Phat Finds...

[Slick Rick]

O.K O.K. now that I have rubbed my eyes and wiped the drool off the keyboard! I HAVE TO KNOW! What exactly did you use to make that rear wheel work on the yellow one? Please be specific (please!!!). I am in the midst of playing with one of these myself. I have laced a Nexus 7-i hub into the stock 80 mm wheel and just barely squeaked by (chain clearance wise). I would really like to Redo the rear wheel w/100mm black wheel. I just finished (today) installation of a Phat linkage springer w/20" wheel that I got on the cheap! I will be lacing a 26" x 50mm black Felt hoop to the hub that came with the 20" wheel so's the disc brake is functional. I really want a wider rear wheel but it aint happening with the hub I have now! :roll:

 

[ED-PV]

Rick...sounds like you and I have been on a parallel path with these Phat bikes . I am sure you noticed that on the black one I did the exact same thing you did and laced a Nexus 7 to the original offest wheel. It is close but it works great.

For the Yellow one, I had a 100mm rim. There was no way I could see to fit a Nexus 7 on it, so I opted for the Nexus 3 speed with an offset sprocket. The 100mm rim I had is stock with center spoke holes (not offset like the stock 80mm rim). Here was my initial quick look (no measurements) to see if it would work:

Without measuring it, it looked like it would work. Laced it up and compared it to the 80mm:

At this point it didn't look like the chain would clear even with the offset sprocket. So what I did was took the retaining clip off the sprocket and moved the sprocket as far away from the hub as I could just to see if the chain would clear if I had more offset in the sprocket. It actually would...BARELY! So...it was late and I just wanted to see if I could get it to work. I put a spacer and another sprocket between the offset sprocket and hub, I put a bearing race and bearings (that I had sitting around from a nexus 3 speed I blew up in the past), tinkered around with spacers, washers and my mic tool and got everything working. What I had to do is put the bearing races in hollow of the offset sprocket and grind and mic and grind and mic until the clearances were about .5mm so everything would spin freely. I should have taken pictures of this part, but it was late in the evening and I just wanted to get it done. Probably not the very best way to do it, but it works, is safe, rolls smoothly, looks pretty good and most importantly I have 100mm in the back!

I think in a perfect world, if I had a Surly 100mm rim with offset spoke holes and about a 18mm-20mm offset rear sprocket, that is all I would need to get it to work (I am in the process of sourcing these parts to see if I can do the same for the black bike). I will keep you posted. Hope this helps! Shoot up some pics of your Phat...would love to see it!

If I can't find the offset rear sprocket I need, I have a 24x4.25 tire that I may test fit on the black bikes stock rim to see if it gives me the look I am after. I wonder what the 4.25" wide tire would look like on the yellow one with the 100mm rim :mrgreen: ...never ends

 

[Slick Rick]

You know, its funny that you mentioned the "offset" stock rear wheel. Mine is obviosly earlier than yours, I noticed that wheel after you mentioned it. That would have made my re-lace perfecto! Mine is not offset. The other thing I noticed was the tie link at the bottom of your springer. It has only two holes of the same configuration, mine has an elongated hole at the front of the linkage. This hole allows a totally un-necessary travel! Looks like PHAT saw the errors in their ways as they went! The other thing that could be beneficial is an "offset" Lacing of the wheel to allow a little "dish" to the cog side resulting in a little more clearance. Thanks for sharing, nice scores and mods!

 

[ED-PV]

Thanks Rick, I have been only lacing wheels for a couple of years and have never really tried to lace one "offset". How much offset could I reasonably expect to get? 2-3mm or more? Thanks!

 

[ED-PV]

Just found some pics of Phats that are pretty cool: http://www.hitchcocks.eu/ueberuns/seite ... index.html Some of the wheel / hub combos are pretty nice.

 

[ED-PV]

I think the next thing I am going to try out is one of these Surly rims laced offset to the cog side:


http://harriscyclery.net/images/library/catalogs/soc/prodl/WE4810.jpg

 

[Slick Rick]

I have been lacing wheels a bit longer than you, but as of yet have not done an offset lace.I will research it and be sure to share. The rear wheel on mine has to come apart anyway for powdercoat so it will match the front.

 

[ED-PV]

You know, its funny that you mentioned the "offset" stock rear wheel. Mine is obviosly earlier than yours, I noticed that wheel after you mentioned it. That would have made my re-lace perfecto! Mine is not offset. The other thing I noticed was the tie link at the bottom of your springer. It has only two holes of the same configuration, mine has an elongated hole at the front of the linkage. This hole allows a totally un-necessary travel! Looks like PHAT saw the errors in their ways as they went! The other thing that could be beneficial is an "offset" Lacing of the wheel to allow a little "dish" to the cog side resulting in a little more clearance. Thanks for sharing, nice scores and mods!

Hey Rick,

Just picked up this Phat Chopper on CL near Atlanta for $100! I was looking at the springer fork on it and it is just like you describe with the elongated hole on the bottom bracket. This is definitely an earlier version of the Phat First Class. Probably right before the Phat Whopper Chopper. I think I am going to take the springer and put it on one of the Nirve Choppers and take the 7 speed and lace it to a 3" rim and put it on one of the other bikes...or maybe put it on the Nirve also.

 

[Slick Rick]

Thats a SCORE for a C-note! The fork is worth easy twice that much, and a nexus w/roller brake to boot! Mine is like this but disc brake equipped.

 

[ED-PV]

I know...right! I have family members that live in Atl that were willing to pick up the bike for me!

 

[Uncle Stretch]

Since you like the 100mm rims....Sachs makes a 7 speed with a coaster brake.
They are a little wider and use a shifter like the Nexus 3 speed has. It doesn't
get in the way of an offset sprocket. I used one and it was wide enough that I didn't need an offset sprocket. If you look they are around. :wink:

 

[ED-PV]

Since you like the 100mm rims....Sachs makes a 7 speed with a coaster brake.
They are a little wider and use a shifter like the Nexus 3 speed has. It doesn't
get in the way of an offset sprocket. I used one and it was wide enough that I didn't need an offset sprocket. If you look they are around. :wink:

Great info! THANKS! I will have to see if I can find one. Do you know if they make one with roller brakes? Just love to freewheel

 

[ED-PV]

I am searching around...is Sachs the same company as Sram? THANKS!

 

[ED-PV]

Got a Sram S7...the OLD is 130mm. Will lace it onto a 100mm hub and see if the clearance issues are resolved.

 

[Henry morgan]

i know a guy who has one with an electric motor on it, anyone wants it let me know I will get you a price