Pack extra water and a wich 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.
Leave your regular ride at home for the day and bounce right over sand, gravel and sticks with the Mongoose Dolomite Men’s Fat Tire Mountain Bike. Enjoy it with a sense of spirit and fun that is found only from Mongoose. Features 7 speeds for power climbing, and 4″ wide wheels that are as wide as the smile on your face. There is nothing you can’t do on a Mongoose. I knew that I couldn’t expect much for $212 and free shipping. I didn’t bother to read reviews and wasn’t ready to spend a lot more, not knowing if I would even like riding one. The Maxxis Minon FBR and FBF are a popular tire choice on this list.
The Big Fat Dummy can take 29 or 26 inch wheels, with maximum tire widths of 3 to 5.25 (on 26-inch rims) inches wide. A dropper post and grippy tires will have you hooting on the descents. MAXXIS Minion FBF/FBR 3.8-inch tires on 27.5-inch rims are fun and weight conscious. If you want more float the Dude fits tires up to 4.8 inches wide. 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.
Beyond the larger diameter wheels, the Farley 7 has an 80mm suspension fork and a dropper post. These three features make the Farley 7 more than a snow bike. The suspension fork provides additional traction and control on hard surfaces, and the dropper post gives you control at higher speeds.
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.
If you don’t want to 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.
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.