Road Trip 2018 First Stop in Bethany, Missouri
Back in September, we spotlighted the Fatback Big Su Wheelset and after a couple months of gnome roping, we’re back with a full review. I’ve been running the Big Su’s on my ‘murdered out’ Fatback Corvus FLT – [code name: ten beers] with a set of Schwalbe 26×4.0 Jumbo Jims (tubeless). I took a road trip in October, so the Big Su wheels tasted dirt in Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah and (of course) Wisconsin.
Wilson Lake, Kansas
The Big Su’s are 640g and that’s nearly as light as some double wall carbon rims on the market at a much lower cost. The Big Su’s are $175 Compare that to a 575g Whiskey Parts #9 Rim at $500. The Big Su’s come with tape and valves too, which is nice because they set up tubeless very easily. The tubeless marriage between the Big Su and the Schwalbe Jumbo Jims have held air the entire time and we never suffered a puncture or bead burp running between five and twelve psi.
Great Sand Dunes National Park
This set of wheels has been trouble free from start to finish. No weird noises, no problems what so ever. As far as how they ride…I went from running a set of Carbon Plus Bike Rims to testing the Big Su’s (on the same frame/fork) and really didn’t experience any letdown or negative effects. The combination of the fast rolling Jumbo Jims and the svelte Big Su’s made these wheels feel like they accelerated as quickly and easily as the carbon wheels. The big Su’s are light, stiff and quick to accelerate.
The Fatback Alaska Edition hubs have also proven to be trouble free through the sixth wettest October ever recorded in Wisconsin. The rain seemed to follow me everywhere I went, on the trip out west and these wheels took on those sloppy autumn conditions with aplomb. This is a new series of hubs for Fatback. Fatback was the first to come out with both tubeless fat-bike rims and 19omm spaced hubs and they haven’t ever stopped making improvements to every piece of the puzzle that goes into creating bikes made to explore the most rugged places on earth. (…and also Wisconsin).
Glacial River Mountain Bike Trails, Jefferson, WI
Cam-Rock County Park, Cambridge, WI
The Big Sauk Prairie SRA, Sauk City, Wisconsin
The Big Su Wheels strike a balance between being light, strong and possessing easy tubeless setup and prove that you don’t have to break the bank to afford a great set of wheels for your fat-bike. The wheelset as tested (without the tires) is $699.
The Big Su Wheelset from Fatback Scores 5 out of 5 gnomes
For more information about the Fatback Big Su Wheels visit – www.fatbackbikes.com
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