The Best Fat Bike Upgrade You Can Make

Trail Sage:

"Hey everybody, welcome to TrailSage and this week we are talking about the NEXTIE carbon fat bike rim. Now this is the one of the best improvements that you can make your fat bike. They are extremely lightweight, durable and they probably cost less than you think. "

"I’ve been using NEXTIE carbon rims for five years on both my fat bike and full suspension. They’ve been very reliable and predictable in all sorts of conditions terrain and temperatures. It’s been a game change for me and I want to tell you why. But before we get into all my likes and dislikes, let’s go over the specs."

"This is a 26 inch double wall carbon rim with a 65mm outer width and a 57mm inner width. It can accommodate tires anywhere from 3 to 4.8” inches. The rims are hookless meaning the rim edge is flat and it can also be run tubeless. At just 553g, they are extremely light, but that’s not the cost of safety. Aesthetically they’re V-Shape and have a depth of 34 millimeters. The center channel is also fairly deep, which helps when removing or replacing your tires. There’s no visible carbon weaves on the exterior to give it a nice clean look. I ordered this rim in a matte finish with 32 spoke holes. I also want to note that all NEXTIE rims come back with a 2 or 3 years warranty. "

"Alright, so now that you know the specs, let’s go into my likes. There are three things that you can do to your fat bike to drastically change your ride. One, adding a dropper. Two, adding front suspension. And Three, upgrading your wheels. Without changing your hubs or tires, you can replace your existing rim with NEXTIE carbon rim, run it tubeless and instantly drop a couple pounds. And just to give you a comparison, this fat bike rim is nearly twice the width and depth of the standard aluminum rim, but nearly the same weight, and that's just insane. Any time that you can lose rolling weight, you'll notice a drastic difference in your ride quality. It'll pick up speed faster and make the bike more nimble. Now i realize that nimble and fat bike are probably two words that you don't hear too often together, but it's true."

"Another great advantage is how stiff these rims are. Not only do the double walls make them strong, but they also keep their shape. I can't remember the last time that i had to true these tires, they just hold their form so well. And with all that extra rubber in the tires, it's nice to regain some of that stiffness back. And because there are no cutouts like a traditional aluminum fat bike rim, you can tape these like a regular rim and go tubeless. With rubber fat bike tubes weighing anywhere between 450 and 550 grams, you can easily save a pound or two. Going tubeless also means you can run lower tire pressures when riding in mud or snowy conditions. Just make sure you carry an extra set of plugs in case you puncture. "

"Right, so what are the drawbacks? i only have two and they're both pretty minor. And in the case of the first one, it's easily solvable. If you're riding in tough terrain, you just have to run harder pressure. Carbon doesn't give like aluminum and if you hit the rim on a rock, it'll crack rather than bend. i made this mistake a couple months ago when i was running a lower tire pressure from a snow ride i was doing, and then i forgot to increase the tire pressure on my next ride, which was snow free. I huck the four foot drop landed directly onto a rock and unfortunately cracked my rim. Again total user error here. Another downside is the shipping after placing your order, it could take up to one to two months for your rims to arrive. If you have other bikes in your quiver, this won't be a big deal but if the fat bike is your only bike, you could be waiting a while. My advice, save your old rims when you switch them out that way you have a backup in case you need them. "

"But that's it for my downside, so let's move on to pricing. At 275 dollars this makes a great investment for your fat bike. On their website you can choose the type of finish you want and customize the rims with decals if that's your back. They even sell complete wheel sets if you want to go that route. Now i've never bought a complete wheelset from them so i really can't speak to the quality or durability. I just buy the rims, take them to my local bike shop and have them build them up and install them. "

"In the end if you buy two rims and have them build up, it ends up being about the same price as adding front suspension. So if you're like me and you enjoy riding your fat bike all year round, this is a worthwhile upgrade, and it'll change the way that you think about fat tire bikes. They no longer have to be that sluggish heavy tank that you're accustomed to seeing. Having less rolling weight will help you climb faster, navigate tech better and give you more confidence on the downs. and when you combine this with front suspension and a dropper, you get a great four season everyday shredder, and i can't think of a better upgrade. "

"Well, that does it for my review of the NEXTIE carbon fat bike rim. i hope that was helpful to you. If you have any feedback or questions leave them in the comments below, and if you like the video and you want to see more content like this feel free to subscribe. Thanks for watching. "

Bloopers

"i just buy the rims and then have a large car drive right by and ruin the whole thing. there's a plane, hey maybe it's a pair. There must be like a plane parade going on today, i swear, holy moly."

Video Reference: YOUTUBE