Mongoose Beast Fat Bike build and ideas

[blown240]

more4usc - handlebars are a pretty universal item. The only thing you need to look out for, to make sure they will fit, is the size of the bar where they clamp on. On the stock bars, the clamp area is the same diameter as the rest of the bar - which should be 22.2mm . So any bar that is the same diameter here should fit just fine. Just find some that are the shape you like.

As a side note, the options for bars get much bigger when you go to a bar with a 25.4mm clamp area. This is your "standard" size. Most newer, average priced, bikes will use this size; mountain, cruiser, road, etc. For this size bar you will need to change your stem; or the part that goes from your bars to your bike.

At the other end of the spectrum is the "oversize" bars that alot of the newer high end mountain bikes have. 31.6mm diameter. These are supposed to be stronger and you will be able to find them in widths up to 800mm. The bars on my main MTB are 777mm, and I really love the width.

 

[yoothgeye]

Hey yoothgeg I really like your bullhorns but the ones I've been finding at my bike shop are like 21cm how wide are yours?

No idea, they came on a bike I bought new about 16 years ago... I guess I could measure them though! haha

 

[jerrykr]

I put together a lay back seat post today.





Here's the How To if you are interested.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=76785

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[cactuspete1972]

I still want to change the cog to a 22 tooth, but this is pretty much all I am going to do to it.

 

[mongoosemoose]

CALLING ALL SPRAY-PAINT EXPERTS!!! So I sanded and rattle-canned my Beast wheels with Duplicolor metallic red. They look great, but I scratched an area on the backside with my fingernail and it scratched right off. Am I screwed? What can I do to protect the finish? Would clear coating it provide protection?

 

[Ldog33]

Clear will help a lot, some paints require it, check the duplicolor can. But if it's cured, it should not scrape off real easy. Do you know what the process is used in painting the org. wheels; are the wheels aluminum?

 

[yoothgeye]

The wheels are aluminum and painted. Should take paint pretty well with a light scuffing and then cleaning the surface with something before spraying. I use acetone. It might have peeled so easily because maybe it was laid on pretty thick and hadn't cured yet.

 

[aka_locojoe]

Amazed at all the buzz about these bikes. I've got a few Beast videos I've made on youtube and combined they've gotten 57,986 views. That's way more than all my other videos combined. Receive a lot of comments on the Beast videos too. Check out some of the comments here. Ridiculous.

Anyway I've painted mine once again. Satin Lagoon.

Previously I has painted it olive drab...

I painted my wheels with no prepping. Black like the spokes so I just touch up when needed.

 

[rickpaulos]

CALLING ALL SPRAY-PAINT EXPERTS!!! So I sanded and rattle-canned my Beast wheels with Duplicolor metallic red. They look great, but I scratched an area on the backside with my fingernail and it scratched right off. Am I screwed? What can I do to protect the finish? Would clear coating it provide protection?

Before any paint, clean the frame. Remove any wax, oil, grease, decal residue (glue). All will prevent the paint from sticking. Sand the whole frame to rough up the surface a bit. You don't have to remove the old paint, just give the new paint some pores to sink into. 5 minutes with some 120 grit will do. Mineral Spirits works to clean the frame.

For metallic paints a white primer and a thin layer of paint will look brighter. Or even a layer of white paint over primer, then the metallic. Silver might seem like a good color to use under metallic but it is super runny and very hard to work with.

I've used that same metallic paint before in red and blue. It's very fragile paint. I've learned color is everything in paints. Some colors go on a lot nicer, some are very slow to dry, etc. Let them dry for a long time, ie, days or weeks, before the next layer. I do clear coat over some of them. My most recent primer job took 3 days to dry to the touch which really slowed down the painting. It wasn't the typical 30 second self etching primer I normally use.

Final step is car wax. I use Turtle wax. It's some modern compound and dries hard and lasts a long time. I usually wait a couple weeks to let the paint finish drying. The wax seals the pin holes, pores, etc, and really helps keep the dirt away.

rick

 

[mongoosemoose]

Thanks for the info. I sanded the rims down with 350 grit (that's what the can recommended), then wiped them down with min spirits. I hit them with 3 coats of the metallic red, using light misting coats about 15 minutes apart. I then hung them in the garage for 8 or 9 days. Then I wet-sanded them with 800 grit and hit them with 2 more coats 3 or 4 days ago. The part I scratched today had no prep done to it--as it's the back side of the rim. Hopefully the part I prepped holds better. I think I'm gonna give them a clear coat maybe this weekend and some turtle wax and then cross my fingers. I'll have some pics soon. Thanks again.

 

[yoothgeye]

Sounds like you are doing everything right, more work than I usually do.

The inside of the rim probably has a little oil in it from the tubes/tires/rim strips.

 

[ED-PV]

Just started on mine...will post pics when complete!

 

[blown240]

That one looks great! What fork and front wheel is that? Will that fork fit the stock wheel?

 

[ED-PV]

@Blown:
I pulled off the original wheels and tires to use on another project (powder coated them red, you can see one of the original wheels in the background in one of the pictures). I put on a 24x4" rear wheel with the wide SA 3 speed hub and disc brakes and on front I removed the stock fork and put in a fork that I had laying around. It is an older extreme downhill mountain bike fork. I have been wanting to use it in a build The front wheel is 24x2.5 with a thick brick tire. Hope this helps!

 

[ED-PV]

Had some time to finish up the Beast build up. Turned out very nice I think. I went to 24" wheels / tires and will use the stock fat tires on another bike. Also, added a 250W electric hub on front with a LiPo battery in the frame bag

 

[deorman]

:shock: 8)

 

[blown240]

ED-PV-

Man that turned out great! Great look!

Is the electric drive a kit, or something that you put together yourself. Got any links?

On a side note:

I got my fork on last night:

 

[ED-PV]

WOW! That looks SWEET!! LOVE the fork. The electric kit I put together, you can search electric hubs and choose your wattage, then get a controller and battery. Batteries are the expensive part. I love electric assist for headwinds and days it's 100 deg in Florida

 

[yoothgeye]

WOW! That looks SWEET!! LOVE the fork. The electric kit I put together, you can search electric hubs and choose your wattage, then get a controller and battery. Batteries are the expensive part. I love electric assist for headwinds and days it's 100 deg in Florida

I love your bike, great details, just surprised you're still using the boat anchor stock cranks!

 

[asjr0803]

Look at this guy http://miami.craigslist.org/brw/bik/4210320357.html