|   Fat Freds update | Jan_Gerrit
Jan 19, 2002 3:13 PM | | Okay, so my front wheel (X517/CX-Rays/Deore) sealed up first try yesterday. Now I tried all day (well, a couple of times, at gas stations), but the identical rear wheel won't hold the slightest amount of air. The tapejob is a beauty, if I do say so myself. Would it be that the front happened to have a Schwalbe plastic strip around it? Extra tape layer and even a Maxxis Ultralight strip wouldn't help. Will have to ride the rear wheel with a Specialized Turbo tomorrow, for I have no more plastic strips and don't feel like trying with cut innertubes anymore.
The initial short road test for the front Fat Fred was ok, gave me a very confident feeling.
About the tire.
It feels very flexible, but when you get the 2.0 version, you know that the 2.35 is really build beefier by quite a margin.
I just inflated 3 Freds to exactly 2.3 bar (SKS floorpump), 2 Fats of which one latex, and a 2.0. The 2.0 feels (pressing with my hands) much softer, mostly due to the smaller size I'm sure. The latex Fat Fred feels softer than the one with the Turbo tube. Just as expected, but still cool to be able to feel it yourself.
Schwalbe says 2.0 bar minimal for the Fat and 2.5 bar for the 2.0". But 2.0 is already quite a lot for the large volume tire, I'm sure it would be enough for me, especially with a tube inside. And I'm 85kg...
So how big is a claimed 2.35" really?
Well, for comparison, my 2.0", at 2.3 bar, measures about 4,2cm high and 4,7 wide. The Fat Fred tops both measurements with 1 cm : 5,2 high, 5,7 wide. No exact measurements, just with the naked eye and ruler. At least the full 2.35" will not be reached, even at maximum pressure (though I won't be trying that).
Man, I really hope this tire is overall fast, comfy and grippy enough for me to do my whole season of racing on it, apart from some extreme exceptions. Preferably rigid even, my Steinbach fork is a full 700g lighter than my already sub-1300g Judy with Englunds. I wonder if I'll be able to take the beatings of agressive sports, racing for podiums. Hope the planned twice-a-week visits to the gym will help me with that, I feel really fragile lately. Clearly rigid should be faster if the terrain doesn't get too bumby and the tires are big enough.
I will probably test the tomorrow, my club has a 60km singletrack route planned. All our own pace. Local clubs set out a course and people come to follow the arrows. Great way to find all the good trails without stopping, it's often a solo race.
I'll be riding both at 2.3 bars, seems safer to start above the minimal pressure with my weight, even if they feel too hard now standing in my appt. Will lower them if needed soemwhere halfway the 60km probably, when I trust the seal on the latex one. They're on my second (rigid) VooDoo Bokor, which I bought as a spare, since VooDoo seiced to exist.
Will keep you posted!
Happy trails, Jan Gerrit |
| Hmmm, my SKS pump starts at 0 bars, not 1... | Jan_Gerrit
Jan 19, 2002 3:31 PM | | does that mean that I should lower all pressures with 1? The minimal advized 2.0 bars would then be 1.0 on my SKS, right? That would explain why I think 2.3 bar for the 2.0" is very ridable, and 2.3 for the 2.35" even on the hard side.
Please reply, I'll check this thread when I wake up early morning, Europe time...
Thanks! |
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