$2500 for Fat Bike budget

[Smiles4miles]

I have a Yukon 750 Limited on order. I’m pretty sure I’ll be happy with it but I could probably spend up to $2500 or so. Anything I should seriously be considering? I mostly want to ride some street and majority gravel/dirt roads and whatever trails I can find. My mountain bike trails near me don’t allow electric.

 

[rich c]

Have you ridden a fat bike? You’ll get plenty of support, but I have a fat bike and I’m no fan of street riding with one. My fat bike has been relegated to only winter duty now. I much prefer a bike with mid sized tires like 27.5x 2.4” for light trail work. I feel the mid tires are much more responsive and nimble.

 

[Smiles4miles]

Have you ridden a fat bike? You’ll get plenty of support, but I have a fat bike and I’m no fan of street riding with one. My fat bike has been relegated to only winter duty now. I much prefer a bike with mid sized tires like 27.5x 2.4” for light trail work. I feel the mid tires are much more responsive and nimble.

I honestly never have. I wonder if I would be happier with the Enduro? I’m talking probably 85% of the time I will be riding dirt roads.

 

[Smiles4miles]

I honestly never have. I wonder if I would be happier with the Enduro? I’m talking probably 85% of the time I will be riding dirt roads.

I should add these roads have a lot of potholes and get muddy etc. probably not much trail riding. I’m use to a Canondale Sl2 29er for actual mountain biking.

 

[CodyDog]

I recently set a budget of $3,500.00 for a fat tire e-bike. I recently pulled the trigger on the Rad Rover for $1,499.00. I looked at the Juiced Bike Rip Current S, M2S All Terrain 750, Surface 604, Teo S Limited, Pedego Trail Tracker and Izip E3 Suma and a couple other fat tire bikes. A price range with a $2,000.00 difference.

I am new to E-bikes so it has been difficult to make a decision.

I came very close to the Pedego (approx. $3,500.00) because of a local LBS sold and serviced them and I actually placed an order on the Juiced Bikes RPS which I cancelled to do an over whelming amount of quality issues expressed on forum reviews.

So why the $1,499.00 Rad Rover instead of a more expensive bike? A great deal of my reasoning was that the Rad Rover allows me to have a lot of funds to do upgrades if need be. My research found a great deal of positive reviews on the Rad versus the competitors in the same price range. I wanted a class 2 with a throttle. Also, I have two neighbors that love their Rad Rovers.

Yes, a more expensive bike could and should potentially offer better quality parts which is a big plus. I will most likely be replacing parts of some kind in the future on the lower priced bike but I like tinkering with toys with wheels. If I end up spending a $1,000.00 more on upgrades, I'm still ahead of the game and will have a pretty good quality fat tire bike with a 750 watt motor and a decent battery.

 

[Smiles4miles]

I recently set a budget of $3,500.00 for a fat tire e-bike. I recently pulled the trigger on the Rad Rover for $1,499.00. I looked at the Juiced Bike Rip Current S, M2S All Terrain 750, Surface 604, Teo S Limited, Pedego Trail Tracker and Izip E3 Suma and a couple other fat tire bikes. A price range with a $2,000.00 difference.

I am new to E-bikes so it has been difficult to make a decision.

I came very close to the Pedego (approx. $3,500.00) because of a local LBS sold and serviced them and I actually placed an order on the Juiced Bikes RPS which I cancelled to do an over whelming amount of quality issues expressed on forum reviews.

So why the $1,499.00 Rad Rover instead of a more expensive bike? A great deal of my reasoning was that the Rad Rover allows me to have a lot of funds to do upgrades if need be. My research found a great deal of positive reviews on the Rad versus the competitors in the same price range. I wanted a class 2 with a throttle. Also, I have two neighbors that love their Rad Rovers.

Yes, a more expensive bike could and should potentially offer better quality parts which is a big plus. I will most likely be replacing parts of some kind in the future on the lower priced bike but I like tinkering with toys with wheels. If I end up spending a $1,000.00 more on upgrades, I'm still ahead of the game and will have a pretty good quality fat tire bike with a 750 watt motor and a decent battery.

Excellent food for thought and great points. I was between the Rad and the Volt, I got the Volt because of the hydraulic brakes, but like you said those can be upgraded. I assume I can upgrade things on the Volt as well and like you said, $1000 of upgrades will go way farther than $1000 more in purchase price.

 

[Smiles4miles]

Have you ridden a fat bike? You’ll get plenty of support, but I have a fat bike and I’m no fan of street riding with one.

Can I ask what you dislike so much about street riding? I know they can be noisy and not as quick but I figured the fact that has a motor makes the second part moot?

 

[Dynamo Dan]

I've been riding the Voltbike Yukon 750 for 2 weeks now. I'm a complete newbie to ebiking (last rode any kind of bike 35 years ago!) I love it. It was a coin toss between the Yukon and the Radrover. The 2 bikes seem almost identical and after I crunched the numbers I think the price difference was $30 after the accessories, shipping tax etc. I chose the Yukon because the current edition of the Yukon has slightly better components than the Radrover( battery, derailleur, brakes) but if you were to blindfold me I doubt whether I could tell the difference. Also I was able to test ride the Yukon on an ambassadors bike which gave me more confidence to buy the Yukon. Buying any bike direct from factory will save big$$$ compared to buying from a LBS, but it will depend on your comfort level with buying online and the risks that can occur. Also, I get the impression that Rad and Volt try to better each other a little bit with each new edition, so maybe the next Radrover will have better components than my Volt Yukon. Either way, you will save lot of money buying Rad or Volt, but may have to sacrifice service.

 

[mrgold35]

I only really had the choices of the Radrover, Volt, or Sondors back in 2016 for fat bike choices. Way more choices today compared to just a few years ago. I was picking between those three because of the most "bang for the buck" compared to mid-drive options. I also wanted to get two his/her ebikes AND needed some $$$ available for gear, accessories, lights, and new platform bike rack. First thing we did with the savings was take our Rovers to the Grand Canyon and Sedona for a vacation in November of 2016. It was so nice to ride the bike trails along the canyon rim, enjoy the views, and not have +30 tourist in every shot.

I now have +4600 miles between both rovers and the only performance upgrades were TRP Spyke brakes and Vee8 120tpi 26X4 tires. Everything else was for cosmetic or comfort (adjustable stem, cloud-9 saddle, bodyfloat seatpost, thumb throttle, BC MTB pedals, etc...). I like riding my fat tire ebike so much since purchase, I decided to stick to work commute 3-5 times a week at around 200-300 miles per month.

The only thing that I didn't like were the standard Kenda tires (loud, lots of flats, high rolling resistance, lower sustained top speed, only got around 900 miles on rear tire, and a little squirrelly on turns at higher speeds on paved surfaces).

 

[Smiles4miles]

I've been riding the Voltbike Yukon 750 for 2 weeks now. I'm a complete newbie to ebiking (last rode any kind of bike 35 years ago!) I love it. It was a coin toss between the Yukon and the Radrover. The 2 bikes seem almost identical and after I crunched the numbers I think the price difference was $30 after the accessories, shipping tax etc. I chose the Yukon because the current edition of the Yukon has slightly better components than the Radrover( battery, derailleur, brakes) but if you were to blindfold me I doubt whether I could tell the difference. Also I was able to test ride the Yukon on an ambassadors bike which gave me more confidence to buy the Yukon. Buying any bike direct from factory will save big$$$ compared to buying from a LBS, but it will depend on your comfort level with buying online and the risks that can occur. Also, I get the impression that Rad and Volt try to better each other a little bit with each new edition, so maybe the next Radrover will have better components than my Volt Yukon. Either way, you will save lot of money buying Rad or Volt, but may have to sacrifice service.

Glad to hear you’re really happy with it! I agree, they both seem to have lots of satisfied customers. From what I’ve come across, they both seem to be really helpful supporting customers with electronic issues. For mechanical stuff, my boss owned a bike shop for several years so that’s pretty sweet.

 

[Smiles4miles]

I only really had the choices of the Radrover, Volt, or Sondors back in 2016 for fat bike choices. Way more choices today compared to just a few years ago. I was picking between those three because of the most "bang for the buck" compared to mid-drive options. I also wanted to get two his/her ebikes AND needed some $$$ available for gear, accessories, lights, and new platform bike rack. First thing we did with the savings was take our Rovers to the Grand Canyon and Sedona for a vacation in November of 2016. It was so nice to ride the bike trails along the canyon rim, enjoy the views, and not have +30 tourist in every shot.

I now have +4600 miles between both rovers and the only performance upgrades were TRP Spyke brakes and Vee8 120tpi 26X4 tires. Everything else was for cosmetic or comfort (adjustable stem, cloud-9 saddle, bodyfloat seatpost, thumb throttle, BC MTB pedals, etc...). I like riding my fat tire ebike so much since purchase, I decided to stick to work commute 3-5 times a week at around 200-300 miles per month.

The only thing that I didn't like were the standard Kenda tires (loud, lost of flats, high rolling resistance, lower sustained top speed, only got around 900 miles on rear tire, and a little squirrelly on turns at higher speeds).

Saddle and seat post are two things I’ll probab do first, unless I’m happy without changing them.

 

[TXDego]

Mike, not sure there is really much to add. I got my Yukon 750 Limited yesterday, cruised it for about 10-12 miles trying it out. Like others, my choice came down to Radrover & Voltbike, but the Voltbike had hydraulic brakes and included the fenders and bike racks, so Voltbike won. The only item/upgrade is to replace the front light with a real light, the seat feels good, thought I would hate it, but so far its been good.

I agree with mrgold, the Kenda tires do feel a little sketchy on turns at high speeds, but looks like all the bike manufactures use these tires.

Wait till it comes, try it out, then make a list.

 

[rich c]

Can I ask what you dislike so much about street riding? I know they can be noisy and not as quick but I figured the fact that has a motor makes the second part moot?

Biggest objection is that it just feels sluggish to ride. When I bought my second bike, Haibike Full Seven S RX, it felt like I was flying. Nimble, quicker acceleration, smoother ride, stopped with just two fingers on the hydraulic brakes, and quieter. High quality derailleur, shifter, and mid drive motor felt like a sports car accelerating to 28mph incredibly quickly. Made the fat bike feel like a log wagon.

 

[mrgold35]

I think it is about picking the right tool for the job. I don't think the Haibike Full Seven S RX would be an advantage or disadvantage the way I like to ride other than price. I think I would be really wasting the Haibike full capabilities at my riding skill level and environment. I set my controller to 22 mph motor cut-off and I can get up to 25-26 mph on a few declines when I work commute. 18-22 mph is fast enough for me because I still need to stop at +270lbs on the ebike. I would be still riding my pedal Transeo GT 700X40C bike if it wasn't for cheaper hub drive ebikes. The Rad, Volt, and Sondors are like the Model T of ebikes being jacks of all trades and master of none and affordable. I have two Radrovers and Radcity Step-Thru for the price of one mid-high end mid-drive.

 

[jazz]

I love riding fat ebikes on the street or off road. The roads around me are not very good, so the cushy ride of a fat bike is perhaps the smoothest you can get on almost any bike. They also feel more sturdy, solid and safe. If you have a good motor and at least 48v battery, the extra size and weight of a fat bike should not be that much of an issue. With hydro brakes, you have the stopping power should you need it.

Most fats use crappy tires which are noisy and sluggish. You can improve the ride quality, puncture resistance and road noise drastically by replacing the stock tires you get on your Rads, Volts, Biktrix, M2S and Juiced bikes with some better ones. Say NO to Kendas on fats!

 

[Smiles4miles]

Biggest objection is that it just feels sluggish to ride. When I bought my second bike, Haibike Full Seven S RX, it felt like I was flying. Nimble, quicker acceleration, smoother ride, stopped with just two fingers on the hydraulic brakes, and quieter. High quality derailleur, shifter, and mid drive motor felt like a sports car accelerating to 28mph incredibly quickly. Made the fat bike feel like a log wagon.

Good info. The new Volt Yukon Limited does have hydraulics at least.
Sorry to ask you so many questions, but is your fat bike also an ebike? Which brand if so?

 

[rich c]

With smart shopping, you also don’t have to consider price on a Haibike. I paid $2,800 for the Full Seven S RX and $2,600 for a Trekking S RX. The Full was a dealer demo with 150 miles, Trekking was old model year. A lot of folks take those $1,500 bikes and add $1,000 on upgrades. With the Haibikes there is nothing to upgrade

 

[rich c]

Good info. The new Volt Yukon Limited does have hydraulics at least.
Sorry to ask you so many questions, but is your fat bike also an ebike? Which brand if so?

Sondors Indiegogo model. Put 1,700 miles on it and now motor has failed. Sent it to California to be fixed, lasted 10 miles after that. Still on original tires and brakes. It was a blast, until I rode a Haibike.

 

[Smiles4miles]

I love riding fat ebikes on the street or off road. The roads around me are not very good, so the cushy ride of a fat bike is perhaps the smoothest you can get on almost any bike. They also feel more sturdy, solid and safe. If you have a good motor and at least 48v battery, the extra size and weight of a fat bike should not be that much of an issue. With hydro brakes, you have the stopping power should you need it.

Most fats use crappy tires which are noisy and sluggish. You can improve the ride quality, puncture resistance and road noise drastically by replacing the stock tires you get on your Rads, Volts, Biktrix and Juiced bikes with some better ones. Say NO to Kendas on fats!

Pretty much exactly what I was looking to hear! Michigan roads around me are not great either. It does indeed have a 48V 16ah. Maybe the tires will be my first upgrade.

 

[jazz]

Pretty much exactly what I was looking to hear! Michigan roads around me are not great either. It does indeed have a 48V 16ah. Maybe the tires will be my first upgrade.

Great! Also check out this thread about FB tires https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/great-article-on-fat-bike-tires.24119/