What’s it like to ride the fat bike “FAT BIKE”?
Mountain bikes are equipped with particularly thick tires, often called FAT BIKEs. As a category of mountain bikes, FAT BIKE has excellent stability compared with ordinary bicycles because of its wide tires. Let’s introduce the charm of FAT BIKE below.
In recent years, with the development of light bicycles in cities such as commuting to and from work, school, and shopping, sports bicycles mainly focused on outdoor sports have been favored by more and more people. They have gradually evolved from a single functional requirement to one based on personal interests. Starting point to choose trends.
What is FAT BIKE?
Bicycles are roughly divided into two categories. One is a functional bicycle that is commonly used on public roads, and the other is a sports bicycle that is good at off-road driving. The wide tires used in the FAT BIKE are eye-catching models.
Wide-tire bikes stand out when riding on the road, and they have become very popular thanks to the ease of use of wide tires.
Fat bikes have extremely thick tires that are several times wider than regular bikes. Therefore, the contact resistance between the tire and the ground increases, making it unsuitable for high-speed riding, but thanks to its wide tires, it is very stable for riding on roads such as beaches. In addition, compared with ordinary light vehicles, the performance of the frame and front fork is also very different because of the particularly thick wide tires.
Mountain bikes with wide tires
The tires of FAT BIKE are very wide, much larger than MTB (mountain bike), and they are easy to distinguish in appearance. Thanks to the wide tires, as mentioned above, riding on off-road non-paved roads will be more stable, and the wide tires can also absorb energy like a shock absorber system.
Therefore, fat bikes are easier to use on non-paved roads, and FAT BIKEs have better stability than MTBs.
About tire size and thickness
Most sports bike tires are 700☓23C, and FAT BIKE can install wide tires of about 3 to 5 inches. 3 inches is already a thick tire that is twice as thick as 23C. If it is 5 inches, it will look like a motorcycle tire, and the price of the entire vehicle will also become more expensive.
Handlebars and parts
handlebar shape
Bikes for high-speed riding usually use drop handlebars, butterfly handlebars, or horn-like handlebars. For high-speed bicycles with horn handlebars, FAT bikes usually use straight handlebars because of tire width issues.
There will be some differences in shape depending on the manufacturer or brand, but in short, most use handlebars with simple shapes for beginners.
Other parts
Uses the same saddle as other bikes. Parts modified by users themselves are also common. Most of the frames are made of chromium-molybdenum steel and aluminum alloy.
Because of these, the FAT BIKE is only thicker than the MTB tires, and the frame and other materials are about the same. The handlebar controls and other parts are not as different as tires, making it easy for newbies to get started.
Advantages of fat tire bikes
1: High stability
As mentioned above, thanks to the thick tires, the contact area with the road is larger than that of other bikes, and the stability is increased. Therefore, when riding on urban roads, such as sidewalk steps, manhole cover gaps and other places, it is more stable than other bicycles.
In addition, designed for non-paved roads, wide-tire vehicles are also very stable on gravel roads, sand, mud and other roads.
2: Suggestions for first time use
Because the FAT BIKE seems to be equipped with such thick tires, it gives the impression that it is difficult to control when using it for the first time. However, the fact is the opposite, because its thick tires actually bring stability to the road riding, even on non-paved roads. For first-time users, it is It will also be very easy to ride.
In addition, there are various potholes on the road, and the height difference and wide tire bikes can more easily overcome these and the riding will be safer. It can also be easily controlled on snow, so it can also be used easily and safely in snow.
3: High strength structure
Due to the thick tires, the vehicle looks larger than the off-road-oriented MTB. Precisely because it is a product designed for non-paved roads like the MTB, the structural strength will be strengthened accordingly. In short, the FAT BIKE can be regarded as an MTB bicycle with extremely thick tires.
The strength of the frame is higher than that of other bicycles. The frame tube is thicker, and other components such as the transmission system are also made of the same parts as other MTB bikes. The strength makes people more confident.
4: The changing riding feeling
The tires are extremely wide and thick and can continue to be used even when they are under-inflated. Generally, when the tire pressure of a bicycle is insufficient, continued use will cause the tire to be damaged in a collision. If the FAT BIKE tire is under-inflated, it will gain a soft, shock absorber-like effect.
Changing the air pressure of the tires can transform from a decent off-road riding experience to a state that can be used comfortably and stably in both high and low road conditions in the city.
Disadvantages of fat tire bikes
1: Bulky
The original meaning of FAT is fat and wide. As the name suggests, FAT BIKE belongs to the very bulky category of bicycles. Since the entire bike is heavy and heavy, each pedaling session requires more effort, which can be considered a disadvantage. Because of the wide appearance of the tires, it is easy to misunderstand. In fact, the so-called effort is only the force exerted by riding in a stationary state. Because the weight of the bicycle requires more effort, unexpectedly, after riding, the thick tires will not feel difficult to ride.
Using a human metaphor, the fact that the pace is increased and it is easier to run is not a disadvantage.
2: Not suitable for high-speed riding on the road
The situation while riding is difficult to characterize as a fault. As mentioned above, it is difficult to ride at high speed on the road like other sports bicycles. Commuting to and from school and get off work is not a problem, but after all, it is not a serious product designed for reasonable use. In the final analysis, it is just a type of bicycle that is equally suitable for off-road non-paved roads and has excellent results, that is, safe and stable, like MTB.
However, because of its thick outer tires, when fully inflated, it can be ridden comfortably and briskly on the road.
If you want to use it comfortably while commuting to get off work or school, you need to pay attention to the tire pressure.
The wide tires themselves act like shock absorbers. If the tire pressure is reduced, the pedal force will become heavier. When it is not intended to be used off-road on non-paved roads, thick tires have the effect of shock absorbers. Thanks to this, when riding in the city, you can get a stable riding experience when dealing with various high and low road conditions such as steps, even without lowering the tire pressure.
3: Ideas about price
Generally, city bicycles and sports bicycles use completely different parts, and the price difference itself is very large. FAT BIKE is more expensive overall.
Of course, there are also low-priced wide-tire bikes, which are often called copycat bikes. Just by looking at them, they give people the feeling of a fat bike. However, it should be noted that the copy-bike is generally used as a tool vehicle for short distances. However, its safety may be problematic in off-road conditions and other scenarios. After all, it only looks like it and does not have the same performance.
As mentioned earlier, FAT BIKE is a derivative model based on the MTB model with thicker tires. Although the tire size has excellent adaptability to complex road conditions, its shortcoming is also the lack of steering flexibility caused by the thick tires.
Therefore, in order to offset this problem, a MINI type FAT BIKE equipped with wide tires is particularly recommended. MINI's steering is relatively flexible and easier to use for commuting to get off work and school. It can be regarded as a stable and safe bicycle to ride.
An electric-assisted model that eliminates the need to worry about heavy pedaling force
The problem of pedaling with thick tires is difficult, but this shortcoming can be offset immediately through electric power assist, and anyone can easily get started. There is also an assistant on slope roads to assist with better results. In addition, snow, gravel, and roads can all be used with electric assistance, and friends who are new to this type of product can quickly get used to it.
However, it should be noted that not only the price of thick tires, but also the electric power assist will make it more expensive.
Choose the product that suits you based on your own situation.
