How to Choose Fat Bike | Buyers Guide – 2022
Fat bikes have taken the cycling world with a boom. This incredible bike has allowed you to extend your riding routing from city roads to the snow or sand. It doesn’t matter how adverse the weather is or how hard it is to ride on sand and snow; this cycle makes it all possible.
And how does it do that?
Well, to know more about this bicycle and its mechanism, you have to keep on reading. Below, we not only discussed this cycle in detail but also explained how to choose fat bike in the market so that it's easier for you to make the buying decision than not.
How to Choose Fat Bike: Everything You Should Know
What Is a Fat Bike?
A fat bike or a fat tire bike, however you name it, is an off-road bike specially designed for off-road surfaces with low ground pressure including snow, mud, sand and bogs. To make it suitable for such off-trail conditions, this bicycle comes with oversized [fat] tires and rims so that cycling on such surfaces never seems difficult or burdensome.
In fact, because of the 3.8 in (97 mm) or larger tires and 2.16 in (55 mm) or wider rims, biking appears more fun and enjoyable.
What Is the Difference Between a Fat Bike and Mountain Bike?
The main difference between a fat and a mtb is the tires size and rims. While a mountain bike comes with regular-sized tires for excellent mountain cruising, a fat bike has extra-large tires for riding on unfavorable surfaces like snow and sand.
Also, to accommodate such wide tires, the frame and fork of the fat tire bike are styled differently than that of any regular mtb.
What is the advantage of buying a fat tire Bicycle?
The benefits are never-ending. From offering you the opportunity to ride in unfavorable conditions to provide you with a super comfortable ride, you will enjoy incredible benefits from this fantastic bicycle.
Let’s discuss the advantages of this incredible bike to know more.
- It allows you to ride on off-road surfaces, like sand, snow, dirt and bogs.
- A fat tire cycle is exceptionally comfortable. The larger tires absorb shock from the road like none other.This incredible bike allows you to ride in unfavorable weather also for extra fun.
- The best benefit is that it requires less maintenance than any other bike out there.
- Fat bikes are a perfect choice for beginners. This is because they offer more balance and better comfort.
Type of Fat Bicycles
To offer versatility and freedom of choice, manufacturers offer their customers different types of fat tire cycles. Some of the most common are:
Carbon Fiber
As the name suggests, a carbon fiber fat bicycle is made with mighty carbon fiber to provide some really exceptional benefits to the users. This cycle is desired by many riders because it is incredibly lightweight [according to its hardness/weight ratio] and, therefore, is incredibly easy to maneuver and control.
Full Suspension
The fat, comfortable tires don’t double as full-suspension- you must never forget this. And therefore, manufacturers offer full-suspension fat bikes to provide extreme comfort and convenience during your ridings. These cycles absorb all the vibrations and impacts of the road and provide you with a comfortable ride that you have always wanted.
Single Speed
By the name, you can understand that a single-speed fat bicycle comes with a drivetrain with a single-wheel chain and a single cog, which means that you cannot enjoy a range of speeding options with this bicycle.
Also, as it is a one-speed cycle, you have to pedal harder and more frequently if you wish to enjoy a speedy ride.
Titanium
If you want to enjoy the strength and durability of steel with a lighter bodyweight, then the titanium fat cycles are your allay. This bike provides you with all the advantages of a steel bike but incredible maneuverability and control.
Moreover, titanium bikes also offer incredible flexion on rough terrains for comfortable riding sessions.
Fat Tire Electric
As the name suggests, electric fat tire bikes use an electric motor to operate perfectly. These bikes took the market by storm because of their incredible convenience and the riding experience to their users. With an electric fat bike, you can also ride on sand effortlessly for more fun and enjoyment.
Features to Look in a Fat Tire Bicycle
A fat bicycle is not only about its fat tires and rims- there are several other factors and features make a fat cycle suitable for off-road terrains. To score the best one in the market, there are few things that you must keep in mind so that your riding adventures never feel unsafe.
Frame Material
Like any other type of bicycle out there, the frame is also made from different materials to meet the demands of different riders out there. While some riders look for inexpensive ones, others might want strength and maneuverability regardless of the price.
Considering such requirements, manufacturers make the frame with different materials including steel, aluminum and carbon fiber, being the most used ones. While steel and aluminum are mainly used because of their availability and low price, carbon fiber frames are the most lightweight and are quite expensive.
However, all these materials are durable and strong.
Suspension Options: Rigid, Front, or Full Suspension?
The type of suspension you would want totally depends on your riding style and your comfort level. If you love comfort while biking in unfavorable conditions, then picking a full suspension bicycle would be the best choice for you. This would dampen all the impacts of the road and ensure a shock-free, comfortable ride.
On the other hand, when you love a little push and enjoy rough riding, going hardtail is the best way for you. Even though the hardtail has only front suspension, the fat tires almost cover it and don’t make the ride uncomfortable at all.
Gearing
One thing you must keep in mind when buying, is its versatile gearing option. As this bike is specially designed to ride on off-road trails like sand and snow, a gearing mechanism is a super important aspect to consider before buying one for yourself. Make sure that the bike has enough gear range to get the right speed while cycling on sand and snow never feels easier and more fun.
Brakes
As a fat bike is an off-road bicycle specially made for sand, snow and other adverse riding conditions, you have to be quite discreet while choosing the braking for your bike. To ensure the maximum safety and the objects that come in your way, get dual disc brakes so that you can stop as soon as you pull the triggers. This will stop the cycle immediately and help you avoid any unfortunate events.
Weight
A fat bike’s specialty comes with larger tires to support you on adverse riding conditions. However, these tires have the potential to increase the overall weight of your bike and make it quite heavyweight.
And that’s why, before buying, give closer look at the weight. Ensure that the weight is not as heavy because a heavyweight bike will suppress your maneuverability and ultimately affect your riding quality.
Sizing
When purchasing, the sizing is everything. If the size is not correct, you won’t enjoy it as much as you would have hoped for. Get the right size cycle while buying. If you are not sure about the correct sizing, ask the seller for the most appropriate bicycle size for you.
Rim & Hub Width
A fat bike is not a fat bike until there are wider tires in it. And that’s why you have to look for wider rims while buying. The wider the rim and the hub, the wider tires you can fit on your bike and enjoy to the fullest.
Fat Bicycle Forums
The “fat bike enthusiasts” community is bigger than you can imagine. Let’s learn some forum names to get connected easily.
- Pink Bike fatbike forum
- Slowtwitch forum
- Bike forums
- Fat Bike forum
- Single Track World
- MTB forum
FAQs
What Is Fat Bike Birkie?
If you are a fat tire bike enthusiast, you must know about the fat bike birkie. This is the largest fat bike racing event in whole North America, where you get a one-day-a-year chance to ride on a well-groomed, snowy trail to enjoy.
This amazing racing event is hosted by Freewheel Bike on the famous snow-covered American Birkebeiner Ski Trail and attended by all the fat bike enthusiasts all over the country.
Can I Ride a Fat Bicycle on the Road?
Even though a fat bicycle is meant for off-trail ridings, you can also effortlessly ride it on regular road surfaces.
However, as it is not specifically designed for road ridings, you won’t enjoy it as much as you would have enjoyed a skinny-tire bicycle. This cycle would be slow on the road surfaces because of the wider tires and heavier weight and won’t offer you the speed you look for while cruising on the road.
Can Fat Bicycle Be Used as an Everyday Bike?
Whether a fat bike can be used as an everyday bike or not largely depends on the region you are living in. For instance, if your normal riding surfaces are adverse, then a fat tire bike would be an excellent choice for everyday riding. This will ensure your safety while speeding up your ride as well.
On the other hand, you can use it on normal road surfaces if you have plenty of time in hand to reach your destination. It has wider tires with lower tire pressure, you will ride safe yet slow on regular roads.
What Is the Benefit of Fat Tires on Pavement?
There are more than a few benefits on pavement, which are:
- As a fat bike comes with wider tires, you can ride safely on the pavement compared to the others.
- You will enjoy better stability and safety because of the heavy weight of the bike.
- A fat cycle also ensures incredible comfort on the pavement because of the low tire pressure in its tires.
How to Ride a Fat Bicycle?
Riding a fat bike is super fun yet extremely safe. However, before going for a spin with this fantastic bike, there are few things you must know about how to ride it precisely to enjoy it to the fullest.
- First thing first. Buy the right-sized bicycle to ensure better fitting and phenomenal riding.
- Ride it in the shop to make sure it’s the best one for you.
- Don’t forget to adjust the tire pressure [try to keep it between 8-10 psi] to ensure comfort yet incredible speed.
- Before hitting the snowy or sandy conditions, first practice a bit. Learn how to turn and pedal on sand or snow for better performance in the future.
- Even when you are practicing, don’t forget to put on your helmet for maximum safety.
- Also, while learning to ride, don’t forget to learn how to break for maximum safety measures.
- While riding, don’t hesitate to wear other safety gear to keep yourself safe and secure from any potential harm.
How to Biking on Snow?
Riding on snow is extremely fun. You can also be a part of such fun riding sessions if you know how to properly ride on the snow. Let’s share some tips for your snow biking.
- Start your ride by adjusting the tire pressure of your fat cycle. It is super important for snow biking because the tire pressure ensures traction and makes sure you have an enjoyable yet safe riding session.
- Don’t forget to wear a pair of polarized sunglasses for better vision and precise riding.
- Make sure that your fat bike has flat pedals- riding with flat pedals is recommended because they allow you to wear hiking boots.
- Keep in mind that sliding while riding is normal. Don’t panic if you slide a little while cycling.
- If you are riding in the snow, always keep yourself on the seat to ensure stability and safety.
- Always remember to put on a helmet and other safety gear before cycling.
- Try to stay hydrated for maximum energy.
Do You Need Front Suspension on a Fat Bicycle?
Whether a front suspension on a fat bike is necessary or not depends on individual riders. But then again, according to experts, a fat bike doesn’t need front suspension because of the wide tires. As the tires are super wide, they provide impact-absorption and, therefore, eliminate the need for front suspension at all.
Do I Need Tubeless Fat Bicycle Tires?
If you need tubeless tires on your fat bicycle or not largely depends on your riding style. For instance, you are someone who enjoys off-road riding with caring about the speed. In such a case, you can adopt a tire with the inner tube.
However, if speed is your concern, don’t hesitate to install a pair of tubeless tires on your fat cycle to enjoy the best riding experience.
Can You Put Drop Bar on Fat Bicycle?
Drop bars have some amazing benefits for the riders. And if you want to install one in your favorite fat bicycle, then you should go for it nevertheless to enjoy your off-road riding sessions.
But then again, as a drop bar is narrower, it’s not highly suitable- wider flat handlebars are most suitable for fat tire bicycles.
What is the Best Fat Bicycle Tire Pump?
The tires of a fat bike are not your regular mtb tires. They are wider than usual and provide more comfort features. And for such tires, you need special tire pumps to ensure the best services. To find the most suitable tire pump for your fat bike tires, keep in mind the following:
- The time it requires to pump the tire completely.
- The type of pump you need [CO2 or mini bike pump].
- How frequently you go for a ride.
Can I Custom Fat Bicycle?
If you want a customize, you can surely get it. For a personalized cycle, you have to contact the seller and inform them about your requirements to have a fat cycle no one else has.
Can I Ride 27.5er Plus Wheel Set for Fat Bicycle?
A fat tire bike is for a wider set of tires. It offers you to ride with a maximum of 5-inch tire width to enjoy safe yet effective off-road riding. And as it supports such wide tires, you can use 27.5er plus wheels on this bike effortlessly for your convenience.
What’s the Fat Bicycle Weight?
The weight of a fat tire bicycle greatly depends on its frame construction material. If you buy a cycle with an aluminum frame, it will weigh between 15-18 kg (and 33-39 pounds).
On the other hand, a fat cycle constructed with carbon fiber would be between 12-15 kg (and 26-33 pounds) and would be much lighter.
How to Choose Fat Bicycle Size?
Choosing the right fat bicycle is not as hard as you might think. In fact, it is quite easy if you have the right sizing chart. If you don’t have one, always ask for one from the sellers.
What Is Beach Cruiser Fat Bicycle?
Beach Cruiser Fat Bike is an interesting type of fat cycle that comes with a high butterfly handlebar for versatile riding options. Even though it looks like a vintage motorcycle with wide tires, a fat bike beach cruiser is really fun to ride.
Do I Need a Dual Suspension Fat Tire Bicycle?
Whether you need a dual-suspension fat bike or not largely depends on your comfort level during the rides. If you prefer superior comfort, then getting a dual-suspension fat tire bike would be an appropriate choice to make. The front and tail suspension would absorb all the shock and vibrations of the riding surface and give you an impact-free ride.
But then again, according to experts, a full-suspension frame is unnecessary for a fat bike as its tires are super wide and provides superior shock-absorption on their own.
How Many Pounds Can a Fat Tire Bike Carry?
The weight limit varies from model to model and manufacturer to manufacturer. However, in general, this bike can accommodate riders up to 350 lbs. It can also carry heavyweight riders effortlessly.
How Much Less Psi Can I Run My Fat Tire Bicycle if I Go Tubeless?
In general, you can ride a fat tire bicycle with tire pressure as low as 6-8 psi. But if you go tubeless, you can also decrease it to 4 psi to enjoy your ride to the fullest.
How Wide Are Fat Bicycle Tires?
The specialty of a fat tire bike is its wide tires. Normally, the width of a fat cycle ranges between 3.5-inch to 5-inch. However, the tires are even wider in some bikes to provide you with a more comfortable yet stable riding experience.
How to Haul (Transport) a Fat Bicycle?
Even though a fat tire bike may seem large, it is quite easy to transport if you have the right gears. To transport this from one place to the other, you can always attach it to your bike racks and you are ready to go. Just make sure that the tire size of your cycle is compatible with the rack you have.
How Fast Is Normal for a Fat Bicycle?
You should remember about fat tire bicycles that they are not as fast as other types of bicycles that you have used so far. In general, this bike can gain speeds around 8mph to 10mph (12km to 20km) to give you enough speed for a safe yet enjoyable ride.
Is a Fat Bicycle Hard to Ride?
A fat tire bicycle is quite easy to ride if you know how to ride a bicycle. As it has super-wide tires and offers incredible stability, you would enjoy more control over the cycle and can actually ride without a care.
How Many Spokes Fat Bicycle Need?
The fat bicycle tires are a bit different than the others. Both its wheels require different spoke counts to ride properly. While the front wheel runs with 24-28 spokes, the rear one requires 28-32 spokes for an amazing performance.
Wrapping Up
Fat bikes or fat-tire bikes, or even fatties, have gained immense popularity among riders who loves to ride in off-road conditions. And if you are one of them, this article would help you immensely buy the best one for your next adventures. With the help of this guide how to choose fat bike, we can guarantee that you would end up buying the most suitable one for you without any difficulties.
