Surly `KramPug` aka 29+ Pugsley, update and a look at KramPug builds and where were at now...

This is my 5th summer riding 29+ wheels on a Surly Pugsley which I termed ‘KramPug’ after the Krampus wheels that are off set offset with 2 rear hubs,  after i was given a pair of single speed offset 29+ wheels from Tyler when he worked at Surly bikes as a thank you for all the `Pug Lovin` over the years...
He termed the set up a ‘PugPus, but I prefer KramPug and it seemed to catch on, A lot of Pugsley owners now also own a pair of +wheels for trails where 4” fat wheels are not needed and you get two bikes in one...

Those original wheels in single speed mode would spin out a lot of miles as i rode daily during a hot summer riding daily to work then to visit my late father in the nursing home before a detour ride home, always riding with dads words he said to me in my head; `Make the most of your life and health to live it`..

And it was a great summer and following winter riding trails above the coast...

MTBR USA Surly KramPug Thread...
I started a thread on the USA Fatbike Forum titled; Surly KramPug thread.... and although i am not on there myself much these days it chronicles this Original Fatbikes evolvement taking  29+ wheels...


KramPug 29+ wheel set No2...
A second 29+ wheel set came about when i was kindly given another pair of Rabbit Hole rims and 29 x 3" Surly Knard Tyres from good kind friend Gary B, these wheels went on another Surly frame build with smaller tyres (A Karate Monkey) but would end up on a 2015 Surly Pugsley which got the now for myself signature (not available here in the UK)  orange Pugsley graphics and would sadly have to be sold to keep the wolf from the door as my previous job started to go south and wages were cut...

This was the bike below as sadly sold on to pay bills etc.., it was sold with the 29+ wheels and i kept the orange rim fat wheels that i still have...

 More Pugsleys!...

There was another two Pugsleys i built up with both fat wheel sets that also shared the 29+ wheels in there brief life at CK HQ, an olive green Pug...

And a re coated lovely yellow Pug that along with the green pug were sold on with 4" Fat wheels...

This bike was built from the Surly ECR frame set i sold on and i think is way better than the ECR as bigger and wider (being 100mm BB)  front frame triangle allowing a bigger frame bag which can carry more items. You also get loads of tyre clearance using a fatbike frame, handy for you mud pluggers out there!...

Two bikes in one...
And that is where i have kinda ended up with on the 29+  builds, a new bike (Surly Wednesday with suspension forks and dropper post)  which frame replaces a Krampus as near identical but the advantage of Fat wheels and + wheels, and a KramPug, recently with a Shimano 8 speed Alfine internal gear hub (IGH)

The build was on my old original Pugsley frame and was last used with these wheels last September on a commute via some harvested fields...

That bike is now stripped and blasted awaiting a repaint in original colours and built more or less as bought and ridden for the first couple of years , more on this once complete...

Surly Wednesday 29+
The Surly Wednesday with 29+ is deft a more fun handling bike for razzing along out the saddle...

While a KramPug with it`s flexi comfortable Pugsley frame and the BB raised an inch from the big cart wheels may not handle as good but makes a comfortable all day in the saddle xc bike with good clearance for riding lesser used paths, trails and grass field boundaries, there is no shame to it`s 12 year old design and still holds its own against much newer and more expensive bikes,
I have dabbled in the cockpit with Jones Loop bars and Salsa bell lap drop bars but mostly ride with regular bars with the Jones sitting to fit to the bike when wanted....

The drop bars i tried a few years back worked well off road but i now prefer the Jones loop bars to drop bars for offroad cycling...

2018...
So to the present and my current Pusley i ride is a 2013 black frame set with older offset fork and  is currently geared  1x10 (with stealth 22t `Granny` front chain ring), same as the Wednesday,

But the KramPug wheel set has an Alfine hub...

So i wondered if i can swap out the Alfine IGH hub for a Shimano

XT hub to run regular gears and not have to break the Ghetto split tube tubeless set up and the faff to re do it again, one way to see...

Stripping the hub out was a quick job with the rim soon minus spokes and hub and the spoke nipples in place, the spoke nipples moved about a bit but pumping up the tyre a bit kept them in place...

Next day and a warm afternoon so a cider poured and the rebuild of the wheel, with a Shimano hub the spokes length of 284mm were soon laced on one side, making sure the right way up to the hub was laced for the 17mm offset of the Pugsley!...

Drive side in place i flipped the wheel and laced the non drive side...

A quick tension then fit the wheel in the Pugsley frame to check alignment...

As you can see it is tensioned off centre so i pulled the wheel central across by loosening the drive side two turns then tightened the non drive side two turns and perfect...

Of course truing the radial of the wheel cannot be done with the tyre on but i would have set the wheel jig inside the rim if needed but the wheel was true enough to be happy with the build...

So hub swapped and Ghetto tubeless tyre still intact!, then just a case of adding a disc rotor and a 40t Sunrace 10 speed free hub on it`s way in the post and good to go...