Which One? Fat Tire / Plus Tire / Suspension

[SV Moving On]

Hello all - I need some help. I am getting the below 4x4 Sprinter Van that has a bed that raises. I want to put two bikes under the bed that fit when it is lowered - which will require taking the front wheel off.

What my requirements are:

A fun - want to ride every day - ride.
Suspension (through forks / tires) that will allow us to ride on easy to medium trails. I assume the full suspension bikes can't take a bike rack.....
Must have a bike rack as we will be taking camping stuff at least 10 miles down the trail... or getting groceries.
Long lasting battery.
Tough as we will be banging this thing around.
Unique - I love having cool things that spark conversations. Not to show off - but to start a conversation... I like to talk....
Weight - In my experience the lighter the bike the better the carve. But... I understand the electric bike is a lot heavier which is fine - expected - but 70+ pounds I wonder if that is too heavy for some of these??

We will be peddling a lot - I have a Carbon Fiber DaVinci (which is over my head in capabilities) so I want a bike that I can peddle a lot of the time.... maybe 50% on assist 1 or 2.. At least that is my vision - might change as I've never had an electric bike! I'm 48 and still want to go to places that others people aren't.

The bikes (I need two - one for me / one for my girl -- 5' 10" / 5' 6") that I'm kind of excited about are:

Haibike SDURO Trekking 9.5 - a little expensive and unsure about the off road capability. Looks like it is well put together - well thought out bike. Looks mad cool. A take down from this bike might be the M2S XC Sport?? Half the price.

M2S R750 Looks like a nice bike for the price. Looks like it is mad fun and has decent options. Unsure if that is an actual 750 Watt motor or the peak? Wish the battery was 52v. 62 pounds.

RadRover Man I love this company - flew from Key Largo up to Seattle to tested the bike. My only problem with the RadRover is that it seems that it hasn't been updated that much. I wish it had an option for a better battery and forks.

Volt Yukon Limited Looks like a real nice bike - possibly a step above the Rad but that is more like a Ford / Chevy argument.... they are too close to call so go with the one that looks the best. And the Volt guy is a little aggressive replying to comments anywhere the Volt is talked about. If I had to pick between the two - I think I would go Volt but would choose the R750 over both.

Teo S Another well priced bike and it seems to be a pretty nice one with a 750W motor . I am unsure how it compares the other Rad / Volt. Looks like the people who bought this bike really like it. But that is all relative -

Bulls / Specialized / Trek / and many other high end brands that make amazing bikes... but they seem to be a lot more expensive. I'm sure super nice rides - but is the price justified?

HaiBike
https://www.haibike.com
M2S XC Sport
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
M2S R750
https://shop.m2sbikes.com/collections/frontpage/products/all-terrain-electric-fat-bike
RadRover
https://www.radpowerbikes.com/products/radrover-electric-fat-bike?variant=1121017965
Volt Yukon Limited
VoltBike Yukon
Teo S
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

 

[mrgold35]

I've had my his/her Radrovers for over a year and put +3400 miles between them work commuting, traveling, and trail riding. The Radrover, Teo, and Volt will be very similar riding experiences if you need a fat tire ebike. Fat tires are very comfy and capable if you need to transition anywhere from sandy beaches to paved road on the same ride. Plan on getting a suspension seatpost (suntour, bodyfloat, thudbuster). The spring front forks do provide damping on rough terrain and work for my type of riding. Very easy to use my Radrover as an utility ebike because it has a lot of capacity of 290lbs of rider+gear limit.

There are slight differences in brakes, battery capacity, PAS levels, frame sizes, riding positions, and how the throttle is used. At the time I was looking last year; it was mostly Volt, Rad, and Sondors. I scratched Sondors because being under powered and 30 day warranty. I ended up scratching Volt because of forward leaning riding position, lack of bottle cages, no ergo hand grips, didn't have full 750w throttle at any PAS level like the Rad, and watts seems to be reduced as battery levels dropped on the Volt compared to max power at any battery level for the Rad.

A few downsides with my Rad or other fat tire bikes in this price range are:
- they are big, bulky, long, and heavy (especially in the rear). The Rad is a little over 60lbs out the box, 53lbs without the battery, and my Rad is about 70lbs fully loaded with rack, rack bag, accessories, and gear (flat kit, tools, locks, etc...). My wife cannot lift the Rad on our Saris platform rack even at 53lbs.
- Can be very tough to pedal if you run out of power. You will be walking these bike up an incline if you run out of power.
- The bike parts can be low or middle of the road quality (brakes, suspension forks, derailleur, tires, pedals, etc...).

 

[SV Moving On]

I've had my his/her Radrovers for over a year and put +3400 miles between them work commuting, traveling, and trail riding.

Thanks for your reply - it was most helpful. Not many people post about their experiences after a good amount of time / miles... mostly I have been reading "I just got it and the first 50 miles were great!". That is cool but to hear a long-term review is awesome..!_steve

 

[Nutella]

You might want to invest in dropper posts so you can gain a few more inches of headroom for your bed. You could also pull the seatposts out if you're not going to ride often, but droppers are awesome offroad too.

 

[vincent]

guess you dont want any of the folders? they would be easy to fold the handlebars down and lower the seat and fit under there

i have 2 -20 inch fat bikes and really like them
1 is the radmini

 

[SV Moving On]

guess you dont want any of the folders? they would be easy to fold the handlebars down and lower the seat and fit under there

i have 2 -20 inch fat bikes and really like them
1 is the radmini

The folding bikes are on the bottom of my list as they don't have as solid control - those handlebars are move a lot when you are on trails... but... if the others won't fit under that drop down bed then the Rad will be one of the ones I'll think about! I rode the Rad Mini once in Seattle - thought it was a great bike for the road / grass / dirt roads.

 

[Fitzy]

 

[Mark Adams]

Love my ALLTERRAIN M2S Fat Tire . I carry on my plain old Thule rack on the back of my Sprinter . No suspension just added weight unless you plan on riding a lot of rough single track . I did put on a Suntour suspension seatpost.

 

[SV Moving On]

I really want to be able to go off road pretty far and who knows what the terrain will be. Have you ridden the suspension version as well? What kind of terrain are you most comfortable with on your setup? Thanks!_steve

 

[Mark Adams]

I really want to be able to go off road pretty far and who knows what the terrain will be. Have you ridden the suspension version as well? What kind of terrain are you most comfortable with on your setup? Thanks!_steve

I ride everywhere and at times a suspension fork would be nice but not mandatory just slow down . Also the suspension forks that I see on these bikes that come stock are not top of the line stuff. So for me at 220lbs I want to save weight for more battery miles.
I’ve been drooling over the new Revel Sprinter . Out of my price range though . Love my 2004 , 260,000 mile Sprinter still running strong.

 

[rich c]

I ride three different kinds of eBikes, Sondors Fat bike, Haibike XDURO Full Seven S RX, and a Haibike XDURO Trekking S RX. I have over 1000 miles on the Trekking, over 1500 miles on the Sondors and Full Seven. The fat bike was my first ebike, found it on Craigslist. It has been relegated to snow and an occasional ride on a crushed rock rail trail. It rides like an old Jeep. Heavy physical weight and heavy response. You have to actually put effort into the handlebars to turn the bike. Those wide tires do not make for a nimble bike. Huge rolling resistance in the tires. The Trekking bike can be ridden on a gravel road, but much better suited for touring on pavement. The small tires do not make for a fun ride on the gravel. I would not take it into rock and tree roots. The full suspension mountain bike will go anywhere. It was a demo model, and came with Schwalbe Super Moto-X 27.5 x 2.4 tires. For me, this is the ideal go anywhere bike. The smoother tread pattern on the Super Moto-X is great on pavement, and by letting out a few psi they really grip on dry single trails. It will climb a really steep incline with the 11 gear cassette. The full suspension makes riding great for my 65 year old body, on any conditions. Rough city streets, gravel, or trails with rocks and roots, are all smoothed out in the ride. I now see no need for any bike with tires over the 2.4".

 

[Mark Adams]

I ride three different kinds of eBikes, Sondors Fat bike, Haibike XDURO Full Seven S RX, and a Haibike XDURO Trekking S RX. I have over 1000 miles on the Trekking, over 1500 miles on the Sondors and Full Seven. The fat bike was my first ebike, found it on Craigslist. It has been relegated to snow and an occasional ride on a crushed rock rail trail. It rides like an old Jeep. Heavy physical weight and heavy response. You have to actually put effort into the handlebars to turn the bike. Those wide tires do not make for a nimble bike. Huge rolling resistance in the tires. The Trekking bike can be ridden on a gravel road, but much better suited for touring on pavement. The small tires do not make for a fun ride on the gravel. I would not take it into rock and tree roots. The full suspension mountain bike will go anywhere. It was a demo model, and came with Schwalbe Super Moto-X 27.5 x 2.4 tires. For me, this is the ideal go anywhere bike. The smoother tread pattern on the Super Moto-X is great on pavement, and by letting out a few psi they really grip on dry single trails. It will climb a really steep incline with the 11 gear cassette. The full suspension makes riding great for my 65 year old body, on any conditions. Rough city streets, gravel, or trails with rocks and roots, are all smoothed out in the ride. I now see no need for any bike with tires over the 2.4".

I don’t feel the fat tire is that cumbersome. But have not ridden a Sondors also have a Surly pugsly fat and my regular Mt bike sits most of the time . But everything is a trade off so best answer is a nice quiver of rides to choose from.

 

[rich c]

I don’t feel the fat tire is that cumbersome. But have not ridden a Sondors also have a Surly pugsly fat and my regular Mt bike sits most of the time . But everything is a trade off so best answer is a nice quiver of rides to choose from.

I didn't think it was cumbersome either, until I rode a Haibike. I rode over 1500 miles on the Sondors, even a lot on pavement, and was happy with it. Completely different opinion now. I test rode two different fat bikes yesterday. An Easy Motion Big Bud Pro AWD, and a model year newer Big Bud Pro with the Brose mid drive. I just didn't see the point of buying a higher end fat bike. I got more compliments from the general public when riding that Sondors fat bike than I can remember. People would roll down their car windows to yell a compliment at me. But with the 2.4" tires on the Haibike, I get the nimble feel and speed I prefer. Only two compliments on the Trekking bike from the general public so far.

 

[SV Moving On]

I didn't think it was cumbersome either, until I rode a Haibike.

Thanks for taking the time to write this up! If you were starting g from scratch and riding a lot on dirt / off road treks.... would you go with the fat tire bike or the plus tire like the one that you have. We will be on pavement - but not all that much. And we need a bike rack so the full suspension is out.

 

[rich c]

The ONLY times I would ride a fat bike now, is in snow or on sand. Everything else, plus tire. What I found interesting when riding the Easy Motion Big Bud Pro with the Bose mid drive, was that my heals wanted to touch the chain stays. I think they used a standard crank arm on the mid drive, then kicked the chain stays way out to clear the fat tire. Looks like the benefit of a hub drive is that you can get a wider bottom bracket and not have that issue. I'm also a speed kind of guy, and love the 28mph class III bikes. I've not found that available on a fat tire bike.

 

[Mark Adams]

If I ride on the road with my fat tire I just bring tire pressure up to 25lbs and you can see on the tire that I’m using 3” or less of the tread . Zoom zoom !

 

[rich c]

If I ride on the road with my fat tire I just bring tire pressure up to 25lbs and you can see on the tire that I’m using 3” or less of the tread . Zoom zoom !

On knobbies or smooth? That much contact area with knobbies make people turn around and stare on the paved trails, they have no idea what the hell is coming up behind them. Then there is the sound of going down a big hill and going over 30mph. They are loud as hell!

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

My vote would be plus tire.
The best of both. You get traction, comfort without sacrificing too much on the handling side.
For some reason, I could never bring myself to like fat bikes (may be I just ride too much on paved surfaces). I have to lift my bike up and down 10 stairs , twice everyday.
My mind automatically goes towards the lightest bike I have. I am sure this is a non-issue for those who just wheel it into their garage.

 

[Mark Adams]

On knobbies or smooth? That much contact area with knobbies make people turn around and stare on the paved trails, they have no idea what the hell is coming up behind them. Then there is the sound of going down a big hill and going over 30mph. They are loud as hell!

Oh ya they are loud people and pets stop and look.

 

[Mark Adams]

Oh and love the way the fats corner off-road