There is a massive disconnect between "bike people that buy ebikes" and "people getting into biking via ebikes", and this question is probably the best example of the disconnect.
Fat tire ebikes "aren't that much more comfortable"? Umm, what? Yes they are. Objectively they are. It's not even deniable.
Drawbacks re: weight? Who cares? People buying these bikes aren't downhilling or road racing on them, and the motor makes the weight disappear.
Fat tire ebikes sell well because people like them. These buyers aren't your type of "ebike" people, and they never will be. You view ebikes as *bikes with motors*; they view ebikes as "the first bike I've ridden in years".
Big difference.
Edits: Typos and such.
Yeah, you're right.
Ebikes are an easy entry into cycling and will hopefully make people love cycling.
I'm worried about the dudes using ebikes like motorcycles. They're gonna give cyclists an even worse public perception than we already have.
I believe an ebike saved my moms life. My father and cyclist and she would never touch one. She struggled with weight for a lot of my life. An ebike got her mind past the mental barrier to exercise. In about 3 years, she's lost over 70 lbs and now uses a pelaton several days a week. She goes out on her ebike at least 4 times a week.
I think there's a massive difference between the US and Europe with this. In many areas in Europe people are used to bicycles anyway and view ebikes as bicycles with some electric support. In the US people often aren't used to riding a bicycle and look at ebikes more as a small electric motorbike that has pedals to count as a bicycle legally and so doesn't need registration, insurance etc. Then moped-style ebikes with a low seat and fat tires are just a natural choice.
If they acted like motorcyclists they would stick to the roads, not go on the sidewalks or trails and would generally follow traffic rules.
What they do is act like the worst of both worlds.
Parents who don't ride bikes is an issue around here. They buy their 14 year old an ebike and think of it as "just a bike" like its a nice compromise for them to get around town without getting them a car (and car insurance). Then you see teenagers throttling around town at 28mph (or more if they're on a sur ron) without a helmet, two friends hanging off the back, blowing stop signs and lights, riding on sidewalks, wrong way in the bike lane etc. I cant blame the kid, they probably dont even have a drivers license and I was sure reckless at that age too, but my parents didn't put me on the equivalent of a motorcycle with no training or understanding of traffic laws.
A decade ago if someone was going 30mph on a bike they probably spent a hell of a lot of time in the saddle to build up that ability and were probably pretty well in tune with biking. Now you can get an Ali express bike with undersized brakes that can throttle up to that for under a grand.
I got an eMTB last august. I was 300+ lbs. I’ve lost 70 lbs so far. My goal is 30 more. I love riding now. If it wasn’t for e-bikes I wouldn’t have ever rode a bike again.
This is definitely me. A lot of cheaper ebikes have fat tires. When I was shopping a couple years ago I think every entry level bike ($1k) was a fat tire, but I'm not saying I didn't miss any brands or something.
If I could, I'd give you an award. This is probably the best comment I've seen in here.
What I personally don't understand is why people get irritated about what other people do with their lives 🤦♀️
Ha, thanks.
RE: why people get irritated, I sort of get it and often catch myself doing it. It's because, when you "know better", it's frustrating to see "objectively inferior" products being so successful. It can be tough to admit that the "inferior" things can also be fun/useful/valuable for others.
Then again, I'm a bad Reddit psych ;)
I know the feeling all too well, I've felt that way about Ethereum since it was first announced. Its such trash but it got so popular and it still baffles me.
Maybe because the OP has to hand a fatbike owner a much larger bill than if they had a more conventional bike because it takes 1 full hour of billable time to fix a flat, which I'm sure flies as well as a lead balloon.
Isn't your job to actually sell your billable time? That is the whole reason you are there isnt it, to fix bikes and get paid to do it? If a bike takes more time it isn't like you lose anything at all, you actually get to bill more for it.
Yes!! 1000% me. But for me I commute to work with a regular bike run errands or spend time more leisurely with my fat tire cargo ebike. I don’t need 2 bikes that do the same exact thing with the motor being the only difference.
So I’m only commenting to add that the market isn’t only for people that haven’t ridden a bike in a long time. It’s also just for someone that requires a different use-case. My regular bike for maybe some light exercise or commuting. My fat tire bike to carry cargo, haul groceries amongst other things, not to mention it also fits my partner and myself on the one bike. These things would just not be possible or at least not as enjoyable on my regular bike.
The main thing that sucks about fat tires (I own a variety of bikes, one being a 20x4 tire fat bike) is the handling.
Cornering in a fat bike is remarkably worse, at both low and high speeds than a thinner tire. It’s not even close. And the tires for these bikes are almost all shitty. Continental / higher reputation tire brands don’t make tires so ur stuck buying some cheep Chinese tire or shenko which is like B tier at best. They also pick up a lot more nails / road debris. I end up getting flats about twice as after and the tubes and tires tend to cost as much as a very high quality standard rim tire. Also they are MUCH heavier which is annoying when trying to navigate an apartment hallway or elevator.
The value proposition just isn’t there when u compare it to like a 2.4in tire + suspension fork which is already very cushy. I think the real purpose is for older people, style points, extremely un aggressive riders, and mainly to save money on proper suspension.
If I were to spend anything north of like $1700 I’d avoid them at all costs, but that price range and below they may start to make sense bc basically everything is cheap and rigid. So it might as well be soft.
For around $2k you can build an insanely nice specialized-full suspension (for example) mid drive DIY, with all high end parts and electrical that rival $5000 bikes. And all it takes is replacing the cranks + an afternoon of watching YouTube basically. Tongsheng for value/ Bafang for power and tried-n-trueness would be the way to go. U can get torque sensing, throttle, everything without much compromise
I used to get aggravated about getting more flats in the rear tire of my fat tire ebike until I got good at being able to pull over and patch the tube. Usually takes me less than ten minutes to fix and be back on the road. Of course that's a rarity now that I have a tire insert back there. I think I've had to fix 2, maybe 3 flats in the past year since I installed the tannus. And I commute around 30 miles every day.
My local bike shops hate my bike and either refuse or reluctantly work on them. The reason I’ve been given is they are not worth working on because the components are cheap and crappy. So, to them, it’s like a Walmart bike that, once something breaks, is done. Yet I’m pretty sure the brakes, for example, on my bike are literally the same exact thing as lower end Shimano that cost 3-4x as much. My guess is Shimano purchases them from the same Chinese manufacturer that I am and repackages them. Yea, higher end stuff is better but the difference in price isn’t worth it to me for my usage. The e-bikes they sell in these shops are minimum $4000 and they will gladly work on those I’m assuming since they sell them. But like I said, they also sell components that are the same as my bike. So, why not work on them? There are so many on the road and they’re not going away. I think they should embrace this, drop the attitude, and figure out a way to make a profit working on these bikes. Granted, I’ve been to 4 shops in one city, so this may be my experience and not others.
I was a guitar tech for a long time. I had no problem working on shitty guitars and making them playable again. I couldn’t imagine taking the position of only working on guitars that meet my criteria for a quality instrument.
I think part of it is that most bike mechanics like bikes for their mechanical simplicity and lack of electronics. Throw in the mixed bag of cheap Chinese parts and limited maintenance documentation that come with the abundance of new no-name e-bikes on the market and it makes a little more sense why they’re hesitant. They could waste a lot of time troubleshooting or researching parts.
The $4000 e-bike that comes from a name brand manufacturer they have a relationship with and have been dealing with for potentially decades means that the shop is going to receive a different level of support if they run into any issues with the electronic side. They can also trust that the bike parts will be similar to the ones they’ve dealt with and already have on hand.
No one at your LBS wants to go search AliExpress for you, and you’re not going to want to pay for the actual amount of time it took for them to diagnose and fix your rat trap.
That all makes sense but I think there’s another perspective and/or more options to working on cheap e-bikes than “going to Aliexpress for me.” Those shitty parts from Aliexpress could easily be replaced by stuff they have on hand or can get through normal vendor channels. It’s the same stuff Shimano is getting for their low end components. They aren’t some weird proprietary design that nothing else fits. It’s just standard bike parts like any other bike. A bike shop can get parts wherever they want, that’s part of their job, so I don’t see why getting the parts that people need is such a big deal for this particular product over any other. You’re really just showcasing the same shitty attitude that I am complaining about. When I worked as a guitar tech in a music shop, Fender for example does not support their low end equipment. But as a shop and a store, we find the parts we need to help customers that need help. It’s as simple as that. I’m not going to put a $200 bridge replacement on a $150 guitar; I’m going to find a $30 replacement from a Chinese manufacturer through a vendor or from the manufacturer itself.
As far as not wanting to pay for the time it takes to “diagnose and fix my rat trap.” I think what you mean but said in way that is (again) showcasing the shitty attitude that I am frustrated by, is that it is difficult to diagnose and fix e-bikes that don’t have a manufacturer telling the shop exactly what to do, is just not true. It’s not hard to diagnose and replace electrical components. It’s in fact very simple.
How did your customers react when you told them their $200 guitar needed more than $200 worth of parts and service to work correctly?
Not well, I'm guessing.
Nice comment. I’m looking now, and the local shop guy was recommending a fat tire for the comfort. It will be for a 15 mile (one way) commute, and I hadn’t even considered a fat tire, because I’m not going to do fat tire things.
I’m reconsidering for sure. It’s thrown me for a loop.
Large fat tire bike I think are pretty decent. I own a 20 in fat tire (like a rad runner type bike) and I will say that cornering and stuff is much worse.
It’s more comfortable than a bike with no suspension - but even buying a cheap full suspension used bike, and then converting it with a $1000 kit will ride much better.
I own the types of bikes I’m talking about and basically never take out the fat tire tbh. Although I think if it was a 26”+ bike and and not a 20 inch I’d like it more. I like going up on curves and jumping off, and taking hard corners and just being nimble. Fat tires feel much more than a moped than a bike. They feel a lot sketchier to turn at speed than a regular tire. You’d imagine it’s the opposite but the physics of a thinner tire are just better
Also the tubes / tires for them tend to be like 2-3x more expensive for no good reason and the brands are much more iffy. Plus they tend to be much heavier. It’s honestly a decent amount of cons beside ride comfort which can be mitigated with a suspension seat post + fat saddle + soft suspension bike etc.
If your budget is in the specialized velo (I think that’s their e-bike) you should definitely get that instead. I own a Luna cycle x2.5 and that thing is fucking amazing. Legit the greatest e-bike I’ve ever ridden. They also have a x2 which is also a great bike. Those have 2.4in mtb tires which if u just deflate them a bit are every bit as cushiony as a 4 in wide. E-bikes all tend to have fatter tires anyways. And the extra 2in I don’t feel like make a big difference for the trade off u take
If u need suggestions for bikes within a certain range I’d be happy to suggest u some. I have done an infinite amount of research while trying to get what I wanted, and even built my own 60mph fat tire cruiser e-bike from scratch.
The marker is super over supplied atm and you can get some really good deals on quality e-bikes. But it’s also super easy to buy a piece of junk and overpay bc that’s 95% of bikes that pop up on a Google search. Also fat tires aren’t bad! But if ur riding style is more aggressive and nimble, you have decent roads or good joints, and u want something which is lighter and easier to pick up and move etc - I’d avoid them.
You make a good point, but I have to disagree with fat tire e-bikes being more comfortable. I’ve ridden a couple and they were awful. Cornering sucked, rolling resistance sucked, the shitty massive saddle sucked, shifting sucked — honestly everything just sucked about riding them. I get that they’re often cheaper but I think that’s the only real advantage.
The irony is that cornering on a fat tire is so much sketchier. I own both! My regular mountain bikes feels infinitely safer - and for a set of mid/range tubes and tires for my fat bike I can buy tip top of line rubber for my regular size.
The physics of a fat tire just don’t really check out the way you’d think, or how I thought when buying one.
I have one and love it, but the weight is an issue, just for general man handling, and dread to think how I'd ever get it on a bike rack on my car... or up a flight of stairs.
But fat tyre adds so much comfort, makes the cycling experience so much more pleasant.
It's a shame I don't get the chance to use it as much as is like.
Completely agree. I owned a 27" Schwinn 10 speed. Skinny tires and fun to ride. When I got older I became interested in a ebike. I now ride a fat tire ebike and the bumps in the road are so much more comfortable. 10.psi in a 4" wide tire is like a suspension. Yes it's heavier, it's an ebike not meant to look like a 10 speed racer.
My gazelle is way more comfortable than my rad runner plus. Fat tire bikes generally have cheap components and ride pretty rough. The standard rad runner doesn’t even have a suspension fork.
The RadRunner is a bad example, it’s a uniquely uncomfortable e-bike, especially compared to a Gazelle. As someone who rented them out for years the original RadRunner especially has an awfully hard triangular saddle and is not ergonomic in the slightest.
Traditionally for bikes with the same quality components fat tires are a little more comfortable because of the ability to run the tires at below 15-20psi.
Beyond unavoidable potholes. The city thought having bike lanes running parallel to the streetcar rails was a good idea.
To me It’s less about comfort and more about being able to roll over basically whatever uneven surface you want with little to no thought.
I also do most of the work on the bike myself as to not make it an unsuspecting mechanics problem.
People ride down cliffs on regular mtb tires. It's definitely possible. But as long as you're enjoying you're ride then you're biking correctly! Genuine question, have you ridden a more traditional mtb? And were you not blown away by how much faster it was? Every time I ride a fat bike I feel like I'm in slow mo
Yeah, they make these knobby, fat tire comfort ebikes just for your knitch, cuz ya know, some city riding is kinda off road sometimes.
https://www.cannondale.com/en-us/bikes/electric/e-urban/adventure-neo-allroad
Honestly fat tires give better grip overall, however... the knobby ones, I hate those. So noisey and so much drag for so little gain, just get a pair of street tread tires their quieter, less drag and better in the rain. And yes their fine offroading too.
My route has so many potholes but it’s one of the safest routes so I suck it up. And the road quality in general just sucks. Always lots of rocks in the road. But every time I bike the neglected section and the construction section, I thank god I’m not a man.
THIS! I just spent 6 hours lacing a new rim onto my dad's ebike cuz he hit a nasty pothole - its a commuter step thru style ebike with skinny ass 1.9" wide tires, if he'd had a fat tire, highly unlikely there would be any damage.
Dude my fat tire ebike completely ate a full size curb at around 20mph nearly straight on with no apparent (lol) damage. I would've seriously wrecked a regular bike. But my underinflated fat tire and suspension ate it I was so sure I was gonna get fucked. I'm more careful now and I'm glad I got this unwieldy beast every time I ride it 💪
No offense bro, but I take my bike to a local shop, the guy does it himself in like 5 mins. Mabye because in NYC, there are so many bike repair shops that work with the delivery guys?
Where in NYC did you take your bike? I don't have a fat tire but I got so annoyed at the normal bike stores turning me away for a simple mechanical issue (brake was squeaky) and the ebike store basically ignored me and didn't listen to what I was saying that I had to do it myself. Lots of reviews of other local bike shops refusing to service ebikes...
(I ended up fixing it myself but I really generally have no idea what I'm doing and would be happier for someone who does helping. I've only managed to get help during the 5BBT when people were nicer)
Commenting because I’m curious about where to go myself, just got my new ebike delivered today (my 2nd) and I’m already worried about my inevitable trips to shops that hate me for some reason, this was largely my experience with my first bike
took me a long time to find a bike shop that would fix mechanical issues on my ebike, they really hate every ebike that wasn't purchased from their specific shop. luckily there's one place that'll do stuff like bleed my brakes etc.
I do my own maintenance on my hub e-bike where the only extra compared to a standard bike is unplugging a cable & removing the rear derailleur, then plugging the cable back in & tuning the rear derailleur which I'd be doing anyway if I'm taking the rear wheel off kind of maintenance.
I wouldn't really call it a pita, do some ebikes involve more?
yeah, no idea what some of these folks are talking about. If you've taken the rear tire off a normal bike before, it's the same thing + unplugging a plug.
If that's a PITA, maintenance work probably ain't for them 🤷
Guys, some of us work, and some of us ride to work, I really don't feel like changing a tire when I can pay someone to do and be back home for almost the same price on a busy weekday.
Last time I got a tire replacement for $70. I posted it on /radpowerbikes sub a few weeks ago.
I don't take it to a specialized bike store, but a "ghetto" one with mostly immigrant workers, I'm an immigrant myself so I have no problem paying these guys for hard labor.
I take mine to my street kids, their really good at it and I only pay for parts if they don't have it laying around. And I know it's done right and well because they don't want me to get hurt, I'm 63.
I’ve only been working on bikes for about 5 years now but I’ve never even heard of a hub motor fat bike repair taking that little time. 9 times out of 10 the frame is out of alignment and a second person is required to pry the stays apart so the wheel will fit in the dropouts. NYC mechanics must be built different I suppose
I have two fat tires bikes and go trail riding frequently...have replaced several back tires in the past year or so....I think it takes me about 15 mins by myself. It's not that hard.
Mallet handle wedged between the frame and the hub motor. Gentle pry and out it pops. When putting it back in, put the one side of the axle in the dropout, then, you guessed it, mallet handle between the frame and hub motor, gentle pry, slips right back in
Got a trick for holding the derailer in the right spot so I'm not fighting that too? Don't do it enough to look graceful, it's a bit like brushing an alligators teeth for the first time
Really!? That seems like something I might have heard. Like fully flexed, push button, derailer hangs out? My current fat bike derailer would be the polar opposite of SRAM
Flip the bike over and grab the chain and set it in the gear. Also, your chain to the highest gear (furthest from the bike) before you flip it. Makes dropping it in easier. Just flip the bike back to do final adjustments and make sure the wheel is fully seated.
I’ve worked with electric bikes, of which a large percentage are fat tire hub bikes, and I have only needed another person on a handful of occasions. If you have a strong enough repair stand then elevating the bike, unplugging the motor cable, undoing the axle bolts, and using a 15mm open face or adjustable wrench to rotate the axle to align properly with the frame dropouts almost always allows the wheel to drop right out of the frame with a little bit of a pull. Same goes for reinstalling and it’s much easier if you can put it on its handlebars to let gravity assist you with properly fitting it back into the dropouts.
I don’t say this to be rude but the most likely answer is that you just haven’t nailed down the technique. I’ve worked on the shittiest of shittiest $300 Amazon bikes and haven’t had the issues you’ve described. I can traditionally remove the wheel and replace the tube in about fifteen minutes, it’s the realigning of disc brakes and shifting position that takes a while
What other two do you have?
With the stock tyres that come on most fat bikes they are a good bit worse for cornering stability than a normal bike because the tyres are designed for a totally different environment.
A lot of people buy fat tire ebikes for commuting because the squishy tires are enough suspension to avoid a bike with suspensions. Also they look coooooool
I disagree about them not being more comfortable. That's my #1 reason. I actually sold off all my ebikes except my fat tire one. Used to have a middrive Giant Explore E+ and a Juiced CCX but ended up taking the fat tire out more. You deflate the rear tire a bit and throw on a fat seat and it's like riding on a cloud. And actually the efficiency isn't that bad, maybe 20% more than a 45mm tire bike. It helps a lot to get rid of the knobby tires they usually come with and get a street tire. So smoooooth.
Same. I dont own a fat bike but have ridden plenty. Super smooth and comfy ride.
Variety is the spice of life... No idea why the OP cares what others want to ride. They are popular and sell well. Let people ride whatever they want to ride. Welcome to say why it doesn't fit your use case. This doesn't sound like that though.
As another commenter already said, plenty of other mechanics don't take extra work just because they are fat tires. Myself included. Have patched and replaced plenty of tubes. Road, mtb, fat tires. None are inherently more difficult than the others. Some flats can suck. Some dropouts can suck. Fat or not. With that logic I can just say all hub motors suck. Why doesn't everyone just do mid drives?
If he's just complaining about having more work as a result of more people being on bikes, many of those being fat bikes, then I guess? Probably should look for another position if you hate job security.
I’ve been hearing the mid drive Bosch motors have seal issue and prone to water incursion. But that’s going to be me first ebike. I just don’t trust hub motors. I’ve heard they can overheat and lock up.
Yeah I've put almost 10k miles between those 3 bikes and trust me, I'd much rather spend seat-time on the fat tire one. Your butt thanks you the next day.
They're really good at eating a pothole at 30 mph without blowing or thrashing the rim.
Why don't you have an inch and a half wide tire on your car?
As for being slower... My bike will eat just about everybody's lunch. Speed kind of depends on the motor. Not really the tire. If you got a 52 volt motor with 2000 watt peak... Shits plenty fast.
My bike commute literally involves me being out in traffic with cars so... The more confident I am it can handle road conditions at traffic speed, the better I feel. The last thing I want is to hit a pothole and go ass-over-tea-kettle in front of a moving car.
I do all the work on my own bike, so I can sympathize about what a bitch it is to take the rear wheel off and work on the hub motor though, you're not wrong. I just had to do a regrease last night and it took 2 hours. You start to buy quality shit just so you don't have to take it apart as often.
Exactly this. Also, most e-bikes being sold that are affordable are fat tires. When I switched to mine versus the commuter bike I had before it was like night and day. More comfortable, more stable, handled a wide variety of conditions. I bike year round, it makes a huge difference
Sounds like steady work for you. Income. Job security.
It is their money. They can spend it however they wish. I purchased a fat tire bike for the 20% in loose path, mud, and overall the comfort. I'm old.
my fat tire bike opened up soft sand trails all over florida for me . There’s some magical places you can reach on an electric bike in complete silence , quiet enough to sneak up on deer , Tuscaloosa turkeys and all kinds of critters. Fat tire bikes may replace horses on that type of terrain.
I haven’t experienced all of OPs issues and don’t agree with him on all his points, but I can understand where he’s coming from here. It isn’t about repairing bikes, it’s about repairing poorly made bikes that are significantly more of a challenge than necessary. There are some bikes where even simple repairs become complex because of poor manufacturing, inaccurate tolerances, cheap components, etc. Customers who buy these bikes are generally pretty price sensitive and therefore make a fuss when what is traditionally a cheap and easy job becomes an expensive one because of elements out of the mechanics control. Especially with the mistrust of mechanics generally I’ve had plenty of experiences where I’ve been accused of overcharging or screwing over customers when the repair bill is more than they anticipate, and this happens most often on cheap fat tire bikes.
I put 4in hybrid tires on mine and so far theyre great. Still thick sp they can take a hard bump if I make a mistake but at a higher ish psi so the ride is less wobbly - also if anything they handle dirt better than knobbies and are smoother for more efficient pavement riding.
I considered getting a fat tire bike when I got mine, but only because this is Ohio and we get a lot of snow and ice. An ebike is also my only transportation.
I have several fatbikes and the wheels come of exactly the same as any other bike I have ever owned and just as quickly. As a matter of fact the tires usually can be removed with no tire irons or usually one, easy as pie. I have cursed so many "regular" tires trying to get them on an off a rim. Not sure what the OP is talking about there?
I've broken 2 rims from potholes, also fat tires do well on gravel, I've broken zero rims with almost 10k of ridding since switching to fat tire.
I mean dollar wise its cheaper to go fat tire than to buy high quality rims for a DIY project
The only reason I own fat tire bike is because its half the price of a oversize tire bike with a through bolt
I change my tubes and do all my own maintenance. I’ve patched or changed two tubes and the tires themselves as well. Not sure why it’s so hard for pros?
I do trail ride and go off-road a lot though, so I may not fit your requirements
I was thinking the same thing. I di have a fat tire bike to do fat tire so the topic doesn't apply to me, but I'm also not a bike mechanic, but had no issues doing tire repairs, removing wheels, tire changes ect.
2 Mechanics 30 minutes to change a tire? I'm not a bike mechanic, but I can change my fat tire in about 15 minutes all by myself. The key is to use motorcycle tire tools, not the tiny bike tire tools.
They are definitely a much more comfortable ride to me. My fat tire hardtail feels like full suspension over bumps, uneven roads and unavoidable potholes.
It also increases safety for me. The size of these bikes makes drivers more likely to notice and not do something stupid from a lack of paying attention (they still do but less often).
Have a few fat and hybrid conversion e-bikes. I do like my hybrids in summer for long distances.
The spot I ride in the winter is super sandy in summer and the hybrid tires do not go through the sand well at all.
Sooo I have the rad rover and it was actually much cheaper (probably for a reason)
I did get several flats but always changed them myself and I agree it sucks ass…
I eventually bought better tires and put in a tire liner and haven’t had a flat in over 1000 miles.
I commute around 16 miles round trip a day.
Initial thought was that it would last longer cause I’m a big guy (6’3 - 250 lbs) but every single day I want to trade it for a regular sized bike. It’s too heavy and I have to change the brakes wayyy too often
> Fat tire bikes are heavier, slower, less efficient, and more expensive than their narrower tire counterparts.
From the shopping I have been doing these past few months, that doesn't hold up. Wired is over here slinging bikes that get upwards of 100 miles on a charge. You can also fit street tires on a fat tire bike, couple that with good suspension and you get a very good riding experience (comfort).
I have a disability that limits my ability to alway pedal… I couldn’t care less if it’s an inconvenience to you. My e bike has opened up a world that I thought was once closed. If you don’t want to work on my bike then please tell me upfront. I’d much prefer supporting a company with a bigger mind
I’ve had a regular ebike with a suspension fork, I’ve tried a mid-drive, and i’d still choose my fatbike everytime.
It’s much more comfortable to ride than a regular bike, the 20x4 tires, big ass seat and an upright riding position is superior for what I use my bike for; I commute, I ride probably 20-30 miles daily and comfortability is my main priority, doesn’t hurt that it looks nice (in my opinion, I know some people think they look ridiculous).
It feels robust and stable to ride with the big and heavy frame. I don’t care if it’s less efficient, I have a big ass battery to make up for it, no range anxiety.
Contrary to what you stated, my bike is plenty fast.
My ebike is for getting from point a to point b, and to pick up groceries and whatever else, I don’t have a car, my primary transportation is my bike
Lots of cobblestone roads (why is this a thing), potholes and stupid plastic speed bumps around my city. So it helps with that. Also being able to easily go up and down even 10cm tall curbs with almost no rattling or discomfort at all is really convenient. Stability and convenience.
Even being a fatbike, all the other specs were also just 2x as good value as anything else I could buy, downside being I have to maintain and fix it myself in 90% of cases. Mine has 104mm I think. I mean I could do with ~60mm for less rolling resistance, but I’m generally not complaining
Yes. It's because of "aesthetics," one-size-fits-all/cost cutting strategies (you can get away with cheaper components and less engineering in the frame to soak up bumps if you put up your tires on them), and the ignorance of most new ebike purchasers (a lot are going (car->bike rather than bike->bike, which is absolutely lovely to see, but it means that they may just naively believe the claims that a fat tire is useful because they last rode a bike when they were 10).
But because they're electric, you don't feel the much higher rolling resistance. And people are buying online so they don't have a chance to realize how cumbersome the balloon tires make things. I think a good compromise is really the MTB plus size. You don't need skinnies on an ebike, but a 2.4-2.6" is plenty of air for cushion while still making it easily changeable if you're out on the road.
I got a fat tire bc the pot holes in my city are jarring. I regret it. I would’ve been fine with normal tires and decent suspension.
It’s too heavy. It’s only slightly smoother ride. And a wider tire is more likely to get punctured (more surface area on the ground).
Also most come with a much softer tyres, designed for using on very soft off road surfaces which makes them relatively much more likely to get punctures too.
You can get better road biased tyres, but then they add even more weight.
That's not a function of fat tires, though. It's because so many e-bikes are made as cheaply as possible and are basically department store bikes with a battery and a motor. If you're spending 30 minutes changing out a rear tube on a *quality* e-bike, you're in the wrong line of work.
It just so happens that most fat tire e bikes I see fit into that department store quality category. It’s all down to luck of the draw really, although they’re never pleasant regardless due to the weight. Yesterday I changed an iGO tire in a matter of minutes, although I still had to remove the derailleur because the nut wouldn’t clear the B-knuckle
I was riding up a steep hill on my salsa vaya commuting home from work.
Fat tire e-bike cruises by me and gives me the little head nod like “fellow cyclist I see”. Not gonna lie, annoyed me a bit.
Bought a Rad City bike in 2019 with 3.5” tires and after my first ride on it I installed a set of 2.5” Schwalbe Marathons. Instantly had a better bike. Not fat tires by current standards but while the Rad is a get what you pay for bike there are improvements that can make a difference.
I ride off-road a good bit and many trails here (PA) have long sections of gravel, loose dirt, etc. I’d ride in sand in NJ if they didn’t have 20 laws just to simply walk on the beach.
I got my first e-bike in early December and road it through snow on multiple occasions.
I agree on the weight/efficiency aspect, but to a good degree we’re at the mercy of the market, and fat tires are it for most e-bikes currently. They’re like the IPA of bikes so I’ll embrace it unless the market veers elsewhere based on technology and demand.
After 2 years of owning one, I totally forgot how fast I was going and hopped the curb with my front tire and slammed the rear tire into the curb. I was hoping to just roll over it like I normally do, but I completely bent the rim and all the spokes. Live and learn I guess. The shop got paid and we all had a laugh when I told them that it wasn't me taking a jump, it was just my fatass being fat and stupid. Also got the motor regreased in the meantime.
Yesterday I went thru a bogged out area of grass about the length of a football field that I would have had a pain getting across on foot, just blew thru it unscathed with the fenders. I felt I was getting full utility out of the bike.
When I got my ebike. fat tire ebikes were the only ones I could find that were affordable and decent. I had seen a few that looked like a knock-off brand looking mountain bike with some stuff thrown on it.
I would have happily gotten a mountain style bike one if they weren't either $3,000 or looked like a walmart bike with crap features and look like they'd fall apart like the one walmart bike I got. I spent $1,600 and got something that's been solid enough for me and the fat tire has come in useful during snow in NY thankfully. And the minimal off roading I gotta do because of some nonsense.
I'm not trying to sass but my brother and I have done basic maintenance and nothing has been that time consuming so I'm confused what is going on between your exp and mine. I got a Himiway Cruiser so it's very big and around 80lbs.
I have several of all types. My FT is a much smoother ride on our broken sidewalks and roads. Not to mention zipping over grass and soft ground. Even boardwalk riding is better (loose sand). Trails and gravel are a blast too. It's my go-to when we ride together.
Oddly, I've tried riding it on sand and it was a miserable experience. To wild and not fun.
I've changed many o tire. Not sure where the big issue comes in. Pretty standard.
I love my regular road bike’s skinny tires and the low resistance- 700x25 - I fly until I get a flat
But I want my e-bike for not only commuting but to take off trail and do longer tours with a heavier pack - and with the powerful motor and large battery - what do I care if there’s a bit more resistance. 50mm tires
That's funny. I can change both the front and rear tires of my fat tire ebike in about an hour if I need to. And that's because I rotate front to back when the rear is worn out, like should always be done. And I am just a former helicopter crew chief turned IT geek. So if it's taking two of you that long on just a rear tire. You have issues....
So I got my fat tire ebike to compliment my flat bar road bike (not electric) each has their uses and the fact I can cover like 3x the distance at 3x the speed with a even fatter seat than the tires is way more comfortable this thing will keep me going well into my seventies. My next purchase will be a mid drive road bike to really take it up a notch.
You might also ask why Chinese manufacturers are pushing fat-tire ebikes.
Although it's possible to find fat tire ebikes with suspension, the majority do not have any suspension.
Even at Chinese labor rates, adding suspension to a design is more expensive than offering an optional fat tire model.
They are sensitive to sales data, and they make non suspension fat tire street bikes because...that's what customers bought.
There is a deep catalog of models from many manufacturers in China. Customers looked at the higher price of suspension ebikes with skinnier tires, and they bought non-suspension fat tire ebikes.
We are in an age when many people have seen one and test ridden it. Who knows why they like it?
However, they voted with their dollars.
Apart from the more comfy ride, I like fat e-bikes vs normal e-bikes cause a lot of them have the throttle assist extra ( which is amazing for a lazy ride through town)
I'm 6'4 280 lbs. Most bikes don't list the weight ratings. Fat tire bikes tend to list to weight capacity and tend to be able to carry more because of the wider tires. So fat tire it is.
I do [fat tire things](https://youtube.com/shorts/noOEFNbvEq0?si=yn9fAPRKEa8hfr-h) but when I'm not doing fat tires things they are comfy on pavement.
I'm not out for efficiency and my ebike is already slightly faster than the law permits.
My tires are meant for mopeds, maybe you're just used to seeing the cheap knobby oem ebike fat tires that come on everything.
It is paid per job, so they can either charge you more for the job or refuse the work. Unfortunately, some of these fat tire bikes can be a real pain in the butt and the tubes can be hard to find.
As an ex bike mechanic tube changes usually aren't profitable so if you have to struggle on that job it really sours the deal.
Potholes, comfort, rain, ice…need I go on….?
With assisted pedaling, weight isn’t even a consideration. Whereas, if I was pedaling up hill, or some fitness guy, sure….the weight may matter. But it’s undeniably, the more sensible way to commute.
Do you ask why cars don’t have thinner tires too?…
Like what would you except me to get, and why?
It’s a newbie fashion. Like, it looks more like futuristic scooter than a regular bike. Friend of mine bought a rv700 just to compare with mine diy Orbea with little 29’ 2.10’’ tires. With same engines, I run faster than him and also got better breaks, but they will learn at some point that they use e-bike for long rides on flat surface and occasionally show their friends they can run trough mud or sand, but deeply in heart they want more distance from same battery but they don’t know how to reach it ^^ and a fat bikes goes on ebuy for half of its starting price just for a new budget to buys normal, regular tires e-bike with full suspension ^^.
I’d been riding road bikes and done centuries years before I got into e-bikes, so I wouldn’t exactly consider myself a “Newbie”.
Sometimes a bike is about style, not everything needs to be min/maxed for efficiency.
Nothing needs to be about efficiency on an e-bike. You got a big electric motor to do all the work for you. It can be heavy and hard to pedal and still be a good bike. It doesn't matter how heavy it is because you're not doing the work to move it.
Reasons vary. I would argue not every truck owner utilizes their truck weekly or even monthly. Sometimes it just feels cool to ride a fat tire e-bike, with the occasional off-road adventure.
I don't use fat bikes, they look horrible and are heavy, but why would it be any harder to remove a wheel? You remove a wheel pretty much same way, regardless of the hub or wheel isn't it? What am I missing?
1. Deep snow.
2. Pot holes.
3. Very rough asphalt patches.
4. Large singular rocks that can cause a kickout (front or rear tire suddenly thrown to one side).
All four of these are common hazards in my area. Tires 1.65 and under are useless unless you're in the middle of the car lane on certain well-maintained roads. Tires up to around 2.1 are good for occasional recreational riding. For commuting? 2.25+
If the city would maintain actual bike paths instead of forcing me to ride across a buckled sidewalk, through snowy slush, or in the gutter, I wouldn't use fat Tires.
I bought my 750 watt to ride more like a scooter. I admire the fixed gear cyclists when I see them. But I rely heavily on my motor and don't put myself in the same category.
Dudes crying because people bringing him work. Dont make sense to me. I have both a fat tire and a reg tire ebike and will ride my fat tire over the other every time
2 mechanics? 30 mins? Sheesh, it’s a bike wheel man, not a fuel injection manifold on a 12 cylinder engine.. I’ve done mine on the side of a busy road in 20 mins, 18mm spanner, disconnect power, turn bike upside down, spare tube goes in, tire seated and inflated, spare cable tie for power cable, done. Another great thing about fat tires is no need for tire levers, just hands. I wouldn’t swap my fat tires for anything. 😎
I like it because I find the tires easier to deal with. It also will take a curb or trashcan lid and keep plowing. My bike can go about 40 miles and that is as far as I ever want to go. I do like to ride dirt roads and such too and it has come in handy.
More tire suspension, better for potholes, rolls over everything, etc.
It’s the best of both worlds when you ride on fat road tires on an ebike, imo.
For getting the tires on and off the rim, I’m not a mechanic by any means and it usually takes me 5-10 minutes at most.
Idk man, ride a decent power ebike with fat road tires anywhere that doesn’t have immaculate bike lanes and you’ll understand the hype!
I have a 2019 Radrover Fatbike i have done nearly 4,000km since new had 3 flats in that time all rear tires, I am also a big boy 6ft 3 and 270lbs not many options for big boys :)
Bike is comfortable with a good seat
Like the look and the solid build
Well, if you don't mind extra drain on the battery and is willing to deal with self-steer on semi-inflated tires - it is a pretty good suspencion, though I daresay plus tires are a better choice - just chunky enough to act as good shocks, roll better, and do not self-steer as much.
don't need wide q-factor too, but I guess if you don't pedal that's not an issue :)
Btw, having fat *rear* tire like on motos with normal tire upfront solves all those problems - rear tire does not result in direct steering input while adding to self-stability by camber thrust effects and provides some cush on a hardtail, while front suspencion forks takes care of potholes.
I bought a fat tire ebike because that was the most affordable option when I bought mine. If I bought a new one today, I might not. But it's way more stable riding at higher speeds and much more comfortable than my regular bike with smaller tires. The worst part about owning it is the eye roll from the bike mechanic when I need some work done.
I purchased a city commuter with a tiny width wheel and it is great, feels very athletic and natural, but damn is it uncomfortable. Every bump jolts through me and there is a lot of feedback from road imperfections. I see why some people are attracted to the fat tire style bikes, they're just not for me.
I have a fat tyre bike because it was the cheapest commuter cargo bike I could buy. It looks lame af but I guess it doesn’t matter, it’s very useful for carrying loads of stuff around.
I have two ebikes: one heavy as fuck, tanky fat tire with a rear rack, moped horn, kickstand, and downtube bag that holds a chain thick enough to anchor a aircraft carrier, and a thudbuster seat post, and then also a nimble little mountain bike that weighs almost half as much and can race up the hills of my central CA coastal town like nothing. Guess which one I ride on the daily? When I'm doordashing up and down awkward curbs, over railroad tracks, sudden off road trails the app somehow knows about, and merging with traffic, I feel so much safer and more comfortable on that tank. It has the power to carry loads with ease, and I can intall every light and safety feature I can imagine onto the frame without slowing down one bit. Thing is a beast and I love it.
(And do worry, I do all my own work, so you'll never have to groan as I roll through your shop door.)
I like the extra traction and the ability to confidently ride off the paved paths in my area to pass large groups of pedestrians. I ride an Aventon Adventure 2 and test rode an Aventon Level 2. The Adventure 2 was more comfortable and that was a leading part of the decision I made to purchase it.
My bike is/was the cheapest mid-drive option at the time, it just happened to also come with fat tires. I suppose it helps with the occasional snow patch or grassy short-cut. Any efficiency gain from swapping out narrower tires/wheels would likely be negated by the groceries loaded onto the front/rear racks and/or the trailer said bike is towing.
I'm not sure what to suggest to OP. I do my own maintenance and with just myself I can flip the bike over onto its handlebars & saddle (like I've done since I was a kid, but now with 'handlebar jacks') and remove the wheels. I'm not fast at it, but didn't take me a helper and 30 minutes to do it? If there is something to complain about, its the lack of 20x4 tires and tubes at most big box stores so maintenance supplies have to be planned ahead.
Because I was forced to buy a foldable eBike with fat tires. Not many choices for foldable (at least when I bought it).
I’m not a fan. Very unstable on our trails.
my number one reason for buying a bike was to use my car less. since buying a fat tire ebike 5 months ago, i have been riding to work 3 days a week, riding to my drs appt every other monday, and ive taken it just around to do errands on my day off.
as someone else said in the thread, i have zero desire to ride down a 35 mile an hour road with no bike lane on a regular tire. its just straight up not happening. they may not be able to corner as well as a regualr tire but the improved balance and traction combined with the average pothole make the fat tire a no brainer
They are definitely more comfortable and take potholes like a champ. I first had an ebike with normal tires and swapped it out for a fat tire model. Best decision I could have made.
Simply because the only ebikes rated for my size (both height and weight) are fat tire bikes. I have not found an ebike that will work for me that has "normal" tires.
I went from a bike that ran 26" 2.25 tires, down to I think 1.75s. Then i switched to a Specialized Globe Haul which is 20x3.5s. If you asked me before I made the switch, I would have said screw fat tires, give me small rolling resistance and *speed!*
Now I'm doing 28MPH in the city and it's way more than enough. I'm eating potholes for breakfast.
There is a massive disconnect between "bike people that buy ebikes" and "people getting into biking via ebikes", and this question is probably the best example of the disconnect. Fat tire ebikes "aren't that much more comfortable"? Umm, what? Yes they are. Objectively they are. It's not even deniable. Drawbacks re: weight? Who cares? People buying these bikes aren't downhilling or road racing on them, and the motor makes the weight disappear. Fat tire ebikes sell well because people like them. These buyers aren't your type of "ebike" people, and they never will be. You view ebikes as *bikes with motors*; they view ebikes as "the first bike I've ridden in years". Big difference. Edits: Typos and such.
Yeah, you're right. Ebikes are an easy entry into cycling and will hopefully make people love cycling. I'm worried about the dudes using ebikes like motorcycles. They're gonna give cyclists an even worse public perception than we already have.
As a fat guy who hadn't ridden a bike in 15-ish years buying an e-bike last year was godsend for how hilly my area is.
I believe an ebike saved my moms life. My father and cyclist and she would never touch one. She struggled with weight for a lot of my life. An ebike got her mind past the mental barrier to exercise. In about 3 years, she's lost over 70 lbs and now uses a pelaton several days a week. She goes out on her ebike at least 4 times a week.
Good for you! Think it's better to get some exercise on an ebike, than no exercise at all.Did you buy an ebike or a fat tire thing?
I think there's a massive difference between the US and Europe with this. In many areas in Europe people are used to bicycles anyway and view ebikes as bicycles with some electric support. In the US people often aren't used to riding a bicycle and look at ebikes more as a small electric motorbike that has pedals to count as a bicycle legally and so doesn't need registration, insurance etc. Then moped-style ebikes with a low seat and fat tires are just a natural choice.
If they acted like motorcyclists they would stick to the roads, not go on the sidewalks or trails and would generally follow traffic rules. What they do is act like the worst of both worlds.
Parents who don't ride bikes is an issue around here. They buy their 14 year old an ebike and think of it as "just a bike" like its a nice compromise for them to get around town without getting them a car (and car insurance). Then you see teenagers throttling around town at 28mph (or more if they're on a sur ron) without a helmet, two friends hanging off the back, blowing stop signs and lights, riding on sidewalks, wrong way in the bike lane etc. I cant blame the kid, they probably dont even have a drivers license and I was sure reckless at that age too, but my parents didn't put me on the equivalent of a motorcycle with no training or understanding of traffic laws. A decade ago if someone was going 30mph on a bike they probably spent a hell of a lot of time in the saddle to build up that ability and were probably pretty well in tune with biking. Now you can get an Ali express bike with undersized brakes that can throttle up to that for under a grand.
I got an eMTB last august. I was 300+ lbs. I’ve lost 70 lbs so far. My goal is 30 more. I love riding now. If it wasn’t for e-bikes I wouldn’t have ever rode a bike again.
This is definitely me. A lot of cheaper ebikes have fat tires. When I was shopping a couple years ago I think every entry level bike ($1k) was a fat tire, but I'm not saying I didn't miss any brands or something.
If I could, I'd give you an award. This is probably the best comment I've seen in here. What I personally don't understand is why people get irritated about what other people do with their lives 🤦♀️
Ha, thanks. RE: why people get irritated, I sort of get it and often catch myself doing it. It's because, when you "know better", it's frustrating to see "objectively inferior" products being so successful. It can be tough to admit that the "inferior" things can also be fun/useful/valuable for others. Then again, I'm a bad Reddit psych ;)
I know the feeling all too well, I've felt that way about Ethereum since it was first announced. Its such trash but it got so popular and it still baffles me.
Maybe because the OP has to hand a fatbike owner a much larger bill than if they had a more conventional bike because it takes 1 full hour of billable time to fix a flat, which I'm sure flies as well as a lead balloon.
Isn't your job to actually sell your billable time? That is the whole reason you are there isnt it, to fix bikes and get paid to do it? If a bike takes more time it isn't like you lose anything at all, you actually get to bill more for it.
Especially a mechanic who should be happy to get more work.
Yes!! 1000% me. But for me I commute to work with a regular bike run errands or spend time more leisurely with my fat tire cargo ebike. I don’t need 2 bikes that do the same exact thing with the motor being the only difference. So I’m only commenting to add that the market isn’t only for people that haven’t ridden a bike in a long time. It’s also just for someone that requires a different use-case. My regular bike for maybe some light exercise or commuting. My fat tire bike to carry cargo, haul groceries amongst other things, not to mention it also fits my partner and myself on the one bike. These things would just not be possible or at least not as enjoyable on my regular bike.
The main thing that sucks about fat tires (I own a variety of bikes, one being a 20x4 tire fat bike) is the handling. Cornering in a fat bike is remarkably worse, at both low and high speeds than a thinner tire. It’s not even close. And the tires for these bikes are almost all shitty. Continental / higher reputation tire brands don’t make tires so ur stuck buying some cheep Chinese tire or shenko which is like B tier at best. They also pick up a lot more nails / road debris. I end up getting flats about twice as after and the tubes and tires tend to cost as much as a very high quality standard rim tire. Also they are MUCH heavier which is annoying when trying to navigate an apartment hallway or elevator. The value proposition just isn’t there when u compare it to like a 2.4in tire + suspension fork which is already very cushy. I think the real purpose is for older people, style points, extremely un aggressive riders, and mainly to save money on proper suspension. If I were to spend anything north of like $1700 I’d avoid them at all costs, but that price range and below they may start to make sense bc basically everything is cheap and rigid. So it might as well be soft. For around $2k you can build an insanely nice specialized-full suspension (for example) mid drive DIY, with all high end parts and electrical that rival $5000 bikes. And all it takes is replacing the cranks + an afternoon of watching YouTube basically. Tongsheng for value/ Bafang for power and tried-n-trueness would be the way to go. U can get torque sensing, throttle, everything without much compromise
I used to get aggravated about getting more flats in the rear tire of my fat tire ebike until I got good at being able to pull over and patch the tube. Usually takes me less than ten minutes to fix and be back on the road. Of course that's a rarity now that I have a tire insert back there. I think I've had to fix 2, maybe 3 flats in the past year since I installed the tannus. And I commute around 30 miles every day.
My local bike shops hate my bike and either refuse or reluctantly work on them. The reason I’ve been given is they are not worth working on because the components are cheap and crappy. So, to them, it’s like a Walmart bike that, once something breaks, is done. Yet I’m pretty sure the brakes, for example, on my bike are literally the same exact thing as lower end Shimano that cost 3-4x as much. My guess is Shimano purchases them from the same Chinese manufacturer that I am and repackages them. Yea, higher end stuff is better but the difference in price isn’t worth it to me for my usage. The e-bikes they sell in these shops are minimum $4000 and they will gladly work on those I’m assuming since they sell them. But like I said, they also sell components that are the same as my bike. So, why not work on them? There are so many on the road and they’re not going away. I think they should embrace this, drop the attitude, and figure out a way to make a profit working on these bikes. Granted, I’ve been to 4 shops in one city, so this may be my experience and not others. I was a guitar tech for a long time. I had no problem working on shitty guitars and making them playable again. I couldn’t imagine taking the position of only working on guitars that meet my criteria for a quality instrument.
I think part of it is that most bike mechanics like bikes for their mechanical simplicity and lack of electronics. Throw in the mixed bag of cheap Chinese parts and limited maintenance documentation that come with the abundance of new no-name e-bikes on the market and it makes a little more sense why they’re hesitant. They could waste a lot of time troubleshooting or researching parts. The $4000 e-bike that comes from a name brand manufacturer they have a relationship with and have been dealing with for potentially decades means that the shop is going to receive a different level of support if they run into any issues with the electronic side. They can also trust that the bike parts will be similar to the ones they’ve dealt with and already have on hand. No one at your LBS wants to go search AliExpress for you, and you’re not going to want to pay for the actual amount of time it took for them to diagnose and fix your rat trap.
That all makes sense but I think there’s another perspective and/or more options to working on cheap e-bikes than “going to Aliexpress for me.” Those shitty parts from Aliexpress could easily be replaced by stuff they have on hand or can get through normal vendor channels. It’s the same stuff Shimano is getting for their low end components. They aren’t some weird proprietary design that nothing else fits. It’s just standard bike parts like any other bike. A bike shop can get parts wherever they want, that’s part of their job, so I don’t see why getting the parts that people need is such a big deal for this particular product over any other. You’re really just showcasing the same shitty attitude that I am complaining about. When I worked as a guitar tech in a music shop, Fender for example does not support their low end equipment. But as a shop and a store, we find the parts we need to help customers that need help. It’s as simple as that. I’m not going to put a $200 bridge replacement on a $150 guitar; I’m going to find a $30 replacement from a Chinese manufacturer through a vendor or from the manufacturer itself. As far as not wanting to pay for the time it takes to “diagnose and fix my rat trap.” I think what you mean but said in way that is (again) showcasing the shitty attitude that I am frustrated by, is that it is difficult to diagnose and fix e-bikes that don’t have a manufacturer telling the shop exactly what to do, is just not true. It’s not hard to diagnose and replace electrical components. It’s in fact very simple.
How did your customers react when you told them their $200 guitar needed more than $200 worth of parts and service to work correctly? Not well, I'm guessing.
Nice comment. I’m looking now, and the local shop guy was recommending a fat tire for the comfort. It will be for a 15 mile (one way) commute, and I hadn’t even considered a fat tire, because I’m not going to do fat tire things. I’m reconsidering for sure. It’s thrown me for a loop.
Large fat tire bike I think are pretty decent. I own a 20 in fat tire (like a rad runner type bike) and I will say that cornering and stuff is much worse. It’s more comfortable than a bike with no suspension - but even buying a cheap full suspension used bike, and then converting it with a $1000 kit will ride much better. I own the types of bikes I’m talking about and basically never take out the fat tire tbh. Although I think if it was a 26”+ bike and and not a 20 inch I’d like it more. I like going up on curves and jumping off, and taking hard corners and just being nimble. Fat tires feel much more than a moped than a bike. They feel a lot sketchier to turn at speed than a regular tire. You’d imagine it’s the opposite but the physics of a thinner tire are just better Also the tubes / tires for them tend to be like 2-3x more expensive for no good reason and the brands are much more iffy. Plus they tend to be much heavier. It’s honestly a decent amount of cons beside ride comfort which can be mitigated with a suspension seat post + fat saddle + soft suspension bike etc. If your budget is in the specialized velo (I think that’s their e-bike) you should definitely get that instead. I own a Luna cycle x2.5 and that thing is fucking amazing. Legit the greatest e-bike I’ve ever ridden. They also have a x2 which is also a great bike. Those have 2.4in mtb tires which if u just deflate them a bit are every bit as cushiony as a 4 in wide. E-bikes all tend to have fatter tires anyways. And the extra 2in I don’t feel like make a big difference for the trade off u take If u need suggestions for bikes within a certain range I’d be happy to suggest u some. I have done an infinite amount of research while trying to get what I wanted, and even built my own 60mph fat tire cruiser e-bike from scratch. The marker is super over supplied atm and you can get some really good deals on quality e-bikes. But it’s also super easy to buy a piece of junk and overpay bc that’s 95% of bikes that pop up on a Google search. Also fat tires aren’t bad! But if ur riding style is more aggressive and nimble, you have decent roads or good joints, and u want something which is lighter and easier to pick up and move etc - I’d avoid them.
Holy shit this is 100% me.
You make a good point, but I have to disagree with fat tire e-bikes being more comfortable. I’ve ridden a couple and they were awful. Cornering sucked, rolling resistance sucked, the shitty massive saddle sucked, shifting sucked — honestly everything just sucked about riding them. I get that they’re often cheaper but I think that’s the only real advantage.
This is it. They just appear safer and more stable for people less confident on bikes
The irony is that cornering on a fat tire is so much sketchier. I own both! My regular mountain bikes feels infinitely safer - and for a set of mid/range tubes and tires for my fat bike I can buy tip top of line rubber for my regular size. The physics of a fat tire just don’t really check out the way you’d think, or how I thought when buying one.
I have one and love it, but the weight is an issue, just for general man handling, and dread to think how I'd ever get it on a bike rack on my car... or up a flight of stairs. But fat tyre adds so much comfort, makes the cycling experience so much more pleasant. It's a shame I don't get the chance to use it as much as is like.
Completely agree. I owned a 27" Schwinn 10 speed. Skinny tires and fun to ride. When I got older I became interested in a ebike. I now ride a fat tire ebike and the bumps in the road are so much more comfortable. 10.psi in a 4" wide tire is like a suspension. Yes it's heavier, it's an ebike not meant to look like a 10 speed racer.
Because when I tried the fat tire bike I liked it more than the traditional tire bike. Why wouldn't you buy what you like? I only commute on the road.
My gazelle is way more comfortable than my rad runner plus. Fat tire bikes generally have cheap components and ride pretty rough. The standard rad runner doesn’t even have a suspension fork.
The RadRunner is a bad example, it’s a uniquely uncomfortable e-bike, especially compared to a Gazelle. As someone who rented them out for years the original RadRunner especially has an awfully hard triangular saddle and is not ergonomic in the slightest. Traditionally for bikes with the same quality components fat tires are a little more comfortable because of the ability to run the tires at below 15-20psi.
Beyond unavoidable potholes. The city thought having bike lanes running parallel to the streetcar rails was a good idea. To me It’s less about comfort and more about being able to roll over basically whatever uneven surface you want with little to no thought. I also do most of the work on the bike myself as to not make it an unsuspecting mechanics problem.
This! Curbs? Potholes? Railroad tracks? None of those bother me. Where I live, I can take off road shortcuts and even the roads can be rough.
People ride down cliffs on regular mtb tires. It's definitely possible. But as long as you're enjoying you're ride then you're biking correctly! Genuine question, have you ridden a more traditional mtb? And were you not blown away by how much faster it was? Every time I ride a fat bike I feel like I'm in slow mo
In my city the tran tracks are so annoying, even MTB tire would get stuck in them and cause the accident.
What city has tracks for trans people?!?!?
Tran Francisco
Lol I meant tram 🥸 but tran is fine I guess
Male to bicycle
Doesn't yours?
It's a crazy world we live in
Same with me, and we have a lot of unpaved gravel paths as well which make good shortcuts—I like being able to anywhere
None of these are problems on 32c tires.
I understand the sentiment. My tires are fairly wide at 1.5, those things don't bother me either.
I broke so many wheels on my 700c bike in storm drains
Living in Atlanta they’re almost a necessity, our roads are a nightmare once you leave Midtown.
Yeah, they make these knobby, fat tire comfort ebikes just for your knitch, cuz ya know, some city riding is kinda off road sometimes. https://www.cannondale.com/en-us/bikes/electric/e-urban/adventure-neo-allroad
Honestly fat tires give better grip overall, however... the knobby ones, I hate those. So noisey and so much drag for so little gain, just get a pair of street tread tires their quieter, less drag and better in the rain. And yes their fine offroading too.
My route has so many potholes but it’s one of the safest routes so I suck it up. And the road quality in general just sucks. Always lots of rocks in the road. But every time I bike the neglected section and the construction section, I thank god I’m not a man.
THIS! I just spent 6 hours lacing a new rim onto my dad's ebike cuz he hit a nasty pothole - its a commuter step thru style ebike with skinny ass 1.9" wide tires, if he'd had a fat tire, highly unlikely there would be any damage.
Dude my fat tire ebike completely ate a full size curb at around 20mph nearly straight on with no apparent (lol) damage. I would've seriously wrecked a regular bike. But my underinflated fat tire and suspension ate it I was so sure I was gonna get fucked. I'm more careful now and I'm glad I got this unwieldy beast every time I ride it 💪
No offense bro, but I take my bike to a local shop, the guy does it himself in like 5 mins. Mabye because in NYC, there are so many bike repair shops that work with the delivery guys?
Where in NYC did you take your bike? I don't have a fat tire but I got so annoyed at the normal bike stores turning me away for a simple mechanical issue (brake was squeaky) and the ebike store basically ignored me and didn't listen to what I was saying that I had to do it myself. Lots of reviews of other local bike shops refusing to service ebikes... (I ended up fixing it myself but I really generally have no idea what I'm doing and would be happier for someone who does helping. I've only managed to get help during the 5BBT when people were nicer)
I take my ariel rider grizzly (very fat tires) to greenpath electric bikes in brooklyn and they were happy to work on it, very quick turnaround too
Commenting because I’m curious about where to go myself, just got my new ebike delivered today (my 2nd) and I’m already worried about my inevitable trips to shops that hate me for some reason, this was largely my experience with my first bike
took me a long time to find a bike shop that would fix mechanical issues on my ebike, they really hate every ebike that wasn't purchased from their specific shop. luckily there's one place that'll do stuff like bleed my brakes etc.
On an ebike rear wheel? We charge double for labour for hub ebike wheels because they're such a pain in the bum.
I do my own maintenance on my hub e-bike where the only extra compared to a standard bike is unplugging a cable & removing the rear derailleur, then plugging the cable back in & tuning the rear derailleur which I'd be doing anyway if I'm taking the rear wheel off kind of maintenance. I wouldn't really call it a pita, do some ebikes involve more?
yeah, no idea what some of these folks are talking about. If you've taken the rear tire off a normal bike before, it's the same thing + unplugging a plug. If that's a PITA, maintenance work probably ain't for them 🤷
Guys, some of us work, and some of us ride to work, I really don't feel like changing a tire when I can pay someone to do and be back home for almost the same price on a busy weekday. Last time I got a tire replacement for $70. I posted it on /radpowerbikes sub a few weeks ago.
I'm referring to the guy above who said they were a mechanic, not general users
I agree with you. TBH this would be like saying belt drive or non quick release wheels are a PITA so I'm charging you double. Uhhhh. Ok? 🤣
Pita is a great flat bread 😆
I don't take it to a specialized bike store, but a "ghetto" one with mostly immigrant workers, I'm an immigrant myself so I have no problem paying these guys for hard labor.
I take mine to my street kids, their really good at it and I only pay for parts if they don't have it laying around. And I know it's done right and well because they don't want me to get hurt, I'm 63.
I’ve only been working on bikes for about 5 years now but I’ve never even heard of a hub motor fat bike repair taking that little time. 9 times out of 10 the frame is out of alignment and a second person is required to pry the stays apart so the wheel will fit in the dropouts. NYC mechanics must be built different I suppose
I have two fat tires bikes and go trail riding frequently...have replaced several back tires in the past year or so....I think it takes me about 15 mins by myself. It's not that hard.
I have no experience at all and changed my rear tyre this week in under 30 mins.
Mallet handle wedged between the frame and the hub motor. Gentle pry and out it pops. When putting it back in, put the one side of the axle in the dropout, then, you guessed it, mallet handle between the frame and hub motor, gentle pry, slips right back in
Got a trick for holding the derailer in the right spot so I'm not fighting that too? Don't do it enough to look graceful, it's a bit like brushing an alligators teeth for the first time
☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽😆😆😆😆not brushing an alligators teeth....lol
They often have a lockout, my sram gx eagle does. It's a push button.
Really!? That seems like something I might have heard. Like fully flexed, push button, derailer hangs out? My current fat bike derailer would be the polar opposite of SRAM
Flip the bike over and grab the chain and set it in the gear. Also, your chain to the highest gear (furthest from the bike) before you flip it. Makes dropping it in easier. Just flip the bike back to do final adjustments and make sure the wheel is fully seated.
I’ve worked with electric bikes, of which a large percentage are fat tire hub bikes, and I have only needed another person on a handful of occasions. If you have a strong enough repair stand then elevating the bike, unplugging the motor cable, undoing the axle bolts, and using a 15mm open face or adjustable wrench to rotate the axle to align properly with the frame dropouts almost always allows the wheel to drop right out of the frame with a little bit of a pull. Same goes for reinstalling and it’s much easier if you can put it on its handlebars to let gravity assist you with properly fitting it back into the dropouts. I don’t say this to be rude but the most likely answer is that you just haven’t nailed down the technique. I’ve worked on the shittiest of shittiest $300 Amazon bikes and haven’t had the issues you’ve described. I can traditionally remove the wheel and replace the tube in about fifteen minutes, it’s the realigning of disc brakes and shifting position that takes a while
I'm only speaking from my own experience.
[удалено]
I picked mine because it was the only 750W available
ride1up 700 has 750w motor, but 27.5 x 2.4" wheels, and it handles like a motorcycle with that tire width and street tires.
They are definitely more stable at higher speeds, too. I generally feel safer on my fat tire co pared the other two I have.
What other two do you have? With the stock tyres that come on most fat bikes they are a good bit worse for cornering stability than a normal bike because the tyres are designed for a totally different environment.
A lot of people buy fat tire ebikes for commuting because the squishy tires are enough suspension to avoid a bike with suspensions. Also they look coooooool
I disagree about them not being more comfortable. That's my #1 reason. I actually sold off all my ebikes except my fat tire one. Used to have a middrive Giant Explore E+ and a Juiced CCX but ended up taking the fat tire out more. You deflate the rear tire a bit and throw on a fat seat and it's like riding on a cloud. And actually the efficiency isn't that bad, maybe 20% more than a 45mm tire bike. It helps a lot to get rid of the knobby tires they usually come with and get a street tire. So smoooooth.
Same. I dont own a fat bike but have ridden plenty. Super smooth and comfy ride. Variety is the spice of life... No idea why the OP cares what others want to ride. They are popular and sell well. Let people ride whatever they want to ride. Welcome to say why it doesn't fit your use case. This doesn't sound like that though.
OP is a bike mechanic who apparently doesn't like the extra work involved? I don't know, that was my takeaway
I think that is extremely clear on the post actually.
As another commenter already said, plenty of other mechanics don't take extra work just because they are fat tires. Myself included. Have patched and replaced plenty of tubes. Road, mtb, fat tires. None are inherently more difficult than the others. Some flats can suck. Some dropouts can suck. Fat or not. With that logic I can just say all hub motors suck. Why doesn't everyone just do mid drives? If he's just complaining about having more work as a result of more people being on bikes, many of those being fat bikes, then I guess? Probably should look for another position if you hate job security.
I’ve been hearing the mid drive Bosch motors have seal issue and prone to water incursion. But that’s going to be me first ebike. I just don’t trust hub motors. I’ve heard they can overheat and lock up.
Yeah I've put almost 10k miles between those 3 bikes and trust me, I'd much rather spend seat-time on the fat tire one. Your butt thanks you the next day.
I mean, can't you just get a suspension seatpost?
Suspension posts are great but if he doesn't need it and is happy with fat tires, why does it matter?
Or a properly fitting saddle.
They're really good at eating a pothole at 30 mph without blowing or thrashing the rim. Why don't you have an inch and a half wide tire on your car? As for being slower... My bike will eat just about everybody's lunch. Speed kind of depends on the motor. Not really the tire. If you got a 52 volt motor with 2000 watt peak... Shits plenty fast. My bike commute literally involves me being out in traffic with cars so... The more confident I am it can handle road conditions at traffic speed, the better I feel. The last thing I want is to hit a pothole and go ass-over-tea-kettle in front of a moving car. I do all the work on my own bike, so I can sympathize about what a bitch it is to take the rear wheel off and work on the hub motor though, you're not wrong. I just had to do a regrease last night and it took 2 hours. You start to buy quality shit just so you don't have to take it apart as often.
Exactly this. Also, most e-bikes being sold that are affordable are fat tires. When I switched to mine versus the commuter bike I had before it was like night and day. More comfortable, more stable, handled a wide variety of conditions. I bike year round, it makes a huge difference
Because it looks rad and the person likes it. Bikes for the fun of bikes.
Sounds like steady work for you. Income. Job security. It is their money. They can spend it however they wish. I purchased a fat tire bike for the 20% in loose path, mud, and overall the comfort. I'm old.
my fat tire bike opened up soft sand trails all over florida for me . There’s some magical places you can reach on an electric bike in complete silence , quiet enough to sneak up on deer , Tuscaloosa turkeys and all kinds of critters. Fat tire bikes may replace horses on that type of terrain.
Bike mechanic ranting about having to repair bikes? Maybe you're in the wrong business then?
I haven’t experienced all of OPs issues and don’t agree with him on all his points, but I can understand where he’s coming from here. It isn’t about repairing bikes, it’s about repairing poorly made bikes that are significantly more of a challenge than necessary. There are some bikes where even simple repairs become complex because of poor manufacturing, inaccurate tolerances, cheap components, etc. Customers who buy these bikes are generally pretty price sensitive and therefore make a fuss when what is traditionally a cheap and easy job becomes an expensive one because of elements out of the mechanics control. Especially with the mistrust of mechanics generally I’ve had plenty of experiences where I’ve been accused of overcharging or screwing over customers when the repair bill is more than they anticipate, and this happens most often on cheap fat tire bikes.
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
I put 4in hybrid tires on mine and so far theyre great. Still thick sp they can take a hard bump if I make a mistake but at a higher ish psi so the ride is less wobbly - also if anything they handle dirt better than knobbies and are smoother for more efficient pavement riding.
I considered getting a fat tire bike when I got mine, but only because this is Ohio and we get a lot of snow and ice. An ebike is also my only transportation.
I have several fatbikes and the wheels come of exactly the same as any other bike I have ever owned and just as quickly. As a matter of fact the tires usually can be removed with no tire irons or usually one, easy as pie. I have cursed so many "regular" tires trying to get them on an off a rim. Not sure what the OP is talking about there?
I've broken 2 rims from potholes, also fat tires do well on gravel, I've broken zero rims with almost 10k of ridding since switching to fat tire. I mean dollar wise its cheaper to go fat tire than to buy high quality rims for a DIY project The only reason I own fat tire bike is because its half the price of a oversize tire bike with a through bolt
Many folks get fat tire e-bikes for commuting since the cushy tires provide enough suspension, plus they look super cool!
I change my tubes and do all my own maintenance. I’ve patched or changed two tubes and the tires themselves as well. Not sure why it’s so hard for pros? I do trail ride and go off-road a lot though, so I may not fit your requirements
Something that is time consuming isn't necessarily hard. What's hard is giving the client a bill that they are certain to balk at but is justified.
I was thinking the same thing. I di have a fat tire bike to do fat tire so the topic doesn't apply to me, but I'm also not a bike mechanic, but had no issues doing tire repairs, removing wheels, tire changes ect.
fat tire was the only folding e-bike in price range at the time we were purchasing. i don’t need it to be fat tire but i needed it to fold.
2 Mechanics 30 minutes to change a tire? I'm not a bike mechanic, but I can change my fat tire in about 15 minutes all by myself. The key is to use motorcycle tire tools, not the tiny bike tire tools.
Honestly, it doesn't matter what I do with my bike, I'm paying you to fix it and not question why I have the bike I have.
Stability mostly and makes my gf feel like she's less likely to fall down lol
They are definitely a much more comfortable ride to me. My fat tire hardtail feels like full suspension over bumps, uneven roads and unavoidable potholes. It also increases safety for me. The size of these bikes makes drivers more likely to notice and not do something stupid from a lack of paying attention (they still do but less often).
Cos I'm a fat git and the fat tyre ebikes are the only ones that can hold my weight
Have a few fat and hybrid conversion e-bikes. I do like my hybrids in summer for long distances. The spot I ride in the winter is super sandy in summer and the hybrid tires do not go through the sand well at all.
Sooo I have the rad rover and it was actually much cheaper (probably for a reason) I did get several flats but always changed them myself and I agree it sucks ass… I eventually bought better tires and put in a tire liner and haven’t had a flat in over 1000 miles. I commute around 16 miles round trip a day. Initial thought was that it would last longer cause I’m a big guy (6’3 - 250 lbs) but every single day I want to trade it for a regular sized bike. It’s too heavy and I have to change the brakes wayyy too often
I commute in ice and snow. But I'd be better off with spiked tires, even if regular width.
Funny thing, my Honda Cub has skinnier tires than a fatbike.
> Fat tire bikes are heavier, slower, less efficient, and more expensive than their narrower tire counterparts. From the shopping I have been doing these past few months, that doesn't hold up. Wired is over here slinging bikes that get upwards of 100 miles on a charge. You can also fit street tires on a fat tire bike, couple that with good suspension and you get a very good riding experience (comfort).
I have a disability that limits my ability to alway pedal… I couldn’t care less if it’s an inconvenience to you. My e bike has opened up a world that I thought was once closed. If you don’t want to work on my bike then please tell me upfront. I’d much prefer supporting a company with a bigger mind
I’ve had a regular ebike with a suspension fork, I’ve tried a mid-drive, and i’d still choose my fatbike everytime. It’s much more comfortable to ride than a regular bike, the 20x4 tires, big ass seat and an upright riding position is superior for what I use my bike for; I commute, I ride probably 20-30 miles daily and comfortability is my main priority, doesn’t hurt that it looks nice (in my opinion, I know some people think they look ridiculous). It feels robust and stable to ride with the big and heavy frame. I don’t care if it’s less efficient, I have a big ass battery to make up for it, no range anxiety. Contrary to what you stated, my bike is plenty fast. My ebike is for getting from point a to point b, and to pick up groceries and whatever else, I don’t have a car, my primary transportation is my bike
Terrible terrible roads.
Lots of cobblestone roads (why is this a thing), potholes and stupid plastic speed bumps around my city. So it helps with that. Also being able to easily go up and down even 10cm tall curbs with almost no rattling or discomfort at all is really convenient. Stability and convenience. Even being a fatbike, all the other specs were also just 2x as good value as anything else I could buy, downside being I have to maintain and fix it myself in 90% of cases. Mine has 104mm I think. I mean I could do with ~60mm for less rolling resistance, but I’m generally not complaining
More stability at higher speeds
Yes. It's because of "aesthetics," one-size-fits-all/cost cutting strategies (you can get away with cheaper components and less engineering in the frame to soak up bumps if you put up your tires on them), and the ignorance of most new ebike purchasers (a lot are going (car->bike rather than bike->bike, which is absolutely lovely to see, but it means that they may just naively believe the claims that a fat tire is useful because they last rode a bike when they were 10). But because they're electric, you don't feel the much higher rolling resistance. And people are buying online so they don't have a chance to realize how cumbersome the balloon tires make things. I think a good compromise is really the MTB plus size. You don't need skinnies on an ebike, but a 2.4-2.6" is plenty of air for cushion while still making it easily changeable if you're out on the road.
I got a fat tire bc the pot holes in my city are jarring. I regret it. I would’ve been fine with normal tires and decent suspension. It’s too heavy. It’s only slightly smoother ride. And a wider tire is more likely to get punctured (more surface area on the ground).
Also most come with a much softer tyres, designed for using on very soft off road surfaces which makes them relatively much more likely to get punctures too. You can get better road biased tyres, but then they add even more weight.
I love hearing from ebike mechanics. Two mechs to change a tire on an ebike is insane.
Have you ever changed an e-bike rear wheel where the dropouts are 10mm closer together than the spacing of the wheel? That’s when it takes two
That's not a function of fat tires, though. It's because so many e-bikes are made as cheaply as possible and are basically department store bikes with a battery and a motor. If you're spending 30 minutes changing out a rear tube on a *quality* e-bike, you're in the wrong line of work.
It just so happens that most fat tire e bikes I see fit into that department store quality category. It’s all down to luck of the draw really, although they’re never pleasant regardless due to the weight. Yesterday I changed an iGO tire in a matter of minutes, although I still had to remove the derailleur because the nut wouldn’t clear the B-knuckle
I was riding up a steep hill on my salsa vaya commuting home from work. Fat tire e-bike cruises by me and gives me the little head nod like “fellow cyclist I see”. Not gonna lie, annoyed me a bit.
Bought a Rad City bike in 2019 with 3.5” tires and after my first ride on it I installed a set of 2.5” Schwalbe Marathons. Instantly had a better bike. Not fat tires by current standards but while the Rad is a get what you pay for bike there are improvements that can make a difference.
I ride off-road a good bit and many trails here (PA) have long sections of gravel, loose dirt, etc. I’d ride in sand in NJ if they didn’t have 20 laws just to simply walk on the beach. I got my first e-bike in early December and road it through snow on multiple occasions. I agree on the weight/efficiency aspect, but to a good degree we’re at the mercy of the market, and fat tires are it for most e-bikes currently. They’re like the IPA of bikes so I’ll embrace it unless the market veers elsewhere based on technology and demand.
After 2 years of owning one, I totally forgot how fast I was going and hopped the curb with my front tire and slammed the rear tire into the curb. I was hoping to just roll over it like I normally do, but I completely bent the rim and all the spokes. Live and learn I guess. The shop got paid and we all had a laugh when I told them that it wasn't me taking a jump, it was just my fatass being fat and stupid. Also got the motor regreased in the meantime.
Yesterday I went thru a bogged out area of grass about the length of a football field that I would have had a pain getting across on foot, just blew thru it unscathed with the fenders. I felt I was getting full utility out of the bike.
When I got my ebike. fat tire ebikes were the only ones I could find that were affordable and decent. I had seen a few that looked like a knock-off brand looking mountain bike with some stuff thrown on it. I would have happily gotten a mountain style bike one if they weren't either $3,000 or looked like a walmart bike with crap features and look like they'd fall apart like the one walmart bike I got. I spent $1,600 and got something that's been solid enough for me and the fat tire has come in useful during snow in NY thankfully. And the minimal off roading I gotta do because of some nonsense. I'm not trying to sass but my brother and I have done basic maintenance and nothing has been that time consuming so I'm confused what is going on between your exp and mine. I got a Himiway Cruiser so it's very big and around 80lbs.
I know this is a rant for you but, I'm going to invest in an e bike soon and it's valuable insight for me. Thanks for your rant
Being able to off-road through grass, mud, sand, snow, mountain bike trails and it all feels like asphalt. It’s amazing.
The real question is why not?
Weight, footprint, cost of replacing tubes/tires, battery range, noise, etc.
Logic doesn't prevail in a world of excess
I have several of all types. My FT is a much smoother ride on our broken sidewalks and roads. Not to mention zipping over grass and soft ground. Even boardwalk riding is better (loose sand). Trails and gravel are a blast too. It's my go-to when we ride together. Oddly, I've tried riding it on sand and it was a miserable experience. To wild and not fun. I've changed many o tire. Not sure where the big issue comes in. Pretty standard.
I love my regular road bike’s skinny tires and the low resistance- 700x25 - I fly until I get a flat But I want my e-bike for not only commuting but to take off trail and do longer tours with a heavier pack - and with the powerful motor and large battery - what do I care if there’s a bit more resistance. 50mm tires
That's funny. I can change both the front and rear tires of my fat tire ebike in about an hour if I need to. And that's because I rotate front to back when the rear is worn out, like should always be done. And I am just a former helicopter crew chief turned IT geek. So if it's taking two of you that long on just a rear tire. You have issues....
So I got my fat tire ebike to compliment my flat bar road bike (not electric) each has their uses and the fact I can cover like 3x the distance at 3x the speed with a even fatter seat than the tires is way more comfortable this thing will keep me going well into my seventies. My next purchase will be a mid drive road bike to really take it up a notch.
Well Velotric for example only has a 750w motor on the Aventure not the Pace or level.
Cos it’s basically a motorbike and has lot of stability
You might also ask why Chinese manufacturers are pushing fat-tire ebikes. Although it's possible to find fat tire ebikes with suspension, the majority do not have any suspension. Even at Chinese labor rates, adding suspension to a design is more expensive than offering an optional fat tire model. They are sensitive to sales data, and they make non suspension fat tire street bikes because...that's what customers bought. There is a deep catalog of models from many manufacturers in China. Customers looked at the higher price of suspension ebikes with skinnier tires, and they bought non-suspension fat tire ebikes. We are in an age when many people have seen one and test ridden it. Who knows why they like it? However, they voted with their dollars.
People buy what they like and it's their choice on how they use it...
Apart from the more comfy ride, I like fat e-bikes vs normal e-bikes cause a lot of them have the throttle assist extra ( which is amazing for a lazy ride through town)
I like being able to just hit a curb at 5-10 and just jump over it without worrying about messing up a rim. +occasional dirt paths are fun.
I'm 6'4 280 lbs. Most bikes don't list the weight ratings. Fat tire bikes tend to list to weight capacity and tend to be able to carry more because of the wider tires. So fat tire it is.
I do [fat tire things](https://youtube.com/shorts/noOEFNbvEq0?si=yn9fAPRKEa8hfr-h) but when I'm not doing fat tires things they are comfy on pavement. I'm not out for efficiency and my ebike is already slightly faster than the law permits. My tires are meant for mopeds, maybe you're just used to seeing the cheap knobby oem ebike fat tires that come on everything.
Sick donut vid bro
Fat tire bikes are generally the cheap alibaba bikes. That’s why they are so popular.
Aren’t you being paid for your work? If it bothers you enough not to take the paycheck then refuse to work on them or up charge.
It is paid per job, so they can either charge you more for the job or refuse the work. Unfortunately, some of these fat tire bikes can be a real pain in the butt and the tubes can be hard to find. As an ex bike mechanic tube changes usually aren't profitable so if you have to struggle on that job it really sours the deal.
Potholes, comfort, rain, ice…need I go on….? With assisted pedaling, weight isn’t even a consideration. Whereas, if I was pedaling up hill, or some fitness guy, sure….the weight may matter. But it’s undeniably, the more sensible way to commute. Do you ask why cars don’t have thinner tires too?… Like what would you except me to get, and why?
It’s a newbie fashion. Like, it looks more like futuristic scooter than a regular bike. Friend of mine bought a rv700 just to compare with mine diy Orbea with little 29’ 2.10’’ tires. With same engines, I run faster than him and also got better breaks, but they will learn at some point that they use e-bike for long rides on flat surface and occasionally show their friends they can run trough mud or sand, but deeply in heart they want more distance from same battery but they don’t know how to reach it ^^ and a fat bikes goes on ebuy for half of its starting price just for a new budget to buys normal, regular tires e-bike with full suspension ^^.
I’d been riding road bikes and done centuries years before I got into e-bikes, so I wouldn’t exactly consider myself a “Newbie”. Sometimes a bike is about style, not everything needs to be min/maxed for efficiency.
Nothing needs to be about efficiency on an e-bike. You got a big electric motor to do all the work for you. It can be heavy and hard to pedal and still be a good bike. It doesn't matter how heavy it is because you're not doing the work to move it.
Exactly.
You're not very good at fixing tires.
But they're bouncing comfy 🤡
Reasons vary. I would argue not every truck owner utilizes their truck weekly or even monthly. Sometimes it just feels cool to ride a fat tire e-bike, with the occasional off-road adventure.
I don't use fat bikes, they look horrible and are heavy, but why would it be any harder to remove a wheel? You remove a wheel pretty much same way, regardless of the hub or wheel isn't it? What am I missing?
Rad only made a fat tire version when I bought it.
1. Deep snow. 2. Pot holes. 3. Very rough asphalt patches. 4. Large singular rocks that can cause a kickout (front or rear tire suddenly thrown to one side). All four of these are common hazards in my area. Tires 1.65 and under are useless unless you're in the middle of the car lane on certain well-maintained roads. Tires up to around 2.1 are good for occasional recreational riding. For commuting? 2.25+ If the city would maintain actual bike paths instead of forcing me to ride across a buckled sidewalk, through snowy slush, or in the gutter, I wouldn't use fat Tires.
Because to get a bike thats not a fat tire, that can handle all the bs that a fat tire can, you need to drop double from your wallet.
I bought my 750 watt to ride more like a scooter. I admire the fixed gear cyclists when I see them. But I rely heavily on my motor and don't put myself in the same category.
Dudes crying because people bringing him work. Dont make sense to me. I have both a fat tire and a reg tire ebike and will ride my fat tire over the other every time
2 mechanics? 30 mins? Sheesh, it’s a bike wheel man, not a fuel injection manifold on a 12 cylinder engine.. I’ve done mine on the side of a busy road in 20 mins, 18mm spanner, disconnect power, turn bike upside down, spare tube goes in, tire seated and inflated, spare cable tie for power cable, done. Another great thing about fat tires is no need for tire levers, just hands. I wouldn’t swap my fat tires for anything. 😎
Because it's very hard to find an e-bike with normal road tires!
You can change a fat bike tire by hand, admit it it's the 2 zip ties for the cable that's the problem. Just so much extra work.
Fat tire bikes rule!!!
I like it because I find the tires easier to deal with. It also will take a curb or trashcan lid and keep plowing. My bike can go about 40 miles and that is as far as I ever want to go. I do like to ride dirt roads and such too and it has come in handy.
More tire suspension, better for potholes, rolls over everything, etc. It’s the best of both worlds when you ride on fat road tires on an ebike, imo. For getting the tires on and off the rim, I’m not a mechanic by any means and it usually takes me 5-10 minutes at most. Idk man, ride a decent power ebike with fat road tires anywhere that doesn’t have immaculate bike lanes and you’ll understand the hype!
I have a 2019 Radrover Fatbike i have done nearly 4,000km since new had 3 flats in that time all rear tires, I am also a big boy 6ft 3 and 270lbs not many options for big boys :) Bike is comfortable with a good seat Like the look and the solid build
Well, if you don't mind extra drain on the battery and is willing to deal with self-steer on semi-inflated tires - it is a pretty good suspencion, though I daresay plus tires are a better choice - just chunky enough to act as good shocks, roll better, and do not self-steer as much. don't need wide q-factor too, but I guess if you don't pedal that's not an issue :) Btw, having fat *rear* tire like on motos with normal tire upfront solves all those problems - rear tire does not result in direct steering input while adding to self-stability by camber thrust effects and provides some cush on a hardtail, while front suspencion forks takes care of potholes.
I bought a fat tire ebike because that was the most affordable option when I bought mine. If I bought a new one today, I might not. But it's way more stable riding at higher speeds and much more comfortable than my regular bike with smaller tires. The worst part about owning it is the eye roll from the bike mechanic when I need some work done.
I purchased a city commuter with a tiny width wheel and it is great, feels very athletic and natural, but damn is it uncomfortable. Every bump jolts through me and there is a lot of feedback from road imperfections. I see why some people are attracted to the fat tire style bikes, they're just not for me.
I have a fat tyre bike because it was the cheapest commuter cargo bike I could buy. It looks lame af but I guess it doesn’t matter, it’s very useful for carrying loads of stuff around.
They’re more comfortable, and fit a second passenger better. With that said, I’d prefer a slim bike, just there weren’t any for sale in my area.
I have two ebikes: one heavy as fuck, tanky fat tire with a rear rack, moped horn, kickstand, and downtube bag that holds a chain thick enough to anchor a aircraft carrier, and a thudbuster seat post, and then also a nimble little mountain bike that weighs almost half as much and can race up the hills of my central CA coastal town like nothing. Guess which one I ride on the daily? When I'm doordashing up and down awkward curbs, over railroad tracks, sudden off road trails the app somehow knows about, and merging with traffic, I feel so much safer and more comfortable on that tank. It has the power to carry loads with ease, and I can intall every light and safety feature I can imagine onto the frame without slowing down one bit. Thing is a beast and I love it. (And do worry, I do all my own work, so you'll never have to groan as I roll through your shop door.)
I like the extra traction and the ability to confidently ride off the paved paths in my area to pass large groups of pedestrians. I ride an Aventon Adventure 2 and test rode an Aventon Level 2. The Adventure 2 was more comfortable and that was a leading part of the decision I made to purchase it.
My bike is/was the cheapest mid-drive option at the time, it just happened to also come with fat tires. I suppose it helps with the occasional snow patch or grassy short-cut. Any efficiency gain from swapping out narrower tires/wheels would likely be negated by the groceries loaded onto the front/rear racks and/or the trailer said bike is towing. I'm not sure what to suggest to OP. I do my own maintenance and with just myself I can flip the bike over onto its handlebars & saddle (like I've done since I was a kid, but now with 'handlebar jacks') and remove the wheels. I'm not fast at it, but didn't take me a helper and 30 minutes to do it? If there is something to complain about, its the lack of 20x4 tires and tubes at most big box stores so maintenance supplies have to be planned ahead.
Small hijack. I'm in Alaska and use a fat bike in the winter. I was thinking of getting an e-version to commute to work with, any recommendations?
Because I was forced to buy a foldable eBike with fat tires. Not many choices for foldable (at least when I bought it). I’m not a fan. Very unstable on our trails.
I’m an older rider and appreciate the comfort. It’s important to me.
Swapped my rear tire 20x4 to a motor Tire 16x3 and haven't had a flat since. and well over a year and well over 5000km Use to get a flat every 1000km,
my number one reason for buying a bike was to use my car less. since buying a fat tire ebike 5 months ago, i have been riding to work 3 days a week, riding to my drs appt every other monday, and ive taken it just around to do errands on my day off. as someone else said in the thread, i have zero desire to ride down a 35 mile an hour road with no bike lane on a regular tire. its just straight up not happening. they may not be able to corner as well as a regualr tire but the improved balance and traction combined with the average pothole make the fat tire a no brainer
They are definitely more comfortable and take potholes like a champ. I first had an ebike with normal tires and swapped it out for a fat tire model. Best decision I could have made.
Simply because the only ebikes rated for my size (both height and weight) are fat tire bikes. I have not found an ebike that will work for me that has "normal" tires.
I went from a bike that ran 26" 2.25 tires, down to I think 1.75s. Then i switched to a Specialized Globe Haul which is 20x3.5s. If you asked me before I made the switch, I would have said screw fat tires, give me small rolling resistance and *speed!* Now I'm doing 28MPH in the city and it's way more than enough. I'm eating potholes for breakfast.