coastrider: Isolation cycle Pt 7; a Surly Pugsley Mk1 update...

Tuesday, 19 January 2021

Isolation cycle Pt 7; a Surly Pugsley Mk1 update...

Another old original production Surly Pugsley came to me via a part exchange recently before Xmas for a (too large for myself) Extra Large Surly Moonlander that I mistakingly bought thinking it was a size Large!, You can read about that bike on the blog here; John Deere Green Surly Moonlander...

I swapped The Green Moonie with friend Chris for this size large Pug and recieved some cash to balance thing up, making Chris and myself both happy with the right size bikes now.

My own Original 2008 SurlyPugsley is a size medium (18" frame) and being 5,11" tall I stand in that odd height that comfortably fits both the medium and large size Surly frames (18" and 20"), but I have to say i now prefer the Large size having been riding this a few times now, and my new 2018 Pugsley 2.0 though different geometry is a 20" size large frame. This bike featured today I have already done a blog on, this can be read here; Mk1 Surly Pugsley Update...

With most of the changes made to set the bike up to my preferences the last job was to swap the tyres and to set them up tubeless. My preferred way to do this is the split tube method aka `Ghetto Tubeless`, this is quite easy to do and does not take long, or need any big compressor equipment etc as they can be inflated with your Garage track pump,

Start off with two 20" or 24" inner tubes to use on regular 26" wheels, some camp mat foam, tyre sealant, and a sharp Stanley knife,

Cut a strip of foam and wrap it around the rim and secure with tape, punch a hole through for the tube valve...

Put on the tube and inflate, centre it with its rib line in the centre...

Worth pasting some copper grease on the valve thread as this will prob be on a long time and it makes it possible to unscrew again after several years of salt corrosion, note the corrosion on the rim - its over 10 years old and still solid, tough as old boots these old `Large Marge` twin wall rims...

Take scissors and cut into the tube and along that centre rib line to make both sides symmetrical once all cut...

Fold over and wipe off the chalk dust...

Fit the tyre, a useful tip is push down the tube/foam as it gets tighter to make it easier to pull the tube through, finishing at the valve as it will not pull the whole lot to one side once it get to it's tightest, It can be quite sore on the fingers but persevere and you will get it. Some people use soapy water but I find your fingers slip it its a really tight fit - it depends on the rim/tyre combination and age of the tyre and if it is a bit stretched. Once the tyre is on pull the inner tube apart both sides all the way around so it is evenly sitting on both sides, and then remove the valve core and inflate to 30psi to seat the tyre on the bead,

It will then look like this below, if seated ok then refit the valve and inflate again to 30psi and leave it while you get the tyre sealant ready...

I use Schrader valves as I prefer them and to fill tyres I use a sealant bottle from another make of sealant - `Joes Sealant` but prefer to use the Stans Sealant as I think it is a better sealant, take a while shaking the bottle as it's important to get the sealant particles properly mixed if the bottle has been sitting a while...

Fill the sealant bottle with extra if it is a new tyre as you will need to seal the inner tyre wall as well as have some splashing around for future thorn punctures etc, on these tyres i had just removed over a dozen big nasty thorns from it's previous use on my Surly Wednesday wheels, so I would need to reseal those holes again so used the same amount as a new tyre-160cl...

Sealant in and the valve back in and re inflate, 20 psi is enough, then shake the wheel and rotate and retake and rotate to slosh the sealant all around...

Now take a Stanley knife and fit a new blade - this is very important as you want to trim the excess inner tube easily and do not want to risk the blade under force cutting the tyre wall, be calm and it is ok to do, A top tip is to fit a small fridge magnet - one that looks like a watch battery under the blade to lift it 2mm off the rim, This will give you a good steady cut at the same height for a neater finish, take you time

doing this and do a small section before rotating the wheel so you don't get carried away and make an expensive mistake...

Drop the tyre pressure down now to your preferred pressure - for myself on 4" tyres that's 7psi front 8psi rear, and take the bike for a cycle around the block to check all ok and get the sealant well spread around inside the walls but all should be well and the tyres fine...

This done and next morning a quick solo cycle out in the Bay and it's still fun to work on and ride these older Pugsleys, I love them as how it all started and they just work if 4" wide is as wide as you need to go. I have loads of Pugsley wheel sets with all manner of drive chain/hub options I can use on this frame set; 3 pairs of 29" x 50mm wheels in Single speed, Alfine 8 speed Internal Gear hub, regular cassette rear hub, all are reversible wheels and I also have 4 pairs of 65mm rims both original `Large Marge` like these wheels and lighter 65mm `Marge Lites`. My New Pugsley 2.0 has reversable Surly Moonlander wheels (4.8' tyre on 100mm wide rims) and while the older Pugsley cannot take this ultimate size available Fatbike wheel it covers all bases and options for 4" fat wheels and 29+ (3") widths. When out with G i ride the new Pugsley 2.0 along side her on the Surly Moonlander, but for solo rides I will prob take this old Pug out now and play around with all the wheel options to mix stuff up to blog about - and because I love tinkering with set up options on Pugs!...

I also added a Salsa Flip lock quick release, these I have sourced used via eBay and are the best seat clamps. I use them to get in the habit of removing and regressing the seat post - very important if regularly beachriding...

The Thorn cranks (£50) on the £20 VP 100mm wide square taper BB are nice cranks and will buy these cranks from now on as I need them...

They work best with a 149mm axle Bottom bracket, Some makes of crank arms need a wider axle on a Pugsley than this but these Thorn cranks can go narrower still on a Pugsley...

Not cheap at £90 the pair (you have to buy the pair), these Microshift Thumbshifters are bombproof and don't have plastic internals to fail from wet sand getting in, I love them!...

And here's a cheap trick to stop control cables rattling, a key ring....

Out and back to the point at JMCP to stretch the legs and a lovely winter light today...

Not sure exactly how many Pugsleys I have owned, rebuilt and sold on now... I think 13 now...

I love tinkering with Pugsleys and still have loads of spares and wheel sets sitting for more frames when they appear for sale. I still think the Pugsley in any frame model is the best Fatbike ever, even though I own and ride other Fatbikes that ride better with the Fatbikes evolution...

Think Landrover Series One and II`s... and their owners and fans, The Pugsley is iconic and glad I got the this 20" Pug to rebuild and ride...

This Pugsley is an original `Barney Zirple` Purple going by the frame number and I would like to get it re done in that colour but the graphite grey that friend Chris had it powder coated is a really good finish and I will wait until the bike really needs done... well maybe until this pandemic is over and the powder coaters are open again!...