fatbike 135mm front fork? fatbike 135mm front hub for rear wheel?

[baov]

Here's a crazy idea:
If i use a fat bike front fork with a 135mm dropout spacing (like the salsa enabler fork)

, could i possibly forgo the conversion bracket? Then i could attach the front triangle into the eyelets, hopefully it won't break.
I could run single speed or internal gear hub so no need for derailleur.
Sure i'd love to use the sofrider fork, but it isn't sold separately.

Second question. Could i build a wheel with a fatbike front hub to fit into my normal rear wheel?

 

[Charles.Plager]

Hi Baov,
Short answers: I

Hi Baov,

Short answers: I think yes and yes.

Depending on your ability to fabricate things, you may be able to use the 135mm fork assuming you can figure out how to attach the chainstays. Homemade forks have been used on conversions here in the forums (I'll leave it as an exercise to the reader to find one

If you build a 135mm "front" wheel hub and put on a reasonable rim, I don't see why that wouldn't just work as the rear wheel on the conversion.

Nice OTB (Outside-The-Box) thinking.

Cheers,
Charles

 

[baov]

So i went ahead with the

So i went ahead with the fatbike fork. I chose a surly moonlander because it was the fork with the lowest crown to dropout length, but as you can see there is still a ton of tire clearance (it is a fatbike fork after all).

Problems: being very very wide, you can hit your legs on it, so you have to set the boom very short and have the BB raised very high. I have cold feet just looking at it. I'm having second thoughts about this, thinking maybe I should have just spread a fork, but then disc brakes wouldn't be aligned.

 

[Doug Burton]

You've come this far...

Go ahead and build it!

You'll have one of the few conversions that can use disc brakes!

 

[Rampa]

That makes for a much cleaner front end!

I also hope you see this through.

Curious as to weather those little eyelits would be strong enough?

The disc option is great, and probably wouldn't work if you spread the forks. To canted, I would think.

(goes to look at fatbikes)

 

[Rampa]

Ooh, Ooh!

Then couple it with a trials frame for 26 inch wheels. Add some seat struts.

 

[Doug Burton]

Bolting the chainstay to the fender tabs...

... will probably cause the bolts to interfere with the chain. You'll probably need to modify the triangle brackets or fabricate something. Id the fork aluminum or CroMo?

 

[baov]

It's cromo. I gave up on the

It's cromo. I gave up on the idea of bolting the chainstays to eyelets and found myself a guy who will do brazing to add some respectable tabs to this.

 

[Vargas]

There definitely is a market for Cruzbike forks

Wonder why they are not offered as a component of the conversion kit.

 

[baov]

Because they want to sell

Because they want to sell sofriders, that's why

 

[Charles.Plager]

Because they want to sell

Because they want to sell sofriders, that's why

That's definitely part of it (in my opinion).

 

[Vargas]

It probably has to do with production lots

In case your vendor only produces lots of 100 pieces, having 100 forks around waiting for buyers is quite an investment.
Hummm, actually there would be only 99 waiting for buyers.
Anyway it is a pity they are not available. Most kit buyers would by the fork.

 

[Charles.Plager]

i0, I think this is another

i0, I think this is another big limiting factor.

Getting back on task, I'm very much looking forward to seeing what can be done with the fat bike front fork. This might be one of the best options around (although I'd love to see an option like this with adjustable suspension ).

 

[baov]

Progress report. Here is the

Progress report. Here is the fork back from brazing. I would have wished them pointed a bit more upward because of the height of the fork and how short i'll have to set the boom but i think the guy just did it to about where the original adapter would have put it.

I'm starting to wonder how fat i can make my tires until they'd rub against the chainstays. Already imagining myself on batman's bike.

 

[Charles.Plager]

Looking very promising!
Do

Looking very promising!

Do you know how you're going to mount your rear derailleur?

I'm very much looking forward to seeing this completed!

 

[baov]

I'm putting a nuvinci on this

I'm putting a nuvinci on this so hopefully i can do without the tensioner. If not, i wonder.

 

[floridabike]

I used the Nuvinci but after

I used the Nuvinci but after some testing decided it wasn't as efficient as some of the other drives and it was heavy, but it was smooth, no question. I was able to use it without the tensioner but I also had enough movement in the dropouts to keep the chain tight. it's amazing how free the crank spins in reverse without a tensioner. A couple of pictures of my fork with the tensioner bracket that I used with other drives.

 

[baov]

Is the derailleur hanger only

Is the derailleur hanger only bolted on at the fender eyelet?

 

[floridabike]

Derailleur Hanger

No, the plate, I guess what you call the chain stays, extends below the dropouts and a larger bolt holding the hanger is threaded into that plate and a small bolt threaded into the fender eyelet.

Phil

 

[Rampa]

This fork for a FWD recumbent

This fork for a FWD recumbent might be a really good starting point. It's from Raptobike. They have both a disc only, and one with bosses. It looks like steel, so some extra tabs for the front triangle would be all that's needed. Derailleur hanger is already there. Seems to have pretty good tire clearance as well.

http://www.raptobike.nl/components/raptobike-parts/forks/26-fork-black-disc-only.html