Thursday, December 22, 2011

Old Large Marge versus New wider rims...

Sometimes size does matter :)

From Tuscobia...so it goes.
Posted by at

12 comments:

  1. AriDec 22, 2011, 10:09:00 AM

    I see your point but the large marge is a more durable rim since it is double wall and not single. It was a rim designed for snow, sand and bog riding in the summer. I just built a moonlander with 100mm rims and 4.5 tires. It must just float on snow.
    Ari

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  2. AnonymousDec 22, 2011, 10:58:00 AM

    Don't get me wrong...I love the large marge. An amazingly tough rim. Plus I can't afford to have more than one wheel-set for my Pugsley. But in some "rare" snow conditions they lack the "float" of the wider rims...but still I ain't running out and buying anything new...
    Hugs,
    C

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  3. AnonymousDec 22, 2011, 12:16:00 PM

    Charlie, chew on this. Rim width to bike and rider weight, rider power to rotating weight, PB 100's iditabike, DP 65's AH 135, MC touring the AH on 100's, you on the top step, money spent on your bike the new performance enhancer. ?'s Contact me thru Simmons. PW

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  4. Charly TriDec 22, 2011, 3:49:00 PM

    Char Char,

    Not only the bigger rims, but weight distribution on the bike and tires make a big difference as well. I was running the big fat larry's which measure almost a centimeter wider and higher than the regular fat tires. Also, I don't know about you, but was as low as I could go on the PSI levels. It was a combo of reasons I say. The primary reason was that I was just going so fast that the snow didn't know what hit it.

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  5. rideonpurposeDec 22, 2011, 5:09:00 PM

    It's frightening that you might need 3-4 wheel/tire combos to really be a "threat" at a fat bike race pending conditions. The gear is crazy specific at the top. In a way it's getting as specific and almost as expensive as a time trial wheels.

    Or would the wide ones be as good as the narrow ones if it were more firm? I know Lance told me previously that the narrow ones were lighter/faster but there are new rims out there now too.

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  6. AnonymousDec 22, 2011, 5:52:00 PM

    On a fast hard-pack snow track....the narrow rims (the large marge 64 mm) would be faster, or just as fast, in my opinion. Weight distribution matters to some degree, but from my experience,...testing many different packing set-ups, the packing distribution is not as important as rim-width and air-pressure in the tires. Personally I don't like having a lot of stuff on the front of the bike as it seems to messed-up my steering and causes the bike to track erratically. Probably the best case scenario is to have the heaviest stuff packed as low as possible in the middle of the bike using one of those frame packs...In any event, I am waiting for the 133 mm carbon rim that is coming out in just a few weeks (in time for the Big Dance in I-Falls)...
    CPF.

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  7. AnonymousDec 22, 2011, 6:01:00 PM

    Charlie, Rick has measured them to be 132.5 and just for the moonlander. PW

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  8. Charly TriDec 22, 2011, 8:09:00 PM

    Multiple wheels and tires? I have one set of tires, one set of wheels. I happen to think the 80mm rims are a good compromise in float/weight and that the Big Fat Larrys hold no disadvantage over the regular fat tires, but can come in handy like the first part of Tuscobia. I am excited for the carbon rims, should be pretty cool and I expect Farrow to be rocking them before anyone else.

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  9. NickDec 28, 2011, 7:27:00 AM

    It was really interesting to see Charly's floating tracks at Tuscobia vs. Farrow's. Following both of them and Novak, it was obvious that Charly had the advantage with wider tires/rims. Or maybe he was just riding fast enough to float over the top of the punchy, crusty snow. Sorta like walking on water.

    In case you're wondering, Big Fat Larrys do clear on 64mm Large Marge Rims on a Pugsley front fork. If you're running single speed, you don't have to worry about chain rub in the rear. However, they don't really expand out much due to the narrower rim. I measured my Endomorphs at 94mm, and the Big Fat Larrys as 103mm on a Large Marge Rim. Not too significant, though this was measured at 12 psi. The squashed out footprint would be arguably the place to measure this difference, which I neglected to do. The weight difference in the Big Fats vs. the Regular Larrys is only about an ounce or two, but there is a significant cost difference.

    I think Charly is on the right track with the 80mm rim compromise and Big Fats.

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  10. J-NoJan 2, 2012, 6:54:00 PM

    Good info Nick. Doen't seem like much, but it is a 10% difference. I wonder what the BFL's on the 80mm wheels measured out to be?

    Tri was running a single cog in the front. I'm guessing that would take care of any chain issues?

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  11. Charly TriJan 3, 2012, 4:44:00 PM

    If I remember right I measured Novak's regular larry's on Uma's at 92mm, regular larry's on my 80's at 99mm, and Big Fat larry's at 107mm. I can not give testament that about air pressure (mine was really, really low), but the bigger tires did make a difference.

    Even with the tires I was concentrating heavily on a smooth cadence as to not bounce the bike. I grew very frustrated with that first section, I can't imagine how others felt.

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  12. AnonymousJan 4, 2012, 9:41:00 AM

    I felt very sad...I felt alone...I felt like a motherless child....I also felt envy for Tri's youthful leg power.....
    C

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