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This is a gear review of the best fat tire bikes for touring, snow, sand, mud, and more in 2024.
A fat bike is all about the fat tires the bicycle has. They can look like mountain bikes, with extra mounts for attaching your gear. The wide tires have low pressure, which makes them float on sand and snow.
For some adventure bike riders, a fatbike is better than a Touring Bicycle, Bikepacking Bike, or Gravel Bike.
In this article, I researched and reviewed the best fat bikes you can purchase now. Keep reading, to discover which fat bike is for you.
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Best Fat Tire Bikes 2024
The Best Fat Tire Bikes 2024 are:
Best Fat Bike – Overall
Salsa Beargrease Fat Tire Bike
Pros:
> Carbon fiber frame, which makes it incredibly lightweight
> The carbon frame absorbs a lot of light bumps and road noise
> Great option for Bikepacking trips
> Lots of eyelets and gear mounting options
Cons:
> Not much, could be cheaper
The fat bike from Salsa that you should consider is the Beargrease. There are many different specs of this bike at different price points but the carbon framed XT is one of the best fat tire bikes right now. This is a very lightweight bike, due to the carbon fiber frame.
It can be fitted with Shimano Deore or XT components which are both good quality and will determine the final price.
This bike is most at home on smooth dirt or snow, yet the extra wide tires allow you to handle rougher surfaces. Alongside this, the frame also consists of various mounts, which is ideal for anyone who enjoys Bikepacking.
Overall, the Salsa Beargrease is a perfect all-rounder performer, which is ideal for taking on snow and sand or Bikepacking.
Best Fat Tire Bike for Bikepacking
Salsa Mukluk Carbon XT
Pros:
> Lots of gear mounting options thanks to the various eyelets and mounts that you can apply
> Very high quality in every way
> When you aren’t facing fat bike weather conditions, you can easily change the tires on this bike and use it as a normal mountain bike
Cons:
> Not the cheapest bike on the list
The Salsa Mukluk fat bike is one of the easiest bikes to ride uphill when compared to other fat bikes on the market. This fat bike has a high-modulus carbon frame, which makes the frame light yet stiff. The carbon has been layered to make the bike easy to pedal, whilst also being shock-absorbing as well.Â
The bike is great for anyone who enjoys Bikepacking, and you can set it up to how you like it. The bike comes with 26 x 4.6-inch tires, but these can be easily changed to suit your needs. When fat tires aren’t needed, you can change the tires and use this bike as a mountain bike.
The Salsa Mukluk also comes with the Kingpin Deluxe Fork, which is durable yet light with lots of mounts for bags and bottles. Therefore, this bike is the ideal fat bike for anyone who enjoys Bikepacking and wants to go places that are difficult for any other bike to get through. It offers you a lot of suspension and support for a comfortable ride.
Overall, this is the best fat bike for Bikepacking 2024.
Best Expedition Fat Bike
Trek Farley 9
Pros:
> The Trek Farley 9 comes with 27.5 x 4.5-inch tires, which roll fast on all surfaces.
> Good for snow and sand conditions. suspension fork
> Comes with mounting racks and lots of bosses to attach water bottles holders and more
Cons:
> Heavy at around 35 pounds
The Trek Farley 9 fat bike is much more than a snow or sand bike. With an aluminum frame and carbon front forks it has a good balance between flex and stiffness to absorb bumps well.
With a fat bike, the wheels have enough suspension when traveling through snow or sand. The Trek Farley 9 fat bike comes loaded with Bontrager gear as it is now owned by Trek, and topped off with SRAM GX Eagle spec components. So overall it is well fitted out.
It has to be said that this bike is heavy for a fat bike, coming in at 40 lb / 18 kg in weight. The carbon forks come with plenty of bosses to mount storage or water bottles, and there are front and rear racks to mount all your panniers and handlebar bags. It comes with a carrying capacity of 300 lb / 136 kg which will be enough for most expedition fat bike trips.
Overall, the Trek Farley 9 Fat Tire Bike is a good expedition fat bike for snow riding, soft sand riding, and remote area expedition riding. Yet it is a much more versatile bike and is capable of a lot more compared to other fat bikes.
Best Budget Fat Tire Bike
Salsa Heyday! Cues Fat Tire Bike
Pros:
> Good aluminum frame
> Salsa Heyday is comfortable to ride across sand and snow
> Best cheap fat tire bike
Cons:
> This bike can perform well on hard surfaces such as rocky trials, but it will struggle in some areas.
The Salsa Heyday! Cues is the best budget Fat Tire Bike for 2024. Essentially it is the rebranded Mukluk as they chose to change the name going forward. Like many bikes in this review, there are several specs including budget and high-end carbon fiber. The aluminum represents great value for money.
Just because it comes at a budget price does not mean it is cheap. The specs for the bike include Shimano Cues cranks, Taktro Brakes, and Sunringle hubs and rims. Slightly lower spec than other bikes hence the better value.
The Salsa Heyday! Cues rides well on all different kinds of terrain. The frame of this bike is made from strong and stiff aluminum, with a rigid aluminum fork that helps this bike perform well across different surfaces. It comes with plenty of bosses to attach luggage or water bottles.
This bike rides fast and quite smoothly over bumps thanks to the 4.6-inch tires and there is a huge tire clearance.
Overall, the Salsa Heyday! Cues is the best budget fat bike for 2024.
More Fat Tire Bikes
Surly Ice Cream Truck
Pros:
> Clearance for 5-inch tires
> Great on sand, snow, or mud, but can deal with some slightly rocky trails
> Good fat bike for Bikepacking
> It has plenty of options for you to attach racks and your gear
Cons:
> Heavy steel frame
The Ice Cream Truck fat bike by Surly is the ultimate expedition bike that has been designed for off-road exploration and touring. The Surly Ice Cream Truck has the largest tire clearance of any fat tire bike, able to fit 5-inch wide tires bit is fitted standard with extra wide 4.8-inch Surly Bud tires.
There are various mounts for you to attach your belongings and gear. The frame of this bike is made from strong Chromoly steel, while both the front and rear wheels can be easily changed.
Customers have praised how sturdy this bike feels, especially as it can ride over sand, snow, ice, and mud with ease.
Overall, the Surly Ice Cream Truck is a solid fat bike that performs well on all trails.
Borealis Crestone Eagle
Pros:
> Good to ride on snow and sand
> Good options for mountain water bottles and other gear
> Lightweight Carbon Fiber Frame
Cons:
> The wheels on this bike are quite large and heavy
Borealis has been making lightweight carbon fiber fat bikes since 2013. The Crestone is a tried and tested bike that is enjoyed by Borealis bike lovers. The frame of this bike has been designed for optimal riding in sand and snow.
There is a clearance for up to 5-inch wide tires. The tires of this bike will give you more grip than you will know what to do with, which means that sometimes you need to put in more power and effort to get the bike moving.
Alongside this, the frame of this bike is quite lightweight, as it is made from carbon fiber. While also, there are 2 to 3 mounts that you can attach bottle mounts to.
You will also notice lizard skin protectors on the drive-side chainstay and down tube. This will keep these areas protected by the elements, so your bike is overall more durable and reliable.
Fat Bike Comparison Table
Fat Tire Bicycle Buyers Guide
Frame Material
Typically, you have three material choices to select from including carbon fiber, aluminum, and steel.
Carbon Fiber
Carbon frames are seen as the lightest and most premium frames, as they are much more responsive and fast. However, the performance might be better, but the cost is higher as well. If you have the money, go for it.
Aluminum
Aluminum frames are becoming more common on fat bikes but those that do have them are noticeably flexible and absorb bumps quite well. Not quite as well as carbon fiber.
Steel and Chrome Moly
Steel and Chrome Moly frames are where the money saving can be had with fat bikes and all the budget models feature the use of these materials.
Suspension
Fat bike normally has very good suspension due to the large amount of air in the tires. In most cases, front suspension or even full suspension is overkill and not needed.
Seat Post
Another consideration you should consider is the seat post. For some users any seat post is fine, however, some riders prefer a drop seat post. This is because it allows them a lot more movement and freedom while riding. A suspension seat post is generally not needed nor recommended for fat bikes as the air on the tires provides all the soft cushioning needed.
Wheel and Tire Size
Most fat tires bikes fit wheels that range from 26 inches to 27.5 inches. But some have the flexibility to also fit 29-inch mountain bike rims if you want to have a flexible bike. Just swap out the rims and tires and you have a mountain bike. Most rims have a width of between 50-100mm.
Tires range from 3 inches to just over 5 inches in width with the wider versions being the more popular. The width of the tire that will fit on the bike will be determined by several factors such as how much clearance there is on the frame and the width of the rims.
Tire Pressure
Most fat bikes will run a very low tire pressure to allow the tire to float over soft surfaces such as snow and sand. 5-10 psi is sufficient for most surfaces. If riding paved trails then slightly higher will be normal to reduce rolling resistance.
Gearing
Fat Bikes are geared very low in comparison to road bikes. Their gearing is generally the same or lower than Bikepacking bikes or touring bikes. You will be unlikely to be pedaling at high speeds on a fat bike. Some can fit a Rohloff internal hub rather than a derailleur setup, but few make this a standard feature.
Racks and Eyelets
Planning on taking your fat bike to the remotest trails in the world for multi-week or multi-month trips? Then you will need a place to fit your front bike racks, water bottles, rear bike racks, and more. While these will be important, many people will not use their fat bikes for expedition-style trips, and for those people, they are not so important.
Price
The price of fat tire bikes is where most people stop short of buying. With many good brands well above $2000 for a good bike and more than double that for carbon fiber models with the best components. Many people will try a cheap version first and once hooked on what they can do with a fat bike then they will invest in something grander.
Conclusion
A fat bike is worth considering if you want to ride on more difficult surfaces. This type of bike is becoming a lot more popular, therefore, it is no wonder that there are lots of options for you to choose from.
Here are the best fat bikes for Bikepacking:
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do You Need A Fat Bike With Suspension?
It depends on the wheels that you have on your bike and the terrain you are taking your bike in.
For most riders, fat tires that have low pressure reduce the need for any added suspension, as the tires absorb all the shocks that they face. However, this is when being ridden on snow or sand.
However, if you are riding in more uneven terrain or technical terrain, then some added suspension may come in useful.
Sometimes, fat bikes can be ridden on rocky trials, thus the added suspension comes in handy here as the wheels wouldn’t be enough to absorb all the shocks on that kind of trial.
What Kind Of Tires Do You Need?
The wider the tires that you have, the more you will float on top of snow or sand. However, it is worth noting that wider tires equal heavier tires, as they have much more grip and resistance.
However, this is how the tires move in these difficult situations. You want to make sure that the bike frame you have chosen can handle wider tires, as not all can
What Pressure Do I Need In My Tires?
When it comes to fat biking, you may need to experiment with the pressure in your tires to find which pressure gives you the best resistance and grip.
The amount of pressure in your tires will change, depending on if you add extra weight to your bike, like if you are going bikepacking.
You need to have an accurate low-pressure pump that will tell you accurately the pressure of your tires. This will allow you to know what pressure does and doesn’t work for you in different riding conditions you face.
BikeHikeSafari Gear Review Process
The author, Brad McCartney from BikeHikeSafari is a small independent adventurer and outdoor gear tester who owns and runs BikeHikeSafari.com.
BikeHikeSafari is not part of a large blog network and is proudly independent. All reviews on this site are independent and honest gear reviews of outdoor products by the author.
The author, Brad McCartney is a very experienced triple crown thru-hiker, adventurer, and bike tourer having spent 1000s of nights sleeping in a tent and sleeping bag (Read more). He was a manager of an outdoor retail store and is very experienced in what is important when using and testing gear for reviews like this.
BikeHikeSafari will never receive any money for reviews and they do not accept sponsored reviews on this website. All the comments about the gear reviews are from the author based on his years of experience. Hope this independent review was helpful for you.