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How to trap a Fat Bike

Have you ever wanted to trap your fat bike and can’t figure out how to make it fit?  I have.  And I got sick of being forced to ride my skinny bike because of this problem.  Luckily I’m redneck enough to figure out how to Appalachian Engineer something that exists into something I want.  And I didn’t even use Duct Tape.

I have quite a few traps, some Rocky Mountain with key locks but for this project I converted a standard Saris Trap.  I’m sure there is a model number and style out somewhere on the interwebs, but for the most part just head down to your local bike shop/club house and pick one up.

You can mount these little suckers just about anywhere.  For this experiment I modified the one on the back of my Big Dummy.  I know right? Me on a Surly, weird. The Big Dummy is still a skinny bike, but I’m working on fattening her up, stay tuned for that update.  In the meantime, back to the project at hand.  I use my big dummy to haul beer, puppies, girls and bikes.  I tried a few different methods to haul the fat bikes, and finally figured it out.

1.  The Saris trap has a 5/16 quick release axle.  Take that out.

2.  Head down to the hardware store and get yourself some nylon spcers, a 3/8 inch threaded rod (12 inches will be plenty), some 3/8 inch washers, lock washers, nuts and wing nuts.  The thread pattern will most likely not be the same as a surly axle, but that doesn’t matter as you won’t be using the wheel axle or the  bike nuts (ha ha, “bike nuts”).  You might be able to use 5/16, but I obviously believe in “The Fatter the Better”.

3.  Drill out the 5/16 inch hole with a 3/8 inch drill bit.

4.  Insert the 3/8 threaded rod with nylon spacers on each side and secure them with a nut on each side.  I tried placing washers on each side to but the fit was a little tight.

5.  Set your Fat Fork onto each side of the threaded rod and see how it fits.  Depending on the size of your spacers, you may want to add some washers inside of the spacers.

6.  Throw on a washer, a lock washer and a wing nut (in that order).  I don’t have the first washer included in this pic.  Sometimes, I learn the hard way.  Now, I like to use wing nuts because they don’t require a wrench every time I want to take my wheel on and off.  If you want to wrench on it, go for it.  But then you have to say that and you don’t care for “Wing Nuts”.

7.  Finger tighten the wing nuts on each side.

8.  BOOM!  Ride around town to show everyone how cool you are.  If you thought people stared at you when you were riding a fat bike, wait until you see the looks of riding a cargo bike, hauling a fat-bike.

Spinner's Towing Service

And there you have it.  Get ready to live!  Now you can ride gears through town and tow your single speed to the single track.  And if you’re so inclined to build a pick up bed for your Big Dummy, you can haul beer and your trail shredding booze hound.

Spinner's Puppy Hauling Tow Service

 

Starring:  My Lovely Assistant, Vivian the Booze Hound and Ron Moffit, Male Hand Model

 

P.S.  You look Reeeally Nice Today…

3 Responses to How to trap a Fat Bike

  1. Beau May 23, 2012 at 1:44 am #

    Nice dog man!

    That’s all.
    Beau.

  2. Antoine May 23, 2012 at 9:14 pm #

    Thanks, I’ll be trying this out on my trailer at some stage.

    I sometimes think I’m the only one running a singlespeed fatbike (5 year old Pugsley) and then I see 2 in your post! (I like the looks of that black one)

  3. K8 June 11, 2012 at 12:38 pm #

    Now thats sweet !

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