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I’m in Baja California right now riding my Pugsley on the beach. I was going to post pictures from that trip, but I figured you might hate me!…=-) So here are some nice safe pics of my Pugsley Minnesota playing in the snow. I’m sure there will be many months of snow left when I get back…=-)
Happy holidays to everyone…
The Mar/Apr 08 issue of Momentum Magazine has an article about the rise of the longtail bike..=-) Since Momentum provides free PDFs of the whole magazine and posts the text of many articles to their website I figured they wouldn’t mind if I posted an image of the article with photos on this blog.
I’d encourage you to check out Momentum on a regular basis. They seem to be one of the few bike magazines in touch with practical non-race oriented cycling.
I had wanted an Xtracycle for a few years, but the plan never came together. I was worried it wouldn’t fit into my apartment, I didn’t have a donor bike to attach it to, I didn’t really love the 2 piece design, I had other bike priorities, etc… You know how it goes. Then in January 2008 I read on the Surly Blog they were making a integrated cargo bike frame that used the Xtracycle accessories and it was going to be olive drab. It must have been all those years I spent in the army and watching too much MASH, but I couldn’t help myself. I was on the phone to Bow Cycle after about 5mins of reading that post. There weren’t going to be many of these beasts made in the first production run so I wanted to get my order in ASAP. Naturally the guys at Bow made it happen and I was the proud owner of an 18″ Surly Big Dummy in April 2008.
Make no mistake about it - this is a very loooooong frame! The wheelbase on my 18″ frame is a huge 146cm [57.7"]. The design shows a lot of thought - everything is over sized and all the little details have been taken care of:
Like all the other Surly frames I’ve seen and owned it does exactly what you need it to, but they don’t add anything superfluous or unnecessary so your $$$’s go towards the important stuff not being flashy. The welds and alignment on my frame were good and the build went together without a hitch.
One thing to keep in mind with these frames is that the top tubes are really long and the stand over is really low. This means you want to really pay attention to sizing the bike by the TT dimension taking into account what bars you’ll use. If you are using swept back bars [Titec H-bars for example] you’ll need a longer TT than if you are going to use a flat bar or drops. Don’t size this bike just by the stand over or you’ll end up with a frame that’s way too big for you.
My only compliant with this frame, like all Surly frames, is that the decals are not protected so they come off really easily. Great if you want a stealth bike look [perhaps not possible with the Big Dummy!], but not so great if you like your bike to stay minty fresh as long as possible. On a positive note you can get replacement decals.
I wanted my Big Dummy to be tough and versatile. Besides the obvious role of hauling stuff I planned on doing some rough gravel/dirt road touring.
A Rohloff is spendy at $1400+, but with a service life of over 150,000kms it’s actually not any more expensive than a normal derailleur drivetrain on a $/km basis. The upside is it’s immune to weather/mud, etc… It shifts perfectly all the time and needs very little maintenance. It shifts at a stop or while coasting - very handy on a cargo bike as you can’t just lift the back end to get into an easier gear if you stop at the bottom of a steep hill and forgot to downshift. Plus if you are a bike geek a Rohloff is really cool! I’ll be posting a review of the Rohloff in 2009 and cover all nitty gritty details then.
Since the bike is so long and uses full run cable housing for weather protection you’ll want to use low friction cables and housing. Hydraulic discs would solve the problem for the rear brake. The Rohloff uses a twin pull/pull cable system rather than a single cable and a spring. This is nice because it’s pretty much immune to long cable run issues.
Wheels are important on a cargo bike that can see 400lbs+ of rider and cargo. A 32H XC MTB rim is fine up front, but the back wheel needs to be beefy. If you are using a derailleur setup get a 36H or 40H freeride or touring rim. With an internal gear hub like a Rohloff a 32H freeride rim is fine since the wheel is not dished and therefore way stronger than a typical 32H MTB rear wheel.
You need big rubber to carry big loads. The two tires I’d recommend are Schwalbe Marathon XRs or Schwalbe Big Apples. The XRs are tough expedition tires that are fairly flat resistant, have enough tread for some off road action and will last a long time. Big Apples are a lighter duty tire with minimal tread, but they give a very comfortable plush ride. Get ‘em in 2.0″ or 2.35″ width. If you get loads of flats where you live try a Schwalbe Marathon Plus - it’s slower/heavier than the other tires I suggested, but it’s nearly flat-proof and long lasting.
Handle bars are a personal choice, but you need something wide enough so you get the leverage you need to control a heavy load. A MTB riser works fine. I really like Titec H-bars for their comfortable ergonomics and multiple hand positions. I use the wide position when I need to control the bike more or when I’m just relaxing/cruising. When I want to make tracks with a light bike I grab the bar extensions in a sort of aero position. I use Ergon grips on all my bikes that don’t have drop bars. They are soooooo comfortable!
160mm discs are lots of brake for the BIg Dummy. I used Avid BB7s because they’ve served me well for years. The Big Dummy has canti posts if you want to run rim brakes.
Besides the Big Dummy frame and the bike parts you normally need you’ll have to score some Xtracycle parts. Here is what I got:
You can read about all these and other accessories here.
I’ll be posting a “how to article” in early 2009 discussing the ins and outs of carrying various typical loads on a Big Dummy - stay tuned.
Did I mention this is a long bike?…=-) You sit at about the middle of the bike. This means you don’t get thrown up by bumps the way you would on a normal bike where you are sitting over the rear wheel. Combine that with some vertical flex from the steel frame and you’ve got a uber plush Cadillac ride. The long wheelbase gives the bike a lot of stability when you get up to speed. I’ve put miles on my Big Dummy on the highway, in the city, crappy rough dirt roads, muddy roads, off road entirely and on snow/ice. The best way I can describe the ride is easy. This bike makes everything a bit less challenging and a bit more fun.
One thing the Big Dummy is not is a speed machine. With heavy wheels, fat rubber, a beefy frame/rack system and upright posture you will not crush any roadies! Having said that I’ve put hundreds of loaded touring kms on this bike with lots of climbing - it can take you places for sure. With a heavy bike and a big load you’ll start to use your momentum to get over obstacles. It takes a while to get the Big Dummy up to speed, but once you do it’s not slowing down fast either.
So what about hauling stuff? If you get the basic Xtracycle accessories I mention above carrying a couple bikes, 2 weeks worth of groceries, a filing cabinet, a friend - all are easy jobs for the Big Dummy. Light and bulky items are the best because they make you look like a hero, but are actually super easy to pedal around town. Heavy items need a bit more thought to ensure they are carried so they don’t mess up your handling. Keeping the load low, forward and balancing it left to right is the way to go. That’s not always possible though. I’ve carried 60-70lbs on one side of the Big Dummy and I was a bit wobbly starting off, but after a block or so I got the bike under control and there was no drama. With a bit of practice you’ll be amazed at what you can carry with a Big Dummy. Kayaks, ladders, book cases - whatever…if you can imagine it you can probably haul it.
The Big Dummy also makes a nice expedition touring bike. It can easily carry whatever you need for a long remote journey. It’s tough enough for the roughest roads or no roads at all! When I tour I use an OMM rack and panniers on the front to balance the load at the rear. This makes the handling really stable. The Big Dummy is a long bike to ship by plane, but people fly with tandems so it’s not a showstopper. If you are going to fly a lot with your Big Dummy you can get S&S couplers installed to make it much smaller.
The Big Dummy has really changed the way I think about bikes. My truck only moves when I need to do something for work involving long distances and lots of equipment. For just about all the rest of my transportation needs the Big Dummy takes care of me. Surprisingly the Big Dummy is a lot of fun to ride empty and I’ll take it out for a spin for no particular reason at all. The cool thing is if I’m out just cruising and decide to pick up something I don’t have to think about it. I know my Big Dummy will make it happen.
When I ordered my Dummy the only option was getting a frame and building it up yourself. This gives you total control over the build, but it’s way more expensive than buying a complete bike. Surly has come to the rescue and is offering complete Big Dummies for 2009. You can still get a frame/fork and DIY, but if you want to save a lot of hassle and $$$ just order a complete Dummy. You can check out the complete Big Dummy specs here.
So you have Big Dummy envy, but don’t have $2K+ burning a hole in your pocket? No worries there are some less expensive options that give you most of the capabilities of the Big Dummy for under $1K.
Xtracycle Freeradical Kit: This works with any MTB or hybrid to turn it into a longtail cargo bike. You can use all the same Xtracycle accessories as the Big Dummy does and the change is not permenant so you can return your bike back to normal if you want to. My friend Karen has an Xtracycle MTB and loves it. Although it won’t be as stiff as a Big Dummy when you are carrying the heaviest of loads it will still haul 200lbs of cargo. If you fly a lot this may be a better option as you can pack an Xtracycle and MTB into a single large bike box. Read more here.
Kona Ute: This longtail bike from Kona is a great value. You get an intergrated frame, waterproof bags and shorter more manuverable wheelbase for around $1K. The only real downside is Kona doesn’t have a lot of accessories for the Ute and the Xtracycle products are not compatible. Read more here.
Cargo Trailer: Almost any bike can haul a cargo trailer. This can add a lot of utility to your existing mountain bike at a very reasonable cost. They are also nice if your cargo needs are sporadic as they quickly detach from your bike and can be stored until they are needed next. You can also share a trailer amongst family members or friends if nobody needs a full time cargo bike. Read more here.
If you want to read more about the Surly Big Dummy click here, but I warn you - there is a lot of Big Dummy spew at the other end of this hyper-link! You can also read what the Surly Blog has to say about the Big Dummy.
My next post will be a review of my Surly Big Dummy so I thought I’d share some photos of what I’ve been doing with this bike since I got her on the road in April. You can see more photos here and here.
This was back when she was still minty fresh.
I started hauling stuff with her right away.
I had to pick up a Chariot child’s trailer/jogger for some friends from Bow Cycle.
I started touring with the Big Dummy. It can carry a ton and is super stable when you are bombing downhill fully loaded - rides like a Cadillac.
After the Dempster Highway she wasn’t so minty fresh any longer.
Longboard towing was a lot of fun.
Except uphill where it was a lot of work - for the rider anyways!
Sometimes you had to make tracks and it was faster/easier just to surf the Big Dummy than tow a board.
She handles ice and snow really well - although a bit of weight in the back really helps.
OMM Cold Springs front rack on my Surly Big Dummy
I really like Old Man Mountain [OMM] racks. I know this because:
![OMM Red Rocks [rear] & Cold Springs [front] on my Surly LHT](http://www.bowcycle.com/bikes/blogs/viks-picks/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/omm2.jpg "omm2")
My Surly LHT
I picked up my first OMM racks back in 2001 because I wanted to tour on the only bike I had at the time - a MTB with discs & suspension fork. If you’ve tried putting a rack on a bike with discs and a squishy fork you’ll know what a PITA it is. OMM sells conventional racks that attach at the rack braze ons found on touring bikes [the Red Rocks rear rack in the photo above for example] as well as some racks that attach via a QR mount and brake posts [the Cold Springs front rack in the photo above].
Their QR line of racks are my favourite because you can fit them on just about any bike in about 10mins or less. Wheel size, lack of specialized rack braze ons, lack of brake posts, carbon fork - no problem. When I get a new bike like the Pugsley that is really strange I know that with a bit of thought I’m going to be able to put an OMM rack on it. This is a good thing because these racks are tough and will probably out last a few bikes so it’s nice knowing that whatever you get next the racks will fit.
You can always tell a great product when it has a loyal customer base and it hasn’t changed much in 10 years. Looking at my original OMM Cold Springs rack and one I got a new a few weeks ago they are identical. Clearly a product that has stood the test of time.
Surly Pugsley w/ 2 OMM Cold Springs rear racks
Some reasons why I love OMM:
I do try other racks and I’m open to finding something better than OMM, but so far OMM is rack I reach for time and time again when I’m building a new bike.
Nearly done!
Here’s the parts list from my Pugsley build for anyone interested:
3.7" Surly Endomorphs Rock!
If you haven’t seen a Pugsley in person I can’t explain how incredibly ridiculous these tires/rims look. They are monster truck fat! I haven’t got the Pugsley rolling yet [still waiting on a crank and some small Alfine hub parts], but I leave these bad boys out in my living room so I can enjoy them as much as possible.
They are seductive so be careful. One of my buddies has already ordered a Pugsley because he just couldn’t get over how crazy fun these wheels look. It’s true - they scream - ear to ear grin. If you don’t want to buy a Pugsley it might be better if you called ahead to Bow Cycle and asked them to cover up any that might be in the shop. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
My Wheels Specs:
Cam at Bow Cycle built these wheels for me. In over 12 years I have not had a single problem with any wheels he’s built. Machine built wheels are cheaper, but if you want peace of mind get an expert wheel builder to lace you up some hoops they won’t blow up 20kms from nowhere!
I’m using the Alfine because it provides a decent gear range in a moderately priced all weather sealed package that won’t require much maintenance. With a 20T cog it is about the same as running a 12-38T cassette. I’ll try a 32T chainring upfront and see what I think. The Pugsley has horizontal dropouts to tension the chain so I’ll be able to run without a chain tensioner for a really clean look and nothing to rip off in the heat of battle. The Afline has a good reputation for working in the cold so I’m not too worried about it freezing up. It isn’t too hard to pull the internals and replace the stock grease with a light oil. This makes the hub run even more smoothly and will really resist freezing up.
Being a belt and suspenders kind of bike Surly designed the Pugsley fork to take a rear wheel so you can swap ‘em. If my Alfine does freeze up I’ll throw in the front wheel which will be running a 21T Surly track cog. Now this is a single speed hub and not meant to be run fixed. Not a problem as long as you don’t try to back pedal [the cog will unscrew] and since the Pugsley has disc brakes that shouldn’t be necessary. You could also run a single speed BMX freewheel, but I’d be afraid that would freeze up about the same time the Alfine would. Another solution is to use a Shimano rear disc cassette hub on the front and add a Surly Fixxer to it so you’d have a real fixed gear bike if you need it. If you planned on using the Pugsley as a fixed bike even when the Allfine was working that would be the way to go. For me I only plan on using the front wheel as my rear wheel if the Alfine packs it in so my solution works well enough for the unlikely emergency at -30 deg C.
Doug commented on my previous Pugsley post that you need to glue on one side of the Endomorphs if you want to run really low pressures. I’ll have to look into this a bit more and see how low is low and what pressures I’m liking for different riding coniditions with the Pugsley. I’ve never glued on a tire before so that would be a first!
A few other things to consider for Pugsley wheels:
DH left and XC right
There are two styles of Surly Large Marge rims. One is the XC variety and one is the DH variety. The XC is lighter and only comes in 32H while the DH variety comes in 32H and 36H.
Standard and Pugsley offset rims
Surly also makes both styles of rim a standard and Pugsley offset version. If you are building up a Pugsley make sure you get the Pugsely offset rims as it will match up with the extra offset in your frame.
My Surly Big Dummy and his new buddy.
I’ve been wanting a Surly Pugsley for a few years now. Reading about Doug and Jill’s winter biking exploits has been fun, but I’ve wanted a little taste of fat tire winter bike fun myself. Not that I’ll be entering any winter ultra biking races like the Arrowhead 135 or the Iditarod! That won’t stop me from heading out on my local bike paths in a blizzard for 2hrs and pretending I’m 100miles from Nome leading the field with challengers hot on my heels…=-)
While I may not be a crushingly awesome rider I do have a crushingly awesome fleet of bikes. Such fine rides do not come cheap and so even scaling back on such things as a wife, kids, dog and a sofa I still find my bike budget does not allow for all the crazy cool rigs I’d like to happen in any given year. On the other hand sometimes it’s good to wait and see if your interest in a bike lasts a while. That gives you a chance to wait for the right deal to come along and make sure you really want to make it happen.
You gotta love the fat rubber.
What I was waiting for [other than enough disposable income] was a good reason to buy a Pugsley. Sure they are cool and sure I could just cruise the bike paths in winter. However, that didn’t seem like a good enough reason to pull the trigger on a Pugsley. We all know I’ll never be a winter ultra racer so that’s out. What started to make me think I could put a Pugsley to good use was reading Epic Eric’s Alaskan Loast Coast bike/hike/raft tour blog. I really like to bike tour and it’s a shame that’s not a realistic option in the Canadian Rockies in winter. Reading about Eric’s adventure I thought there was some touring to be done in my neck of the woods while the snow was flying if I had a fat tire snow bike. Think Epic Eric and then dial down the Epic part about 95%! I’m talking about exploring roads the park service closes to auto traffic in the winter and taking some camping gear along so I can overnight it. Just interesting enough to put the “A” in adventure, but not interesting enough to put the “E” in extreme…=-)
My secondary rationale for getting a Pugsley is that I have few to zero friends that want to ride a bike 100kms+. Add in camping gear and make it day after day then mix in some mountains and there aren’t too many people putting up their hands saying “count me in”. I do have lots of opportunities to hangout with my friends doing fun stuff like car camping, music festivals, picnics, etc…regular people fun. I figure that the Pugsley would be a fun bike to bring along and ride at times like these. It seems like you can have loads of fun on it without straying too far and I’m pretty sure more than a few friends would be willing to put down their beers and throw a leg over a Pugsley.
Hauling a Pugsley is no problem for a Big Dummy or his bike.
I’d love to show you some pics of the complete bike, but all I have at the moment is a pile of parts. Although I’ve built some wacky bikes before the Pugsley is about as unusual as it gets. Two rear wheels, an internal gear hub and funky BB mean I’m going to take my time and work on it all this week one thing at a time. I probably should have waited until I was done to post about it, but I was just too excited…=-)
I don’t generally name my bikes. Not so much because I don’t want to or because I think it’s a bad idea, but because I don’t often get inspired to attach a name to my rides. However, this time a name immediately popped into my head. As I mentioned earlier Doug [author of the Minnesota Bike Commuter Blog] was one of the folks that inspired me to want a fat tire bike in the first place. He had a bad crash recently and will be off his bike until the spring of ‘09. I feel bad that I’ll be rolling on my Pugsley while he is stuck at home letting his arm heal. So in order to give Doug some props I’m naming my new winter bike “Minnesota” and I’ll be thinking about him when I’m riding the white stuff.
I should also say thanks to John Franzky at Bow Cycle for 1) putting up with all my crazy Pugsley related questions/ideas and 2) for making it happen. Talking to the Canadian Surly rep I got the last 18″ Pugsley in the Great White North until sometime in 2009 - score!
This is the Surly Pugsley at the Bow Cycle Bike Expo that I got to test. Mine will look similar except I’ll be running a Shimano Alfine internal gear hub.
