THE TEN BEST FAT BIKES OF 2023 – DON’T LET WINTER SLOW YOU DOWN
Ride all year.
Fat bikes, with their oversized wheels and tires, are designed to float over ultra-soft conditions, such as snow, sand and mud. These bikes are probably not versatile enough to be considered do-it-all bikes for most riders; instead, they are perfect second bikes for riders who live in a place where they can take full advantage of adverse conditions. These bikes can keep you pedaling through the winter or allow you to take a ride down a sandy beach.
Weight range: Around 28–35 pounds
Travel: 140mm or less
Wheel-size options: 26” or 27.5”
Strengths: These bikes use tires as wide as 4 to 5 inches in order to open a whole new world for riders who otherwise would not be able to ride during some seasons.
Weaknesses: Slow handling and sluggish tires may make these bikes less fun to ride on traditional trails.
Price range: $$–$$$
Pivot LES Fat
Under the new Pure Agave color paint job lies the exact same carbon frame and fork that took Kurt Refsnider to an Iditarod Trail Invitational race win in 2020. This versatile bike can run 26-inch and 27.5-inch fat tires, as well as 27.5+ and 29-inch tires, thanks to its adjustable dropout system. It is available with a rigid or Manitou suspension fork.
Price: $4,799
—Shimano XT 12-speed drivetrain
—Shimano XT disc brakes
—Rigid carbon fiber fork
—Carbon fiber frame
—27.5” SUNringlé Mulefüt 80SL aluminum rims
Rocky Mountain Blizzard Carbon 30
Rocky Mountain redesigned the Blizzard for 2022 with a new lightweight carbon frame and longer, slacker, trail-focused geometry. As fast as it is, it’s also adventure-ready with rear rack mounts and three-pack cage mounts on the fork legs and inside the main triangle.
Price: $2,699
—Shimano Deore 12-speed drivetrain
—Shimano MT4100 two-piston disc brakes
—Rigid carbon fork
—Carbon fiber frame
— 27.5” SUNringlé Mulefüt 80 tubeless-ready aluminum rims
Kona Woo
Trail-oriented geometry inspired by the Honzo gives this fat bike a little extra excitement out on the trail. Massive 26×4.8-inch tires will let you pedal on all but the softest snow and sandy surfaces. Generous accessory mounts make the Woo ready for exploration and bikepacking epics.
Price: $2,499
—Shimano Deore 12-speed drivetrain
—Shimano MT410 Hydraulic disc brakes
—Rigid Kona Woo Fat carbon fork
—Aluminum frame
—26” SUNringlé Mulefut 80 tubeless-ready aluminum rims
Salsa Beargrease Carbon X01 Eagle
Salsa’s Beargrease is more of a racer than its adventure-oriented Mukluk. Its 27.5×4.0-inch tires, geometry and rider position are all about speed on groomed racecourses. Fork and rack mounts make it more than a fast one-trick pony.
Price: $5,999
—SRAM X0 Eagle 12-speed drivetrain
—SRAM G2 RSC brakes
—Rigid carbon fiber fork
—Carbon fiber frame
—27.5” Whiskey No.9 76W carbon rims
Norco Bigfoot 3
A reasonable price tag on this bike makes winter fun attainable for the masses. Studdable, 4.5-inch Vee Avalanche tires offer upgrade potential in icy conditions. With a full set of accessory and rack mounts, this fat bike practically begs for an epic bikepacking trip.
Price: $1,749
—Shimano Deore 11-speed drivetrain
—Tektro MD-280 mechanical disc brakes
—Rigid aluminum fork
—Aluminum frame
—27.5” alloy TR aluminum rims
REEB Badonkadonk
Handmade in Lyons, Colorado, the Badonkadonk was given more relaxed trail-oriented geometry for fun and capability in the steeps. Custom options, such as a Pinion gearbox, Rohloff geared hub and Gates carbon drive belts, let you create the fat bike of your dreams.
Price: $6,299, Frame only $2,395
—SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain
—Shimano SLX brakes
—120mm-travel Manitou Mastodon fork
—Steel frame
—26” Surly My Other Brother Darryl aluminum wheels
Otso Voytek
The Otso gets a facelift for 2022 in the form of four new paint options and a fork with cargo mounts. This fat bike is designed to be nimble and accommodate tire setups ranging from a fat 26×4.6-inch to a regular mountain 29-inch for a true four-season bike. Otso claims that the Voytek has the lowest Q-factor of any fat bike at 183mm.
Price: $4,765
—SRAM GX AXS 12-speed drivetrain
—Magura MT4 brakes
—Rigid carbon fiber fork
—Carbon fiber frame
—26” Lithic Rhyolite 70mm aluminum wheels
Foes Mutz
Foes utilizes its race experience and injects that DNA into its redesigned, full-suspension Mutz fat bike. Everything has changed on this newly redesigned full-suspension fat bike. Updates include a steeper seat angle, longer reach, higher bottom bracket and increased tire clearance, all of which help it excel beyond sand and snow.
Price: $2,799 (frame only)
—150mm-travel aluminum frame
— DVO Topaz air or Jade coil shock
Corvus Skookum
Formerly known as Fatback, Corvus has been in the fat bike game for years. The Skookum is made purely for performance fat bike riding with a 120mm-travel fork and aggressive trail geometry.
Price: $4,750
—SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain
—SRAM Guide R brakes
—120mm-travel Manitou Mastodon Comp fork
—Carbon fiber frame
—26” Big Su Alaska Edition aluminum wheels
Lenz Fatillack
If you’re looking for the monster truck of the mountain bike world, look no further than the Fatillack fat bike. Fat-tire traction meets full-suspension control and comfort in a package that can also run 29×2.8-inch tires when the snow melts.
Price: $6,899, $2,850 frame only
—Shimano XT 12-speed drivetrain
—Shimano XT brakes
—120–150mm travel Manitou Mastodon or Wren Sports fork
—5” or 6”-travel aluminum frame
—26” SUNringlé Duroc 50 aluminum wheels
