Surly's Pugsley is the bike that brought fatbiking to the masses. Although not the original fatbike, it was the first fatbike that was widely available and offered at a price that many riders could afford. Since then, it has been updated with different frame colors and build kits each year while sticking to the same basic design centered around four inch wide tires. Surly's complete Pugsley "Special Ops" build has one of the most unique colorways yet, featuring a maroon frame, gumwall tires, and chrome rims, seatpost, stem, and handlebars. We converted this stock Puglsey to a Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14 and Gates Carbon Drive-equipped demo bike for Wheel Life Cyclery bike shop near Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They will have the bike available for customers to test ride both the Rohloff and belt drive systems.
Surly’s Pugsley frame features an offset rear end so it will fit a standard 135mm wide mountain bike hub and still accommodate the large tires. To keep the chain or belt from rubbing on the large rear tire, the frame’s dropouts are offset towards the drive side of the bike. The drive side seatstays and chainstays bend further outward from the center of the bike, and the non-drive side stays bend further in towards the center. The hub is laced off center of the rim so that the rims stays lined up in the center of the bike. Other fatbike frames feature 170mm or 190mm spaced symmetrical rear ends and specialty extra-wide hubs, but frames with an offset rear end like the Pugsley are currently the only fatbike frames that will accept the 135mm spaced Rohloff SPEEDHUB.
The Rohloff SPEEDHUB and Gates Carbon Drive combination is a coveted drivetrain for many fatbike riders. Because fatbikes are designed to be ridden in extreme conditions, the shifting components must be strong and durable enough to stand up to sand, mud, snow, ice, saltwater, and other conditions that challenge derailleur systems. All of the shifting components of the SPEEDHUB sit in an oil bath sealed within the hub shell, where they are protected from the elements and will not come out of adjustment. The hardened steel gearwheels inside the hub will also not break or wear down in these conditions. These factors make the SPEEDHUB the most reliable shift system on the market. Combined with the belt drive system -- which lasts at least twice as long as a chain, does not stretch, and requires no lubrication or maintenance -- the SPEEDHUB makes for an extremely reliable all terrain bike.
Since this special edition version of the Pugsley is only available as a complete bike, it still has many of the stock parts. Most of our builds start with a frame and get a custom build kit, but Wheel Life Cyclery liked the look of Surly's stock Pugsley build. However the stock frame is not belt drive compatible, so we sent it to a local framebuilder to get a tube splitter installed in the right seatstay. We also switched to Race Face’s Turbine cranks because the stock cranks were not compatible with the Gates Carbon Drive sprockets. Lastly, we added Ergon’s GP1 short/long Rohloff-specific grips to provide a more comfortable point of contact with the handlebar.
When Wheel Life Cyclery unpacked this bike, they said it was sure to be a popular centerpiece on their sales floor and a great way for their customers to try out both the Rohloff and the belt drive system. If you're in the Calgary area, stop in to check out this custom Pugsley and meet the Wheel Life crew. If you’re interested in working with us for a Rohloff and belt-equipped fatbike of your own, contact us to see what we can put together for you.
Build Details:
• Frame: Surly Pugsley
• Fork: Surly Moonlander
• Headset: Cane Creek 40
• Stem: basic aluminum
• Handlebar: Salsa
• Shifter: Rohloff
• Grips: Ergon GP1
• Seat post: Kalloy
• Saddle: Velo V.L. 2155
• Seat Clamp: Surly
• Front Hub: Surly Ultra New
• Rear hub: Rohloff SPEEDHUB 500/14
• Spokes: Sapim Race
• Nipples: Sapim Strong
• Rims: Surly Rolling Darryl
• Tires: Surly Nate 26x3.8
• Cranks: Race Face Turbine
• Pedals: Acros A Flat
• Bottom Bracket: Race Face
• Chain ring: Gates Carbon Drive
• Rear Sprocket: Gates Carbon Drive
• Chain: Gates Carbon Drive
• Brakes & Levers: Shimano SLX
• Rotors: Shimano SLX & Magura Storm
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