Plow Through the Snow, Sand, and Slop With One of These Burly Fat Bikes

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A fat bike is the perfect tool for extending your riding season if you live where it’s snowy or wet, or where riding a regular-tire mountain bike is futile, not fun, and might damage the trails. Fat bikes are also highly functional for bikepacking, and for riding on sand because larger tires that are run at low-pressure float over soft surfaces. And they smooth out your ride even on a frame without suspension.

Best Fat Bikes

Fat bike tires are getting wider for more float in extreme conditions, and the bikes are being built lighter with higher performance in mind. Dropper posts are becoming increasingly common on stock builds, making it easier to ride technical terrain and remount in deep snow.

And more manufacturers are paying attention to Q Factor (or stance width), which is the distance between the outside of one crank arm to the outside of the opposite crank arm. To create the clearance for wider tires, brands use wider rear hub spacing (up to 197 mm—a typical mountain bike has a 148 mm rear hub).

Wider rear hub spacing requires that the crankset be shifted outboard to maintain a reasonable chain angle for proper shifting, which increases the stance width of the cranks. Wider-stance cranks can cause knee or hip pain in some riders. If this is you, look for a fat bike with a narrower bottom bracket shell (less than 100 mm).

What to Consider When Buying a Fat Bike

Suspension

A hardtail with a rigid fork is the most affordable and most common type of fat bike. Because most of these bikes use four- to five-inch-wide tires, and because you typically run those tires at low pressure, even a rigid bike can feel like it has suspension as the tires conform to irregularities in the trail.

If your riding surface is particularly uneven, rooty, or rocky, or you want to run your tires at a higher pressure for less squirm, consider buying a fat bike with full suspension. A full-suspension setup can help you maneuver better, keep you from feeling beat up after a long ride, and make the ride more enjoyable if you swap fat rims for standard mountain bike rims. However, if you typically ride in extremely cold temperatures, a rigid fork may be more reliable.

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Wheel Swapping

Some fat bikes are designed to accommodate both fat-tire rims and standard 27.5 or 29-inch mountain bike rims. If you don’t want to ride fat tires all year, buying a frame with multiple configuration options lets you have one bike with multiple personalities. In snow or sand, run it with a fat-tire setup. Buy a set of mountain bike wheels with narrower rims and equip them with smaller tires, and you have another option that’s lighter and may be better suited to everyday riding.

All fat bikes are built with different hub standards, so you’ll likely have to buy a dedicated second set of wheels if you want to enjoy different options.

Wheel Size

Most fat bikes use 26-inch wheels, though 27.5-inch builds are not uncommon. Larger wheels are faster-rolling and make trail obstacles even easier to push over or through. Fat tire wheels come in many different rim widths, ranging from 60 to 100mm. In general, the wider the tire you want to use, the wider the rim you will want. However, a narrower rim will save weight and make the bike feel livelier.

Tires

The fatter the tire, the cushier the ride. Five-inch tires give more float on soft ground than four-inch models. But fatter tires are heavier, slower, and bouncier on firm ground. For riding on firmer and drier trails, and at higher speeds, a narrower tire provides a more satisfying and less squirmy ride.

Whichever you choose, consider setting them up tubeless and running low pressures for less chance of flatting. Just ensure the tubeless sealant you choose works at subzero temperatures. If you are riding in icy terrain instead of snowy trails, you’ll want to buy or make a set of studded tires for enhanced grip.

Tire Pressure

Tire pressure is the best tool you have to fine-tune the performance of your fat bike. With five-inch-wide tires in the softest conditions, you may be running pressures as low as two psi. In firmer or rougher terrain, or for higher speeds, you will want to use more pressure to increase the support the tire offers, and to sharpen the bike’s handling. You may even want to change your tire pressure several times on a single ride as you encounter different conditions.

For the best fat-biking experience, you’ll want to invest in a good digital tire pressure gauge, because differences as little as a half-pound of pressure make a significant difference in the feel and performance of a fat tire.

With bulky four-inch tires for ripping through terrain and a sturdy build to safely plow through it all, the Aventure.2 is one impressive fat bike. An update from its predecessor, this e-bike has a new torque sensor that offers more control over its powerful 750-watt rear hub motor, making for a more accessible ride for those new to e-bikes and lighter-weight riders mounting this 77-pound beast. It has four levels of pedal assist, throttle, and can reach a top speed of 28 mph, with up to a 60-mile range on a single charge.

Aventon’s Aventure.2 has a clear, easily legible full-color display for tracking metrics like speed and distance, plus smart features like integrated turn signals and lights further assist in trail safety. It also has a front suspension fork for keeping comfy on gravel, slick hydraulic disc brakes, and it even includes a rack and fenders. Our only qualm is its weight, which limits its use on singletrack mountain bike trails. But take this bike out on a snowy day commute or your next muddy camping trip, and it's sure to impress.

Salsa’s Mukluk Deore is an aluminum-framed fat bike with a carbon fork perfect for bikepacking, plowing through snow, and cutting through mud. It’s also a straightforward ride for those looking to buy a well-rounded, reliable bike. It has an 11-speed Shimano Deore drivetrain, 26x4.6-inch fat tires, and SRAM Level brakes. The frame also has two bottle mounts and is compatible with a rack and accessories, perfect for beginner bikepackers hauling through the trail.

The Mukluk can handle any terrain, and one of our testers says they were “hooked on the Mukluk’s ability to blast through dirt and snow and brush in a way that a mountain bike can’t.” This is a solid fat bike for most people, available in sizes fitting riders as small as 5-foot-2 and as tall as over 6 feet.

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Like many fat bikes, Trek's Farley 9.6 has stud-ready 4.5-inch-wide tires. However, those tires are wrapped around 27.5-inch rims instead of the standard 26-inch rims. The larger diameter means smoother rolling and better traction, and since traction is the point of a fat bike, more is always better.

Beyond the larger diameter wheels, the Farley 9.6 also has a dropper post and a carbon suspension fork. The suspension fork provides additional traction and control on hard surfaces, and the dropper post gives you control at higher speeds. It’s also supremely lightweight at only 29 lbs., and comes with a SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain and SRAM Level TL brakes. The Farley’s handling befits this all-season versatility, proving predictable at slower speeds on soft surfaces and surprisingly predictable at higher speeds on dirt trails. This is Trek’s flagship fat tire.

This cromoly steel frame ride from Surly is fit for the snow and sand as it is off-road touring and commutes. This fat bike isn’t as fat as they come, at 26x3.8 inches, but its horizontal dropouts allow for tires up to 4.6 inches wide. While it’s still a heavyweight bike at 35 pounds, it’s narrow and versatile enough for riders from the city to the trail, commuting through snow and gravel and off-roading when necessary.

It’s got an SRAM 12-speed SX Eagle drivetrain and SRAM BB-5 cable disc brakes, plus it’s compatible with front and rear racks, three-pack mounts, and fenders. It’s available in frame sizes XS to XL, making it an accessible bike for most riders.

The Fatboy is a straightforward mid-priced fat bike with all the right stuff. It starts with the 27.5x3.8 Maxxis tires. The larger diameter—versus 26-inch wheels—increases rolling speed and traction, and the chunky knobs provide predictable traction in soft conditions. The rims and tires are tubeless-ready so that you can run single-digit pressures with less chance of flatting. The Fatboy also has an SRAM 1x12 drivetrain for lots of gear range, and the DOT fluid in the SRAM Level disc brakes is stable in below-freezing temperatures.

The Aventon Sinch has a suspension fork and four-inch-wide tires, and folded, it stands at just over 31 inches high. Despite its compact size and 20-inch wheels, it’s able to handle a 300-pound payload with 500 watts of power. Like the Aventon Aventure.2, its LCD screen is bright and easily legible for clocking speed and checking battery life and pedal assist levels. As small as it is, the Sinch still weighs a lot at 68 pounds, which makes it best for those packing an e-bike into an RV or an apartment that doesn't require hauling it upstairs.

For riders ages 6 and up (and between 4 and 5 feet in height), reach for the Mongoose Argus ST. It has a rigid frame that works well in snow, sand, and grime, and many users find it easy to upgrade its default components. It also has twist shifters that are easy for kids to use, especially with winter gloves. Several users claim this is the best entry-level fat bike for kids and feels safe and sturdy.

A great bike to get you rolling, the cheap Malus has 4-inch-wide tires, a Shimano 1x7 Alivio drivetrain, and mechanical disc brakes with 160mm rotors. One shifter keeps things simple, and the brakes are trustworthy in winter, with stopping power to keep you on track all year. The bike is heavy at over 40 lbs., and unfortunately, only comes in one size. But it’s an excellent option for exploring the world of snow or sand without breaking the bank.

QuietKat teamed up with Jeep to make an e-bike capable of handling any outdoor adventure. Inspired by the off-roading power of a Jeep SUV, the Jeep E-Bike provides traction and comfort on the sand, mud, and even rocks with full suspension. It has an SRAM 9-speed drivetrain, Tektro four-piston hydraulic disc brakes, and the option of either a 750- or 1,000-watt motor for climbing and throttle power.

Though it’s a hefty ride at a whopping 70 pounds, it can handle a load of up to 300 pounds, making it great for hunters and explorers hauling extra cargo. Depending on use, its battery gets up to 22 to 44 miles of range, though QuietKat also sells a portable solar e-bike charging station to extend that while you’re in the backcountry. Add a rack and fenders and you’ve got a hardy scouting vehicle.

If you’re looking for a fat tire to take into the country, Ascend’s Moher is solid. This aluminum-framed fat bike has 26-inch wheels with super wide 4.9-inch tires for smooth stability over gravel, snow, and mucky terrain. It’s about as straightforward of a ride as department store bikes get, with frame sizes S to L, and, unfortunately (for some), only available in camo.

Obviously, grabbing a cheap bike from a department store comes with compromise and hidden specs. Quick-release hubs mean its wheels aren’t as secure as a thru-axel. Mechanical disc brakes are also bothersome, especially on a fat bike where putting pressure on the brakes requires a bit more strength. One user also complains about its shifter being very small. Still, if you’re looking for a no-frills fat bike to take off-roading, hunting, or on a snowy day, this one will do you just fine.

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