Bicycles come in a range of styles and configurations, from lean racing machines to comfortable cruisers, each designed to serve a different purpose. Some of the best mountain bikes may focus on things like enhanced suspension while the best e bike for beginners may offer both relaxed and aerodynamic seating; what you’re specifically after depends on your needs.
Fat tire bikes are one of the more recent cycles to hit the market. If you are new to biking, should you consider trying one of these bikes with its oversize wheels and tires? Take the following overview as a point of reference to start your fat-tire bike research.
What They Are
As the name implies, fat tire bikes for sale have wider tires and rims than even the most radical traditional mountain bike does. The sizes vary, but you can expect tires to be over 3.75 inches wide; four-inch ones are common. To support the added width, these tires have thicker layers throughout. Just as with many other tires, these sport a variety of tread patterns, from relatively smooth to aggressively studded.
Why Size Matters
Added surface area combined with enhanced thickness means that these tires improve a rider’s ability to cycle on difficult terrain: the sand of your favorite beach; sticks and sharp rocks lying on extreme trails; potholes and glass shards dotting city streets; shallow creeks wending through woods; or mud and snow layering winter pathways. In other words, fat tire bikes let you cycle around in places you never thought possible.
What To Expect From the Bike
Understand that riding a fat tire bike may require time commitment to master. The added width and weight of these bikes’ wheels and tires means that you have to exert more effort to propel them—especially when you want to overcome obstacles. Whether you’re riding ebikes in Orange County or New York, it’s good to know that assisted cycles can help beginners meet challenging conditions; especially now that fat tire bikes come in ebikes flavors, you can find one that allows you to dial in the amount of boost you need to get you to your destination and back safely.
How To Address Their Unique Qualities
If you are intrigued by fat tire bikes but not in the market for an electric version, you need to decide if you should choose a bike that meets your current needs or one that you will grow into; here is where overlap comes into play. Your research will reveal that many fat tire bikes for sale come in a range of shapes. You can find them framed as comfort cruisers, road-style hybrids or even hardcore off-roaders.
What Else To Consider
Like any other bike, various fat tire models provide different levels of comfort. In order to handle the added rolling mass of the wheels, however, most frames are made stiffer (and potentially heavier) than the norm, a factor that can make them uncomfortable. On the other hand, the stiffness makes for a more responsive frame, a build that improves pedaling efficiency, which itself can help overcome the inefficient tires. Also, bear in mind that those tires do provide greater cushioning, and you can find several fat tire bikes for sale built with suspensions.
Fat tire cycles can definitely look unusual. As these bikes become more commonplace, however, beginner bikers and non-cyclists alike will barely give them a second glance — other than to give an acknowledging nod that they recognize the practical benefits these groundbreaking machines provide.