To me, this is way more legit (and interesting!) than the Uber Bikes that unfortunately sometimes seduce me with the idea that it is somehow the bike and not the riding that makes me happy. The first thing I noticed was that braking pulsed because the rotors were not ground properly. When break-in didn’t help, I installed Shimano SM-RT56 Disc Brake Rotors (6-Bolt, 160mm) and Shimano BR-M375 Disc Brake Calipers. Was tempted to go hydraulic, but didn’t want to spend the money for possible over-kill. Feature These are the best style, beauty & grooming products of…
Pack extra water and a sandwich in case things go right and you’re having too much damn fun to head home. I view it as a valuable option for those who can’t easily spend ~$1000+ on something they may not like. I bought a used Mongoose Beast SS fatbike a year ago, and used parts bin engineering along with a generous and friendly LBS to make it rideable.
The recommendations in this guide are based on thorough mongoose racing bike and market research by our team of expert product reviewers. The picks are based on examining user reviews, product specifications, and, in some limited cases, our experience with the specific products named. Reviewed’s mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.
Shimano provides the drivetrain components in the form of a Deore 10-speed shifter and rear derailleur. House-brand cranks spin a 24-tooth chainring with a SunRace CSMS T cassette on the other end. The Sram disc brakes will keep your speed in check on fast descents. It comes with 26-inch wheels but will take larger wheels also. When going deeper into the woods, use the copious cargo mounts on the frame and fork. 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. 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. This Chromoly steel frame is stable and stiff with exceptional traction that shines when you’re toting groceries, trail tools, an expedition’s worth of gear, or a passenger. The bike has a longer top tube and slacker head angle for stability when loaded down. The cargo area is built with thinner, lighter tubing than the rest of the bike to keep its weight in check.
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 on the heavy side, but it’s an excellent option for exploring the world of snow or sand without breaking the bank. A hardtail with a rigid fork is the most affordable and most common type of fat bike. 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. Like the others, this one is made with a steel frame and aluminum rims that provide a lightweight feel for smoother rides over rugged terrain, as well as durability for long-term use.
If you’ll be riding in icy terrain instead of snowy trails, you’ll want to buy or make a set of studded tires for enhanced grip. The geometry, says Salsa, is intentionally designed to shift the rider’s weight rearward for more stability in loose conditions, and lighter steering. This build uses a carbon frame—a lower-end Mukluk with aluminum frame is also offered—with SRAM Eagle drivetrain, Sun-Ringle Mulefut SL 80mm rims, and tubeless-and-stud ready 45NRTH 26×4.6-inch tires.
It’s made with a steel frame, a four-inch-wide bike-wheel size, aluminum crank arms, and front and back brakes for optimal riding in anything from sand to snow. The 90mm-wide rims are drilled for both presta and Schrader valves, so you can run it with tubes , or tubeless (presta; a tubeless conversion kit is included but not installed). It has a SRAM 1×12 drivetrain with SRAM hydraulic disc brakes, a carbon fork to smooth bumps , and 27.5×4.5 Maxxis Colossus tubeless-ready tires. Unless you need a carbon frame, this bike has everything you want. Now mind you a lot of these parts were used or I had the laying around. A great bike to get you rolling, the entry-level Malus has 4-inch-wide tires, a Shimano 1×7 Alivio drivetrain, and mechanical disc brakes with 160mm rotors.
With a -frame base and extra wide wheels and tires, this bike’s pretty easy to learn on and can handle multiple terrain types, such as sand and snow. This sultry chameleon-colored bike is more than just lovely to look at—it’s also beautifully thought out. Full length, and mostly internal, hose and housing routing keeps them protected and out of the way so it’s easier to attach cargo bags. Rear dropouts are adjustable to tweak the geometry or run it single speed, and Giant says the seatstays are shaped to provide extra clearance for thick riding boots. The dropper post helps on the downhills and makes it easy to remount the bike when your feet are post-holing in deep snow.
Over at Electrek we made a great electric mongoose fat bikebike out of this bike for another $400. The premium boy’s headed out the the desert to support rider Matt Closson’s organized crime jam in old downtown Vegas. I’m curious for the ones that have added the front derailleur, where you found the mount for it? I checked at my lbs and they didn’t know of one that would fit my Mongoose. That also gave me lower gears, so I went back to the non-Mega Range freewheel.