It’s no secret that fat bikes are good for more than just riding in the snow and sand. While they excel in those conditions, more riders are using them for bikepacking adventures on dirt roads, cruising on bike paths, or hitting their local singletrack with them—praising the extra traction of the wide tires and their ability to grip rocks, roots and smooth out any other bumps in the trail, without the fuss of suspension.
The surge in popularity is great for anyone looking at a new fat bike, because you can now get an excellent bike for less than $1,500. Our gear experts looked through the best and most economical options and found the following nine bikes (plus one bonus model) that are sure to please. If you’re looking to hop on the fat-bike bandwagon, one of these models is sure to please.
RELATED: 6 Reasons We Can’t Get Enough of Fat Biking
The bikes here include tires between 4 and 4.8-inches wide. The smaller width options are typically faster and more maneuverable, while the wider tires offer more float and cushion on soft and slippery terrain. The least-expensive models here have steel frames and mechanical disc brakes. Spend a little more and you’ll get lighter aluminum frames and hydraulic discs, which are easier to control. Some of the pricier bikes have tubeless- compatible wheels that offer better protection against flats. Finding the right one for means weighing where and how you ride it, but no matter what your needs, one of these options will get you rolling.
Felt DD70
Felt’s DD70 is built for bikepacking adventures with rack mounts on its aluminum frame and fork as well as high/low three-bolt bottle cage mounts on each of the fork legs. A SRAM NX 1x11 drivetrain with 11-42 tooth cassette gives smooth shifts with enough gears to get you over the biggest mountains (but maybe not the steepest, when fully loaded). Fast-rolling Schwalbe Jumbo Jim EVO 4-inch-wide tubeless-ready tires are mounted to double-wall tubeless-ready rims for simple and reliable tubeless setup. The Tektro M285 Hydraulic brakes have a 160mm rear rotor and 180mm front for reliable all-weather stopping.
Price: $1,349, Felt
If you prefer some assist to get you through the snow (and are willing to pay extra) check out this e-fat bike from Felt.
Mongoose Argus
Mongoose’s Argus comes with terrain-mauling 4-inch-wide Kenda Juggernaut tires mounted on 100mm wide rims. The wheels have cut outs to keep weight low, which means you’ll spin easier up hills and over anything in your path. The Shimano Acera/Alivio drivetrain has an old-school triple chainring that’s more complex than modern options, but delivers a wide range of gears suitable for everything from climbing a sandy wash to blasting down a snow-covered road. Under the bright red paint is a lightweight aluminum frame and rigid steel fork. The bike comes with lower-priced Mongoose hydraulic brakes, but they are fully sealed to prevent contamination—a rare feature at this price.
Buy it: $699; Amazon
Specialized Fatboy SE
Specialized must think that more is better when it comes to fat-bikes because it gives the Fatboy monstrous 4.6-inch wide tires. The aluminum frame has a longer top tube and short seat stays for nimble handling and climbing traction. This bike is outfitted with a 10-speed 1x SRAM drivetrain with a X7 shifter mated and GX rear derailleur. Specialized uses reliable Tektro Aires mechanical disc brakes and puts larger rotors on on bigger frame sizes to increase stopping power. Not everyone needs tubeless fat bike wheels, but the Fatboy’s Stout rims give you that option.
Price: $1,400; Specialized
Cannondale Fat CAAD 2
Cannondale’s Fat CAAD 2 has a list price closer to $2,000 but REI has select sizes on sale, making this a great value. Its 2x10 SRAM drivetrain is paired with Cannondale’s own Si crank with an offset spider. The company claims that it keeps your feet closer to the frame so you don’t feel like riding a horse, which can happen on some other fat bikes. SRAM’s powerful Guide brakes offer above-average control to reduce unwanted skidding in slippery conditions. Schwalbe’s massive 4.8-inch Jumbo Jim tires offer a huge footprint that is perfect for soft-surface exploration. The Fat CAAD Smartformed aluminum frame and fork feature modern thru-axles and tapered headtube. While most fat bikes in this price range come in three or four sizes, the Fat CAAD is offered in five ranging from XS to XL.
Buy it: $1,398.93 (sale price, size-large only), REI
Salsa Beargrease X5
Riders who want the benefit of fat tires without losing any speed should hop on this lightweight option from Salsa, one of the original fat-bike companies. You won’t find rack mounts on this sporty ride, but it does come with a lightweight aluminum frame and fork and 45NRTH’s Husker Du 4-inch tires mounted on tubeless-ready 80mm wide Surly rims. The rigid fork has a suspension-corrected length, which means you can swap it out for a suspension option later without upsetting the bike’s handling. A 2x10 SRAM X5 drivetrain offers versatile gearing options on the trail while Hayes mechanical MX Comp brakes keep all that speed in check.
Buy it: $1,399, REI
Diamondback El Oso Nino
Kids love snow, sand, and bikes, so of course they need their own fat bike. Diamondback’s 20-inch El Oso Nino is made for smaller riders but has 4-inch-wide tires so kids can tackle the same trails as their parents. Its durable steel frame and fork add some weight compared to aluminum version but keep costs down and should withstand years of pint-sized adventure riding. Diamondback also gives the Nino a twist-style shifter that many kids find easier to use than trigger options.
Buy it: $450, Competitive Cyclist
Fuji Wendingo 2.1
Like the more expensive Cannondale CAAD 2, the Wendingo comes with super-wide 4.8-inch tires, which help it excel in softer conditions when you need to float over sand and snow. Large tires like these also offer a basic form of suspension to smooth the ride at slower speeds. The Wendingo’s aluminum frame and fork is paired to a Shimano 2x10 drivetrain with the excellent Shimano Deore shifter and XT rear derailleur. Tektro’s HD-M290 hydraulic disc brakes come with 180mm front and rear rotors for strong braking.
Buy it: $1,259 (on sale for $949.97), Performance Bike
Kona Wo
Kona’s Wo fat bike features a butted aluminum frame and fork with massive 4.8-inch Schwalbe Jumbo Jim tires. The Shinning rims are tubeless ready, so you can ditch the tubes and roll (mostly) without worrying about flats. The Wo is outfitted with Shimano hydraulic disc brakes and Deore 1x10 drivetrain for simple, one-handed shifting.
Price: $1,499, Kona
Diamondback El Oso
This final bike is a bonus pick: It comes in above the $1,500 limit, but just barely. And for Amazon Prime members, the free shipping will offset the slight hit to your wallet. Unlike the junior model, this one has a lightweight aluminum frame, tapered head tube, and a sweet RockShox Bluto suspension fork—a rad addition for anyone looking to use their fat bike on rocky and other dirt trails.
Buy it: $1,609.18, Amazon
