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I have been trying to buy a fat tire bike all over town and you can’t buy one. You can’t buy a tire or a tube or a wheel or a rim. All the parts are on back order.

Anyhow I decided that it was a wise decision to buy a Mongoose Malus advertised on craigslist. This is one fat squishy beast. It is a monster bike.
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I had never been on the style of bicycle before and it’s a very interesting to ride. At first it feels like a flat tires, but then you get going and it feels bouncy and fun.

Nice pickup

Are those tires for trail riding.
 
Yes pretty knobby, and that’s not what I have in mind at all. But a tire is a tire for now

I did take this bike out twice and it was a lot better after some adjustments. The rear cones were loose, neck bearings were loose, the brakes and shifters were on the wrong handlebars, and the derailer was so poorly adjusted couldn’t get into high or low very easily.

I decided to check the pressure in the tires because they felt really gooey, and the side wall says 20 PSI max (but no min.).

The tires had less than 10 psi in them. My gauge didn’t even move.

This thing has massive traction on the asphalt when the tires are soft and you can cut some pretty crazy circles.

I had to restrain myself because I was having too much fun. I am, after all, a senior citizen.
 
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From someone who rides around on boneshaking 23mm racing tyres pumped up to 120psi, I can only imagine what squishy comfort that ride affords you, lol.

Most important detail by far though....it has a drinks holder for your favourite tipple, lol.
 
You must have some nice roads and tough nuts Eso, I get by on 25mms around 90psi and still some of the beat up chip-seal and repeatedly patched asphalt around here...
Ulu you try that bike on sand or mud yet?
 
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You must have some nice roads and tough nuts Eso

Roads are only average, and yes, I have particularly tough nuts, well weathered and road hardened. Padded cycling gear helps enormously too, lol.

I prefer skinny tyres and max tyre pressures for less rolling resistance. Easier pedalling, faster speeds.

Hats off to Ulu Ulu for being able, at his age, to pedal his fat bike, though he did say the terrain is favourable where he lives. It's not something i'd like to do in lumpy old blighty!
 
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You must have some nice roads and tough nuts Eso, I get by on 25mms around 90psi and still some of the beat up chip-seal and repeatedly patched asphalt around here...
Ulu you try that bike on sand or mud yet?

No, and that’s not why I bought it. I rode it on smooth asphalt with about 5 psi in the tires.

I will pump it up to 20 and see what blows.


. . . I prefer skinny tyres and max tyre pressures for less rolling resistance. . . . he did say the terrain is favourable where he lives. It's not something i'd like to do in lumpy old blighty!
I am blessed by the fact that if I need to go a long distance or quickly I have Toyotas at the ready.

The bicycle is for exercise, and you can get the same exercise in 10 minutes on a really heavy slow bike that it takes you an hour to get on a racer.

Also when you fall off the heavy bike you’re only going 8 miles an hour and when you fall off the racer yer going 30.

The “English racing bike” (What we called them skinny bikes back in 1960) doesn’t give you any exercise when you’re going slowly.

On the other hand it’s fun to ride fast, which is why I own a motorcycle.

I’m going to run a fat tire in the back, on the street, as a cheater slick (which means I’m going to shave it ) and I’m only gonna run it on the back. On the front I will run a somewhat smaller and more ordinary tire.
 
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Okay so you guys don’t know that I entered a bicycle building contest.

If you wanna see what’s going on it’s over at a forum called “rat rod bikes.”

I’ve been doing mock ups for several days now out on the concrete, to see what I can dream up, and so far it doesn’t look like what any of the other people are building for this contest.


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160mm motorcycle tire (weighs a ton!)
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Now you've gone and done it! I doubt a bunch of us are gonna want to join "ratrodbikes" just for updates on this epic build.....especially when you can keep updating your own thread on here!

Looking forward to seeing how your build progresses.
 
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