thread of you folks seeing leg flex under braking. I decided to pull the trigger on a Surly Ice Cream Truck fork. So, it'll have negligible flex, and a LOT more braze-ons for my bikepacking needs. And, should I upgrade to a better frame in the next couple years or so, I'll have a good quality fork to do so. I'll just need to maybe not cut the steerer down too much - maybe leave a bit extra and use spacers, so that I'll have some usability still in the fork for future frames.


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

Sooo, here she is in all her green glory. Immediate upgrades were a 740mm Intense bar, 70mm Race Face stem, Avid BB7's 180 Ft, 160 Rr, FR 7 levers, Race Face lock ons, and some inexpensive mallets from Amazon. WoodlandHills called it, I ordered a bike that spec'd 50mm rims but it came with 80mm. Nice little bonus considering the 50mm bike was 40.00 cheaper than the 80mm bike.

First around the neighborhood ride: I am 6'2" 32" inseam and bought a 20". I could have gone a size smaller for a tad more stand over room. It is fine however for my riding. At 48 I am no hardcore rider, flowy single track is my thing.

The BB7's: After some "bedding runs," they are feeling pretty good. They have a solid lever feel and decent modulation. No lock up on pavement with my 240 lbs, however. But very close to it. I suspect they will improve with more use and some minor tweaks. This is with the factory supplied Gravity/Tektro cables.

The bar and stem: The 740mm bar/70mm stem combo are very nice. The width is about right and I can get behind the seat if need be. The factory bar is _narrow_. I couldn't imagine being comfortable with it.

There were no blemishes or anything tweaked from shipping. The FD was spot on, the RD took some adjustment and still is a touch spotty on downshifts. I will keep tweaking it and hopefully get it squared away. The rear shifter upshift lever sticks. Maybe cables need some lube?? Will check it out further.

_ETA: _ Bike as pictured weighs 38lbs.

The wheels are straight, spokes are all tight by feel. I did grease up the hubs as the factory grease was sparse. The rear came with a Shimano cassette that feels nice and smooth. Everything else on the bike was good to go.

*Velo*; I noticed some flexing in the fork under hard braking, too. Only when pulling hard the _front only_. When using both brakes it was unnoticeable.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

I'd have to change the rim strips. The red just doesn't work. A reflective white would cool, although I think it would be fun to put down a cloth strip that looks like tennis ball material.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Goodbye my brave prince



















In the meantime im borrowing a Sturgis from a friend. I've wanted to upgrade for a while but I'm not sure if I want the small or medium and TI or AL.


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

watts888 said:


> I'd have to change the rim strips. The red just doesn't work. A reflective white would cool, although I think it would be fun to put down a cloth strip that looks like tennis ball material.


Agree 100%. It came with yellow ones as well. I would prefer black really. I am too old to be "flashy cool."


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

You gotta leave the red till after Christmas at least! I didn't like the red either but a year later and it's still there...

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

For those with Deadeye Monster single speeds, a Shimano Nexus 3 is a direct bolt-on once you lace the hub into the rim. You can reuse the spokes and nipples and neither the bike nor the Nexus need to be altered or modified. My kit came with a 19t sprocket which was barely adequate, but I believe that the 23t in transit will fix that.

Anyway it was a very clean and simple upgrade.......


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

dietz31684 said:


> You gotta leave the red till after Christmas at least! I didn't like the red either but a year later and it's still there...
> 
> Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk


The wife said the same thing

Found some neon green duct tape and laid down a strip over the extra yellow's it came with. Much better now.


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## bigeyedfish (May 30, 2013)

If you want to make the rim strips a little lighter, just put corn starch on the sticky side if the tape so it isn't sticky anymore and leave all the other strips out. I don't know if it makes any tangible difference, but these wheels and tires are heavy, so I'll take any advantage I can get. 

Lightweight tubes do make a noticeable difference.


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

Good info. There is a colored strip and a rubber one, wasn't sure if I could do away with one or the other. The tape didn't add any noticeable weight plus it wasn't quite wide enough on it's own. I was afraid it may slip to the side and come out one of the holes. I am in search of some lighter tubes without much luck as the stockers are fairly heavy.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

That green rim strip looks good. I have the red on my boris, but it's the black gloss frame. Went ahead and bought some red pedals, grips, headset and grips. Next is the red stem and water cage. Plan on doing some red pinstriping to the wheels.


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## bigeyedfish (May 30, 2013)

rob5589 said:


> Good info. There is a colored strip and a rubber one, wasn't sure if I could do away with one or the other. The tape didn't add any noticeable weight plus it wasn't quite wide enough on it's own. I was afraid it may slip to the side and come out one of the holes. I am in search of some lighter tubes without much luck as the stockers are fairly heavy.


I have the 50mm rims, so I actually had to cut down the tape I used. Makes sense that with the wider rims, it wouldn't work as well.

For tubes, I bought downhill tubes. I think they are kenda 26 x 2.4-2.7 and I have had no problems with them. It's the beat cheap upgrade you can make.


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## security58 (Jul 27, 2011)

Anyone know where I can get a replacement bottom bracket for my gravity bullseye monster 27.5+? I ordered truvativ giga pipe but it seems too long... Thanks in advance


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## FredsFalcon (Dec 14, 2015)

Has any one ridden a fat bike on rocky trails? I am considering a Gravity BullsEye Monster Comp but our trails here are mostly lava rock strewn, narrow beauties. Wide soft 29ers work good, but would love to test one of these out here.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

security58 said:


> Anyone know where I can get a replacement bottom bracket for my gravity bullseye monster 27.5+? I ordered truvativ giga pipe but it seems too long... Thanks in advance


If you can remove the BB from your bike and take it to an LBS they can get the correct one for ya.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

FredsFalcon said:


> Has any one ridden a fat bike on rocky trails? I am considering a Gravity BullsEye Monster Comp but our trails here are mostly lava rock strewn, narrow beauties. Wide soft 29ers work good, but would love to test one of these out here.


It'll work fine. Fat bikes handle rock gardens just fine, and I can actually clear rock gardens better on my fatty than my 29er because the wider "point and shot" concept. Basically, wherever you point a fatbike, it'll go. Unless you're talking about a continuous 5 mile long stretch of 5" sharp and pointy lava rocks, it'll be good.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

security58 said:


> Anyone know where I can get a replacement bottom bracket for my gravity bullseye monster 27.5+? I ordered truvativ giga pipe but it seems too long... Thanks in advance


Call/email bikesdirect and ask how much one is. They have bike parts in stock for some of their stuff. If that doesn't work, it's a simple VP brand (origin8) square taper cartridge style bottom bracket that's 100mm x 144mm. Ask your LBS to order one. Here's some links to ones that might work if you are interested in adjusting chainline or have chainstay clearance. I know they make the 144mm length also, just didn't see it on amazon.
Amazon.com : BB SET OR8 100x164 P/P XLT SQ STL-CUP ENG : Sports & Outdoors
http://smile.amazon.com/BB-SET-100x...door-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1450107035&sr=1-5

Or get a new crankset. FYI, the seller, Sun cycle warehouse, is bikedirect's amazon storefront. Pretty much every bike they sell is the same as what's on the bikesdirect website, just costs a little more. this is what makes me think you won't have any problem getting a bottom bracket if you call bikesdirect.
Amazon.com : Economy Square Taper Fat Bike Crank Set Double 22T 32T Black by Lasco with Bottom Bracket 102.5 x 145mm (175mm) : Sports & Outdoors


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

FredsFalcon said:


> Has any one ridden a fat bike on rocky trails? I am considering a Gravity BullsEye Monster Comp but our trails here are mostly lava rock strewn, narrow beauties. Wide soft 29ers work good, but would love to test one of these out here.


i ride mine on a lot of rocks. with the 50mm rims it is awesome. lots of grip and the profile is more resistant to flats.


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## FredsFalcon (Dec 14, 2015)

Yeah, the rocks are continuous. More rock than dirt on any given loop. How low of pressure can you run without the tire come off or pinch flats?


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

stock tube, I'd bet you could get down to 4 or 5 psi easily, maybe lower. Either way, much lower than you'd probably want to ride dirt/rock with, which is normally about 8-12 depending on weight and front vs. rear tire.

If you use a 2.7" lightweight downhill tube, you probably don't want it less than 7-8 psi because the tube physically is smaller than the tire, and if it doesn't push the tire up against the rim, you're unseating the tire.


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## FredsFalcon (Dec 14, 2015)

"4 or 5 psi"!!!! Yikes that is low. That would be sweet! I've had issues going under 15psi running tubeless, hitting rocks releases air near the bead. Anyone have issues with low pressure tubeless set ups with these fat tires??


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Many people successfully run fat tires tubeless with tubeless ready rims. I don't think many people have had success running the stock monster rims tubeless though. I'm sure it's possible to deal the, but probably not reliable and susceptible to burping. Someone correct me if I'm wrong? 

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk


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## bigeyedfish (May 30, 2013)

I was going to try to set mine up tubeless, but the tires were so loose on the rims, I really can't believe it would be a reliable set up.

Stock rims and tires by the way.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Just got word that my replacement frame will be a black Boris. Guess I will be shopping for a seat post and head set, but I'm pretty sure everything else will be a direct swap. Pretty excited about it. 

I guess I can't really call my bike a bullseye monster anymore, as there weren't any stock parts on the frame and now it's a Boris. 
I will still keep up with this thread to answer questions and stuff, but It's going to be weird not contributing.


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

Have fun on that Boris:thumbsup:


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Here's a contribution from OldBear52...

Hello to everyone on this thread. I haven't posted in a long while, but now I have some time so Here goes. My Monster is a year and a half old now and has over 1400 miles on it. At around 1250 miles or so my tires had begun exhibiting some signs of wear like losing traction on climbs and a big loss of control on the downhills. So I put in a plea to Sven and Uncle Gomez at Fat-Bike.com's Fat bike radio show to see if they had any left over test tires. Well, long story short they sent me two used tires that still have lots of life in them both ate Veerubber products. The front tire is a snowshoe XL 26X4.8 and the tear is a Hbillie 26X4.25. Let me tell you that these tires performance is excellent. They grip and climb like nothing is in their way. I want to thank Sven Haamer and Uncle Gomez for their gracious gift. And one Moe thing. Merry Christmas to all! 

Oldbear


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> I guess I can't really call my bike a bullseye monster anymore


don't worry, you'll always be a monster at heart.

I'd ask BD for a seatpost and headset too. they're not that expensive. I'm positive they'll have headsets, not sure about the seatpost. Can't hurt to ask.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Goodbye my brave prince


Dawg- this is yet another classic quote and parting shot with the 2 busted forks in the background !  Sounds like you are sorry to see it go...we will miss the all the stories...

Just for the record, how many miles did you get out of the GBM frame > 3,000??? It looks like some of the original components are left in your keep box, cranks, shifters, FD, etc?

Goodluck with the Boris, I thought they had a tapered headset for a Bluto, but it looks it is a 1 1/8 straight so your fork #3 will fit? If anyone has an extra green 18" GBM frame lying around we will be sure to send it your way.........:thumbsup:


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

volksbike said:


> Dawg- this is yet another classic quote and parting shot with the 2 busted forks in the background !  Sounds like you are sorry to see it go...we will miss the all the stories...
> 
> Just for the record, how many miles did you get out of the GBM frame > 3,000??? It looks like some of the original components are left in your keep box, cranks, shifters, FD, etc?
> 
> Goodluck with the Boris, I thought they had a tapered headset for a Bluto, but it looks it is a 1 1/8 straight so your fork #3 will fit? If anyone has an extra green 18" GBM frame lying around we will be sure to send it your way.........:thumbsup:


Haha! Thanks!

It's hard to tell exactly because strava isn't terribly accurate or reliable, but I can safely say the odometer on this bike was over 3000 miles. I'm sure that it could have gone much further as a snow and sand bike, but my riding is mostly tight rough singletrack which does a number on any bike.

You are correct, I was still on the stock cranks and shifters. They were getting pretty beat up, but never gave up the ghost.

You also called me on being disappointed to see it go. I get attached to my bikes. This was my go to bike for the past 18 months and I've had a lot of very good times on it, so stripping it down and shipping it to Texas was hard for me.

I'm sure the Boris will be a great bike. In post #1 I admitted that if I had a bigger budget I probably would have bought one over the BEM, but this bike worked out really well for me.

All in all I had an awesome run. From a fun per dollar standpoint, This bike was hands down some of the best money I have ever spent.


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

Just rode in the snow for the first time while waiting on new tires. Definitely looking forward to those. Dillinger 4 studded on the way, and hopefully will be an improvement. rode all summer but broke my foot on September 19 and have been out of the game.... looking forward to winter riding though. The monster worked amazingly all summer on anything Duluth could throw at me. This is my monster currently...









Dillingers will be mounted soon.
Sorry for your misfortune Dirtdawg... I crashed and bent my aluminum fork this summer and chipped some paint off the top of my frame... swapped out the headset and got a new fork and my bike is peachy. You must have crashed hard man.


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## beardedmark (Feb 28, 2015)

Anyone who mounted floaters have chain clearance issues, getting se rub when running on the granny, thinking I should swap out the crankset for a wider Q factor to resolve but hate to replace it when still has good life left in it. Thoughts?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

beardedmark said:


> Anyone who mounted floaters have chain clearance issues, getting se rub when running on the granny, thinking I should swap out the crankset for a wider Q factor to resolve but hate to replace it when still has good life left in it. Thoughts?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I just lived with it. Never really needed the granny anyway, but it was still usable in a pinch. I would rather have the big tires.


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## KTMrider01 (Dec 16, 2015)

Greetings folks,
After reading through much of this thread I've decided to pull the trigger on this.









The price seemed pretty darn good at $699 shipped. I went back and forth over all three models the base with 80mm wheels, the LTD, and this Comp. they where out of the Matte black 16" LTDs and I really wanted the tapered head thus, I picked Comp model with renegade forks. I couldn't find much info or reviews on the forks but figure I'll order up some standard forks for winter riding anyway. Does anyone here have this model yet? I'll report back when mine arrives. BD shipped this and provided a tracking number a few hours after I ordered which was pretty impressive.


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

I just tried to buy another 17" Deadeye Monster and it keeps crashing when I try to go to PayPal. Every time it says no network connection.... How annoying!


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## joebikesdirect (Sep 5, 2014)

Hi - the Safari connection issue is recently known to paypal. Please use Chrome or some other browser and it will go through 



WoodlandHills said:


> I just tried to buy another 17" Deadeye Monster and it keeps crashing when I try to go to PayPal. Every time it says no network connection.... How annoying!


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

joebikesdirect said:


> Hi - the Safari connection issue is recently known to paypal. Please use Chrome or some other browser and it will go through


 Kind of a hassle to go down to a public PC at the library to buy a bike...... Is this bug a new thing or have you been shutting out iOS and Mac users all along? In other words is this situation going to continue or will you fix it?

I seem to have read somewhere that some people like to use Apple products as opposed to PCs: perhaps you should look into this new thing....


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## bigeyedfish (May 30, 2013)

WoodlandHills said:


> Kind of a hassle to go down to a public PC at the library to buy a bike...... Is this bug a new thing or have you been shutting out iOS and Mac users all along? In other words is this situation going to continue or will you fix it?
> 
> I seem to have read somewhere that some people like to use Apple products as opposed to PCs: perhaps you should look into this new thing....


Use whatever apple or pc you want. You just can't use safari as your Internet browser.


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

I get that I have to download a copy of Firefox or Chrome to our Mac in order to do business with BD. I just don't get why a business would make the decision to shut out buyers who use iPhones or iPads........? It seems very early 21st century, like their website, and not in a good nostalgic sort of way either.


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## bigeyedfish (May 30, 2013)

I agree their website is pretty awful, but you can put different Web browsers on any device. They really haven't shut anybody out. The hiccup is with safari as much as it is with the BD website.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

WoodlandHills said:


> I get that I have to download a copy of Firefox or Chrome to our Mac in order to do business with BD. I just don't get why a business would make the decision to shut out buyers who use iPhones or iPads........? It seems very early 21st century, like their website, and not in a good nostalgic sort of way either.


As an Apple user myself I find it appalling that anybody still uses Safari. 
Download Google Chrome and install AdBlocker, then make your purchase and enjoy your new bike and browser. you can thank me later


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## KTMrider01 (Dec 16, 2015)

I used Safari on my iPhone to order mine.


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> As an Apple user myself I find it appalling that anybody still uses Safari.
> Download Google Chrome and install AdBlocker, then make your purchase and enjoy your new bike and browser. you can thank me later


 Thanks, pal. I just tried Chrome on my iPad........ It sucks. That's a half hour of my life I'll never get back.

I used Firefox to order the bike.


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## joebikesdirect (Sep 5, 2014)

Apologies for any hiccups with Safari based ordering 

To clarify - THIS IS NOT a Decision made by Bikesdirect. We love all cyclists no matter which browser or platform they use 

It is a Safari and Paypal Corp issue that has recently cropped up. Paypal Corp is aware of the issue and is working on a solution. 
This does not seem to affect all Safari users, just some.

Anyone with issues can call 904-249-2453 M-Fr 9a-5p EST to place orders
OR
Use Chrome or another browser to place your order
This does not affect site browsing


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

Hey all, I would like to replace the headset on my Monster. There is visible movement in the factory one which I cannot get rid of. 

I understand I need a 1 1/8" threadless but beyond that I am lost. Any help and/or recommendations in the under 60 dollar range?

Thanks


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

FSA, the pig or the hammer. $20 on amazon.

I don't think you actually need one though. Could be a loose stem, star nut pulling out, or a missing spacer.


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

Well, I have reset it three times and each time there is visible movement after riding. I even watched a couple vids on stem R&R since it has been a while since my last bike. I am doing it correctly. Star nut does not show any movement, I use a tq wrench to spec. 

So either something is outta whack or I am a moron. Probably 50/50 at this point


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

We got snow so I rode a few laps of my track to take advantage before it all melts next week. The Nate's make a world of difference.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

If it's going together right, and everything seems tight when assembled, but at the end of a ride it's loose again, I'd say it's either loose stem bolts (what torque are you tightening the stem clamps to?) or you somehow have a bent steer tube that's pushing the stem off every time you turn the bar.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

rob5589 said:


> Well, I have reset it three times and each time there is visible movement after riding. I even watched a couple vids on stem R&R since it has been a while since my last bike. I am doing it correctly. Star nut does not show any movement, I use a tq wrench to spec.
> 
> So either something is outta whack or I am a moron. Probably 50/50 at this point


If you are able to get it into adjustment and it keeps slipping out of adjustment, try roughing up the surface inside the stem as well as the steer with some 180 sandpaper. Could be a really easy solution. 
Also verify the steer is true, as stated by Watts888. This too can push the stem up and cause it to loose the adjustment.


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

55 in lbs for tq. I will pull the fork and have a look. I would hope it isn't bent, I have only ridden it on the street and a mild gravel road.

Thanks for all the help guys


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## Beicster (Feb 9, 2007)

If you are really doing inch lbs and not ft lbs, you should probably increase that. 55 inch lbs is just 4.58 ft lbs. That ain't much.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Beicster said:


> If you are really doing inch lbs and not ft lbs, you should probably increase that. 55 inch lbs is just 4.58 ft lbs. That ain't much.


sadly, that's what the normal spec for stems is. 6 newton meters is about 4.6 ft lbs. However, I've taken them up to 10 ft lbs before without any problem. Something else to consider, carbon paste. Not normally used on aluminum, but its basically grease with a bunch of grit in it to keep carbon fiber from slipping because of the super low torque specs it uses.


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## FredsFalcon (Dec 14, 2015)

KTMrider, congratulations on the purchase. Would like to hear what you think of the fork. Specifically how good the rebound is and how quiet it is over rough terrain or if it "tops out". Maybe room for wider tires?


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## FredsFalcon (Dec 14, 2015)

rob5589 said:


> Well, I have reset it three times and each time there is visible movement after riding. I even watched a couple vids on stem R&R since it has been a while since my last bike. I am doing it correctly. Star nut does not show any movement, I use a tq wrench to spec.
> 
> So either something is outta whack or I am a moron. Probably 50/50 at this point


Another thing to check is the plastic seal between the fork race and the bottom cup. If it is out of place and causing friction it will feel tight in the stand but once you ride it, it will settle into place and feel loose. Some top cups will have a seal too. Something else you can check, with the wheel off the ground turn the bars to the left the the right 180 degrees. If you feel a tight and loose spot, your steerer tube is bent (or seal). You can usually spot a bent steerer tube at the bottom cup while turning the fork back and forth. The gap between the fork race and bottom cup will be inconsistent.


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## joebikesdirect (Sep 5, 2014)

Could be a bad star nut - either a wing is loose or the core is loose. Happened to me on my personal bike after many hundreds of miles of riding.

Take everything off the fork, insert the stem bolt into the star nut- can you wiggle the bolt? 
If yes then
Take out the old star nut and insert a new


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## KTMrider01 (Dec 16, 2015)

I just pulled it out of the box and threw it together really quickly. I still need get it adjusted, hook up brakes and over some bolts etc. it looks good, the forks seem like they have smooth action and good rebound.


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## KTMrider01 (Dec 16, 2015)

UPS just dropped off this puppy. Super fast shipping I was unite surprised it came as quickly as it did. For now I just quickly put it together I still need to adjust everything and go over brakes, nuts and bolts. It looks well made, welds are nice, it feels pretty light. The forks seem smooth and rebound is respective. All in all, I am pleased. $699 shipped.


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## KTMrider01 (Dec 16, 2015)

FredsFalcon said:


> KTMrider, congratulations on the purchase. Would like to hear what you think of the fork. Specifically how good the rebound is and how quiet it is over rough terrain or if it "tops out". Maybe room for wider tires?












It arrived today. Forks seem nice and smooth, rebound dampening is good.


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## KTMrider01 (Dec 16, 2015)

UPS dropped this off today. The forks seem smooth and have nice rebound. I just threw it together today, still needs adjustments and and final prep. It came with aluminum pedals.


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## KTMrider01 (Dec 16, 2015)

Should be enough room for 5" tires these are 4.25" on 80mm rims.


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## KTMrider01 (Dec 16, 2015)

Forks...


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## FredsFalcon (Dec 14, 2015)

KTMrider, very nice! that looks way better than in the BD website photos!! Do you think there's enough room for wider tires in the back?


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## KTMrider01 (Dec 16, 2015)

Yup! I'm guessing 5"


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

Looks cool. Looks like a real small frame. Do you ride it like that, with the seat so low and bars so high? Interested in your thoughts on that fork.


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## KTMrider01 (Dec 16, 2015)

rob5589 said:


> Looks cool. Looks like a real small frame. Do you ride it like that, with the seat so low and bars so high? Interested in your thoughts on that fork.


Seat was just thrown on for the photo. It needs to come up. 16" frame. Fork seems ok, I'll report back when I ride it more.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

Fixed a bad case of chainsuck with an Origin 8 - 22 tooth alum ring, the Gravity stamped steel one had worn + broken teeth after 140 miles trail riding...Also busted the Sram 4 rear shifter ratchet mechanism, will not upshift- might be time to go 9 speed Shimano on a budget?  Open to ideas...















Just in time for XMAS morning ride!


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## rsilvers (Aug 23, 2015)

How does this bike compare to a Mongoose Vinson for trail use?


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## grooveface (Feb 6, 2008)

Just had a few questions. What size seatpost does the BEM take? What is the max rotor size for the rear? Is the bottom bracket a square taper? Pulled the trigger on an 18" matte black. I have a whole week to wait and many bikes to canabalize.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

rsilvers said:


> How does this bike compare to a Mongoose Vinson for trail use?


In the stock configurations, very similar. almost exactly the same. The bullseye monster has the lower price unless the Vinson is on sale. The Vinson also only comes in an 18" frame. Fine if you want an 18" frame, but not everybody does.


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## rsilvers (Aug 23, 2015)

Vinson is about $450 today with the 25% off coupon that expires I think today. Also OutDoorJunky 8% back, and SportsAuthority has another 5% back with their membership thing.


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## joebikesdirect (Sep 5, 2014)

@grooveface

the seatpost is 27.2mm, max rotor size for rear is 180mm AFAIK. Stock BB is Square taper in threaded BSA BB shell



grooveface said:


> Just had a few questions. What size seatpost does the BEM take? What is the max rotor size for the rear? Is the bottom bracket a square taper? Pulled the trigger on an 18" matte black. I have a whole week to wait and many bikes to canabalize.


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## grooveface (Feb 6, 2008)

So......has anyone tried a disc larger than 180mm on the the rear on the GBM. Will a 185mm or a 203mm fit?


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

grooveface said:


> So......has anyone tried a disc larger than 180mm on the the rear on the GBM. Will a 185mm or a 203mm fit?


With the severe bend of the rear chainstays on the BEM, and fat bikes in general, I wouldn't use anything beyond 180mm in back. almost guaranteed to rub. IMO, unless you have really bad brake calipers, anything over 180 in back is kind of a waste. You're much more likely to lock them up than actually be able to modulate them. I can lock up 160 rotors with bb7 calipers and one finger no problem, and I've got over 250lbs ride weight behind it.


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## beardedmark (Feb 28, 2015)

Agree, have bb5, running 160 in the back and 180 up front, weigh 225 with no stopping issues so far 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## grooveface (Feb 6, 2008)

Just asking because I have these already and like the feel of them. My question is not about the stopping power of a 160 but can you fit anything larger than 180mm on the rear.


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## beardedmark (Feb 28, 2015)

Gotcha, have not ever mounted anything other than the 160 on the back, I have seen adaptors available to go up to 203 on the rear can try and measure at some point for you but I would say the old trial and error method may be the best bet, interested in knowing if they could work so please post pics if they do


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## grooveface (Feb 6, 2008)

Will have to wait. According to UPS ot won't be here till the 5th. Grrrrrr.


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## beardedmark (Feb 28, 2015)

So I have a 2014 model frame, if it's the same frame then 203 on the back is gonna be a very close fit if it fits at all, with 160 mounted I can just fit one finger between the flat to round spot in the frame and the rotor


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## grooveface (Feb 6, 2008)

I hope I at least can get the 185mm on. I really like the feel of the 203f and 185b. Thus is what came on my fsr. I switched that over to 203 front and back. I do have a bike that runs 160 with bb5s but it's a single speed and really light. Contemplating taking the best stuff off all my bikes and swap out the crap.


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## ChasingChubby (Dec 21, 2015)

I am a noob to Fat bikes, I was looking at the GBM Pro or Lurch or Lurch FS, but not sure I need the Sus fork? I will not be riding in snow, but will occasionally ride sand. Do I need the suspension for trails and some single track.
Also, I wanted to be able to run some 29+ wheels, I have looked too long, and cant decide between GBM Pro. I am 6'2" and 250#, just want a good ride.......


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## KTMrider01 (Dec 16, 2015)

ChasingChubby said:


> I am a noob to Fat bikes, I was looking at the GBM Pro or Lurch or Lurch FS, but not sure I need the Sus fork? I will not be riding in snow, but will occasionally ride sand. Do I need the suspension for trails and some single track.
> Also, I wanted to be able to run some 29+ wheels, I have looked too long, and cant decide between GBM Pro. I am 6'2" and 250#, just want a good ride.......


I just bought the Comp with forks, the quality is pretty nice. Definitely worth the money.


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## d1rhino (Aug 10, 2009)

I just joined the ranks. My monster will be here next week. I picked up the one with 80mm rims. I'm going to be using it primarily in snow


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## KTMrider01 (Dec 16, 2015)




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## johnny the boy (Dec 21, 2009)

where will you be when the acid kicks in?


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## bigeyedfish (May 30, 2013)

Gotta be an interesting ride with the handlebars upside down.


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## KTMrider01 (Dec 16, 2015)

bigeyedfish said:


> Gotta be an interesting ride with the handlebars upside down.


Copy that! My 7-yo helped assemble. All fixed now.
He is used to the front brake on the throttle side


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

KTMrider01 said:


> Copy that! My 7-yo helped assemble. All fixed now.
> He is used to the front brake on the throttle side
> 
> View attachment 1039404


Get some little dude! That's awesome:thumbsup:

I run "moto" on my bikes too. Years of sport bikes so it is what I know.


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## KTMrider01 (Dec 16, 2015)

rob5589 said:


> Get some little dude! That's awesome:thumbsup:
> 
> I run "moto" on my bikes too. Years of sport bikes so it is what I know.


Yeah he and his brother are awesome. This was taken when he was 4.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

*Pie Plate Upgrade*

Upgraded to 10 speed XT today, with new cable and one piece housing which improved shifting and gear range (11-36) quite a bit, especially like the 22-36 granny! Field tested on a stellar ride today over some hilly terrain...Happy New Year to All!


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## grooveface (Feb 6, 2008)

Has anyone tired the split tube method on the stock 80mm wheels and tires?


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## Velo Celt (May 11, 2015)

Update on my situation - my Gravity Bullseye 29+ (as far as I can tell, a monster with 29er wheels basically), has a messed up fork. The flexing of the legs that I noted and at least one other poster has noted is just what you get with straight leg forks that are un-butted or not tapered. So, I'd hoped I could swap in a Surly fork, but found out due to much confusion that Surly DOES NOT make ANY 135mm fork that is designed for front hub spacing - only rear hub disc spacing. So, now I've got to contend with trying to send the fork back where I bought it and that will be difficult since I cut about 15-20mm off the steerer tube. However, in my defense I hadn't looked at the Surly website, and the retailer I purchased from indicated that the Surly ICT forks were all front spacing compatible, even though only the 150mm fork is. NOW, for the BD fork that came stock on my bike. The dropouts were not welded on correctly, so when the wheel is in perfect alignment with the top tube fork legs are crooked. You can see it when looking down from above - the fork legs are not completely perpendicular to the top tube/down tube. With the fork out of the frame I clamped on a bunch of metal rulers/machinist's square/etc. and used a digital caliper to measure everything. There was a variance of almost one millimeter. One millimeter doesn't seem like a whole lot but there must be something wrong with how the legs were welded to the steerer tube as well, because the fork legs really look farther out of perpendicular when viewed from above than what could be accounted for by a .77mm variance. I sent photos and a thorough description to Larry at BD, so we'll see what his response is. I'm assuming they'll just send me a new fork. You can be sure I'll measure EVERYTHING before I install it just to make sure it's all correct. It's all a bit aggravating, but I guess you can't complain too much about a $500 bike.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Convert your hub with 5mm spacers... Rear spaced in inboard by 5mm as opposed to front spacing.

Problem Solvers


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## Velo Celt (May 11, 2015)

Unfortunately, that's the opposite of my problem. The hubs from BD are front spaced, for a front spacing fork. The Surly forks in 135mm are all strictly for rear spaced hubs. There's no way I could mount the caliper because I'd had to grind something like 2-3mm off the caliper adapter, and that of course would make it unable to be mounted because the threads that hold the caliper to the adapter would be about half cut through. I guess it's pretty understandable since 135mm front spacing is not very common in fat bikes now. Most are going to 150mm front, and you're only finding 135mm in weird stuff like Surly Krampus and bikes made by Jeff Jones. Also, for some absurd reason, a lot of these makers still adhering to using 135mm front and rear are under the impression that hubs are apparently so destructible that you NEED to have the ability to put that single speed 135mm front (rear spaced) hub on the back of your bike in order to be able to get out of the backwoods.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Easy fix, with a little bike hub regreasing and assembly, to get the BD front spaced wheels to work with rear spaced forks.

http://forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/boris-report-927998-110.html#post12390451


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Velo Celt said:


> ...Also, for some absurd reason, a lot of these makers still adhering to using 135mm front and rear are under the impression that hubs are apparently so destructible that you NEED to have the ability to put that single speed 135mm front (rear spaced) hub on the back of your bike in order to be able to get out of the backwoods.


the original pug was designed for bikepacking, and the ability to swap the wheels and keep riding if you had freehub problems was a great feature. It's not super relevant to most people's applications anymore, but that's why the standard started.
personally I'm not sure why the 'front spacing' standard had to be implemented, as it doesn't really seem to have any benefit over the original rear spacing, and i would rather have the parts all be cross compatible.


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## Velo Celt (May 11, 2015)

Dirtdawg - you're right about the whole adventure bike thing. I bought my Bullseye 29+ because I wanted the 29+ wheelset for daily commuting and adventure weekend warrior camping stuff, with the option to run the full-fat wheels if I wanted. I'm guessing my bike is the same frame as a Bullseye Monster, but without someone measuring a 20" Monster to compare to my 20" 29+ we won't know for sure. Anyway, 135mm front/170mm rear seems to be kind of an odd spacing these days. Seems like more fat bikes are going 150/170, or 170/190. Most bikes with 135mm front also still have 135 rear and are like the Krampus or seems like there's a Salsa or Soma or something else like that. They ALL seem to still utilize the 135 REAR spacing. It looks like BD is the only company with 135mm FRONT spacing EXCEPT for Jones bikes. I'm NOT spending $350 on a fork for a $500 bike! There's an MRP fat bike fork that is also front spacing, but again - nearly $350. Totally not worth it for a $500 bike. The biggest advantage of front spacing over rear is a dish-less symmetrical wheel which is stronger and stiffer. Additionally there are more companies making good 135mm front spacing hubs now. However, fat bikes are growing so explosively right now that it seems like just as companies have come out with decent 135mm hubs, a lot of companies are moving to wider front ends and thru-axle as well. It's why I'm thinking I'm best off not sinking a whole lot of money into this bike. I can ride it hard for the next couple years and then see what the state of the fat bike market is at that point and upgrade. Honestly, if I'd had enough money I would've just bought the Lurch with a second set of 29+ wheels.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

The issue is, they know it's a fork for a + or fat and you wanna ride it. So, bottom line $$$ pucker up and pay 3-5 times the value cause it's time to bend peeps over...

Go figure!

Sarma has some fair prices on carbon forks. an extra $20 bill gets ya a TA vs. QR. No jump in price for a tapered steer...


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Indeed, fatbikes are evolving faster than parts can be produced.

I believe the Mukluk also uses a 170/135 spacing, as does the on-one fatty.
I think the Farley uses 170-150.


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## Velo Celt (May 11, 2015)

I looked briefly at carbon forks but I wanted direct mount braze-ons for bikepacking gear, and with a carbon fork I couldn't have that. Not even sure it's wise to use hose clamp type attachments on carbon, and with those Sarma forks, they have that funky bladed design so that makes it even less possible to attach stuff to the fork legs. Still, the ONLY 135mm front spaced fork is the Jones one, and even it only has one, ONE braze-on at mid-fork. All of the forks with decent numbers of braze-ons - Surly, Salsa, SOMA, etc. are all still 135mm rear spacing. The BD stock fork in 135mm front spacing is the ONLY thing out there with front spacing AND a decent number of braze-ons. Of course, it still bends under braking like it's going to collapse though.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Wouldn't recommend anything that will score or scratch a carbon or aluminum fork. They are guaranteed to break without warning. Just a cautionary note...


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## Velo Celt (May 11, 2015)

BansheeRune- that's why I'm just sticking with the stock fork. It's got to be the same fork as is on all the Monsters on this thread - I can't imagine that the Bullseye 29+ is anything other than a Monster with a 29+ wheelset. Therefore, if all you Monster riding guys haven't collapsed your forks yet, I'm pretty sure it's not going to happen on my bike. And who knows, maybe, just maybe, having the dropouts welded incorrectly is somehow contributing to the flexing issue? Anyway, a new fork is on the way from BD, so once I get it installed we'll see if anything changes regarding the legs flexing issue.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

If they will put up with Dirtdawg treating it like a freeride, you're prolly good to go. 
I couldn't imagine doing hooks or gaps to the front with my fatty...


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## Velo Celt (May 11, 2015)

Yeah, I think Dirtdawg has pretty much set the standard for just how much abuse a Monster will take, and I NEVER ride like that. Even when I was 20 years younger and riding mountain bikes exclusively, I still never did the crazy drops and stuff that so many folks seem to do these days. Heck, it seems like even XC riding has gotten more "EXTREME" than it was 20 years ago when I was in my heyday of off-road riding.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

I have tamed it some, but the trials bike still gets to play! The Banshee is built to withstand a good shakedown, but the fatty just will not put up with it. Gotta be a wee bit more gentle with it. Rockcrawlers are called that because they go slow and roll over stuff that would be catastrophic if it was hit at speed.


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## Velo Celt (May 11, 2015)

I always most enjoyed riding tight technical singletrack. Stuff where you had to pick your line carefully with lots of roots and some rocks, but not so much stuff with drop-offs, or carving fast turns and such. To me, the biggest kick was being able to ride up a gnarly ascent without having to put a foot down, or ride through a twisty bit of 'track also, without putting a foot down. I like going just fast enough for a mild thrill, but still slow enough that I can really take in the scenery.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Dabs are counted to keep score.

Oh, that's in trials!!


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

DD - any update on the ETA on your new frameset, are you going to post pics of your build here or on the boris page?


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## grooveface (Feb 6, 2008)

So my monster arrived last night and part swapping has been started.














And yes 203mm rotors just barely fit. I did have a bent mount for the rear disc mount but was easily fixed.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

volksbike said:


> DD - any update on the ETA on your new frameset, are you going to post pics of your build here or on the boris page?


It came in a while ago, and it looks really sharp. I never posted it because it's not a BEM anymore, and the boris thread is huge, so i cant imagine i would have anything to add. I will keep posting if you guys want, but I didnt want to clutter up the thread with off topic info.

at any rate, its got a tapered head tube and a 30.4 (WHY??) seatpost, so i ordered some parts but dont have it together yet.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Go ahead and post. It's interesting to hear how you beat the bike up. And that seatpost diameter is stupid. One of the reasons I got an older boris with the zerostack headset. I can still use a tapered fork in time with a new headset, but that seatpost size just didn't make any sense.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> It came in a while ago, and it looks really sharp. I never posted it because it's not a BEM anymore, and the boris thread is huge, so i cant imagine i would have anything to add. I will keep posting if you guys want, but I didnt want to clutter up the thread with off topic info.
> 
> at any rate, its got a tapered head tube and a 30.4 (WHY??) seatpost, so i ordered some parts but dont have it together yet.


No worries, it still has a few monster parts and we know its history...good news with the tapered fork now you can save for a Bluto! (might make it last longer?) I just wanted to see you rolling again in time for the snow...Goodluck and keep us posted on the build.


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

grooveface said:


> So my monster arrived last night and part swapping has been started.
> 
> And yes 203mm rotors just barely fit. I did have a bent mount for the rear disc mount but was easily fixed.


Looking good, man! That rear rotor looks huge!

I lucked out, not a lick of damage on mine. Even the box was in immaculate shape. I guess UPS was in great spirits that week


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## grooveface (Feb 6, 2008)

Did some more part swapping last night. We are now down to 33lbs.













Has anyone gotten their monster under 30lbs?


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## grooveface (Feb 6, 2008)

My box was completely open when they delivered it.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

I would be surprised if people could get under 30 with the stock wheelset. Going to qtubes saved me a pound from what I remember, cheap and noticible upgrade.

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk


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## grooveface (Feb 6, 2008)

I was thinking of lighter tires and qtubes or tubeless. That might equal a 2lbs drop. Lighter bottom bracket and carbon fork would probably do the trick but too much $.


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## bigeyedfish (May 30, 2013)

Lighter tubes are an amazing upgrade.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

I will gladly take the heavy old tubes. i pinch Q-tubes so fast that its not even worth it. the heavy ones hold up better, but still flat often enough to annoy me.
thinking about trying ghetto tubeless when I swap on my dedicated snow tires.


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## grooveface (Feb 6, 2008)

Took the monster out for a true shakedown run







I must say the mission tires suck. Otherwise it's a blast. I did pick up a few pounds of mud as the trail thawed out. Made it real ponderous for the ride home.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

Interesting. I'm stuck at 39 lbs on a 22" frame. The 27 TPI Nates helped me gain almost 3 lbs, but I just put the wheels on a diet of specialized 26x2.4 tubes and got the front down to 7.9 lbs and the rear is at 9.25 lbs. Better, but still pretty heavy. All these weights are done on a digital bathroom scale, so YMMV.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

grooveface said:


> Took the monster out for a true shakedown run
> 
> I must say the mission tires suck. Otherwise it's a blast. I did pick up a few pounds of mud as the trail thawed out. Made it real ponderous for the ride home.


Agreed, except that the Missions are fairly light compared to 27 TPI Nates. ;-)

:thumbsup: Nice Job on the build BTW!:


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

UPDATE on the loose fork/headset; looks like the bottom cup wasn't fully seated into the head tube. After another reset, cranking it down, and banging the front wheel on the ground, it seems to be all good. There was a noticeable gap in the bottom cup which is now gone.

Thanks again for all the suggestions/help.


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## d1rhino (Aug 10, 2009)

I got the bike put together today.

I went for the maiden voyage. I rode the street a bit to get my bearings on those big tires and then tried the snow. Not Sure what I am doing wrong, the bike sank, and the rear tire just spun out. Maybe my technique, or snow conditions (frozen crust with soft crystals underneath), or stock mission control tires...set to 3.5 psi.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

There is only so much a bike can do, your conditions sound tough. Also, the missions aren't very good overall and terrible in snow. 

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk


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## grooveface (Feb 6, 2008)

The only thing the missions are good for is.........I can't think of anything right now.


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## beardedmark (Feb 28, 2015)

@grooveface
Did that bontrager crankset bolt up nice with the stock bb? 
Also has anyone tried the 100x164 vp bb, trying to find a cheap way to move the chain line out just a little bit


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## grooveface (Feb 6, 2008)

It bolted up exactly the same and much lighter. It did move closer in when I removed the front derailleur. FSA has a 100x148mm isis bottom bracket for around 40 shipped on ebay. That might give a little more spread. If you have isis cranks sitting around.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

grooveface said:


> The only thing the missions are good for is.........I can't think of anything right now.


They're good for dry dirt, rocks and roots, but any tire should be good for dry dirt. They're also good at high pressure for gravel and bikepacking. Relatively low rolling resistance for a fatbike tire. Which is why they stink for snow and mud.


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## d1rhino (Aug 10, 2009)

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like I should do some research and go tire shopping.


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## Fltrail (Jan 5, 2007)

I'm looking to buy my first fat bike and was looking at the Monster LTD, but do not want white or red rims. Does BD switch out any parts on their bikes or sell only as listed on their web site. I'd prefer black rims.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Only what's listed. They get it in a big bike box, they ship it out in a big bike box. 

Unless the tapered headset is important, I'd go with the regular bulls eye monster and get a second set of tires. If the tapered headset is important, it's because you want a bluto. If that's the case, just get the bluto equipped bike now.


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

Quick question: will Bud and Lou fit a GBM? Actually I have a Deadeye Monster and it looks like the fork is 5" and the so are the chainstays. Is there typically an issue with the chain rubbing the tire?


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## grooveface (Feb 6, 2008)

I'm thinking you should be ok. Being a ss you should have a more centered chain line. On a GBM it might rub in a dual granny situation. This is all speculation though. I'm only running stock but there does seem to be a lot of room.


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## blown240 (Nov 4, 2009)

WoodlandHills said:


> Quick question: will Bud and Lou fit a GBM? Actually I have a Deadeye Monster and it looks like the fork is 5" and the so are the chainstays. Is there typically an issue with the chain rubbing the tire?


I don't think the Lou will fit the rear. My buddies GBM pro is in my garage, and he has a bud on the front. I really doubt it will fit in the rear, but I will give it a try later....


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## minnanation (Apr 12, 2013)

I just got an 18inch Gravity bullseye from BD. What diameter handle bar can still fit in the stock stem? I see a bunch of 35mm handlebars but I am afraid they wont fit.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

I bought mine a year ago and it came with the old 25.4mm. The kind of current standard is 31.8mm and new standard is 35mm.


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## minnanation (Apr 12, 2013)

dietz31684 said:


> I bought mine a year ago and it came with the old 25.4mm. The kind of current standard is 31.8mm and new standard is 35mm.


Well can I fit a 35mm handle bar in a stem that is meant for a 31.8mm handle bar?


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Nope.

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## grooveface (Feb 6, 2008)

I second that emotion


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

I'd get a new wide bar (~750mm) and matching diameter stem (60 to 80mm length), preferably the 31.6" clamp diameter. commonly available and cheapest option. The stock BEM handlebar width is kinda narrow compared to a lot of modern bikes.


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## beardedmark (Feb 28, 2015)

When I first got the monster I had read this whole thread and soon saw why the first upgrade almost everyone does is shorten the stem and put on a little longer bars. For $50 I soon upgraded to a shorter 31.8 stem and a new bar. 


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## beardedmark (Feb 28, 2015)

volksbike said:


> Upgraded to 10 speed XT today, with new cable and one piece housing which improved shifting and gear range (11-36) quite a bit, especially like the 22-36 granny! Field tested on a stellar ride today over some hilly terrain...Happy New Year to All!
> 
> View attachment 1039439
> 
> ...


What's your chain clearance like in the granny now? I am really close to trying the 164mm bb, having an issue rubbing in granny running floaters on 80 mm rims and there are a lot of sandy hill climbs where I ride the most. My concern is that moving the chain line out that 20 mm may screw up the chain line too much while on the big cog in a 2x. Anyone else mess around with this yet?

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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Had mine out today too, performed flawless like usual. This bike continues to impress.









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## TrailMasonJones (Apr 24, 2011)

Been having a blast on my Monster for over a 1000 miles now. I have 2 questions that you guys might be able to help me with i read through the last 70 some pages and didn't see the answers i was looking for so time to ask.
1. how much dose the stock fork weigh? I know i can take it apart and find out for myself but was hoping to save myself the trouble.
2. is the BEM 29+ that bikes direct sells the exact same frame just a different wheel-set? I have been thinking about a 29+ wheel-set for some of my summer trail riding.

Any help much appreciated.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

i have 2 of the stock fork kicking around, i will try to get you a weight on it in the next couple days.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

TrailMasonJones said:


> 1. how much does the stock fork weigh?


Hey Cliff, time to lighten the front end? If you're looking at alloy, the Minnesota fork is a good fit, if the BEM's headtube is short enough. The House pre-cuts the steer tubes to 195mm (I asked them), and it was too short for my XL boris, but might work on the BEM. fits a 29er tire, but not sure about 29+. considering it has a longer axle-crown measurement than the moonlander fork which can take 26x5" tires, I think it would be good.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

beardedmark said:


> What's your chain clearance like in the granny now? I am really close to trying the 164mm bb, having an issue rubbing in granny running floaters on 80 mm rims and there are a lot of sandy hill climbs where I ride the most. My concern is that moving the chain line out that 20 mm may screw up the chain line too much while on the big cog in a 2x. Anyone else mess around with this yet?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Clearance is fine about 1/2" in 22-36.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

dietz31684 said:


> I bought mine a year ago and it came with the old 25.4mm. The kind of current standard is 31.8mm and new standard is 35mm.


35mm? :madman: Great...i was just gathering a collection of 31.8 bars and stems! cant stand in the way of progress...


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

volksbike said:


> 35mm? :madman: Great...i was just gathering a collection of 31.8 bars and stems! cant stand in the way of progress...


ignore progress. 31.8" isn't going anywhere.

fat tires and thru-axles on the other hand, progress wins.


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## beardedmark (Feb 28, 2015)

Volksbike what tire and rim you running in back?


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

Had the first real snow in Central Ohio yesterday/today.

I'm not 100% sure why people have such issues with the stock tires.

Ripped a few miles on unplowed road, large grassy fields, and through some lightly wooded areas with drifts up to 8-10 inches with no issues at all.

Was running 4 psi up front and 6 psi in the rear.

Maybe it's a weight issue? I'm 260lbs. so maybe that helps things compared to other folks?

It could also be the Mission's performance in deeper snow or more technical terrain which I have no experience with yet?

Either way, I couldn't imagine shelling out more $ on other tires when the stock ones performed as well as they did in today's conditions which are going to be 90% of the worst type of weather I see in my neck of the woods and 90% of the most technical terrain I plan on riding.


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## TrailMasonJones (Apr 24, 2011)

watts888 said:


> Hey Cliff, time to lighten the front end? If you're looking at alloy, the Minnesota fork is a good fit, if the BEM's headtube is short enough. The House pre-cuts the steer tubes to 195mm (I asked them), and it was too short for my XL boris, but might work on the BEM. fits a 29er tire, but not sure about 29+. considering it has a longer axle-crown measurement than the moonlander fork which can take 26x5" tires, I think it would be good.


Ya was talking to a friend up north and he has a never ridden slightly scratched framed Minnesota 2.0 fork that he offered to send me if i payed shipping claimed weight is 2lbs. So posted up on here to see if the savings was even worth my time. Then i got smart and told him to ship the dang thing even if it sits in my shop better to have a backup fork for $15 then no back up.


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## JuniorOverland (Jan 10, 2016)

Got my Monster just over a month ago mostly thanks to this thread. I'm still pretty much a novice at Mountain Biking but I really love the way this thing feels.



Like everyone else, the handlebar had to go. Picked up a 3T Extendo carbon and a Felt 90mm stem from the local bike shop. Also threw on some Shimano flats.





I love this bike. Want to get some 45NRTH Helva pedals next.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

beardedmark said:


> Volksbike what tire and rim you running in back?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Stock GBM 80mm rims Nate 3.8's 27 tpi with 26x2.4 tubes at 3.5 psi...:thumbsup: Would like to try tubeless but the beads are very loose on the stock rims.

I felt the rims bottom out on rocks a couple times this am, but no flats yet. How low can you go with this set up? So far the 27 tpi Nates are heavy wire bead & tough sidewall tires and i get to try them out in the new snow tomm AM. They didn't do great on the ice waterfall across the trail today, but it could have been the riders technique...It made me wonder if they make chains for fat bikes...:idea:


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## MUSTCLIME (Jan 26, 2004)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> It came in a while ago, and it looks really sharp. I never posted it because it's not a BEM anymore, and the boris thread is huge, so i cant imagine i would have anything to add. I will keep posting if you guys want, but I didnt want to clutter up the thread with off topic info.
> 
> at any rate, its got a tapered head tube and a 30.4 (WHY??) seatpost, so i ordered some parts but dont have it together yet.


come over to the dark side......


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

volksbike said:


> It made me wonder if they make chains for fat bikes...:idea:


I was thinking about this the other day, and I don't think we'd want to use a traditional tire chain design because it will easily hit the chainstays. Could always try a smaller tire for more clearance, but that's just crazy talk. I've heard of commuters using zip ties to add traction in snow, but I don't think that'll work well on ice or fatbikes because they'd slide around from low pressure.

Only good tire chain idea I can think of would use small chains on only the tread section of the tire, and some sort of elastic band to hold it tight around the tire (allows chainstay clearance). I'd still be concerned of the chains sliding off the tread on turns or when powering up hill though.

End of day, tire studs win again.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

watts888 said:


> I was thinking about this the other day, and I don't think we'd want to use a traditional tire chain design because it will easily hit the chainstays. Could always try a smaller tire for more clearance, but that's just crazy talk. I've heard of commuters using zip ties to add traction in snow, but I don't think that'll work well on ice or fatbikes because they'd slide around from low pressure.
> 
> Only good tire chain idea I can think of would use small chains on only the tread section of the tire, and some sort of elastic band to hold it tight around the tire (allows chainstay clearance). I'd still be concerned of the chains sliding off the tread on turns or when powering up hill though.
> 
> End of day, tire studs win again.


I did find a company (Slipnot) that makes them in Colorado on some old mtbr posts, (do I really need to add 5 lbs to my already 9 lb wheels?) Also some DIY examples on hardware store chains secured by zip ties or bungie cords...(my 2 favorite tools along with duct tape...)

Anyway today the conditions totally changed and I did not need them:

This 'ice waterfall' uphill section of the trail was largely impassable yesterday:









However today was a different story with a light dusting that acted like sandpaper over the ice!









I don't think my tire slipped once and as I was cresting the hill, I was glad not to have another 5-10 lbs on the wheels... :thumbsup:


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

tendertoe said:


> Had the first real snow in Central Ohio yesterday/today.
> 
> I'm not 100% sure why people have such issues with the stock tires.
> 
> ...


Snow comes in a lot of different forms, some are better than others. Despite what most people say, i also think that the missions are fine for a lot of things. they do have a limit though, and in snow that wont pack as well, something aggressive like a nate will have a huge advantage.

At the end of the day the only thing that matters to me is having fun. if you're having fun on your bike, don't worry about other people's opinions.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Snow comes in a lot of different forms, some are better than others.


Another classic DD quote!


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Snow comes in a lot of different forms, some are better than others.


 True.



dirtdawg21892 said:


> Despite what most people say, i also think that the missions are fine for a lot of things. they do have a limit though, and in snow that wont pack as well, something aggressive like a nate will have a huge advantage.


Good point. The way people talk about them it sounds like the bike is unrideable on anything other than pavement until you swap out the tires.



dirtdawg21892 said:


> At the end of the day the only thing that matters to me is having fun. if you're having fun on your bike, don't worry about other people's opinions.


 So true! I feel like a kid again riding this thing. Anytime I see a curb I'm jumping off it or a hill I'm trying to ride up and over it.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

*Nate 3.8 27 TPI next to Mission Command 4.0 72 TPI*









The Missions are 33-50% lighter (better acceleration & faster turing response?) more supple and "Tubeless Ready." I would like to try running these tubeless, just need to find the Schrader tubeless valves to use on the stock GBM rims.

The 27 TPI Nates are well proven, heavy, with tough stiff sidewalls and provide excellent overall traction in many conditions except uphill ice water falls.  I found a difference on wet rocks and leaves where I was slipping on the MC's the Nates gripped better. I also like the feel on rocky downhill decents where 1 bad slip while braking can ruin your ride.

Personally I couldn't get over the initial self steering property of the MC's although I never tried them above 10 psi...which would have corrected it...I agree they could be good for riding on the road, or bikepacking on/off road touring. 
I'm keeping my MC's and may try them in the spring...unless someone would like to trade the pair for a used bud?


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## blown240 (Nov 4, 2009)

I bet a Bud ft and Nate rr would be amazing!


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

blown240 said:


> I bet a Bud ft and Nate rr would be amazing!


:thumbsup:

Yep...Been trying to get my hands on a used Bud - the new ones are $$$...


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## TrailMasonJones (Apr 24, 2011)

Well i think I'm done with the GBM. Changed out the fork for a aluminum one yesterday and now have the weight of my 22" fram monster down to 32lb 11oz. Not bad for almost all the upgrades mostly x7 stuff coming out of my cast off bin and not a single speck of freaking carbon touching the bike. I was going to post a few pics but they are to big need to re-size them. 

FYI for anyone thinking about replacing the fork my stock fork was 3lb 9oz. replaced with a 2lb. 1oz. framed Minnesota 2.o had to have a extension to the steer tube welded on as it was about an inch to short for my setup with all spacers removed and stock headset.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

TrailMasonJones said:


> ... Minnesota 2.o had to have a extension to the steer tube welded on as it was about an inch to short for my setup with all spacers removed and stock headset.


Braver man than I. Really wish Framed wouldn't cut their steer tubes. They'd probably sell a lot more after market if they didn't. One of the few cheap but good quality alloy 135mm fat forks with a front brake spacing.


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## countingrabbits (Jan 16, 2016)

Mine was delivered this am. In short if you're on the fence, go ahead and pull the triger (supplies could be getting low as they didn't have my size in white or gloss black). Its a lot of bike for $499 and way exceeded my expectations!

Looking for a (cheap) back up bike I'm suprised to say, I can see how with the right tweaks (suspension, better tires, a few component upgrades etc) this could turn into my 'go to rig'.
Took more time to unpack than to assemble. No issues at all. Frame arrived perfect. Wheels true and shifting is super smooth (actually very impressed with how this bike shifts (the 11-34 Shimano HG cassette may be a factory upgrade?) Used alcohol to clean the rotors. Front rotor arrived clean, while the back had a good bit of oil residue. Hard to tell it had oil until I hit it with the alcohol.
Current upgrades are/will be typical new (wider) bars, (shorter) stem and seat post, all yet to arrive. Added egg beater pedals and a temporary saddle until my new one arrives. Eventually I plan to make some brackets for an old Cannondale lefty fork I have stashed away, and lace a rim to a cdale hub. The hold up on the brackets are the measurements. Once I have those I'll be fabing the brackets and mounting the fork. 
This being my first fat bike I may not be the best person to review, but maybe someone will find my jabbering helpful. 
Shake down tonight on some single track with varying conditions from wet thin snow, wet rocks, super slimy mud to semi hard pack. Snow could be better, wet rocks I thought it was great!, super slick mud not so great(tread loaded easily and didnt want to clean at slow speeds although at faster speeds they seem to clean fine), semi hard pack I thought fantastic. So I give the tires a pass and will do for me until I wear them out and will be upgraded at that time. As I stated earlier Shifting was surprisingly smooth and snappy. I didn't think I'd like the shifters (felt like cheap plastic and figured they'd get changed), but was surprised they felt fine on the trail.
Braking is what I expected from mechanical disc. Not horrible infact probably decent and did improve the longer I rode. I probably won't upgrade to hydraulic until these wear out or something brakes. In the right conditions(even wet rocks) the bike climbed extremely well. I can see where these tires struggle in deeper snow. 
Descending, the steep head tube angle shows up. I hope the shorter stem will help (also plan to play with the rake with the lefty fork) also hoping the wider bars help with the self steer I was getting. Although I was running the tires with pretty low pressure so not surprised by self steer. One last thing I should mention is the frame seems to run small or maybe its me lol. Im 5'9 and went with a 16" and it seems tiny. The seat post is at its maximum and maybe beyond. Kinda wish id gone with the next size up. I like running a short stem, wide bars combo but with this top tube being so short the factor 60mm stem is probably plenty short. I do plan to go shorter basically because I dont like my hands out over the axle. Hopefully the new shorter stem will work out. We'll see. figured I should mention this because after reading this entire thread (the reason I went with the GBM) I don't recall anyone else mentioning their frame not aligning with the sizing chart.

So major shout out to the OP and everyone else who contributed to this thread. Much appreciated. Its been extremely helpfull!!!
Happy trails


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

Right on, cr. I am still having good times on mine but have yet to take it anywhere for a "real" ride. Soon I hope!


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## akacoke (May 11, 2011)

these new GBMs with drilled singlewall rims looks much better that the double wall solid rims i got from the earlier bikes


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

*GBM Shimano 8-Speed rear drive bits...free stuff!*

Howdy- I have GBM 8spd parts for anyone willing to cover shipping- a busted Sram shifter (cable & housing), 11-34 cassette, chain and X4 RD.

First come first served, so please put it to use, otherwise it will sit in my parts bin forever...Thanks!

Update- Shipped on 1/20 to Luis in Texas - goodluck with the 8 speed conversion...


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

volksbike said:


> Howdy- I have GBM 8spd parts for anyone willing to cover shipping- a busted Sram shifter (cable & housing), 11-34 cassette, chain and X4 RD.
> 
> First come first served, so please put it to use, otherwise it will sit in my parts bin forever...Thanks!
> 
> View attachment 1043866


Hi, PM sent.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

Great- Looks like free stuff goes quick around here, thanks!


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

volksbike said:


> Great- Looks like free stuff goes quick around here, thanks!


Sure does! makes me wish I checked a few hours ago. Let me know if that deal falls through


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

*Bushwacking in the woods on the GBM this am...*

This thing just keeps on rollin' - who needs a trail? :thumbsup:


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

Hey guys, I was wondering if someone who upgraded to 10,11 or 13 speed has the SRAM x4 8 speed shifter available. I need a x4 shifter and if you think you'll never use it again I have a trek marlin 5 that needs it desperately. I just picked up a cassette and a derailleur but I still need the shifter. I have PayPal for the shipping. Thanks.

UPDATE: I got the shifter. Thanks to blidner and volksbike for the goodies.


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

Luis_fx35 said:


> Hey guys, I was wondering if someone who upgraded to 10,11 or 13 speed has the SRAM x4 8 speed shifter available. I need a x4 shifter and if you think you'll never use it again I have a trek marlin 5 that needs it desperately. I just picked up a cassette and a derailleur but I still need the shifter. I have PayPal for the shipping. Thanks.


Browsing around on Amazon and found them for 21 with free shipping.


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

Anyone gone tubeless with the stock rims and tires?

I am having the toughest time getting either of the beads to seat on the rim without the tube in there.

I'm using the method here -






I've gotten to the step where you deflate the tube and break loose one side of the tire from the rim to remove the tube but both sides of the tire just break loose from the rim once you deflate the tube.

I've tried to inflate the tube and tire off the rim entirely overnight to give the tire some "memory". I have also tried to duct tape around the tire/rim to keep it in place when the tube gets deflated. Neither of these methods helped.

It seems like the tire/rim combo can't possibly work tubeless as the tires are so loose on the rims, but I may be missing something.

Can someone verify that I'm not messing something up by giving this a try up through the step I mentioned?

You don't need to buy anything extra or do anything permanently to your tires/rims to try it. Inflate the tube to 20-25psi. Let sit for a bit. Then, deflate the tube and attempt to only break loose one side of the tire from the rim. When I do this, both sides just slump off the rim.

I reached out to BD to see if anyone had actually tried to run this tire/rim combo tubeless before and I was reassured that the tires were "tubeless ready".

My thought though is just because the tire is tubeless ready doesn't necessarily mean that it will work with a given rim. Is this a correct assumption?


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

The trouble is likely that your rim doesn't have a UST style beadseat. Since there is not a groove for the bead to snap into the tire falls away from the edge of the rim when you deflate. Use some sill foam around the rim to build up the inside of the rim so bead is snug on the rim. Sill foam is available at most building supply stores such as Lowes.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

> UPDATE: I got the shifter. Thanks to blidner and volksbike for the goodies.


Sweet ! Ride on brother...goodluck with ur 8 speed conversion! :thumbsup:

Please post a picture when you are done...


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

tendertoe said:


> My thought though is just because the tire is tubeless ready doesn't necessarily mean that it will work with a given rim. Is this a correct assumption?


I'm shooting from the hip here, but I found the MC tires loose on the BD rims and no one has reported success with tubeless yet as far as I know. The way these rims mate up to the tire makes it very easy to break the bead and leaves you open to 'burping' where you loose all the psi at once! I was wondering if you could use some of the 'glue' that tubeless car tires use, similar to a kind of rubber cement? Just an idea.......


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

BansheeRune said:


> The trouble is likely that your rim doesn't have a UST style beadseat. Since there is not a groove for the bead to snap into the tire falls away from the edge of the rim when you deflate. Use some sill foam around the rim to build up the inside of the rim so bead is snug on the rim. Sill foam is available at most building supply stores such as Lowes.


Thanks for the tip. However, I tried the foam method lastnight and it also didn't work (also tried the "string method" with and without foam with no luck).



volksbike said:


> I'm shooting from the hip here, but I found the MC tires loose on the BD rims and no one has reported success with tubeless yet as far as I know. The way these rims mate up to the tire makes it very easy to break the bead and leaves you open to 'burping' where you loose all the psi at once! I was wondering if you could use some of the 'glue' that tubeless car tires use, similar to a kind of rubber cement? Just an idea.......


I'm beginning to think this is the case - that it's just a bad match of rim/tire for going tubeless.

If this is the case, it kind of sucks that they're marketed as if tubeless is possible out of the box (the stock tires are listed on the site as "tubeless ready" which it doesn't matter if the tires are tubeless ready if they don't work tubeless with the stock rims).

Once again, I suppose it could be user error, but I've given just about every possible method a try for tubeless with no luck.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

The issue is in the rim. I don't think you would have any better luck with different tires. I don't mind tubes, but I'm studding my missions with kold kutters and it would be a whole lot easier to set up tubeless. With tubes I'll have to grind down each screw point from the inside after installation (talking 125 per tire!), then glue in a liner before installing tubes. 

Anyone have a better suggestion? I thought of just putting a dab of silicon caulk on each screw after grinding the point off (and skip the liner), but fear it way peel away eventually and expose the bare screw end to the tube.


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## grooveface (Feb 6, 2008)

I'm wondering if the split tube method would work. I was attempting it with some 20" tubes but they didn't make it even to the side walls.


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

Give it one last try using really thick sill plate foam under the split tube. Use as much as you can, that always works for me with stubborn rim/tire combinations. The thick foam forces the tire out against the bead and holds the split tube in place too. It's a ***** to pull the tube even along the rim edge, but it can be done. Recheck tire pressure after a couple of hours to allow the foam to fully collapse onto the rim, then it will maintain pressure.

I use orange seal tape and sub-zero sealant. It works well and cleans up easily.


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## JuniorOverland (Jan 10, 2016)

Finally got time to hit the trail for the first time in a couple weeks. We still don't have a lot of snow up here in Northwest Ohio but I made the best of it and enjoyed every moment.





I'm still learning this sport and today felt fantastic; first time conquering some certain obstacles, first time riding in the snow (depths varying between none and 6 inches), and also the longest ride I have done yet.


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## grooveface (Feb 6, 2008)

Post blizzard ride. I did take it out yesterday during the storm. I was on it everytime I went out to shovel. Took it down the sledding hill today with the kids. Good times.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

*DIY Nates in Chains...*

Today's project...worked pretty good in 6" of fresh powder! :thumbsup:

8 links of light hardware store chain & mini bungee cords shortened to custom length.

No clearance issues, but I did lose one chain/bungees combo out of 16 during my ride today. I do think the chains helps the Nates dig in the soft pow...still could spin the rear wheel though...


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Clever, Volksbike!


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

WoodlandHills said:


> Give it one last try using really thick sill plate foam under the split tube. Use as much as you can, that always works for me with stubborn rim/tire combinations. The thick foam forces the tire out against the bead and holds the split tube in place too. It's a ***** to pull the tube even along the rim edge, but it can be done. Recheck tire pressure after a couple of hours to allow the foam to fully collapse onto the rim, then it will maintain pressure.
> 
> I use orange seal tape and sub-zero sealant. It works well and cleans up easily.


I do think the split tube method with more foam may help as the tire will have the split tube to "bite down on" to give it some traction when attempting to seat and the additional foam will assist in pushing the sidewalls outward.

However, I've already spent hours upon hours attempting to go tubeless that I'm kind of fed up at this point with this particular project - not to mention more/thicker foam and 2 new tubes would be more $ I'd have to sink into this project.

I may circle back to this sometime, but for now, it was just kind of supposed to be a fun tinkering type of project that has turned into more of a headache for no real benefit for me at the moment (not terribly concerned with rolling weight, etc.).

Don't get me wrong, I still love the bike. I'm out on it 6 out of 7 days a week. The tubeless project has me pulling my hair out a bit though.


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## bigeyedfish (May 30, 2013)

I have the 50mm rims. I gave up almost immediately. When I deflated the tires to give it a shot, they pretty much fell off the rims, and I decided in this case tubeless wasn't going to be worth the effort. I have been running lightweight tubes for a while and haven't had a single problem with them. That's good enough for me.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

grooveface said:


> I'm wondering if the split tube method would work. I was attempting it with some 20" tubes but they didn't make it even to the side walls.


I've heard split tube method works with sill foam, but as you said, more $. I'll probably end up trying it, but I've already got tubes and sill foam. I was also planning on "gluing" the tire to one side of the split tube by putting in the split tube, then a regular tube, and using black silicone caulk on one of the beads. Once it's dry, take the tube out and set up the second side a little easier. I figure it'll be hard to burp the tire if it's downright glued to the split-tube.

For the 20" tire not making it for rim width, a friend of mine mentioned using a 29er tire. You do the standard split tube cut, but then also cut it across on the furthest side from the valve, throw a little sealant on the overlap as glue, and tape down the overlap ends. Once dry, this gives you the bigger width from a 29er tire, a decent amount of overlap so it won't come separated, and any diameter you want without having to pull the tube super tight around the rim. He left all the rim overlap on so it was easy for him to swap tires. This was on a surly rim, so a guarantee that it has a better bead lock than the gravity's.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

several of my friends are running split tubes on DHL80's, it is possible.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

Here are some good pictures of how to build up a bead with wire or rope that will hold the tire in place to seat it to the rim on this thread: See post from wrkgstiff

http://forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/budget-weinman-100mm-80mm-rims-827126.html#post10068966

I had to see the pictures, now I get it when folks referring to building up the bead with twine or wire...and then going over it with gorilla tape!


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

volksbike said:


> Here are some good pictures of how to build up a bead with wire or rope that will hold the tire in place to seat it to the rim on this thread: See post from wrkgstiff
> 
> http://forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/budget-weinman-100mm-80mm-rims-827126.html#post10068966
> 
> I had to see the pictures, now I get it when folks referring to building up the bead with twine or wire...and then going over it with gorilla tape!


I like the idea. I also like "supervisor cat".

"Your doing it wrong. Feed me stupid human."


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

I've been riding that replacement frame for a while now and I like it a lot.










It's steep and low because I don't have a suspension corrected fork, and it's very long for me, but I've been having fun with it.










It took me a while to get it together, because I needed a new headset and seat post. the front derailleur wasn't compatible either, but that's ok because I wanted to go 1x anyway, but it's something to be aware of.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Lookin good, Dirtdawg! Hold on tight and enjoy the ride, Brother...


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

And don't try to wreck this one.

Ah, who am I kidding, destroy away.


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## MUSTCLIME (Jan 26, 2004)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> I've been riding that replacement frame for a while now and I like it a lot.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Frame is designed for a 120mm bluto....or the carbon fork with the 15mm through axle. Your head angle is super steep. its supose to look like this...


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> I've been riding that replacement frame for a while now and I like it a lot....I've been having fun with it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Dawg- That frame looks sweet, nice build! Did you take your granny ring off the crank? Are you running Floaters on 50mm rims?

Now you just need:

Option 1: A rattle can fluorescent green (Plastic Coat) to match the GBM fork...

Option 2: (Put your fork choice in here...I say a Bluto, but it doesn't look to be tapered if your are running the GBM fork?)

Great to see you are rolling again!

BTW- This happened to me today, first flat on the GBM, running undersized tubes and too low pressure (3.5 psi?) I felt the wheel start to spin going up a hill and this is what I saw when I looked down at my tire...:eekster:


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

volksbike said:


> Option 2: (Put your fork choice in here...I say a Bluto, but it doesn't look to be tapered if your are running the GBM fork?)


The boris frame will take a tapered fork with an external cup zero stack headset. Cane Creek makes one. Of course, have to change the front wheel's hub also.

I'd rattle can the fork black and do some green and white pin striping.


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## joebikesdirect (Sep 5, 2014)

This is very clever!
Perhaps replace the bungies with velcro straps? That would have less play and nearly zero chance of coming loose. Lighter and lower profile too. 
May want to double the number of chains too as it seems there is a sizeable gap between chains on the tire. 
Kudos for the fatbike snow chains !

http://evaq8.co.uk/images/D/image%20(81).jpg



volksbike said:


> Today's project...worked pretty good in 6" of fresh powder! :thumbsup:
> 
> 8 links of light hardware store chain & mini bungee cords shortened to custom length.
> 
> ...


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

joebikesdirect said:


> This is very clever!
> Perhaps replace the bungies with velcro straps? That would have less play and nearly zero chance of coming loose. Lighter and lower profile too.
> May want to double the number of chains too as it seems there is a sizeable gap between chains on the tire.
> Kudos for the fatbike snow chains !


Thanks...
The bungees on the front worked fine, but with the extra torque from the rear drive wheel, they tended to stretch out too far, which in turn moved the chains back an inch or 2 on the knobbies. Nothing broke or came apart, but like you said a leather or velcro strap that can hold the tension better would improve this design. 8 chains worked pretty good for traction, but 16 would be better, except for the double weight on the wheel.

Here is a picture of the stretched bungees on the rear wheel after 3-4 days of snow rides, it got to the point where is was putting alot of extra tension on the spokes, shhh  don't tell the manufacturer!


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

volksbike said:


> Thanks...
> The bungees on the front worked fine, but with the extra torque from the rear drive wheel, they tended to stretch out too far, which in turn moved the chains back an inch or 2 on the knobbies. Nothing broke or came apart, but like you said a leather or velcro strap that can hold the tension better would improve this design. 8 chains worked pretty good for traction, but 16 would be better, except for the double weight on the wheel.
> 
> Here is a picture of the stretched bungees on the rear wheel after 3-4 days of snow rides, it got to the point where is was putting alot of extra tension on the spokes, shhh  don't tell the manufacturer!
> ...


Heck, I'd use some thick zip ties. No worry of stretching or slippage, impervious to wet, cold conditions, and easily replaced as needed.


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## cousin bear80 (Dec 24, 2015)

Hi i line in Missouri and I am s friend of Oldbear. Hr wanted to relay the follopost to you all. 
..Hi e dry one! Just wanted to comment on Dirtdawgs new ride. It's really awesome! My GBM HAS 1526 miles on it. The only change I ha


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## cousin bear80 (Dec 24, 2015)

Hi everyone. Oldbear was in to. The hospital today due to an extteme reflux attack. So. Here's a post from Fromm him. Hello I just wanted to add ThT After 1200 miles the mission tires were worn out and with as much as I ride I needed new rubber. Sven and Uncle Gomez sent me two used tires. O.e Vee rubber snoshoe XL and one H-billie. The XL is a 4.8 and fits the ffork really well and the h-billie
es
measures 4.25.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

rob5589 said:


> Heck, I'd use some thick zip ties. No worry of stretching or slippage, impervious to wet, cold conditions, and easily replaced as needed.


The right length zip ties would work well...many things bike related can be solved with zip ties, bungee cords and duct tape! Tools of the trade. :thumbsup:


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

volksbike said:


> The right length zip ties would work well...many things bike related can be solved with *zip ties, bungee cords and duct tape*! Tools of the trade. :thumbsup:


Don't forget the BFH (big f%^king hammer)


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## Tiboy (Dec 10, 2012)

My neighbor bought a GBM, nice bike for 5 bills but the front end felt really sluggish with the stock tires. There was an improvement when he installed a set of Vanhelgas. Is the geometry weird on this bike? Probably unfair to compare the feel to my 9:zero:7.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Tiboy said:


> My neighbor bought a GBM, nice bike for 5 bills but the front end felt really sluggish with the stock tires. There was an improvement when he installed a set of Vanhelgas. Is the geometry weird on this bike? Probably unfair to compare the feel to my 9:zero:7.


They came with Vee missions. Those tires handle like a sack of concrete.
Very unfair to compare to 907, apples and oranges.


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## rsilvers (Aug 23, 2015)

?

Vee Missions are street cruiser tires. They are not heavy and I don't know why they would handle like a sack of concrete. The problem with them are that they are poor traction on trails. They also have self steer at lower pressures. 

If the front end felt heavy then that could be too long a stem or too low a bar position.


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## Boo Bear (Aug 11, 2008)

The Hillbillies on my wife's GBM LTD have been gripping great.


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## Tiboy (Dec 10, 2012)

BansheeRune said:


> They came with Vee missions. Those tires handle like a sack of concrete.
> Very unfair to compare to 907, apples and oranges.


I'm sure the narrow 620 bars impacted the way the front end felt too.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

rsilvers said:


> ?
> 
> Vee Missions are street cruiser tires. They are not heavy and I don't know why they would handle like a sack of concrete. The problem with them are that they are poor traction on trails. They also have self steer at lower pressures.
> 
> If the front end felt heavy then that could be too long a stem or too low a bar position.


I had the opportunity to ride em on several bikes with a setup that works quite well for me with other tires and they just aren't my cup o tea.



Tiboy said:


> I'm sure the narrow 620 bars impacted the way the front end felt too.


No power steering? Doh! 620's are great when you need to ride with handcuffs on.


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

It's good to see this thread continue to help potential and new Monster owners as it helped me.

Some notes from recent tinkering I have done with my Monster (50mm) and my wife's (80mm)...

I converted hers to 10 speed (12-36) and it has made it easier for her. No problems at all. X5 shifter, SRAM cassette, X7 derailleur and KMC chain all worked fine. I'll probably change the BB and crank/rings at some point, but no hurry. Mine lasted almost 800 miles, with neglect and abuse.

I put my front Floater on the back of her bike. It works great on either size rim. I got her a Kenda Juggernaut 4.5 for the front, but she says it feels like a truck with that tire, so I am going to try an easier-rolling front tire for trails and pavement. I have a Larry 3.8 I'm going to try on it, while keeping the Juggernaut for beach and snow.

I'll install hydraulic brakes on her bike next. No matter what I do with her brakes, they squeal. The DB1s were a great upgrade on mine, and came standard on my Farley. 

One odd thing: When I tried her 80mm wheels on my bike, the rear tire rubbed. The chainstays on her bike are flattened at the bend, and mine are not. It's not much of a rub -- I could probably trim the tire a bit -- but it's enough to make me not buy 80mm wheels for mine, which I had considered.


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## afterhours (Sep 1, 2005)

Wildbird99 said:


> One odd thing: When I tried her 80mm wheels on my bike, the rear tire rubbed. The chainstays on her bike are flattened at the bend, and mine are not. It's not much of a rub -- I could probably trim the tire a bit -- but it's enough to make me not buy 80mm wheels for mine, which I had considered.


For what it's worth I just put fatback uma rims (70mm) on my monster that originally came with the 50mm rims and with Jumbo Jim 4.0 tires i don't have any chainstay rubbing. I did have very minor tire rub on the chain after upgrading to 10 speed when in the lowest gear but a new crankset resolved that.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

volksbike said:


> Dawg- That frame looks sweet, nice build! Did you take your granny ring off the crank? Are you running Floaters on 50mm rims?
> 
> Now you just need:
> 
> ...


Thanks!

yes i'm running the floaters on 50's.
and i got the GBM fork onto the tapered headset with an FSA reducer. it's a wider race that you press onto the fork to get it into the 1.5" lower bearing cup. 
I would love a longer fork, but i'm not about to run out and buy a new bluto (and front wheel). If i find a good deal on a used fork i may spring for it, but I actually just spurged for the TI sturgis (oops)!
I will probably keep this one so my friends can ride with me. I may try to weld up a longer fork as a fun project over the summer or something, but for now i've just been riding it and doing my best to avoid the pedal strikes.
(another thought i had was putting a snowshoe 2xl on the front, that should jack it up pretty good)


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## Aly (Sep 14, 2015)

I was able to fit 26x 4.00 inch tire on the rear wheel of the 300$ knockout gravity bike


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## owensky (Oct 19, 2015)

Can anyone tell me if this fork will work on the bullseye monster? http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/FOOOCFAT/on-one-carbon-fatty-fork

Thanks in advance

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

owensky said:


> Can anyone tell me if this fork will work on the bullseye monster? On-One Carbon Fatty Fork | On - One


Yes. It's set up for a rear brake offset, but you can change the BEM front hub to a rear offset (or I assume you can. I could on my Boris, which should have the same quality hub) by swap over the cup & cone lockdown nut and washers.

Since it has a carbon steerer, I'd look at a cartridge bearing headset. I wouldn't want to risk using a traditional race on a carbon steer tube. The hammering on process would concern me.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Aly said:


> I was able to fit 26x 4.00 inch tire on the rear wheel of the 300$ knockout gravity bike
> View attachment 1047028
> View attachment 1047032


Nice, what tires and do you have a link?


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

They're chao yang tires. Very similar to panaracer fat b nimble I believe.

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk


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## cousin bear80 (Dec 24, 2015)

THIS POST IS FROM OLDBEAR : WHEN 
MY. MISDIONS WORE OUT AFTER 1200 miles, I REPLACED THEM WITH TWO TIRES I REÇIEVED AD A GIFT. THE FRONT TIRE IS A VEE SNOWSHOE 26"X4.80 ON THE 50MM RIM. THE. REAR IS A VEE. H-BILLIE 26"X4.25. THESE TIRES FOT AND PERFORM EXCELLENTLY. JUST SO YOU K.OW THIS. POST IS MAI
,
I. AM. OT ANGRY. I JUST CAN'T ALWAYS READ THE LETTERS. PEACE OLDBEAR AND. '


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> Thanks!
> ...but I actually just spurged for the TI sturgis (oops)!
> I will probably keep this one so my friends can ride with me. I may try to weld up a longer fork as a fun project over the summer or something, but for now i've just been riding it and doing my best to avoid the pedal strikes.
> (another thought i had was putting a snowshoe 2xl on the front, that should jack it up pretty good)


Dawg - Congrats on your new bike! Looks like it may fit Bud & Lou and maybe 2XL's ??...:idea:


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

owensky said:


> Can anyone tell me if this fork will work on the bullseye monster? On-One Carbon Fatty Fork | On - One
> 
> Thanks in advance


Hhhmmm- It looks like a 1 1/8 non tapered steerer tube, so you should good there. The only issue you might run in to is where the lower headset bearings mate up to the crown race top of the carbon fork, "clearance issues." You may not be able to determine unless you try it with the GBM frame? Pretty good price on the fork, but it looks like shipping from the UK may be $$$.

Goodluck!


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

volksbike said:


> Dawg - Congrats on your new bike! Looks like it may fit Bud & Lou and maybe 2XL's ??...:idea:


The new boris frame has only slightly more clearance than the GBM.
No 2xl's on the sturgis or bluto either, but I saw a Vincent the other day with a 2xl up front. I believe the GBM uses pretty much the same fork, so it got me thinking about it as a way to lift the front end.


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## Xethur (Dec 6, 2014)

beardedmark said:


> @grooveface
> Did that bontrager crankset bolt up nice with the stock bb?
> Also has anyone tried the 100x164 vp bb, trying to find a cheap way to move the chain line out just a little bit


I'm running the 100x164 bb and it does improve tire clearence, but the chainline for the low gears isn't great. Also I'm running a 24t chainring on the 64bdc position. If you run a normal 32 chainring on the 104bdc position the chainline will probably eat cassettes regularly. Post #1604 on page 65 has some pictures of my setup.


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## davethebiker (Feb 1, 2016)

Sorry if I brought up an old thread here, but I am on the fence on a Gravity BEM about to pull the trigger on the 80mm rim version, and I am hesitating. I live in Minnesota, where we normally get a fair amount of snow (although the last few years has been lacking) and we have some decent singletrack as well (albeit a tad flat compared to other stuff out there). I plan to use whatever I purchase as my "do it all" bike, from commuting, to MTB, monster trucking snow to hauling my son around in a trailer. Sadly my budget is slim right at the 500 marker, so I think my concerns lie in that I don't want to pick it up and wipe out my whole budget to then have to sink more money into it because it is awful. I am a former shop Service Manager, so labor isn't an issue, just extra money for parts. So that said, is the BEM a solid bike for the stuff I would use it for based on your experiences, or would you folks recommend me going another route? I already did the CX bike thing, and sold it off a while back as I don't plan too many longer rides these days, and it kicked my butt on singletrack. I plan to do a fair amount of singletrack this year, and have been basically drooling on fatbikes since I first encountered one.

Thanks!


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

davethebiker said:


> Sorry if I brought up an old thread here, but I am on the fence on a Gravity BEM about to pull the trigger on the 80mm rim version, and I am hesitating. I live in Minnesota, where we normally get a fair amount of snow (although the last few years has been lacking) and we have some decent singletrack as well (albeit a tad flat compared to other stuff out there). I plan to use whatever I purchase as my "do it all" bike, from commuting, to MTB, monster trucking snow to hauling my son around in a trailer. Sadly my budget is slim right at the 500 marker, so I think my concerns lie in that I don't want to pick it up and wipe out my whole budget to then have to sink more money into it because it is awful. I am a former shop Service Manager, so labor isn't an issue, just extra money for parts. So that said, is the BEM a solid bike for the stuff I would use it for based on your experiences, or would you folks recommend me going another route? I already did the CX bike thing, and sold it off a while back as I don't plan too many longer rides these days, and it kicked my butt on singletrack. I plan to do a fair amount of singletrack this year, and have been basically drooling on fatbikes since I first encountered one.
> 
> Thanks!


No need to be sorry, this thread is still quite active. 
If you read the first couple posts, I give a pretty good breakdown of what's in the box that shows up on your doorstep. 
The verdict is that it's a solid bike with a lot of potential, and frankly for $500 you're not going to do any better. (Unless you have a friend offloading a pug for cheap or something)
It's ridable right out of the box, but you will probably want wider bars, pedals, etc. (the preference stuff that you would change on any bike)
My advice is to read the early part of the thread, that should give you a pretty good idea as to weather or not this bike fits the bill. 
For me personally, it absolutely did.


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

It's a good base to build on despite the bike snobs naysaying and you can be riding it while saving up for upgrades instead of not-riding while saving up for a "better" bike. You will be changing most of the same stuff on both the GBM or the Name Brand anyway to suit your preference, so why not save some money on the purchase price.

Just my 2¢, I got the SS Deadeye Monster and had a Nexus 3 laced into the rear wheel using the same spokes(it just needed better nipples), and I am happy with the result.


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## beardedmark (Feb 28, 2015)

Xethur said:


> I'm running the 100x164 bb and it does improve tire clearence, but the chainline for the low gears isn't great. Also I'm running a 24t chainring on the 64bdc position. If you run a normal 32 chainring on the 104bdc position the chainline will probably eat cassettes regularly. Post #1604 on page 65 has some pictures of my setup.


Thanks, the chain line with the 164 was my concern, ordered a 148 isis bb to try out an see if the extra 4 mm will let the floaters clear in granny. Will post up when I get time to swap it out

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

davethebiker said:


> Sorry if I brought up an old thread here, but I am on the fence on a Gravity BEM about to pull the trigger on the 80mm rim version, and I am hesitating. I live in Minnesota, where we normally get a fair amount of snow (although the last few years has been lacking) and we have some decent singletrack as well (albeit a tad flat compared to other stuff out there). I plan to use whatever I purchase as my "do it all" bike, from commuting, to MTB, monster trucking snow to hauling my son around in a trailer. Sadly my budget is slim right at the 500 marker, so I think my concerns lie in that I don't want to pick it up and wipe out my whole budget to then have to sink more money into it because it is awful. I am a former shop Service Manager, so labor isn't an issue, just extra money for parts. So that said, is the BEM a solid bike for the stuff I would use it for based on your experiences, or would you folks recommend me going another route? I already did the CX bike thing, and sold it off a while back as I don't plan too many longer rides these days, and it kicked my butt on singletrack. I plan to do a fair amount of singletrack this year, and have been basically drooling on fatbikes since I first encountered one.
> 
> Thanks!


As others have mentioned, it is a great bike out of the box (frankly, you could ride this bike to your heart's content setup as it arrives to you).

Mine is a commuter/fitness/all around bike and has kept me outside 5-6 days a week throughout winter (which usually I am inside on my roadbike on a trainer [or stopping my riding altogether]).

I think it'll work perfectly for the situations you mention. We had a 55 degree day this past weekend and I strapped my son's bike trailer to the GBEM and headed out for a picnic. Post 1800 on page 72 has a few pics I posted a few weeks back of the stock tires doing just fine in our first snow of the season.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

davethebiker said:


> Sadly my budget is slim right at the 500 marker, so I think my concerns lie in that I don't want to pick it up and wipe out my whole budget to then have to sink more money into it because it is awful.


Can't go wrong with the BEM. I'm sure you've done plenty of research, but the only things I'd want to change is the handlebar (stock 620mm riser bar with smaller clamp diameter) and stem. Easily replace those for under $50 though.

To me, at that price range, if you are planning on replacing the handlebar, I'd look at the boris x5 (700mm flat bar). Extra $100, but you get a 9-speed vs. 8-speed (with the awful megarange cassette). Tires are a wash. Both stink for snow, but are ok for dirt. You can still use them in snow (I do), just won't work as well as good snow tires. Hardly any of the fatbikes on BD come with good snow tires until you start adding a couple hundred $.

Only concern is your comment about pulling a trailer. The large rear tire can cause some problems with trailers once you start looking at turning radius and rubbing the tire against the trailer. This is a problem with most bikes though, it just really comes out with the larger 29er and fatbike tires.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

watts888 said:


> Can't go wrong with the BEM.


Agreed & Well put !!! :thumbsup:


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

davethebiker said:


> Sorry if I brought up an old thread here, but I am on the fence on a Gravity BEM about to pull the trigger on the 80mm rim version, and I am hesitating... Sadly my budget is slim right at the 500 marker, so I think my concerns lie in that I don't want to pick it up and wipe out my whole budget to then have to sink more money into it because it is awful.
> 
> Thanks!


I bought the Monster 5 which specs 50mm rims and ended up with the 80mm rims, bonus for me. Really, the only "needed" upgrades are a wider bar and shorter stem, and even those are if _you_ need them. Jenson sells take offs for pretty cheap (what I did) so you would be maybe 50 over your 500 budget. The bike is a blast to ride and everyone is stunned by the tire size


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## cousin bear80 (Dec 24, 2015)

I really love my monster. It has 1529 miles on it and has performed flawlessly in the almost 2 years i nave owned it. The only change that I have made was the tires which h were worn out at 1200 miles. I have a snowshoe XL up front and a H- Billie in the rear. The monster has helped me lose close to 100 pounds. I wouldn't trade it away ever. Oldbear


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

cousin bear80 said:


> *The monster has helped me lose close to 100 pounds*.


Way to go, man!


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## cousin bear80 (Dec 24, 2015)

I. Just wanted to add my monster has 50omm rims and the rear tire.is a Vee rubber H-billie. It measures 26" x4.25 while the front snowshoe XL measures 26" x 4.80" with plenty of clearance and no chained run)b Old bear. - This is cousin bear. I am going to get my monster in April. I plan on makingg changes slowly and will ride with Oldbear. Peace...cousin bear


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## afterhours (Sep 1, 2005)

Hi my name is Jeff and I'm a bikeaholic... I purchased a GBM in December off of bike island as a cheap way to try fat biking and i'm now looking under the couch for spare change...

Thought i'd share my build and experience so far. I found a sratch and dent GBM on bike island for an extra $100 off and figured I couldn't pass it up since I'm going to scratch it up anyways. It shipped quickly and arrived... without scratches... but when i was putting it together i noticed the front fork was bent... great. I emailed a few pics to bike island and they had a new fork on the way to me first thing in the morning... nice. Got the new fork and finally assembled!









First test spin REALLY didn't like the self steer of the Vee's so I ordered some Jumbo Jim's (based on research before order I was anticipating wanting new tires). At this point I figured I might as well strip off some parts from an old mountain bike that I hadn't been using so I added a new stem, carbon handlebars, carbon seatpost, and saddle. Did a few rides on it and I was loving it!

However... in my impulse purchase I didn't realize it came with 50mm wheels and while they were doing just fine i thought i might get a bit better traction in the snow with wider rims... found a deal on some UMA Fatback wheels and the guy also threw in a 10 speed cassette... nice!

Hmm... can't really use a 10 speed cassette right now... lets see what craigslist can do for me... oh hey new 10 speed sram x0 grip shifts... score! I am LOVING these grip shifts, i know they're not everyone's cup of tea but i really prefer them to trigger shifters... added bonus the sram x4 rear derailleur is 1:1 pull so it works fine with 10 speed shifters.

What wasn't working fine was my crankset... i was getting chainsuck in the small chainring and couldn't figure out how to resolve it, plus in the small chainring and 2 biggest cogs on the cassette i was getting very slight tire/chain rub. Picked up a Sram X5 crankset on clearance from Fatback Bikes and the chainsuck was gone and so was the chain/tire rub.

Blinged it out a bit with some lock on foam grips, seat post collar, and pedals... hopefully i can refrain from any more purchases for a few days... :nono:

Overall I really like the bike and think it is great stock (aside from the tires) but I'm also happy with the upgrades I've done. It's weighing in at around 30.5 lbs for a large... not too bad


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## cousin bear80 (Dec 24, 2015)

My monster pa going to get some old school upgrades soon
. Alredid the tires, check. Now onto the pedals. Seems
s a good freons and friend is sending me a.pair of suntour beartrap pedals. If you ate an old duffer like me you will remember those pedals i. The downhill circles of the 80's. I used to lust after all that. Type of stuff. Olbear


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

Looking good, *afterhours*. 30.5 lbs is pretty impressive. I am at 39 with mine, but nothing weight saving done like the wheel/tire set up. I actually added a bit with a Gravity Dropper post.

I didn't have any self steer at 20ish lbs. At 12ish I do have it. Fat tires seem to be pretty pressure sensitive from what I have read. What kind of terrain you going to be riding with the JJ's? Also, what are the wheel & tire widths? I think tires will be my next purchase.

Thanks, Rob


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## afterhours (Sep 1, 2005)

I'm riding single digit psi at the moment (snow)... from what i've read this is probably why i experienced such bad self steer with the vee missions (test ride around the block). Right now i've been riding mostly groomed snow single track, snowmobile trails, and snowshoe trails. I live in Bend, OR and I'm planning for not overly technical single track when the snow dries out... we have some pretty nice trails out here. I checked locally and people here gave the Jumbo Jim's a unanimous thumbs up.

The Fatback UMA rims are 70mm but they claim their rims provide a tire width similar to 80mm... I don't have anything to compare that to but it definitely provides a wider footprint compared to the 50mm I had. The Jumbo Jim's are the 4.0 liteskins. I'm also using Q-tubes UL 2.4-2.7 tubes for a little bit more weight savings.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

I was running my missions down at 6-7 psi, and I weight 240lbs. Road or anything dry was self steer like crazy, but didn't even notice it on the snow. Rocks were murder on the sidewalls though. Scraped themup bad at that low pressure. The missions took it though, no cuts.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

Really enjoyed the GBM today :thumbsup: after 3 days of breaking trails in the foot plus of Rocky Mountain Cement we got on Friday. Had to get the bucksaw out to clear the trail since there were so many trees downed! Weighed the bike after the ride at 52 lbs before defrosting...all is good now and another foot due tomorrow...might have to break out the XC skis!









Dogs love the snow...and some how they seem to stay out of the mud!


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## Aly (Sep 14, 2015)

The ChaoYang Big Daddy 26x4.0
http://forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/panasonic-fat-b-nimble-938899.html

CHAOYANG Bicycle Tires-BIG DADDY

Any idea what is the best way to go tubeless ?
Should I remove the stock rubber strip and rim tape and apply Gorilla tape or try use PVC pipe tape ?


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## Aly (Sep 14, 2015)

watts888 said:


> Nice, what tires and do you have a link?


The ChaoYang Big Daddy 26x4.0
Panasonic Fat B Nimble ?

CHAOYANG Bicycle Tires-BIG DADDY

Any idea what is the best way to go tubeless ?
Should I remove the stock rubber strip and rim tape and apply Gorilla tape or try use PVC pipe tape ?


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## Aly (Sep 14, 2015)

Aly said:


> I was able to fit 26x 4.00 inch tire on the rear wheel of the 300$ knockout gravity bike
> View attachment 1047028
> View attachment 1047032


The ChaoYang Big Daddy 26x4.0
Panasonic Fat B Nimble ?

CHAOYANG Bicycle Tires-BIG DADDY

Any idea what is the best way to go tubeless ?
Should I remove the stock rubber strip and rim tape and apply Gorilla tape or try use PVC pipe tape ?


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Aly said:


> Any idea what is the best way to go tubeless ?
> Should I remove the stock rubber strip and rim tape and apply Gorilla tape or try use PVC pipe tape ?


Assuming this is on the gravity knockout, it uses the same 50mm wide rims as the early gravity bullseye monster. Hard to setup, but can be done. Split tube tubeless method and sill foam to fill in the void in the center of the rim and help push the tire bead out against the rim seem to work. Once it's been used for a while, the sill foam shrinks and it's almost impossible to fix on the trail though, so bring a spare tube.


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## afterhours (Sep 1, 2005)

volksbike said:


> View attachment 1048522


A tiny bit more snow and it would look like you're rolling on Oreo's... or maybe i just really need lunch...


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

This may sound like a silly question but what is the thinnest tire one could put on the stock rims and/or is it possible to use a different wheelset entirely to achieve thinner tires on this frame?

For my purposes, it would be nice to have this bike additionally be able to be setup like a hybrid type bike in the non-snowing months for rain and mud. 

I'd have my road bike for the nice summer days, "hybrid" fatbike setup with thinner tires for non-snow inclement weather or light off roading, and fat tire fatbike for slush and snow.


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## davethebiker (Feb 1, 2016)

Good to know, I asked about the BEM in a page on Facebook and one guy was absolutely determined to bash it to no end, but really didn't give decent answers other than the standard "I've worked on a few and they were junk" and the classic "I've seen enough broken to know they aren't good". Reminds me of BMX kids with Eastern Bikes haha 

But after some searching, missing out on a Vinson, and a Pugsley for a solid price (because my budget has little wiggle and the wife shut me down from adding too much to it) I think I am going to go with the BEM. 

Is the self-steer issue very noticeable with higher PSI? I saw the comments of it being mostly under 10 PSI or so. Are they OK tires for the single track come spring/summer (at least to try to power through it)? I just want to make sure I'm not getting a money pit haha.

I'm not terribly picky, but I don't want to spend my whole budget and then find the ride is just straight crap, and wish I would have gone with a nice 29er or something.


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## davethebiker (Feb 1, 2016)

On the stock rims, I would say no thinner than right around the width of the rim give or take, and as to rim size, honestly if you had the correct hubs/spacing, you could easily run some road rims and some 700X23's. It might look a little silly, but it would work just fine.

I know a guy who puts 700X23's on his Raleigh 29er for the summer for commuting, and throws his knobbies on for some singletrack fun.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

tendertoe said:


> ... what is the thinnest tire one could put on the stock rims ...?


with the 50mm knockout rims (same as BEM, but white), bikeisland said users were down at 2.2" tires. If you're using it on road, I'd think you could possibly go down to a 2.0" tire. Probably want to swap out to one of the bigger tubes (26x2.2-2.4") because of the non-standard tire profile. Sidewall protection will be bad too, so you'd have to air it up, which would work fine with road use. Be careful when airing it up, use soap and baby powder to make sure the tire goes on the rim evenly and seats properly. I would still be careful above 35 psi, just because you could possibly bust the tire off the rim. Remember, if you use smaller tires, you will loose bottom bracket height, and you could smack your pedals on the ground.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

davethebiker said:


> Is the self-steer issue very noticeable with higher PSI? I saw the comments of it being mostly under 10 PSI or so. Are they OK tires for the single track come spring/summer (at least to try to power through it)? I just want to make sure I'm not getting a money pit haha.
> 
> I'm not terribly picky, but I don't want to spend my whole budget and then find the ride is just straight crap, and wish I would have gone with a nice 29er or something.


The stock tires are OK on dry dirt. Not specialized ground control fine, but still good. At higher PSI (~20-25 psi), the self steer goes away completely, but it's a harsh ride. Fine balance between tire pressure and comfortable trail ride, and it depends a lot on rider weight and what you're riding.

Comparing it to a good 29er is rougher though. For $500, you can get a good 29er off bikesdirect. That's when it really comes down to what you want from the bike. Can't compare them against each other. Both are fun, but in different ways. However, the fatbike can be faster because of increased traction.


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## cousin bear80 (Dec 24, 2015)

Right now my monster has 6psi in front and 8psi in thrbresr. I tipthe scale some over 280 and the ride is just fine. Of course I am running a 26x4.8 Snowshoe front Nd a h-billie. Rear.


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## Aly (Sep 14, 2015)

watts888 said:


> with the 50mm knockout rims (same as BEM, but white), bikeisland said users were down at 2.2" tires. If you're using it on road, I'd think you could possibly go down to a 2.0" tire. Probably want to swap out to one of the bigger tubes (26x2.2-2.4") because of the non-standard tire profile. Sidewall protection will be bad too, so you'd have to air it up, which would work fine with road use. Be careful when airing it up, use soap and baby powder to make sure the tire goes on the rim evenly and seats properly. I would still be careful above 35 psi, just because you could possibly bust the tire off the rim. Remember, if you use smaller tires, you will loose bottom bracket height, and you could smack your pedals on the ground.


The Knockout bike is a good option for a slim rim of 50mm diameter
I successfully mounted 26x2.35 MTB tire on it no problem. I would not go any lower though


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## Aly (Sep 14, 2015)

watts888 said:


> Assuming this is on the gravity knockout, it uses the same 50mm wide rims as the early gravity bullseye monster. Hard to setup, but can be done. Split tube tubeless method and sill foam to fill in the void in the center of the rim and help push the tire bead out against the rim seem to work. Once it's been used for a while, the sill foam shrinks and it's almost impossible to fix on the trail though, so bring a spare tube.


I need help from the experts on this thread
The stock white 50mm rim comes with a rubber strip and a (kevlar) rim tape.
The tape itself is pretty tough and air sealing but it is not very adhesive.
I was able to pop the tire tubeless into the rim bead without any modification and without any sealant(using an industrial compressor)
Using water soap bubbles I was able to confirm it is not leaking a single bit of air from the rim edge but the cutout holes was leaking clearly. The tire deflated within 2 hours (not bad). I think if I put sealant the stock rim strip will soak it and adhere to the rim metal.. (Almost all tubeless setups will need the same).
The problem with the rim strip is it lets the air leak from beneath it. even if U put Gorilla tape obver it I will be just be sealing it with just 2mm of gorilla top on the rim

Now I have several options:
I can remove all stock rim tapes and just use a single run of the very adhesive gorilla tape directly on the rim without rim strips (what are they needed for anyway). This method will work most likely
Or
I can remove all stock rim strips and try with some other PVC tapes and see if it will seal properly.

Any ideas if I can get away with throwing all rim strips and just use a tubeless tape ?


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)




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## cousin bear80 (Dec 24, 2015)

dietz31684 said:


> View attachment 1048881


Sweet looking ride. At least you have snow. We had. Flurries but nothing stuck.


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## cousin bear80 (Dec 24, 2015)

This is Oldbear. Yup we had the flurries and good temps but, nothing stayed. I am s.heart patient and. Nazis am waiting for decent temps. I am thinking of putting a shorter.on and. Maybe some wider bats. Any suggestions? Peace....luv.....and harness. Oldbear


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

davethebiker said:


> On the stock rims, I would say no thinner than right around the width of the rim give or take, and as to rim size, honestly if you had the correct hubs/spacing, you could easily run some road rims and some 700X23's. It might look a little silly, but it would work just fine.
> 
> I know a guy who puts 700X23's on his Raleigh 29er for the summer for commuting, and throws his knobbies on for some singletrack fun.





watts888 said:


> with the 50mm knockout rims (same as BEM, but white), bikeisland said users were down at 2.2" tires. If you're using it on road, I'd think you could possibly go down to a 2.0" tire. Probably want to swap out to one of the bigger tubes (26x2.2-2.4") because of the non-standard tire profile. Sidewall protection will be bad too, so you'd have to air it up, which would work fine with road use. Be careful when airing it up, use soap and baby powder to make sure the tire goes on the rim evenly and seats properly. I would still be careful above 35 psi, just because you could possibly bust the tire off the rim. Remember, if you use smaller tires, you will loose bottom bracket height, and you could smack your pedals on the ground.





Aly said:


> The Knockout bike is a good option for a slim rim of 50mm diameter
> I successfully mounted 26x2.35 MTB tire on it no problem. I would not go any lower though


Thanks for the input. $100 and change plus the cost of some slick 26x2.35 tires would put things around $200 for an "additional bike" out of this.


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## cousin bear80 (Dec 24, 2015)

IiI am curious. (Is this thread supposed to be about the. Gravity BULLSEYE MONSTER or not. I own a


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## cousin bear80 (Dec 24, 2015)

I own a GNEM which came a pit largely because of the first few paged of this thread. I think


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

*GBM or XC skis? Decisions, decisions...*

Howdy GBM folks- Learned a bit about riding in the snow we got this past Friday...Sooo, after 39 consecutive short daily rides with the dogs, we got our second foot of snow and I had to break out the XC skis!

The first snow was like wet cement and then thawed and froze for a couple of days and it took me 4 days to break the trail to a point where I could actually ride it end to end with the conditions similar to frozen pie crust. Then we got another foot on top that was pretty slippery stuff, more granular type of snow, not really powder but the combo between the two types made it challenging to even pedal across my lawn. So I got the snowblower out and made a number of paths across the yard (for the dogs) and tried riding the GBM with Nates and tire chains. Worked fine on the open path, stopped you in your tracks as soon as you got off the path. So a made up a new type of workout to blast down the open path and try to pedal across/through some of the drifted snow. Talk about 'feeling the burn' - especially if you do it up a few small inclines in my yard. Anyway, I rode for 1.6 miles (see route below) and they broke out the skis and hit the trails...a couple of days have passed and the fields & woods should be ride-able again this weekend, even in the below zero temps and -20 degree windchill!

BTW - the dogs don't seem to notice or mind for either option, however then seem to give me I little more room on the bike and tend to step/ride on the back of my skis (creating a drag similar to deep snow of the bike) more than I would like...lol :thumbsup:

Here are the photos for what I was trying to explain...

GBM & XC Telemark skis...JJ (our older dog) in background is done ski-biking and ready to go back inside by the wood stove!









Strava segment for backyard course 1.6 miles!









Mr. Wiggles (dog) on trail with XC skis...









Karhu telemark XC skis...with metal edges for turning and fish scales for climbing..............









Trail breaking with Wiggles (this little guy can tunnel through 4' of snow) & GBM...:thumbsup:


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

volksbike said:


> Sweet ! Ride on brother...goodluck with ur 8 speed conversion! :thumbsup:
> 
> Please post a picture when you are done...


UPDATE:

Hi guys, so I'm almost done with my 29er and 26er upgrade. Thanks to volskbike and blidner I was able to get some SRAM x4 shifters, derailleur, and cassettes from their GBM and/or Vinson. The plan was to upgrade my Trek Marlin5 29er from Shimano tourney (I really hate this shifter brake lever combo) to SRAM x4. After I got my GBM on September I got used to SRAM X3 on my Huffy excess and SRAM X4 on the GBM, then I wanted all my bikes to have SRAM x4 or x3. After I got the parts, I realized the hub on my trek marlin didn't have enough space for a 8speed cassette, but I have a 2004 Raleigh M50 which I was about to give away or sale. The Raleigh also had the v-brake shifter lever combo like the Shimano tourney on the the marlin but with a 7 speed Shimano Altus derailleur instead. Turns out the Raleigh had enough space for a 8 speed cassette, so I ended up upgrading the SRAM x4 for the Raleigh. However, my Fat Huffy Excess had a SRAM x3 shifter with a SRAM x3 derailleur when it used to have a 7 speed freewheel which I replaced after upgrading to SRAM x4. So, all I needed to do to upgrade my Marlin 5 was to get a 7 speed (11-34t) cassette. I'm very happy with the results. All my bikes are shifting great and I also got 3 pairs of avid fr5 levers, some new summer tires (vee 8s), stems and rim strips.

Thanks again for the goodies.


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

Nice pics volskbike, I have 3 fat bikes and I live in Texas, I need to move to a place with snow HAHAHA...


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

Btw, Does anyone want to trade frames? mine is in mint condition pearl white 18/19" GBM frame. After I got the Vinson during cyberweek deals I don't want to have two white fat bikes anymore.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

Luis_fx35 said:


> Nice pics volskbike, I have 3 fat bikes and I live in Texas, I need to move to a place with snow HAHAHA...


Thanks. Looks like you got your shifting sorted out. I once drove through the pan handle of Texas and there were snow flurries! It could happen?

BTW- I think you need more bikes! lol


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

volksbike said:


> Thanks. Looks like you got your shifting sorted out. I once drove through the pan handle of Texas and there were snow flurries! It could happen?
> 
> BTW- I think you need more bikes! lol


Haha, I know, I probably need a 27.5" mountain bike just to know what it is like. And a Road bike... no wait... if I get a road bike I might get banned from MTBR and I don't want to haha, maybe I'll just get a bar drop and a pair of 3.5" wee speedster fat tires for one of my fat bikes...


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

Luis_fx35 said:


> And a Road bike... no wait... if I get a road bike I might get banned from MTBR and I don't want to haha


 Hhhmmm- I have 1 road bike, a couple of single speeds and a cross bike to name a few...I'm sure many other MTBR members are road riders and own at least 1 road bike in their quiver but may not want to disclose it??:nono: If you want to get banned get an electric bike, lol!


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Aly said:


> I need help from the experts on this thread
> ...
> Any ideas if I can get away with throwing all rim strips and just use a tubeless tape ?


Experts? Just a bunch of people who made mistakes before you.
If you got the 3" tires to seat on the 50mm rims, I'd definitely go ahead and go tubeless. Don't know the width of the rimstrips, but I'd cut the stock one down narrow enough so it covers the big holes and any spokes/spoke holes. Then just run some 2" gorilla tape (black sticky stuff or clear) bead to bead. If you really want to be creative, you can create a fake bead lip to help keep the tire from falling back into the rim's center. Personally, if there is at least 5mm of exposed rim on each side of the stock rim strip, I wouldn't even both cutting it. 5mm will be more than enough rim width for the tape to stick to. I've run ghetto tubeless with black gorilla tape placed on top of a rim strip in a WTB i21 rim. Only had about 3mm exposed rim on each side of the rim tape. Just have to make sure the rim strip doesn't slide around and get off-center when you put down the tape. Benefit of the clear stuff. you can see where it's sticking and not sticking.

Once you get the tape down, I'd also put a tube back in it and air it with. The tube will push the tape down nice and firm against the rim. Makes it easier to find any loose spots or areas where you think you might not get enough tape on each side of the rim strip.


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## Aly (Sep 14, 2015)

watts888 said:


> Experts? Just a bunch of people who made mistakes before you.
> If you got the 3" tires to seat on the 50mm rims, I'd definitely go ahead and go tubeless. Don't know the width of the rimstrips, but I'd cut the stock one down narrow enough so it covers the big holes and any spokes/spoke holes. Then just run some 2" gorilla tape (black sticky stuff or clear) bead to bead. If you really want to be creative, you can create a fake bead lip to help keep the tire from falling back into the rim's center. Personally, if there is at least 5mm of exposed rim on each side of the stock rim strip, I wouldn't even both cutting it. 5mm will be more than enough rim width for the tape to stick to. I've run ghetto tubeless with black gorilla tape placed on top of a rim strip in a WTB i21 rim. Only had about 3mm exposed rim on each side of the rim tape. Just have to make sure the rim strip doesn't slide around and get off-center when you put down the tape. Benefit of the clear stuff. you can see where it's sticking and not sticking.
> 
> Once you get the tape down, I'd also put a tube back in it and air it with. The tube will push the tape down nice and firm against the rim. Makes it easier to find any loose spots or areas where you think you might not get enough tape on each side of the rim strip.


Ok so from a guy like you I tried a few times here is what i learned so far
You do not need the rubber rim strip
you do not need the kevlar rim strip
you do not need Gorilla tape.
You do not need to build up the valley (rim central channel depth) with foam or tape

The ideal option is using PVC pipe wrap tape (one round or 2 if you are concerned)
To seat the bead you have to do the following.
use ratchet strap
use soapy water bubbles
use industrial compressor (petrol station)

I did not use sealant yet and it not leaking at all from the rim edge or the cutout holes or spokes.
The only leak is from the welding line of the rim 
Any idea how to seal it ? It seems connected to the holes in the rim inner edge used during manufacturing.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

tendertoe said:


> This may sound like a silly question but what is the thinnest tire one could put on the stock rims and/or is it possible to use a different wheelset entirely to achieve thinner tires on this frame?
> 
> For my purposes, it would be nice to have this bike additionally be able to be setup like a hybrid type bike in the non-snowing months for rain and mud.
> 
> I'd have my road bike for the nice summer days, "hybrid" fatbike setup with thinner tires for non-snow inclement weather or light off roading, and fat tire fatbike for slush and snow.


Ive ridden down to a 2.1 on them (ice spiker pro). obviously it lowers the BB height substantially, but it works fine if you're careful about pedal strikes and not trying to clear rock gardens,


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Aly said:


> The ideal option is using PVC pipe wrap tape (one round or 2 if you are concerned)
> ...
> Any idea how to seal it ? It seems connected to the holes in the rim inner edge used during manufacturing.


PVC tape would serve same function as gorilla tape. My intent is that the sticky surface shouldn't be available from the rim holes. It'll catch dirt/dust/bugs.

For sealing the rim seam, I normally just ran a piece of tape across it, all the way out, up and over the bead before I put down the main tape. Litle bit of extra tape there doesn't seem to affect how the tire seats, and the weight is completely offset by the tubeless valve.


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## Aly (Sep 14, 2015)

watts888 said:


> PVC tape would serve same function as gorilla tape. My intent is that the sticky surface shouldn't be available from the rim holes. It'll catch dirt/dust/bugs.
> 
> For sealing the rim seam, I normally just ran a piece of tape across it, all the way out, up and over the bead before I put down the main tape. Litle bit of extra tape there doesn't seem to affect how the tire seats, and the weight is completely offset by the tubeless valve.


Gorilla is very strong but heavy and not water proof (soaks water and sealant)
sticky surface shouldn't be available from the rim holes: Simple wash will remove the adhesive from the cutholes and keep the seal tap intact.

As you said I learn by trial and error. I will try superglue on the joint seam and will use tape from as you suggested over the seam.

What makes me a but suspicious are holes along the rim that do not seam to lead anywhere. I suspect the rim has some part along the edge double wall and this leaks all the way to the joint seam


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

Mine leaked sealant from the rim seams for a few minutes, but after a bit it stopped and has not leaked since. I just wrapped 45mm orange seal tape around the rim three times. The adhesive picked up a bit of dirt at first, but it soon stopped as the adhesive gave up the ghost in the rim holes. I use the split tube method with thick foam sill plate insulation to help the tire onto the bead, once you get the tire to seat, inflate to the maximum pressure on the tire overnight to squeeze the foam flat and top off the pressure the next day.


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

I've tried the ghetto tubeless on my non fat mavic 321 rims and they would burp often and some large burps if you landed a jump or drop a bit off camber and this was all at 25-30psi. That has been my only ghetto tubeless and I said that I'd never try tubeless on non-tubeless rims again. The same tires, same bike, same trails but using stans rims and I've never burped in two years. I just can't imagine these rims holding a bead (all tires I've tried have been loose on these rims, like remove without tools loose) grinding away at 3-5 psi? Maybe I'm wrong?


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## Aly (Sep 14, 2015)

dietz31684 said:


> I've tried the ghetto tubeless on my non fat mavic 321 rims and they would burp often and some large burps if you landed a jump or drop a bit off camber and this was all at 25-30psi. That has been my only ghetto tubeless and I said that I'd never try tubeless on non-tubeless rims again. The same tires, same bike, same trails but using stans rims and I've never burped in two years. I just can't imagine these rims holding a bead (all tires I've tried have been loose on these rims, like remove without tools loose) grinding away at 3-5 psi? Maybe I'm wrong?


Actually they hold the bead more than fine
The hold it without any leaking without any sealant every time. I went as low as 3 PSI and they still did not leak .( Not riding though).
After i fix the weld vent holes and joint seams I will see how it does on the ride


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Aly said:


> Actually they hold the bead more than fine
> The hold it without any leaking without any sealant every time. I went as low as 3 PSI and they still did not leak .( Not riding though).
> After i fix the weld vent holes and joint seams I will see how it does on the ride


Thanks, I have everything in the garage including ratchet straps and a compressor. Maybe once it gets warmer I'll give it a shot. Sorry if you already stated this, but what tires are you running? Also to clarify, you're using the 50mm rims as opposed to the new 80mm rims, correct? I have the old 50's.


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## davethebiker (Feb 1, 2016)

I appreciate all the input from everyone, however I was able to score a decent deal on a Charge Cooker Maxi for 500 with a few upgrades. I'll be sure to post up a thread (or add to another) when it comes in.

Yay eBay!


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

*GBM was in a traffic jam on the trail today...*









Share the trail!!


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

HA, little dog legs. Looks like you could tie a couple of those things together and use them as tires? About the same width.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

watts888 said:


> HA, little dog legs. Looks like you could tie a couple of those things together and use them as tires? About the same width.


The little brown dog (Mr. Wiggles) tunnels through the trail, he is the exact width of a fat bike tire. He has surprising power in those legs and always manages to get through the trail and any condition (unlike his owner and older brother JJ) even 3 feet of snow! Sometimes I try to get him to break the trail, but usually he prefers to walk behind me until after I have opened it up...on XC ski's he has to work harder since the tracks are not as wide!

Both dogs do seem to find lot of reasons to stop short and sniff the trail, so it is usually better to let them stay behind the GBM to avoid breaking the momentum, already enough things that cause that when riding in snow...:thumbsup:

BTW- If you want to see an interesting setup , google 'Jesper the skiing cat' and watch him pull his owner along the broken in XC ski tracks...lol


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

*More upgrades to the GBM*

Went to the LBS over the weekend for a new headset (and some much needed assistance) and now I am running a Surly Pugsley (non-offset) front fork and 120 tpi Nate set up tubeless on RD 82mm front rim (all from the 'spare' parts bin, lol) surly hub with an Avid 180mm rotor and Avid 7 caliper. The net effect put my 22" GBM on a 2 lb diet, so it's now just under 38 lbs down from 40 fully dressed!









Had an epic ride on it this am and although it may look like a franken bike, the function is great and the front end feels sweet...:thumbsup:

...and I am now officially 50% tubeless with Stan's juice and RD wheel...


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Any idea of the weight difference between the 2 forks?


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

going from the steel BEM fork to a steel pugsley fork probably only drops about 1/2 - 3/4lb. The real difference to me is the quality of how the fork feels. A decent butted steel fork will have a good feel to it. Flex on the bumps and rigid in the turns.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

watts888 said:


> going from the steel BEM fork to a steel pugsley fork probably only drops about 1/2 - 3/4lb. The real difference to me is the quality of how the fork feels. A decent butted steel fork will have a good feel to it. Flex on the bumps and rigid in the turns.


:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

What he said!

The GBM fork is pretty heavy, but the Surly fork is no carbon pretzel either.

Bike rides great!:thumbsup:


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## Aly (Sep 14, 2015)

dietz31684 said:


> Thanks, I have everything in the garage including ratchet straps and a compressor. Maybe once it gets warmer I'll give it a shot. Sorry if you already stated this, but what tires are you running? Also to clarify, you're using the 50mm rims as opposed to the new 80mm rims, correct? I have the old 50's.


I am using the original 50mm rims
I am using Chaoyang 4.0 tires


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## joebikesdirect (Sep 5, 2014)

volksbike said:


> Had an epic ride on it this am and although it may look like a franken bike, the function is great and the front end feels sweet...:thumbsup:
> 
> ...and I am now officially 50% tubeless with Stan's juice and RD wheel...


Very Nice customizing - these Gravity Bullseye Monster Fatbikes are getting thousands of great people into fatbiking fun - we love it


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## TucsonBamaRider (Aug 30, 2015)

Joe, I don't think it's anything you said . 

I'm still thoroughly enjoying my 2015 GBEM.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

TucsonBamaRider said:


> I'm still thoroughly enjoying my 2015 GBEM.


 :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Ditto! My 2015 GBM is running strong and used daily...:thumbsup:

BTW- We were blessed with 3-5 inches of Spring Snow this AM !!! And here I thought we were done for the season??









Update- Just took my new friend 'BUD' I met on eBay on a ride this am and he ROLLED !!! He was looking for his brother 'LOU' in the back, but his little cousin "NATE" already took the spot...lol:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Upgraded to SRAM 1x 30T NW along the way...it helped the GBM slim down to 34 lbs... ...that and a few other choice components. Not too many of the original parts left at this point...


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

I'm in the process of a major upgrade of my Deadeye Monster: adding an RST fork via a Cane Creek EC44/40 adapter and swapping the SS hub for a Sturmey Archer 5-speed hub.

So far the hub swap was the only problem: finding an 80mm rim with 36 holes for a reasonable price. Eventually we found one for around $60 bucks with no lightening holes like the stock wheels, after that hurdle it bolted up and it works great. 

The RST fatbike fork was from eBay and needed the front rim laced to a Surly hub to fit the 15mm RST axle. Its bearing race went right onto the fork with the correct tool and now I am awaiting the correct Park Tool to install the EC 44/40.

Swapping the 200mm upgraded Avid BB7 front brake from the rigid steel fork only needed a post adapter in 40mm for the caliper and the rotor was a direct bolt-on. I am not sure if front cable length is sufficient, but I'll be getting Jagwires anyway.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Joe : My Bullseye currently has 1650 miles on it and I couldn't be more pleased with it's performance. The only change I have made so far is the tires. I run a Veerubber Snowshoe XL on the front and a H-billie on the rear. I plan on saving for a GBEM Pro by fall. UNTIL LATER .....PEACE...LUV....A.D FATNESS.....Oldbear and Clan. 

The Bear's been riding the wheels offa the GBM for a couple years now and enjoying it. It's on the second set 'o tires and has a pair of rather nice shoes.


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

*First Time for Everything*

I went out on my first gravel grinder group ride this past weekend. I am an experienced road bike rider, however, this was my first time doing any real off road riding. Had an awesome time on the GBEM. It handled perfectly along some pretty sloppy double track and did equally well on the loose gravel roads.

Unfortunately, I wrecked pretty good. Went over the handlebars going 20mph. I think it was a combination of things - all user error. I'm not used to how well disc brakes work. I'm not used to descending quickly on squirrely gravel. I was too far forward on the seat, and hit a small dip.

I luckily only ended up with some bumps, bruises, and road rash (gravel rash?). It could have been much worse though.

The bike, however, didn't fare as well -










The handlebars are done for. Rear derailleur hanger is bent. Front brake rotor is bent. Sheared off one of my rear rack bolts (luckily none of it was left still screwed into the frame and the rack was fine).

I need a new helmet and a new pair of glasses also.

Not too terrible a mishap considering the first guy that came up on me said his first thought when he saw me flying through the air was they were gonna have to life flight me out of there.

I'm still a bit sore two days later but don't feel nearly as bad as I expected to considering the severity of the accident.

For my first outing off road, I think it was nearly a success? I didn't injure myself too severely, had a good time, and get to buy some new bike components?


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

tendertoe said:


> I didn't injure myself too severely, had a good time, and get to buy some new bike components?


Silver lining.

When you replace the bar (get a riser bar and loose that steer tube extender), I'd look at a new stem too (riser stem maybe?), something that uses a 31.8mm diameter. If the plan for the bike is gravel only, maybe one of those crazy figure 8 touring bars.


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

watts888 said:


> If the plan for the bike is gravel only, maybe one of those crazy figure 8 touring bars.


The plan was for it to be a winter commute/fitness bike (aka - keep me off the indoor trainer in the winter on my road bike) which it performed very well at. I got the idea of hitting a local gravel meetup on a whim so I'm not trying to spend too much extra cash on it.



watts888 said:


> When you replace the bar (get a riser bar and loose that steer tube extender), I'd look at a new stem too (riser stem maybe?), something that uses a 31.8mm diameter.


I've got 3.5 additional inches of height with the extender (88mm) plus 30mm of rise on the stock bars. I'm not sure I could easily replicate that with a riser bar stem combo.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

tendertoe said:


> I've got 3.5 additional inches of height with the extender (88mm) plus 30mm of rise on the stock bars. I'm not sure I could easily replicate that with a riser bar stem combo.


If yours stayed on in a crash (especially this one with the twisty bar syndrome), probably fine. And that extra height is nice. One of the reasons I don't cut my fork steer tube when I got a new fork.

My experience with an extender is they didn't clamp on the steer tube properly and would turn on me during a ride. Over tighten the nut and risk stripping out the bolt holes. Ended up having to make a shim out of a pop can to get it tight enough. It was a cheaper extender though, so I'm sure the quality control wasn't there for the internal diameter. I did have a second one on a hybrid bike though, and it worked fine. For trails, I wouldn't risk it.


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

Makes sense. 

I think part of it is also a case of me using some items for situations that they don't necessarily perform well at. 

Did raising the stem make my center of gravity higher and contribute to me going over the handlebars? Probably. That and the other things previously mentioned all added up I'm sure. 

The setup is really comfy and upright for cranking out a few hours on the snow covered local roads/bike paths though which is its job 99.99999% of the time.

Wish I had the cash for a dedicated gravel bike


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

Tendertoe, bummer man. At least your are good for the most part. I have my stock bars and rotors just collecting dust. Yours for the low price of nothing, just pay for shipping. Let me know if interested.


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

rob5589 said:


> Tendertoe, bummer man. At least your are good for the most part. I have my stock bars and rotors just collecting dust. Yours for the low price of nothing, just pay for shipping. Let me know if interested.


Thanks for the offer. PM sent.


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## Branner (May 28, 2015)

TJ: Glad you're ok, that could've been a lot worse.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

Branner said:


> TJ: Glad you're ok, that could've been a lot worse.


 :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Tendertoe- I have a GBM burnt orange 22" uncut fork, caliper and rotor lying around somewhere if you find you need any of these parts...VB


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## Wildbird99 (Dec 7, 2014)

I haven't been using the Monster much since I got a Farley 5 last Fall, but I took it out today, set up to pull a trailer for trail work. It really is a great bike.

My wife is still riding hers as her main bike (she also has a Trek 29er and a Mongoose Dolomite), and a co-worker just bought a Pro (with Bluto) based on my recommendation.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

Wildbird99 said:


> I haven't been using the Monster much since I got a Farley 5 last Fall, but I took it out today, set up to pull a trailer for trail work. It really is a great bike. My wife is still riding hers as her main bike (she also has a Trek 29er and a Mongoose Dolomite), and a co-worker just bought a Pro (with Bluto)based on my recommendation.


*Wildbird99 *- Love that 'trail work' trailer setup! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: Bike looks squeaky clean  it just needs some mud!

My Frankenstein Monster along the trail today...definitely my main bike for daily use...88 Rides in 2016 according to Strava.

At this point, the only stock parts left are seat, post, clamp, brake levers and rear brake cable, rotor and caliper!


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

Thanks to everyone for their kind thoughts as well as their offers for parts. 

Special thanks to rob5589 for sending handlebars and rotors. I'm back up and running. 

Haven't made it out on the bike quite yet as just as the whiplash was easing up I got hit with a case of strep. 

Oh well, more time to spend wrenching in the garage for the next few days I suppose...


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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

Glad I could help get you back on the trails.


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## TucsonBamaRider (Aug 30, 2015)

*Tapered Fork - RST Renegade Conversion*

Do you have an update on the fork conversion? I might be interested in pursing this myself. How well does the standard GBEM geometry accommodate the suspension fork travel?

Thanks!

Greg



WoodlandHills said:


> I'm in the process of a major upgrade of my Deadeye Monster: adding an RST fork via a Cane Creek EC44/40 adapter and swapping the SS hub for a Sturmey Archer 5-speed hub.
> 
> So far the hub swap was the only problem: finding an 80mm rim with 36 holes for a reasonable price. Eventually we found one for around $60 bucks with no lightening holes like the stock wheels, after that hurdle it bolted up and it works great.
> 
> ...


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

rob5589 said:


> Glad I could help get you back on the trails.


That's awesome! Random acts of kindness are the best.


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## uncle_loue (May 1, 2016)

Hey guys- expecting my BEM to arrive this week. Couple of questions: what width did yall upgrade the bars to? And is 12psi a happy medium for general trail use? Thanks for keeping this going it really helped me pick a first fatbike!


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## grooveface (Feb 6, 2008)

uncle_loue said:


> Hey guys- expecting my BEM to arrive this week. Couple of questions: what width did yall upgrade the bars to? And is 12psi a happy medium for general trail use? Thanks for keeping this going it really helped me pick a first fatbike!


Basically bar width is a personal preference. If you are going to replace the bars you should also replace the stem. I went with a 685mm bar and a 70mm stem and I am happy with it. Tire pressure really depends on the trails you are riding. Now that I have no snow the trails I ride on are pretty smooth and hard so I have been riding at about 15psi. If you are riding a root filled sloppy mess I would go a lot lower than 12 psi. Still it's a matter of preference. Have fun!


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

tire pressure also will come to how much you weigh too. at 240lbs, with rocks and roots, I don't like to go under 12 to prevent rim strikes. For smoother trails, I'll go down to 8-9. Much lower than that, based on the tube I'm using, the tire can move on the rim. With the stock tubes, I'll go down to 5-6 psi in the snow, but with those 2.7" downhill tubes, they don't expand enough until they're over 6 psi to hold the tire still.


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

TucsonBamaRider said:


> Do you have an update on the fork conversion? I might be interested in pursing this myself. How well does the standard GBEM geometry accommodate the suspension fork travel?
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Greg


Sorry for the late reply: just after starting to build up the bike I crashed on a different bike and broke my collarbone (again), so now, 8 weeks later I am just finishing things up. It will probably be another month, at least, before I am cleared to ride. I'm 63 and don't heal like I used to!

FYI, the frame, front wheel and hub and the top headset assembly are the only stock parts left on the bike. I am sure I could have done just as well buying a bare frame elsewhere and building it up with the same parts, but I wouldn't have been able to ride it in the meantime. This way I could buy the parts I wanted as cheaply as possible at the cheapest shipping and still keep riding the bike while waiting.


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## TucsonBamaRider (Aug 30, 2015)

Woodland,

Thanks for the replay, and I hope you get well soon. I was on the shelf, myself, in February and half of March with a broken thumb from an otherwise innocuous wash out.

I'm interested in the suspension fork option because I developed tennis elbow after riding trails 2-3 times a week over 8 months. It went away when I mixed in my 29er hardtail for some of the rides. I'm 41, and I don't heal up in week anymore either, but I hope to be riding strong in another 20 years, too!


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## uncle_loue (May 1, 2016)

Went on my first ride on the new BEM this morning. Lots to learn. Major slippage in the mud running 15 psi. Hit a possum. Stem and handlebar slipped. Going on a group ride tomorrow. Any tips on cleaning/maintenance after mudding? Thanks all!


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

uncle_loue said:


> Any tips on cleaning/maintenance after mudding? Thanks all!


Other than don't go mudding?

Get a set of mud guards to keep mud off the back of the front derailure, and from scraping away at the metal tubes. Rock and mud buildup on the side of the tires will grind away at a chainstay quicker than you'd expect. A couple layers of black gorilla tape or automotive sill tape can help, but just gives an extra layer the mud has to wear through. Don't use high pressure water, anywhere.

And take the pressure down to at most 10-12 psi. 10 in front, 12 in back.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

I use a garden hose on low-pressure and then immediately wipe the bike down including the chain and then Lube chain try not to blow the grease out of your bottom bracket and Hubs by using too much water pressure. Even from a garden hose you can do this

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## uncle_loue (May 1, 2016)

thanks for the tips guys. did my 2nd ride yesterday. lots of climbing over boulders and rocks- surprised to discover the BEM climbs like a champ. rocks that other guys had to go around or stop and walk I could ride up and over. need a lot of work/practice on my jumps and drops. so far i am loving the bike and mountain biking. way more fun that I've had road biking the last 7 years.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Fat bike is more fun than a road bike? Not surprised.


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

uncle_loue said:


> Went on my first ride on the new BEM this morning. Lots to learn. Major slippage in the mud running 15 psi. Hit a possum. Stem and handlebar slipped. Going on a group ride tomorrow. Any tips on cleaning/maintenance after mudding? Thanks all!


 After I wash off my bike I blow the water off it with an electric leaf blower. It's great for blasting the drops out of brakes, controls, derailleurs, seats, etc. So far I haven't had any problems with water intrusion in the hubs, I just don't hit them with a direct blast from the sides onto the bearings. Mine has a throttle so I can use high volume or high pressure where appropriate.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

WoodlandHills said:


> After I wash off my bike I blow the water off it with an electric leaf blower. It's great for blasting the drops out of brakes, controls, derailleurs, seats, etc. So far I haven't had any problems with water intrusion in the hubs, I just don't hit them with a direct blast from the sides onto the bearings. Mine has a throttle so I can use high volume or high pressure where appropriate.


Just follow the washing instructions on the little tag between the headset spacers...


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

BansheeRune said:


> Just follow the washing instructions on the little tag between the headset spacers...


I tore mine off. It said something about "don't remove under penalty of law" but I'm a rebel.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Here come the tag police!!!

Thankfully Sarge is wash n ride!


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

GBM rocks!!!









Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## uncle_loue (May 1, 2016)

Cannot overstate how much I am having!


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## EvilSmrk (May 10, 2016)

Picked up a green GBEM last week, still playing with a couple of adjustments but it's pretty close now.

We picked up a department store fat bike for my nine year old son the other day, and it looked like he was having a lot of fun on it, I on the other hand was not having fun on mine.

I had two bikes an early 90's Giant Kronos road bike that I don't ride as much as I should, and a P.O.S. Huffy 26" mtb we had picked up for cheap without looking at it close enough.

It feels weird casual riding around on a road bike with my son so I was trying to make due with the Huffy. The problem is the bike didn't fit me well and no matter how much I tried adjusting the rear derailleur it wouldn't stay in gear.

The freewheel on the back wobbled so bad it looked like a professional dancer doing the rumba.

So my choices were to ride around on a road bike, spend money fixing a bike that didn't fit me, or get a new bike....... Hmmmmm which should I choose?

The GBEM arrived on Fri. in good condition other than a slightly bent rear derailleur hanger.

The spare hanger that game in the box didn't seem to fit correctly, it has a slightly different profile than the original for some reason.

I bent the original hanger back into place but need to contact BikesDirect to see if I can get a better fitting replacement.

My other gripe is one I would probably have with any Mt. bike, the seat post is too long.

Currently my seat is at the perfect height for a road bike, but if I wanted to lower the seat some for any sort of off road it's not going to happen.

The fix is easy, take a hacksaw to the post, but it just doesn't seem right to do that to a brand new bike.

Anyways I know the rules of the internet no pics it didn't happen:








And a size comparison between the road bike and the Monster:








Hopefully it will dry out here in the Midwest and I'll be able to get some riding in.


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## Tavic (Apr 25, 2016)

So, I'm planning to go FAT soon and was really looking into to the Boris X5 but after reading most of this thread, I think you all have me sold on getting a GBEM instead. If I do go this route I'll probably plan on swapping some goodies over from my current bike which is a '95 Giant Sedona SE. (Maybe even windup with 24spd GBEM in the end? ) 

Couple of things that I've noted from your posts over the years is almost all of you ditched the 50mm wheels for 80mm wheels. I guess Bikes Direct took notice and made that stock for 2016?

Main Differences between just the GBEMs as of today:

2016 GBEM - 4"tire, 80mm wide Rim

2015 GBEM5 - 4"tire, 50mm wide Rim. 
Note: I guess this is the original version since the quantities are limited?

2016 GBEM LTD - 4.25" tire, 80mm Rim, Bluto Ready, Shimano FD front derailleur,
Note: I've seen rumored stories out there for straight steer suspension options in the near future. So if I decide to go suspension later on I don't see a need to be bluto ready.

I guess I qualify for Clydesdale status, I ring in a 6'6" at 265lbs so I'll be looking at the 22" frameset. Since I've had red, black and silver bikes, I gotta go Burnt Orange. 




Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

Tavic said:


> So, I'm planning to go FAT soon...
> I guess I qualify for Clydesdale status, I ring in a 6'6" at 265lbs so I'll be looking at the 22" frameset. Since I've had red, black and silver bikes, I gotta go Burnt Orange. Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk


Great choice, you will enjoy it!


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

If you're already thinking about a suspension fork, I'd go ahead and get the borix x9 with bluto or the GBEM pro with bluto. $1k for either one.


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## Yaki (Jan 24, 2015)

I broke down and ordered a GBEM today :thumbsup:

My FS mtn bike is down with a broken frame and I'm waiting to hear back about the warranty. This should get me through these tough times and server as a back-up.

Thanks for all the informative posts and I can't wait to start modding.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

Yaki said:


> I broke down and ordered a GBEM today :thumbsup:
> 
> My FS mtn bike is down with a broken frame and I'm waiting to hear back about the warranty. This should get me through these tough times and server as a back-up.
> 
> Thanks for all the informative posts and I can't wait to start modding.


Congrats- let us know how you like it and what changes you make...Still riding mine almost everyday this year!


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

Yaki said:


> I broke down and ordered a GBEM today :thumbsup:
> 
> My FS mtn bike is down with a broken frame and I'm waiting to hear back about the warranty. This should get me through these tough times and server as a back-up.
> 
> Thanks for all the informative posts and I can't wait to start modding.


 After 8 months, the only original parts left on mine are the rims, the front hub, the upper headset and the seatpost clamp....... That's one of the reasons I bought it in the first place.


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## Yaki (Jan 24, 2015)

volksbike said:


> Congrats- let us know how you like it and what changes you make...Still riding mine almost everyday this year!


It arrived today and there were no issues putting it together. No damage from shipping. Right away I swapped out the stem with a shorter Race Face one. Handlebars were swapped with a Truvativ Hussefelt 20mm rise.

In the future I will swap out the brakes with some hydraulic Avid Elixir 1's from my parts bin.

Cant wait to take it out on a trail tomorrow!


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

I haven't been on here for a while. Still ripping my monster! My full suspension is having some work done so I took the monster to a really tough trail I never considered riding without suspension. The monster was insanely fun! I've had it there e times now and it's great! I'm a bit less aggressive then on my 5.5" bike but the traction through the rocks and ability to stand and hammer climbs was a huge plus. I haven't managed to break anything major yet. Also ripped both of my "light" qtubes around the stem since the rims are drilled for the larger diameter Schrader valves vs prestas. So I'm back on the heavy stock tubes. Obligatory photo:


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## Yaki (Jan 24, 2015)

dietz31684 said:


> I haven't been on here for a while. Still ripping my monster! My full suspension is having some work done so I took the monster to a really tough trail I never considered riding without suspension. The monster was insanely fun! I've had it there e times now and it's great! I'm a bit less aggressive then on my 5.5" bike but the traction through the rocks and ability to stand and hammer climbs was a huge plus. I haven't managed to break anything major yet. Also ripped both of my "light" qtubes around the stem since the rims are drilled for the larger diameter Schrader valves vs prestas. So I'm back on the heavy stock tubes. Obligatory photo:


Hey Dietz - are you running the stock tires? I took my monster out to the trails for the first time and found I was also having that "ghost steering" issue with the mission v's. Also, I'm still trying to figure the optimal tire pressure and dont have an accurate gauge.


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## PapaBear1975 (Sep 20, 2015)

I too just got my GBM on Thursday, It pained me to get rid of my Specialized Sirrus hybrid bike that I had all dialed in for my daily ride to work, but the rail trails and our shoddy city streets were tearing it up. I've replaced spokes several times, and the gravel trails bring their own set of problems, haha. I rode my new ride on Friday, and all I can say is that it was a blast! I have a rack on the way...carrying my stuff on my back just sucks, for me it takes away from enjoying the ride. I did order a Nashbar adjustable stem, I found the stem on the GBM to be too long for me and I can see that this would be a problem for me on long rides. So the cheap "temporary" fix will be this 95mm adjustable stem. I plan on going shorter....but I still need to dial in a few creature comforts on this bike...also need to cut down the seat post an inch or two so I can lower it. If it hasn't been already mentioned...these bikes run a tad large. I am 5" 11", and ordered the 18" frame, it was quite a bit larger than my Sirrus, and oddly the fat bike seems a bit lighter and fits on the rack in my garage better due to the frame configuration. Next on my list is the handlebars....anyone ever put trekking bars on these bikes? I had one on my hybrid and LOVED it...though I plan on riding in the snow and cold....which here in the upper midwest means snow up to your a$$ and sub-zero temps are not uncommon....which means I really want a pair of bar mits on my handlebars....so I may opt for a pair of 1" carbon riser bars. I may swap out the tires later, but in the mean time the V's will have to do....


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

PapaBear, 

Congratz, Dood! Welcome to the fAt side!


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Yaki said:


> Hey Dietz - are you running the stock tires?  I took my monster out to the trails for the first time and found I was also having that "ghost steering" issue with the mission v's. Also, I'm still trying to figure the optimal tire pressure and dont have an accurate gauge.


Nope, the stock missions aren't good. I don't think there is a magic PSI, in my experience they always self steer. Unfortunately, that's the consensus and it's reflected in their resale price. I have the On One floaters and the difference was night and day. I don't get self steer at any pressure now. The Fat b Nimble is also a lower priced tire that would preform much better. I ended up studdimg my stock tires for ice duty and they work okay for that.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

dietz31684 said:


> I don't think there is a magic PSI, in my experience they always self steer.


Take em up to 25, and almost all self steer is gone. You enjoy bouncing on rocky trails, right?

Floaters will probably be my next upgrade, maybe juggernauts.


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

Yaki said:


> Hey Dietz - are you running the stock tires? I took my monster out to the trails for the first time and found I was also having that "ghost steering" issue with the mission v's. Also, I'm still trying to figure the optimal tire pressure and dont have an accurate gauge.


I noticed a substantial improvement in self-steer by switching the rolling direction of the tires on the rims. I switched mine over winter and haven't switched them back.



PapaBear1975 said:


> Next on my list is the handlebars....anyone ever put trekking bars on these bikes? I had one on my hybrid and LOVED it...


I put bar ends on mine and wrapped them in bar tape. It offers me my favorite riding position (replicating the same position as riding "on the brake hoods" on drop bars) by just riding with your hands slightly relaxed on the bar ends where they meet the handlebars. As well as a full grip option for climbing.

I thought about different handlebar options (trekking bars, bullhorn bars, etc.) but settled on the cheapest option.



PapaBear1975 said:


> though I plan on riding in the snow and cold....which here in the upper midwest means snow up to your a$$ and sub-zero temps are not uncommon....which means I really want a pair of bar mits on my handlebars...


For what it's worth, I've ridden with the "glove" version of these mittens for a few seasons in Ohio and they've performed quite well down to 0 with no liner glove -

http://www.menards.com/main/home-de...421906573-c-7085.htm?tid=-6733121216179759265

I may buy a pair of the mittens to give them a try this year. I was a bit concerned about lack of finger mobility with the full mittens though.

I considered bar mitts but haven't found the need for them.


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

When I ordered my GBEM in October 2015, the only color available in my size was Burnt Orange. All of my bikes are black so I had to take matters into my own hands.

DIY rattle can paint job progress pics below. More to come -


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

tendertoe said:


> All of my bikes are black so I had to take matters into my own hands.
> 
> DIY rattle can paint job progress pics below. More to come -


Sad, I always liked the burnt orange.

Hope you taped off your bottom bracket threads.


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

watts888 said:


> Sad, I always liked the burnt orange.
> 
> Hope you taped off your bottom bracket threads.


For some reason, the orange just rubbed me the wrong way.

I've painted a few frames before using the same method - I taped off the bottom bracket shell threads, the inside of the head tube, and the inside of the seat tube.


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## Tavic (Apr 25, 2016)

Good gosh, either this guy got screwed royally or this is a scam. Its just a single speed Deadeye Monster for $900 used and he claims he paid $1200 for it.










Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

Wow.

You can buy them brand new for $399.99.


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## Tavic (Apr 25, 2016)

tendertoe said:


> You can buy them brand new for $399.99 -
> 
> Save up to 60% off new Fat Bikes and Mountain Bikes - SingleSpeed MTB - Gravity Deadeye Monster


That what I'm saying, lol 

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

I'd hope it's a scam. You have to be a special kind of special to spend $1,200 on a bike without knowing anything about it.


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## El Geezer (May 31, 2016)

*First El Geezer Post*

It all started when I spotted a navy blue bike with big red wheels and even bigger tires on a rack attached to a VW Beetle in the parking lot of a grocery. I had no idea what the damn thing was or what it was for, but it grabbed me. I kind of just stood there wondering why this thing was holding my attention and trying not to drool. When I got home I went on line and discovered that the "thing" was a Dolo and that I could have one for just north of $200.


Now I had not spent more than a total of 30 minutes on a bicycle in the previous 40 years, but that Dolo got me to thinking. I went online to do some fat bike research and discovered the Dolo thread at mtbr.com. It didn't take long for me to understand that the Dolo was not for me. In the process I found the BEM thread and read the whole thing. The BEM, on the other hand, looked like it just might be the right stuff. Almost about everybody seemed pretty happy with what came out of the box for $500.


Here was my situation: I was staring my 77th birthday in the face. I was by 40 years an ex-dirt bike rider and ex-bicyclist. My adult bicycling had all been about cheap commuting. So here was the BEM, one bike that did some things well and some things less well, but, one way or another, could do everything. Would I like riding a BEM? Would I actually be able to ride one? For how many more years? Would I really get into it, or would the thing just sit there clogging up the garage? Only way to find out would be to get one. A $500 experiment was reasonable. Given my situation, spending any more seemed irresponsible.


So, for the first time in years, I asked for a birthday present. E-mailed my three offspring: "Balance, coordination, reflexes, strength, endurance, fun, contusions - what's not to like?" They each kicked in $150, so my $500 experiment only cost me $50 out of pocket to get started. Mr. Frugal.


I live in LA 15 minutes from the beach and 45-75 minutes from a couple hundred miles of MTB trails. There are MTB accessible double tracks and single tracks all over the boonies out here. The number of potentially interesting riding experiences seemed limitless. I was stoked!


Now, in case you are wondering, I am indeed ancient, no denying it, but I am 5' - 11", 180#, 11% body fat, and I do 4000+ vertical foot single track hikes in the mountains, I run 20 or so hard 100 stride intervals in the soft sand at the beach barefoot with trekking poles, I do a mixed bag of other fairly intense physical stuff, and I've got the bone density of a 25 year old. So I am pretty much the opposite of frail and decrepit. Just so you understand that I am only slightly delusional.


My 18" matte black BEM arrived around the end of February and more or less put itself together. Got everything to work perfectly after some hassle getting the RD to shift just right. Online how-to's were a life saver with the RD. Now-get this-when the bike arrived I had no idea which lever controlled the front brake until I squeezed one. I had never actually looked at an indexed derailleur before. It took me a while (in the saddle) to figure out how those little thumb buttons worked. I am not making this up. I was like a bicycle Rip Van Winkle except that I had been asleep for 40 years instead of 20. During my first roll around the block it became clear that it was going to take some time in the saddle to recover lost skills.


I have a friend and hiking partner who is only 62. We were driving back from a hike and I was blabbing away about my fat bike decision, why I had settled on the BEM, blah, blah, blah, hoping I wan't boring him too much. Next thing I know he blind sides me with his own matte black BEM and suddenly we are the Geezer Racing Team. Or maybe the Geezer Slogging Team.


We ride together whenever we can, solo when we can't. We've ridden the beach at low tide from Playa del Rey to Manhattan Beach (about 5.5 miles)-sand all the way-the most delightful experience I have ever had on a bicycle. We rode (and pushed) the Beaudry Motorway, a 6-mile loop near Altadena that gains just under 1500' in 3 miles. Sounds like 500' per mile, about a 10% grade, very rideable. But some of that "up" is flat, and some of it is actually down, so we ran into some long stretches of 16-18% grades we couldn't climb. Welcome to mountain biking on a low end fatty, fools! Taught us to do our due diligence with the topo map. Prodded me to research climbing on a bike.


I went to mtbr.com and searched "hill climbing." Found this thread: http://forums.mtbr.com/beginners-corner/i-want-more-granny-gear-662074.html which turned out to be highly educational. The upshot is that I popped $20 for one of crmxer's 20T stainless steel chain rings on eBay. I'm waiting to install it until we work our way back up to some serious hills, but the sprocket is in hand ready to go. 


Now this is surmise from a person who has been struggling to get a grip on MTB/fat bike technology and still doesn't really know very much, but the BEM's 22/36 x 11/34 gearing appears to be a legacy from 26" MTBs where these ratios seem to work okay with those cute little wheels. The early 29er crew were the first to run into problems climbing with this gearing and go to the 20T chain ring as a simple, low cost way to get a lower granny. Fat bike wheels have a rolling diameter close to 29ers, so I think the 22x34 granny on the BEM is not quite low enough for really long, really steep climbs unless you are really strong which I am not. At least not yet.


I checked the specs on the BikesDirect web site and noted that all of their 2x10 models from the Boris X7 on up have an 11/36 cassette paired with a 22/36 chain ring that provides a granny about 6% lower than the BEM. If you live in Minnesota you may be wondering what I'm going off about, but if you live in the mountainous West you may be able to relate. 


I've held off on installing the 20T because recent rides have all been on the beach and installing a 20T with a 4-bolt, 64mm BCD requires removing about 0.050" or so from the outermost edges of the crank spider mounting bosses as well as from the heads of the 4 sprocket mounting bolts so the chain can fully seat on the sprocket. Not too difficult, but something you want to take your time with. But it was perfectly clear to me that the 20T would be an inexpensive, highly informative, and completely reversible experiment that, at some point, I would need to try.


One of the first things I realized after putting foot to pedal was that I only understood the BEM's 16 available gear combinations in the most general way. There was obviously considerable "overlap" between the ratios available with the 22T chain ring and the 36T but how much and what kind was a mystery. Since I was essentially starting over from scratch with this bike, I wanted a really precise understanding of what that 2x8 transmission actually did. So I calculated all the gear ratios and converted them to feet of forward motion per crank revolution which was a number I could relate to way better than abstract gear reduction ratios. I discovered that the BEM's 2x8 gear set-up actually provides exactly ELEVEN discrete forward speeds. Did you know this? It surprised hell out of me.


On the 22T chain ring, 1st (granny) through 3rd are uniquely low gears, but 4th through 8th provide ratios that are virtually the same as 1st through 5th on the 36T chain ring. On the 36T chain ring 6th through 8th gears provide uniquely high gear ratios. So, 3 uniquely low ratios on the 22T + 5 duplicated ratios + 3 uniquely high ratios on the 36T = 11 forward speeds. Downshifting from the 36T to the 22T on the front derailleur produces virtually the same effect as downshifting three gears on the rear derailleur. Who knew? Discovering these facts made the transmission on the BEM totally transparent for me. Quite helpful.


Since I had read somewhere that chain and sprocket stress and wear increase as angular misalignment between the front and rear sprockets increases, I decided to try to determine the offset angle for every gear combination as well. On my bike the 22T sprocket appears to line up exactly with 4th gear on the cassette in back. The 36T sprocket appears to line up about half way in between 5th and 6th gear on the cassette. I say "appears" because it is really quite difficult to make a precise determination due to the way all the bits and parts are juxtaposed. It's possible other BEMs may line up a little different - I really don't know. 


It isn't practical to measure the angular offset front to rear directly, but these angles can be calculated quite precisely by measuring the crank center to rear axle center distance (18.13" on my BEM) and the spacing of the sprockets on the cassette (multiples of about 0.20") then using trigonometry (the inverse tangent function) to calculate the offset angle. I felt that the calculated offset angles would provide me with a general guideline for what gear combinations one might try to avoid when riding conditions permit. 


I developed (and have uploaded with this post) a graphic that displays all of this gear ratio and offset angle data in a convenient form - for what it might be worth. It at least gave me a better idea of how to use the BEM transmission - and my ideas were pretty vague when I first got on the bike. For comparison purposes I also developed a second graphic for the 20T chain ring. Obviously the 20T expands the range of gear ratios available by moving granny down a little bit, but it also ups the number of discrete ratios to twelve while decreasing the number of duplicated ratios from 5 to 4.

Given my long time away from bikes, I had decided that I would ride the BEM stock until I built up an experience base and actually understood something about riding the bike before I made any kind of changes. However, I did not feel comfortable with that narrow little 620mm handlebar or the 110mm stem that seemed to set it too far forward from the first time I straddled the bike. I tried my best to come to terms with these items, but it wasn't working, and the more I rode the bike, the more strongly I felt that the bars and stem weren't right for me. I finally bit the bullet and replaced the stock parts with a 60mm Truvativ Hussefelt stem and Brand X 740mm bars with 15mm rise and 9° sweepback that I purchased online on sale for $45 for both. The Hussefelt looks like a baby anvil, but it is actually 40 gm lighter than the stock stem. I didn't think to weigh the new bars until after the levers and grips were re-installed, but they don't seem any heavier than the stock bars and may even be lighter.


The wider bars and shorter stem provide me with a much improved riding position, and they greatly mitigate that naughty auto steer that annoys just about everybody including me. I feel like I have a lot more leverage, my hands rest at a more natural angle, and steering inputs seem both more precise and easier to apply. All way good with no negatives. In fact, after riding with the new bars and stem, I would venture to say that the 620mm stock bars make the BEM's auto steer a lot worse than it really needs to be. In my opinion, good ol' [email protected] ought to replace that 620 mm handlebar with something wider. How much could 5 more inches of 1" OD aluminum tubing cost? If you think 740mm bars are too wide, you can cut the things down a little. With a 620mm bar you're stuck. (You reading this, Joe?)


I need a lot more time on the bike to refresh the trail reading skills I developed as a dirt biker way back when and to increase my pedaling strength and efficiency. My fitness base is there, but I still need to adapt it to pedaling the bike. I also feel an acute need to develop some trials skills - track stands, wheelies, and bunny hops - the better to cope with obstacles and irregular terrain. The old dog is going to have to learn some new tricks. But I am loving the bike, especially on the beach early in the morning when the tide is extra low and the light strikes the surf from behind you. These conditions produce what has got to be the most pleasing bikeway experience in Southern California - but you've got to be riding a fatty to get it.


So far the "experiment" is looking like it's going to be a success. Time will tell. 


More later, dudes.


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## Tavic (Apr 25, 2016)

Looks like you're headed the right direction El Geezer regarding gearing. As Fat Biking continues growing we're seeing more and more improvements and better gearing options that make these bikes even better. Another option you may want to consider is going with an 11 spd cassette such as the SRAM XG 10-42T.

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## El Geezer (May 31, 2016)

Thanks, Tavic. I looked at the options and decided to try the 20T first because it was simple and inexpensive. I don't have any idea what might be involved with trying to squeeze an 11-spd cassette onto the Monster. The 20T swap is pretty straightforward. 

I hiked Sunset Peak in the San Gabriel Mountains yesterday with an eye to riding the 3.9 mi., 1400' doubletrack to the summit. The road (except for a 0.4 mi spur off to the summit) is used by pickup trucks to access an electronics site. Based on my very limited experience to date, most of it (the uphill) looks rideable, but there are quite a few relatively short places where the 20T might help me stay on the bike and pedal vs. push. I'll definitely install and use the 20T for a while before I take the BEM up there.

As a side note, I thought I did it right uploading the charts in my first post, but obviously not. Maybe I will eventually get the hang of how to do it.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Tavic said:


> Good gosh, either this guy got screwed royally or this is a scam. Its just a single speed Deadeye Monster for $900 used and he claims he paid $1200 for it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


thats a pretty common scam, aimed at the less informed person looking to get into cycling. he just bought a new bike and listed it, hoping that potential buyers wouldnt google "gravity deadeye monster" (notice how he was vague in the description). $1200 is a believable price for a fat bike, and even if the potential buyer just did a quick search to see what the average fat bike retails for, they still might not have any red flags. so he doubles his money and they ride away happily not knowing any differently.
as a side note, I dont think i would buy anything from a guy with a profile picture that scary looking.


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## tdjt (Apr 11, 2016)

*New GBEM Ltd. First reactions*

Just received my new GBEM Ltd (16" Orange Crush) after lurking here for some time. My first reactions (trying not to repeat what others have said, too much):

- Weight, this thing feels really heavy. Heavier than its 37lb (bathroom scale) probably due to all the weight being in the wheels/tires.

- Paint job looks really good, but scratches easily. I scratched the top tube within 10min. Chainstay is getting chewed up just riding around the block.

- Handlebar length (700mm on GBEM Ltd) feels very good (I'm 5' 10"). Stem length is also surprisingly good (~60-65mm, not 90mm as listed on site).

- Bike feels short when seated, but pretty good when standing up.

- Front brake is underpowered. Need upgrade before riding fast DH.

- Self steer (Vee HBillie) is noticeable, but not too bad.

- Drivetrain feels good, but I would like to upgrade to 1X to save some weight.

Need to figure out a way to carry this bike on my car before I can take it to the trail. Anyone tried to bungie cord it to a regular tray rack (Kuat)?

I also need ideas (free or cheap) for weight savings. My ideas are:
- Remove all the bolts for carrying things (I counted 12), save the 2 for bottle cage.
- Replace the bulky seat with cheap slim seats (for fixie bikes) from Amazon 
- Cut the seat post
- Replace rim liners with reflective tape.
- Lighter tubes.
- Try tubeless conversion. The Vee HBillies feel like they might work. 
- 1X drivetrain.

Any other ideas?


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## Yaki (Jan 24, 2015)

tdjt said:


> Need to figure out a way to carry this bike on my car before I can take it to the trail. Anyone tried to bungie cord it to a regular tray rack (Kuat)?


I have a ProRack hitch platform and the tires are too wide for the wheel wells so I use Bungees to keep them from moving. You will probably have to do something similar.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Something like the Kuat NV, just need longer straps. I've also heard of people getting PVC pipe, cutting it lengthwise, and clamping it down to the kuat trays. I'd try the longer straps first.
https://fat-bike.com/2011/12/kuat-nv-fat-friendly-hitch-rack/

For weight savings, everything adds up on the BEM. To get considerable weight savings, you'd have to change a lot of stuff out that just isn't worth the hassle. Cartridge bearing crankset, fork and the frame are probably some of the heavy weighs that you are stuck with, but the tires/tubes will be where you see the most improvement. If you can set it up tubeless, start there.


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## tdjt (Apr 11, 2016)

watts888 said:


> Something like the Kuat NV, just need longer straps. I've also heard of people getting PVC pipe, cutting it lengthwise, and clamping it down to the kuat trays. I'd try the longer straps first.
> https://fat-bike.com/2011/12/kuat-nv-fat-friendly-hitch-rack/


Thanks for the link. I'm pretty sure this will work.



watts888 said:


> For weight savings, everything adds up on the BEM. To get considerable weight savings, you'd have to change a lot of stuff out that just isn't worth the hassle. Cartridge bearing crankset, fork and the frame are probably some of the heavy weighs that you are stuck with, but the tires/tubes will be where you see the most improvement. If you can set it up tubeless, start there.


Upon more research, looks like I can save about 2 lb by going tubeless. Also, a pair of lighter tires like Schwalbe Jumbo Jims are 2.5 lb lighter than Vee HBillies, according to spec. That's a combined 4.5 lb! Very promising.


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## uncle_loue (May 1, 2016)

i took my stock BEM to my LBS to setup tubeless. after a week of trying they finally gave it back and said the tires were not fitted to the rims (i have the 80mm rims with the vee mission tires that say "tubeless ready"). Their recommendation was changing tires before different rims. Has anyone successfully gone tubeless with the stock rims?


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## WoodlandHills (Nov 18, 2015)

If you have the 80mm rims like me you can go tubeless. You just need to use the split tube method and a strip of sill foam around the rim to help the beads to seat.


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

uncle_loue said:


> i took my stock BEM to my LBS to setup tubeless. after a week of trying they finally gave it back and said the tires were not fitted to the rims (i have the 80mm rims with the vee mission tires that say "tubeless ready"). Their recommendation was changing tires before different rims. Has anyone successfully gone tubeless with the stock rims?


I tried a few months back on post #1825. I'm sure it is possible like is mentioned with split tube and sill foam but i sunk a few nights trying to get it to work with a few different methods including sill foam with no split tube with no luck.


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## Drummerboy1975 (Nov 24, 2011)

Sweet bike


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## uncle_loue (May 1, 2016)

rear derailleur completely destroyed today. any suggestions on a replacement that may be more durable and compatible with the stock front derailleur?


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## Tavic (Apr 25, 2016)

I've always had good luck with the Shimano Tourney RD TX-55 . The Shimano Altus Mountain Bike RDM310 also has a pretty rugged design. 

If you want Cadillac quality check out the SRAM X01.

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## uncle_loue (May 1, 2016)

thanks for the quick reply. ive found a Shimano XT RD-M8000 on sale for $59 at backcountry.com and the SRAM x01 for $97. any significant difference between these? descriptions seem pretty similar.


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## Tavic (Apr 25, 2016)

I think I've been mistaken, I don't see anywhere that the X01 can used on an 8spd

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## uncle_loue (May 1, 2016)

i went with a SRAM x9. compatible with 8 spd cassette and the x4 shifters. will update on performance once i have installed and test ride.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

If you haven't bought the x9 rear derailure yet, I'd just get the cheapest x4 or x5 SRAM derailure that you can. The x5 are good derailures and will work fine with what you've got. X9 rear derailleurs are great (although IMO overpriced), especially if you get the clutch version, but unless you upgrade the shifters, almost all performance aspect is lost. And if you upgrade the shifters, just a couple steps away from going 10-speed.


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## mcbike420 (Apr 13, 2009)

So stoked to find this thread. I have had my eye on this bike for awhile. Let me describe my dilemma, but I will first say my "problem" I am aware is what you call a "first world problem"

So I ditched the trail bike a few years ago for a downhill rig(go a screaming deal on one), and I love it. One of the reasons why I got the DH bike is my friends moved who I rode with and so I was riding mostly resort by myself or with a small crew and was abusing the trail bike too much. So as fate would have it I ended up making some friends with XC and Trail bikes and now I only have a 40 lb DH bike, but this bike is all SRAM X0 and I love it.

Fast forward until now, I want to get an additional bike to go ride some XC trails around here. A lot of our lower trails are heavy shale and gravel, some sand (I live 30 miles south of SLC Utah), so I could find a used Stumpjumper that fits the budget, or this bike. The idea of fat biking seems appealing, and I have been on a few demo's and I get it, it is all about the smile on your face when riding. Plus the whole snow aspect seems like a blast also, even though I am an avid snowboarder, hard to make it up the hill everyday.

Now to my question, since I am spoiled with a higher end component group am I going to be dissatisfied with the component group on this bike? Should I save a few dollars and buy something better? Or is this good for now and do my upgrades along the way like many others have been?


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

The BEM groupset works, but after XO, it's hard. If you are OK with that, still a fun bike. And it's the personalization stuff that'll get you. Pedals, seat, handlebar, grips, and stem length.

I'd rather get the boris X9 FS or the BEM pro (fatbike with bluto suspension). The fatbike is fun, but it can still buck you some. Thru-axle fork also helps with the really wide axle. I haven't noticed an issue out back since it's hardtail, but a flexy steel fork with a QR skewer, is flexy.


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## mcbike420 (Apr 13, 2009)

Thanks for the reply, and all that personalization stuff is mute to me, because I will do that anyways. When I got my demo I put new bars on right away, news grips, etc. I like the idea of a hardtail, because I hate climbing, and the idea of a fat bike is appealing because even when I had my HT years ago I was still doing hike a bike because the trail was steep and the dirt was loose, fat bike helps me overcome my biggest weakness. 

Now the question is how to sell the wife on the idea, but I didn't expect this thread to help me there. 

I think I need to go find a bike with a comparable component group and see if that works, I don't know why it has taken me a year to come up with that idea, but I think I will run with it.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

It'll still work, just not as nicely. I run x9 on my 29er and SLX on my fat bike (swapped the drivetrains to have 1x10 on my 29er). I also have a junk bike with tourney stuff on it. It works, just not as good. Has a lot of flex in the shifter, I need to overshift sometimes, lot more noise in the high and low gears, and shifter levers are not as comfortable. difference between driving an expensive car and cheap car. They both work, but the expensive car is a lot more fun.


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## Ridin'Fat (Jun 15, 2016)

Received my new Pearl White Gravity Monster Bullseye the other day and I must say I am very impressed with this bike. The build went smooth with no damage to the bike out of the box , no truing had to be done on the wheels and no adjustments had to be made on the derailleurs.

I am just getting back into biking and found out real quick just how bad out of shape I have let myself get. Looking foward to Riding the GMBE and getting back in shape.

Does any one know of a good rear rack that works well on the GMBE ?


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## dietz31684 (Mar 30, 2010)

Check out the axiom jurney rack. Not fat specific but I was able to spread and mount with no problems. Relatively cheap too at around $30 

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Ibera rack for bikes with disc brakes. You just mount it without the disc brake tab on one side, and try to use a shorter spacer on the other. Or use rubber clamps to attach it to the seat stay instead of the mounting holes on the frame.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=629ETAMKKMHFXS6C3WYM


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

DIY rattle can paint job completed. As mentioned previously, when I bought my GBEM in October 2015, the only color available in my size was burnt orange. I didn't like it so I went with a black rattle can paint job. I also replaced the orange rim strips with black duct tape. I'm happy with the results.

Before - 









After -


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Still like the orange better.

How much seatpost is still in the frame? If it doesn't extend at least 1" below where the seat tube meets the top tube, you really run the risk of busting the frame. And if you are riding this on trails, I'd look for a different stem & handlebar instead of using a steer tube riser. They're OK for road (if they are good quality and clamp down well), but for trail use, I'd avoid them.


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

watts888 said:


> How much seatpost is still in the frame? If it doesn't extend at least 1" below where the seat tube meets the top tube, you really run the risk of busting the frame.


I've got 5-6 inches still in the frame.



watts888 said:


> And if you are riding this on trails, I'd look for a different stem & handlebar instead of using a steer tube riser. They're OK for road (if they are good quality and clamp down well), but for trail use, I'd avoid them.


As mentioned a few pages back, I've got 3.5 additional inches of height with the extender (88mm) plus 30mm of rise on the stock bars (4.5 total inches). I'm not sure I could easily replicate that with a riser bar stem combo.

The original intent for this bike was to be a winter commuter - which it performed extremely well at last winter, ended up with ~700 miles on it for the brief bit of snow we got last year. Road my road bike the non-snow days. So most use was/is going to be on paved bike trails/road.

I may gather up enough courage to try some gravel/offroad again after a pretty bad wreck I had a few months ago on my first gravel grinder ride on the GBEM.


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

watts888 said:


> Still like the orange better.


I don't mind the burnt orange, but I do like Tendertoes "back in black" rattle can job! :thumbsup::thumbsup:--> Mine is still burnt orange with an canvas green fork just to make it interesting, but as some one pointed out, the paint is very thin and eventually may need to be rattle canned...Tried to go tubeless with Bud on a RD with the help of the top LBS mechanic guy, but Bud would not seat. So now he's waiting with 3" gorilla tape on the rim and a Toob until I feel like breaking one side of the bead, removing the tube and wasting so more Stans just to be burped out at the first large obstacle. I was able to set up Jumbo Jim 4.8 tubeless on RD's and it was very straightforward. Some tire/rim combinations just don't make it easy to do...Also showing alot of seatpost on my 22" GBM!!  BTW- Great advice to avoid the riser on the trail, seems like that would be asking for trouble?


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## Nuckster (Jul 1, 2016)

So I've been eyeing this and the Boris threads pretty closely. I'm torn between the GBM LTD in the matte black and red, or one of the X5 models. You guys are pretty passionate and a wealth of information, I thank you for that.

I see a lot of love on this thread for the regular GBM but I'm not seeing much on the LTD version. Does anyone know anything about the H-Billie tires, and whether the bars are actually 700mm as the specifications indicate? I know they're extremely close, but as tires and bars are two of the things that people are changing out immediately, I wanted to know if the LTD has "keepable" parts in those areas off the shelf.

Also, it looks like there is a pretty significant gap between the two lowest gears on the rear cassette, almost like old school Alpine gearing on a freewheel. It could be that it's not that large of a gap at all, and I'm overthinking things. If it is a significant gap, then I may just go with an SLX 9 Speed derailleur/shifter/cassette on the rear to fix that problem (assuming everything fits).

Last question (for now) Are the front chainrings replaceable? It's possible that I missed it in 81 pages, but I don't see much talk of replacing rings with a Narrow-wide and going 1x.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Handlebars on the LTD look to be the same as on the boris, and they're OK. a legitimate 700mm wide. I don't know about the tires, but you should be able to search for reviews on those pretty easy. Can't be any worse than the Vee Missions though.

I'd rather have the GBM LTD than the boris X5 because the lasco bottom bracket on the X5 (and boris x7) seems to have a whole lot of problems (one reason I bought the boris x9). The GBM LTD uses a square taper cartridge bottom bracket. Heavy, but reliable and damn near bulletproof. Cheap to replace too (<$20). It also allows a wide spectrum of aftermarket cranksets that can be used.

The crankset will allow you to go 1x if you desire. If you do a 3-ring crankset swap and get a different front shifter, you might even be able to go 3x up front. That's dependent on what you ride though. If you plan on using this on road at all, you'll quickly max out the speed on the 32T chainring with 11T cog in back.

The stock 8-speed cassete is the junk megarange. First thing I'd do is swap it out for a shimano 11-32 cassette (~$15 on amazon). You mentioned doing a drivetrain upgrade to SLX, but I wouldn't bother. The stock drivetrain works well and is hard to mess up. ON a new bike, once you account for drivetrain upgrade cost, it's worth it to get one of the better fatbikes that start with a better drivetrain. Preferably one with a bluto.


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## Nuckster (Jul 1, 2016)

Thanks a lot for all the information Watts.

The only reason I mentioned adding the SLX stuff, was because I already have it sitting around. So for me it wouldn't be that much additional cost. I'm pretty sure that all shimano 8, 9, 10 fit on the same freehub body, so it shouldn't be a problem to throw my existing SLX cassette on there, and add a 9 speed shifter/derailleur. For me personally, that's a cheaper route than buying a new 8 speed cassette.

I wasn't so much concerned with cranksets (as I might change that down the line) as with just replacing the chainrings with a single Narrowwide ring. This rig will see very little asphalt, pretty much just the ride from a parking lot to a trail so I'm not overly concerned with losing my higher end gears. There is a fair bit of singletrack in my neck of the woods and that's where this bike is gonna live. That's not high on the priority list, just something that I may want to do down the line.

I went ahead and googled the Hbillie tires and the reviews are generally pretty positive, so that's another plus. I haven't heard any complaints about the handlebars on the Boris, so if it's the same bar as you said then i'll probably be fine in that department. 

Worst part is I still have two months til I'm able to ride again, currently deployed overseas 

Again thanks for the info.


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## TucsonBamaRider (Aug 30, 2015)

If you're curious about the Chinese eBay fat bike suspension forks that fit our BEMs, I left this review in the "Cheap Fatbike Suspension fork thread." I wanted the other BEM'ers to see this in case you're considering one of these forks. It looks like they (cheap eBay Chinese forks) perform similarly, regardless of travel, and regardless of whether they advertise hydraulic lockout (which it has).

. . . . . . . . 

I purchased the "PASAK" brand fork with 85mm travel from eBay and installed it on my Gravity BEM. I was optimistic that it would be a little better than the the other reviews on this thread since they advertised hydraulic lock out, but it's very much like what Blown240 described in post #65.

I am conflicted about recommending this fork. I have 5 rides on a local intermediate-level trail (~50 miles total). It smooths the trail, and it definitely absorbs big bumps. It also has the friction affect that Blown describes, but performs fine when the bike is actually in motion. It, and its ilk, are still the only 1/8" straight steerer option with 135mm front hubs; and I don't see options on the horizon. It looks like the RST Renegade is trying to occupy the same market space as the Bluto. As a point of comparison, it is not as nice as the Suntour XCM HLO (which is a good fork for the price, but far from elite) on my hardtail 29er, but does absorb big hits without significantly bouncing me.


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## Olbear6252 (Jul 2, 2016)

Hello, this is Oldbear. I used to be a regular poster on here, but some how I forgot my original password so I had to start over. 😃

My GBEM has over 2000 miles on it now and I still love riding it. The only major change that has been made is the tires. I replaced the stock tires with some that I received from Uncle Gomes and Sven from Fat-Bike.com On the front, I am running a Vee Rubber Snow shoe XL (26"x4.8") and the rear has a Vee hbillie (26"x4.25"). They really make a big difference in the handling and rolling resistance . My next addition is going to be some sort of suspension fork, RST quite possibly. 
Mama bear want a GBEM in orange, a 14" . I just might swap wheels 
We moved into a retirement community last October and they wanted me to store my fatty, Rybak, in the basement. I asked if they could cover replacement costs if it was stolen and suddenly I had Ryback in room👌🏼. 
In May, a housekeeper forgot to wipe up a puddle completely in the dining room an I did the splits in a manner that 64 year old male isn't designed to do so. I was bruised on the side from my left hip down to my ankle. Took me off my bike for about two weeks. Hard doing absolutely nothing . 😡
But I am back now and will post daily.

Until tomorrow ===PEACE===LUV===And FATNESS
Oldbear and family🐻🐻🐻🚵


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## Tavic (Apr 25, 2016)

Welcome back Oldbear!

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk


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## WhiskeyJr (Jul 3, 2014)

Sorry about your fall!

Welcome back Oldbear!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## SWMTNBKR (Oct 25, 2014)

I have a 2015 GBEM. While the bike is great for the money, most of the components are pretty bottom shelf. I have replace handlebars & stem, brakes to Tektro Draco hydraulics, and now changing to Shimano xt 2 by 10 that I pulled off another bike I upgraded to 1 by 11... all went on flawlessly except the front dereailluer. Since it's an e-type. What I did was buy an fd-m770-e strictly for the e-type bracket, used the bracket to mount fd-m785-e2. OK so here's the problem, the e-bracket flexes so much the front derailleur is useless. I didn't go seat tube mount figuring the due to the width, it would not reach. So has anybody tried this or accomplished it another way???? The Sram as delivered was terrible and was never precise...


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## Olbear6252 (Jul 2, 2016)

I was thinking of possibly going to 1x10 on my monster. Any suggestions? I would like to stash with SRAM if possible. I would lose six 'speeds' but I hardly ever use the big rind anyway so I would actually gain 2. 
Today 'Ryback' ( my monster ) and I had an early morning go at a local park. There's a paved path that measures 3.7 miles, but, being fatty minded I don't strictly stick to them. Instead I run through some trees and across some lightly used soccer fields bringing my mileage per lap to around 4mi. So we put in 4 laps and sweated profusely towards the end.

Until later Oldbear


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## volksbike (Nov 4, 2015)

*Orange GBM Rally 500*

OldBear - Great to hear you are really pounding out the miles (2000!!) daily on your GBM! Kudos! :thumbsup::thumbsup: I went with SRAM 1x GX 104 BCD 32T Narrow Wide with a Shimano 11-36 and XT clutch 10 Spd RD and absolutely love it...even used the same config on a 9:Zero:7 build and it just works very well. Thought I would miss the FD and 22T granny ring but I really, really don't and the simplicity is worth it in my case. Depends on your terrain, though...YMMV

I just hit a milestone myself, 500 local trail miles with almost daily rides on my 22" GBM, and still enjoying every minute of it...

Took it to Cape Cod this past week and explored some new trails down there, all good....:thumbsup:





















Gearing up for another ride this am...









Peaceout!

-VB


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Watch out for the Bear, he swipes picnic baskets from the seat of a fatbike...
Just goes rolling by and away he goes with your picnic basket!


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## Olbear6252 (Jul 2, 2016)

volksbike said:


> OldBear - Great to hear you are really pounding out the miles daily on your GBM! Kudos! :thumbsup::thumbsup: I went with SRAM 1x GX 104 BCD 32T Narrow Wide with a Shimano 11-36 and XT clutch 10 Spd RD and absolutely love it...
> 
> I just hit a milestone myself, 500 local trail miles with almost daily rides on my 22" GBM, and still enjoying every minute of it...
> The
> ...


Thanks for your input. I love my Monster, who is named 'Ryback' after the wrestler. We store him in our room in the retirement community where we live. So he gets the benefit of being in a climate controlled environment ?.
My Monster has served as my means of transport for 2 years. At one point I was hauling a modified trailer with it to shop around town. I hoe to upgrade eventually but for now, I will Just add parts as I go.

Oldbear


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## charliej (Jul 23, 2014)

look at the blackburn outpost fatbike rack


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## Nuckster (Jul 1, 2016)

Pulled the trigger on the green/white GBM LTD. Ultimately was the H-Billie tires and tapered headtube that pushed me to the LTD. Wife told me it already arrived at my house, now just gotta get back from the middle east and ride that bad boy. 

Already ordered some new bars, just gonna get a shorter stem (I know the 110 that comes on it is gonna be way too long for me) to go with the new white bars I ordered. There will be definitely be pics up in 7 weeks when I get to put it together. Getting anxious wanting to buy upgrades for a bike I haven't even seen in person yet...


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## Olbear6252 (Jul 2, 2016)

Nuckster said:


> Pulled the trigger on the green/white GBM LTD. Ultimately was the H-Billie tires and tapered headtube that pushed me to the LTD. Wife told me it already arrived at my house, now just gotta get back from the middle east and ride that bad boy.
> 
> Already ordered some new bars, just gonna get a shorter stem (I know the 110 that comes on it is gonna be way too long for me) to go with the new white bars I ordered. There will be definitely be pics up in 7 weeks when I get to put it together. Getting anxious wanting to buy upgrades for a bike I haven't even seen in person yet...


Congrats on your buy! You won't regret it in the least. I love ol' Ryback, my monster, and have over 2k trouble free miles on it. The Hillbillie tires are great! I run one in back on it and a snowshoe xl on the front. Although It might not look it the '14 GBM fork has plenty of room for the 4.8 width of the 'shoe. Uncle Gomez of Fat-Bike Radio gave the pair to me. 
As far as handling Goes with the new skins it is a HUGE improvement t over the Missions. Those tires were reliable and durable, as I never had any flats. It was just time to do my first upgrade. For me the stem is just right. I stand at 6'1" and my arms are proportionate to my height. So the stem isn't an issue. The next thing I am again considering is an "old school" item that I'd like to add. That is bar ends. I used to use them back in the 90's and really liked them. They seem "passe'" now but they do give me more hand positions and helped with long climbs. Also although my SRAM X4 rear derailleur has done yoeman service, at the end of summer I hope to upgrade to a newer model. Possibly an X-7 or something better. Another thing that needs changed is maybe the saddle. I used to ride a lot of Bontrager racing ones and might possibly get another one like it. Does anyone have any recommendations? 
As far as riding today it got hot rather quickly and the humidity was off the hook.

Until later
Oldbear.


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## Nuckster (Jul 1, 2016)

Thanks oldbear, I've read pretty much all of the posts in this thread and you and dirtdawg are a large part of the reason I went ahead and pulled the trigger. I want this bike to be fun, but I'm hoping it doesn't completely usurp my full squish as the bike of choice... would hate to think I like a bike that much and I wasted the money on my other bike that has wheels that cost more than the GBM lol...

I'm 6' exactly and ordered the 18" frame. It's possible that the 110 would be fine, but that's much longer than the stems on my other bikes and I'm assuming from past experience that I won't like it.

As far as bar ends, I got nothing for you man. Some people love 'em... I'm not one of those people. I mentioned in a previous post that I'm gonna be going to an SLX drivetrain. I've got 9 speed SLX sitting around and I don't think I'm even going to give the megarange 8-speed a chance.


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## Olbear6252 (Jul 2, 2016)

Nuckster said:


> Thanks oldbear, I've read pretty much all of the posts in this thread and you and dirtdawg are a large part of the reason I went ahead and pulled the trigger. I want this bike to be fun, but I'm hoping it doesn't completely usurp my full squish as the bike of choice... would hate to think I like a bike that much and I wasted the money on my other bike that has wheels that cost more than the GBM lol...
> 
> I'm 6' exactly and ordered the 18" frame. It's possible that the 110 would be fine, but that's much longer than the stems on my other bikes and I'm assuming from past experience that I won't like it.
> 
> As far as bar ends, I got nothing for you man. Some people love 'em... I'm not one of those people. I mentioned in a previous post that I'm gonna be going to an SLX drivetrain. I've got 9 speed SLX sitting around and I don't think I'm even going to give the megarange 8-speed a chance.


I am happy that you have chosen a GBEM. 👍🏼👍🏼 If you do regular cleaning and maintainence, the Monster should do nicely. I will be praying for you while you are overseas that you get home safe and sound to you loved ones. 
Oldbear.


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## Olbear6252 (Jul 2, 2016)

Okay let's get into some serious discussions lightening our fattys.

My question is this: Where should I begin lightening Ryback? The tubes? How about maybe having lighter wheels built? Or mareplacing the crankset? 
I read some place that switching out the heavy a$$ schrader valved tubes was a logical choice. When I changed the front tire. Those stock tubes were like mini automotive tubes! 
I also think that my crank cold be lighter. Would anyone care to add easy ways to make our bikes? I don't mean rolling another on underneath us to accomplish lightening either.

Oldbear

2014 GBEM


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Cumulatively, all the parts are heavier on the BEM. Not one or two parts will contribute to massive weight loss. Getting a lighter bike to start with is the best way, because with the BEM, you're replacing almost everything to go light.

On the BEM, I'd focus on performance. Lighter tires and tubes would be my first stop. After that, an alloy or carbon fiber fork (if you can find CF in non-tapered steer tube and 135mm wide dropouts). Then an external bearing crankset. Then a drivetrain swap. Finally, the wheels to carbon fiber.


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## Olbear6252 (Jul 2, 2016)

I supposed you're right. I think that attempting to reduce weight on my GBEM might be a losing effort. But then again, I like challenges and lost causes🙃. What about new wheels? They have to be a source of weight. I like the idea of a CF fork. But like you said finding one with a straight steerer might present a bit of work. 

Until later
Oldbear


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

The rim's on the BEM aren't bad. Obviously, carbon is better, but they're pretty close to par for a fatbike rim. the hubs on the other hand are heavy on the BEM. Almost all of bikesdirect hubs are heavy compared to comparable spec bikes. That's why they're so much cheaper. They work, but something like a Salsa cartridge bearing hub or BHS fat bike hub will be lighter. And butted spokes from a reputable source vs. the ACME brand spokes that are stock.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Wile E. Coyote swears by Acme products... 



watts888 said:


> The rim's on the BEM aren't bad. Obviously, carbon is better, but they're pretty close to par for a fatbike rim. the hubs on the other hand are heavy on the BEM. Almost all of bikesdirect hubs are heavy compared to comparable spec bikes. That's why they're so much cheaper. They work, but something like a Salsa cartridge bearing hub or BHS fat bike hub will be lighter. And butted spokes from a reputable source vs. the ACME brand spokes that are stock.


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## jdubbed (Jul 19, 2016)

Yes! I am interested in lightening my GBEM as well! I bought some q tubes lightweight tubes, but that really wasn't a big help. Has anyone made the stock 80mm rims tubeless? I might have missed it, if someone has........


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

jdubbed said:


> Has anyone made the stock 80mm rims tubeless? I might have missed it, if someone has........


It's in here, somewhere. Basically, the only way people have repeatedly had success without using kits is with split tube and a foam sil strip. It works in the garage, but if it looses seal on a ride, carry a spare tube. The foam sill strip compresses with time and won't hold well enough for a field fix.

For a kit, Fatty Stripper. If you're so inclined, you can actually get most parts from a hardware store for less.
FattyStripper Tubeless Fat Bike Solutions


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## crowm (Dec 27, 2014)

Wow this thread is still active. Surprised! I will ask my question here hopefully you all can help? Can anyone tell me what tool I need to remove the bottom bracket? I'm actually just wanting to remove the front derailleur but it is attached to the bottom bracket screw and I don't have a tool like this. Should I get a photo?


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

crowm said:


> Can anyone tell me what tool I need to remove the bottom bracket?


If it's the stock BEM, just need to remove the crankarms and remove the bottom bracket cartridge. Remember, the left pedal is reverse thread (although you probably don't need to remove the pedals), but the right side bottom bracket cup is reverse thread. With pedals, left is reverse. With the bottom bracket, right is reverse.

Don't need these tools (stupid high price), but these are the only two types of tools you'll need to remove the cranks (plus the hex keys, which you should already have)
https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-CWP-7-Compact-Puller/dp/B01EONTN2O
https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-BBT-22-Shimano-Cartridge/dp/B001A0AIAG


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## littlereddog (Jan 11, 2016)

*Cheap Suspension Fork From Hong Kong*

[edit: took mine off and replaced it with the original fork. Crashed once, and it never rode the same after. Too heavy. Becomes less responsive quickly. I just need to save my pennies for the real deal. Leaving my original review below]

Hello All, Just bought a front suspension fork off of eBay from Hong Kong and thought I would provide my review and tips. Keep in mind, I'm the kind of guy that rides a GBEM and buys forks from Hong Kong off of eBay, so keep in mind the expertise level as you read. The short recommendation is, buy one. I just did a ride today on a really rocky trail (search the Quarry Trail in Utah, it's a very well known trail). I haven't had this much fun biking in a really long time. The fat tires climb at least as well as a 29er and are way more stable coming down. In fact, the reason I decided to ride fat on this trail is because the last time I took my Hi-Fi on the trail, I thought I was going to die. Today, there was no fear. The fork really smooths out the trail and I was hitting some pretty big rocks. Look, this fork is not nearly as good as the one on my Hi-Fi, but it will do. Here are the things to keep in mind:
1- I paid $65 for the fork plus $40 shipping (plus I will have to pay a few bucks on my use tax at the end of the year, because I'm honest like that).
2- You will need to buy at least a star nut and a crown race, so you might as well just buy the whole headset. The crown race on the GBEM is not removable. The fork is machined with a crown race, so you will need to buy one for the new fork. If you want to be sure it matches your bottom bearings, why not just buy the whole head set? You need the star nut and crown race anyway (which is about $10 for the two) so spend $3 more and get the headset. Buy the headset now so it will be at your house when your fork shows up. The star nut can be a little tricky, but I just used a screw through an appropriately sized socket and then through the star nut, and then pound with a rubber mallet. GO SLOW!!! See that white tube in the first picture? That's a 1 1/4 inch piece of PVC pipe. That and a rubber mallet are what you need to get the crown race onto your new fork. A little grease helps as well. 
3- Get the 135 mm spacing. That's the one I got and it works great. 
4-The disk brake caliper attachment on the fork is hokey. You wont be able to add different brackets. I'm not sure if it will work with larger size disks. It works fine with the stock disks. 
5- On the rebound, the stanchions slam into the lowers with enough force, that if you are not expecting it, they might slam the handlebars right out of your hands. Also, the slamming will make you think something is lose in your headtube. It's not. It's just the fork. 
6- The lockout seems to be completely mechanical and not hydraulic. It won't lock unless the stanchions are fully extended. You are not going to be locking out on the fly. You are going to have to stop your bike and extend the stanchions and then lock out the fork. 
7- I went with the 100 mm. I think it messed with my geometry. If I had it to do over again, I'd get the 85mm version.

So, even though it sounds like I hate the fork, I love the fork. Definite recommend. I have been mountain biking since 1996, and I'm not sure if I have ever had as much fun as I had today. At best, it's been a very long time since I had this kind of fun. I'm saving my pennies for a full suspension fat bike. But this will do for the time being.


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## countingrabbits (Jan 16, 2016)

Have to say littlereddog you've sparked my curiosity. For just a little over $100 I'd be willing to say, "why not", and give one a try. As long as I keep my expectations as, "it is what it is," then it should be fine lol. Would you mind linking to everything you bought? Greatly appreciate it


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## littlereddog (Jan 11, 2016)

I actually didn't end up getting the headset before I installed it on my bike. Instead, I cannibalized one of my other bikes and took off the crown race and the bottom bearing. I then ordered a new headset, which has not yet arrived. I will use the new one to put my cannibalized bike back together. Anyway, here are links to all the stuff I bought.
Snow Beach Sand Fork 4 0 Fat Mountain Bike Electric Suspension Cruiser 135 150mm | eBay

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003J7XCRO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

1-1/4 in. x 10 ft. PVC Sch. 40 DWV Plain-End Drain Pipe-1586 - The Home Depot

TEKTON 16 oz. Wood Handle Rubber Mallet-30503 - The Home Depot

You're on your own with the socket and long screw for the star nut.


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## littlereddog (Jan 11, 2016)

> I purchased the "PASAK" brand fork with 85mm travel from eBay and installed it on my Gravity BEM. I was optimistic that it would be a little better than the the other reviews on this thread since they advertised hydraulic lock out,


So did this fork have the hydraulic lock-out as advertised or is it mechanical? Also, when this fork rebounds, does "clunk"? I'm guessing if it is hydraulic lock out and rebound it won't clunk, but you can't control the rebound reaction. With spring only rebound, I think it has good rebound time, but makes the clunk. Honestly, the clunk is pretty hard and almost knocks the handlebars out of my hands on very rocky trails.


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## littleradish (Sep 11, 2016)

Have folks who got the LTD model upgraded to a bluto? Does the LTD come with a 135mm hub? Do you need to lace a new 150mm hub to convert to a bluto?


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## heebeha (Sep 14, 2016)

Anyone know what I set my tire pressure to, to ride on the beach?


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Just drop the pressure to get some squish and you're good to go. Make sure to carry a pump and have fun.


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## El Geezer (May 31, 2016)

*Beach Tire Pressure*



heebeha said:


> Anyone know what I set my tire pressure to, to ride on the beach?


I've had best results with 4.0 front and 5.0 rear on SoCal beaches. I use a Slime analog low pressure gage (about $9) to get the pressure exact. My limited experience is that the lower you can go the better on soft, un-compacted sand. On smooth, wet, compacted sand at low tide you can ride at almost any pressure -- it's like a soft sidewalk. But I have to traverse the soft stuff, so I go low. You will need to experiment, but I suggest getting an accurate low pressure gage so you can keep track of what pressure does what.


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

*Road Shifters and Drop Bars?*

I have a pair of 10 speed Tiagra road brifters and a 105 front and rear road derailleur.

Could I get a 10 speed MTB cassette and swap the stock shifters/brakes/derailluers on the GBEM with my miscellaneous road stuff?

Would probably need a roadlink on the rear derailleur to accommodate the larger MTB cassette as well?

Would I be able to use the stock chain on the new cassette?

Assuming this will work as I have heard of/seen people run MTB cassettes on endurance road bikes so it should be fine. Just getting some additional input on this specific setup.

I have quite a bit of experience with swapping road stuff for road stuff but zero experience with attempting anything like road to MTB swaps.

Attempting to give a cross type setup a try with drop bars and integrated shifters/brakes.

Looking for the cheapest method using the parts that I have.

Another option would be to buy a pair of 8 speed brifters and use the stock derailluers/cassette on the GBEM but assuming that may be more expensive than just buying a cassette and using the road brifters/derailluers I already have - assuming this entire experiment is even possible?

Option 1 - purchase new 10 speed cassette + roadlink + possible new chain if needed and use road brifters/derailluers I already have on hand

Option 2 - purchase new 8 speed brifters and use stock derailluers/cassette already on the GBEM


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

If you have the shifters and derailures, no reason not to. You'll also need a new 10-speed chain and cassette. Max tooth size of the cassette will be dependent on the capacity of the derailure. Might have some fitment issue with the front chainring and front derailure due to different maximum tooth count and chainline factor of road vs. mountain, but you should be able to get some of it to work.

brakes for road vs. mountain have different pull, so you will need to get road disc brake calipers too. Good reason to upgrade.

If you wanted to stay cheap (and didn't already have the road shifters/derailures), I'd look for some 8-speed drop bar brake levers that use a mountain bike "long pull" and stem mount shifter (indexed rear/friction front) or bar-end shifters.

https://smile.amazon.com/Tektro-RL520-Brake-Levers-Linear/dp/B001IORJVU
https://smile.amazon.com/Shimano-SL-BS64-8-Speed-Ultegra-Shifter/dp/B000F5EFOC
https://smile.amazon.com/Sunrace-Mount-Shift-Lever-Friction/dp/B0070PKLZ2

These stem shifter's aren't indexed, but I know they make some that are.

You'll also need a new stem assuming you're new drop bar uses the larger diameter clamp. The stock stem is 25.4, and you're probably going to use a drop bar with 31.6mm


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

Thanks for the input which sparked some further questions/thoughts.



watts888 said:


> Max tooth size of the cassette will be dependent on the capacity of the derailure.


I am thinking a Road Link - RoadLink ? wolftoothcomponents.com

will assist in this? Doesn't impact capacity but will assist in positioning to accommodate larger cassettes.



watts888 said:


> Might have some fitment issue with the front chainring and front derailure due to different maximum tooth count and chainline factor of road vs. mountain, but you should be able to get some of it to work.


Thinking of giving the stock FD a go first with the road shifters as there are some tales of this working. This would ease install as I'd have to pull the cranks etc. to remove the stock FD then install the new band road FD and setup compared to simply tweaking the stock FD if it will indeed work with the road shifters.



watts888 said:


> brakes for road vs. mountain have different pull, so you will need to get road disc brake calipers too. Good reason to upgrade.


Very good point and something I didn't know about. It appears as if the cheapest solution is a pair of Travel Agents - Problem Solvers. A new set of road disc calipers seems to be at least $100 for a pair compared to $20 a piece for the Travel Agents.



watts888 said:


> You'll also need a new stem assuming you're new drop bar uses the larger diameter clamp. The stock stem is 25.4, and you're probably going to use a drop bar with 31.6mm


Good point. I'll be using the stem off the same road bike I'm cannibalizing for the shifters and derailluers.

Thanks again for your reply. This is seeming pretty feasible monitarily in the short term. I'll post updates as they develop.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

No knowledge of the road link. You're on your own for that. It sounds like it should work for the intended purpose though.



tendertoe said:


> ... simply tweaking the stock FD if it will indeed work with the road shifters.


road and mountain FD use a different pull too. If you're going to use the stock mountain FD with a road shifter, it won't work the way it's intended to. However, I'm sure you could still get it to somewhat work. Might only be limited to 2 of the 3 chainrings though. Worst case, go 1x10.


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

Picked up a pair of the 29er wheels from BikeIsland to have a set of fair weather wheels/tires for bike path/gravel/road riding around town - BikeIsland.com - Bicycle Parts, Accessories and Clothing at Affordable Prices with Free Shipping

From the information I've gathered I could go as narrow as a 37-40mm tire on these?


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

No problem with 37 to 40mm tires. I've run 40mm kenda happy mediums on some 21mm inside width rims and they performed great. 

The rim description is pretty weak, but if those are a 23mm outside width, they probably have about an 18mm inside width. If that's the case, I wouldn't have any concern taking them down to a 28mm tire. Of course, then you're getting into road tires, which are just crazy. If the 23mm is an inside width, I'd stay 33mm tires and above just from a rim protection aspect. 

And keep in mind that the super wide Q-factor of the pedals and bottom bracket will feel really weird on skinny tires. When you lean the bike, you are much more likely to strike the pedals.


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## KAS811 (Sep 30, 2016)

*new guy here*

Hey guys, this is my first post on this forum. I have been mountain biking for a very long time up here in the northeast and have been eyeing these fat bikes. After going through a good amount of this thread I decided to take the plunge and order one of these Bullseye's.

Three days later it arrived to my house. Seems like a descent bike for $500. I ended up swapping out the stock stem, grips, handlebars, and pedals for Race Face stuff and ESI grips from the get go. I also ordered a RF narrow wide single which is on its way. After putting the bike through its paces for the first time this morning on some of our aggressive trails I quickly realized the stock brakes are not going to cut it....for me anyways. Ordered a set of the BB7's to replace them...that should help. nearing the end of my ride I noticed the right pedal started to feel wobbly, I checked it out to find the the threads in the crank were just completely stripped out! That's some soft metal.

Has anyone replaced the crank arms/set on this bike yet? I am thinking of ordering a set of race face cranks, wanted to see if there were any recommendations. I will most likely throw a Bluto fork on here within the next month or two as well.....so much for the "$500" bike....typical me though.


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## KAS811 (Sep 30, 2016)

Any advice on race face crank set would be appreciated...not sure what size to go with, or which ones. Looking at a set with the bottom bracket as well.


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

Nice color, are you getting better traction with the tires like that? How about self-steering? Those tires are popular for that. If Bluto is what you wanted, the best choice would have been a 2016 Mongoose Argus Expert at Nashbar.com. for $1199 at checkout after creating an account. This bikes comes with thru axles front and rear, bigger tires, wider rims, way better drivetrain SLX/Comet combo, a Bluto, Hayes 180mm juice brakes front and rear, many more goodies. On the other hand, once you get your Bluto next month, your Bullseye would be very personalized already. I got myself a Pearl White Bullseye Monster last year and it is a very good bike for price.
If your headtube is semi-integrated, you could install a Bluto with cane creek adapter. Your other option would be an RST Renegade for non-tapered frame which could be a pain to find. I just bought 2 from a guy on EBay. I'm probably the only guy in America that was able to find these forks for non-tapered frames.


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## KAS811 (Sep 30, 2016)

Haha...glad you noticed the front tire on "backwards"! Honestly I was pressed for time when I was changing out the colored rim strip and wasn't paying attention until I noticed it in the pics I posted. I had flipped it around to the correct rotation before its first ride. I did notice the "self-steering", wasn't sure if that was a tire specific issue or that is how a fat bike just rides...being that I'm new to fatties. The guys on the trails I ride all recommend to upgrade to the Surly tires...they said they think the 4.8 would fit on the 80mm rims and clear the frame. Any thoughts? Also, I am contemplating going tubeless or staying with he tubes.


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## CornerCanyonRider (Mar 17, 2009)

Greetings all! I'm new to this forum, having just received my GBEM LTD a couple weeks ago. I was trying to search for an answer to my question, but couldn't find it. My GBEM has a tapered headtube and I found a good deal on a carbon specialized Fatboy fork (also tapered). I installed it correctly (or so I thought) with the stock headset bearings and took it out for a ride. The steering was very difficult to manage. I had to use all my strength to make some of the turns, like something was binding up. I brought it home and it appears the crown of the fork (just below the built-in crown race) is rubbing on the bottom of the headtube. Do you think I should try and find/make some metal washers/spacers to put between the lower headset bearing and the crown race to create a bit more space to eliminate the rubbing?

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## Erock503 (Oct 20, 2014)

The crown race is specific to the headset you are using. I wouldn't just use a washer, as it won't press the bearings correctly. Is it for sure built into the fork? It would be ideal to use the crown race from your old fork, otherwise I would change the headset to whatever specialized uses for that fork.


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## CornerCanyonRider (Mar 17, 2009)

I tried a cane creek lower bearing that fits/matches the forks' crown race perfectly but it wouldn't fit right in the lower end of the head tube. It's like the lower end of the headtube is made for the stock caged bearings and nothing else. 

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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

CornerCanyonRider said:


> I tried a cane creek lower bearing that fits/matches the forks' crown race perfectly but it wouldn't fit right in the lower end of the head tube. It's like the lower end of the headtube is made for the stock caged bearings and nothing else.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk


Is your frame an integrated headset type head tube? Can you take the fork out and get a close up of the lower end of the head tube?


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## CornerCanyonRider (Mar 17, 2009)

Yes. I'm sure the crown race is built into the new fork (and possibly the old fork as well). I'll take another look. 

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## CornerCanyonRider (Mar 17, 2009)

Yes I think all tapered headtubes utilize integrated style headset bearings (as far as I've ever seen). 

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## Erock503 (Oct 20, 2014)

CornerCanyonRider said:


> Yes I think all tapered headtubes utilize integrated style headset bearings (as far as I've ever seen).
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk


Nah, I've owned several tapered frames with different semi integrated headsets. There is usually a lower and upper cup, it's just inside the headtube. The carbon frames I've owned did have fully integrated headsets though, where the bearings sat right in the frame. Looking at the close ups of the white grape frame, it looks like there is a small black lip on the bottom from a cup. Are you sure it's completely integrated?


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## CornerCanyonRider (Mar 17, 2009)

I saw that black lower cup. Not sure if it's removable. If it is, how would I remove it?

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## Erock503 (Oct 20, 2014)

They make different size cup removers. I have 2 from park tools, one is for straight 1 1/8 tubes, and one is for 1.5" tubes. It's really just a meta/alloyl pipe, cut with four slits, and the 4 legs are bent out. This is so you can insert it, and the bent out legs can catch the lip of the cup inside. Then you just tap it out with a hard plastic end mallet or hammer.


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## CornerCanyonRider (Mar 17, 2009)

Oh, I used to have one of those that I made out of plastic pipe. 

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## Erock503 (Oct 20, 2014)

Yup, that will do it.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Also, fat boy forks have an integrated race that's hard to remove and a tall tapered section. It's like they didn't want the fork to be used on anything but a fat boy.


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

In reference to the "backwards" mounting of the tires a few posts back, I actually run mine that way. It drastically reduced self steer for me on the stock tires.


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

I think that having a thru-axle in the front wheel cures the self steering of the missions. I had a set of vee missions that I replaced with Kendas Juggernaut because I didn't like the self steering nightmare. Now that I got my RST renegade, I was forced to buy a wheel set: thru-axle in front and 190QR rear origin 8 for $160(a steal). I installed the missions on the new wheel set because I wanted to keep my old QR wheel set with tires and tubes installed. However, the new wheel-set has 80mm rims while the old ones are 100mm. So it has to be either the suspension fork or the thru-axle because I don't feel the self-steering anymore. I love the tires now.


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## El Geezer (May 31, 2016)

*20-Tooth Chainring: A MAJOR Upgrade Success*

Since I got the thing in February 2016, I've been riding my BEM on the beach and on MTB trails and loving it. Over time, however, I developed the very strong feeling that the standard BEM gearing is too tall for really steep trails - too tall for me at least.

I will confess that part of my problem is that, at almost 78, I am too danged old. As one ages the body gradually reduces the maximum rate at which the heart will beat. The exact mechanism is still mysterious. There isn't a damn thing you can do about it. My resting heart rate is in the high 40s, and I am in about as good shape as it is possible for a person my age to be in, but my heart now maxes out somewhere between 150 and 160 beats per minute (BPM). Using the latest formula (208 - age x 0.7) my theoretical maximum heart rate ought to be 154 BPM. One's aerobic maximum, the highest heart rate one can maintain for an essentially indefinite duration is usually about 75% of one's maximum heart rate. So for me that's about 115 BPM. As a practical matter I can sustain a 125-130 BPM heart rate for as long as I need to - longer than it takes me to do just about anything I want to do. Still.

A 22 year old who has a maximum heart rate of 200 BPM will have an aerobic maximum of around 150 BPM - about the same as my absolute maximum. So, a 22 year old my same height, weight and build (6' - 0", 175#) would probably put out about the same horsepower as me at the same heart rate. This young dude could ride the BEM all day long up a hill that would crush me in 60 seconds. Tough. That's why we leave the seriously heavy lifting to the young.

So the ONLY hope for the old is to gear it down, baby.

I discovered that quite a few among the early 29er riders, whose bikes had the same traditional 22/36 x 11/34 MTB gearing as the BEM, geared down by replacing the 22t chainring with a 20t. It seemed to work for them, and 29er rolling diameter is about the same as fat bike 26 x 4.0.

Being a semi-cautious individual, I e-mailed [email protected] and asked him what he thought about a 20t on the BEM. He e-mailed me right back and said, "While the 20T may work we do not recommend switching the factory gearing to avoid chain length and shifting issues."
So I told him, "Thanks for the prompt response. Your advice seems sensible and prudent, but, unfortunately, it doesn't help me get up those long, steep climbs." But I realized at that exact moment that I HAD TO DO IT, so I ordered one of crmxer's 20t stainless steel chainrings off e-Bay for $19.95 plus $5.00 shipping. I figured that if it didn't work, I could always put the 22t back on and try to come up with something else. $25 was a cheap experiment.

It took several months before I got around to installing the thing, but I finally did it last weekend. I did a serious test ride on October 4 on the Beaudry Motorway up out of Altadena, CA, a 5- to 6-mile loop trail that has 1,500 feet of net elevation gain with some additional up and down stuff that includes a number of quite steep sections.

Basically, the 20t worked beautifully. It shifts up and down just as good as the stock 22t with no skip and no chain suck and no tendency to jump off the sprocket. Perfect, in fact. On my previous ride on this particular trail with the stock 22t, I think I pushed about 50% of the uphills. It was humiliating. Tuesday I rode about 95% of the uphills. The 20t is not quite the ultimate solution, but being able to stay on the bike almost the whole ride was quite satisfying. (I absolutely DO NOT get up at 4:30a, load up, and drive for 45 minutes just so I can PUSH a 36-pound fat bike up a bunch of stupid hills. FTS.)

I'm reporting all this because this 20t fix works really great and it only costs $25 bucks. In making this conversion you give up NOTHING. The top end gearing off the 36t is unchanged. The overall "width" of your gear ratios expands slightly in the downward direction. The reduction ratio of the old 22t granny (22/34 = 0.65) is just about half way in between the new 20t granny (20/34 = 0.59) and the new 20t 2nd gear (20/28 = 0.71). There is an "overlap" between the ratios of the top 4 gears on the 20t chainring and the bottom 4 gears on the 36t chainring. With the 22t chainring there was a 5-gear overlap. So far I can't find anything about this chainring swap not to like. It is all way, way good so far.

When installing that little bitty 20t chainring it is necessary to remove some material from both the 4 mounting bosses on the crank spider and from the heads of the 4 chainring mounting screws in order to provide clearance for the chain plates so the chain can seat fully on the 20t sprocket. There are a couple of YouTubes that deal with the 20t install, but I don't like the way they do it (big old scary hacksaw in one of them). I took photos of how I did my installation, and I'll do a separate post soon to detail the simple but ever so slightly tricky steps necessary to get a flat 20t installed right, El Geezer style. Just in case somebody might be interested.

I'm not totally satisfied yet though. I'm investigating losing the 11t cassette sprocket and adding an aftermarket 38t sprocket on the fat end of the cassette, moving everything over one position. This will give me a new super-granny with a (20/38 = 0.53) ratio. I ride very little pavement, and I never need the 36 x 11 combination. It makes no sense to use 22 x 11 when you can get the exact same ratio using 36 x 18 with a better chain angle. So, for me, losing that little unused 11t will be a blessing and adding the 38t will be heaven.

To make this 38t thing work one also needs to replace the existing 13t sprocket (the old 7th gear) with a 13t "first position" cog that has a bearing surface to mate correctly with what also needs to be a new 12t cassette lock ring. (The old 11t lock ring is too small and won't work with the new 13t 1st pos cog.) By the time I buy the two sprockets and the 12t lock ring plus a cassette lock ring removal tool and a chain whip, I will have gone through at least $75, but the bike will be totally transformed into a cliff-scaling beast that even a feeble, doddering old coot like me will be able to ride straight up damn near anything.

Unless you live in Total Flatland or unless you are some kind of Total Animal, gearing your BEM down could be the most useful and cost effective improvement you can make. If granny ever don't quite get it for you, you ought to think about it. More later.


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## KAS811 (Sep 30, 2016)

Thinking about throwing a dropper post on this fatty...I believe I will need a 31.8, that sounds correct right?


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## Erock503 (Oct 20, 2014)

El Geezer said:


> To make this 38t thing work one also needs to replace the existing 13t sprocket (the old 7th gear) with a 13t "first position" cog that has a bearing surface to mate correctly with what also needs to be a new 12t cassette lock ring. (The old 11t lock ring is too small and won't work with the new 13t 1st pos cog.) By the time I buy the two sprockets and the 12t lock ring plus a cassette lock ring removal tool and a chain whip, I will have gone through at least $75, but the bike will be totally transformed into a cliff-scaling beast that even a feeble, doddering old coot like me will be able to ride straight up damn near anything.


A bit pricey, but could possibly save a lot of time. 
8-Speed Elite Cassette (Shimano/SRAM) (Extra-Wide Range 13-40t)


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## CornerCanyonRider (Mar 17, 2009)

Erock503 said:


> The crown race is specific to the headset you are using. I wouldn't just use a washer, as it won't press the bearings correctly. Is it for sure built into the fork? It would be ideal to use the crown race from your old fork, otherwise I would change the headset to whatever specialized uses for that fork.


I can't use the crown race from the old fork because it's a straight steerer and my new fork is a tapered steerer so I'll have to pop out the lower headset cup and see what I can figure out from there.

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## Erock503 (Oct 20, 2014)

Man, that thing is going to be a pain if it's a built in race. Wonder if you can find something that takes the same size bearing.


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## El Geezer (May 31, 2016)

Thanks for the suggestion, Erock503. I looked for a cassette like this online but couldn’t find one. The three parts I’m looking at come to $54, so it would be tough for me to justify the extra $100+. At age 77, the BEM was an experiment for me — I really wasn’t sure if I would be able to ride it at a level I would find satisfying. So far it is working out way better than I had any right to expect, and if I retain my health, strength, balance and reflexes, I will probably upgrade to a Night Train Bullet or Bullet TI in a year or so. The 2017 NTB spec looks pretty tasty to me.

The BEM is the perfect learning tool for me right now, and its limitations are not what holds me back. I started at the bottom of the learning curve, and I am improving my riding skills every time I go out, but I still have a huge amount to learn, and right now I can learn it on the BEM just as well as I could learn it on a Salsa Bucksaw Carbon XO1. Maybe better because the Bucksaw might be more forgiving of my sins and leave me deeper in the dark.

Just about everybody but me hates the Vee Mission tires. I can easily see that they have their faults, but they have made me pay extremely careful attention to matching tire pressures to riding conditions and to using the brakes properly on steep downhills with poor traction — among other things. I could spend a couple hundred bucks and swap them out for JJs or something, but it wouldn’t help me get where I want to be any faster and it wouldn’t be a cost effective investment in the sport. That’s just the way I look at things.

Thanks again for the cassette referral. I’ve bookmarked it in my “parts” folder.


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## CornerCanyonRider (Mar 17, 2009)

KAS811 said:


> Thinking about throwing a dropper post on this fatty...I believe I will need a 31.8, that sounds correct right?


My GBEM (it's the most recent model) takes a 27.2mm seatpost. Someone else chime in, are the older models different?

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## KAS811 (Sep 30, 2016)

CornerCanyonRider said:


> My GBEM (it's the most recent model) takes a 27.2mm seatpost. Someone else chime in, are the older models different?
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk


I just received my bike so it should be the latest version.


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## CornerCanyonRider (Mar 17, 2009)

KAS811 said:


> I just received my bike so it should be the latest version.


Is it the Ltd version with the tapered headtube? That's what I have.

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## joebikesdirect (Sep 5, 2014)

@cornerc - yes, the Gravity Bullseye Monster *LTD* fat bike has a tapered headtube


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## CornerCanyonRider (Mar 17, 2009)

joebikesdirect said:


> @cornerc - yes, the Gravity Bullseye Monster *LTD* fat bike has a tapered headtube


Yes. I know. I own this bike. I was just asking KAS811 if he has the LTD version or some other version.

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## rob5589 (Dec 4, 2015)

Hey all, if anyone is looking at one or you know anyone, mine is FS. My big plans of getting back into mountain biking just didn't materialize due to life happening. It was fun while it lasted, as they saying goes. Enjoy the ride everyone...
http://forums.mtbr.com/classifieds/...onster-fat-bike-extras-nor-calif-1024944.html


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## KAS811 (Sep 30, 2016)

joebikesdirect said:


> @cornerc - yes, the Gravity Bullseye Monster *LTD* fat bike has a tapered headtube


Yes LYD with the tapered headtube


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## CornerCanyonRider (Mar 17, 2009)

KAS811 said:


> Yes LYD with the tapered headtube


That frame takes a 27.2mm seatpost and a 31.8mm seatpost clamp.

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## KAS811 (Sep 30, 2016)

Oops...meant LTD of course....I was away when I posted that, now that I'm home looking at it, it does not appear to be tapered to me? Or (stupid novice question) is it just tapered inside of the frame?....if that even makes sense...🤔


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## CornerCanyonRider (Mar 17, 2009)

KAS811 said:


> Oops...meant LTD of course....I was away when I posted that, now that I'm home looking at it, it does not appear to be tapered to me? Or (stupid novice question) is it just tapered inside of the frame?....if that even makes sense...?


The LTD looks tapered from the outside and is tapered on the inside (obviously).

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## KAS811 (Sep 30, 2016)

I take it back I do not have the LTD, I have a standard GMB with the non-tapered head. Good thing I did not order that Bluto fork!


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## Erock503 (Oct 20, 2014)

KAS811 said:


> I take it back I do not have the LTD, I have a standard GMB with the non-tapered head. Good thing I did not order that Bluto fork!


The straight steerer RST Renegades are starting to show up on eBay.


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## CornerCanyonRider (Mar 17, 2009)

Finally got the headset bearing issue figured out. Using a washer I bought from Ace hardware and my Dremel and an angle grinder, I fashioned a little spacer to raise the lower headset bearing up just a little so the fork no longer rubs on the bottom of the headtube. Here's my baby! FYI: The saddle is off my 'cross bike and just temporary until I decide which saddle I want to run. I have unofficially dubbed her Miss Piggy. Fitting, no? Second pic shows how seamlessly the fork and headtube fit together.









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## CornerCanyonRider (Mar 17, 2009)

CornerCanyonRider said:


> Finally got the headset bearing issue figured out. Using a washer I bought from Ace hardware and my Dremel and an angle grinder, I fashioned a little spacer to raise the lower headset bearing up just a little so the fork no longer rubs on the bottom of the headtube. Here's my baby! FYI: The saddle is off my 'cross bike and just temporary until I decide which saddle I want to run. I have unofficially dubbed her Miss Piggy. Fitting, no? Second pic shows how seamlessly the fork and headtube fit together.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Now I just need to shorten all the cables/housing.

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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

I explained the options for suspension forks a few posts above, I guess some people is just too lazy to read.


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

*Transformer...*

Picked up the 29er fatbike wheelset from Bike Island - BikeIsland.com - Bicycle Parts, Accessories and Clothing at Affordable Prices with Free Shipping

I've got around 100 miles on these and they are awesome.

I've been riding mostly roads/bike paths and the wheels and stock tires have performed extremely well on wet pavement and leaves.

This has turned the GBEM into one of the most versatile bikes I have ever owned - effectively turning it into both a fatbike and a road/gravel/hybrid.










Clearance up front -










Clearance in the back -










Difference between stock Missions that come with the GBEM and the stock WTB Nanos that come with the 29er wheelset -










I just transplanted the brake rotors and cassette off the stock GBEM wheels to see if I liked the 29er setup for fairweather wheels/tires (which I do). The wheels went on with no adjustment needed to brakes nor shifting.

I'm going to get a dedicated set of rotors and a cassette for ease of swapping wheelsets when needed in the future.

The idea would be to keep the fat wheels for snow/winter use and 29ers for everything else.

For $500 for the GBEM plus $130 for the 29er wheelset shipped, you get two bikes in one - a fatbike and a road/gravel/hybrid bike for $630.

Thinking of putting my road bike up for sale?!?!


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

tendertoe said:


> Thinking of putting my road bike up for sale?!?!


Smartest thing I heard all day. Death to road bikes.

I like the idea of 29er wheels on the BEM for road/hybrid use. For trail use, the wide bottom bracket will mess you up during leans. Much higher risk of smacking the pedals.

And a dedicated set of brake rotors and cassette are worth it. Those $7 knockoff avid rotor sets on amazon are actually pretty good (I've used multiple). You could also take this as an opportunity to increase the front rotor size. Buy two new 180mm rotors and a new brake adapter mount, and you're good. 180 rotors on the front of both wheels, and put the current 160mm rotors on the rear of both wheels.

180mm rotor set for under $20
https://www.amazon.com/Gymforward-Mountain-Stainless-Bicycle-Accessories/dp/B019T9SB9O

front brake adapter for about $6 or ask around for a used rear brake adapter (160mm rear adapter is the same as a 180mm front adapter)
https://www.amazon.com/180mm-Brake-Adapter-Caliper-Standard/dp/B01KA2MFOQ

The $15 sunrace or shimano 11-32T cassette is an excellent choice for trail use. They have the best 8-speed cassette gear space that's even across the entire range. Keep the megarange cassette on the 29er wheelset.


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## Yaki (Jan 24, 2015)

*upgrades*

Here is my GBEM so far.









I have upgraded the stem, bars, grips, and pedals. I found the brakes to be weak so threw on a set of hydraulic Avid Elixir 1's that were in the spare parts bin. Also upgraded to some 180mm rotors front and rear.

I'm pretty much done with upgrades .... well maybe a new saddle. The next thing would be a suspension fork, but I'd probably get a different frame if I go that route.


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## JuniorOverland (Jan 10, 2016)

Made a few changes. Took off the 3T carbon fiber handle bar and 90mm Felt stem. It has Race Face Atlas 785mm handle bars, Atlas 50mm Stem, Atlas Pedals, and Fizik Thar saddle. Threw on my spare Shimano Hydraulic brakes a headlight and a nice sized frame bag. Not done yet, getting some chain suck even with a new chain so it looks like the chain ring will be next on the list and maybe some different tires?


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## livesmith (Dec 5, 2016)

I just got my GBEM and while I've had some form of bike most of my life, most of them have been Wal-Mart bikes and I've not ridden a lot or done a lot of my own maintenance so with my "limited knowledge" level in mind, I've got a few questions...

1-What's a good small pump with a gauge? I've only taken one or 2 short rides at the 5psi the bike came with and that is some interesting feeling around my property but not bad, but yowza, yeah I'm fighting a monster on the roads. Thought I found a pump at Wally, but then I saw the gauge looks to only go down to 20psi.

2-Does the chain need immediate lubing? It feels sticky like it's got lube from the factory.

3-I tightened every bolt I could find,I'm a bit unsure of the exact terms around the stem... There was one on top, the 2 in front that hold the handlebars... Maybe another 2 around the stem? All of those should be nice and tight, right?
And then there were 2 really loose ones on the front brake caliper mounting. Most everything else seemed pretty tight.
The front wheel spun a little bit less easy once I tightened the caliper mounting bolts, but I think it eased up a bit with some more spinning. Is there something else I should be adjusting, or is this just expected with new pads and they ease up a touch as they're used?

4-How exactly should the gears work/sound? They're not bad, but it seems like there is a bit more noise in the lowest gear and they take a bit of effort sometimes to change. It's basically what I'd consider close to normal in past experience, but reading some comments here and I'm wondering if there is some more adjustment I should be doing to smooth things up a bit. So far all I've done is turn the barrel adjusters a bit to make sure I could reach the full range of gears.

I think that's about it... Anything else I should be thinking of?

Thanks!
Levi


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## joebikesdirect (Sep 5, 2014)

Hi Levi - thanks for your questions. Tons of Customers love the Gravity Bulls Eye Monster fat bikes  
I have answered your questions within your quote below:



livesmith said:


> I just got my GBEM and while I've had some form of bike most of my life, most of them have been Wal-Mart bikes and I've not ridden a lot or done a lot of my own maintenance so with my "limited knowledge" level in mind, I've got a few questions...
> 
> 1-What's a good small pump with a gauge? I've only taken one or 2 short rides at the 5psi the bike came with and that is some interesting feeling around my property but not bad, but yowza, yeah I'm fighting a monster on the roads. Thought I found a pump at Wally, but then I saw the gauge looks to only go down to 20psi.
> 
> ...


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Buy a bike off bikesdirect, you are the mechanic. time to learn all about bike maintenance. I highly recommend going to the Park Tools website and reading up on some of their installation instructions. I'd also look at youtube videos for brake caliper alignment, bike stem installation, front deraileur adjustment, and rear deraileur adjustment. After watching those videos, try to make some more adjustments. You'll be amazed at how better it can handle.

Most wallyworld bike pumps are designed for the wallyworld hybrid bikes that normally have pressure in the 45-75 psig. I wouldn't trust them to last long at higher pressures, and as you notice, they don't show low pressure. My best advice is to get a good pump (maybe $30) that has the features you want, buy it once with the plans that it will last 20 years. Don't get the cheap $7 one from harbor freight. It will break in 2 months.

Chain should be a little greasy, and that's fine. In time, you will want additional chain lube. Teflon dry lube if you ride dry mountain bike trails. Wet oil lube if you ride wet/snowy trails. And don't mix the lubes. When you go from wet to dry, you need to completely clean the chain. For general riding where lots of dust is involved, I'd go with a dry lube. If you don't have much dust, wet lube is a good all purpose lube.

Don't over-tighten bolts. The park tools website has a chart about torque you should be using, in general, screwdriver type torque tightening most bolts. If you need to use it with a lever/socket to tighten, probably over-tightening.

Once in gear, the drivetrain should sound smooth. No clicking. When changing gears, no grinding/clunking sound. It should shift with a single smooth click, and that's it.


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## joebikesdirect (Sep 5, 2014)

watts888 has some good info  Buy any bikes, and it's a great idea to know how to work on them. It's easy and fun and saves you lots of time and cash  
We sell the toolkits you'll need



watts888 said:


> Buy a bike off bikesdirect, you are the mechanic. time to learn all about bike maintenance. I highly recommend going to the Park Tools website and reading up on some of their installation instructions. I'd also look at youtube videos for brake caliper alignment, bike stem installation, front deraileur adjustment, and rear deraileur adjustment. After watching those videos, try to make some more adjustments. You'll be amazed at how better it can handle.
> 
> Most wallyworld bike pumps are designed for the wallyworld hybrid bikes that normally have pressure in the 45-75 psig. I wouldn't trust them to last long at higher pressures, and as you notice, they don't show low pressure. My best advice is to get a good pump (maybe $30) that has the features you want, buy it once with the plans that it will last 20 years. Don't get the cheap $7 one from harbor freight. It will break in 2 months.
> 
> ...


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

joebikesdirect said:


> watts888 has some good info  Buy any bikes, and it's a great idea to know how to work on them. It's easy and fun and saves you lots of time and cash
> We sell the toolkits you'll need


Thanks. Good compliment from the guy who works at bikesdirect. HEY, I'M A SHILL NOW!! Still don't get a discount, do I?


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## El Geezer (May 31, 2016)

Congrats on the BEM, Levi. I've had mine since March and have ridden it almost exclusively on mtb trails and Pacific beaches, and I have found it to be a really capable and dependable bike and fun beyond anything I could have imagined. In response to your questions, I will tell you what I have learned and what is working for me.

1. I got a Topeak Mountain Morph pump (https://www.amazon.com/Topeak-Mountain-Morph-Bike-Pump/dp/B000FI6XJE) that I carry on the bike. It delivers a bit more air per stroke than road bike pumps. I also got a Slime Low Pressure Gage (https://www.amazon.com/Slime-Low-Pr...7143&sr=1-1&keywords=slime+low+pressure+gauge) which is designed for Schrader valves and measures with apparent accuracy to the nearest 0.1 psi down as low as maybe 3.0 psi. Matching tire pressure to riding conditions is essential for a good riding experience on a fatty. I weigh 175 lb. and find that 4.0F/5.0R works best on soft sand, 8F/10R is good on mtb trails and dirt generally, and 16F/18R or even a little higher is good for pavement. FYI it takes about 20 strokes with the Mountain Morph to increase pressure by 1 psi, so having a good long stroke floor pump or a compressor at home will spare your elbow and your patience. (The higher pressure in the rear tire compensates for inherent rearward weight bias.)

2. If your chain does not need immediate lubing it soon will. I use a product called Boeshield T-9 which is supposed to protect from rust as well as lubricate, and it has worked very well for me. I probably lube my chain more often than necessary, but keeping your chain in the best shape possible will make it last longer and keep your bike shifting better. Wasting a little lube doesn't bother me at all.

3. Obviously a good idea to make sure everything is tight. On my bike it seemed to take a while for the bearing cups to bed into the steering head frame tube properly. Check for proper adjustment by locking the front brake and pushing the bike forward and back. If you can feel play or detect angular movement in the fork, things are too loose. Loosen the two stem clamp bolts, remove the little rubber plug, and tighten the screw on top until the looseness is eliminated. Make sure the bars move in both directions without any binding, then retighten to two clamp bolts. You need to adjust the front brake caliper so that the pads inside do not drag on the rotor. The mounting holes in the caliper body are a little oversize to make this adjustment possible. Your front wheel should spin freely , and you shouldn't hear anything that sounds like moving parts rubbing together. Same for the back.

4. I had to do some adjusting to get my rear derailleur to shift perfectly. Screwing with the barrel adjusters when I didn't know what I was doing just made things worse for me. I discovered this guide which I followed and which worked to perfection for me. I understood absolutely nothing about derailleurs when I got the bike, but I got it shifting perfectly stock and then again after customizing my cassette by tossing the 11T and adding a 38T for more granny. Look at this: (Technical Tuesday: How To Set Up Your SRAM Rear Derailleur - Pinkbike). You can also go to the SRAM website and download their derailleur manual which also has useful info.

When I got my BEM I had zero experience with a modern bicycle. (I hadn't ridden in 40 years.) Everything I learned I learned from online step-by-step tutorials like the PinkBike derailleur thing or YouTube videos. If you are reasonably intelligent and reasonably mechanical, and if you do your homework and proceed with thought and patience and without impulsivity you ought to do OK.

Enjoy that BEM!


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## livesmith (Dec 5, 2016)

Thanks for the replies, I've got some more things to look into!

I'm decent at mechanical stuff and never really had anyone else do bike work for me, I guess I just never put enough miles or spent the money to need to replace things other than brake pads or maybe a chain or two. This bike being about twice the cost of the most expensive one I've bought(which was electric assisted as well) I figure I'd try to get a bit more knowledgeable as I go. And while my bikes have technically been mountain bikes, I've hardly ever actually ridden them off road.

I put the pressure up to 10psi and that seemed like it still rode very well around my property on hills, grass, bit of mud, etc. And a quick test on the road I didn't seem to have to fight it much at all like I was at 5psi. Also got some lube on there. 

I see at least for the front wheel there is certainly a lot of kickup of mud, etc! Is there a good cheap/effective flap of some sort I could put on there? Seems like I've seen some mention of just a piece of plastic with zip ties or something? Maybe for the back too?

I ordered another easy seat(split/noseless). Not sure if I'm odd, or every other person just suffers through bike seat pain. I've yet to find any "normal" bike saddle that doesn't leave me in pain almost immediately.

As for the pump, yeah I was hoping someone made something not too heavy that could be bike mounted, but not take forever to bump up pressure and had a gauge included. Sounds like I might be asking too much. Heck, given how long it takes even my 18V compressor to add 5 pounds, I'm guessing there may be serious pumping required on one of those little ones. Especially if I was attempting anything like going from 5 to 25psi... Are you just dropping pressure with the valve on the gauge? How long does it take to drop pounds that way?

Oh, tire truing. I've looked up a bit of that as well since I saw it mentioned. Will that be more a matter of just being out of balance at high speeds if mine is out a bit?

Trying out different bike lights I've got laying around as well. Thought I had a good one, but wow, it doesn't light up anything at all. The one early morning ride I took I used my Petzl Nao that I use for running. But that rather precludes the use of a helmet so ought to change that as well. I've got one other headlamp laying around that looks like it has a bike mounting option so I'll have to see how that works.

Thanks again! Yes, I am enjoying the Monster, just a lot of new things in various ways!


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Good frame mounted pumps exist. Some have gauges, some don't. For a frame pump, I just want it to work reliably. Just add air, ride. If you need more air, add air. If you need less, let some out. I'm pretty sure one of the mountain-morph pumps has an air gauge though.
https://fat-bike.com/2015/05/trail-pump-shootout/

All bike seats hurt the first couple times. Some are better than others in the long run, so you have to find what works for you. Chamois butter works. You don't talk about it, just use it. First rule of chamois butter is you don't talk about chamois butter.

Lights, if you plan on riding at night get a good one for handlebar, and a second for helmet. Sometimes lights turn off (battery goes dead or switch gets bumped) and suddenly getting thrown into darkness kinda sucks.

Battery pack design. I have one, tons of light, you can keep the battery inside a couple pouches to prevent it from getting too cold. If they get really cold, they run out of juice faster or can destroy the battery.
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B009PWE6RW

Simpler USB plug in design. Lighter and better for a helmet mount. Still have that freezing issue though.
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01DHJJN1M


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

As for tire pressure, I have found the best results by using any bicycle floor pump which read at 10-20psi increments. Pump things up to around the general psi you want, then hook up a tire gauge similar to this one - low pressure gauge. Pump, test, pump, test, etc. until you get to your desired pressure.

For mud/spray protection, check post #64 on this thread for my solution - plastic fender thread. I used plastic storage bins for the fender material and zip ties to attach to the bike. For the front, nothing else is needed. For the rear, you are going to have to have a manufactured fender as I did or you are going to have to come up with some method of attaching to the seat post or have a rear rack.

As for inexpensive comfortable bike seats, I have had success for years with the Schwinn Ultra Comfort seat. Available locally at most box stores for around $20. I've had one on my road bike for years - multiple thousands of miles - and have had one on my GBEM for the past year - a few hundred miles. Definitely get a disapproving look from hardcore cyclists, but I'm not in things for looks, I'm in it for functionality and price. Have spent dozens and dozens of multi-hour rides on this saddle with no issues (I always wear cycling shorts with a chamois. Give this a try if you still end up with saddle issues).

For bike lights, my personal opinion, once again from a functionality and price perspective has been this model or something similar - bike light. There are literally hundreds of these exact type of lights available online. I have had good experiences buying from this particular company. Customer service was great, delivery did take a few weeks though. The light itself is extremely bright, battery life is acceptable. It does the job for 99.9999% of all rides I would need a light for (commuting for less than 3 hours after dark).

My take on cycling is similar to my other hobbies - I don't have a ton of expendable cash but still enjoy doing things. If a cheapo light or cushy comfy seat or internet-order bike gets me outside, I'm all for it.


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## akacoke (May 11, 2011)

picture of RST renengade installed? does it hit down tube when turned all the way?


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## El Geezer (May 31, 2016)

*Way More Granny Is Way More Better*

As it turns out I am using my BEM primarily as a mountain bike, systematically exploring the hundreds of miles of trails that are available in the Los Angeles area. The scenery is appealing, and the trail riding experience is addictive. However, a lot of these rides, even the ones close to the city, may have 1500' or more of elevation change. Long, steep hills, in other words.

As I have previously noted, I think the stock gearing on the BEM is too high for this kind of terrain and makes the steeper hills all but unridable for riders who aren't really strong (like me at age 77). So, I decided to customize my transmission to obtain gear ratios more suitable for the terrain I am riding and the physical abilities of myself and my riding partner who also has a BEM.

The first thing I did was replace the 22T chain ring with a 20T that I sourced here:

Mountain bike chain ring 20 tooth 64 BCD | eBay

I trimmed the bosses on the crank spider and the heads of the 4 attachment screws to obtain adequate clearance for the chain plates so the chain would fully seat on the sprocket per installation instructions. This conversion worked perfectly with zero shifting or chain function issues, and it lowered my granny ratio from 0.65 stock to 0.59. This provided a major improvement in our ability to climb steep hills, but there were still long climbs with 10-15% grades that beat us down.

I discovered that I could modify the Shimano HG-31 cassette by dropping the 11T cog in 1st position (which I never used even on pavement) and putting a larger cog behind the 34T. I purchased this very nice 38T stainless steel cog:

MTB Tools 38 Tooth Cog for Mountain Bike Cassette, 38t Sprocket | eBay

along with a Shimano Ultegra 13T 1st position cog:

Shimano Ultegra CS6500 13t 1st Position Cog

and a SRAM 12T lock ring that works with the 1st pos 13T:

SRAM Cassette Lockring PG1070 for 12T

This stainless steel 38T is a beautiful piece of work, but there were issues in adapting this cog to the HG-31 cassette. The 6 largest cogs in the stock HG-31 are riveted together along with 6 plastic spacers. The last plastic spacer outboard the 15T cog has to be removed and the two rivets ground down flush with the face of the 15T in order for the 1st position 13T to fit properly. The riveting has no effect on how the cassette functions-it seems to be just a convenience to hold all those separate pieces together as a unit.

I reset my RD from scratch, and had no trouble getting it to shift perfectly with the new gears. Because the jump from the stock 34T to the new 38T is only 4 teeth, shifting up and down between these gears is fast and smooth even under load-just what I had hoped for and just what you need when you need to grab a little more granny on the fly. The 20x38 combination drops the granny ratio to 0.53 which is 18.5% lower than stock and provides incredible climbing power and -just as important-really smooth power delivery and control.

On 11-22-16 my partner and I rode the Sullivan Canyon Trail which gains 1200' in 4.5 miles. The first four miles are between 3% and 5% grade with a few very short steeper sections, but, as the trail comes up out of the canyon and climbs to the top of a ridge, the last half mile gets steep and gains close to 350 feet-between a 10% and 15% grade-all the way up, with a spot or two maybe as high as 18%.

I was able to ride the entire trail with virtually no pushing. I screwed up a couple of times, lost my line, slid down into the bottom of a big old rut, and lost forward motion, but it was not the gearing's fault. I was able to remount the bike and just pedal off and start climbing again from a dead stop on what had to be a 10-12% grade-something I could not do before I got this super-granny. My younger and stronger partner, who only had the 20T chain ring conversion at this time, mostly pushed this last section.

And the shifting was perfect. Smooth, quick, and totally predictable. The smaller 20T up front compensates for the larger 38T in the back, so there are no chain length issues at all with this set up.

These gearing modifications have absolutely transformed the BEM for me. I feel like I can now take the bike up any intermediate level mtb trail out there. My riding skills are not yet ready for seriously expert level trails-I've walked a couple of them-but if I can improve my skills enough, I know the bike will be there for me. I may not move very fast, but I will be riding and not pushing.

And I am out of pocket less than $85 for all the transmission parts including shipping. Very satisfying!


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Good price for what you did. As always, worth it to get what you want up front, but it sounds like what you wanted isn't made. I'm still amazed by the 20T/38T gearing though. I can't use anything slower than 22/32. The speed is just so slow, I loose my balance on the trail obstacles.


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## El Geezer (May 31, 2016)

You are right, watts888, 20/38 is really slowwww…, but I have no choice. My theoretical maximum heart rate using the latest formula: HRmax = 208 – age x 0.7 is 154 bpm, and I have seen 153 on my heart rate monitor. I can go all day, but I simply cannot produce the horsepower that a fit, younger person can or that I could 50 or 60 years ago. So I try to keep a high cadence, I focus on maintaining a good line and correcting balance quickly before things get too tippy, and I try to sustain as much momentum as I can. It usually works, and it is light years better than riding on some boring bike path.


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## CaseyDC (Jun 21, 2010)

Hi, 
Been following this thread for a while now. Great info!
I am considering this bike as a winter bike for up here in Bend,OR. 
I have a complete Shimano Zee drivetrain off an older bike of mine and was wondering if anyone knew if the bottom bracket would work. Anyone put one of these on yet?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Depends on age/condition/style of the crankset. Pretty much everything else bolts on the same. The BEM uses a fatbike bottom bracket, 100mm wide. I doubt the Zee would work unless it's a really old square taper one (which I don't think they made a Zee square taper). Luckily, the stock one isn't horrible, and when it goes out, lots of good fatbike cranks available at much better prices than they were a couple years ago.


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

First measurable snow in central Ohio this season. First time in a few months I've had the GBEM out in the snow. Fun times.


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## CaseyDC (Jun 21, 2010)

watts888 said:


> Depends on age/condition/style of the crankset. Pretty much everything else bolts on the same. The BEM uses a fatbike bottom bracket, 100mm wide. I doubt the Zee would work unless it's a really old square taper one (which I don't think they made a Zee square taper). Luckily, the stock one isn't horrible, and when it goes out, lots of good fatbike cranks available at much better prices than they were a couple years ago.


Thank you

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## gumba (Dec 18, 2016)

Hi, new to the forum. I bought a GBM a few weeks back to convert to an ebike. The plan is to use it to cruise around town and some single track. I went with a single speed since I planned on converting to a Shimano 3 speed igh. Just as a foot note, I had to grind down a section of the frame to get the igh hub on the locking nut. Also added a spacer between the frame and rear brake caliper to center the disk. 
I listed all the stock take off parts, as a package, in the want ads if anybody is interested.
I was also looking for some full fenders. I ran across an ad on ebay (no affiliation) for minibike/dirtbike plastic fenders, 4.5" wide x 23" long. I'll post some shots when they arrive.


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## littlereddog (Jan 11, 2016)

akacoke said:


> picture of RST renengade installed? does it hit down tube when turned all the way?


I just ordered the Renegade and a 150mm wheel off of eBay. Probably won't get it for another week or so, but I'll post some pictures when I do.

A while back I installed a Cheap Chinese suspension Fork (CCF) which looks very similar and has the wide crown like the Renegade. I don't remember having problems with the fork hitting the frame. I eventually took it off because I was mostly riding in sand, it felt a little sketchy, and it was heavy.

Here are some pictures with a GBM with the Cheap Chinese Fork. This one does not hit the frame. Keep in mind that this is a 22 inch GBM frame.

However, after some research and measuring, I think the Renegade is going to hit the frame. The crown pitch on the CCF 170mm. The Renegade is 180 or 190 depending where you look. There is no way that there is almost 1/2 of clearance from the CCF to the frame that will be needed for the Renegade to not hit.

Anyway, check back in a week or so for GBM with Renegade fork picks.


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## gumba (Dec 18, 2016)

Which wheel did you get?


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## littlereddog (Jan 11, 2016)

This one:

WHEEL MASTER WHEELS 26" Alloy Fat Disc 26in (ISO 559) SET 74 Thru 15mm - Thru 12 | eBay

I wanted the set because I have one of the older GBMs with 50 mm rims. This gives me a chance to upgrade to 80s. Although, I'm not sure 80s are an upgrade. In many ways, except on deep snow, I like the 50s. I put a 100mm rim from one of my other bikes on my GBM and the rolling resistance and self steer has drastically increased. For downhill, not on snow or sand, I wonder if 50s or 65s would be much better than the 80s. I've riding 50s for about a year, but always worried I was missing something.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

Hi everyone! 
This is Oldbear. Today, I just recieved my Gravity Bullseye Monster Pro. I own a 'standard Monster' named Ryback that has 3000 miles on him with absolutely no issues. The reason I got a second BD bike was that as I am nearing 65 I have pretty serious arthritis I my hands and shoulders. The Bluto on the Pro is just what the doctor ordered. The original monster is now my autistic sons bike. The only thing I ever changed was the tires. Gomez from Fat-Bike.com sent me a care package with two newer tires that really helped my ride. I replaced the missions with a 26"x4,8" Vee snowshoe and a 26"d4.25" Vee Hillbillie. These tires are going onto my pro tomorrow. 
I had no issues with the assembly of the Pro. The bike went together easily and looks sooooo cool in blue. 
Oldbear and clan, mama bear, Oldbear, and cubbie. (Fred, Sue and Sean)


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Gosh I miss this place.
Even though I'm not personally riding one of these anymore, I still recommend them to everyone who expresses interest in a low cost fat bike. this has resulted in four more people I know buying GBM's this year. one of them is a pro, I can't wait to see it in person and can form a first hand opinion on it.
pedal on everyone!


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

tendertoe said:


> In reference to the "backwards" mounting of the tires a few posts back, I actually run mine that way. It drastically reduced self steer for me on the stock tires.


cool! I will have to try that on the front. 
I run them backwards on the back, it gives a good bit more bite. they're tubeless ready and people will practically give them away, they make an awesome cheap summer tire for the back. on the front I like a little more bite. my favorite has been the VanHelga, but theyre very expensive. the nate works well too if you dont mind the rolling resistance.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

I mounted the Snowshoe XL and HillBillie last night and tried them out for a short time around the parking lot and lawn here. Boy do the make a difference. I am however, going up a tire size to a 4.5 Snowshoe I the rear. Right now I am running a 4.25 hbillie. 

Dirtdawg, good to see you lurking about!
Merry Christmas to all!!!!
Oldbear


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## traditiionalist (May 26, 2014)

oldbear52 said:


> I mounted the Snowshoe XL and HillBillie last night and tried them out for a short time around the parking lot and lawn here. Boy do the make a difference. I am however, going up a tire size to a 4.5 Snowshoe I the rear. Right now I am running a 4.25 hbillie.
> 
> Dirtdawg, good to see you lurking about!
> Merry Christmas to all!!!!
> Oldbear


What width does your 4.5 snowshoe come in at? Mines just hitting 4 inches on a 80mm rim on my boris.


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## gumba (Dec 18, 2016)

mounted the Snowshoe XL and HillBillie last night and tried them out for a short time around the parking lot and lawn here. Boy do the make a difference. I am however, going up a tire size to a 4.5 Snowshoe I the rear. Right now I am running a 4.25 hbillie. 

How much clearance in the back between the Snowshoe xl and the frame. I was going to order one but couldn't tell if it would actually clear. The specs state 4.3" wide on a 80mm rim. 
Are you replacing the front hbillie with a Snowshoe?


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

There is on my pro about 9/16" clearance on each side. I think that I can run a snowshoe that 4.5 on my the rear. I am running a snowshoe XL on the Bluto up front. It is a 4.7-4.8 width and fits nicely. 
Oldbear


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## littlereddog (Jan 11, 2016)

*RST Renegade hits frame on BEM*



akacoke said:


> picture of RST renengade installed? does it hit down tube when turned all the way?


Yup. It does. It looks like if you added a Chris King headset with the High Five baseplate it might fit. I pushed it all the way around and measured from the bottom of the headset to the crown race and it is just under 5mm. I think I'm just going to ride carefully and when I wreck it, get a different bike or a different frame. Here are pics:


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

When using the rebound adjuster, make sure you count all the clicks and not overturn it. I think this is the weakest point of the fork. I like the fork but I think I have a fluid leak right by the rebound adjuster, minimal, but hopefully I can get it fixed. My advice leave the rebound adjuster alone in the middle and forget about it. I found a extended crownrace on eBay for a straight steerer fork but it comes from Korea and another local US seller who is custom making mine. Should be arriving sometime next week and will report. I was not aware of the fork touching the downtube until the recent post above and then I went to check my bike and there are marks on the downtube on both sides. I can't believe I did not check for that when I got the fork.


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## littlereddog (Jan 11, 2016)

Luis_fx35 said:


> I found a extended crownrace on eBay for a straight steerer fork but it comes from Korea and another local US seller who is custom making mine.


 So just so I'm clear, are you getting the one from Korea or the locally made one (or both)? Are you having it made so that it will work with the headset that is on there now? It would seem like someone could make a spacer with some taper to emulate the taper on the steerer tube and then you could use any crown race and headset you want. But I can't seem to find one.

By the way, I think I found the ones on eBay. Are those going to work? They both say for 1 1/2 inch tubes. I think the BEM is 1 1/8. 1 1/2 seems like a bad idea as most tapered tubes frames already have the clearance.


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

littlereddog said:


> So just so I'm clear, are you getting the one from Korea or the locally made one (or both)? Are you having it made so that it will work with the headset that is on there now? It would seem like someone could make a spacer with some taper to emulate the taper on the steerer tube and then you could use any crown race and headset you want. But I can't seem to find one.
> 
> By the way, I think I found the ones on eBay. Are those going to work? They both say for 1 1/2 inch tubes. I think the BEM is 1 1/8. 1 1/2 seems like a bad idea as most tapered tubes frames already have the clearance.


The 1 1/2 inch you found is the one I got but I sent a message to the guy if he could make one for a 1 1/8 tube. The seller told me that it can be done and would take him a couple more days. I hope it works with mine.


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## littlereddog (Jan 11, 2016)

Luis_fx35 said:


> The 1 1/2 inch you found is the one I got but I sent a message to the guy if he could make one for a 1 1/8 tube. The seller told me that it can be done and would take him a couple more days. I hope it works with mine.


 OK. I just messaged the guy because I am concerned about it working with the particular headset that we have. He messaged me back and said that this is for cartridge bearings only. Have you changed your headset to something other than the stock headset? I don't think the stock headset is cartridge type bearings, but then again, I'm not nearly as educated about this stuff as I should be.


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

Oops, I guess I will have to upgrade to a 1 1/8 cartridge headset. I'll take the bike to my LBS as soon as I get the crown race and ask them if they can match a 1 1/8 sealed cartridge headset. I wonder if this is what I will need.

AEST Threadless External Headsets Sealed Cartridge Bearings 1 1/8" Black | eBay


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## KAS811 (Sep 30, 2016)

Just put on some new treads...Minion 4.8" front and rear (tubeless), huge difference in feel and performance from the stocks I was running. Renegade fork on the way. Swapping out my BB7's for hydraulic shimanos taken off my FS bike.


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## gumba (Dec 18, 2016)

Finally got me gbm up and running. Swapped out the stock tires for Nates front & back. Also made a pair of quick disconnect fenders. Went for my first ride today and decided to leave the fenders off. I hit a few soft mushy patches and had the mud hitting me under my chin, and could feel it going up by back. I'll try the same ride tomorrow and see if the mud packs up under the fender.


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## littlereddog (Jan 11, 2016)

Luis_fx35 said:


> I wonder if this is what I will need.
> 
> [url=http://www.ebay.com/itm/AEST
> 
> Don't know. I think you need one that is 45/45, but I'm not sure. And then you have to hope that it fits your ID on your headtube. The ad on eBay for the extended crown race said that the crown race had a 45 degree angle. 45/45 means that there is a 45 on the bottom cup and a 45 on the crown race, I think. a 45/36 means 45 on the bottom cup and 36 on the crown race. However, I'm pretty sure you don't want to mix the 36 with the 45. There are generally three kinds out there, as best I can tell. 45/45 45/36 and 36/36.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

wow! im really surprised you managed to get the 4.8's in there. whats the clearance like?


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## KAS811 (Sep 30, 2016)

If that is to my post....I can fit a toothpick between the tire and frame😅


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## akacoke (May 11, 2011)

im selling my frame with extras if anyone is interested

https://www.facebook.com/groups/fat...91764090857527/?sale_post_id=1391764090857527

to build it up, you need drain train, wheels and tires, brakes


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## Quag421 (Jan 1, 2017)

New to Fat Biking,. After some research got a BEM in October. Used but only a few months old so really like new. It's my second bike and really got for trails, beach and snow. So far love the thing. Found the mechanical brakes a bit dicey compared to the hydraulics on my Trek, so possibly a later up grade.

Wondering what the widest tire is I can get on this with 80mm rims. I saw someone say 4.5 still gave them chain clearance, but just above KAS811 says 4.8s. Like to hear. Don't really care about tubeless, at 235 pounds I don't really care about the a couple pounds of tube. 

Thanks and look forward to more suggestions on Fat Biking.


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## littlereddog (Jan 11, 2016)

Quag421 said:


> Wondering what the widest tire is I can get on this with 80mm rims. I saw someone say 4.5 still gave them chain clearance, but just above KAS811 says 4.8s. Like to hear. Don't really care about tubeless, at 235 pounds I don't really care about the a couple pounds of tube.


I think it depends on the particular tire. The numbers are not always accurate. That being said, I have been trying various combinations of rims and tires and here are my thoughts. I don't understand this race to the biggest widest tire possible. And I'm 250 if I haven't eaten in a while. If you want to go big on the back, that's fine, but I have found I get about the same amount of traction and float on the back with 50 mm rims running pretty low pressure as I do with 100 mm rims (on a different bike). I have a 4.7 Vee Snowshoe on the 50 mm rims and I'm not even close to hitting the frame. And, if you run them low pressure, you still get all the knobs on the ground, but it's narrower by the chain. I think it would rub with 80s. I've also run 100 mm on the front of the BEM and the self steer and rolling resistance is horrible. I much prefer the 50mm rims. They have plenty of float. Just run em low pressure. So, my long winded answer is you can get a 4.7 Snowshoe on there if you use 50 mm rims. haven't tried with 80s yet. I've got one that I'm going to try, but I need some additional parts before I put it on. You can get the 50 mm rims in white from bike island for a steal right now. I think they are $150.

One other thing to consider is that if you are riding in snow, you need some extra clearance for all of the slush and ice build up.


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## Quag421 (Jan 1, 2017)

Thanks. I don't need tires for now, as I am fine with the stock. Just thought when time to replace may go wider, but quite honestly 4 inches is plenty wide for the time being.


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## littlereddog (Jan 11, 2016)

Did you get your bike up and running? I just bought a new headset, I wanted to see what it was before I ordered the extended crown race. I bought this one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003LRDIHQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I haven't installed it yet, I will this weekend. The spec sheet on it and the reviews on Amazon says it's a 45x45, so hopefully it will work. I'm going to install it this weekend and try it with the crown race that it came with, and then order the extended crown race if all that goes well.


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## littlereddog (Jan 11, 2016)

Quag421 said:


> Thanks. I don't need tires for now, as I am fine with the stock. Just thought when time to replace may go wider.


I was the same way. That's why I found the 4.7 Vee Snowshoe a year ago. It is only on the bike now because I wore the stock tires down in the sand and now they don't have any traction for the snow. When it is time to replace again, I'll go with 4 inchers. The floatation difference is minimal and only makes a difference in a very limited set of circumstances. You are not going to be riding in deep powder on either and you can ride packed groomed snow the same on both. So, you are looking at a narrow temperature range and snow depth range where the big wide tires makes any difference at all (in my opinion, but ymmv). But, with the big wide tires, you will always have high rolling resistance, no matter the conditions.

By the way, for sand the 4 inchers are great.


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## littlereddog (Jan 11, 2016)

*GBEM RST Renegade Clearance Problem Solved*

So, I have an RST Renegade on my GBEM with a 1 1/8 straight head tube with no clearance problems.The Renegade does not hit the downtube. The way I solved the problem was changing the bottom cup on the headset. I bought the origin8 pro 1 1/8 threadless headset off of Amazon for about $30. The bottom cup of the headset is significantly bigger on the origin8 than the stock bottom cup. I didn't bother changing the top cup, because there is no need to. Anyway, I thought I would give it a try. I'm using the crown race that came with the origin8 headset. I didn't have to buy one of the extended crown races off of eBay. The stock one works fine. Here are some pictures of the fork on the bike showing clearance in both directions. Love the fork. Works way better than the cheap Chinese fork discussed above.


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## Pack66 (Jul 7, 2015)

Can the GBM go tubeless on the stock rims?


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

Recently, we moved to southern Alabama about 030 miles from the gulf. We had to move because at my age cold winters are no longer tolerated well by mama bear and myself. We left mid Missouri and we need the warmer weather. I took along both of my fat-bikes and we plan to ride the beaches. I found a road close by the house that is sand and gravel. The Pro handles it excellently. Ryback my old GBEM has,the stock pro pedals, while I bought some nice welgo pedals on the pro. 
Until later
Oldbear and Clan


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

Pack66 said:


> Can the GBM go tubeless on the stock rims?


Some have tried it without too much success.
Oldbear


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## CornerCanyonRider (Mar 17, 2009)

Pack66 said:


> Can the GBM go tubeless on the stock rims?


I've done it with one layer of gorilla tape, but it needs another layer or two. It stayed sealed for over a week and then went flat in the middle of a ride. I didn't have a tube with me at the time and had to walk 2.5 miles back to my car in snow and cold temps. Make sure you use at least two layers right at the bead seat. The bead needs to fit tightly against the bead hook otherwise you could burp all the air out of the tire. Also, use a tube to seat both beads and then break the seal on one side, take the tube out, put the tubeless valve stem in as well as 2 or 3 scoops of Stan's (or other tubeless sealant). Truckerco cream is another good one. Remove valve core. Air up with a compressor. Shake the sealant around and you should be good. Lots of good videos about DIY tubeless out there. I used Kenda Juggernauts (4.5" folding 60tpi version). YMMV.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk


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## CornerCanyonRider (Mar 17, 2009)

Pack66 said:


> Can the GBM go tubeless on the stock rims?


You can look up the split Q-tube method. Some have had good success with that.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk


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## Pack66 (Jul 7, 2015)

Thanks for the replies. I'm thinking of the GBM as my next purchase after the Dolo. I just want to make sure that whatever I purchase, I can go tubeless right away. The Dolo's stock rims can't, they have no bead seat or way to catch the bead. It's just a straight rim wall.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

Pack66 said:


> Thanks for the replies. I'm thinking of the GBM as my next purchase after the Dolo. I just want to make sure that whatever I purchase, I can go tubeless right away. The Dolo's stock rims can't, they have no bead seat or way to catch the bead. It's just a straight rim wall.


You can't go wrong with a GBEM. My original has 3000 miles on it.
We call him ryback after the wrestler. I got him in 2014 and now ride his big bright a GBEM Pro. named blue. I just got him before Christmas as a present. (With permission from my wife, mama bear)
I hope you pull the trigger soon. The Mongoose is not in the same class as a GBEM. About the only suggestion I'd make as far as any changes I'd recommend would be different tires. I put lots of miles on the stock missions, but a friend, Gomez of Fat-Bike.consent me a pair of good tires. My pro now has them they are a Vee x l 4.8" on the front and a Vee hbillie 4.25 in the rear. A bigger ride on the rear might possie but to keep from chain rub I would go only to 4.25"
Until Later
Oldbear


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## Pack66 (Jul 7, 2015)

Oldbear...completely agree that the GBM is miles above the Dolo. Having said that, the Mongoose Argus is not a Dolomite. Completely different animal in my opinion and worth considering. It's not a Walmart bike and has a pretty nice components list. If you haven't seen or read about them, they're worth looking at.


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## KAS811 (Sep 30, 2016)

Go with the 4 inch tires, I took my 4.8 minion off the back and replaced it with a minion 4.0...much better. There's no clearance with the 4.8".


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## Pack66 (Jul 7, 2015)

I currently have FBNs on my Dolo with qtubes. They worked great until both tubes flatted. I wasn't able to go tubeless stock, so instead of throwing good money after bad, I'm looking to upgrade.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Pack66 said:


> I currently have FBNs on my Dolo with qtubes. They worked great until both tubes flatted. I wasn't able to go tubeless stock, so instead of throwing good money after bad, I'm looking to upgrade.


Somehow using balloons for tubes tends to do that!


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

Pack 66:
I didn't mean to make it seem that some mongeese are bad. I just wanted to point out that there are bikes that are availible for us out there. The GBEM pro for example, is quite a bit for under under grand. Mine has a bluto in the front and SRAM components of the x-7 group. The brakes are avid bb5's.and it comes with 80mm rims stock. BE says with this package it is valued somewhere north of $2000. Not bad at all. Plus at this price point you can upgrade.
Olbdar


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## Pack66 (Jul 7, 2015)

Oh no offense taken Old Bear.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Ok fat is buzzin tonight!


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

Wife bought one for me for Christmas, putting it to good use. I don't have a different bike fat to compare it to but it is fun and well built


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

Pack66 said:


> Oh no offense taken Old Bear.


Thanks pack66.
I started on a dolo. Made some minor mods. Then when I discovered BE and my original GBEM, I had to order one. The original was quickly my main bike. I then bought a GBEM single speed and then i bought my first pro. Unfortunately it was stolen along with my single speed and three other bikes. I wasc left with just my GBEM. But after nearly 3000 relatively trouble free miles, I bought another GBEM Pro. So pack take it from me a fat bike is the wayto go.
Odbear


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## Quag421 (Jan 1, 2017)

littlereddog said:


> I was the same way. That's why I found the 4.7 Vee Snowshoe a year ago. It is only on the bike now because I wore the stock tires down in the sand and now they don't have any traction for the snow. When it is time to replace again, I'll go with 4 inchers. The floatation difference is minimal and only makes a difference in a very limited set of circumstances. You are not going to be riding in deep powder on either and you can ride packed groomed snow the same on both. So, you are looking at a narrow temperature range and snow depth range where the big wide tires makes any difference at all (in my opinion, but ymmv). But, with the big wide tires, you will always have high rolling resistance, no matter the conditions.
> 
> By the way, for sand the 4 inchers are great.


Thanks for the update.


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## cjbigcog (Jan 20, 2017)

New GBM owner here (well, it's due to arrive next Tues). After reading this post :
http://forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/i-need-replacement-novatec-cassette-body-1029505.html
I'm wondering how widespread this issue is?


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## noobvinson (Aug 13, 2016)

i currently have a mongoose vinson does anyone know if the rst renegade will work with 100mm rims?


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

Yes, check the Vinson thread, I have posted recent pictures with my GBM also. I'm running 100mm rims on my renegade with the revamped cream snowshoe 4.5. You could even run a 2XL with some little wear because when I mounted the 2XL it was just 3mm to fit the renegade.


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

Somebody who wants a RST renegade suspension fork and a tapered frame jump in to this please. I just got the 16", sorry guys. IF you have the normal GBM you can just swap everything from your bike to the new frame. You just need a thru axle front hub. Best deal in fat bike history.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MQWEQTN/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

Anyone serviced the stock hubs? 

I've got a few hundred miles on mine and am assuming they came under-greased just like every other part of the bike.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

My motobecane hubs came in OK, but you always want to check the hubs on an online bike. I've had other BD bikes come in with no grease and overtightened bearings. Only takes 30 minutes, and worth it to make sure the pre-load is good.


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## cjbigcog (Jan 20, 2017)

watts888 said:


> My motobecane hubs came in OK, but you always want to check the hubs on an online bike. I've had other BD bikes come in with no grease and overtightened bearings. Only takes 30 minutes, and worth it to make sure the pre
> 
> Thanks for the tip. I'll add this to my build list.


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## tendertoe (Oct 21, 2015)

watts888 said:


> My motobecane hubs came in OK, but you always want to check the hubs on an online bike. I've had other BD bikes come in with no grease and overtightened bearings. Only takes 30 minutes, and worth it to make sure the pre-load is good.


Serviced the hubs the other night. Took me more like 30 mins per wheel  as this was a DIY first for me.

Hub service and a full wheel build are the only two DIY projects I hadn't previously undertaken on a bike. Crossed hub service off that list.

The bearings and grease looked fine and the bearing preload was fine. Didn't hurt to service them though for my own piece of mind.


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## LeeGab82 (Feb 2, 2017)

Hi guys!

First of all, this is my first post in this forum, but it is certainly not my first time here. I bought a BEM a year ago, actually yesterday was my 1 year assembly anniversary. This thread was a HUGE factor in my decision to purchase the bike, and everything has proven true. 

I have made a handful of upgrades to my bike: Longer handlebar, shorter stem, new grips, saddle, pedals, tires, a set of Avid BB7s... Im sure I am missing something. 

The reasoning for my post, and I am sure its been discussed but I am having a hard time finding it due to sheer volume of posts is the following: I want to convert it to a 1x drivetrain (probably a 10 speed) and want to be sure that I end up with the right parts for the job.
Can someone who has done the work, or knows the answer lend a hand with providing some help about what items I will need to do the job? Thanks in advance, you guys are great, I've learned a lot from you all already.


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

LeeGab82 said:


> Hi guys!
> 
> First of all, this is my first post in this forum, but it is certainly not my first time here. I bought a BEM a year ago, actually yesterday was my 1 year assembly anniversary. This thread was a HUGE factor in my decision to purchase the bike, and everything has proven true.
> 
> ...


What tires did you get? I'm thinking about it but concerned about chain clearance. What upgrade did you think was greatest bang for your buck?


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

What level of components are you looking for? $ or $$$$?
What gear range do you want in back? not a lot of climing or will you need a second job as a billy goat?

In basics at the low end, get a narrow wide chainring in 104B configuration (knockoff narrow wide for about $25), a 10-speed shifter ($10), derailure ($30), chain ($20) and cassette (varies with what you want). Plus new cable and housing.


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## LeeGab82 (Feb 2, 2017)

iliketexmex said:


> What tires did you get? I'm thinking about it but concerned about chain clearance. What upgrade did you think was greatest bang for your buck?


I actually bought two pairs, only because I found a great deal on some tires that more suited my needs. I first got some Kenda Juggernaut Sports and then found a pair of Framed Minnesota 26x4.0s that I'll wanted. Both are great tires, but the Minnesotas are gonna stay on it. The Kendas are for sale now, I'd youre interested


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## LeeGab82 (Feb 2, 2017)

Thanks watts. Given that it's a budget bike, I want to keep the parts on the budget side too, but in the same breath, since I am taking the time to upgrade I would like it to be decent parts that will last.


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

*Bullseye Monster PRO*

This is my bullseye monster pro after my Renegade + tapered frame combo for $300. Wheelset $250, everything else pulled from the old parts box. This 16' frame is designed to fit suspension forks, even the Bluto. It feels and rides different than my other fat bikes. I'm loving the look so far.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

LeeGab82 said:


> Given that it's a budget bike, I want to keep the parts on the budget side too, but in the same breath, since I am taking the time to upgrade I would like it to be decent parts that will last.


Shifter: Basic 10 speed good shimano shifter.
Shimano SL-M670 Shifter > Components | Jenson USA

Derailure: cheap non-clutch version of slightly more expensive clutched version. I'd go clutch.
Shimano RD-M610 Rear Derailleur > Components | Jenson USA
Shimano SLX M675 10 SPD Rear Derailleur > Components > Drivetrain > Derailleurs | Jenson USA

Bashguard: cause you're removing the largest outer ring to go 1x. Either a bashring or shorter bolts (SRAM has some good ones on amazon for about %7)
MRP S4 Bash Ring > Components | Jenson USA

Chainring: narrow wide. Either cheap and acceptable quality or high quality
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GRWP6E4/ref=twister_B01GY6DFNW?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Race Face Single Narrow Wide Chainring > Components > Drivetrain > Chainrings | Jenson USA

Chain: yea. it's a chain.
SRAM PC-1051 10 Speed Chain > Components > Drivetrain > Chains | Jenson USA

Cassette: Cheap narrow range or the wide range. If you get the Shimano derailure, you need to use a longer B-screw or limit yourself to the 40T cassette
Shimano HG81 SLX 10 Speed Cassette > Components > Drivetrain > Cassettes & Cogs | Jenson USA
Sunrace MX3 10 Speed Cassette > Components > Drivetrain > Cassettes & Cogs | Jenson USA


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## LeeGab82 (Feb 2, 2017)

Watts, you are AWESOME! I know it sounds silly, but Im a bit of a drivetrain noob. This was exactly what i needed. Thank you SO MUCH



watts888 said:


> Shifter: Basic 10 speed good shimano shifter.
> Shimano SL-M670 Shifter > Components | Jenson USA
> 
> Derailure: cheap non-clutch version of slightly more expensive clutched version. I'd go clutch.
> ...


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

LeeGab82 said:


> I actually bought two pairs, only because I found a great deal on some tires that more suited my needs. I first got some Kenda Juggernaut Sports and then found a pair of Framed Minnesota 26x4.0s that I'll wanted. Both are great tires, but the Minnesotas are gonna stay on it. The Kendas are for sale now, I'd youre interested


Did those tires have noticeably less rolling resistance that the Vee Missions? or was it other traits?


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## LeeGab82 (Feb 2, 2017)

iliketexmex said:


> Did those tires have noticeably less rolling resistance that the Vee Missions? or was it other traits?


Yes, they gained a much easier ride, as well as better traction and did tons to relieve the insane self steer I was getting with the missions. It rides like a completely different bike with different rubber.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

LeeGab82 said:


> I know it sounds silly, but Im a bit of a drivetrain noob. This was exactly what i needed.


No problem. If you really want the 11-42 wide range cassette (which I have on my 29er, and it's awesome) easiest to go with a SRAM GX derailure and shifter. costs a little more, but worth it for guaranteed compatability with the big cassettes.


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## cjbigcog (Jan 20, 2017)

About time I posted a report on my new GBM.
Bike arrived well packed. No scratches or damaged paint. The paint quality is much better than expected (burnt orange). Very glossy with only a few very minor flaws. In parts box were an extra hanger and a pair of yellow rim strips. 
First item was to have the spoke tension and trueness checked at my LBS just to be sure. 
Next item: upgraded tires to Vanhelgas with Surly tubes. Bare wheel weights (no rotors/skewers):
F: 1532
R: 1698
Redid all cable housings. They were either too long or poorly routed.
Replaced stem with 90mm. Might try a 100 later.
Out of the box the bike (18") weighed 37.8 lbs. (bathroom scale method). 
After tire change/stem weight is now 36 lbs.
Had my first ride (snow) yesterday. Bike worked great! Grip with the Vanhelgas inspired confidence on this first outing. Overall I couldn't be happier with this bike.


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## gumba (Dec 18, 2016)

Somebody who wants a RST renegade suspension fork and a tapered frame jump in to this please. I just got the 16", sorry guys. IF you have the normal GBM you can just swap everything from your bike to the new frame. You just need a thru axle front hub. Best deal in fat bike history.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That's a great deal. I paid $375.00 just for the Renegade fork a month ago.


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

That was my post btw 😀😀😊


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## Valleyredraider (Feb 16, 2017)

*suspension fork*

bd site says this bike comes with a 44mm headtube or downtube. does it have 44mm tube? I looked thru the forum to see if anyone had tried using the cane creek headset which allows use of tapered fork even tho this is a straight steerer tube.


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## Valleyredraider (Feb 16, 2017)

never mind. bd clarified what i had mistaken for head tube measurement


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Valleyredraider said:


> never mind. bd clarified what i had mistaken for head tube measurement


And? what did they say? And what version of the BEM is this? They're getting a couple different frames now.


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## Valleyredraider (Feb 16, 2017)

well I got mixed answers. but last one was that when their spec says d/t 44mm, that refers to the downtube and not the headtube. I had gotten confused about his when I saw some of their bikes listed with cane creek vp-a42e headset which I had understood was designed for a 44mm headtube. and thus able to use a tapered fork despite the bike coming with a straight steerer fork. while I am still a little confused I admit due to lack of knowledge I assume the only bikes they sell that will accept a tapered fork have a tapered head tube.


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## cjbigcog (Jan 20, 2017)

Head tube on mine measures (approx.) 41.4 mm outside dia.


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

I need to improve my chain line on my Gravity Bullseye Monster Pro build. Bikes Direct doesn't show the size of the bottom bracket spindle. I bought a Vp 167 square taper bb and the chain line is horrible. The VP bb with the 137 spindle is too small and will hit chainstay. Anyone knows where to get a replacement?


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## SJ Rides (Feb 27, 2017)

Anybody know how the newer Bullseye 27.5/29 PLUS size bikes compare to the Monster? They have similar geometry but it looks like the plus bikes are longer in both the top tube and chainstays, and the head tube angle is one degree sharper on the plus bikes. Supposedly the longer stays are to fit the larger tires but people here have fit 29x3" into the Monster frame.. it's weird that all the different Bullseye models have different geometry when they all seem to fit the same wheels


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## Fleas (Jan 19, 2006)

SJ Rides said:


> Anybody know how the newer Bullseye 27.5/29 PLUS size bikes compare to the Monster? They have similar geometry but it looks like the plus bikes are longer in both the top tube and chainstays, and the head tube angle is one degree sharper on the plus bikes. Supposedly the longer stays are to fit the larger tires but people here have fit 29x3" into the Monster frame.. it's weird that all the different Bullseye models have different geometry when they all seem to fit the same wheels


http://forums.mtbr.com/26-27-5-29-plus-bikes/new-gravity-27-5-29-bikes-933611-2.html

I am pretty sure the 27.5+ frame is specific for 27.5+ wheels, based on the bottom bracket height (i.e. they didn't just slap some plus wheels on a fat frame). It is supposed to fit 26x4-ish? as well, though (135/170 dropouts). As far as 29+ I have no idea.

-F


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Luis_fx35 said:


> I bought a Vp 167 square taper bb and the chain line is horrible. The VP bb with the 137 spindle is too small and will hit chainstay. Anyone knows where to get a replacement?


Check with your LBS. They should be abled to order these pretty easy in a 151mm range. I looked it up once, and it seemed them did 5mm intervals between the 167 and 137 lengths. It's a common VP part, it's just an issue of there are any in inventory out there.


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## SJ Rides (Feb 27, 2017)

Fleas said:


> https://forums.mtbr.com/26-27-5-29-plus-bikes/new-gravity-27-5-29-bikes-933611-2.html
> 
> I am pretty sure the 27.5+ frame is specific for 27.5+ wheels, based on the bottom bracket height (i.e. they didn't just slap some plus wheels on a fat frame). It is supposed to fit 26x4-ish? as well, though (135/170 dropouts). As far as 29+ I have no idea.
> 
> -F


Yea, that would make sense, but if you look at the geometry charts for the monster vs the plus bikes, you can see the Monster and the 27.5 plus bike are supposed to be designed for a wheel with an outside tire diameter of 740mm



















I guess for the 29+ geometry the BB would be lower than on the Monster since the frame is designed for slightly larger diameter tires


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

Will do, thank you 😊


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

I just overhauled my rear hub and the cones are damaged. Does anyone know what size cones should I get for a 9 ball bearing rear hub? I found a few on eBay but all have different sizes. Have anyone tried replacing the cones with shimano? The rear hub brand is Quando, it is written on the rubber seal by the disk brake mount.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

metric mountain bike cones are pretty universal. and the cost to get them at a bike shop is pretty cheap. I'd rather spend the extra $2 to make sure I get the right ones than guess. The axle diameter is easy, 10mm diameter x 1.0 thread pitch. Not all cones will have the same length though and spacers/washers may be needed.

Amazon has a $8 mountain bike axle 10x1.0 with spacers, cone nuts and lock nuts. It should give you all the parts you need to fix it up right.


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

watts888 said:


> metric mountain bike cones are pretty universal. and the cost to get them at a bike shop is pretty cheap. I'd rather spend the extra $2 to make sure I get the right ones than guess. The axle diameter is easy, 10mm diameter x 1.0 thread pitch. Not all cones will have the same length though and spacers/washers may be needed.
> 
> Amazon has a $8 mountain bike axle 10x1.0 with spacers, cone nuts and lock nuts. It should give you all the parts you need to fix it up right.


Thank you


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

Which headset did you get? I thought I got the same origin 8 that you got but fork still hits frame. What size frame is your bike?


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

littlereddog said:


> So, I have an RST Renegade on my GBEM with a 1 1/8 straight head tube with no clearance problems.The Renegade does not hit the downtube. The way I solved the problem was changing the bottom cup on the headset. I bought the origin8 pro 1 1/8 threadless headset off of Amazon for about $30. The bottom cup of the headset is significantly bigger on the origin8 than the stock bottom cup. I didn't bother changing the top cup, because there is no need to. Anyway, I thought I would give it a try. I'm using the crown race that came with the origin8 headset. I didn't have to buy one of the extended crown races off of eBay. The stock one works fine. Here are some pictures of the fork on the bike showing clearance in both directions. Love the fork. Works way better than the cheap Chinese fork discussed above.


Which headset did you get? I thought I got the same origin 8 pro thredless headset with the sealed bearings that you got but My RST Renegade still hits the downtube . What size frame is your bike?

Btw, How is your renegade working so far? My brother and I have the straight steerer Renegade and it is a good Suspension fork. My only complaint about this fork is that the lockout assembly under the compression knob is not tightened enough from factory. When it is very cold the lockout knob will seize and if you unlock the suspension the whole lockout knob plus the lower assembly will come loose and it will make you believe that the whole lockout assembly is  not working. I overhauled the Renegade last weekend thanks to some OCR videos on YouTube. I decided to tighten the lockout assembly a bit more so it won't unscrew from the fork when the lockout knob seizes and turns the whole assembly insted of just the lockout knob. I also decided to remove the rebound hex key, The rebound adjuster is just a hex key with the blue knob. I don't want to loose the knob.


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## littlereddog (Jan 11, 2016)

Luis_fx35 said:


> Which headset did you get? I thought I got the same origin 8 pro thredless headset with the sealed bearings that you got but My RST Renegade still hits the downtube . What size frame is your bike?
> 
> Btw, How is your renegade working so far?


This one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003LRDIHQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

22 inch.

Renegade is working awesome. I'm not having any of the issues you describe. That being said, I don't often lock it out and I don't use it in super cold weather.


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

littlereddog said:


> This one:
> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003LRDIHQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
> 
> 22 inch.
> ...


Dude, that's the same headset I got. Did you use the whole headset with the crown race and everything? I don't know what happened, I installed the bigger cup on the bottom of the headtube and the smaller cup on top and both crown races the black one on the bottom of the steerer tube and the red one on top. The amazon link shows two sizes. 1-1/8 and 1".


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## littlereddog (Jan 11, 2016)

I only installed the bottom cup and the matching bearing. I used the crown race from the headset. I thought you ordered the extended crown race from ebay. Maybe it is because mine is a 22" frame


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## littlereddog (Jan 11, 2016)

*Luna Suspension Fork*

https://lunacycle.com/luna-lander-fat-suspension-fork/

Installed it and tried it out. Haven't done a full ride yet (hopefully tomorrow) but here is a preliminary ride report.

The crown is smaller than say the RST Renegade. It will be a close (but not impossible) fit with a 100 mm stock rim. I put 100mm rim on it and there is some clearance, but I doubt the rim with as 5 inch tire would fit very well. That's OK, I prefer my 50mm rims anyway. Because the crown is smaller, it will likely work with the older straight downtube bikes. It works with my Gravity Bullseye Monster, but keep in mind, I have the 22 inch GBM and a new bottom cup on the headset that provides a little more clearance. That being said, I wouldn't be surprised if it will work stock on other GBMs of other sizes. There is a fair amount of clearance.

It feels a lot like the RST Renegade in both weight and quality. Maybe a little lighter than the Renegade. Seems to have pretty good shock absorption. Works way better than the cheap Chinese spring only fork (I have one of those as well). I'm a novice at best, when it comes to fork set-up and pickiness, I just need something to take the bumps out of the horse hoof prints in the ground, so I can't comment on precise rebound and dampening settings, but it will work for some bumpy trails.

I installed the remote lock-out. You need to loosen the set screw to get the cable in there. Also the cable sheath is pretty loose at both the fork end and button end. I added an endcap to each and it works fine now. You are going to have to remove your grip, shifter, and brake to install the button on the handlebar.

The steerer tube is shorter than the Renegade. But, it will fit on my 22 inch GBM with one medium sized spacer. So, it should fit almost any bike.

I don't have a star fangled nut tool, so I messed that up a little. You may want to have your LBS install that for you if you are particular.

It has a warning sticker saying not to use it for downhill and hard core riding. I think that's just the lawyers. It seems to be similar build quality to the Renegade. I can't see the internal seals and what not, but I can't imagine they would make it unsuitable for similar types of riding.

Seems to be a fair amount of oil coming out of the stanchions. I'll have to keep an eye on it and see how it looks after a couple of rides.

In conclusion, I traded my Renegade off of my GBM for this, and I suspect it will stay that way. My Vinson (my loaner bike) will get the Renegade.

Hopefully this will inspire a real expert to buy the fork and try it out with a better review than this one. But for me, it's a keeper.

[update] It doesn't like the cold. Get it to around 35 F and it basically won't move. It becomes just a heavy fixed fork. Otherwise, I love it. Works great. ​


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

Pictures would be amazing. Some day 😁


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## littlereddog (Jan 11, 2016)

*Pictures*



Luis_fx35 said:


> Pictures would be amazing. Some day 


OK, here you go. 50mm rim, 3 inch tire
View attachment 1135735
50mm rim 4 inch tire
View attachment 1135736
100mm rim, 5 inch tire (not inflated)
View attachment 1135737
Clearance to downtube on one side
View attachment 1135738
clearance to downtube on other side
View attachment 1135739
lockout trigger and release
View attachment 1135740
Note that unlike the Renegade, you can only fully lock-out or have full suspension. No partial lock-outs.


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

Thanks for the pictures dude. Looks like a good air fork and quick release also. Lots of savings for all non-thru axle riders. Btw, I learned how to service the Renegades, applied new "slick honey" and fork fluid. Super smooth and silent rides after 6 months of ownership.


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## EvilSmrk (May 10, 2016)

Tire rub??? where did this come from?

I have had my GBEM for about a year now and have had no problems with it that I can speak of.
No major wrecks and I'm not particularly hard on it either.

After about a year of owning it I decided to treat myself a bit and just picked up a set of 4.0 Jumbo Jim light skins. and put them on tonight.

Installation went easier than I thought it would.
Deflated the tires, pulled out the tire levers to unseat one side (almost didn't need it)
Pulled out the tubes and then removed the tires from the rim.
Inspected the rims and rim tape (back tires rim tape was a little off center but not bad)
And put the new tires on in the reverse order.

I slowly inflated the tires making sure the rims were centered in the tires and there was no bulges in the sidewall.
I went ahead and inflated them up to around 22psi (because my family was planning on going on a paved bike trail tomorrow morning and I figured why not get a little more efficiency from the higher psi)

Put the wheels back on the bike, and took it for a spin.

"What was that?" I thought as I put the pedal down a little.
I was getting a slight tire rub on the chainstay.

I took the wheel off and re-seated it in the dropouts and took a closer look.

When not under load the knobs on the tire just barely clear the driveline chainstay. the stay on the other (break) side has plenty of clearance.
When my butt is in the saddle coasting straight everything is ok.
When swerving back and forth occasionally I hear the knobs rub.
When putting the power down the knobs rub against the chainstay especially with my right foot.

I have never noticed a problem before now, the side knobs on the JumboJims are noticeably bigger than the Mission Commands so I may not have noticed the problem till now.

Any ideas?


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

How much clearance is on the side opposing the rub? Perhaps rearranging spacers on the rear axle/hub or dishing the wheel would resolve your issue.


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## EvilSmrk (May 10, 2016)

Re-dishing the wheel is probably an option, thanks for the suggestion.


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

Another option/upgrade could be removing the front derailleur and front chainrings and upgrade to 1x10 or 1x9(very affordable today compared to 1x11) It will improve your tire clearance and chain retention. Without expending money on a new crankset, just get a narrow/wide chainring. I got a used sram XO 10 speed derailleur with clutch for $40 on eBay and a 10 speed sram x7 shifter for $20. One Up narrow-wide chainring from JensonUSA and a 10 speed chain for $20 on eBay also. Best investment on my GBM so far, the shifting precision is heavenly.


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

Pictures after upgrades. My white GBM is waiting on a SLX 10 speed set up. The narrow-wide chainring is already installed. My GBM pro(black) which is 170mm spaced as well has a similar set up allredy installed.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

EvilSmrk said:


> Re-dishing the wheel is probably an option, thanks for the suggestion.


Was a thought cause it sounds like there is room to spare on the non rubbing side...


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## EvilSmrk (May 10, 2016)

First real ride with the Jumbo Jims.


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## mehlertmj (Jan 12, 2017)

I've been researching the market for about a year now trying to decide which bike will suit me the best and I keep coming back to the Bullseye Monster due to price, availability, and from this thread, durability. However, I am 6'8" and I was wondering how the 22" frame fits the taller riders out there... I currently have a Trek 7.2fx in 25" frame and according to BDs website, the geometry on the GBEM looks like it is actually bigger than my current ride.


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## Hap (Jun 23, 2017)

I have read this entire thread since I just bought a 16" Gravity monster LTD.
I need help on most everything I do to modify or improve this bike. I hope this thread keeps active and that I may ask questions here. Like I said I need help with most things I will do. New to biking, motorcycles dont get me in any type of shape and would like to ride this bike regulary. Not a trail rider but a dirt sandy side road rider. It is amazing on my road that is gravel and sand with a few pot holes. Any other bike was unable to ride on this road. I also notice on the pavement when I do have to get off the road to the shoulder it is very stable on the loose gravel and dirt while I am letting cars speed by.

Thanks in advance for any advice I ask for.

Hap


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## littlereddog (Jan 11, 2016)

*How do you remove the front derailleur?*



Luis_fx35 said:


> Another option/upgrade could be removing the front derailleur and front chainrings and upgrade to 1x10 or 1x9(very affordable today compared to 1x11) It will improve your tire clearance and chain retention. Without expending money on a new crankset, just get a narrow/wide chainring. I got a used sram XO 10 speed derailleur with clutch for $40 on eBay and a 10 speed sram x7 shifter for $20. One Up narrow-wide chainring from JensonUSA and a 10 speed chain for $20 on eBay also. Best investment on my GBM so far, the shifting precision is heavenly.


How did you get the front derailleur off? It looks like it is welded on.


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## littlereddog (Jan 11, 2016)

mehlertmj said:


> I've been researching the market for about a year now trying to decide which bike will suit me the best and I keep coming back to the Bullseye Monster due to price, availability, and from this thread, durability. However, I am 6'8" and I was wondering how the 22" frame fits the taller riders out there... I currently have a Trek 7.2fx in 25" frame and according to BDs website, the geometry on the GBEM looks like it is actually bigger than my current ride.


I'm 6'6" with a 36 inseam. Frame fits fine. Add a renegade or other suspension fork, and it's actually almost a little big. You will probably want to get some wider bars to spread you out a bit. Also, you can save another $100 if you buy it off of bike island with some scuffs instead of pristine from bikes direct. Note that the bike island ones only have the 50 mms rims instead of 80mm, but I have ridden 50s, 65s, 80s, and 100s. My bike has the 50s and the rest just sit. I like the lower rolling resistance.


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## littlereddog (Jan 11, 2016)

littlereddog said:


> How did you get the front derailleur off? It looks like it is welded on.


Never mind. I figured it out. But not before destroying the derailleur. You have to pull off the bottom bracket.


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## mehlertmj (Jan 12, 2017)

littlereddog said:


> I'm 6'6" with a 36 inseam. Frame fits fine. Add a renegade or other suspension fork, and it's actually almost a little big. You will probably want to get some wider bars to spread you out a bit. Also, you can save another $100 if you buy it off of bike island with some scuffs instead of pristine from bikes direct. Note that the bike island ones only have the 50 mms rims instead of 80mm, but I have ridden 50s, 65s, 80s, and 100s. My bike has the 50s and the rest just sit. I like the lower rolling resistance.


Thanks, that is helpful information. Touché on Bike Island. I've been looking at their website that last couple of weeks. I'm stuck between the Gravity and the FB 5 3.0.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## littlereddog (Jan 11, 2016)

*Get the FB5*

If you have the money for either, I'd get the FB5. It has the tapered headtube, so you have more fork choices down the road. Also, it already comes 2x10, so a 1x10 conversion will be cheaper and easier. Also, it has the 197 rear triangle so you will be able to put the 5 inch tires on it later when you are playing around.

Now, that being said, I'm good with what I have, because I have found a fork that works, don't want the 5 inch tires (again, lower rolling resistance, I'm 250 and 4 inch with low pressure has plenty of float), like grip shifters, so I have to buy new stuff for my 1x10 conversion anyway.

The FB5 will give you a lot more upgrade options.


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## thursdayborn (Aug 6, 2017)

tldr: 14" Gravity Knockout vs 14" Gravity Bullseye for short woman?

Hello! I'm about 2/3 through reading this entire thread. I'm a 5'3" woman (~122lbs) and looking to upgrade my Burning Man bike (and hopefully have a bike I can use for more than just the Burn). 

I used to own a Mongoose Beast, which at my height and weight was just waaay too heavy and tall for me. I stuck it out for two Burns and sold it last year. This year I'm looking for something lighter, but not too much more expensive. I almost bought a Framed Minnesota 1.0, but then realized that the Gravity bikes actually come with smaller frame options too.

I just ordered the Gravity Knockout since it's supposedly intended to be a women's bike, but noticed that I can get a 14" Bullseye Monster on Bike Island for $400. Does anyone know how the weights compare between the stock Knockout and the Bullseye? I know the Knockout has heavy 3" wheels, so I was planning to, at minimum, swap the tubes for q tubes, and then maybe also swap the front tire out for the Panaracer Fat B Nimble. But that starts to even out the $100 price difference. Would I be better off with a stock Bullseye or would I still want to make similar changes there anyway? My husband just bought the Deadeye Monster 19" and we were pleasantly surprised to find that it 's only a little over 36lbs!


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## gumba (Dec 18, 2016)

I've built a couple of Gravity Bullseyes. One with 15" frame and another with a 16" frame. My wife fits them both, she's 5'4" 130lbs. The first one I bought from Bikes Direct as a complete bike for $400 (single speed) The second one I bought through Amazon which was a Gravity Bullseye pro frame with a Renegade RST suspension fork for $265 + shipping. I ended up replacing most of the components on the Bikes Direct bike which is why I opted for the frame only from Amazon. Amazon has a Gravity frame only for $100 plus shipping if that's interesting. 
https://www.amazon.com/Gravity-Knoc...047592&sr=8-1&keywords=gravity+fat+bike+frame

If you buy from Bikes Direct check the rear drop out width because I found they very. I would also go for 50mm rims instead of 80mm. With the 50mm rims you can run 26" tires between 2.8" - 3.8". My wife's bike is currently set up with 80mm rims and Surly Nates 3.8 for mud & snow. I plan on building another set of wheels using 50mm rims so she can drop down to a narrower 3.0 tire for summer.


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## thursdayborn (Aug 6, 2017)

Thank you for replying so quickly! I'm still very new to doing anything other than buying a stock bike and riding it, and I also need the bike to be ready to go by august 23rd, so I don't think I have the time to learn how to build a bike from scratch just yet.

This is the bike I've currently ordered: BikeIsland.com - Bicycle Parts, Accessories and Clothing at Affordable Prices with Free Shipping It says it can't take 4" tires on the back, but multiple people here have commented that they've made a few specific tires work.

And this is apparently the wheelset it comes with (and I believe it is 50mm rims): BikeIsland.com - Bicycle Parts, Accessories and Clothing at Affordable Prices with Free Shipping



gumba said:


> I've built a couple of Gravity Bullseyes. One with 15" frame and another with a 16" frame. My wife fits them both, she's 5'4" 130lbs. The first one I bought from Bikes Direct as a complete bike for $400 (single speed) The second one I bought through Amazon which was a Gravity Bullseye pro frame with a Renegade RST suspension fork for $265 + shipping. I ended up replacing most of the components on the Bikes Direct bike which is why I opted for the frame only from Amazon. Amazon has a Gravity frame only for $100 plus shipping if that's interesting.
> https://www.amazon.com/Gravity-Knoc...047592&sr=8-1&keywords=gravity+fat+bike+frame
> 
> If you buy from Bikes Direct check the rear drop out width because I found they very. I would also go for 50mm rims instead of 80mm. With the 50mm rims you can run 26" tires between 2.8" - 3.8". My wife's bike is currently set up with 80mm rims and Surly Nates 3.8 for mud & snow. I plan on building another set of wheels using 50mm rims so she can drop down to a narrower 3.0 tire for summer.


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## grooveface (Feb 6, 2008)

I heard that the knockout has chainline issues with frame and tire rub. Something about using a 7 sod with a spacer.


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## thursdayborn (Aug 6, 2017)

grooveface said:


> I heard that the knockout has chainline issues with frame and tire rub. Something about using a 7 sod with a spacer.


Hm, yeah, I know there's an issue with using one of the gears, so it requires some minor modification for that. That's why it's sold at a pretty low price.


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## EvilSmrk (May 10, 2016)

I have a 18" GBEM and we picked up a 14" Knockout for my wife.

The Knockout fits my wife pretty well (5'4") other than the length of the stock crank arms which are too long for her.

The stock crank arms are 175mm which force her knee's to bend too much at the top of the pedal stroke causing her discomfort.
For many people the solution is to raise the seat height but she did not find that comfortable.
Once I picked up a set of 160mm crank arms for her it resolved her issue.

The stand over height for the Knockout fits my wife pretty well, however I suspect if I was to put a set of 4" tires like on my GBEM it would raise the stand over a little too tall for her liking. 

On the topic of the chain clearance, for her bike the chain only had issues when using the largest chain ring, She will likely never need that chain ring so I just removed it from the replacement crankset solving the issue for her.


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## thursdayborn (Aug 6, 2017)

Ah, thank you for that heads up! I'll pay attention to that and see if I need to make the same adjustment. I'm actually thinking about getting 3.5" Vee Speedsters instead, as from reviews it sounds like people think they're good for beach riding which is pretty much what I'll be doing. I've found a barely used set for just over $70 so I think that's a pretty good deal!



EvilSmrk said:


> I have a 18" GBEM and we picked up a 14" Knockout for my wife.
> 
> The Knockout fits my wife pretty well (5'4") other than the length of the stock crank arms which are too long for her.
> 
> ...


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Yesterday I actually had a chance took a ride on a GBM again for the first time in years. Man, I miss that bike. Glad to see that this thread is still so active!


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## Tavic (Apr 25, 2016)

Same here, this thread is where I started my Fat Bike research. I actually wound up building one instead of buying a complete bike. 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


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## HerrKaLeu (Aug 18, 2017)

I'm considering buying the BEM as entry before i decide on what actual fatbike I want. My goal is to sell it before i start upgrading (like adding carbon fork, wheels etc.).

I'm in WI and main goal is snow fun. Also want to use it for mild MTB on trails (and have 5-7 mile paved trail to get to the MTB trails).

So far I know brakes, tires and drivetrain are not great.My plan:
- transfer hydraulic discs from another old bike (=free); buy 180 mm rotor for front.
- Test tires and either wear them out before replacing. Or buy better tires, but once I sell this bike put the old OEM back on. 
- Drivetrain will replace once it wears out or gets damaged (obviously possible when off-road). My hybrid has 2x10 and i could upgrade that to 2x11 and re-use the 10-speed shifter and derailleur (or upgrade fatbike to 1x11 if easily possible)
- I will decide on handlebar, pedals and stem once I have it if fit requires new purchase (but this is not expensive)
- I know before assembly i have to lube BB threads, adjust hubs etc.

I guess I know a bit what I'm getting myself into. Any other recommendations? (Again, don't want to spend a lot, if upgrades become necessary, I buy a new bike)

some questions:
1. did someone successfully convert to 1x11? I assume the hub is 10-speed only. If someone did it, what was required to do (besides replacing wheel or hub)
2. Is the fork rated for 180 mm rotors? I don't want to tear down the caliper. 
3. Is the MEB frame inherently heavier than the Boris? The Boris have hydroformed tubes. Or what is the "out of the box" weight of the BEM?
4. the Boris and Sturgis had derailleur hanger issues. it looks like they got re-designed and BD also includes a spare hanger. Something similar for the BEM? 
5. With what you know now about the BEM, would you have started out with a more expensive bike to begin with, or would you use a BEM as entry level again? I see many people have upgraded a lot (to much more than $500).
6. I'm 6' with 34"inseam and weigh 180#. Per BD that puts me on an 18" frame (5'8"- 6'0"). Would you agree on their sizing? In most threads it seems people often are well off getting a number smaller if they are on the edge. 
7. Is standover height a problem? It seems the steep headtube 
8. With the MEB my maximum loss is "$500+ upgrades - resale value". With a Boris the almost same upgrades are necessary but the $500 is a $600 or $700. Would there be a reason to use a Boris as starterbike? (with the idea to upgrade to a 197mm tubeless ready bike later). they do have a $550 boris x5 on bikeisland (but x5 doesn't exist in black, which i prefer). So the Boris would require to be x7 for $650 on bike island (but would have 2x10 and 180mm rotor). From all i read, it seems all tires on all of them are not great. any reason why one of the Boris tires would be worth paying more? Obviously if it prevents me from buying tires immediately, it would be worth it. i can get Schwalbe Jumbo jim for $85 each. Or get other good tires at similar prices. is any of the Boris tires even remotely good?

My current dreambikes are over $1-2K from direct retailers. But I need riding experience to know what I want. I considered the Boris bikes. But it seems at higher cost I still get 170mm spacing, non-tubeless rims etc. For me it is either dirt cheap, or something like the Sturgis or even better.

Great thread, I read almost every page. I searched through the thread to answer the above, but didn't really find an answer. I also read almost every page of the Boris and Sturgis thread.


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

HerrKaLeun, answering some of your questions:

- I put larger discs on the front with no issues using a bracket. The front fork seems beefy enough.
- it comes with a spare hanger, I haven't had to use it.
- I have a shorter frame (14"), so weight isn't apples to apples. But size was accurate. Mine was about 34lbs if I remember correctly.
- I am happy with it having upgraded the handlebars and brakes. The 2x system works for the Midwest trails I ride.

I suspect you are overthinking it. Get the best bike your budget responsibly allows and go ride it. You seem to be knowledgeable enough to have a good idea what comprises you can and can't live with. Simplify the decision by using the 'buy once, cry once' approach. The money you plan to spend on upgrads will go farther if applied towards a better bike. You might be able to sell a GBM and minimize the loss but save yourself the hassle. The bike companies have economies of scale and buying power. 

The GBM is a great budget bike, it allowed me to get into fat biking. But there are real limitations of the bike (straight head tube, drive train, etc.), Those limitations have not detracted from the fun. A better bike would probably be even better. I don't sweat over it.


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## El Geezer (May 31, 2016)

I second HerrKaLeun. I’ve had my BEM for a year and a half and ride it on mtb trails and SoCal beaches. I’ve been extremely pleased with the bike. It is solid, reliable, and fun to ride. I decided to get the bike, ride it, and make as few changes as possible as inexpensively as possible as I gained experience and discovered things that really needed to be improved.

This strategy has worked extremely well for me. I have made changes to my drivetrain and cockpit, but I have felt no need to upgrade tires or brakes. The Mission Control tires do tend to autosteer, but being careful to adjust tire pressure to suit the riding surface and getting wider (700mm) bars and a shorter (60mm) stem — less than $50 for both on sale at Jenson USA — essentially made that problem go away. I took the time to bed in my brakes when I first got the bike, and they have been fine. They are not the most powerful or most progressive, but I have never needed more stopping power, they’ve never caused me any control issues, and they don’t mind being squeezed all the way down a steep 1800 foot descent. 

Most of the mtb trails I ride have steep slopes that are quite long. Both my riding partner, who is 15 years younger than me, and myself found the stock gearing too high. I installed a 20T front chain ring which helped, then lost the 11T off the cassette and added a 38T in back for a super granny that solved the climbing problem for both of us. Parts for the drive train mods were under $90 per bike and I did the work myself.

I added a low end KS Exaform 861 dropper post ($90 from Jenson USA) which works great and a pair of Wellgo MG-1 pedals ($35 on Amazon), and that is basically it. Every one of my upgrades added a few grams, so my BEM now weighs just over 39 pounds, for what that is worth. With the exception of maybe replacing the tires, which are wearing, with Jumbo Jim Snakeskins, that’s it for my BEM. I’m done with mods.

I was 77 when I decided I wanted to get a fat bike, and I had not ridden a bicycle in about 40 years. It was a semi-crazy experiment, and it turned out to be a tremendous, incredible success. I now know where and how I like to ride, I know what I am capable of doing, and I know what kind of machine I need to do it. For my 79th birthday I am seriously thinking about getting a SRAM Eagle equipped all-carbon Lamere fatty which J. P. assures me will come in under 26 pounds with 4.4-inch Jumbo Jims, a Bluto, and a Reverb dropper post. Way, way, way expensive, but EXACTLY what this old man needs in his waning years.

I have recounted my personal experience in some detail here because I think what I have done is representative of one really good way to use a BEM. Get one, ride hell out of the thing, and wait until you really, really dislike something before you upgrade it using as little cash and as much brains as possible. Hold off on the big bucks until you truly understand what you need. At some point you will know.

And, if you read this forum, which you have, you should understand that it is pretty hard to regret getting a BEM.


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## HerrKaLeu (Aug 18, 2017)

El Geezer said:


> This strategy has worked extremely well for me. I have made changes to my drivetrain and cockpit, but I have felt no need to upgrade tires or brakes. The Mission Control tires do tend to autosteer, but being careful to adjust tire pressure to suit the riding surface and getting wider (700mm) bars and a shorter (60mm) stem - less than $50 for both on sale at Jenson USA - essentially made that problem go away. I took the time to bed in my brakes when I first got the bike, and they have been fine. They are not the most powerful or most progressive, but I have never needed more stopping power, they've never caused me any control issues, and they don't mind being squeezed all the way down a steep 1800 foot descent.
> 
> I added a low end KS Exaform 861 dropper post ($90 from Jenson USA) which works great and a pair of Wellgo MG-1 pedals ($35 on Amazon), and that is basically it. Every one of my upgrades added a few grams, so my BEM now weighs just over 39 pounds, for what that is worth. With the exception of maybe replacing the tires, which are wearing, with Jumbo Jim Snakeskins, that's it for my BEM. I'm done with mods.
> 
> ...


You made some very sensible upgrades and should be able to re-use most on a new bike. So more an investment in biking than the bike itself. I myself fully count on needing grips saddle (Brooks B17 guy) and possibly pedals... but will keep the OEM parts in a box for the time I sell it. They now come with 700mm handlebar, so I should not need a new handlebar.

since you brought up carbon fat bikes. i came across the direct sale  This strategy has worked extremely well for me. I have made changes to my drivetrain and cockpit, but I have felt no need to upgrade tires or brakes. The Mission Control tires do tend to autosteer, but being careful to adjust tire pressure to suit the riding surface and getting wider (700mm) bars and a shorter (60mm) stem - less than $50 for both on sale at Jenson USA - essentially made that problem go away. I took the time to bed in my brakes when I first got the bike, and they have been fine. They are not the most powerful or most progressive, but I have never needed more stopping power, they've never caused me any control issues, and they don't mind being squeezed all the way down a steep 1800 foot descent. I added a low end KS Exaform 861 dropper post ($90 from Jenson USA) which works great and a pair of Wellgo MG-1 pedals ($35 on Amazon), and that is basically it. Every one of my upgrades added a few grams, so my BEM now weighs just over 39 pounds, for what that is worth. With the exception of maybe replacing the tires, which are wearing, with Jumbo Jim Snakeskins, that's it for my BEM. I'm done with mods. I was 77 when I decided I wanted to get a fat bike, and I had not ridden a bicycle in about 40 years. It was a semi-crazy experiment, and it turned out to be a tremendous, incredible success. I now know where and how I like to ride, I know what I am capable of doing, and I know what kind of machine I need to do it. For my 79th birthday I am seriously thinking about getting a SRAM Eagle equipped all-carbon Lamere fatty which J. P. assures me will come in under 26 pounds with 4.4-inch Jumbo Jims, a Bluto, and a Reverb dropper post. Way, way, way expensive, but EXACTLY what this old man needs in his waning years. And, if you read this forum, which you have, you should understand that it is pretty hard to regret getting a BEM.[/QUOTE]

You made some very sensible upgrades and should be able to re-use most on a new bike. So more an investment in biking than the bike itself. I myself fully count on needing grips saddle (Brooks B17 guy) and possibly pedals... but will keep the OEM parts in a box for the time I sell it. They now come with 700mm handlebar, so I should not need a new handlebar. since you brought up carbon fat bikes.

I came across the direct sale [URL="https://www.canyon.com/en-us/mtb/dude"]Canyon Dude. Not available before October (I called). no direct experience with it, but thought you might check it out since you talked about going carbon.


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## El Geezer (May 31, 2016)

The Dude CF 9.0 EX is a nice bike for $3,600 bucks, but the 1x11 Shimano with a 28T up front would not work for me, and the DT Swiss aluminum wheelset is almost a pound and a half heavier than Lamere's 65mm carbon wheels with Tune hubs.

Lamere has a limited set of proprietary carbon framesets, forks, and wheels, but J. P. works with every customer and custom builds the bike so it comes from his shop EXACTLY the way you want it. He will even ship the bike I am thinking about getting tubeless (with Orange Seal tape and sealant) and do a way better job of it than I ever could. If you go to his website (https://www.lamerecycles.com) and look at the gallery, you will see that almost no two bikes he has built are exactly the same. So, if you know exactly what you want, that is exactly what is inside the box when you open it. No swapping out this or that that is not quite right, blah, blah blah. I'm at the stage of life where this model for doing business has a lot of appeal. What am I going to do with the $6K+ when I'm dead in 20 years of so? Mountain biking a fatty is pretty much my only nasty habit.


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## a1pathfinder67 (Jan 19, 2014)

dirtdawg,
I want to thank you. You are the OP'er on this thread and this thread is what sparked my interest in BEM. I have been riding my walgoose(Malus) for over a year now and have really enjoyed it. Spent some time on the Dolo semiwild thread, which was pretty awesome as well. I would recommend those "cheap" mongoose fatties to anyone just starting out. It held up very well. But as with anyone who has ever upgraded from one of those bikes. You realize there limitations. That is why I opted for the BEM LTD.It took me a while to save up for it. Now i have the cash. It doesnt break the bank and you get quality at a reasonable price. I opted for the limited because of the upgraded wider tires. I ride a lot of sand trails here. Plus i like the wider stock HB's and the tapered head tube for possible upgrade. Oh and the black with the red rims. Awesome!!!! Love that color scheme. hahaha. Anyway. Thanks to this site I pulled the trigger on it yesterday. Now just waiting very impatiently. Hope this thread keeps going. Especially in peak fatty season. I will keep you posted and send pics.


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## pathfinder67 (Nov 26, 2016)

I got the LTD about 2 weeks ago. Love this bike. It does have a lot of potential for upgrade. I have the Vee Bulldozers on mine and they are awesome. They grip everything dirt, leaves, and mud and roll right over everything, including sand(8psi R/7psi F). I will let you know about snow when we get some. I put a shorter stem on immediately and changed out the pedals for some old bigger flats I had laying around. I shaved down the seat post about 1.5 inches.(Way too high stock). My future plans are ditching the front derailleur and going 1x8. Also I plan to go tubeless. Best place to lose weight is in the wheel set. Rotational mass/resistance...blah blah. Its all greek to me but its a proven cheap upgrade. I am not a weight or speed junkie. Just want it as light as possible without major changes. That will be pretty much it for me. Other than that this bike shreds up hills, down hills, over stumps and sand. Its awesome!!! I will keep you posted.


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

Dirtdawg, like the post above, would like to thank you as well. This has been a world of useful info, and a fun read as all you all show your bikes and adventures. I am the fence between the BEM and the 2018 GBEM XX 10 speed with hydro brakes. I know i will want to change the wheels to 80mm tubeless compatible eventually. I found some wheels that might do the trick, 
https://www.thebikesmiths.com/products/blizzerk80-9x135-10x170-qr-wheelset?variant=42860835410 
only thing is they say "Does NOT fit REAR disc spaced front forks". I cant find any info on how the brake/fork are set up on these bikes, front or rear disc. Can anyone chime in on this? Also would the extra cost of the bemXX be worth it if i change the rims? i will go 1x11 anyways with those wheels, so what left is the tapered head tube- only useful if i go susp?, and hydro brakes. Decisions decisions lol


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## a1pathfinder67 (Jan 19, 2014)

Cant get off of my LTD. Loving it. Gear ratio is fine. Brakes are fine too. Maybe Bluto one day. Can be helpful on a lot of the trails i ride. We will see.


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## pathfinder67 (Nov 26, 2016)

Had the beast in it's natural habitat. Rides like a dream. Tearing up them pines.
https://ficdn.mtbr.com/images/attach/jpg.gif
https://ficdn.mtbr.com/images/attac...fhttps://ficdn.mtbr.com/images/attach/jpg.gif


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## Mr Horse (Jul 14, 2011)

JPmtb said:


> Dirtdawg, like the post above, would like to thank you as well. This has been a world of useful info, and a fun read as all you all show your bikes and adventures. I am the fence between the BEM and the 2018 GBEM XX 10 speed with hydro brakes. I know i will want to change the wheels to 80mm tubeless compatible eventually. I found some wheels that might do the trick,
> https://www.thebikesmiths.com/products/blizzerk80-9x135-10x170-qr-wheelset?variant=42860835410
> only thing is they say "Does NOT fit REAR disc spaced front forks". I cant find any info on how the brake/fork are set up on these bikes, front or rear disc. Can anyone chime in on this? Also would the extra cost of the bemXX be worth it if i change the rims? i will go 1x11 anyways with those wheels, so what left is the tapered head tube- only useful if i go susp?, and hydro brakes. Decisions decisions lol


I have that wheel on my front using a Trek Farley fork. Photo attached in case that helps


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

Oh man that is some beautiful country, great to see you're getting out there enjoying the bike! Gets me one step closer to pulling the trigger on one!


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

Mr Horse said:


> I have that wheel on my front using a Trek Farley fork. Photo attached in case that helps


Thank you Mr Horse, this should help!


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## Mr Horse (Jul 14, 2011)

JPmtb said:


> Thank you Mr Horse, this should help!


No problem.

Let me know if you need to view it from a different angle.

The Farley fork is on a GBEM LTD....it's a pretty decent frame. The Blizzerk wheels are good too.


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## Mr Horse (Jul 14, 2011)

Does anyone know the head tube diameters for the LTD frame (tapered)?


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

Mr Horse said:


> Does anyone know the head tube diameters for the LTD frame (tapered)?


I was looking at that as well while researching offset headsets as i think i would like a slacker ht angle, and the xx looks to be the same frame. It lists 1.125" tapered, so I think those are 1.125" upper and 1.5" lower.
hope this is helpful.


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## pathfinder67 (Nov 26, 2016)

Yes it is a standard size. 1.125x1.5. So easy upgrade.

https://ficdn.mtbr.com/images/attach/jpg.gif


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

Mind made up, going with the 2018 Gbem XX in sapphire blue! Size 16 frame should be on the money , I'm 5'7" with a decent reach and 30" inseam. Checking out shorter stems and better pedals as I type. Pathfinder67, what length stem did you go with?


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## Mr Horse (Jul 14, 2011)

JPmtb said:


> I was looking at that as well while researching offset headsets as i think i would like a slacker ht angle, and the xx looks to be the same frame. It lists 1.125" tapered, so I think those are 1.125" upper and 1.5" lower.
> hope this is helpful.


Do you know what the inside diameter is? I'm thinking I may put an angleset in it.

Here's mine: It's a 16" which makes it fun to ride being 6' 1".....it feels like a BMX bike.


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

Mr Horse said:


> Here's mine: It's a 16" which makes it fun to ride being 6' 1".....it feels like a BMX bike.


I picked up the same Frame + Rst Renegade deal for $275. That was the best deal in fat bike history. Mine has green wheelset that I got for $150. Love the bike and the Renegades. Pictures a couple of pages back.


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

Mr Horse said:


> Do you know what the inside diameter is? I'm thinking I may put an angleset in it.
> 
> Here's mine: It's a 16" which makes it fun to ride being 6' 1".....it feels like a BMX bike.


https://www.canecreek.com/resources...ications/oe-head-tube-specification-guide.pdf
Diameter should be 1.125 and 1.5 , head tube length is 110mm
Hit up these guys, they have some good reviews and maybe can help with the angleset
Works Components - Angle Headsets | CNC Bicycle Components | Made in the UK


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## Mr Horse (Jul 14, 2011)

Luis_fx35 said:


> I picked up the same Frame + Rst Renegade deal for $275. That was the best deal in fat bike history. Mine has green wheelset that I got for $150. Love the bike and the Renegades. Pictures a couple of pages back.


Sweet...:thumbsup:

Yes! That was an incredible deal. I actually bought one just to cannibalize the fork but liked the frame so much that I bought two more to build up.

The small is my girl friend/ smaller rider loaner bike. It's incredibly nimble.... I like to take it out when I'm riding tighter trails even though I look ridiculous on it. The HT angle is a little steep for my tastes tho, so am probably going to replace the headset with an angleset.


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

*Got it*

Gbem XX waiting to ride on xmas day!


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## barber111 (Dec 3, 2017)

Awesome JP.. My XX will get ordered in about 1 month..

Barber


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

Thanks Barber, I know these will be some fun bikes! Hope you get yours soon than later! :thumbsup:


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

JPmtb said:


> Dirtdawg, like the post above, would like to thank you as well. This has been a world of useful info, and a fun read as all you all show your bikes and adventures. I am the fence between the BEM and the 2018 GBEM XX 10 speed with hydro brakes. I know i will want to change the wheels to 80mm tubeless compatible eventually. I found some wheels that might do the trick,
> https://www.thebikesmiths.com/products/blizzerk80-9x135-10x170-qr-wheelset?variant=42860835410
> only thing is they say "Does NOT fit REAR disc spaced front forks". I cant find any info on how the brake/fork are set up on these bikes, front or rear disc. Can anyone chime in on this? Also would the extra cost of the bemXX be worth it if i change the rims? i will go 1x11 anyways with those wheels, so what left is the tapered head tube- only useful if i go susp?, and hydro brakes. Decisions decisions lol


if i remember correctly, the GBM uses a front disk spacing, so that should work fine.


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

*Wheels*

Thanks Dirtdawg, I ended up getting a set of sun ringle complete wheels with a 150mm front(for the GBEM XX though axle) 177mm rear,and ordered correct end caps to fit the rear 170mm spacing

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Sun-Ri...ke-Wheelset-Tubeless-26-150-177-/142499755449


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## Birddog1148 (Dec 23, 2017)

New to the forum, first post. I guess I am what you call a Clydesdale, 49 years old 5ft 9in right now about 255lb and looking to get a fatbike. Couple years ago I ended up having to ride a bike to work for a few days and it didn't kill me. I ended up upgrading after 1 day from a cruiser bike to a cheep 29 in mtn bike that I upgraded as I wore out parts or felt the need. I find that riding my bike back and forth to work is about the only way I can consistently make myself get exercise. I don't have any illusions of doing anything extreme on the bike I get but I have quickly ruled out a bike from a department store. At this point I am leaning towards a Bullseye monster or the LTD and possibly the Boris X5, I will probably try to do a spread sheet so I and look at the specs in one place. I also am thinking of putting a mushing harness on my 18 mo old Shepard and doing some bike joring. I live in northern Ohio and we have old limestone quarys and access to Sandy beaches to ride on . Sorry for rambling 

Sent from my SM-T567V using Tapatalk


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

Birddog1148 said:


> New to the forum, first post. I guess I am what you call a Clydesdale, 49 years old 5ft 9in right now about 255lb and looking to get a fatbike. Couple years ago I ended up having to ride a bike to work for a few days and it didn't kill me. I ended up upgrading after 1 day from a cruiser bike to a cheep 29 in mtn bike that I upgraded as I wore out parts or felt the need. I find that riding my bike back and forth to work is about the only way I can consistently make myself get exercise. I don't have any illusions of doing anything extreme on the bike I get but I have quickly ruled out a bike from a department store. At this point I am leaning towards a Bullseye monster or the LTD and possibly the Boris X5, I will probably try to do a spread sheet so I and look at the specs in one place. I also am thinking of putting a mushing harness on my 18 mo old Shepard and doing some bike joring. I live in northern Ohio and we have old limestone quarys and access to Sandy beaches to ride on . Sorry for rambling
> 
> Sent from my SM-T567V using Tapatalk


 the GBM has a straight head tube, which means if you think you want one of the suspension forks, your choices are limited. I guess it depends on what you are looking to do. I have the GBM, I put on a wider handlebar, good flat pedals and bigger disks. All cheap upgrades that have really been great. I have over 1000 miles on it, I still love it. I have no plans for further upgrades, I'll save my shekels to buy a new bike someday. It seems like that's the most cost effective way to get better gear, but it takes longer.


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## Birddog1148 (Dec 23, 2017)

iliketexmex said:


> the GBM has a straight head tube, which means if you think you want one of the suspension forks, your choices are limited. I guess it depends on what you are looking to do. I have the GBM, I put on a wider handlebar, good flat pedals and bigger disks. All cheap upgrades that have really been great. I have over 1000 miles on it, I still love it. I have no plans for further upgrades, I'll save my shekels to buy a new bike someday. It seems like that's the most cost effective way to get better gear, but it takes longer.


I ended up ordering the LTD that has the tapered head tube, now I guess I wait.

Sent from my SM-T567V using Tapatalk


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## Birddog1148 (Dec 23, 2017)

So Bikesdirect website says these don't ship till mid Feb. but I ordered 2 different bikes and a tool kit and I have three separate tracking numbers that indicate that the items are at the Fed Ex Facilities or ready for USPS. Bow I am assuming the tool kit is coming USPS so that leads me to believe that my bike will be here Friday if the tracking number is at all accurate. Yay me, I will hopefully be starting out the new year with a new FatBike.


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

Birddog1148 said:


> So Bikesdirect website says these don't ship till mid Feb. but I ordered 2 different bikes and a tool kit and I have three separate tracking numbers that indicate that the items are at the Fed Ex Facilities or ready for USPS. Bow I am assuming the tool kit is coming USPS so that leads me to believe that my bike will be here Friday if the tracking number is at all accurate. Yay me, I will hopefully be starting out the new year with a new FatBike.


Welcome to the FatLife GBM style


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## barber111 (Dec 3, 2017)

I finally was able to order my Monster XX size 22" last night. Only problem was the 22" was out of stock. They had the 20", but would rather go big. I'm 6'6" 255#.. I wonder if I should try to call them and ask if they plan on getting that size back. 

Barber


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## Birddog1148 (Dec 23, 2017)

Tracking shows my bike in Kentucky, took a day off Friday so I can sign for it, getting excited. Might get to start the new year off riding it to work.


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## Birddog1148 (Dec 23, 2017)

iliketexmex said:


> Welcome to the FatLife GBM style


thanks


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## barber111 (Dec 3, 2017)

Went ahead and ordered the L.T.D. 22" black/black.. Also ordered a Park Tool Rack..

WOO-HOO

Barber


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## Birddog1148 (Dec 23, 2017)

Man, Fed ex tried to deliver it today, that's pretty good considering I ordered it on a holiday, pics tomorrow when it gets here


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## Birddog1148 (Dec 23, 2017)

It's here it's here! I take it the blue and white strips are extra wheel liners?









Sent from my E6810 using Tapatalk


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Birddog1148 said:


> It's here it's here! I take it the blue and white strips are extra wheel liners?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


nice! I really like that color.
yes, they are alternative rim strips in case you would rather have blue rim holes. 
they use to come with really heavy black ones that went behind the colored ones, do they still do that? first thing i did was pull them out. they dont really add any value, just weigh a lot.


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

Birddog1148 said:


> It's here it's here! I take it the blue and white strips are extra wheel liners?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Oh man that looks great , let us know how you like the ride! Enjoy!


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

*First ride*

Super happy with this bike, I think i could have gone either way in sizing, 16 is what i got, as I was more concerned with standover. Already trying to get my friends into them too, they are going to test ride mine first!
Put the new bars, stem, and pedals on after a couple rides. Rims will be on soon and will be set up to tubeless. Looks kinda clown shoes with the red and orange, but will look better with the black mulefut wheels.


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## Birddog1148 (Dec 23, 2017)

Awesome so far!









Sent from my E6810 using Tapatalk


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

Birddog1148 said:


> Awesome so far!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## barber111 (Dec 3, 2017)

AWESOME.. My LTD probably wont be here til the end of Feb. I'm wanting feedback from your posts..

Thanks, Barber


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## Birddog1148 (Dec 23, 2017)

barber111 said:


> AWESOME.. My LTD probably wont be here til the end of Feb. I'm wanting feedback from your posts..
> 
> Thanks, Barber


I just ordered this Monday morning amazing how fast it got here. Proper ride in the am.

Sent from my E6810 using Tapatalk


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## pathfinder67 (Nov 26, 2016)

Birddog1148 said:


> Awesome so far!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


How are them H-Billies in the snow? Mine has Bulldozers and I love it!!! Rides great!!!


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## Birddog1148 (Dec 23, 2017)

pathfinder67 said:


> View attachment 1175060
> View attachment 1175061
> View attachment 1175062
> 
> ...


Considering my point of reference is some worn out tires on my banana seat bike as a kid awesome. Just took about a 25 min ride down along shoreline drive to Battery Park and back home through the park part of town and only slipped a little a couple of times. Most I have ridden since August









Sent from my E6810 using Tapatalk


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## Craig/Fl (Jan 31, 2016)

I bought one for my wife for Christmas, I don't know who's having more fun on it her or I.
I never realized what a blast these things are to ride. 
I bike itself looks to be of decent quality for the price, I might go with a 1X setup but other than that I don't see the need for many upgrades. I may have to thin the herd as I see they make these in a single speed too.


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## a1pathfinder67 (Jan 19, 2014)

Craig/Fl said:


> I bought one for my wife for Christmas, I don't know who's having more fun on it her or I.
> I never realized what a blast these things are to ride.
> I bike itself looks to be of decent quality for the price, I might go with a 1X setup but other than that I don't see the need for many upgrades. I may have to thin the herd as I see they make these in a single speed too.


I am 1 x on mine with the 8 speed and existing 22 T up front. Eventually I will put the money up for full conversion on the crankset. But loving this thing so much. Great ride this morning to close out 2017. 12 F with -5 windchill. Perfect https://ficdn.mtbr.com/images/attac...fhttps://ficdn.mtbr.com/images/attach/jpg.gif


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## a1pathfinder67 (Jan 19, 2014)

pics is it me or this program


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

a1pathfinder67 said:


> pics is it me or this program


For some reason this happens to me whenever the picture is taller than wide. I found if I crop it to be landscape it will straighten up but otherwise I couldn't fix it


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## pathfinder67 (Nov 26, 2016)

barber111 said:


> AWESOME.. My LTD probably wont be here til the end of Feb. I'm wanting feedback from your posts..
> 
> Thanks, Barber


Great bike. Love mine. I got mine beginning of November. I cant stop riding it. Trails, sand and snow. So much fun. A lot of upgrade potential. Haven't had the need yet though. Not the lightest bike, but not heavy either. I will keep you posted on durability/performance/upgrades. You will love it!!!


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## barber111 (Dec 3, 2017)

COOL.. Yeah, I think the reason mine is so far out the 22" frame. Thanks for any and all you want to share.

You haven't mentioned brakes,, Sufficient ???

Thanks, Barber


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## pathfinder67 (Nov 26, 2016)

barber111 said:


> COOL.. Yeah, I think the reason mine is so far out the 22" frame. Thanks for any and all you want to share.
> 
> You haven't mentioned brakes,, Sufficient ???
> 
> Thanks, Barber


I am not sure where you are? The hill you see in my avatar is an anomaly. Still even that is only 185ft above sea level. The pines are very flat. We do have some steep very short descents and very few not so steep long flowing descents. So its hard to gauge if you are in a mountainous area. We definitely have some fast technical trails here though and they are fine for me. I mean I tweaked them out of the box because they were not sufficient coming from the factory. Now they actually stop on a dime with one or two fingers. If you are a downhill guy they may not be sufficient enough. Tweak them and test them in your area before you decide. If you do need advice on new ones I am no expert, but there is a lot of info on this site. So do some surfing.


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## AmplifiedHeart (Jan 2, 2018)

Hey everyone. I'm new to the forums and to fat biking in general but I've been reading a lot about the gravity bullseye and I really like it. I plan to use this bike for backpacking/exploring. I'm sure that there are much better bikes for this but I really like and want this one. Plus it's the only fat bike within my budget besides the dolomite which doesn't seem all that great. At this point it's between the gravity bull's-eye Ltd or the new gravity monster xx for $699. That is the absolute highest price that I can go because I still need to get my backpacking gear and stuff. Which one would you guys recommend for me? Will the Ltd suit my needs just fine. Can I attach racks and all of that good stuff to it? Or would the monster xx be more suited towards my needs? 

I don't really care about the fancy stuff. I plan on riding the bike stock out of the box until anything needs fixing. As long as the bike can move at a reasonable pace, hold my weight and belongings, and get me where I need to be I'll be fine. BTW I live in the desert so there's a lot of sandy rocky places out here for me to explore. Also, I was wondering if I should go with 14' or 16'. I'm a 5'5 female and I weigh roughly 200lbs. I think my inseam is a little under 30. Maybe 25-28 or so. I went to Walmart to sit on some of their bikes to try to get a feel for sizes and I sat on one that I would assume had to be around 14' but my legs felt a little cramped. Do these monster bikes run big? Thanks everyone in advance for your help.


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## pathfinder67 (Nov 26, 2016)

Amplified,
If you are talking about "serious" bike packing, I would probably recommend a much higher end bike. I am no expert on this subject, but most of the bikes you see doing the really long trips are high end models. You could definitely do some over nights or weekend trips on these bikes though. They are pretty high quality for the price range. I have never ridden the XX. But the LTD has a great gear ratio for hill climbing. Not sure about the sizing. The seat post on the LTD runs too high. I bought the 18" and cut 1.5" off of the seat post. Now its perfect.


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## uncle_loue (May 1, 2016)

*long term update and cheap suspension*

Hey folks been a long time since I posted on here. Thought I'd share an update on my gbm experience and some initial impression of a cheap air fork I got for Christmas. Love this bike! Had it about a year and put plenty of miles on it with few issues. I'm in middle Tennessee and trails are rocky/rooty. My favorite rides on the fatbike are techy climbs where I can crawl up rocks I see others having to pick and choose lines around.

Heres a rundown of things I've changed: I completely destroyed my rd last year and replaced with SRAM x9. No compatibility issues and it has served me well. Got some pedals off Amazon 
Imrider Lightweight Polyamide Bike Pedals For BMX Road MTB Bicycle. For Christmas I got a chinese air fork that has been a pleasant surprise. Whool Locking Suspension Air Forks Aluminium Alloy For 4.0"Tire Snow Mountain Bike 26 Fork Fat Bicycle Fork only 2450g. It has made riding a ton more enjoyable no more jarring wrists and hands on rough trails. No issues in the cold that I've read about with some air forks. I've had it out in 20 degree weather. So far thats all I've done but I've just received carbon fiber bars and a shorter stem I'll install once new grips arrive. I saw early in this thread there were cassette problems- however mine came stock with shimano 34T. have had no issues. My only major EQ gripe is the brakes which I can never seem to get to stay tuned. Every few rides they start to rub or make noise. Here are pics from todays ride.


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## uncle_loue (May 1, 2016)

no idea why the pics are all upside down...there were right side up on the computer when uploaded...


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## STAGER1 (Sep 23, 2017)

I bought my son a dolo and it's ok for riding around town but that's as far as it goes. I'd be afraid to jump with it and the weight will kill you on a hill the thing is a tank.


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## GoatHouse (Dec 30, 2017)

I just got my new Bullseye Monster last night and got it assembled. Today on my lunchbreak, I put some air in the tires and took it for a spin. For the 15 minutes I spent riding, it seems like a good bike. Smooth ride and not as bulky as I thought it would be. Can't wait to put more miles on it.


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## Birddog1148 (Dec 23, 2017)

Comuted today on the Bullseye Monster LTD, almost 4 miles each way. Black ice is slippery, and slush makes your butt wet but enjoyable nonetheless

Sent from my E6810 using Tapatalk


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## STAGER1 (Sep 23, 2017)

Bang for the buck there is no beating them.


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## LPRoad (Jan 2, 2018)

I do love a bargain. Seriously considering the 2018 BEM XX. Do these have a threaded BB?


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## barber111 (Dec 3, 2017)

LPRoad said:


> I do love a bargain. Seriously considering the 2018 BEM XX. Do these have a threaded BB?


yes


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## Birddog1148 (Dec 23, 2017)

Mud shovel and different pedals









Sent from my E6810 using Tapatalk


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## LPRoad (Jan 2, 2018)

Are these set up so as you can run mechanical disc brakes?


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

LPRoad said:


> Are these set up so as you can run mechanical disc brakes?


yes


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## barber111 (Dec 3, 2017)

Well my L.T.D. fat bike is scheduled for delivery tomorrow, (Monday).. GREAT..
The bad news is I own my barbershop, which is where the box is being shipped to. I'm closed tomorrow !! CRAP
I will try calling them in the early morning to see if I can pick it up at their location instead.
Worse case scenario I'm hoping they will make another attempt to deliver it on Tuesday..
Gettin' close now...

Thanks, Barber


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

*Switched a few things*

Went tubeless with the mulefut wheels, added a 42t cog, 180mm ice tech rotors, and made some fenders. Really happy with how she rides now, went from 35.6 lbs to 33 lbs, 2.4 lbs of rotating weight is noticeable. Extra gearing gets me up some steep hills and more stopping power is awesome when coming back down.


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

Took the gbemxx to the local bmx trail with my boxer penny  yes, I need a to get a helmet. Looking at getting a giro montaro now.


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## EvilSmrk (May 10, 2016)

Picked up a set of Avid BB7 180mm breaks for my GBEM, the noname breaks on my sons bike are OK but he feels like they could be better so I decided to 'upgrade' my breaks and move the Novella's from by GBEM to his bike.

Unfortunately I'm having trouble getting them installed.

The issue I am having is I am not able to get the break calipers to adjust outboard enough.
The rotor disk is rubbing on the outboard(actuating) side of the caliper and I cannot get it adjusted far enough out.

Are there thinner caliper mounting adjusters? (the part that mounts to the fork/frame and adjusts the position for 160 vs 180 rotors)
Or am I going to have to take the mounts to a grinder and take some material off?


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

When i went from 160 to 180 rotors with my shimanos, i had to get post mount adaptors. If they didnt come with them- Maybe something like this for your avids? Sram/Avid Disc Post Mount Spacer Set | Jenson USA


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

EvilSmrk said:


> The issue I am having is I am not able to get the break calipers to adjust outboard enough.
> The rotor disk is rubbing on the outboard(actuating) side of the caliper and I cannot get it adjusted far enough out.
> 
> Are there thinner caliper mounting adjusters? (the part that mounts to the fork/frame and adjusts the position for 160 vs 180 rotors)
> Or am I going to have to take the mounts to a grinder and take some material off?


The mounts are pretty much a universal size thickness wise, so there isn't much to do there. The brake calipers themselves should have plenty of adjustment room to slide out though. They are made with an ovalized bolt hole. Plus you can adjust the inside and outside pad positions on BB7 with the big red adjustment knobs on the brake arms.

I'd recommend reading the avid BB7 setup instructions again and following their instructions, especially concerning pre-adjustment of the pad knobs.


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## Dr Sloth (Mar 6, 2005)

These might also help - amazon.com - Birzman Clam Disc Brake Gap Tool

As it sounds like the rubbing you're describing is side to side (rotor to side of caliper)??? Maybe they're not properly centered??? Just throwing ideas out there.


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## EvilSmrk (May 10, 2016)

Thanks for the suggestions but the issue I was the disks were rubbing on the caliper body themselves.

I was unable to get the calipers centered on the disk.

I had watched the videos suggested before starting.

I ended up taking the mounting spacers and grinding down the side of them to move the calipers farther out.


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

EvilSmrk said:


> I ended up taking the mounting spacers and grinding down the side of them to move the calipers farther out.


That's what I did too. Improvise, adapt and overcome.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Possible upgrade time. Fat suspension
Has anybody had any experience with the Whool or Pasak fat forks? I've seen a couple posts about the spring cartridge version with 28mm stanchions, but they seem to be the same as a suntour XCT. OK fork, but a little flexy under a clyde. There is a 32mm stanchion air cartridge version that I'm looking at. If you have one (or want to buy one and be a test dummy), speak up. Here's a link to one of them, but there are other sellers out there.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Kal...t-120mm-travel-Beach-oil-gas/32796974016.html
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01N1JX29B

cross posted to a couple of the other non-lbs fatbike discussions.


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## EvilSmrk (May 10, 2016)

watts888 said:


> Possible upgrade time. Fat suspension
> Has anybody had any experience with the Whool or Pasak fat forks? I've seen a couple posts about the spring cartridge version with 28mm stanchions, but they seem to be the same as a suntour XCT. OK fork, but a little flexy under a clyde. There is a 32mm stanchion air cartridge version that I'm looking at. If you have one (or want to buy one and be a test dummy), speak up. Here's a link to one of them, but there are other sellers out there.
> https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Kal...t-120mm-travel-Beach-oil-gas/32796974016.html
> https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01N1JX29B
> ...


The general consensus on these forks is,

You get what you pay for.

Most will say that there are reasons why a Bluto or Mastodon are so much more expensive and to spend anything less than that is a waste.

I am likely going to skip getting one of these cheaper forks and either live with the bike as it is or save up for a different bike that comes with a suspension.

The other thought was to save up for a Lefty fork sense it is easier to set up with the straight head tube.
But this will likely be just as expensive to set up as getting a new bike.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Mechie (Oct 31, 2017)

Recently joined the BEM club as well. 
Wanted a daily driver for my local sandy trails. 


Had a piles of parts laying from other bikes upgrades I tossed on it first thing. 

Current condition. 
Shimano 2x10 xt drivetrain (might go 1x soon)
TRP slate t4 hydraulic brakes (still 160mm need new bracket for the 180s)
Answer pro taper 780mm bars
raceface 45mm stem
raceface chester petals

Have put about 30 miles on it this week so far and its going well.
Its amazing how much better it rolls on loose surface than my trail bike.

Next it to decide if I want to do the gorilla tape tubeless conversion...


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

Welcome! Gbem is looking great, enjoy the ride!


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## jereemk (Jun 8, 2015)

Has anyone changed out the headset? Like an upgrade to cane creek? The only reason I’m even asking is when I tore the bike apart to have it painted those bearings did not look the highest quality but I do not know if I would even notice a difference


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

jereemk said:


> Has anyone changed out the headset? Like an upgrade to cane creek? The only reason I'm even asking is when I tore the bike apart to have it painted those bearings did not look the highest quality but I do not know if I would even notice a difference


 you should share the paint job, how did it come out? I was thinking about that myself. As far as the headset goes, I think you'd need to be a pretty great rider to tell the difference. I have 1500 miles of singletracks on mine and it is as tight and smooth as the day I bought it. I am not a Red Bull rampage star rider by any stretch, but my home trails are so rooty I feel like I am holding on to a jackhammer. I'm sure a better rider might feel the difference but for a middle-of-the-pack guy like me it is holding up pretty well. There are other upgrades that would be a higher priority for me. I am only upgrading what breaks and I'll eventually just upgrade the bike.


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

JPmtb said:


> Took the gbemxx to the local bmx trail with my boxer penny  yes, I need a to get a helmet. Looking at getting a giro montaro now.


Make sure you keep the visor screws tight on that helmet or you will lose them. That's what happened to me. I ended up using a small metal screw.


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## jereemk (Jun 8, 2015)

iliketexmex said:


> you should share the paint job, how did it come out? I was thinking about that myself. As far as the headset goes, I think you'd need to be a pretty great rider to tell the difference. I have 1500 miles of singletracks on mine and it is as tight and smooth as the day I bought it. I am not a Red Bull rampage star rider by any stretch, but my home trails are so rooty I feel like I am holding on to a jackhammer. I'm sure a better rider might feel the difference but for a middle-of-the-pack guy like me it is holding up pretty well. There are other upgrades that would be a higher priority for me. I am only upgrading what breaks and I'll eventually just upgrade the bike.


I get it back this week. Ill send pics when i get it.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

jereemk said:


> Has anyone changed out the headset? Like an upgrade to cane creek?


The stock bearings are OK, and with grease and proper adjustments, they'll last a long time. If you really want to upgrade, a simple upgrade is the FSA Hammer. Basically the same as stock though.

If you want to be adventurous, toss the caged bearings and go 100% loose. Just get some loose bearings from your LBS. Top cup is easy, bottom cup is a pain to assemble with loose bearings.


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## jereemk (Jun 8, 2015)

Power coated. Very similar to waterloo blue


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

Nice powder coat job.


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## Dtrimpi87 (Mar 19, 2018)

That looks great jereemk.


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

Looks great!


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## BlueCheesehead (Jul 17, 2010)

> Power coated. Very similar to waterloo blue


...or Park Tool blue.  In all seriousness, it looks great.


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## roughster (Dec 18, 2017)

Looking for opinions on the 2018 GBM Comp:

Save Up to 60% Off Front Suspension Equipped Fat Bikes, BullsEye Monster COMP Fat Mountain Bikes

Seems like a great price with suspension fork which looks to be one of the more desirable upgrades to the Renegade. Thinking about going for an 18" (I'm 6'1'") as I'd rather go a little smaller on the Fatbike and gain more versatility for other riders in my family that are a little shorter.

I also plan on trail riding it with very little snow / sand, so like the idea of the front fork.

Anyone have one of these? Willing to share any likes/dislikes about it?


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## jereemk (Jun 8, 2015)

Are you replacing a fat bike? First one?

The shock is obviously cool but these things ride super without one too. 

I thought I’d buy one within a month of getting the bike and am perfectly happy still not having one. But I’m not saying that I’m obsessed with my crmo fork. 

I am 6’2”. I bought the 20” and love it


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

jereemk said:


> Are you replacing a fat bike? First one?
> 
> The shock is obviously cool but these things ride super without one too.
> 
> I thought I'd buy one within a month of getting the bike and am perfectly happy still not having one.


I second this. I ride in the Midwest. It's good without the suspension fork


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## roughster (Dec 18, 2017)

I rode one without suspension in Puaula Ubin last weekend on up to double black diamond. I would agree a fork is not absolutely necessary, however, I want this to be a way to even out skill on slightly more difficult terrain between my son and I to help him progress.

Plus for a few extra $100 I get a bike that can serve as an entry level trail bike as well. This will be my first fat, but am highly suspicious it won’t be the last!


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## Mr Horse (Jul 14, 2011)

roughster said:


> Looking for opinions on the 2018 GBM Comp:
> 
> Save Up to 60% Off Front Suspension Equipped Fat Bikes, BullsEye Monster COMP Fat Mountain Bikes
> 
> ...


I have the bike with Renegade fork (fork/ frameset off of Amazon purchase)

Originally I was going to cannibalize the fork for a different frame, but was sufficiently impressed with the frame that I purchased a second one and built it up.

For all the historical bad rep that RST gets, it's actually a very nice fork and has performed flawlessly for me under all kinds of riding conditions. RSTs customer service is nonexistent, but if you can live with taking a chance on this fact, the forks on-line reputation has been generally very positive. If you are planning on riding anything other than groomed trails, it will save you a lot of bodily wear and tear. I probably wouldn't ride my fat bike as much during the non-snow months if I hadn't gone with front suspension.

Without looking at what you'd be getting on the BD build, I can't comment much further. I guess if I had to change one thing about it, it would be to make the head tube angle a little more slack. It feels a little steep for the riding that I'm doing, though it's easy enough to compensate by changing up my riding position.

I built up a 16" frame with a 1 X 10 (11-26) transmission. You'll be limited to 4" tires since it's got a 170 mm spaced rear.

I got the small frame as my dedicated 'girl friend' bike, but it's adequate for me at 6' 1" for anything other than long distance riding. It actually performs well for slightly more technical riding since the smaller frame is much more nimble than the large that I typically ride.


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## roughster (Dec 18, 2017)

Okay, I just pulled the trigger on the 2018 GBEM Comp. It can always be a spare / loaner bike at that price. Took 3 extra days to get it from FedEx. Not sure how your local FedEx service is, but in Vacaville out of the Fairfield field office, it is atrocious. Assembled it last night and took it on its maiden voyage this morning. Here are my thoughts:

- At 6’1, I can easily “fit” on the 18” frame but it makes it a little twitchy. If I was buying it solely for my bike, I would go 20” for sure.

- Assembly was easy. Just watch the video on YouTube and it all comes together fast. Took about 30 mins end to end to assemble and another 15-20 adjusting brakes and for shifting. 

- I dont have a low pressure gauge so had to eyeball / squeeze guess the tire pressure. A gauge will come in tomorrow so I’ll check and see how close I got to 10F/12R psi.

- Self steer is crazy on pavement. Like “hey look a squirrel” and a self attempt at a 90 degree turn. I rode a different fat bike 2 weeks ago without the issue, so probably the tires. 

- I am used to wider bars than the stock on the GBEMC. I will definitely upgrade the bike to a wider set. They felt really narrow / “tight”.

- Dropper post upgrade is a must! All my other bikes have dropper posts. Riding this morning without one felt terrible!

- The brakes leave much to be desired. Even after tweaking and optimizing, they take a death grip to lock up the tires when up to speed. I rode some pretty steep sections this morning and they worked well enough, but if I didn’t know the trail I would have been a little sketched.

- The bike climbed a lot better than expected though it is quite a bit heavier than my Giant. I actually cleaned a climb this morning first go that I usually struggle on.

- This thing absolutely “floats” grass bumps/hummocks, cow post holes, roots, and other minor trail aberrations. Like crazy awesome so it is super easy to get speed and keep it. I actually launched a few spots on the trail that normally I don’t because I was carrying a ton of speed.

- I would say this bike is actually a pretty capable descender. The shock up front helps with hand vibration but the brakes requiring a death grip causes fatigue. With new brakes, this would be sweat!

Overall impressions:

- We’ll worth the cost. At less than $700, I have no buyer remorse. This bike will get a lot of use. On my maiden voyage I KOM’d 4 segments and got my 2nd best time on another. Of course these are private segments, but shows the bike certainly is not a hindrance when it comes to speed and time with a same rider / skill.

I am going to ride this bike exclusively over the next few weeks, go on vacation, then when I get back make the decision if it’s time for a full squish fatty for my main bike!


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

roughster said:


> Okay, I just pulled the trigger on the 2018 GBEM Comp. It can always be a spare / loaner bike at that price. Took 3 extra days to get it from FedEx. Not sure how your local FedEx service is, but in Vacaville out of the Fairfield field office, it is atrocious. Assembled it last night and took it on its maiden voyage this morning. Here are my thoughts:
> 
> - At 6'1, I can easily "fit" on the 18" frame but it makes it a little twitchy. If I was buying it solely for my bike, I would go 20" for sure.
> 
> ...


I went with the 4" Kenda Juggernaut Pros and the self steer is gone. I really like how those tires feel for the Midwest Singletracks I ride.


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## roughster (Dec 18, 2017)

iliketexmex said:


> I went with the 4" Kenda Juggernaut Pros and the self steer is gone. I really like how those tires feel for the Midwest Singletracks I ride.


Thanks for the recommendation, I'll look into those. Here is the bike before the maiden voyage:


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## Dtrimpi87 (Mar 19, 2018)

Go with a Maxxis Minion FBF and FBR and don't look back.


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## roughster (Dec 18, 2017)

Dtrimpi87 said:


> Go with a Maxxis Minion FBF and FBR and don't look back.


Yeah, they are on my shopping list, but damn they be expensive! Almost half the cost of the bike, lol.


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## Dtrimpi87 (Mar 19, 2018)

Lol watch ebay. I just picked up a set for my wifes bike for $150 shipped.


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## roughster (Dec 18, 2017)

Dtrimpi87 said:


> Lol watch ebay. I just picked up a set for my wifes bike for $150 shipped.


Sounds good I'll keep an eye out there. Thanks for the heads up!


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## roughster (Dec 18, 2017)

Here was the GBEMC this morning looking pretty before a nice DH section!


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## roughster (Dec 18, 2017)

Bit the bullet and ordered the Minions. My son rode the GBEMC for a local trail that took us almost 3 hours to finish. I watched him slide out a few times on the stock tires so decided the investment would be worth it.


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## Dtrimpi87 (Mar 19, 2018)

roughster said:


> Bit the bullet and ordered the Minions. My son rode the GBEMC for a local trail that took us almost 3 hours to finish. I watched him slide out a few times on the stock tires so decided the investment would be worth it.


You wont be sorry. The minions rock.


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## Dtrimpi87 (Mar 19, 2018)

My wifes Monster with 4" FBF/FBR EXO TR Minions and my Lurch with 4.8" EXO TR Minions.


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## roughster (Dec 18, 2017)

Those look great! Looking forward to getting them on the rims!


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## roughster (Dec 18, 2017)

Picked up a pair for $150 and installed them tonight (w/tubes). Took it out for the maiden voyage and it was fantastic. The self steer was gone which I was surprised as to how effective the Minons were at eliminating it. Didn't think it would be that noticeable!

Definitely worth the investment!


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## a1pathfinder67 (Jan 19, 2014)

Stock tires on these bikes are good quality. But when you change them to HIGH quality and lighten the load on rotational mass and rolling resistance...That is what makes the bike. Maxxis are great tires. I am running JJ liteskins and lightened the load on rim strips and tubes. It's exactly like you said. Night and day on self steer, speed, and maximum control. Best advice for an upgrade is wheelset/tires. It's a game changer. BTW. Your bikes look awesome!!! Well done!



roughster said:


> Picked up a pair for $150 and installed them tonight (w/tubes). Took it out for the maiden voyage and it was fantastic. The self steer was gone which I was surprised as to how effective the Minons were at eliminating it. Didn't think it would be that noticeable!
> 
> Definitely worth the investment!
> 
> View attachment 1198426


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

self steer is only a problem on the front, so I run a high quality tire on the front and pretty much anything on the rear. ive burned through a bunch of missions, snowshoes, and other vee tires on the back and they do pretty well in the summer. on the front, 45nrth Van Helga's have been my favorite. 


Winter is a different story.


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## roughster (Dec 18, 2017)

My son typically rides the GBEMC when we ride together, but when I ride solo, I always grab the GBEMC. If there was a full sus version of this bike at a decent price, and with better brakes, I'd be all over it. The GBEMC really is a great bike for sure at a really good value. 

It's really too bad they (Bikes Direct) don't carry anything other than mid-fats in full sus. As it stands, I am looking at Salsa's Bucksaws for my son and I for our end all / be all bikes.


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## Dtrimpi87 (Mar 19, 2018)

Now order yourself some fatty strippers from fattystripper.com and get those mounted up tubeless and you will be even more surprised.



roughster said:


> Picked up a pair for $150 and installed them tonight (w/tubes). Took it out for the maiden voyage and it was fantastic. The self steer was gone which I was surprised as to how effective the Minons were at eliminating it. Didn't think it would be that noticeable!
> 
> Definitely worth the investment!
> 
> View attachment 1198426


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

roughster said:


> My son typically rides the GBEMC when we ride together, but when I ride solo, I always grab the GBEMC. If there was a full sus version of this bike at a decent price, and with better brakes, I'd be all over it. The GBEMC really is a great bike for sure at a really good value.
> 
> It's really too bad they (Bikes Direct) don't carry anything other than mid-fats in full sus. As it stands, I am looking at Salsa's Bucksaws for my son and I for our end all / be all bikes.


they tried a full sus fat a few years back, it was a total flop. even if they offered it now, I would have to advise against it.


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

I think my GBM bottom bracket is toast. It lasted 1.5 years and about 1800 miles of mostly singletracks in temps from-5F to 100F. I'm a Clydesdale too. Still I am not sure if I should replace it with what is in there (Lasko square taper) or if there is another more durable option. I tightened the cups, but still when I wiggle the crank on one side and it moves the other. Is my assessment off the mark? Is there another option? I don't care much about weight as much as durability, because I frequently ride places far from home while traveling for work


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## Mr Horse (Jul 14, 2011)

iliketexmex said:


> I think my GBM bottom bracket is toast. It lasted 1.5 years and about 1800 miles of mostly singletracks in temps from-5F to 100F. I'm a Clydesdale too. Still I am not sure if I should replace it with what is in there (Lasko square taper) or if there is another more durable option. I tightened the cups, but still when I wiggle the crank on one side and it moves the other. Is my assessment off the mark? Is there another option? I don't care much about weight as much as durability, because I frequently ride places far from home while traveling for work


I'm using external cup bearings on my GBEM frames. The thread is the same.

Buying a new square taper BB is probably cheaper though.


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

Mr Horse said:


> I'm using external cup bearings on my GBEM frames. The thread is the same.
> 
> Buying a new square taper BB is probably cheaper though.


 do external cup bearings last longer?


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## Mr Horse (Jul 14, 2011)

iliketexmex said:


> do external cup bearings last longer?


They're larger, so it's plausible that they may be more durable.

The square tapered BBs I've had seemed to always develop slop between the spindle and crank arm.


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## jamesavery22 (Jul 12, 2010)

Am I correct that the BB width is 100mm? Checking before buying. Thanks!


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

Be careful, the cup measurement is 100 but mine had a 149.5 spindle (yes, 149.5 marked right on the housing). I bought a 145 based on the spec sheet and the crank got way too close to the front derailleur mount and there was chain rub on the tire. The only 100mm square taper bbs I could find were 137, 145 and 163. I wrote bikesdirect and they said they had a 151 they could sell me. Not sure where they got theirs, but I'm glad they had one. I'm not sure whether every GBM has that spacing or if the 163 would be ok.


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## jamesavery22 (Jul 12, 2010)

Thanks, TexMex.


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

BTW on one of the other threads I saw the suggestion to use PTFE plumber's tape (the thin, non-adhesive stuff) on the taper and the crank never develops slop with the spindle. I started doing that and so far so good in spite of extreme temperature variation.


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## Chingader (Jun 4, 2018)

I bought a GBEM about a month ago. I was impressed with it out of the box. For $700 I expected to see crappy welds and chunky components. I worked in a LBS for 11 years and have seen big name bikes come out of the box looking much worse. I completely disassembled the headset and crankset. There was some grease but not what I though was prudent. A little grease is a small price. I have about 300 miles on it. Last weekend I was riding on the C&O Canal towpath and encountered about 3 miles of thick, greasy mud. The bike had a lot of traction but those big tires threw sticky much everywhere. Since we were camping, I was not able to clean the bike up. The next day the bottom derailleur pulley locked up and pulled the derailleur into the wheel and broke it. Not Gravity's fault. I am very disappointed in SRAM's GX derailleur! They have sealed bearings, that apparently didn't seal well. I would love to replace it with shimano but the two are not compatible. I have never had a shimano pulley fail. Has anyone else had problems with their GX derailleurs?


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

I have a 2014 GBEM with some swapped out stuff but still using the SRAM x4 drive set. No problems and I've been riding it year round for about 4 years. Maybe situational?

I bent a steerer tube on this bike and Bikesdirect sent me a new fork. Reach out to them and tell them what happened, they'll probably help you out.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Chingader said:


> Has anyone else had problems with their GX derailleurs?


I've had luck with mine so far. I'm led to believe this is a simple case of "stick in the derailure". Not necessarily a stick, but something beyond normal wear and tear. Freak accidents happen. Small chunk of something wedged between a pulley wheel and the derailure cage.


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## tfinator (Apr 30, 2009)

Dtrimpi87 said:


> My wifes Monster with 4" FBF/FBR EXO TR Minions and my Lurch with 4.8" EXO TR Minions.


Looks like lake Hodges?

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk


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## Dtrimpi87 (Mar 19, 2018)

tfinator said:


> Looks like lake Hodges?
> 
> Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk


Yep. We try and get up there pretty often.


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## Chingader (Jun 4, 2018)

I ordered a new GX rear derailleur. Took the pulleys off, and they were well greased. I have a friend that commutes all winter in D.C. on SRAM components. He has not had any problems. We will see how long the new one lasts.


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## Chingader (Jun 4, 2018)

Today I took my GBEM to a place called St. Mary's Lake, in southern MD. We call it the root loop. Lots of short climbs, tree roots everywhere, and small drop offs. The bike was an absolute blast to ride! I never would have thought that a 37 lb bike could climb so well. My last bike was a full-sus Trek, which was 12 lbs lighter. The GBEM is more fun! You may find a lighter and more expensive fat bike, but for less money you'll have the same grin.


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## blown240 (Nov 4, 2009)

Do any of you guys know what the bare BEM frame weights? I managed to ovalize the bottom bracket shell on my steel fat bike, and I'm thinking of swapping all the parts onto this frame... https://www.amazon.com/Unbranded-Al...qid=1532720784&sr=8-4&keywords=fat+bike+frame


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## Scooby609 (Jul 21, 2018)

blown240 said:


> Do any of you guys know what the bare BEM frame weights? I managed to ovalize the bottom bracket shell on my steel fat bike, and I'm thinking of swapping all the parts onto this frame... https://www.amazon.com/Unbranded-Al...qid=1532720784&sr=8-4&keywords=fat+bike+frame


Shipping weight says 20lbs. ... Its the LTD frame nothing on Bikes Direct states the weight but changing the frame size doesnt change the shipping weight on Amazon so I'm just guessing thats the weight for the 22" frame.


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## blown240 (Nov 4, 2009)

Thanks, but the shipping weight doesn't tell much about the actual frame weight. I would think its in the 5-6 pound range. My steel frame is about 8, and the aluminum has to be lighter....


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

My small frame is definitely light, 5- 6 pounds-ish sounds right.


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## onebluesummer (Aug 6, 2018)

Birddog1148 said:


> Mud shovel and different pedals
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Dude your bike is awesome! I almost got that color way but folded to late!


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## Birddog1148 (Dec 23, 2017)

Thanks

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## onebluesummer (Aug 6, 2018)

*Cool kid Fork*

Anyone know if this will fit my bike? 
DNM Suspension Technology








I asked and its available in a straight tube.

What kind of upgrade forks are Y'all using?


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

onebluesummer said:


> Anyone know if this will fit my bike?
> DNM Suspension Technology
> View attachment 1211169
> 
> ...


That fork in the link has a 15mm through axle and the GBM has 9mm QR. They are different standards and you would end up needing a new wheel. Wheels are pretty pricey too. Unfortunately the GBM build has real limits to upgrades on the fork. There are only a few heavy options, some of which aren't air. I opted to leave the factory rigid fork on.

I met a guy on the trail who bought a Luna Lander fork for his GBM, he loved it but it is another 1.5 pounds heavier than the one you found here. He also said it doesn't work well in the extreme cold. Of course, he was smiling ear to ear riding it so maybe it is good enough to take the edge off.

I ride almost 100% rooty, chunky singletracks, so I would like a shock someday. I think the bike companies can buy parts so much cheaper that I am leaning towards the "buy once, cry once" philosophy and go for a whole bike. I am saving my shekels and just riding the crap out the GBM. I love the bike. I'm fixing what breaks with similar parts (aka inexpensive and still decent). I did spend money on wider bars and better pedals. I upgraded the tires when the Vee Mission Commands wore out.


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## onebluesummer (Aug 6, 2018)

iliketexmex said:


> That fork in the link has a 15mm through axle and the GBM has 9mm QR. They are different standards and you would end up needing a new wheel. Wheels are pretty pricey too. Unfortunately the GBM build has real limits to upgrades on the fork. There are only a few heavy options, some of which aren't air. I opted to leave the factory rigid fork on.
> 
> I met a guy on the trail who bought a Luna Lander fork for his GBM, he loved it but it is another 1.5 pounds heavier than the one you found here. He also said it doesn't work well in the extreme cold. Of course, he was smiling ear to ear riding it so maybe it is good enough to take the edge off.
> 
> I ride almost 100% rooty, chunky singletracks, so I would like a shock someday. I think the bike companies can buy parts so much cheaper that I am leaning towards the "buy once, cry once" philosophy and go for a whole bike. I am saving my shekels and just riding the crap out the GBM. I love the bike. I'm fixing what breaks with similar parts (aka inexpensive and still decent). I did spend money on wider bars and better pedals. I upgraded the tires when the Vee Mission Commands wore out.


ah thanks! Thats what I needed to know! Well for get that one.
Looks like Ill have to get that Luna Lander fork then.

So far I'm totally happy, I love that I can just run over weeds and shrubs with this bike! My new seat helps a bit, I was also thinking of one of those suspension seat tubs, might not work with my back rack though. I out the gate but on some bb7's and love them! Also pedals and grips, didn't think I was gonna go matchie matchie but my LBS talked me into it lol.

What bars did you end up getting, I think I could use the room, and also want to get some handle bar ends that stick up too.

What bike do you think you'll end up getting after your GMB?


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

I bought Wake Cycle handlebars off of Amazon but they snapped (thankfully wasn't hurt), so then I went to the LBS and bought what they had. Both were 740mm and needed the stem swapped as well (because the GBM stock bar is narrower at the stem). I don't know the bar brand.


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## smithe68 (Sep 6, 2011)

Question for the GBEM group here. If I am just going to use my fat bike to ride around on flat ground in the snow on the base I work at and as a summer cruiser to ride to the store or farmers market, is there any point in getting more than the standard or LTD versions?


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

The tires are a bit better of a model and are wider ( grip and float), as well as a wider handlebar(more stablility). The tapered headtube does open up the door to more choices if you ever decide to go with suspension.


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## smithe68 (Sep 6, 2011)

Thanks, I was looking at those things and think the LTD or even the XX would be a better choice even if I don't plan on ever upgrading anything. Plans change!


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

I have the xx, my first fat bike so far, and i love it. I hadn't planned on changing anything, but ya plans change lol, just look up a few posts!


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

JPmtb said:


> The tires are a bit better of a model and are wider ( grip and float), as well as a wider handlebar(more stablility). The tapered headtube does open up the door to more choices if you ever decide to go with suspension.





smithe68 said:


> Question for the GBEM group here. If I am just going to use my fat bike to ride around on flat ground in the snow on the base I work at and as a summer cruiser to ride to the store or farmers market, is there any point in getting more than the standard or LTD versions?


I found the handlebars too narrow and the LTD comes with wider bars. The tapered head tube is nice too. But the GBM is suited to that type of riding as is. It's nice to have options.


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## Mr Horse (Jul 14, 2011)

onebluesummer said:


> ah thanks! Thats what I needed to know! Well for get that one.
> Looks like Ill have to get that Luna Lander fork then.
> 
> So far I'm totally happy, I love that I can just run over weeds and shrubs with this bike! My new seat helps a bit, I was also thinking of one of those suspension seat tubs, might not work with my back rack though. I out the gate but on some bb7's and love them! Also pedals and grips, didn't think I was gonna go matchie matchie but my LBS talked me into it lol.
> ...


I purchased a Luna Lander fork for an inexpensive GEBM build I was doing for my kid and had a chance to use it extensively before I sent the bike off. I had a 135 mm wheel around that I wanted to put to use, so I made the purchase.

As much as Luna Cycles likes to hype it up as being comparable to the Bluto, it's nowhere near as nice as the Bluto comparable Renegade that I have on a different bike. Terrible stiction and it just isn't a very supple. It's probably ok for smoothing out mild riding conditions and dealing with chatter, but I can't see it working so great as a hard trail charger. Having said that, suspension isn't usually considered by most a must have for fat bikes in general and light duty riding in particular (just saying)

For $200 it's about what I'd expect for my money tho I'm not sure I'd buy another one. My personal opinion is that on a bike like the GBEM, the money would probably be better spent on something else to improve the bikes performance or possibly the eventual up-purchase of another bike.


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

onebluesummer said:


> What bike do you think you'll end up getting after your GMB?


I don't know. With three kids in college, I don't take spending money lightly. To "maximize value", I am trying to decide how much money I need to spend to get a big improvement on the bike and what additional features are important to me. To that end, I started to put together a spreadsheet with most of the brands available in the US, the MSRP, tires, frame materials, Rims, Brakes, Hubs and derailleurs etc. It has been a painful process because the manufacturers websites are not laid out to quickly gather data and often don't share complete information. I will post it when I'm done.


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## smithe68 (Sep 6, 2011)

JPmtb said:


> I have the xx, my first fat bike so far, and i love it. I hadn't planned on changing anything, but ya plans change lol, just look up a few posts!


Thanks, I think I am going to order an xx tomorrow, I think I will be happier with it over the LTD or the standard bike.



iliketexmex said:


> I found the handlebars too narrow and the LTD comes with wider bars. The tapered head tube is nice too. But the GBM is suited to that type of riding as is. It's nice to have options.


Wider would be better among other things, like I said above, I am going to go with the XX. I like 1x setups, I have SRAM Force 1 1x11 on my gravel bike.

Now to decide between the 20" and 22" frames since I sit right in the middle of the 2 at 6'3".


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

I didn't really "finish" the spreadsheet as much as I am done working on it for now.

I posted a link on the fat bike forum. Here is the linkback. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1z4ruL1uK0YSFhdWFgYdN673TafnHDdqWpdLt1yRTbKU/edit#gid=0


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## smithe68 (Sep 6, 2011)

Just put my order in for a 22" XX, pretty excited, now the wait.


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## Piledriver_2235 (Aug 13, 2018)

Been a long time lurker, read this who!e thread several times. Bought a Bullseye monster because of this thread a couple years ago but haven't got out on it much due to a couple knee injuries soon after the purchase.
I've finally started to get the knees straightened out.
Had my worst knee scoped a month and a half ago and have been back riding for the last four weeks. Started back with short rides on the farm, then progressed to the easy local rails to trails. Worked up to about 16 miles possible before enough swelling set in to make me call it quits. But I've been feeling better and stronger every time out and been adding a few different parts to the monster to make the bike fit me a little better.
I'm tall, wide shouldered and (too) heavy right now, so some beefier flat pedals replaced the stockers, and a shorter angled stem and a Surly sunrise bar helped me get a little more upright and took the pressure off my hands the narrow stock bars were causing.
Set up my xl monster a couple weeks ago for summer riding with a set of 26+ tires on the stock 50mms rims. WTB Ranger 26x3.0 tough/fast.
Plan to order a 80mm wheelset to run winter with the 26x4's. I am really loving the 26+ set up, and actually knees have been well enough that i decided to try some cross country gravel and a little tight woods single track today.
Big difference in elevation change from the 1% rails trails I've been riding. Lol
Not being used to climbing made it a little tough on me, but the downhill payoff after made me look forward to tackling the next uphill section. Had to push a bit of the last uphill, but next time I'll get it!
Anyway, thanks for all the info posted in this thread!


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## Piledriver_2235 (Aug 13, 2018)

Oh yeah, want to grease my hubs.
Can anyone tell me offhand what size cone wrench i need? 
Tried searching with no luck, and didn't have a chance to break out the calipers to measure the flats
Thanks


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## akoss_trail (Jul 17, 2018)

Mr Horse said:


> I purchased a Luna Lander fork


I've been pondering a Rengade for a while now and now this is a new option for me to investigate, but I'm worried about performance in the cold with both. Anyone experience issues?

I feel the bike needs a shock for trail riding, when going downhill, bump and braking it feels like I could shake right over the handlebars!


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

I have 3 Renegades, the thru axle is just better than quick release, but you have to purchase a thru axle hub if you go with the Renegade. The rebound adjuster gets a minimal oil leak with time just enough for dirt to stick to it and make it look dirty. I haven’t had any problems in the cold and I learned to service them.


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## akoss_trail (Jul 17, 2018)

Luis_fx35 said:


> I have 3 Renegades, the thru axle is just better than quick release, but you have to purchase a thru axle hub if you go with the Renegade


Thats good information, I have QR currently, and I'm not sure i want to change wheels as well, at some point it would be cheaper to replace LOL

What temp do you ride down to? Anything less that 20F is too cold for this old guy


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## Mr Horse (Jul 14, 2011)

Luis_fx35 said:


> I have 3 Renegades, the thru axle is just better than quick release, but you have to purchase a thru axle hub if you go with the Renegade. The rebound adjuster gets a minimal oil leak with time just enough for dirt to stick to it and make it look dirty. I haven't had any problems in the cold and I learned to service them.


As do I. I see you took advantage of that $275 frame/ fork package that was on Amazon.


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## Mr Horse (Jul 14, 2011)

If you can do it inexpensively I'd say go for it. As happy as I've been with my Renegades, RST does not have the best reputation in terms of quality and service. I'm not sure I'd spend a lot of money on the product if comparably you could spend a little bit more and get a Bluto, or even better yet, a Mastadon.

I've used the fork in the teens and above (tho not extensively) and I haven't noticed any performance issues. I pull the fork, service everything and put a rigid fork on for winter riding. Mostly because of the road salt issue that we have around here and the fact that suspension isn't an absolute necessity IMO for riding on snow.


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## smithe68 (Sep 6, 2011)

Finally got an email from Bikesdirect, tracking shows delivery Thursday!


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

If the bike frame has straight steerer headtube. The best option will be the RST renegade. If the frame has tapered headtube, then the Bluto or even a Mastodon would be my first choice.


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## smithe68 (Sep 6, 2011)

Put together this morning, took about 30 minutes to go through it all. Still need to get riding position the way I like it and I might flip the stem or find one with more rise. Need different pedals too.









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## roughster (Dec 18, 2017)

smithe68 said:


> Put together this morning, took about 30 minutes to go through it all. Still need to get riding position the way I like it and I might flip the stem or find one with more rise. Need different pedals too.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Looking sharp, have fun! Was thinking about flipping the stem on my son's as well and then putting on some wider bars.


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

22” wow that looks even bigger. Is that size harder to throw around? I mean... the landings are my worries. I always will want the top tube to go down a little.


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## Triaxtremec (May 21, 2011)

Looking at purchasing one of these as winter is approaching. I'm 5ft4in and the site states I probably need a 14in frame. Curious what others at my height have purchased and any feedback you may have. 

Second questions I have is I have many parts lying around and would will change bar and stem immediately. Will stock rear hub support a 10spd casssette? I don't see why it wouldn't but wanted to double check


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

Triaxtremec said:


> Looking at purchasing one of these as winter is approaching. I'm 5ft4in and the site states I probably need a 14in frame. Curious what others at my height have purchased and any feedback you may have.
> 
> Second questions I have is I have many parts lying around and would will change bar and stem immediately. Will stock rear hub support a 10spd casssette? I don't see why it wouldn't but wanted to double check


14" frame is the right size. I'm about 5'6" and it works for me. I have not installed a ten speed yet but I could


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## smithe68 (Sep 6, 2011)

Luis_fx35 said:


> 22" wow that looks even bigger. Is that size harder to throw around? I mean... the landings are my worries. I always will want the top tube to go down a little.


It is really big, I think I could have gone one size smaller and also been ok. I haven't gotten to ride it much but I can handle it fine, wheelies really well.

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## Burizado (Mar 9, 2012)

Ok, I am a professional lurker since I created my profile back in 2012 and this is my first post.

I stumbled on this thread looking for reviews on the Gravity Bullseye Monster. I am only on page 6 but I will work my way through all 24 pages. I like the idea of an inexpensive bike to get me back into the hobby/lifestyle of biking regularly to get in shape and being outdoors.

My question is, I am 6' 4" with about about a 33" inseam. According to the BD page I should be ordering a 22" model, but I am seeing posts on here about people with a 33" inseam ordering a 20" or 18" model and being a perfect fit. I saw the stand over height for 20" is 31.401 inches and the 22" is 33.038 inches.

Since this is the first bike I will buy in about 30 years, I am wondering if I should reconsider sizing down from the 22" model. Thoughts from anyone? smithe68, you mentioned you are 6' 3", how well does the 22" fit you?

I see the 22" is out of stock in the color I would like, but they do have a 20" version. Will the 2" make a huge difference given my height and inseam?


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## smithe68 (Sep 6, 2011)

Burizado, with your inseam I would go with the 20. The 22 would be in your crotch if you slipped off the bike and weren’t on flat ground. I have a longer inseam, 35 maybe even 36, and I am pretty comfortable but I could easily have gone with the 20 and been good. 


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## Burizado (Mar 9, 2012)

Awesome! Thanks for the info Smithe! Pulled the trigger on the 20" just now!

...now the waiting game begins!


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## smithe68 (Sep 6, 2011)

I think you will like it, I am really liking mine, can’t wait for the snow flies.


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## theruns (Jul 25, 2016)

Hey guys! This thread has me thinking long and hard about getting one of these. I am no stranger to fat bikes as I used to own a Surly Ice Cream Truck. I loved fat biking but I had a kid on the way and a house to buy so I sold it and now my main ride is a Redline Monocog 29er. I love the Monocog but I am considering selling it to get one of these as my one bike for year round riding. I will probably run it singlespeed during the nicer months and then during the beautiful Minnesota winters i will put the gears back on it. Has anyone tried this cassette or another one like it? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F3HKHP...colid=1H010RKXFP0U&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
I had 1x10 with a 42t granny gear on my Surly and it proved itself very necessary when the snow was deep and soft. I don't mind having an 8 speed drivetrain (especially since it will be mainly a winter thing) but if I can get more range out of it that would be great.

Also what size is the seatpost on these bikes? Is it 27.2? The bikes direct site doesn't say specifically.

Thanks! Eric


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

I just went with one of these big 8 speed cassettes when I was needing to replace my cassette anyway. The jumps between gears is definitely noticeably bigger, but that great-grandmother of a granny gear is nice to have when you need it. I won't go back to the smaller cassette.


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

Seatpost is 27.2 diameter


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## theruns (Jul 25, 2016)

iliketexmex said:


> I just went with one of these big 8 speed cassettes when I was needing to replace my cassette anyway. The jumps between gears is definitely noticeably bigger, but that great-grandmother of a granny gear is nice to have when you need it. I won't go back to the smaller cassette.


Yeah i don't mind the big jumps between gears. I don't shift often anyways being a singlespeeder 98% of the time I tend to mash the pedals rather than spin but having the bail-out gear is nice.



JPmtb said:


> Seatpost is 27.2 diameter


Excellent thanks!


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## Rich_SC (Oct 10, 2009)

iliketexmex said:


> 14" frame is the right size. I'm about 5'6" and it works for me. I have not installed a ten speed yet but I could


Is there enough seatpost on the 14" to fit someone 5'8"? I'm looking to get one that my wife and I can both ride. Thx.


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

Rich_SC said:


> Is there enough seatpost on the 14" to fit someone 5'8"? I'm looking to get one that my wife and I can both ride. Thx.


There is plenty of seat post left for me, but the 14" will probably be on the smaller side for you. You're probably the upper limit.


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## Burizado (Mar 9, 2012)

Anyone see this yet? I think it is fairly new since I've been on the website almost daily checking for a 22" burnt orange:

Gravity 2019 Bullseye MonsterFIVE
FIVE INCH Tires Fit* Fat Bikes

There is also an "X" version with 1x10 and I'm assuming upgraded components, and a "FS" version with front suspension.

Now the decision to wait until October for the regular GBM, or go with the 5" version now for $200 more.....


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## uncle_loue (May 1, 2016)

watts888

I've been riding the amazon air fork for about a year now and can report that it is still working great! I'd post a pic from my recent ride in CO but since the last time i posted, the pics process has gone mandarin. at any rate i am highly satisfied with the purchase. a lot of cheaper air forks reviews report issues at colder temps. i rode consistently through the colder months (granted im in TN and the coldest ride would have been in the 30s F) and only had issues once. perhaps storing my mike inside makes a difference. here is the fork i bought:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06X9Y272V/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## roughster (Dec 18, 2017)

Just a head up from today’s ride. I ride some seriously chunky dirt due to cow post holes and cracking / upheaval. I was bombing down a chunky dH section and heard a weird “ping”. I finished off a few more turns and I could tel something was up. 

Inspecting the bike showed the rear QR had completely popped loose :eekster: the wheel was only in the dropouts due to the weight.

This could have been disastrous. I had just recently did a 100% check so this wasn’t something I hadn’t checked lately. I cinched it up and finished my ride with no issues, but might be worth a warning to others.

The QRs don’t look chintzy but they also don’t look high end. I might go pick up a rear quality one just for piece of mind.


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

That could have been bad! Out of the whole gbem, the rear qr has been my main concern, wish it was 177 ta. I ride everything from trails to jumps and light dh. Maybe time to grab a hope or salsa qr. Anyone upgrade this part? Suggestions?


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## El Geezer (May 31, 2016)

I have never had a problem with the QRs on my GBM, but I had a similar problem with the rear Maxle on my HAL Boost TEAM 27.5+. I fixed it by using a sturdy zip-tie through the hole in the end of the lever and around one of the rear triangle members to keep the lever from popping up for whatever reason. No problems with this fix so far. For what it may be worth.


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

*Mastodon on the Monster*

Finally got the 120 mastodon pro installed. The knob on the right was just hitting the downtube, I went from zs/zs headset to to a cane creek angleset with an ec lower. The stack height gave the clearance needed, and the adjustable cup raked the head angle out 1.5 degrees. Rides great, Love how plush the fork is, the h/a from the angleset also made the bike more stable at speed (and my toes dont hit the tire anymore lol).


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## roughster (Dec 18, 2017)

Looks sharp!


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## Burizado (Mar 9, 2012)

Pulled the trigger on a 22" GBM5. Pre-order says it ships Oct 15th to Nov 15th. Will post pics once put together. So much harder waiting a month than the normal 7 days for bikes in stock.


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## [Anonymous] (Oct 6, 2018)

Just received my 2019 GBM in Stealth Gray. Picked it up on Wednesday and assembled it after work. I took my time assembling, about two hours, to be sure everything was tight and lubricated. The stock pedals are really bad, they do not roll nicely and when screwing in, the spindles are not even straight, so I have some new flats coming today.










I rode it around the yard on Wednesday night and around the neighborhood Thursday and Friday evening. First impressions are good, except those crunchy pedals.


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

Just picked up a black GBM for my daughter and the burnt orange version for my wife. The picture on the website does not do the orange color justice. It is a more subdued orange and it's good. I would have considered that instead of my black. But I forgot how heavy the stock tires and tubes are. I've had Kenda Juggernauts on for almost a year now. But my wife and daughter are both happy with it as is. As things wear out, I'll upgrade theirs just like I did with mine.


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## roughster (Dec 18, 2017)

Well I have been riding mine for about 6 months and I think the rear hub might be going out. I am noticing a grindiness periodically while pedaling under high torque conditions (steep/burst power). Don't think its the BB as there is no play when I push / pull on the cranks from side to side. 

6 months seems a bit premature for failure given I am also riding my 2008 Giant Reign 2 in the same terrain for literally hundreds, if not thousands, of miles and have no problems with the hubs on it. Uggh, going to take the wheel in to a local shop and have them check it out.


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

if you email bikes direct they will probably send you a replacement. I had a similar issue and a replacement part in a week. Whenever I get a bike from those guys I double check everything is tight anything that needs grease has enough grease etc. That's the downside of buying online. A good LBS will do that stuff for you.


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## roughster (Dec 18, 2017)

iliketexmex said:


> if you email bikes direct they will probably send you a replacement. I had a similar issue and a replacement part in a week. Whenever I get a bike from those guys I double check everything is tight anything that needs grease has enough grease etc. That's the downside of buying online. A good LBS will do that stuff for you.


Good suggestion, thanks. I'll give it a go!


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

OK, so I just got done reading through this thread, and as if I needed another reason to buy another bike....I'm buying one of these for sure! I'm really stoked to try some winter riding!

I have one question, regarding sizing, for those of you that own the GBM or GBM LTD

I'm 6' tall, and my current bike (Trek Marlin) is a 19.5" frame (correct size for me, according to Trek), it fits me great, and is comfortable to ride. 

According to BD I should be on a 18" frame, but my Trek is 19.5 which is obviously closer to the 20", my instinct is to buy the 20", but I don't want to end up with "too much bike"...can any of you suggest which way to go?

Thanks!


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

For me, riding in snow definitely calls for errors toward the smaller frame size. I was between a medium and a small and very glad I got the small. Even with the big tires it is nice to have increased "bailability". (Is that a word?) for the time you will inevitably slide.


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

iliketexmex said:


> For me, riding in snow definitely calls for errors toward the smaller frame size. I was between a medium and a small and very glad I got the small. Even with the big tires it is nice to have increased "bailability". (Is that a word?) for the time you will inevitably slide.


Yeah, I was thinking about that too, which is why I've also been eyeballing the Boris X5 as well, it appears to have a little lower stand over....but the GBM gets a lot of love over here, so I've been leaning that way.


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## Chingader (Jun 4, 2018)

I am 6'3", 32" inseam. I had a Trek 19.5 and needed a set forward seat post to get my body over the pedals properly. I went with the 18" because it is easier to make a slightly smaller frame fit than a larger one. The stand over height for me is perfect. I did need to use a set back seat post to get over the pedals properly. The stem and handlebars work well too. I have a BGM.


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## roughster (Dec 18, 2017)

JPmtb said:


> Went tubeless with the mulefut wheels, added a 42t cog, 180mm ice tech rotors, and made some fenders. Really happy with how she rides now, went from 35.6 lbs to 33 lbs, 2.4 lbs of rotating weight is noticeable. Extra gearing gets me up some steep hills and more stopping power is awesome when coming back down.


Hey JPmtb, I am slapping a 11-40 cassette on mine. With your larger cog addition did you need to lengthen your chain and/or add a hanger extender?


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

I did not extend the chain and it shifts great after some adjustment, but i would recommend adding a couple links, as my derailleur is noticeably stretched forward when in the lagest cog.


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

So, I bought a bike, I ended up going with the 2018 Gravity Bullseye Monster LTD.

It checked a lot of my boxes, and gives me a cheap entry into the Fat Bike world, I hope mine ends up being as reliable and fun as many of you have said!

A bonus for me was, BD is currently blowing out LTD models, fortunately for me they had some left in my size (and color)...they currently show as "price to low to show", so you have to add it to your cart to see the price.....

$388 shipped! :eekster::thumbsup:

Way better than the original $599, with the savings maybe I'll buy some new tires (since the Vee's seem to get lousy reviews), or maybe I'll buy some wider bars & a shorter stem? Either way I'm stoked and can't wait for it to get here.


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

$388 for the ltd and $488 for the xx, quite a steal!


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## roughster (Dec 18, 2017)

JPmtb said:


> I did not extend the chain and it shifts great after some adjustment, but i would recommend adding a couple links, as my derailleur is noticeably stretched forward when in the lagest cog.


If anyone is considering adding the Sunrace CSM680 (11-40T) you WILL need to install the derailer hanger extended (provided with cassette purchase) at least for the GBMC. In addition, the BD hanger does not sit flush in the extender, so I had to use my Dremel to remove a slight bevel / lip for the hanger to sit flush. After that I still had to extend the chain, well in essence I replaced it with a fresh full length SRAM PC870. After putting on the stand I got everything aligned and it shifts like butter through the whole range. My son should appreciate the new low end gears. I rode it around the block tonight and it felt like googly legs in the low gear even up a decent hill lol.


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

Good info, i almost went the sunrace route. The expander cog was on a whim ebay purchase, and probably why i didnt have to do much with the derailleur. I will be installing a fresh chain soon.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

Hi everyone! 

It's been quite a while since i last shared with you all. I am on my second GBM. It's a 2017 GBM Pro. My original 2014 GBM has over 3000 miles on it and still rides great. I gave it to one of my sons that just loves it. 

My Pro has had a few mods to it. First, i replaced the original tires. I run a Vee Snowshoe XL 4.8 up front and a Vee H-billie 4.25 rear. The only drawback is to this set up is that you can't run a 4.5 on the rear because of the 170mm rear spacing. Next up I replaced the stock pedals with VP platforms. The stock platforms went over to the other fatty. Then I changed the grips to some ergonomic ones a friend sent me. 
The Pro is a really fine ride. I have arthritis and the combination of shock, tires and grips make it handle much better and ease my pains.

I would, if I had the chance, get one of the new GBM Fives. I would get the stock non suspended models and change out the fork for the pro's bluto. That's about it. 

But for those of you on the fence, get a GBM you can't go wrong. 
Until Later
Oldbear


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

OK, so while I'm waiting for my GBM LTD (coming Friday!!), I'm looking at a couple upgrades. I'm going to swap out my stem for a 45MM 10 degree rise (the factory one is 110mm...way too long), but I'm not sure if the existing handlebar will work, my stem is for a 31.8 bar, does anyone know what the bar diameter is on these? The webpage says they are 700mm width, but no bar diameter is listed.

Second, I wanna swap out the seat clamp, for a QR version, does anyone know the seat post diameter?


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

Seat post is 27.2, the bike already comes with a qr clamp. Bars im not 100%, but I think they are 31.8.


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

JPmtb said:


> Seat post is 27.2, the bike already comes with a qr clamp.


Right You Are!! I must have been looking at a different model and got mixed up. Thanks!


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

OK, I'm back with more questions!...plus the thread's been slow for a couple days so I figured....ask more questions!

My GBM LTD should be arriving tomorrow (so stoked), and the grips & peddles are arriving Monday! 

My question is about tires, can anyone confirm the MAX size you can squeeze onto this bike? I have a line on a pair of near new Surly Bud/Lou tires, but they are 26X4.8" the LTD comes with 26X4.25"...I'd rather not buy tires that will rub, can anyone confirm these will fit?


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

On page 22 of this thread someone put maxxis 4.8's, it was an extremely close fit and I think minions run on the small side for 4.8's. Im not sure if that was the 50mm or 80mm rims. 4.4 would be a better bet for max. I would really like to fit a 4.6 but the chain line looks like it would rub.


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

*It's Here!*

It's here!

I spent some time putting it together & greasing things up, it actually showed up well greased...then I took it for a quick 30 minute ish ride.

First impressions...The paint on this bike is beautiful, the metal flake is so nice (it can only really be appreciated in person).

The "fit and finish" is excellent, I had to do a slight brake adjust, but the shifting is crisp & spot on, no adjustment needed.

One thing I noticed, the listing on BD says this bike is suppose to come with 26X4.25" Vee Rubber H-Billies, mine actually showed up with 26X4.25" Vee Rubber Bulldozers...don't know if these are better or worse, but it's what I have.

What I did right away was:

-Replace the grips with Race Face Half Nelsons.
-Replace the pedals with Race Face Chester's
-Switch the rim strips to blue to match 
-Ditched that awful looking plastic guard behind the cassette.

I only have a couple negatives (if you could even call them that).

-The bars are just to narrow for this beast, and there really is no rise (new bars & shorter stem on order)
-The fork is actually a 1.125" straight steerer, despite the fact the bike can actually take a tapered fork (there is some sort of weird adapter spacer in there now...I'll replace the fork with a carbon fork eventually anyway.

All in all, I'm pretty stoked about this beast, and I can't wait to rack some miles up on it!

Anyway, here's a pic!


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

Looks great! The bulldozers are a decent trailtire in my opinion, have not had the chance to test on good snow yet.


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## Burizado (Mar 9, 2012)

Mine also arrived yesterday. This is the GBM Five 22" in burnt orange. Everything is stock as I am a new biker and don't have spare parts or accessories to bring to the build. I am planning on just upgrading components as they wear out or break.

I did have to adjust the shifting a bit (only the H and L screws). I just followed the Park Tool instructional videos on both front and rear derailleur. Fairly straight forward for someone new to maintenance.

Only tested on a short ride up and down the road to adjust the seat height and handle bar angle. Love the feel on the short ride. Will post more as I get more experience riding.

I am open to any suggestions setup, maintenance, or otherwise being a new biker.


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

Are those arisun tires? Definitely not VEE tires that came with my 2015 white pearl. I kind of like the look without the branding on it. Congratulations on the new bike 🎉🎊🎈.The pedals will be your first upgrade for sure.


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## Burizado (Mar 9, 2012)

The BD site says:
"26"x4.9 BIG DADDY 30TPI WB BLACK TIRE A/V"
but the tires say Chaoyang. I have no reference on how good they are, so I will ride them until they wear out.

I do like the subtle branding on them.

EDIT: They are the Big Daddy based on the same tread I'm seeing on the Chaoyang site.


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

Wow, I’m impressed you can fit a 4.9” in that 170mm rear dropout. Those tires look huge. I wish I covered my chain stay when I got mine, now it is too late.


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## Burizado (Mar 9, 2012)

The GBM5 actually has "190mm symmetrical rear" according to the BD website. I think that is the only change they made to the frame. It looks like the same 80mm rim from the GBM.

I can take some pictures of the clearance when I get home tonight if you want to see them.


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## Burizado (Mar 9, 2012)

Yeah, I took out the rear wheel to wrap the stay. One thing that was a pain was I did not find a cage lock feature on the SRAM X4 rear derailleur. I actually zip tied it to the stay to give the chain some slack to make it easier to wrap the stay. Since this is my first bike in about 30 years I am guessing it was just a ME thing. 

I searched around on the net, but did not find any information on a cage lock feature on the SRAM X4. The SRAM site mentioned it is a feature, but it didn't look like the X4 was on the list.

Anyone know if that is a thing on the X4, and if not, how do you deal with removing and remounting the rear wheel on the GBM to make it as easy as possible?


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

Burizado said:


> Anyone know if that is a thing on the X4, and if not, how do you deal with removing and remounting the rear wheel on the GBM to make it as easy as possible?


Yeah, I don't believe the "cage lock" feature was available on Sram's lower end models.

As far as easy wheel removal...it gets easier the more you do it LOL!

For me, I just make sure the chain is on the smallest gear, then hold the derailleur forward, release the QR, and drop the wheel out....I'm sure there are far more qualified people who'll chime in and give you better advice!


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## Burizado (Mar 9, 2012)

Thanks for the info BB. Yeah, being my first time dropping the rear wheel out it was a bit awkward but I'm sure I'll get plenty of practice.

The toughest part was trying to align the brake rotor into the housing between the pads while pulling the wheel up into position on the maintenance stand to lock the QR.

The pros make it look so easy in the videos online, but they have probably done it a couple thousand times or more.


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

Wow, 190mm dropout? That’s good improvement over the old GBM. I’m always limited to 4” tires on the rear so it is nice to have more tire options on the GBM5. 
And yes, the easiest way to remove the wheel is by putting the bike up side down and shift to the smallest cog, then pull the quick release and push the derailleur cage to the front and boom pull the wheel out. 
The Sram x4 derailleur has very little chain tension so if you want to upgrade I will go with 1x10 set up. 
There are 12$ narrow wide chain rings on eBay and Amazon to avoid chain drop when jumping or bunny hopping.

The 10 Speed drivetrain is cheap compared to 11 or 12 speed set ups. eBay has a few listings with used 10 speed derailleurs and shifters. You can mix match shimano shifters and derailleurs, for example a 10 speed shimano SLX derailleur will work with 10 speed shimano Deore shifter or 10 speed Deore derailleur will work with SLX shifter. If you ever want to install a cassette with huge range like 11-42t or 11-46t you will need a 11 speed derailleur which can be used with 10 speed shifters and cassettes by adjusting the limit screw on the derailleur. The 10 speed derailleurs don’t like cassettes with 11-40t or higher range, the maximum capacity it can take is up to 11-36t cassettes.


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## roughster (Dec 18, 2017)

Luis_fx35 said:


> The 10 speed derailleurs don't like cassettes with 11-40t or higher range, the maximum capacity it can take is up to 11-36t cassettes.


This is not quite accurate. I have a GBEMComp that is a 2X8 with an SRAM X4. I recently installed a Sunrace CSM680 (11-40T). You do need to install a derailer hanger extended (provided with cassette purchase) and replace your chain with a fresh full length SRAM PC870. My son and I have both rode his bike several times with the new setup and shifting is smooth without any issues. Just a heads up.


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

I tried the derailleur hanger extender before. It works but when you bent the derailleur hanger at the trail and try to align it with the derailleur hanger alignment tool the extender brakes or won’t bent at all. And the reason I advise to get a 11 speed derailleur is because it can work with 10 speed cassettes and shifters with 11-46t and even a 11-50t. That being said, if you ever want to go 11 speed, you already have the derailleur.


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## tmbg19 (Oct 31, 2018)

I just got a Renegade from BD. I cannot for the life of me find any info on setting sag. How do you put air in this thing? I weigh 200 pounds. What do I pump it up to? Thanks, Andy


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## tmbg19 (Oct 31, 2018)

Luis_fx35 said:


> I have 3 Renegades, the thru axle is just better than quick release, but you have to purchase a thru axle hub if you go with the Renegade. The rebound adjuster gets a minimal oil leak with time just enough for dirt to stick to it and make it look dirty. I haven't had any problems in the cold and I learned to service them.


I just got a Renegade from BD. I cannot for the life of me find any info on setting sag. How do you put air in this thing? I weigh 200 pounds. What do I pump it up to? Thanks, Andy


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

tmbg19 said:


> I just got a Renegade from BD. I cannot for the life of me find any info on setting sag. How do you put air in this thing? I weigh 200 pounds. What do I pump it up to? Thanks, Andy


On every air fork I've ever owned, the air nipple is on the left side top of the fork, usually under some type of thread off plastic cap.

As far as sag goes, you may have some luck finding info on RST's webpage, or go by trial/error, maybe start with 80-90psi, and see what kind of sag you end up with (or start with even lower pressure)...just make sure you have at least a "decent" shock pump.


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## tmbg19 (Oct 31, 2018)

BassistBiker said:


> On every air fork I've ever owned, the air nipple is on the left side top of the fork, usually under some type of thread off plastic cap.
> 
> As far as sag goes, you may have some luck finding info on RST's webpage, or go by trial/error, maybe start with 80-90psi, and see what kind of sag you end up with (or start with even lower pressure)...just make sure you have at least a "decent" shock pump.


Yeah, that is what is funny. The top left of this fork has the + - knob for the preload.














Is it possible that the preload unscrews? Thanks for your help. Andy


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

That doesn’t look like the RST Renegade at all. Check photos on eBay, Amazon or even google it and you will see that is not the RST Renegade. That looks more like a coil fork instead of air fork.


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

Luis_fx35 said:


> That doesn't look like the RST Renegade at all. Check photos on eBay, Amazon or even google it and you will see that is not the RST Renegade. That looks more like a coil fork instead of air fork.


Yep, looks like a coil sprung fork..


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## tmbg19 (Oct 31, 2018)

Luis_fx35 said:


> That doesn't look like the RST Renegade at all. Check photos on eBay, Amazon or even google it and you will see that is not the RST Renegade. That looks more like a coil fork instead of air fork.


That what I was thinking. I could not find a single image that looks like mine. Moreover, the RST website only shows one Renegade model and it looks different. I bought this bike because it was spec'd with this fork. When I decided on this bike, I liked the price and researched the RST website. It clearly states the Renegade is adjustable. If I know about this fork, I would have chosen something different. I have seen so many positive reviews from people who have bought bikes from this site. I hope that they will work with me to resolve this.


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## Mr Horse (Jul 14, 2011)

tmbg19 said:


> That what I was thinking. I could not find a single image that looks like mine. Moreover, the RST website only shows one Renegade model and it looks different. I bought this bike because it was spec'd with this fork. When I decided on this bike, I liked the price and researched the RST website. It clearly states the Renegade is adjustable. If I know about this fork, I would have chosen something different. I have seen so many positive reviews from people who have bought bikes from this site. I hope that they will work with me to resolve this.


With the preload located on the spring side I'd almost definitely say it's a coil sprung fork and not a Renegade.....at least the Renegade fork that I'm familiar with (& I have 3 of them)

Did they actually say that they were selling you a Renegade? I can barely make out the logo on the arch but that 'looks' genuine. Is the fork actually branded as a Renegade? Is it possible that it's a counterfeit? That's pretty shady of BD. You should ask for a replacement....or least a really good explanation.

Also kind of weird that you got it from BD as they spec their bikes out with Blutos.

Post an image of the entire fork. I'm genuinely curious.

It's plausible too that RST did something weird like go to coil springs. They aren't beyond going cheap and don't exactly have a reputation for being top-notch.

The Renegade is actually a pretty awesome fork (despite all the hate RST tends to garner)

Definitely strange.

If you get that sorted out, I too would say go for 80-90 lbs. depending on how firm you like it. The valve is clearly marked with "AIR" on the valve cover located top left of the crown and the rebound adjust is at the bottom left of the lower. The right has the preload/ lockout..It's pretty simple fork with not a lot of features, but I've been pretty happy with mine.


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## tmbg19 (Oct 31, 2018)

Mr Horse said:


> With the preload located on the spring side I'd almost definitely say it's a coil sprung fork and not a Renegade.....at least the Renegade fork that I'm familiar with (& I have 3 of them)
> 
> Did they actually say that they were selling you a Renegade? I can barely make out the logo on the arch but that 'looks' genuine. Is the fork actually branded as a Renegade? Is it possible that it's a counterfeit? That's pretty shady of BD. You should ask for a replacement....or least a really good explanation.
> 
> ...


I spoke with Bikes Direct and they said that the fork was "TNL" version of the Renegade. There is no mention of a TNL Renegade anywhere on the RST website, let alone the entire internet. BD said they would send me a prepaid shipping label so I could ship it back (not sure if they would charge a restocking fee...). I paid extra money to buy this bike because I heavily researched the Renegade fork (air spring). Apart from the mystery fork, I really like the bike and really don't want to disassemble the bike and ship it back. Still, I feel like I was misled. BD should not sell products that cannot be researched or don't even seem to exist outside their webpage. Don't know what to do!


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

I have purchased a lot of bikes off of BD. They are not flawless, but they always have delivered what's in the description. On the rare occasions I've had an issue, they fixed it when I contacted them. I'd be shocked if they were selling counterfeit parts, maybe RST has added a low end coil Fork to their range (which if it is on a GBM, entry level fat bike with a straight untapered head tube, 2x8), that would make sense.


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## Mr Horse (Jul 14, 2011)

tmbg19 said:


> I spoke with Bikes Direct and they said that the fork was "TNL" version of the Renegade. There is no mention of a TNL Renegade anywhere on the RST website, let alone the entire internet. BD said they would send me a prepaid shipping label so I could ship it back (not sure if they would charge a restocking fee...). I paid extra money to buy this bike because I heavily researched the Renegade fork (air spring). Apart from the mystery fork, I really like the bike and really don't want to disassemble the bike and ship it back. Still, I feel like I was misled. BD should not sell products that cannot be researched or don't even seem to exist outside their webpage. Don't know what to do!


I agree, you were sold one thing and given something completely different and it shouldn't be on you to correct it.

That's the chance you take buying direct I guess....especially BD. I purchased a wheelset from them before and they took my money immediately and it was a couple of months before they got around to sending my items. I'm satisfied with the purchase, but it seems like a weird way to deal with the customer.

I'd be interested in a coil sprung fat bike fork, it be a great way to get consistent performance in extreme cold weather, but am not sure that I'd want to be one of the first early adopters. I doubt RST is putting a lot into making it an improvement, so gotta wonder if they are cutting corners by switching to coil.

If it's any consolation, you will should be happy with the the air sprung model.


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

The TNL and/or coil spring isn't listed on the RST catalog for 2018. Not sure what that means but hopefully they make it right. I'll be interested to get the update. https://rstsuspension.com/images/Catalogues/RST-MY18-Catalogue.pdf


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

Mr Horse said:


> I'd be interested in a coil sprung fat bike fork, it be a great way to get consistent performance in extreme cold weather, but am not sure that I'd want to be one of the first early adopters.....


I've thought about this too, but being a heavier guy @ 270 lbs...I've asked a LOT of every coil fork I've had, air forks seem to handle the load better LOL....but, if I could find a coil fat fork that would take some abuse, I'd be all over it.


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

I'm interested in a good coil Fork too. I emailed RST to see if that is available but not listed, we will see if they get back to me. 

How much does that Fork weigh? There are limited options in a straight steer tube, QR.


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## tmbg19 (Oct 31, 2018)

Although I am disappointed about the fork, BD was in constant contact with me and worked something out. I can't wait to get on the bike this weekend and see what the bike and fork can do. For those intersted in the coil fork, I'll do my best to give it a bit of a review in the future. Thank you for all of the responses. Andy


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## Luis_fx35 (Sep 1, 2015)

Hi, would you take a front picture of the bike with the coil Renegade? The curiosity is killing me. I have three Air Renegades and I want to know how this looks like. 

Quick release? Thru-axle?


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## Triaxtremec (May 21, 2011)

Looking to go 2x or 1x10, what bcd chainring can I use and where are people ordering them from?


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

Triaxtremec said:


> Looking to go 2x or 1x10, what bcd chainring can I use and where are people ordering them from?


If memory serves, your chain ring BCD is 104 (I'm in the middle of swapping mine to a SRAM NX Eagle, with new cranks, BB & chain ring), I've put a link below on how to measure...plus, there is a printable pattern there too, just print it out, and lay your chain ring on top and match up the holes. Boom! Instant BCD info! Easy!

www.wolftoothcomponents.com/pages/how-to-measure-bolt-circle-diameter-bcd

As far as where to order, once you have your BCD, there are tons of online stores...I use JensonUSA a lot, and I've also had outstanding service from WorldWideCyclery.


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## Triaxtremec (May 21, 2011)

Is max tire size 4.5?


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

Triaxtremec said:


> Is max tire size 4.5?


Depends on the Bullseye model you choose.

If you go with the Bullseye Monster Five, you can fit a 5" tire (comes with a 4.9")

If you go with the Bullseye Monster LTD (no longer offered that I can see), 4.5" would be no problem...I have one, and there is plenty of room back there for a 4.5", at least on mine.

As for the regular Bullseye Monster, I "think" the 4.5" would be no problem, someone in this thread crammed a 4.8" in the back, but it was REALLY tight.

Basically a 4.5" should fit pretty much any of the Bullseye Monsters, but going wider could be trouble on some models.


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

So, I finally got around to getting my Sram NX Eagle groupset installed, I was going to do it myself, but after reading about how tough it can be to get setup just perfect, I opted to have a LBS do the job...Which ended up being a score for both of us, he said "if I buy the groupset from him, he'll install it for free". Done deal...I returned the parts I bought online, and bought everything from him...his pricing was literally $3 more than the other online retailer. :thumbsup:

I also went with the "Dub" bottom bracket, and I opted for a 30T chainring...I lost a little speed, but this thing climbs like a mountain goat.

And, a pleasant side effect...by dropping the cheap 2X system, the bike lost 2 pounds! Still not a featherweight by any means @ 37.8 pounds, but I'll take any weight savings I can get...I figure I'll save another pound "ish" when I put the Specialized Chisel fork on.

Also, a VERY important note, if anyone is considering doing the NX Eagle swap (with DUB BB), the chainline gets VERY close to the tire on the 50T gear, it's not so close that it's rubbing, and I tossed this thing around HARD today to make sure it doesn't rub, but it's worth noting. I'm currently running a 4.25 tire, I doubt very much that I can go any wider without chain rubbing, I'd say there is about 3/16" to 1/4" of clearance.

OK, some pics.


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

If you really want to put the GBM on a weight loss program try Kenda Juggernaut Pros with Fatty Stripper tubeless system. Two thumbs way up


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

Bike is looking great, love the drivetrain!


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

JPmtb said:


> Bike is looking great, love the drivetrain!


Thanks! This thing is a hoot to ride, especially now, that Eagle is SUCH an improvement, the stock stuff wasn't terrible, but the Eagle makes it a different bike entirely....I just wish we'd get some dang snow.


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## Fats Waller (Jan 9, 2019)

I’ve got a GBEM XX (1x10) that I got off the clearance sale this fall. It’s got 80mm rims and Vee Bullseye 4.25” tires. The tires are ok but seem slow. However, I rode with a buddy on a Beargrease this weekend and his Nate 4.0 were wider than my tires and didn’t break through the snow crust nearly as easily. 

I also tried tubeless with these and it didn’t work. Recommend a cheapish tubeless ready wheelset and some tires that will work well in snow. Rear on the bike is the standard 170, so probably 4.5” is the widest possible. 

Overall the bike is great! Super fun riding snow.


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## JPmtb (Dec 2, 2017)

I have the xx and I changed rhe wheels to s set of sun ringle that i found i on ebay. They were 150/177 so I had to get the end caps to make rear wheel 170. They were tubeless taped and valve stem already too. Cost me about $400 including the 170 caps. Very happy with them, roll fast and shaved weight with tubeless set up. Oh, and the freehub is a loud, some ppl like some dont.


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

Fats Waller said:


> I've got a GBEM XX (1x10) that I got off the clearance sale this fall. It's got 80mm rims and Vee Bullseye 4.25" tires....Overall the bike is great! Super fun riding snow.


Yeah, I bought my GBM LTD on that fall clearance too, plus I got an extra $50 off because the original fork was tweaked slightly (plus they replaced the fork). So with the addition of the NX Eagle, I'm just over what the original price was, and I'm pretty stoked about that.

And yeah, I've only been able to ride it in snow just a couple times, but it was an absolute blast...typically we have WAY more snow than we have now (which is basically zero)...


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

JPmtb said:


> I have the xx and I changed rhe wheels to s set of sun ringle that i found i on ebay. They were 150/177 so I had to get the end caps to make rear wheel 170


I never knew you could change the 177 to 170 by changing the "caps", where did you buy the caps? There is a 150/177 set listed on CL close to me...those caps could make that work for me possibly.


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## roughster (Dec 18, 2017)

BassistBiker said:


> So, I finally got around to getting my Sram NX Eagle groupset installed, I was going to do it myself, but after reading about how tough it can be to get setup just perfect, I opted to have a LBS do the job...Which ended up being a score for both of us, he said "if I buy the groupset from him, he'll install it for free". Done deal...I returned the parts I bought online, and bought everything from him...his pricing was literally $3 more than the other online retailer. :thumbsup:
> 
> I also went with the "Dub" bottom bracket, and I opted for a 30T chainring...I lost a little speed, but this thing climbs like a mountain goat.
> 
> ...


This looks awesome! If you dont mind me asking, what was the approximate cost for the grouping and service? I am interested in doing something the same.


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

roughster said:


> This looks awesome! If you dont mind me asking, what was the approximate cost for the grouping and service? I am interested in doing something the same.


Thanks!

As far as price, I paid $415 including labor...if you look online at the NX Groupset, then add the DUB bottom bracket it's about $415, so basically I got the labor at $N/C.

If it's financially doable for you'd I'd say go for it! It makes it an entirely different bike.

There are those that will say it's a waste of money on a "cheap bike", and they are right...to an extent...but the nice thing about the NX Eagle groupset is...you can take it back off if you want, and use it on another bike if you ever need to.


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## Virgch (Apr 10, 2019)

First of all I want to salute the legends that started and have contributed to this thread, dd and gang. For the last two days I've been glued to the screen reading every single post. The amount of information here is staggering and sometimes a little intimidating for someone like me who doesn't have much expertise with bikes. I humbly ask for your feedback about a couple of questions that have not really being discussed in this thread.

I want to get into fat biking because looks like a lot of fun. I have to be honest that I dont really know much about bicycles, my last bike was a Walmart bike 30 years ago.

After reading not only this thread but a lot in this forum I am convinced I want to get a GBM. However there is a kicker. When I went to the BD page I found a "newish" bike that not a lot of people have talked about; the "Monster5". Most of the conversation here is about the traditional monster.

Pointing the obvious the monster5 can host a 5" tire which may be useful in the winter as I live in the Northeast. The rest of the bike seems to have the same components as the traditional GBM. Which brings me once again to humbly ask for direction.

- Would going 5" justify the additional weight? I dont know what is the difference in weight between the two frames. If anyone has any info please advice.

- By making modifications in the frame just to host a wider tire and keeping the same ratios everywhere else wouldn't the geometry of the frame be compromised? 

- How easy/difficult would be to replace the BB of the monster5. The bb is 120/175MM.

The Monster5 is $200 higher than the traditional. 

I would be honored to receive some replies.

Thank you all.


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

I would go for the 5. I had a GBEM from 2016 and I loved the bike but I always wished I had options to go to a wider tire for winter riding. I don't think you'll regret it. 
Save up to 60% off new Fat Bikes and Mountain Bikes - FIts Most Five INCH Tires - Gravity Bullseye MonsterFIVE-X
If that's the bike you're talking about I'd do it. The jump to SRAM 1X10 and hydraulic brakes is worth it as well. If I were you and have the funds I would definitely go for it if you want the monster. There are definitely other fatbikes out there but for entry level and the price you can't go wrong for the bike you are getting.


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## Virgch (Apr 10, 2019)

Thank you traverse. I was talking about this one.

Save up to 60% off new Fat Bikes and Mountain Bikes - FIts Most Five INCH Tires - Gravity Bullseye MonsterFIVE


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## 218traverse (May 21, 2015)

I see, I was looking at the one with hydraulic brakes for 899. In my opinion you wouldn't notice a negative difference between the monster and monster5 as far as the frame geometry or weight.


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## El Geezer (May 31, 2016)

*Get the "5" Dude!*

I do not have personal experience with the GBM MonsterFIVE, but I too bought the "regular" GBM in 2016. The specs on the regular GBM do not appear to have changed, so my thoughts on that bike should still be applicable. First, the 26 x 4.0 Vee Rubber Mission tires on the regular GBM are not really very good. They are heavy, have an auto-steer problem, and have high rolling resistance. When I was able to successfully fit 4.0 Jumbo Jims tubeless to the GBM's non-tubeless-compatible rims the bike was utterly transformed. The Chaoyang Big Daddy tires are reviewed positively at Singletracks by one user, but they are almost certainly much better than the Missions on any surface and most especially snow.

Second, the regular GBM still comes with a ridiculous 620mm handlebar which is much too narrow for most people. It is a 25.4mm diameter bar, so you would need to upgrade both bar and stem. The "5" come with a 700mm bar which you might be able to live with and save yourself $50 to $100 plus the hassle of a swapout.

If you live in the Northeast, having a fatty that can go in snow right out of the box would be a major advantage. The difference in weight between this and that bike gets exaggerated in my opinion. A fatty plus rider typically weigh at least 200 pounds ready to roll. Five pounds on the bike one way or the other are virtually undetectable in my opinion.

Find the extra $200 somewhere and don't look back. Amortized over a five-year period that comes to $40 a year. Back in the day I lost more than that in pocket change into the sofa cushions.

Get the "5"!



Virgch said:


> First of all I want to salute the legends that started and have contributed to this thread, dd and gang. For the last two days I've been glued to the screen reading every single post. The amount of information here is staggering and sometimes a little intimidating for someone like me who doesn't have much expertise with bikes. I humbly ask for your feedback about a couple of questions that have not really being discussed in this thread.
> 
> I want to get into fat biking because looks like a lot of fun. I have to be honest that I dont really know much about bicycles, my last bike was a Walmart bike 30 years ago.
> 
> ...


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## Virgch (Apr 10, 2019)

Geezer,

Great points about the tires and the bar. Thank you for replying. I consider you one of the legends of this thread.


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## Stanleybb50 (Apr 28, 2019)

Just ordered my Monster in Race Blue (they didn't have the other color in my size 22" - I'm 6'7"). Most likely going to convert it to an ebike with a BAFANG BBSHD. 

Csnt wait to get it and get started! I also have a lot of reading up to do in this thread.

I also recently purchased a Trek Roscoe 8 which is (staying) NON-electrified.

The one I purchased: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/fat-bikes/fat-bikes-bullseye-monster5x-five-inch.htm

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk


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## Triaxtremec (May 21, 2011)

I’m due for new pads soon but would like to go with hydraulic brakes. What has everyone upgraded too?


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

I didn’t go Hydraulic, I went with Shimano M375 with bigger discs. It was better than stock by a good margin


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## Triaxtremec (May 21, 2011)

How do I service the wheelset?


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## EvilSmrk (May 10, 2016)

They are pretty standard cone and cup hubs, you should be able to find instructions pretty easily online.

https://www.bing.com/search?q=how+to+service+bicycle+hubs&pc=MOZI&form=MOZSBR

https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+service+bicycle+hubs&oq=how+to+service+bicycle+hubs


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## aciresi (Nov 12, 2015)

I just put surly nates on my bullseye monster. What tire set up is everyone else running?


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## Triaxtremec (May 21, 2011)

Maxxis fbf and fbr 26x4.

Anyone converted stock wheelset to tubeless?


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

Yes. I converted the stock wheels to tubeless using the fattystrippers and adhesive insulation strips to hold the bead against the rim until it developed pressure.


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## El Geezer (May 31, 2016)

I did it too. I cut strips from a 1/2" thick sheet of dense polyethylene foam - the stuff often used for protective packaging. My strips were about an inch wide and beveled toward the center of the rim in order to make the stock GBM rim profile look like a TCS rim profile so the tire bead would slide up and seal. I taped them down with making tape so they wouldn't blow away, sprayed them with 3M 77 adhesive on the two surfaces that contact the rim, and stuck them in place. I then sealed the rim using overlapping layers of 3M 8087 construction sealing tape in both 72mm and 48mm widths. You can get away with just the 48mm. This tape has a more aggressive adhesive and is a good bit thicker and tougher than the dedicated rim seal tapes I have used. I mounted 26 x 4.0 Jumbo Jims, pinched the sidewalls between thumb and forefinger and pulled the bead out and up onto the foam strips. The fit is snug, but the poly foam compresses easily to form a good seal. I used a compressor to inflate, but I am sure the tires would blow up just as easily with a hand pump.

I used Orange endurance sealant through the valve stem to seal. I had a lot of problems at first with air loss and sealant puking because I didn't realize that this kind of set up requires extra sealant - at least 8 oz. per tire - maybe a little more. Once I got the right amount of sealant, the tires hold air as well or better than when they had tubes.

This set up saved a mind-boggling 3.5 lb. over the stock Mission Control plus tube set up, but the weight saving was the least noticeable of the improvements on the trail. Much lower rolling resistance, no autosteer, fantastic traction, more precise steering - the GBM felt like a totally different bike. I can't recommend this kind of conversion - or the Jumbo Jims - too highly.

The key is to build up a compressible strip at the outer sides of the rim to give the tire bead something to seal against. That and using more sealant than you think should be necessary. You need to keep in mind that unlike a true tubeless compatible rim that has a profile that locks into the rim bead of the tire mechanically, this type of work around depends 100% on air pressure and sealant to maintain the seal. I haven't taken my JJs below 7 or 8 psi, but I wouldn't be surprised if this kind of system would start to fail at lower pressures. Just a word of caution in case you need ultra-low pressures for sand or snow.


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## roadkin (Nov 15, 2019)

All, Im planning to get the Gravity Bullseye monster (4 inch version right now 499) and convert to ebike. 

Im 5' 10" and have longer torso then then legs. Should i go with 16 or 18 ?


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## roadkin (Nov 15, 2019)

iliketexmex said:


> Yes. I converted the stock wheels to tubeless using the fattystrippers and adhesive insulation strips to hold the bead against the rim until it developed pressure.


I'm really interested in doing this. I think, the stock tires (V-Rubber MISSION 26x4.00, WIRE BEAD, BK 72TPI) is Tubeless ready.

Im at the fattystripper website. Can you tell me the list of things needed to get it done?

Im also doing more reading from their site. Thanks in advance.


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

roadkin said:


> All, Im planning to get the Gravity Bullseye monster (4 inch version right now 499) and convert to ebike.
> 
> Im 5' 10" and have longer torso then then legs. Should i go with 16 or 18 ?


I tend to size down when possible, I'd prefer a little lower stand over when possible (I'm built similar to you it would seem).

But...When I ordered my Bullseye Monster LTD, I bought the size BD suggested for me, which was on the lower side of 20"....I wish I'd bought an 18" because that top tube is WAY up in my business when I have to bail (happens frequently in the winter LOL)...

I contacted BD and told them that their sizing info was maybe a little inaccurate, and I'd like to get an 18" (I even offered to pay return shipping)...well, that didn't go as well as I was hoping, so I'm still riding the 20"...I don't hate it, and it does fit, but it's just a bit too big IMHO.

If I were you, I'd go for the 16"


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## roadkin (Nov 15, 2019)

BassistBiker said:


> I tend to size down when possible, I'd prefer a little lower stand over when possible (I'm built similar to you it would seem).
> 
> But...When I ordered my Bullseye Monster LTD, I bought the size BD suggested for me, which was on the lower side of 20"....I wish I'd bought an 18" because that top tube is WAY up in my business when I have to bail (happens frequently in the winter LOL)...
> 
> ...


Im dropping the GBM altogether. Looks like i made a bad choice of getting 100mm motor and limited my choice of bikes. GBM wont take 100mm motor even though it has 100mm BB.


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

roadkin said:


> I'm really interested in doing this. I think, the stock tires (V-Rubber MISSION 26x4.00, WIRE BEAD, BK 72TPI) is Tubeless ready.
> 
> I'm at the fattystripper website. Can you tell me the list of things needed to get it done?
> 
> I'm also doing more reading from their site. Thanks in advance.


 I waited until the stock mission tires wore down and changed out to Kenda Juggernaut Pros. So I don't know if the Mission tires will work. The Juggernaut Pros were a big improvement in weight and feel.


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## dougan (Aug 31, 2011)

*sizing help?*

Wife got me a BM for xmas after I'd been talking about it for a while. I'm 5'8" with a 30"-31" inseam (so slightly short legs for my height, not severely so though). She went with the 16" frame for me. I have a couple 17" mountain bikes that fit and the sizing guidelines for the 16" were 5'7" to 5'10" so everything seemed right.

The box says the bike should be ridden by a minimum inseam size of 32" though, so now I'm second guessing the sizing. Anyone around my size able to speak for the 14 or 16 inch being the right size for me? I get that sizing varies by bike but 14" just seems so small.

Thanks


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## Triaxtremec (May 21, 2011)

You should be fine. I ride the small and have the saddle raised quit high and I'm only 5ft4in with a sub 29in inseam.

Enjoy the new bike!


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## dougan (Aug 31, 2011)

Triaxtremec said:


> You should be fine. I ride the small and have the saddle raised quit high and I'm only 5ft4in with a sub 29in inseam.
> 
> Enjoy the new bike!


Thanks. I put it together and it definitely fits me. In fact it's a little small. The 18" probably would have fit me better. This will do, though. This is a lot of bike for $500.


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

This thread has been really dead lately....so I figured I'd add to it!

Here she is in all her glory, had the perfect morning ride, so I grabbed a couple pics.

There really isn't much left "stock" on here, really all that's left is the seat post, seat & brakes.

I've added/replaced:

Surly Sunrise bars
ESI Extra Chunky grips
Spank Stem
Cane Creek Forty headset
Specialized Fayboy Chisel Carbon Fork
Surly Rolling Daryl's laced to Salsa hubs (got the pair used for $100)
SRAM NX Eagle Drivetrain
DUB Bottom bracket
Chester pedals
45NRTH Dillinger 4 tires (studded)
Took a dremel to the cable housing stops to open them up, then ran full length cable housing.

All together I got her weight down to 33.1 pounds....not svelte by any means, but not too shabby either, especially since she started around 40 pounds. :eekster: I could probably get it down to around 32 if I went tubeless.

I understand all of this could be viewed as a waste of money, but I started working part-time at my LBS, so I got a fair bit of this stuff used or at "employee pricing".

Also, if anyone is interested in a lightweight carbon QR fork, Specialized is blowing out the Carbon Fatboy fork for $159.99 with free shipping!


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## Triaxtremec (May 21, 2011)

Looks good! Wish mine had a tapered headtube so I could run a carbon fork. I'm debating on keeping the 2x8 until something breaks or swap it for a 1x. My others are 1x and love it but for some reason my gravity just works and I don't feel like putting much money into it.


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

Triaxtremec said:


> ...and I don't feel like putting much money into it.


Yeah, what I've done is definitely an exercise in financial irresponsibility to be sure...but I wanted to upgrade things, and see how far I could take it, it ended up being a pretty great riding bike...but ultimately all of these parts will end up on a Surly Wednesday frame I've got hanging downstairs for next winter.

To be fair though, there was nothing wrong with the parts that came on this bike, and I could certainly have left it alone, and just rode it (with the exception of the studded tires....those REALLY made my winter riding more fun).


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## mamadirt (Sep 4, 2004)

*Factory decals*

Hi folks! Thinking of ordering a GBEM in 14". Can anyone tell me if the stock decals are removable or lacquered over please? The sticker-holic in me can't help but customise everything ?


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

mamadirt said:


> Hi folks! Thinking of ordering a GBEM in 14". Can anyone tell me if the stock decals are removable or lacquered over please? The sticker-holic in me can't help but customise everything ?


They are under the clear coat, so unless you strip the frame down to the metal, they are there to stay.


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## mamadirt (Sep 4, 2004)

Cheers for the quick reply 👍


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## ryapad (Feb 10, 2020)

*Production Changes*

I've probably read every post on this thread, so when I bought my Bullseye Monster I figured I'd show some of the different parts it has been kitted with. I'd assume that this stuff will be the new standard (not just a fluke).

First thing is that the front derailleur cable is now internally routed through the down tube. The front derailleur is now seat tube mounted instead of a direct mount mech.










Internal cables are are a nice touch and all but I switched over to 1x right away and plan to switch back. I just ran an old cable through and yanked the housing.

The brakes are now Tektro Aries instead of Novela. I've got Novela's on another bike and they are pretty awful. These new ones are actually very nice (placebo? Better cable routing? Not sure). I ran a cheap shimano hydraulic up front for a while but actually switched back to the mechanical and don't have any regrets.

https://www.tektro.com/products.php?p=23

Overall, really like this bike. Have about 75 miles on it so far. Only upgrades are 740mm bars, 60mm stem and 11 speed SLX, all off of my trail bike. Can't really feel the difference between it and much more expensive fat bikes. Can't exactly say how it rides stock, but I can't see moving up to a more expensive fat bike any time soon.


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## EvilSmrk (May 10, 2016)

So my son has outgrown his old bike (24" Charge Cooker fat bike) and has effectively commandeered my GBEM.

With dryer weather coming my wife (SWMBO) reluctantly agreed to let me get a new bike (getting my the check for my middle school assistant wrestling coaches job helped a little  )

So before completely handing my old GBEM over I took it for one "last" ride.










This has been (and still is) a fantastic bike for me even if we haven't gotten enough snow the past couple of years to really ride it in the winter.

This bike hasn't been retired as my son is going to use it for a while (he's going to be taller than I am soon so we will see how this bike fits him)

My new bike is on the truck for delivery now and I'm itching to get it

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

EvilSmrk said:


> My new bike is on the truck for delivery now and I'm itching to get it
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


What did you get? Did it arrive yet?


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## EvilSmrk (May 10, 2016)

Yes I picked up a Growler American Stout.
https://growlerbikes.com/products/americanstout2

Really liking it but it is a big step up in price.


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

Yeah, I did a similar thing except I went with a Framed Alaskan. The Gravity Bullseye Monster is the gateway drug to fat biking.


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## jeepinmike (Apr 23, 2007)

BassistBiker said:


> This thread has been really dead lately....so I figured I'd add to it!
> 
> Here she is in all her glory, had the perfect morning ride, so I grabbed a couple pics.
> 
> ...


How are you liking those sunrise bars?? Did you cut the width down at all? This was exactly the setup I was thinking about for my 2020 GBM, I was happy to find your post. I sized up to a 18" (I tend to ride slightly larger frames for my height), so I want to shorten the stem up a bit and get some bars with more width. I like the look these give, like a overproportioned BMX. Seems that $65 is the going price for those bars everywhere, but probably worth it.

Otherwise, I have not put alot of miles on it yet, but so far so good!

TIA


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

jeepinmike said:


> How are you liking those sunrise bars?? Did you cut the width down at all? This was exactly the setup I was thinking about for my 2020 GBM, I was happy to find your post. I sized up to a 18" (I tend to ride slightly larger frames for my height), so I want to shorten the stem up a bit and get some bars with more width. I like the look these give, like a overproportioned BMX. Seems that $65 is the going price for those bars everywhere, but probably worth it.
> 
> Otherwise, I have not put alot of miles on it yet, but so far so good!
> 
> TIA


I'm really digging the bars, I love how much rise they have, and I dig the look for sure.

As far as width, nope I left them @ 820mm...they are WIDE but on a fatbike I appreciate the extra leverage I get dragging that massive front tire around...once in a while I encounter a pair of trees that require "creative maneuvering" to get through, but other than those rare situations, these bars rock.

Enjoy your GBM, these bikes get a lot of hate from the purists, but they really do offer a lot of value for the money (once you get them dialed in), and they are a great gateway to the sport!..My only real complaint is the brakes...they are hot garbage (in my opinion) switch them with some Avid BB7's or TRP Spyres and you are all set. (I love the Spyre's)

I've since swapped all of my parts over to my new Surly Wednesday frame, and returned the GBM back to mostly stock...which isn't a bad thing, it still rides great, shifts great, and is a ton of fun! (I bought another set of the Sunrise bars so I could have them on both bikes.) I'm keeping the GBM around for when I have friends over & need a spare fatty!


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## EvilSmrk (May 10, 2016)

Took the kid out for a ride today, I think he's making good use of the GBEM


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## jeepinmike (Apr 23, 2007)

BassistBiker said:


> I'm really digging the bars, I love how much rise they have, and I dig the look for sure.
> 
> As far as width, nope I left them @ 820mm...they are WIDE but on a fatbike I appreciate the extra leverage I get dragging that massive front tire around...once in a while I encounter a pair of trees that require "creative maneuvering" to get through, but other than those rare situations, these bars rock.
> 
> ...


Been enjoying it so far! Surprisingly quick on singletrack. I'll have to put a speedo on just to see what kind of speed I am carrying compared to my hardtail.

For anyone curious, I ended up with a 45MM stem, 740MM width on the bars, they are slightly rolled forward. This is on a 18" frame, I am 5'9" with 32 inseam, broad shoulders. This puts a sight bend at the elbow, my forearms straight out with wrists in a neutral position, a comfortable XC type posture. Much happier with this than the long stem/short bar setup.....keep in mind I am on the short side of whats recommended for a 18" frame.


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## oldbear52 (Jul 6, 2014)

*Ryback faithful friend*

I used to have a GBEM. He helped me along my path to health quite a bit.
In the 6 years we together he never uttered any complaints and was always ready to hit the trails. after 4,000+ miles, he never needed any sort of major repairs.
but all good things have an ending. some happy some not.
The latter is true for me. Through a series of unfortunate series of events, I lost Ryback. I lost my my home and My son gave him to a friend and this friend refused to give me his address after my son told him not to speak to me.
Does this leave me without out a way to keep on Pedaling? NO! A good friend and I are in the process of building up another fat bike. It's not a GBEM, but It will be named Ryback 2.0 (silverback edition). We are gather parts and while it ids being built I have access to a MTB with 2.7 tires. 
I have not given up on Gravity bikes and BD.

Happy Trails To All
Oldbear


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

I bought my wife the GBEM a while back. She has been riding it a lot more. It was still 100% stock, including the tires (Vee Mission Commands, with tubes). I weighed the bike before I started then I set up the bike tubeless with Kenda Juggernaut Pros then weighed it again. Net loss: 4.3 pounds. I left both the colored rim strip and the butyl strip in place. I used foam insulation strips as a riser and the fattystripper system. She took it on her first ride Monday and really noticed liked the difference.


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## aciresi (Nov 12, 2015)

Does anyone know know which hanger is the replacement hanger from their website for the bullseye monster?


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## BuffaloMtn (Nov 20, 2020)

I'm just wondering how this bike compares to the Mongoose Argus Trail 26?

https://www.mongoose.com/collections/fat-bike/products/argus-trail-26?variant=35035952545948


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

The mongoose looks like it has a wider handlebar. The GBEM comes with a comically narrow bar (less than 600), which is a big minus when turning a big wheel. Other than that they seem similarly equipped.


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## rocwandrer (Oct 19, 2008)

I've been riding my monster all winter. I noted that the spokes seemed a little looser than I typically build a wheel, but maybe about normal for machine built wheels. After a few hundred miles, I starting getting a creaking sound from the rear wheel on low gear climbs. I am pretty sure it was the spokes fretting at the cross. I took it by 1/4 turns up, and did a little truing. I think I went up 3/4 turn on most spokes by the time I was done. Creak seems to be gone, riding around the yard at least.


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## Budget76 (Nov 22, 2021)

Pushing this old thread back to the top with a couple pics. For those debating doing a stem/bars, I highly recommend getting rid of the factory setup. Went to 50MM 30* rise stem with IIRC 720mm bars and it rides 100x better now.


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

Between the tires, the handlebars/stem and re-cabling required I think it is a toss up between the Gravity Bullseye Monster and the Framed Minnesota when I recommend entry level bikes to people. The Minnesota is more expensive but by the time you upgrade tires, stem and handlebars it is a wash. The stock Minnesota tires roll nice even though they are not tubeless. Of course, it is also an issue of who has stock these days.


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