Crazy Fat Bike Build!

[@Ali_Clarkson]

So, first Scottish trial comp coming up in just over a week, should I enter on this?

[@mistacoz]

Well, obviously.

[@thehenr]

YES

[@Ali_Clarkson]

@@mistacoz 😂

[@motopreneur8058]

That I would like to see

[@lonoreturns]

Best give it a try. Put the ridgid fork back on. Edit .. not cuz I dislike this fork, just rigid is more traditional.

[@KuroNoYuri]

As as bike mechanic I'd be really interested in seeing the Hope Hub mod!

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Then it shall be so!

[@mrbear1464]

Same thing, interesting topic

[@nk-dw2hm]

@@Ali_Clarkson i haven't opened one up before, have you had issues in the past with the ground down ones failing to engage? Could be worth including in the upcoming video just for those of who are worried about breaking something

[@htimsdrahcir]

Second this!

[@romana.2599]

For trials use 2 by a time are enough? Video would be great :)

[@dorothyclarkson772]

Hi, Algorithm, Al’s vid was a bit of cheerfulness in an otherwise bad news week, and you’ve gotta admire the Cute Thief for trekking over hostile terrain to fulfil his master’s requests when clearly he didn’t like walking in Scottish snow!

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Didn’t like walking on the snow but he sure was cute whilst doing it ❤️

[@christhrelfall80]

These vids are both hilariously funny and really informative. Absolutely loving this bike build!

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Cheers Chris!

[@juliens-creative-corner]

Loved the fast-forward edits in this vid!

[@WalkerBikes]

I often forget how good your build videos are.... probably my favorite on KZbin...dream fatbike for sure

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Aw thanks Riley!

[@WalkerBikes]

@@Ali_Clarkson I would love to know the lauf engineers reaction to you bouncing around a fatbike on its front wheel like that lol...I'm sure they're proud of their work.

[@brettclarke3817]

Love the Edgar wright nod, Shawn of the Dead is still my favourite movie ever

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Thank you, he’s my favorite director for sure!

[@bruce.KAY-bike-drifter]

I have a set of those LightBicycle Fat Tyre rims. They are fantastic. After 6 months of hard riding on all sorts of rocky or muddy or rooty terrain, they remain absolutely true. They are strong enough to handle some really big hits. When I ordered them from China I was blown away by the excellent service and quick turnaround from the wonderful staff at LightBicycle. They were such lovely people to deal with. LightBicycle - I really recommend them.

[@666louis]

What a beautiful cat. Seems chill, too.

[@Ali_Clarkson]

He’s the best! ❤️

[@raaz2.04]

those sound effects are soo good letssgooo.. thanks

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Thanks 😁🤘🏻

[@hardtailhenry1405]

that is a sweet bike! love the sound effects and you should definitely join the comp on that bike

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Thanks man 👍🏻

[@dansacco1964]

Looking forward to a review of the fork. Hard to imagine a leaf spring providing any damping. At the same time it might provide some nice pre-load if its just a spring.

[@eartharrow6772]

The forks look really interesting, I think the fibre glass would provide good vibration resistance rather than true travel

[@nk-dw2hm]

They've been very popular for gravel bikes, so I imagine with fat tires and low pressure it'd be a pretty compliant ride

[@weareallbeingwatched4602]

Leaf springs have a huge level of damping. What they don't have is small size or weight... unless you make them out of carbon and put them on a bike. The lauf fork is dead weird looking... but it works fine.

[@dansacco1964]

@@weareallbeingwatched4602 interesting. What keeps them from oscillating like a coil spring? Seems like the compression and rebound damping would always be the same and non adjustable. I assume the lauf had that figured out but its not obvious how.

[@weareallbeingwatched4602]

@@dansacco1964 internal friction, and/or the leaves rubbing on each other (as on a lorry or truck). Leaf springs don't have adjustable dampers... well... apart from on racing trucks / jeeps, where it is not uncommon to run gas dampers retrofitted to leaf springs.

[@R_milan]

I absolutely love how -even when on a fatbike- he makes every trick look so effortless

[@todd_on_bikes]

Cool! 👍🏼 and I like your concrete set up in the garden! 🙌🏼

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Haha it’s just the patio 😋

[@user-zo8cc3zy5h]

Definitely a video on the hub upgrade

[@KHos73]

Yes Ali, I would love to see how you get on with this bike at a trials comp!

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Stay tuned 😋

[@palooza90210]

Yes, please make a video showing how much to grind down the pawls!!

[@dasanoneia4730]

your bike builds are the best move over Gee

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Now that’s a compliment! 😁🤘🏻

[@StephanPluemer]

Nice Bike, Nice Build, Nice Ride ! Tank you from Germany Stephan

[@greywolf2809]

This chanel feels like “i did a thing” but more wholesome and only bikes

[@Ali_Clarkson]

I love that channel, I wish I could have that level of humor! Thanks for the awesome comment, it made me smile 😊

[@FatTraction]

Great build! Only thing I'd change is the tyres. Jumbo Jim's if you want low rolling resistance. Maxxis minions if you want to hit the trails. 45nrth Dillinger 4s or Terrene cake eaters for the snow.

[@greghenderson1362]

Love my 45nrth 4.5 studded Wrathchild tires. We get freezing rain often and a few thaw-freeze cycles here (Ottawa, Canada.) But they are expen$ive!

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Well the Cute Thief may have had a hot tip on some Minions so we should be ok :)

[@FatTraction]

@@Ali_ClarksonGreat! Can't wait to see what you do with it. Trials and fat bikes, my 2 favourite things together!

[@samuelwatson5976]

Very cool build! I can't wait to see what you get up to on it.

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Thank you :)

[@notanengineer]

"Missed the box" 🤣 Great video Ali!

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Thank you!

[@dougaljones233]

those forks are sick!

[@geriannroth449]

Ooooooh sweeet conversion love the front fork great control too

[@ElevationEveryWeekend]

I’ve transitioned to multiple fat bikes and riding them for 80% of my miles, so fun, versatile and capable.

[@banoodel5121]

Hi Ali! Great video! Really enjoyed watching it as all your other bike builds :) Little Tip for sesting a tubeless tire: You can take out the valve core so you have way more airflow! Seating a stubborn tire will be much easier Cheers! :)

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Hi! Glad you enjoyed it :) don’t worry I know about the valve core trick, I could just tell that my compressor didn’t have enough power to get this tyre inflated, it was just too baggy but thanks for the help 👍🏻

[@torist043]

Love the build! I actually have a Fatty myself and still enjoying fat biking every now and then 😎

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Fatty friends!

[@jonbraid2520]

Those forks are genius!

[@GelMibson-u2y]

with fat bike tires, once you gorilla tape and seat the bead with a tube, take the tube out and lay the wheel on a 5 gallon bucket with the open bead facing down. Gravity will bring the tire bead towards the rim edge and allow it to seal up much easier. Have done dozens of different rim and tire combos with this method and it works 100% of the time. cheers!

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Top tips, cheers!

[@CoBAT-z9w]

Love your cat (the cute thief) and the bike 😃

[@OldManFatBike]

YES! Fat is FUNNER!! Good for you Ali, good for you! I can't wait to see what you can do on your brand new Fatty 🙌🍻✌

[@Sekhmet6697]

That’s got to be one of the coolest bikes I’ve seen… hope you make lots of videos with it!

[@Ali_Clarkson]

I’ll try my best :)

[@tees_trials]

Outrageous… Can’t wait to see you beast it!!! Definitely want to know how much pawl to file off too, can’t believe I never thought of that before 🤦🏻‍♂️ Thank you grand master 🙏👊

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Thanks Al!

[@NanoDex]

You can try taking out the valve core too for faster airflow! Impressed by your bike mechanic skills, I still am scared to try wheel building! Cool bike!!

[@Ali_Clarkson]

I would’ve tried that but there was just so much space between the beads I don’t think my small compressor had enough flow to inflate it even without the cores

[@htimsdrahcir]

Even though it’s simple stuff in the garden, I just can’t get used to seeing you without a lid, I feel naked without mine! It’s like watching an early 90’s bmx video. Anyway, love the bike build videos, and super interested in the hub mods and also that fork.

[@Happyk166]

So impressive Ali, even fat bike can do trial👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@Reddingadventurehub]

Really stoked to see you build up a fat bike for trials. I’ve been riding trials on mine for a few years and really enjoy it. Totally different style of riding. Can’t wait to see what you get up too.

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Thanks dude :)

[@benlisle7623]

Love my lauf carbonara forks, quirky looks and good small bump performance.!

[@ashleytombs]

Street trials on the fat bike now there is a video idea Would be awesome to see that Scotland is probably the only place in uk that you can get snow all year around specially in the highlands lol

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Street trials will be happening 😁

[@ashleytombs]

Awesome can’t wait and don’t forget to take a couple of cans of spinach lol

[@Ali_Clarkson]

@@ashleytombs I don’t think it’s that much heavier than my inspired lol

[@ramskrall]

Absolutely beautiful bike build, the fork looks amazing with all the other quality parts, you’ll probably be using this bike much more than you think the grip and stability of a fat bike is outstanding which makes it loads of fun. Great vid and thanks for sharing 😉👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@davidmichie1449]

Those hubs!!! 😯 I'm hoping to see your orange comp bike at Kinlochleven 😁

[@Gordonhaymes]

Possibly the most inspiring fat boy I’ve seen.... pity Planet don’t make them anymore... nice build 🇨🇭🤘😎

[@gabrielafonso3538]

Comp on the Fatbike would be sick! Great vid as always 🔥

[@ThugZ3r0]

woow! what an editing! thank you Ali for gave us some good vibes through that hard times. Saw some trial and trail riding from one slavic guy Vladimir Pulyaevskii, and that was amazing! both traction on vertical cliffs and style he did street riding. Very inspiring to see more content! good luck!

[@ThugZ3r0]

pulyaevskii vladimir - Fatbike gravity, for example of riding steep

[@The_Dude_420]

The fancy sounds when doing the fast wheel build hahahaha, too good 😂

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Haha thanks 😁

[@natandirt]

Yes please show the hope mod !

[@bigbomb5904]

When you started steeping on the spokes I was like 😱😱😱

[@flurgerbla7609]

Looking forward to seeing how it will cope with your riding. Ive had some troubles with the on-one fatty frames rear dropouts with the quick release slipping.

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Yeah rear QR isn’t the most confidence inspiring but we’ll see how it copes

[@BigBanana55]

I would sure like to see a vid about that hope pro4 mod you did there, build looks great too!

[@Ali_Clarkson]

On it!

[@twinshock175]

Very cool bike, love the forks actually, just got that aggressive stance. Like to see you put it through its paces soon!

[@Cozzy-fs1mc]

Niceeee - you made that look easy 👍….. I would love those wheels and forks 😍

[@dtj9923]

Great video and a really top quality build. Love seeing a bike mechanic that actually does his own wheels. I started playing with fat bikes 6 or 7 years ago and at this point will always have a few in the garage. My daily driver is a Salasa XO1 Bucksaw and I love it. Haven't had much urge to go back to a 2.35" wide tire.

[@BleakVision]

Man, these handle bar widths are getting absolutely impractical!

[@pinionerop1188]

Yeahhhh!!! Now i'm very much interested in a review of that fork!!! I ride a little smaler one on my 29er mtb...so i guess the suppleness of this one must be even greater!!! ...and i love the look of that bike!!!

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Not sure if I’ll do a full review but first impressions are that it feels amazing for small bump sensitivity and would be perfect for trekking or non aggressive riding. It doesn’t seem to have too much ramp up progression though and bottoms out easily if ridden hard.

[@pinionerop1188]

Yeah, that all true...you can adjust the progression a bit by choosing the grade of the springs but you have to choose it when you get that fork. But think before you do!!! And since i'm not that young anymore and my riding is not that progrssive anymore i'm very happy with that fork. And I just ride it like an stiff fork and so I get along very well even on some rooty singletrails. Sometimes you just have to play a little with the tires/tire pressure. But maintainence is a pure joy!!!

[@mistacoz]

Love it. Looks like it'd be fun in a skatepark too.

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Might have too much drag but could be fun in its own way

[@mistacoz]

@@Ali_Clarkson pump the tyres up to 80psi and you’ll be reet ;-)

[@mrshaneyt43]

Definitely take that beast to a comp 👍

[@fwmtb]

I'd like to see a video on the Hope hub mod!

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Then it shall be done

[@burnsy7815]

Love these bikes, rode my mates one 5 years back and wish I bought it

[@daylightsensor8695]

love it, very original build

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Thank you :)

[@daylightsensor8695]

@@Ali_Clarkson :)

[@jamesmincher3435]

Yea defo want to see how you can improve engagement on hope pro 4 hub

[@charles_1523]

wow! that was a fast wheel build!

[@Ali_Clarkson]

New record!

[@Erickridebikes]

I need one of those right now

[@danydanzer5509]

love it. looking forward to see some real riding, even mountain biking in the mountains.

[@kel5944]

I like it. It looks really supple for landings.

[@dinxsy8069]

i've been rocking fat bike setup for past 20 years on my hucker, 3.0 gazzaloddi, super monsters. Fat bike trend was old news to us old folk even when it was "new" 😂

[@Ali_Clarkson]

The OG!

[@simonjohnson7025]

By far my favorite build

[@josephrogala6256]

I cant get over the fork man.asthetically

[@lewisblackwell6158]

Please do some fast trail riding with this thing. Would love to hear those huge tyres roll over dirt 🥵. Lovely bike btw

[@jon-boy-jones]

Hey man, great video. I have the same Fatbike, but with the standard Carbon fork ( Rigid ). It works great. In 5 years only had to replace the BB. No other bother at all. I ride mine everywhere, (all be it not to the same skill as you.). 50+ greenway miles, or drop the tire pressures and do the local trail centres. It’s way more versatile than people think.

[@ohne_speed]

Top tip for tubeless: remove the valve core! ;)

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Still didn’t work

[@razvandumitru2252]

Yes, do a video on the rear hub build. ;)

[@The_Real_JN]

Would definitely love to see a video to mod the freehub pawls!! Great vid as always ali

[@derekedwardleong2312]

Beautiful build

[@SoumikSikdar]

You are amazing, wish I had this bike ..🙏👌

[@KrankProduction]

Great video Ali!

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Thank you 😊

[@turboelephant6298]

Love it! You're going to have people salivating on the UK Fat Bike Club group on Facebook, we were all told a day in advance that you had this project coming up, lol.

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Oh yeah? Who got the scoop? I’ll have to go check the page out 😁

[@turboelephant6298]

@@Ali_Clarkson A Jonathan James Cobb mentioned it, his post entirely: "Heads up - Ali Clarkson may have something on his you tube tomorrow you'll all be interested in!" And he was right! That was a cracking video, the only thing I'd change is the On One frame to a large Trek Farley 9, which I happen to have for sale. Ahem...

[@Ali_Clarkson]

@@turboelephant6298 ah cool I know his name, nice of him to spread the word 😁 I do wonder how long this frame will last, I don’t think strength is their strong point. Shame yours is a large :(

[@Sined78711]

Superbe ! Belle réalisation, bravo ! 👍

[@robertomachadotech]

You are insane in bike trial with fat bike. Top

[@gafrers]

Brilliant. Fatbikes FTW.

[@MidwestMountainBike]

This is the last thing I ever thought I’d see you build up, but I’m excited to see it!

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Last thing I expected to build too haha! I’m excited to ride it :)

[@MannequinOngaku]

@@Ali_Clarkson i’m still holding out you might build a fixed gear freestyle bike one day. Just my personal pipe dream lol

[@cesaracosta969]

Un sueño !.. no m canso d ver el video !... felicidades esta preciosa la bisicleta

[@Create_o_raptor]

Have you ever watched your wheel build tutorial video while building a wheel?? Therapy at it's finest..

[@Ali_Clarkson]

I have not 😋

[@RUSSM8]

Awesome ! I've only ridden one once, but it was so fun. Shame it is so hard to find a fatty in XL for us larger gents... Cant wait to see you ride some mtb trails on it, even in the summer time. Although you may want knobbier tyres !!

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Cute thief is on a mission to get some different tyres as we speak :)

[@motopreneur8058]

Oh yes, fatbikes FTW. I so much want a Lauf for mine.

[@Ali_Clarkson]

I’ve heard mixed reviews, I’m not sure if mine is the soft or firm spring (the Cute Thief won’t tell me) but I feel like something a LOT stiffer would be better

[@motopreneur8058]

@@Ali_Clarkson let me know if you want to sell it 😉

[@Ali_Clarkson]

@@motopreneur8058 drop me a message on Instagram, I’ve not had a full ride with them yet but I’m feeling like they’re a little soft for aggressive riding so I’m not sure how long I’ll keep them on

[@cccpkingu]

Loving the lauf

[@Ali_Clarkson]

It’s wild isn’t it!

[@timgrant3742]

Those On One fat bikes are smart. the Forks are really weird to watch working too but very clever.

[@michiganstate149]

I've been beating on my Drift hoops for the last few years. Still perfect.

[@lynxg4641]

Now that's an interesting build for you Ali and you're 100% right, that fork is "Marmite" :-D Would be cool to try and entre it into the Trials comp, but not sure how those tyres would hold up and the fork seems to maybe be a bit light on spring rate for you. One thing I don't get, is why manufacturers don't drill fat bike rims with staggered holes to reduce the spoke angles, would help build much stronger wheels I'd think.

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Don’t worry, after some advice on tyres and forks I’ve sent the Cute Thief out on another adventure to replace these, should make it a bit better off-road and for the comp. Spoke-wise. Because this is a carbon rim you can make it double walled without much of a weight penalty. I think most alloy fat rims are single wall to save weight. The down side of single walled rims is that they’re just not as stiff/supported, the offset spokes give the extra support and stops the rim from flopping about. The only downside to offset spokes is that (in theory) they make a slightly weaker wheel as you’re reducing the triangulation of the spokes. An offset pattern starts to become more of a rectangle and rectangles aren’t as strong as triangles. Because the double wall LB rim is stiffer you can keep the triangulation of the spokes and still have a rim that’s stiff enough even without any support…plus it makes finding spoke lengths a lot easier to calculate

[@lynxg4641]

Interested to see what tyres and fork you end up with, will definitely be keeping a look out for that vid. Get the whole triangle thing, but since the hubs are so wide, I'd figure with normal straight drilling the angles would be significantly more, so offsetting them would bring them back to normalish angles :-\

[@badlarry172]

don't know weather i trust that fork for what you get up to 😵‍💫

[@ChristopherPronger]

With that hub, you don't need a bell to warn people crowding the bike lane.

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Haha I know right!

[@alimantado373]

Id really like to see a video of what you can do with the Hope back Hub pawl engagement. I have Hope hubs ;) plus there are no videos on it anywhere on utube Those Pinnd pedals look sweet.

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Consider it done 👍🏻

[@alimantado373]

@@Ali_Clarkson Thanks Ali looking forward to the vlog!.

[@TyBraek]

I’d definitely change the fork. I think it looks super weird. Bike seems a really cool. I’ve never had a bike with great brakes. I’ve never even had a bike with disc brakes lol. One day i hope to have a bike that brakes anywhere close to this fat bike

[@Ali_Clarkson]

The fork is a fantastic bit of engineering but it’s not really that great for the aggressive riding I wanna do so it will be replaced soon 👍🏻

[@saschafunk1644]

One year ago, I also bought a Fat Bike. It´s a fully with 24"x 4" wheels. I changed the breaking disks, with 160 mm, they was to small. I mounted 200 mm disks, the biggest I could find in shop. Thats why, the bike weights 30 kilos. Myselfe weights 90 kilos, so for me it is importante to can stop the bike safely and quickly. Greetings from Germany.

[@2nd3rd1st]

Awesome bike actually, I like out there designs and bikes that make a statement. Just between us, put helium in those balloon tyres for an edge in the comp. ;)

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Haha I’d end up floating away 😂

[@azonicds]

That actually looked good for a fat one!

[@Ali_Clarkson]

The cat did well

[@atomicfish8118]

FINALLY !! my dream come true, I was waiting for this video from sooooooo much time. What a wonderful bike !!

[@peterszucs6132]

The fork might not hold up jumb Jim tyres are good that frame is amazing

[@jeremycovelli]

For putting fatbike tires on.. wrap a bungie cord around the center of the tire so the bead is pressed against the wheel.. works every time.

[@zensmylie5393]

When you made the joke about not building a unicycle it got me thinking it would be awesome to see a few episodes where you build a trials uni and learn to ride and progress... just an idea.

[@Ali_Clarkson]

Love it, I’m on the case

[@zensmylie5393]

Awesome Ali, look forward to seeing it, let me know if you need any unicycle specific advice! 🤘🏼