It’s a source of constant fascination, everywhere Kurt rides. Trails, dirt roads, pavement, sand… and even snowmobile tracks.
Old Peruvian ladies lean over and gently squeeze tyres, as they would a grandchild. Kids scuff their feet and mill around; coolness by association. Is it a motorbike? No, he explains patiently, for the umpteenth time. How does it ride?
A smile.
Like a bike. With fat tyres, he replies.
Bike: Surly Pugsley
Wheels: Large Marge, 36H (DH offset at back, XC up front)
Those tyres? 26x4in Vee Rubber Originate Devist8tor, run at 4 to 25psi (snow to pavement)
Racks and bags: Kurt’s own design and fabrication
That saddle? Spider Flex
Follow Kurt’s epic, round the world fat bike ride @ Bike Grease and Coffee… Feliz Viaje, amigo.
Bike, grease and… who wants to sponsor Kurt some coffee?
Nice! You didn’t mention that he’s a really nice guy, and probably, if possible, more of a bike nerd than we are… 🙂
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Nice post with some B&W!
Love the look of Kurt’s bike. When we next cycle through Peru, we’ll have to lay our paws on some. It’s got 10cm wide tyres?! Wow!
Love the shots of the bike-hike down the upper Rio Cañete!
When I come back… I’d like it to be on one of these…
http://surlybikes.com/bikes/ecr
That rear rack/pannier setup looks fantastic.
It is. And custom made by Kurt – great design and very impressive quality. Ironically though, he’s decided to go light(er), and will be sending his front and rear rack back to the States, to be pressed into service at a later date, when he crosses Africa.
Nice write up and photos. Love the feel of the B&W.
Curious as to the reliability of Kurt’s Pugsly in remote areas. Especially considering the specialized parts on a pugs. Any special mods?
Thanks – really like your illustrations btw.
Kurt’s main issue is tyre wear – so he arranges to get new rubber sent out along the way, or friends to bring replacements out. Still, the nice perk about a fat bike over a 29er is that you can always throw on a 26in downhill tyre if need be, of which there are plenty in these parts. Limiting rim width to 65mm (Large Marge) keeps this as an option. And, wheels-wise, he went the bombproof rather than lightweight route – 36H front and rear, no cutouts, and the DH version at the back. That, and the big, protecting tyre and rim-saving discs, should mean he’s all good for the long haul.
Tyres apart, most of the gear on his Pugs is pretty standard, bar the crankset. He’s an ace mechanic, with no qualms about stripping stuff down to the bone or rebuilding wheels if need be.
I will have to say that Davie Hogan, the dirt eating battle pug has been a true champion. For all of the U.S. (Main to Florida) and half of S. America (Colombia, Ecuador and Peru) He has grumbled not a peep. Thousands of miles of off road action with nothing more than typical wear ie; bottom bracket bearings, pedal bushings, grips and tires. Tires being the bigger deal, literally. I’ve been running 26×4″ Origin8 Devist8ers (by Vee Rubber) 120tpi/ folding bead. I’m on my 3rd set, averaging about 4000- 4350 KM each. Apon changing they were baby butt bald but still rideable, no cords making their debut yet. At $60 (retail) a tire they are real bang for the buck and I recommend them over other more expensive options. http://www.bikegreaseandcoffee.com/2013/10/tubeless-in-park.html
I absolutely love riding this bike. Asked if I would choose a to ride fat bike again for this world tour? I would say: yes… just not naked and backwards
Thanks Cass! I appreciate both your checking out my illustrations and for the information.
Thanks to Kurt as well for the info.
Happy pedaling to you both. I’ll be following both your adventures.
I made a video of a couple of bike trips if you are super bored and have a wi-fi connection: http://vimeo.com/brianraszka
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Hello, Ive been reading up on your posts about these fat tires and just want to ask if you think that is a practical set up for biking the length of Latin America. Ive had it on my bucket list for years to bike from Mexico to Argentina and feel like I’ll be making it happen soon. Are there enough small, back roads away from the highways that would make it worth it to go with this kind of set up? I biked through Ethiopia and parts of Uganda and was at times disappointed that I couldn’t go down certain roads because of rough riding. A couple days on dirt in Uganda with a mountain bike was even pretty brutal. Thanks so much for the feedback!!