Best fat tire ebike for winter single track?

[John660]

Hi everyone, I'm looking to get into an ebike, but I have a fairly specific use for it. Rather than riding roads or even paved trails, I want to be able to ride single track with snow and ice on it replacing my current (old) fat bike, which is a heavy $800 special from back in the day (with no suspension). Does anyone have experience doing this and if so, what would you recommend? Can I get away with something in the $2K range like an Aventon Aventure or the Radster Trail or Radrover Plus 6 or am I just going to end up disappointed? Any and all recommendations considered, thank you!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@Prairie Dog

 

[Jim1348]

Do you want a one wheel drive or two wheel drive e-bike?

 

[Prairie Dog]

Hi everyone, I'm looking to get into an ebike, but I have a fairly specific use for it. Rather than riding roads or even paved trails, I want to be able to ride single track with snow and ice on it replacing my current (old) fat bike, which is a heavy $800 special from back in the day (with no suspension). Does anyone have experience doing this and if so, what would you recommend? Can I get away with something in the $2K range like an Aventon Aventure or the Radster Trail or Radrover Plus 6 or am I just going to end up disappointed? Any and all recommendations considered, thank you!

Where do you ride if you don’t mind me asking? I’m afraid that I've only ridden one mid drive brand of fatbike up to this point so my opinion may be biased. I currently own a 2023 Norco Bigfoot VLT1 and all I can say is that it’s an exceptionally capable bike for winter riding. It’s powered by a Shimano EP8 motor that puts out 85Nm of torque along with a 900 wH battery. Norco has opted instead to offer its customers a range of three separate battery capacities to choose from depending on how far you want to extend your ride. It has plenty of grunt to tackle the steepest of icy climbs and is quite nimble for a 54 lb bike. The Bigfoot comes with a set of studdable tires but I chose instead to replace them with 4.5”, 45North Wrathchilds with 252 XL tenacious concave carbide studs. The tandem really makes the bike a beast on the local singles. The VLT 1 is also equipped with a 100mm Manitou front shock which is a nice luxury to have.

Here's footage from the first day I picked it up from the LBS and immediately rode it to the nearest trail.

...and the epitome for me of where the Norco excels would be along brutally icy spring ground conditions as evidenced by the chatter of studs.

For 2024, Norco has introduced the VLT S2 as their entry level model but it still offers serious performance for any demanding winter fatbiker.

Bigfoot VLT 1 | Norco

The Bigfoot VLT 1 is the electric fat bike that you'll forget is an electric fat bike.

www.norco.com

Another Canadian brand to consider would be Rocky Mountain. Neither Rocky Mtn or Norco models are cheap to begin with particularly if you’re on a tight budget but RM is currently discounting their Blizzard Powerplay line significantly for both the AL 30 and 50 to a tune of over $2000 Cdn. Might be worth a look. The power from the Dyname motor is off the charts. Most fatties I see on our local trails are either RM or Norco which speaks highly for both brands.

Blizzard Powerplay

The all-new Blizzard Powerplay unlocks access to winter riding in a whole new way. By combining the power of our Dyname 4.0 drive system with the trail-ready geometry of the Blizzard, expect a powerful ride in all conditions with the Blizzard Powerplay.

bikes.com