Does anyone have experience or knowledge to share about Fat Tire bikes?

Pj, you can check out the radrover as well, though maybe the juggernaut is available right away...it would be a few month wait for the radrover currently. The juggernaut is a nice bike, I think the guy who designed it is on the forum here (the juggernaut began its life on Kickstarter).

Have you receive the Radrover yet? Would love to see your report on it. :)
 
LOL apparently not powerful enough since he wants a motorcycle instead. I wonder if they make a 48v battery that is similar to the Sondors? That would be the first thing I would do if I had this bike.
 
Disclaimer: I don't own fat tire eBike nor have I ridden a fat tire eBike
Qualifier: I own two fat tire bikes and ride them

The following is only a personal opinion and to a degree an attempt to have fun.

It is logical but one must say that compared to regular bikes, Fat bikes are slow. The tires are noisy on the paved road. Pedaling a fat bike on a paved road, to a degree, makes you feel like that guy:

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having said that

Fat bikes are great fun on the beach where regular bikes can't go and where mountain bikes experience hardship. Riding one in the morning at low tide with the joggers and walkers while the sun is rising (east coast) is pure bliss. Find a long enough beach (our longest is 7.5 miles) and you got yourself a nice 15 mile bike ride.

Fat bikes are great fun to ride on snowmobile trails and snowshoe trails. Find a trail with mild, rolling hills, through a forest that acts as a windbreaker and you got yourself a nice way to spend a winter day.

Fat bikes are great fun to ride on mountain bike trails. They roll over roots and rocks better or comparable than a mountain bike (sort of). For me, ideally on moderate ups and downs.

Fat bikes are great fun to ride downhill at ski areas where you can take them up on a lift - disclaimer - I have never done that :) but I have biked and hiked up a mountain and rode the bike down. I wouldn't want to say that hiking a fat bike up a mountain is great fun though haha.

Fat bikes are great as an access vehicle to remote locations that lack nice hiking trails but have dirt roads. Awesome on this type of multiday camping bikepacking trip.


Here is where I think fat tire eBikes would be really great:
Snow and slightly deeper snow.

Fat biking in new unconsolidated snow is pretty much bad. No matter how wide your tires are or how fit you claim to be you still breathe a sigh of relief when you get on more consolidated snow. the deeper the snow and depending on your fitness you will not be able to ride some of it. Adding electric motor to the mix will give you the extra percentage to ride in deeper snow and of course on snowy uphill section you would have had to hike up.

ebike Fat biking in the snow could be great if your commute is on unpaved roads. That means that after a few winter storms you either have to hike the trail with snow shoes to pack it down or stop riding altogether. Adding eBike Fat Bike to your commuting mix could extend your biking season and add another fun twist to the route.
Disclaimer: I don't own fat tire eBike nor have I ridden a fat tire eBike
Qualifier: I own two fat tire bikes and ride them

The following is only a personal opinion and to a degree an attempt to have fun.

It is logical but one must say that compared to regular bikes, Fat bikes are slow. The tires are noisy on the paved road. Pedaling a fat bike on a paved road, to a degree, makes you feel like that guy:

hqdefault.jpg


having said that

Fat bikes are great fun on the beach where regular bikes can't go and where mountain bikes experience hardship. Riding one in the morning at low tide with the joggers and walkers while the sun is rising (east coast) is pure bliss. Find a long enough beach (our longest is 7.5 miles) and you got yourself a nice 15 mile bike ride.

Fat bikes are great fun to ride on snowmobile trails and snowshoe trails. Find a trail with mild, rolling hills, through a forest that acts as a windbreaker and you got yourself a nice way to spend a winter day.

Fat bikes are great fun to ride on mountain bike trails. They roll over roots and rocks better or comparable than a mountain bike (sort of). For me, ideally on moderate ups and downs.

Fat bikes are great fun to ride downhill at ski areas where you can take them up on a lift - disclaimer - I have never done that :) but I have biked and hiked up a mountain and rode the bike down. I wouldn't want to say that hiking a fat bike up a mountain is great fun though haha.

Fat bikes are great as an access vehicle to remote locations that lack nice hiking trails but have dirt roads. Awesome on this type of multiday camping bikepacking trip.


Here is where I think fat tire eBikes would be really great:
Snow and slightly deeper snow.

Fat biking in new unconsolidated snow is pretty much bad. No matter how wide your tires are or how fit you claim to be you still breathe a sigh of relief when you get on more consolidated snow. the deeper the snow and depending on your fitness you will not be able to ride some of it. Adding electric motor to the mix will give you the extra percentage to ride in deeper snow and of course on snowy uphill section you would have had to hike up.

ebike Fat biking in the snow could be great if your commute is on unpaved roads. That means that after a few winter storms you either have to hike the trail with snow shoes to pack it down or stop riding altogether. Adding eBike Fat Bike to your commuting mix could extend your biking season and add another fun twist to the route.

Do they float in the water if you happen to fall off a bridge???
 
Non e fat bike. Road mine down a secondary dirt road Skipper Bay rd in wakulla cty fl. Sand road with areas of 2-3 inches thick of soft sand. Worked my #ss off, but anything else would have been walking. That was even with not low enough tire pressure. Juggernaut on the way. It would have been fun with mid drive and low tire pressures. I use on one Mary floaters. Good all round tire. Wanting to try a 4.5 kenda juggernaut on the rear of both bikes. Mid drive. Torque through all the gears
 
The juggernaut 4.5 is a pretty nice tire. Little to no self steer. I have one in front on my rad rover and will probably swap in back as well come winter. I'm sure you'll like the 4.5!
 
The kenda juggernaut sport 4.0 is supposed to have a harder center patch with lower profile knobs down the center. Might be a decent all round tire. Max pressure for commuting. Not so much a snow or mud tire or heavy sand. Think their 4.5 has those areas better covered. And they are reasonably priced. For the budget minded the rad rover may be the best deal out there. Power. Known components. Suspension. A known individual from ES. Not a mid drive but a great bike for the money
 
Researched as much as I could and the mid drive Bafang 750w seemed to be a well liked and priced powertrain, and it seemed like it would make the bike the most versatile, especially in the river valley here. Like the idea the motor weight is centralized and low, the only Fat electric I handled in person was the previous Surface 604 (hub drive, rack batt), which was a top heavy nightmare.

That said, a bit of a guess. Never had a fat bike or a electric bike before, and not a lot of reviews on the combo. Was tempted to go hub as the same retailer came out with a substantially cheaper hub drive version at the last minute.


You did right. There are lots of cheap geared hub drives that work well, for awhile, then die early deaths when used reguarly. Direct drive hubs are larger and heavier but seemingly more bulletproof over all. The Bafang is a really nice motor that is very strong and light. Perfect for a fat bike IMO. And the mid drive mounting does help the bike feel more like a bike off road. The really heavy rear hub motors aren't a problem on road, but offroad they show up for sure.
The order form doesn't seem to offer the cheapest setup, just the upgraded *$600) hub motor and 2 other upgrade of components.
How much was the 500w Bafang?
Looks like a nice bike/setup for the $$!

I've read a bit on the off road biking sites and fat tired bikes are allowed on some trails that are bike restricted otherwise (horse trails for some) or prohibited outright. The fat tires don't create ruts and tear up the soil as much. They even tend to flatten out ruts that skinnier tired mtb's create.
hmmmmmmmmmmm
 
I ride 28 x 700C in some mild off road places, and it works pretty well. A bike should ride as well with the motor off as well as on, don't you think?

Ideally, yes. But in the real world even the lightest E bike is at least 20-25lbs heavier than the same bike without E assist. Add in a bit to a lot of motor/gearing drag and you really aren't going to WANT to ride it unassisted very much.
My Haibike is 46lbs, the lightest by far of my 3 E bikes, and I can and do choose to ride close to 1/2 the ride unassisted, only turning on the boost when I'm getting tired. That is about 10 miles or there abouts for me depending on hills. On a regular 20 lb bike, I'm good for 20-30 before tiring.
It matters.
By the same token once I turn on the boost, I'm good for another 30-40! :)
 
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The order form doesn't seem to offer the cheapest setup, just the upgraded *$600) hub motor and 2 other upgrade of components.
How much was the 500w Bafang?

Yeah, it's a little confusing the way the order form is laid out. The hub drive is the cheapest, at $600 less than the base mid drive with mechanical brakes. Then comes the upgraded mid drive with hydraulic brakes and fenders, bigger battery and lights. He also used to have a 750 watt option.

My mid drive 750 watt mechanical brake bike ended up being $2500.00 CDN before tax, or about 1900 US, plus a bit to ship.
 
LOL apparently not powerful enough since he wants a motorcycle instead. I wonder if they make a 48v battery that is similar to the Sondors? That would be the first thing I would do if I had this bike.

You have to have the controller match the battery voltage, so you'd have to replace the controller too. And that's if the motor can handle the extra current and heat without burning up. Lots (most?) of the motors are wound differently for 48v/36v.
I would be very surprised if the motor was capable of being uprgraded at this price point.
 
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