Fat-Bike Wheel Information for Weight Weenies

rolling darryl fat-bike wheelFat-bikes are, obviously, not the sveltest of rides but that doesn’t mean there aren’t folks out there who wouldn’t like to shave a gram off here or there even if it is just for bragging rights!

What we have here is a weight shootout among some popular fat-bike wheels as well as some full-zoot models. Weighed with no rim strips, skewers, rotors, bolts etc. Many have straight gauge 2.0 DT Spokes (Notation made where people spend their big money grip on lighter spokes and if bolts or skewers were included!) Could be Black or Silver but does color really affect weight? These wheels were all weighed on a Park Digital Scale at our shop and are real world weights as we have all of them right here!

UPDATED 1-30-14

Fat-bike Wheel Weights – From lightest to heaviest

  • Paul WHUB, Northpaw-S, Sapim CX-Ray Spokes, Brass Nipples, 919g
  • 11Nine 135mm 15mm Thru Axle. Northpaw-S, Wheelsmith Double Butted, Brass Nipples, 969g
  • Hope FatSno 135mm Front, Northpaw-S, Sapim CX-Ray Spokes, Brass Nipples, 975g
  • Industry Nine 135mm Front, Borealis Carbondale, Wheelsmith DB14 spokes, Alloy nipples, 992g
  • Hope 135mm FatSno Front, Northpaw-S, Wheelsmith 2.0/1.7 Spokes, Brass Nipples, 1014g
  • Northpaw 135mm Front, Sarma Naran 80mm Carbon rim, Sapim CX-Ray, Alloy Nipples, 1032g
  • Paul WHUB, Marge Lite, Sapim CX-Ray Spokes, Alloy Nipples, 1056g
  • Chris King ISO Single Speed with Marge Lite, Sapim CX-Ray Spokes, Brass Nipples, w/Fun Bolts spacers and 18t cog, 1058g
  • Paul WHUB, Marge Lite, Wheelsmith butted spokes, Brass Nipples, 1090g
  • Hope 170mm FatSno, Northpaw-S, Sapim CX-Ray Spokes, Brass Nipples, 1075g
  • Hope 170mm FatSno, Northpaw-S, Wheelsmith 2.0/1.7 Spokes, Brass Nipples, 1111g
  • Industry Nine 170mm Rear, Borealis Carbondale, Wheelsmith DB14 spokes, Alloy nipples, 1114g
  • Paul RHUB 170mm, Northpaw-S, Sapim CX-Ray Spokes, Brass Nipples, 1149g
  • Hope 135mm FatSno Front, Marge Lite, Sapim Race 2.0/1.8 Spokes, Brass Nipples, 1154g
  • Salsa 170mm Mukluk 2, Northpaw-S, Sapim CX-Ray Spokes, Brass Nipples, 1176g
  • Chris King ISO Single Speed with Marge Lite, Sapim CX-Ray Spokes, Alloy Nipples, w/Fun Bolts, 1200g
  • Paul WORD Disc Bolt-on Rear Hub (with bolts) and Marge Lite 1210g
  • Northpaw 170mm Steel Freehub, Sarma Naran 80mm Carbon rim, CX-Ray Spokes, Alloy Nipples, 1225g
  • Chris King ISO Single Speed with Marge Lite, 14/15 DT Spokes, Brass Nipples, w/Fun Bolts 1250g
  • Hope 170mm FatSno, Marge Lite, Sapim Race 2.0/1.8 Spokes, Brass Nipples, 1251g
  • Paul WHUB Front Hub with Cut-Out Rolling Darryl 1256g
  • SRAM x.9 Cassette with Marge Lite, 1280g
  • Surly New Rear Disc with Vicious Cycles Graceful Fat Sheba 1304g
  • Salsa 170mm Mukluk 2, Marge Lite, Wheelsmith butted spokes, brass nipples, 1330g
  • SRAM x.9 Cassette with Cut-Out Rolling Darryl 1510g
  • Salsa 170mm Cassette with Cut-Out Rolling Darryl 1560g
  • Large Marge using a rear Surly SS Hub 1630g (Front of a stock Pug)
  • Salsa 170mm with Vicious Cycles Graceful Fat Sheba 1672g
  • XT Cassette, Large Marge 1840g (Rear of a stock Pug)
  • Alfine 8, Marge Lite, 14/15 DT Spokes, Brass Nipples 2550g
  • Rohloff SpeedHub, Marge Lite, 14g Wheelsmith, Brass Nipples, 2725g
  • Alfine 11 with Cut-out Rolling Darryl 2750g
  • Nuvinci N360, Marge Lite, Wheelsmith butted spokes, brass nipples, 3360g

29-plus Wheel Weights

  • Hope Evo 100mm Q/R Front, Schlick Northpaw 29+, Sapim Race Black Spokes, Brass Nipples, 1058g
  • Hope FatSno 135mm Front, Northpaw 29+, Sapim CX-Ray Spokes, Brass Nipples, 1063g
  • Industry Nine 100mm Front, Surly Rabbit Hole-Silver, Sapim Race Silver double-butted Spokes, Brass Nipples, 1085g
  • White Industries 100mm Front, Surly Rabbit Hole-Silver, Sapim Race Silver double-butted Spokes, Brass Nipples, 1094g
  • Hope FatSno 170mm Rear with SRAM XD Driver, Northpaw 29+, Sapim CX-Ray Spokes, Brass Nipples, 1155g
  • Hope FatSno 135mm Front, Surly Rabbit Hole-Black, Sapim Race Black double-butted Spokes, Brass Nipples, 1180g
  • Hope Evo 135mm Q/R Rear, Northpaw 29+, Sapim Race Black Spokes, Brass Nipples, 1183g
  • White Industries 135mm Rear, Surly Rabbit Hole-Silver, Sapim Race Silver double-butted Spokes, Brass Nipples, 1252g
  • Hope FatSno 170mm Rear, Surly Rabbit Hole-Black, Sapim Race Black double-butted Spokes, Brass Nipples, 1272g
  • Industry Nine 135mm Rear, Surly Rabbit Hole-Silver, Sapim Race Silver double-butted Spokes, Brass Nipples, 1297g

In switching from my summer wheel set, which is basically a stock set of Pugsley wheels, I went from that set at 3470g to Cut-Out Rolling Darryls with a Paul front hub and a SRAM X.9 rear cassette at 2480g, I saved 990 grams or 2 pounds 3 ounces plus or minus. That is a bunch especially since it is rolling weight that needs to be accelerated.

So, if you want to save a few grams, ounces or pounds take a look at your wheel set! More on Tires to come as well as a more comprehensive article about where I saved weight on my rig when switching from summer to winter set-up.

About Greg Smith 1127 Articles
Greg Smith, known to many site visitors as Sven Hammer, founded Fat-bike.com in 2011 and the site quickly became the #1 online community for all things Fat. You can currently find Greg outfitting Everyday Cycles; a Milwaukee, WI retailer of gear for fatbikers, adventure cyclists and urban assault riders.

5 Comments

  1. Thanks guys! I’m really anxious to see the variables in the weights of the tires out there. It seems like the same model tire can vary quite a bit from one to the next. We need a list of the averages of all of them… just sayin’…

    Keep up the good work fellas!

    • HED ” Big Deal/ Yo Mamma” rim / CX-rays alum alloy nipples, Industry 9 142mm hub (ft) 177mm Hub W/ xd drive
      Front wheel 801g !
      Rear Wheel 925g !
      Valve and Gorilla tape 50g (ea wheel)
      Bike is 22.9lbs complete (pedals and bottle cage)

  2. Been rolling the Rolling Darryls. Wheels is about the only place I bothered being a weight weenie. Well, the 9:Zero:7 frame is a full pound lighter than the Salsa Mukluk and the aluminum fork. But otherwise keeping it fat!!

  3. I have a set of large marge that i have set up tubeless,use 3 cups stans notubes and a little work and your all set or you can run light 29″ tubes,Idid this on my brothers new salsa mukluk.

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