I got a Mukluk last fall and was blown away at how fun and versatile it was. I was so impressed I sold my FS29 and started scheming the ultimate summer build for my Mukluk: 29+ and a Lefty
The back half of the project is fantastic. The West Hill Shop in Putney VT set me up with a Rabbit Hole + Hope FatSno wheel. Clearance is tight in the forward-most position, but might be OK for dry conditions. There is plenty of room for singlespeed chain tensioning.
The front half is what's giving me fits. I read about the folks using a Lefty wheel with Flow rims with no problems, so I figured I'd try to push the envelope using a Salsa Gordo 35mm rim. ProWheelBuilder.com still has them in stock, so I had them build up a wheel for me. They are excellent to deal with, do great work and are a remarkable bargain considering the quality of work and excellent customer service.
Using a 2012 alloy Lefty (with the awesome Project 321 conversion), the Knard rubs VERY hard with left hand turns and any compression of the suspension.
It's clear to see that the mold-release nubbies are giving Lefty butterfly kisses. The barrel flares as it goes up toward the lower clamp, making the tire rub progressively more and more. If the leg were a perfect cylinder of the smaller diameter, it would work.
I borrowed a wheel with a narrower rim to see if that would help. It did, but it still rubs with left hand turns at the end of travel.
Stuffing the Knard onto a 25mm rim looks wrong, although it doesn't really mess with the profile as much as I thought it would.
The Gordo still looks a little anemic compared to the Rabbit Hole, but much healthier than the 25mm Sun Inferno.
So, now the calculus begins:
1. abandon my suspended 29+ dream, stop throwing time and money at a non-problem and build it back up as a proper fat bike (selling my new stuff at a loss)
2. find a fork that works, potentially throwing even more time and money at a non-problem
3. mess with the wheel, re-dishing it off center enough not to rub - I'm not too psyched about doing this, but I'm willing to try if someone can offer first hand success stories
So, based on my experience, 2012 alloy Lefty shocks + 29x3 Knard will rub when the suspension is compressed, more so when turning left. The wider the rim, the worse it will be.
The back half of the project is fantastic. The West Hill Shop in Putney VT set me up with a Rabbit Hole + Hope FatSno wheel. Clearance is tight in the forward-most position, but might be OK for dry conditions. There is plenty of room for singlespeed chain tensioning.
The front half is what's giving me fits. I read about the folks using a Lefty wheel with Flow rims with no problems, so I figured I'd try to push the envelope using a Salsa Gordo 35mm rim. ProWheelBuilder.com still has them in stock, so I had them build up a wheel for me. They are excellent to deal with, do great work and are a remarkable bargain considering the quality of work and excellent customer service.
Using a 2012 alloy Lefty (with the awesome Project 321 conversion), the Knard rubs VERY hard with left hand turns and any compression of the suspension.
It's clear to see that the mold-release nubbies are giving Lefty butterfly kisses. The barrel flares as it goes up toward the lower clamp, making the tire rub progressively more and more. If the leg were a perfect cylinder of the smaller diameter, it would work.
I borrowed a wheel with a narrower rim to see if that would help. It did, but it still rubs with left hand turns at the end of travel.
Stuffing the Knard onto a 25mm rim looks wrong, although it doesn't really mess with the profile as much as I thought it would.
The Gordo still looks a little anemic compared to the Rabbit Hole, but much healthier than the 25mm Sun Inferno.
So, now the calculus begins:
1. abandon my suspended 29+ dream, stop throwing time and money at a non-problem and build it back up as a proper fat bike (selling my new stuff at a loss)
2. find a fork that works, potentially throwing even more time and money at a non-problem
3. mess with the wheel, re-dishing it off center enough not to rub - I'm not too psyched about doing this, but I'm willing to try if someone can offer first hand success stories
So, based on my experience, 2012 alloy Lefty shocks + 29x3 Knard will rub when the suspension is compressed, more so when turning left. The wider the rim, the worse it will be.