The 6 Finest Fats Tire Bikes of 2024

For riders who wish to prolong their bike season or journey surfaces that aren’t historically cycle-friendly, fats tire bikes open up a world of prospects and terrain to discover. Right here, we define the most effective fats tire bikes for all seasons.

Fats tire bikes are among the many easiest types of mountain bikes, however as of late, they arrive in a spread of body supplies, geometries, and builds to go well with various wants and preferences. Inflexible frames, suspension forks, dropper posts, non-electric vs. electrical — there are extra choices than ever earlier than. This a lot selection could make it difficult to search out the most effective fats tire bike, however we’re right here to assist.

Our consultants have been testing fats tire bikes for years, and this information covers 9 of the most effective fashions that we’ve tried. Whether or not you’re in search of one thing to maintain you using by means of winter, a flexible choice for year-round adventures, or an electrical mannequin to take you farther and quicker, we’ve received suggestions for you.

Editor’s Word: We up to date our fats tire bike purchaser’s information on November 27, 2024, by including a value & worth part that explains what you get at totally different value factors.

The Finest Fats Tire Bikes of 2024

Different Fats Tire Bikes We Suggest

Fats Tire Bikes Comparability Chart

How We Examined Fats Tire Bikes

The workforce at GearJunkie consists of adventurous of us who like to trip bikes. From mountain to gravel, fats tire, and electrical, we all know that having the appropriate device for the job could make the expertise extra fulfilling and improve our efficiency. Testing gear can be our factor, and we’ve been striving to supply our readers with sincere and reliable product suggestions based mostly on real-world testing and expertise for years.

For our fats tire bike purchaser’s information, we’ve mixed the data and expertise of testers Berne Broudy and Jeremy Benson. Berne is a full-time author, gear tester, and long-time contributor to GearJunkie. She is a passionate outdoorswoman who enjoys all kinds of outside sports activities together with all genres of biking.

Hailing from Vermont, Berne trades skinny tires for fats bike treads yearly when winter takes maintain and he or she has been testing and reviewing them since 2021. Along with fats bikes, Berne has examined an enormous vary of different gear together with backcountry skis, mountain bikes, electrical chainsaws, bike racks, and rooftop tents.

Jeremy Benson is an editor at GearJunkie and has been professionally testing and reviewing bikes of all types for the previous 8 years. He’s an obsessive mountain and gravel bike rider and racer who does every part he can to keep up his health by means of the winter months with out using indoors.

Residing within the mountains of California, he took to using fats bikes years in the past. Previously 6 years, Benson has examined over 15 totally different fashions of non-electric and electrical fats tire bikes for varied on-line publications. He has additionally contributed to quite a few different purchaser’s guides, together with hitch bike racks, bike restore stands, and mountain bike grips.

How We Examined Fats Tire Bikes

This purchaser’s information is the results of a number of years of real-world testing and private expertise. After researching the most effective fats tire bikes available on the market, we rounded up our collection of 10 fashions and took them to activity on every part from groomed nordic trails, snowmobile tracks, ribbons of dust singletrack, fireplace roads, bike paths, and paved roads.

Every mannequin was examined for months of real-world use to determine its strengths and weaknesses whereas inspecting vital traits like dealing with, geometry, elements, and, most significantly, how they carry out when the rubber meets the snow, dust, and sand. For the electrical fashions, we additionally thought of their motor methods, battery capacities, e-bike controls, high velocity, and options whereas testing their vary and efficiency on a variety of surfaces.

Shopping for Information: Methods to Select a Fats Tire Bike

Although people have been using on wide-wheeled bikes over snow and sand for a very long time, fashionable fats tire bikes are a comparatively latest addition to the biking world. Within the Nineteen Seventies and ’80s, some riders handcrafted “fats bikes” by welding two or three rims aspect by aspect to extend floor space contact with the bottom.

Now, fats bikes are a standard sight in nearly any mountain city. Iconic bikepacking routes such because the Alaska Freeway are seeing extra fats bike site visitors than ever earlier than.

The advantages of fats bikes are easy, apparent, and completely rad. Fats bikes can trip on snow, mud, and sand, accessing terrain that different bikes can’t. With a trusty fats bike, your biking season can prolong into the chilly, snowy winter months or present the power to journey throughout surfaces which have beforehand been off-limits.

As fats bikes turn into extra widespread every passing 12 months, extra producers and fashions are launched to the market. Whereas this enhance in choices is nice for shoppers, it additionally complicates the choice course of.

From carbon elements to front-suspension forks, non-electric to electrical, and even your supposed use, there are lots of components to contemplate when making a fats bike buy. Moreover, fats bikes signify a significant monetary funding, so that you wish to ensure you’ve made the very best alternative.

On this helpful information, we’ll clarify the important thing issues that ought to go into any fats bike buy.

Body: Supplies and Sizing

Most fats bike frames are created from both carbon fiber, aluminum, or metal, and generally titanium. All materials choices have professionals and cons, although carbon fiber is usually thought of the premium body materials for fats bikes.

Carbon is far lighter than aluminum or metal, which may considerably enhance velocity and responsiveness. Nevertheless, improved efficiency comes with a price, and carbon frames are fairly a bit costlier than metal or aluminum. Equally, titanium can be costly but it surely seems unimaginable and supplies a greater trip high quality than aluminum or metal.

Similar to every other bike, the scale of a given fats bike refers back to the dimensions of its body. As a result of total consolation is a key consideration when selecting a motorcycle, match and sizing are considerably subjective.

We advocate selecting essentially the most acceptable body dimension to your top, and the producer’s geometry and sizing charts are an amazing place to start out. A body that’s too small can lower stability and mechanical effectivity. A body that’s too giant could also be uncomfortable and troublesome to deal with.

Each fats bike producer can have a barely totally different sizing system. Each time attainable, we advocate you check out the bike in individual to make sure that the body is the right dimension for you.

Wheels and Tires

Relying in your native terrain, a fats bike could also be all you want to soak up the bumps within the path, whatever the season. Most fats bikes include aluminum rims, that are comparatively low cost and straightforward to fabricate. Nevertheless, when you’re seeking to maximize efficiency and reduce weight, carbon rims are an improve that could be definitely worth the funding.

In comparison with street and mountain bikes, fats bikes have super-wide rims. The broader the rim, the broader the tire you may match on it. The broader the tire, the higher you’ll have the ability to float throughout gentle surfaces like snow and sand. Most fats bike rims are between 65 mm and 90 mm extensive.

Many fats bikes can run a number of totally different wheel sizes and tire choices. Most bikes that may accommodate various wheel sizes have an adjustment that permits you to reposition the rear wheel to keep up the trip really feel while you change wheel sizes.

If fats tires have an excessive amount of drag to your style, buy a second wheelset and a few narrower tires, and your fats bike could be remodeled in keeping with the circumstances or your particular wants. It is very important be aware that the utmost tire width a body can deal with normally adjustments when the wheel dimension adjustments.

Fats bike tires are available a variety of types. For muddy circumstances, search for a knobby tire with deep tread. In city environments, a smoother tread might be best. If you realize you’ll be encountering icy circumstances on the paths or in your every day commute, studded tires is usually a big profit.

It’s vital to recollect the signature gentle and bouncy really feel of fats bikes is a results of their high-volume tires. As a result of most fats bikes don’t have a lot (or any) built-in suspension, gentle tires are important for a cushty trip. Your fats bike tires are sort of just like the struts on a automotive — they’re constructed to soak up impression and conform to the floor to supply stability and grip.

In comparison with street and mountain bikes, fats bike tires require low air stress. For common path using, persist with someplace round 12-15 psi. In fact, you may at all times alter your tire stress relying on what sort of floor you’re using on. Driving on snow, tire pressures beneath 10 psi are sometimes essential to get the most effective traction. Don’t be afraid to experiment to search out what works finest for you and the circumstances

Non-Electrical vs. Electrical

For a few years, non-electric fats tire bikes have been the one sport on the town. Largely, they have been utilized by severe cyclists who needed to increase their using into the winter months on snow or adventurous riders who needed to deal with surfaces like sand and desert rambles. Driving over snow, sand, and gentle circumstances remains to be the first objective for most individuals who trip fats bikes.

Lately, with the explosion in recognition of electrical bikes, many manufacturers have begun producing electrical fats tire bikes for leisure use and even for searching. These are fairly much like non-electric fats bikes in that they’ve further extensive tires, however additionally they come outfitted with batteries to energy motors that present pedal help.

Whereas fats tire e-bikes can be utilized to trip on agency snow and seashore sand, they typically appear finest suited to using gravel and dust roads, smoother trails, and pavement. Due to their fatter, knobbier tires, they’re way more appropriate for off-pavement use than electrical bikes with skinnier and smoother tires, and they’re an amazing choice for individuals who wish to enterprise off-road or on blended surfaces with some pedal help.

Not surprisingly, the addition of batteries, motors, and beefed-up frames and elements signifies that electrical fats tire bikes usually weigh way more than non-electric fats bikes. For comparability, most non-electric fats bikes weigh within the neighborhood of 30 kilos, whereas electrical fashions just like the Aventon Aventure.2 and the Rad Energy RadRover 6 Plus weigh over 70 kilos.

In fact, with pedal help, the load isn’t that large of a deal, however ought to you want to push or pedal the bike with out help, it may be fairly robust. Likewise, loading the bike onto a motorcycle rack could be fairly difficult.

Parts and Group Set

A motorcycle’s group set is the gathering of elements that make up the drivetrain. The elements inside the group set embody the crankset, shifters, backside bracket, entrance and rear derailleurs, cassette, brakes, and chain.

All full fats bikes include a bunch set that’s been pieced collectively by the producer. Many bikes could be custom-made upon buy, so don’t be dissuaded if the inventory setup isn’t on par along with your private desires and desires.

Bicycle gears work very like a automotive’s — besides your physique is the motor. Fats bike gears are used to effectively cowl a spread of gradients, speeds, and terrain sorts. Decrease (simpler) gears will flip your rear wheels much less per crank than increased (more durable) gears. Fats biking typically entails each crawling up hills and dashing down singletrack, so it’s vital to pick a bunch set with a gearing vary that meets your wants.

Simply because a motorcycle has a lot of gears doesn’t imply it has an even bigger or higher gear vary. Most fats bikes have a single chainring and a 10-, 11-, or 12-speed cassette for a complete of 10 to 12 gears that work properly throughout a broad vary. Single-ring drivetrains are comparatively straightforward to make use of and easy to keep up, as they don’t require a entrance derailleur.

When you’re new to fats biking, we typically recommend you discover a good-quality fats bike and begin off with the inventory elements. You’ll be able to at all times make adjustments and improve sure elements as you develop preferences over time.

Seatposts

For newbie fats bike riders, a seat publish’s solely job is to help your saddle and hold your physique in a cushty and environment friendly place. As your using progresses, nevertheless, chances are you’ll wish to contemplate upgrading your normal seat publish to a dropper publish.

A dropper publish permits for mid-ride seat top changes. The power to vary your seat top on the fly could be particularly useful when using on terrain with a lot of gradient variation.

With the push of a lever, a dropper publish means that you can alter your physique place in response to the terrain forward. Dropper posts have come down barely in value in recent times and are a wonderful improve, particularly for mountain bikers who’re used to utilizing them already.

Q-factor

A giant distinction between fats bikes and mountain bikes is the Q-factor. That’s the gap between the outer surfaces of the crank arms, which determines how far aside your pedals and your toes are while you trip. Given the necessity to accommodate wider tires within the body of fats bikes, the cranks typically have to be spaced wider to clear the chainstays of the bike, leading to a wider Q-factor.

When you commonly trip regular mountain or street bikes, then you definitely’re seemingly accustomed to a narrower Q-factor. Getting on a fats bike is usually a noticeable distinction with a a lot wider stance, however most individuals adapt to it fairly rapidly.

Some fats bike fashions, just like the Otso Voytek and the Salsa HeyDay!, have comparatively slender Q-factors which have a extra “regular” really feel than most different fats bikes. When you’ve had knee ache or a knee damage, a motorcycle with a narrower Q-factor would possibly really feel higher, particularly when you plan to do longer rides.

Bikepacking

Due to their go-everywhere capabilities, fats bikes have turn into highly regarded for bikepacking, particularly for these journeys into adventurous off-road terrain just like the desert. When you plan to make use of your fats bike as a cellular base camp on multiday journeys, be sure you take a look at fashions which are suitable with equipment, saddlebags, and different essential bikepacking elements.

Today, there are numerous choices for bikepacking luggage, together with body, saddle, handlebar, and fork-mounted, so you may load up your rig and head off the grid.

Worth & Worth

Excessive-quality fats bikes with plentiful options are a pleasure to personal and trip. As you’re contemplating which bike to purchase, it’s vital to appreciate there’s a relationship between value, high quality, and efficiency. Although top-end fashions will include an preliminary hit to the pocketbook, a costlier bike will usually have longer-lasting and higher-performing elements.

You could possibly improve to a extra reasonably priced bike down the road, however it might find yourself costing you greater than it might have when you had invested initially. With that stated, we’ve included fats bikes on this listing that ought to match into a variety of budgets.

Price range

Non-electric fats bikes are pretty easy issues. On the funds finish of the spectrum, they’re created from inflexible aluminum frames, and so they include lower-end elements that assist hold the worth down. This completely describes the Kona Wo, which, at $1,300, nonetheless will get the job accomplished on the mellower terrain and decrease speeds it was designed for.

For electrical fats tire bikes, the worth goes up a bit, however yow will discover budget-friendly fashions for below $2,000. These bikes have rear hub motors that work properly sufficient however hold the worth down in comparison with mid-drive methods. The Rad Energy RadRover 6 Plus ($1,599) and the Aventon Aventure.2 ($1,999) are each widespread electrical fats tire bikes that may deal with a variety of surfaces, together with gravel, gentle dust, sand, and even hard-packed snow.

Mid-Tier

As we go up the worth ladder, we see manufacturers utilizing costlier supplies like carbon fiber and equipping full bikes with increased high quality and extra dependable elements. A motorcycle just like the Ari King’s Peak comes with a modern and light-weight carbon body and is obtainable in two full construct choices with various costs. The Comp construct goes for $2,499, whereas the Elite construct will set you again $2,999. Each are nice for the worth. It actually simply comes down to non-public desire.

Equally, the versatile Otso Voytek has a carbon body that drives the worth up, with full builds beginning at $3,195. Otso’s on-line configurator then provides you the choice to cherry-pick your most popular elements to customise the construct. We predict it’s price paying a bit extra upfront to finish up with precisely what you need.

Premium

Today, the sky’s the restrict by way of value for any sort of bike. You’ll be able to create a totally customized construct from the body up with all of the fanciest carbon bits and top-of-the-line elements. When you’ve received the cash to spare, you may actually go nuts. We don’t have any really high-end non-electric fats bikes on our listing, however we do spotlight a really costly electrical fats tire bike for searching.

The QuietKat Apex XD is a premium off-road electrical bike made to be a rugged and dependable transport for hunters heading out into the sector. The first drivers of its $6,350 beginning value are the sturdy fame construct, entrance suspension, giant battery, electronics, tremendous highly effective mid-drive motor, and inner drivetrain setup. You’ll be able to even tack on an additional $650 to double your battery storage and vary if that’s what you want. Even then, the Apex HD is inexpensive than most gas-powered types of transportation that many hunters use.

Ceaselessly Requested Questions

For a lot of riders, fats tires that run at low tire stress eradicate the necessity for further suspension. When you plan to trip in arctic temperatures, conserving your bike so simple as attainable might improve your using expertise. Fats bike-specific suspension forks are designed to work in chilly temps.

When you plan to trip your fats bike on rougher terrain or singletrack trails, a suspension fork will make your bike really feel smoother and extra succesful and might be simpler in your arms, shoulders, and again. A suspension fork can usually be added aftermarket to most fats bikes.

When you’re using in technical terrain, you may additionally contemplate shopping for a fats bike with a dropper publish or including a dropper to your new or current fats bike. A dropper lowers your saddle and allows you to transfer the bike beneath you when the using will get steep or spicy. It additionally helps you to change your place in any terrain.

The tires you want will rely upon the circumstances that you just’re planning to trip in. The broader the tires, the extra float you’ll have on snow or sand. However wider tires are heavier and have extra resistance, known as drag. Not all bikes can take the widest tires. If you would like max float, ensure to purchase a motorcycle that may deal with extensive tires.

When you’re going to bike in icy circumstances, studded tires make a ton of sense. Some tires come studded, and you may stud some non-studded tires your self. In case your bike doesn’t include studded or studdable tires, you’ll want to switch them if you’d like ice-gripping studs.

For snow and sand using, operating your fats bike tires at absurdly low pressures — we go for round 5-8 psi — gives you most traction and management. However operating such low stress could make a tube inside your bike tire weak when you hit a rock or sharp root as you’re cruising alongside.

For technical using, we wish to set our tires up tubeless with sealant inside as a substitute of a tube. Ask your bike store in case your tires are tubeless-compatible. To transform tires, you’ll want a fats bike-specific rim strip, valve, sealant for every wheel, and a tubeless-compatible tire.

Each clipless pedals and flat pedals have benefits and drawbacks. Clipless pedals could be extra environment friendly, however when you’re using in gentle circumstances like sand and snow, they’ll get clogged and be onerous to clip in. In very chilly circumstances, the steel cleat on the only real of your shoe can conduct chilly to your toes and infrequently get frozen up with snow and ice.

With flat pedals, you may put on normal footwear, together with well-insulated winter boots as a substitute of clipless-compatible footwear. Whereas they’re not fairly as environment friendly, additionally they enable for fast dismounts, which could be key for slippery circumstances.

Fats biking, particularly within the winter, can require specialised gear to remain heat and make it extra fulfilling. This information to the fats bike fundamentals supplies some useful ideas when you’re seeking to get began.

Purchase a pump with an correct gauge at very low pressures. For winter using and sand using, experiment with tire stress to see what provides you the most effective grip and management.

That quantity will change when you add weight to your bike on a tour, for instance. pump, or a pump plus a tire-pressure guage, will assist you decide the correct tire stress for varied using circumstances.

You additionally want a good helmet and a few winter-ready layers.

Although mountain bikes and fats tire bikes can be utilized for related sorts of using, they’ve a number of main variations. First, fats bikes have a lot wider and higher-volume tires. Whereas fashionable mountain bikes get their suspension from forks and shocks, fats bikes typically depend on their comfortable wheels for a easy trip.

One other key distinction between fats bikes and mountain bikes is the Q-factor, which is the gap between the outer surfaces of the crank arms. This determines how far aside your pedals and your toes are while you trip. Fats bikes nearly at all times have a wider Q-factor, leading to a wider stance on the bike.

When you’ve had a knee damage or ache, search for a motorcycle with a narrower Q-factor to supply some aid. A narrower Q-factor could be particularly useful when you plan to embark on longer rides, because it tends to be extra snug for prolonged durations of pedaling.