# World's first fat bike?



## jerrysneck (Nov 23, 2008)

Recent purchase...quite the story behind it. 1 of 2 built in Denver by Clark Kent for a ride across Iceland in 1993ish. Each wheel has two rims welded together and laced into M730 hubs, with two Fisher tires per wheel. I have had a hard time researching vintage fat bikes, any one have more input? thanks!


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## banks (Feb 2, 2004)

wow


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## bushpig (Nov 26, 2005)

Pretty neat.


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## jeff (Jan 13, 2004)

Any idea if it was used for it's intended purpose?


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## Machianera (Feb 5, 2011)

Some more info and neat pictures of similar bikes (including a ritchey) are here:
http://forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/vintage-fat-794809.html


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## flyingcloud (Jul 7, 2012)

*Triple hub combo!*

From Iditabike a long time ago


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## 1 cog frog (Dec 21, 2004)

*Cool!*

Pretty cool/unique vintage ride!

Did you ask in the Fat Bike Forum?

Fat Bikes - Mtbr Forums

May have additional info there.

frog


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## johnny the boy (Dec 21, 2009)

Don't know how old it is, but found this on surly's blog....they mentioned "bicycle history"...


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## dr.welby (Jan 6, 2004)

Saw that on Craigslist, was hard not to out it since it's so unique.


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## Groundoggy (Nov 27, 2011)

Amazing. That Z-Max/Porc sandwich is also ridiculous. I would LOVE to ride that in snow!


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## banks (Feb 2, 2004)

johnny the boy said:


> Don't know how old it is, but found this on surly's blog....they mentioned "bicycle history"...


I built that and still have it. A few QBP/SUrly guys came by the shop in the early fall. That pic is the back of the shop.

The first setup in early 2000 was an original Rat Ride 1x1 frame & fork with drum brake hubs and 3.0 Gazzalodis on Sun Mammoth rims. Stupid Heavy. Rode it on sand dunes trails behind Smtn many times. Then asked good friend Wade of Vulture fame to build us a frame for extra clearance & canti mounts (drums could not stop!) Next was Sand rims, tubes & tires out of Mexico, to lighten it up and cantis did have better stopping power. Still was a boat anchor in the snow.


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## Roadsters (Jul 7, 2008)

I've searched for it and wasn't able to find it, but I've seen a photo of an early-Thirties sprint car that used widened back wheels that were made by welding an extra, undrilled rim onto the outside of an early Ford wire wheel.


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## den haag (Feb 18, 2009)

there was a contest in (i think) 1983 during pearl pass week in crested butte. the contest was for innovations in mountain biking. there were a lot of whacky inventions. but the one that stands out here was a fat bike. the tires were two 2.125x26" tires split and sewn together. i think he had them on motorcycle rims (again, not sure).


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## chefmiguel (Dec 22, 2007)

Wild design, think it was featured in a way back MBA.


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## jerrysneck (Nov 23, 2008)

Any idea on the year of the Clark-Kent? The parts are a mix of XT M730 (including rear hub) and Deore 6-speed, the saddle is dated 1987. I kinda want to make the components all XT, but wondering what generation to shoot for? I was thinking 1988, based on the fact that the rear hub, brake levers, and shifters are from 1988 according to MOMBAT. However, 1988 seems too early for this frame. Does anyone have any thoughts/input? thanks


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## MendonCycleSmith (Feb 10, 2005)

Dammit, that's all I need, another style of VRC to chase.....

Cool bike, thanks for sharing!


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## colker1 (Jan 6, 2004)

banks said:


> I built that and still have it. A few QBP/SUrly guys came by the shop in the early fall. That pic is the back of the shop.
> 
> The first setup in early 2000 was an original Rat Ride 1x1 frame & fork with drum brake hubs and 3.0 Gazzalodis on Sun Mammoth rims. Stupid Heavy. Rode it on sand dunes trails behind Smtn many times. Then asked good friend Wade of Vulture fame to build us a frame for extra clearance & canti mounts (drums could not stop!) Next was Sand rims, tubes & tires out of Mexico, to lighten it up and cantis did have better stopping power. Still was a boat anchor in the snow.


I like that.:thumbsup:


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## jerrysneck (Nov 23, 2008)

*here's some more pics*

It cleaned up pretty nice, it looks like the frame has bene re-worked and modified a couple of times, but still in tact. Check out the glue residue on inside rim edges with modified Fisher Fat Trax 1.9's in the rear, 2.1's in the front. The rims still had Mountain Bike Specialist price tags on them. I have kept everything original, besides replacing some too-short spokes and rounded out nipples, and replacing the rim tape. The cassette is spaced into a 5-speed unit, and all but the easiest gear is usable (tire clearance). 136mm bb spindle and a double-wedge stem round out the parts oddities.

Best of all, it's supposed to snow tomorrow


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## MendonCycleSmith (Feb 10, 2005)

Yep, that's a way cool toy. 

Color me jealous....

Thanks for the pics, here's hoping for snow for ya!

:thumbsup:


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## fyrfytrhoges (Jul 22, 2008)

Very similar frame style as a 1991 Gary Fisher Montare which I just posted a thread about.

Pretty cool if you ask me. 

Enjoy it!


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## MtbWizard (Oct 9, 2011)

Sweet!


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## YakimaDeathYaks (Aug 15, 2012)

Ward a frequent poster in the Fat Bike forum would know about anything you'd need to know about Fat Bikes


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## longhaulcommuter (Jan 3, 2014)

I remember seeing a dual rim mountain bike (i.e. early Fat Bike) in Bicycling Magazine eons ago. It might have been in that same era, but I think it was earlier. It was a custom bike. I don't remember it being a high chainstay frame like the one you show. 

It wasn't much of a write-up. As I remember, it showed one or two photo's and had about a paragraph of content. The bike was built for the Iditabike. The fat tires weren't enough for a win, as the rider didn't win. I even think it said he didn't finish.

But if you have a source of old Bicycling magazines, you might be able to find the article.


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## den haag (Feb 18, 2009)

back in 1983 a fellow came to crested butte for pearl pass weekend. we had an innovators contest and he had sewn two 2.125 knobbies together and some motorcycle rim laced to a bicycle hub.


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## RossJamis (Aug 27, 2013)

Maybe its the red tires but I think this is the best looking fat bike I've ever seen.


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## BikesOnSnow (Jan 23, 2004)

I'm hoping to build up a dual rim setup similar to these wheels for an experiment. Anyone have info on the process or best practices for this? Got a couple single wall 40mm snowcats that seem to be excited to have a purpose in life again...


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## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)

Not quite the world's first fatbike.

There was this:



But it was created more as a novelty for a well known trick rider.

There was discussion in the British cycle press about one in 1931, but I have not yet discovered if it was made. I particularly like this one, the "Bicycle of the Future". It looks like my Pugsley, dropbars, drumbrakes, singlespeed, and full fenders. 



There were also some fatbikes created in the USA in the 1940s with Harley tyres and it looks like Harley rims too. There's a pic with a young lady mounted on one outside a cycle shop, but I can't find it at the moment. I'll rake through my magazines of the period and put it up when I find it.

To me the first real fatbike, ie used for offroad adventure, was that of Jean Naud who rode across the Sahara on it in 1986. His bike had special tyres built for him by Michelin.










You'll no doubt notice the 2 back wheels.  That was a lazy axle setup - the middle wheel only went down when it was need for extra flotation.

If you can read French, it's worth getting his book "Trois roues pour Tombouctou" because he goes into detail about the construction.


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## Co-opski (Oct 24, 2013)




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## MendonCycleSmith (Feb 10, 2005)

I want one of those three rim versions, for reasons I don't quite even understand....


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

Pretty cool piece.


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## Co-opski (Oct 24, 2013)

MendonCycleSmith said:


> I want one of those three rim versions, for reasons I don't quite even understand....


I do like how the center tire is taller. I'm guessing it was done that way to roll better on hardpack conditions. Many of these bikes built for wilderness ultra endurance races would not see soft conditions for 100% of the race. The winning idea was to ride as much as you can and reduce your hike a bike sections. That is why the Bigfoot 6-pack has such long bar ends, for pushing the bike through deep snow.


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## Repack Rider (Oct 22, 2005)

This is me in Alaska in 1990.


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## KDXdog (Mar 15, 2007)

Charlie, that’s a fantastic photo! Leading the way, once again!


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## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

Co-opski said:


> View attachment 1104259
> 
> 
> View attachment 1104268





Repack Rider said:


> This is me in Alaska in 1990.
> 
> View attachment 1104507


Same bike?


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## erol/frost (Jan 3, 2004)

Pretty unique bike - remember MBA did a quick write-up on it


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