Fat bikes started as rigid steel bikes, and mountain bikes also started as rigid steel bikes. So, it only makes sense that one day a full-suspension carbon fiber fat bike would appear. The question is, is there a need for it?

You see, a fat bike can take you to places other bikes cannot. Getting a full-suspension fat bike means you can add very rough terrain to the mix. I’m pretty sure this complete fat bike could be dropped out of the second story of a building and be fine.

Full-Suspension Grip

One of the reasons fat bikes can go anywhere is because of their grip and their ability to float. With grip, you can climb like a goat. You can now put full suspension on a fat bike and have a bike that feels like the grip is cemented to the ground.

Suspension is not just about comfort; it is about keeping your tires firmly on the ground. Grip means that your tire is less likely to deflect off an obstacle with suspension forks than with a rigid bike. Fat bikes were already good at keeping their rubber side down. Jumping to a full-suspension model means you will almost always be upright.

We all like the thought of that. You’re out on a ride with your friends, and they all have small spills, and you said nothing trivial and nothing serious, but it’s great that you don’t. You can feel like a superhero all day long. A full-suspension fat bike will do that for you. That is why I feel I have to recommend them. They will level up your riding ability. 

You can say I am lying there and just trying to sell you on the idea of a full-suspension fat bike. Just try and become a mountain bike instructor, and you will find fat bikes are banned from most courses. Not banned because people don’t like them; they are banned because they can easily complete courses and skill sections.

Not much time to ride your bike

When you do not have as much time to ride as you once did, work, family, and friends all get in the way. You will find that most of your riding time will be spent stemming the decline of your abilities.

In 2014, Salsa introduced the world to the full-suspension fat bike. Salsa brought us the Bucksaw with an aluminum frame. The Salsa Bucksaw stayed in their lineup for a few years, but in 2019, it was sadly dropped from the Salsa lineup. This may be because Salsa is now offering a lot of gravel bikes this year. What we did get from the Bucksaw is that it set the bar high for all full-suspension fat bikes that followed. Luckily, with the SN04, ICAN did not lower that bar. In fact, I would suggest that they might have set the bar higher by matching Salsa’s quality but not charging you Salsa’s prices.

ICAN SN04 Full Suspension Fat Bike

The reason we can be cheaper is that the Bucksaw had a fancy name, and it came in cool colors with fancy marketing. ICAN does not do that. So the SN04 will be the name. In a throwback to the early days of fat bikes, SN is short for snow. 04 is the fourth fat bike, and it is the first full-suspension fat bike that we have manufactured at ICAN. By literally giving the bike an inventory title, you, the consumer, can save money.

The other reason for being cheaper is that it is raw black carbon fiber. We can supply you with one custom paint job if you wish, and by not doing a paint job, you save yourself a significant amount of money. The final point is that by buying directly from ICAN, you cut out all of the middlemen that need to profit from your bike.

Selling direct means you get a superb bike straight from the factory to your home at an affordable price. What you are buying is a full-suspension fat bike with 100mm of travel. ICAN has done well to fit Rock Shox suspension to it. The industry-leading Bluto fork is on the front, and the Monarch XX is on the back. Personally, I think the Monarch XX is a simple and good shock to correctly set up for a heavier bike.

The bike comes with a Shimano Deore groupset. This groupset helps keep the bike affordable and, to me, is the most important thing a groupset can do, more so than being shiny. This bike, fully equipped with suspension, will help you venture into unexplored areas.

Full Carbon Fiber

The real icing on the ICAN cake is that you do not just get a Toray T700 carbon fiber frameset; you also get a Toray carbon fiber wheelset. That is right, a stock bike that comes to you with a carbon fiber wheelset. The wheels are great, they are easy to set up tubeless, and they come with sealed bearing hubs. A wheelset that will have you enjoying your backcountry excursions.

To many, a full-suspension fat bike might seem like a niche product, one that is not really needed. I think they are wrong. Full-suspension fat bikes have quickly made my other bikes seem superfluous. I have bikes for hitting the road, and that makes me smile. I have the best bike for making me smile. My bike can go bike packing. Why would I not want more killer killer?