Building a fat bike from scratch: Advice and tips needed

[I'm a person]

Hello.

First off: If you don't know I am a 13-year-old boy/biking enthusiast from Tecumseh, Ontario. I recently got a free bike and that bike has satisfied my biking needs and wonders but It's not a fat bike. It's a 15-year-old Laser Triumph bike. If you want to view what the bike looks like here is a video of me introducing it.


(password to view it is Ratrodbikes.)

Anyways, while I love that bike to bits and have customized it (like vinyl wrapping) since I got it, I'm going to need something more sturdy for the winter. Which is where a fat bike in my plan comes in. You see, fat bikes under 300 are hard to find on amazon.ca and eBay. Hell, eBay is very expensive! For just a mongoose dolomite they want 350-400 dollars! Yikes! There used to be quite a selection on amazon on which I was going to buy.. but they all stop selling them now. Anyways, back to the fat bike plan.

I want to build a custom fat bike from scratch. Now, I know it might cost me about 400 to 500 dollars to get all of my components, but that is a price I am willing to take. Of course, I could get a bike from Bikesdirect or eBay at this price, but like I said, I would rather have a custom fat bike that I can be happy with other than a bike that I don't like. Now, I am fully happy to have a dolomite, but like I said, a dolomite isn't worth it and will require a lot of maintenance. I need to purchase some tools on which I can use to install bikes first.

Another plan, however that I might consider is just buying a dolomite, and then putting all of the things from the dolomite onto the new frame so I can sell the dolomite frame and all the extra parts I don't need on it to buy new stuff for it.

First, the bottom bracket is 120mm. I need to find a better one but heres one I could consider.
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Bottom-Brac...m=132503980927&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

The frame:
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Fat-Bike-Fr...705800?hash=item1ecf3a0848:g:EYYAAOSwDRxZtrz6
and this https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Sunlite-26-...114520&hash=item441033dff8:g:-X0AAOSwNSxVZM76

or this frame
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Fat-Bike-Fr...543572?hash=item212ab6cbd4:g:dvwAAOSwWB5Zb40y

next off, the nuts for the forks I need to find somewhere. If someone could link some for the fork that would be gladly appreciated.

The rims:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00YM0KWMU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&psc=1

The wheels:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01AOQOHN0/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&psc=1

This will come to 550 and maybe 50 dollars more considering all of the tools I might need. and the handles bars and stuff like that.

It's either this or I buy and upgrade a dolomite. What do you guys think?

I'll be honest: I'm leaning over buying a dolomite and then buying a new frame to put all the stuff on it. What do you guys say?

 

[I'm a person]

I see! However, there aren't any fat bikes on any selling websites here in Tecumseh Ontario. It sucks because this is an urban area and not a lot of people have one. Instead of a dolomite, I'm going to get this:

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/s...-s-hardtail-mountain-bike-26-in-0711653p.html

It's basically the dolomite but repainted frame and rims.

Heres my plan 2:

Get the bike for 380
Swap out handlebars and stem, get new rapid-fire shifter for bike
Eventually, repaint the bike orange if I ever get chance + new custom logos
Replace seat post and seat
Add new bottom bracket and crankset to bike
Add new tires when worn

Thats all, is this plan better? (I think it is, considering im only 13 I don't know how i'll get 380 dollars, but I guess I gotta save up I guess.)

Although, if you know anybody selling a dolomite or any kind of fat bike for cheap, PLEASE message or let me know in this thread. I'd be willing to pay shipping fees just to get it.

 

[Stevil]

Go for a middle weigh fat bike which seem to be more popular in northeast. Unless you got $1000 for a real lightweight Fatbike, these bikes to work out much better overall...Stevil

 

[Bigcam59]

or go for a Sun Baja...

 

[Grant]

Here is a review on the mongoose dolomite by Seth's bike hacks.

 

[Grant]

Then there is the mongoose hitch, a better and a bit more expensive version of the dolomite. https://www.walmart.com/ip/26-Mongoose-Hitch-Men-s-All-Terrain-Fat-Tire-Bike-Red/42248079

 

[Grant]

Or get a state megalith.

 

[us56456712]

I see! However, there aren't any fat bikes on any selling websites here in Tecumseh Ontario. It sucks because this is an urban area and not a lot of people have one. Instead of a dolomite, I'm going to get this:

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/s...-s-hardtail-mountain-bike-26-in-0711653p.html

It's basically the dolomite but repainted frame and rims.

Heres my plan 2:

Get the bike for 380
Swap out handlebars and stem, get new rapid-fire shifter for bike
Eventually, repaint the bike orange if I ever get chance + new custom logos
Replace seat post and seat
Add new bottom bracket and crankset to bike
Add new tires when worn

Thats all, is this plan better? (I think it is, considering im only 13 I don't know how i'll get 380 dollars, but I guess I gotta save up I guess.)

Although, if you know anybody selling a dolomite or any kind of fat bike for cheap, PLEASE message or let me know in this thread. I'd be willing to pay shipping fees just to get it.

Looks pretty good. If the tires are cheap or V Rubber they won't steer at low pressure. They will sort of steer at high pressure. If you use high pressure you will probably be OK. My $1500 fat bike didn't steer with V Rubber Tires so the first thing I did was put on two new tires at over $100 each. It's like a different bike now. My go to bike now is a mid fat 26+ full carbon/titanium job I built last winter, weighs 20 pounds. cost me $1200 by bidding on eBay and careful shopping through last winter. It has an inexpensive Chinese carbon frame, which I thought might break. I keep riding on rougher and rougher stuff and so far it is fine. It is the best all around bike I have ever ridden, great in slush, mud, sand, gravel, trail and road. I pretty much don't use my fat bike since I built this.

 

[I'm a person]

Hello guys, it's been about a year and a half since I posted in this thread so I wanted to give a little update to what has happened over time

I did get the bike, almost a year after I made this post I received a Schwinn Biggity DLX (Canadian mongoose dolo painted black) as a gift for graduation. The thing has never let me down after almost 7 months of riding it as a commuter almost every day.
I did some of the stuff I wanted to do, such as swapping out the handlebars, and seat, currently going to replace the shifter and the handlebar grips to make the ride more comfortable. However, the stem is a different story.

I ordered a wake MTB stem, and it arrived. When every bolt was off, I realized that the bolt was stripped on the inside (Allen key) I was devastated, I had been waiting a week for this and the thing wouldn't come off.
Even with Gorilla epoxy, the thing would not turn. It's either so stuck I stripped it or its too stripped for it to move.

Now, the stem is fine and everything is functional. In a few months, I'm going to upgrade the fork to a suspension fork. I don't have the money for it at the moment, I'm currently looking for a job so that I can save + order the fork in the meantime. I also replaced the brake levers since they were starting to fail on me.
I'm turning 15 in about 3 months from now, for those who are wondering.

Since the stem cannot come off, i'll have to use a pipe cutter to cut the spacer and then the stem to remove the stem so that I can remove the fork and install the new one. I don't have any plans to paint the bike, but if there's ever a need I might do it in a couple of years or so.
Any feedback is appreciated, I know its not really "rat rod" but it looks pretty cool to me.

 

[Grant]

Hello guys, it's been about a year and a half since I posted in this thread so I wanted to give a little update to what has happened over time

I did get the bike, almost a year after I made this post I received a Schwinn Biggity DLX (Canadian mongoose dolo painted black) as a gift for graduation. The thing has never let me down after almost 7 months of riding it as a commuter almost every day.
I did some of the stuff I wanted to do, such as swapping out the handlebars, and seat, currently going to replace the shifter and the handlebar grips to make the ride more comfortable. However, the stem is a different story.

I ordered a wake MTB stem, and it arrived. When every bolt was off, I realized that the bolt was stripped on the inside (Allen key) I was devastated, I had been waiting a week for this and the thing wouldn't come off.
Even with Gorilla epoxy, the thing would not turn. It's either so stuck I stripped it or its too stripped for it to move.

Now, the stem is fine and everything is functional. In a few months, I'm going to upgrade the fork to a suspension fork. I don't have the money for it at the moment, I'm currently looking for a job so that I can save + order the fork in the meantime. I also replaced the brake levers since they were starting to fail on me.
I'm turning 15 in about 3 months from now, for those who are wondering.

Since the stem cannot come off, i'll have to use a pipe cutter to cut the spacer and then the stem to remove the stem so that I can remove the fork and install the new one. I don't have any plans to paint the bike, but if there's ever a need I might do it in a couple of years or so.
Any feedback is appreciated, I know its not really "rat rod" but it looks pretty cool to me.

How is the Cheep bike working for you? I have ridden Dolomites and other cheap fat bikes and they feel NOTHING like the nicer ones.

 

[RustyGold]

How is the Cheep bike working for you?

The thing has never let me down after almost 7 months of riding it as a commuter almost every day.
I did some of the stuff I wanted to do, such as swapping out the handlebars, and seat, currently going to replace the shifter and the handlebar grips to make the ride more comfortable.

I think your answer was addressed in the initial post.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

It doesn't have to be a rat to fit in at RatRod Bikes! Most of us here got started just like you, making our everyday bike the way we wanted it. Great to hear that kids are still having fun with bikes IRL! Keep building and riding what you like, and you will always be having fun

 

[I'm a person]

How is the Cheep bike working for you? I have ridden Dolomites and other cheap fat bikes and they feel NOTHING like the nicer ones.

I love my biggity, I would never even trade it for another bike. It is one of the best bikes I’ve ever owned and the tires bring a lot of comfort and suspension when I’m commuting with it. I lost 20 pounds riding it this summer and I plan to keep doing that. Sure it’s not like expensive fat bikes but for what it’s worth I would never sell it even for a moment

 

[JaxRhapsody]

I love my biggity, I would never even trade it for another bike. It is one of the best bikes I’ve ever owned and the tires bring a lot of comfort and suspension when I’m commuting with it. I lost 20 pounds riding it this summer and I plan to keep doing that. Sure it’s not like expensive fat bikes but for what it’s worth I would never sell it even for a moment

Proof thousands of dollars are not needed for a good bike. I still want one of these for a project.