What is the point of the big tire bikes?

15 Apr.,2024

 

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Fat tires are a type of bicycle or motorcycle tire with a larger width than traditional tires. They range in width from 3.7 inches to 5 inches, while traditional tires typically range from 1.9 inches to 2.5 inches. The wider width of fat tires provides several advantages, which we will explore in this blog post. In this post, we will compare fat tires' advantages to traditional tires, looking at factors such as traction, stability, comfort, and versatility. 

What is a Fat Bike?

A fat bike, also known as a fat-tire bike, is designed to ride on soft or unstable surfaces such as snow, sand, and loose gravel. It features oversized tires, typically ranging in width from 3.7 inches to 5 inches, which provide improved traction, stability, and comfort. The tires often run at a lower air pressure than traditional tires to provide better grip and absorb bumps.

Fat bikes typically have a sturdy frame and fork, as well as a wide range of gears, to handle the added weight of the larger tires. They also have a wide handlebar for better control and stability and can be fitted with additional accessories such as racks and fenders. Fat bikes are designed for off-road use but can also be used on pavement.

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What is a Fat Bike Good For?

A fat bike is good for a variety of activities and conditions, including:

  • Off-road cycling and motorcycling: The large, wide tires provide improved traction and stability on loose gravel, mud, snow, and sand, making them perfect for off-road adventures

  • Snow biking: Fat bikes are designed to ride on soft, unstable surfaces such as snow and are an excellent option for winter riding. The wide tires provide better traction and stability on snowy and icy trails.

  • Beach cruising: The large tires provide improved traction and stability on soft sand, making it perfect for beach cruising.

  • Urban riding: Fat bikes are also suitable for urban riding, providing better grip and comfort on uneven pavement.

  • Touring: Fat bikes can handle a variety of terrains and conditions, making them a great option for touring. The large tires provide better stability and comfort and can handle the loaded weight.

  • Commuting: The wider tires of fat bikes make for a more comfortable and stable ride, and their ability to handle various road conditions makes them a good option for commuting.

  • All-around bike: Due to their versatility and benefits, fat bikes are considered a good all-around bike, providing a comfortable and stable ride on various terrains and conditions.

  • Adventure riding: Fat bikes are great for adventure riding; they can handle rough terrain, rocky paths, and even snowy conditions, making them suitable for exploring different terrains and conditions.

Comparison of the Advantages of Fat Tires

Comparing the advantages of fat tires and traditional tires allows for a better understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of each tire type. Quality comparison also shows how fat tires differ from traditional tires and their advantages in specific situations or terrains. Here are some of the comparisons: 

1. Improved Traction

Fat tires have a larger surface area in contact with the ground, providing a larger contact patch. This increased contact patch allows for better distribution of weight and pressure on the tire, resulting in improved traction. Fat tires can conform to the shape of the terrain and provide a better grip on rough and irregular surfaces such as loose gravel, mud, snow, and sand.

Furthermore, fat tires excel on various terrains, including loose gravel, mud, snow, and sand. They are particularly useful in off-road cycling and motorcycling, where the terrain can be unpredictable and challenging. They are great for beach cruising, snow biking, and other activities on soft or unstable surfaces. Fat tires are also useful in snowy and icy conditions, providing better traction and stability than traditional tires. They are also great for urban riding, providing a better grip on uneven pavement.

2. Increased Stability

The wider and flatter profile of fat tires provides a larger contact patch with the ground, which helps increase bike stability. The larger contact patch also helps to distribute weight and pressure more evenly across the tire, which results in better balance and control. This improved stability is particularly beneficial when riding on uneven or unstable terrain, such as loose gravel, mud, snow, or sand.

In addition, stability is crucial in various activities, such as off-road cycling and motorcycling, where the terrain can be unpredictable and challenging. They equally do well on other soft and unstable surfaces such as is the case during beach cruising and snow biking, and other winter riding activities.

3. Enhanced Comfort

Fat tires absorb vibrations and bumps more effectively than traditional tires because of their wider width and larger volume. This increased volume allows them to conform to the shape of the terrain and absorb shocks better, resulting in a smoother ride. The larger volume also allows for lower air pressure, which further helps to absorb bumps and vibrations.

Comfort is important in various activities, such as long-distance cycling and touring, where the rider may be on the bike for extended periods and fat tires are best for ensuring this.

4. Greater Versatility

Fat tires can be used in various conditions and activities thanks to their improved traction, stability, and comfort. They can handle a wide range of terrains, such as loose gravel, mud, snow, and sand, making them an excellent option for off-road cycling and motorcycling. Fat tires are also designed to handle a wide range of conditions, from snowy and icy conditions to hot and dry conditions, such that there should be no much concern about the durability of the bike.

5. Adventurous

Fat bikes are well-suited for adventurous activities due to the all of the features and advantages already mentioned. If you are one who is keen about adventure and loves to explore strange terrains, then you might want to consider flat tire bikes.

Are Fat Tire Bikes Good for Street Riding?

Fat tire bikes can be suitable for street riding, but it depends on the bike's intended use and specific design.

One of the main advantages of fat tire bikes for street riding is their improved comfort. The wider tires absorb vibrations and bumps more effectively than traditional tires, resulting in a smoother ride. This can be particularly beneficial for long-distance riding or back or joint pain riders.

Another advantage of fat tire bikes for street riding is their increased stability. The larger contact patch of the tires provides better balance and control, which can be especially beneficial in urban areas where the road surface can be uneven or unpredictable.

However, there are also some drawbacks to using fat tire bikes for street riding. One major drawback is that they typically have more rolling resistance than traditional tires, making them slower and less efficient on paved surfaces. Another drawback is the increased weight of the bike, which can make it more challenging to maneuver and accelerate.

Disadvantages of Fat Tires

1. Heavy Weight

Fat tires are known to be heavier than traditional tires, and this can affect the performance of the e-bike. The added weight can make the e-bike less responsive and harder to handle. This can be a limiting factor for activities that require quick maneuvers or tight turns.

2. Reduced Speed

Fat tires have a larger contact patch which affects the speed of the e-bike. The larger contact patch creates more friction and can slow the e-bike down. This can be crucial for activities requiring high-speed or long-distance rides.

3. Higher Cost

Fat Tires tend to be more expensive than traditional tires. The added cost can be a consideration for those looking for an affordable e-bike. The cost of fat tires can be compared to traditional tires to help determine if the benefits outweigh the added cost.

Conclusion

Fat tires offer a variety of advantages over traditional tires, including improved traction, increased stability, enhanced comfort, and greater versatility. These advantages make them suitable for various activities and conditions, such as off-road cycling, snow biking, beach cruising, urban riding, and touring.

What is a fat bike? You may not have heard the term before, but believe us, you’ll know a fat bike when you see one. They’re pretty hard to miss - and the clue is in the name. A fat bike is a bicycle with extremely wide tyres. How wide are those tyres? The usual width is between four and five inches, which when you compare to the average width of a mountain bike tyre - closer to the two or two-and-a-half inch mark - is rather fat indeed.

Truth be told, fat bikes look a little like a bicycle that’s been drawn by a child in art class and then 3D rendered for a Twitter joke - so the natural next question is; why would you want fat tyres on a bike? What are the advantages of having larger than normal tyres, other than attracting the points and stares of bamboozled strangers? Well, try and ride a regular bike on sand or snow and you’ll find out. Fat bikes certainly have their place and function. In this feature, we’re going to talk through some of the FAQ’s of fat biking - and get you stoked to give one a go.

What are fat tyre bikes for? What are the advantages?

The huge wheelbase of a fat bike offers fantastic grip, traction and stability on the bike. Photo: Getty

The primary benefit of a fat bike is that they’re able to travel over diverse terrain, from snow to sand, better than regular bicycles. The wide tyres provide you with extra grip and traction, and combined with a low tyre pressure, you’ll find that you’re able to pedal over terrain that'd make conventional tyres sink.

I've ridden fat bikes over sand dunes in Wales and snow in the French Alps and Arctic Finland. While it's not necessarily always easy work pedalling through soft snow or sand, it's certainly a whole lot more manageable than on a more conventional mountain bike - where much like an angry hamster, you could find yourself spinning a whole lot and hardly moving an inch.

All that extra wheel contact with the ground also means that you’ll be able to roll over obstacles like roots or rocks with more stability, and fat bikes aren’t just good for keeping steady and covering varied terrain, either. Despite the added weight, they're actually quite easy to ride uphill too. You may not be the fastest, but with traction aplenty, you should find yourself climbing at a steady pace.

It should also be noted that while fat bikes were definitely designed for snow and sand, they're becoming increasingly common on regular trails too.

So, do fat bikes need suspension?

The wide tyres of fat bikes eat up some bumps, but they're not a replacement for suspension. Photo: Tim Foster

Whether your fat bike needs suspension or not really depends on what you’ll be doing with it. The tyres of a fat bike don't need to be inflated much, so they’re squishier than your average tyre and that means they eat up some of the smaller bumps on the trails. But really, the reason they don’t come with suspension is that the main purpose of a fat bike is to put as much of the wheel on the floor as is possible and give you mega traction and grip. So, fat tyres are not a valid alternative to a suspension fork. If you’re going to be riding through rough and rooty trails on your fat bike, then it’s not a bad idea to look out a fat bike with suspension. If you’re just heading out to cover some fun off-road terrain though, save yourself the extra weight and get yourself a fat bike with a rigid frame.

Can I put fat tyres on any bike?

The dimensions of a fat bike, including axle spacing, allow it to handle extra wide tyres. Photo: Getty

Long story short: no. You won't be able to fit the four-inch plus tyres of a fat bike onto any old bike. You can typically put conventional mountain bike wheels onto a fat bike, but unfortunately not the other way around. There usually won't be enough space. Plus-size tyres, which are wider than the usual tyre width but not nearly as wide as a fat bike's tyres, are becoming more popular, though.

How much does a fat bike cost?

Like any style of bicycle, fat bikes aren’t typically too cheap, but they do come in a huge range of prices. Kona's Wo fat bike is on sale for £1,499 for example, while Canyon’s Dude fat bike is available from £2399 to £3299.

Where can I ride a fat bike?

Fat bikes mean you can get truly off-road. Photo: Getty.

Well, that’s sort of the point! Anywhere. Get a map out and point at it. The beauty of riding a fat bike is that you can have proper days out on terrain that you may have otherwise struggled on if you were on more conventional tyres. On our side? Well, since you’ve asked, we offer numerous adventures which happen to include fat biking - including a fat biking expedition across the Finnmarksvidda mountain plateau in the Arctic Circle, or fat biking the sand dunes of Namibia.

Inspired? Check out our full range of cycling adventures now.

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What is the point of the big tire bikes?

Our Guide to Fat Bikes, Advantages and Disadvantages

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