Fat bike from scratch or dolomite upgrades: Help!

I'm a person · Jul 11, 2018

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. heck, 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?

us56456712 · Nov 13, 2018

Try riding a fat bike first. A lot of people hate them after buying them. I have one ($1,500 Bikes Direct unit) and am ambivalent about them. It's very heavy. If the snow bike trails are hard a lot of people, including myself, use and old mountain bike. The only fat bike I really liked was my friends $7,000 full carbon job. It rode like a road bike because of the weight. I use my fat bike only for softer conditions on the snow bike trail. Inexpensive fat bike parts will make your bike weigh so much that it won't be fun to push through the slush and snow. Fat bikes are harder to pedal. For winter riding I use an old 7 speed Giant mountain bike with studded 1.75 tires and disconnected the front derailleur as I only use the small chainwheel. This is all you need. I have been riding it this year for a week on sheer ice without any problems. A fat bike would go down in these conditions unless it has studs. Last winter even the fat tire guys had to use studs for part of the winter on the trails because of ice. Studded tires are expensive unless you make your own. I used homemade studded tires for years and finally went to tungsten studs two winters ago. $100+ per 26 x 1.75 tire ain't cheap but this will keep you safe. Fat bikes are cool looking but it's going to cost you a lot more than what you are predicting. Cheap tires don't steer well, dangerous in snow or slush and good ones are $100+ each. Then you might need to buy a stud kit and put holes in your new tires to install the studs. You probably get less snow than we do as you are down south. We already have a foot. I have been riding in the winter since 1969. Back then I used a 10 speed with road tires and in an area where 300 annual inches of snow is not unusual. I did a daily 4 mile one way commute to university. I had no problem but really had to concentrate. I was young and a good rider but I can't do that anymore. The salt ruins a bike so you can't tune wheels as the spokes are frozen, brakes get rusted, all bolts get rusty, the chain is ruined etc. I douse my junk Giant with PB Blaster every few weeks. This will make disk brakes squeal like mad so rim brakes are a better option. It sorta shifts so it's going to need a new drive train next year or I have to find another old MB. I have rusted a steel frame right through in the 1980s from riding in winter salt. You can get Frame Saver to put inside your frame. I get about 4 - 5 winters out of a bike before I throw it out as it is shot from the salt. This is why I use old inexpensive MBs for winter riding.

Grant · Nov 16, 2018

I rode the mongoose dolomite, mongoose beast, and some cheap kent fat bikes. They are all very hard to pedal and steer. It feels like you are trying to push a broken down car when you ride it. I one time rode an expensive fat bike that was about $1000, it felt like a normal bike, but heavier. The more expensive fat bikes ride much more responsively in speed and turning. I have never owned any fat bikes. If I find one at the bike co op that is super cheap, I will get it because I live in really northern Colorado. In the winter there is a lot of snow and a normal mountain bike has a hard time riding in it.

TroutFishingInAmerica · Nov 18, 2018

I have a used Surly Moonlander frame and fork. Scratches chips, nothing dented or bent, no rust. That could be the start of a nice higher end fatty. I'm pretty sure it's over your price point ceiling. $300 + ship. It can get expensive real fast.

Grant · Nov 18, 2018

Check bikesdirect.com.

Grant · Nov 18, 2018

I'm a person said:
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. heck, 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?

The dolomite has very crappy parts. Try getting a mongoose hitch https://www.walmart.com/ip/26-Mongoose-Hitch-Men-s-All-Terrain-Fat-Tire-Bike-Red/42248079. It has a bit better parts.

wheelbender6 · Nov 25, 2018

I have a Hitch and my wife rides a Dolomite. We ride on the beach a lot. If you need them for sand or snow, the extra weight wont bother you. Otherwise, I'd get a bike with smaller, 2" tires.